GT STS LOBO. The Unicorn Cometh.

I can remember fogging up the glass at my LBS in 1997 when the '98 line came out and I first laid eyes on the LOBO at Ace Cycles in Brooklyn. I just couldn't wait (nor scrounge up enough money) so I eventually bought the previous year's STS DH which I've loved and cherished for years. But this thread is about a boy's dream come true.

It was just another boring Monday morning. Sitting at work opening packages from QBP and sorting the contents against the packing list, thoroughly unexciting. Once the deliveries were finished I took my post behind the computer to eat some lunch and run my regular ebay searches: sts, lts, rts, lobo, ringle, hadley... etc... sounding familiar? But this Monday was different no sooner did I enter the 4th ring of my searches I see the holy grail of my wanted list, a 1998 GT STS LOBO! I jumped into action... well really I just do a little math, set myself an alarm for later that evening and went back to work. That evening I poured over my keyboard and eventually won the auction. not quite a week later the box (with frame inside) arrived.

I couldnt resist slapping my old ZZYZX fork on the second the frame came out of the box. Even if it didn't have a headset installed.

Parts waiting to go as follows:
Hed Jet DH rims to red anodized GT/Hadley hubs
XTR M952 rear der, BB, cranks and brakeset
MRP chain guide
Cane Creek DH headset
Azonic shorty stem
Thompson seatpost
handlebars are my only real question, I have a Control Tech bar and a Ritchey Force Lite one but neither really do it for me. any suggestions? I thought a Bontrager Crowbar might do it but cant put my hands on one.

Here's one of the frame and fork, I'll have a complete pic done sometime this afternoon.
That night I placed my bid and payed the seller. The next morning he shipped it out and 5 days later I'm opening the package. It took me some 14 years to buy one and now I'll waste no time getting it built to the highest level I can so it can join the rest of my GT collection.

sweet.

bar wise its got to be an azonic double wall.

Gorgeous frame man..

been after one for years to go with my Ali lobo.

i have to agree with Jamabikes on the bars.. thats what i have on mine.. awesome..


cant wait to see the full build

This was one of my favourite frame designs, iconic. Looking forward to the build.

Well, now its together looks and rides great. I'll have to swap the Deore shifter out for my M952 one when I can find it and the bar quandary is still bugging me. The double wall would fit nicely but the one I have was cut a little too short and I'll have to find some real narrow grips to allow a brake and a shifter on the right hand. Anyway here's a peek at the whole thing in its preliminarily built state.

thats awesome. love the HED rims..been after some of them for a while..

looks great..

Wow. Always liked the carbon GTs. Looks fantastic mate. Sure you will enjoy that a lot.

wow!
does anybody actually ahve just one unicorn though?!

yeah azonics were a good choice but the butt would probably be a bit tricky to work around
i was thinking of x lite bars?
or club roost bars with the brace wouldnt go amiss (<yeah them!)

not sure on the fork or saddle though
have you considered some stratos', boxxers, white bros etc.?

Just out for a ride on this glorious spring day figured I should post some more pics of this one and it's family.

And some with the family... So much thermoplastic!