So, after six months of searching for bits and bobs, scrounging cash, trying to live a family life and rebuild a bike at the same time... I finally have my old Zaskar LE back in one piece. She's a '96 and I'm quite happy with the results so far... (wheels don't match, bizare choice of spoke nipples on the rear and so on). Good start though.

As a quick bit of background (I'll do a full thread at some point if anyone's interested and when I get chance to resize some more photos!). I bought the frame for this back in '96, switched most of the stuff from my Saracen maxtrax on to it and rode, raced it for a good time. Then I moved house, sort of left it at mom and dad's, eventually picked it back up, had a family (same as a lot of us I guess) and now it's ten years later (possibly more). So, stripped her back to a frame, lots of brasso type polishing, left the original decals, original wheels, saddle, cassette and chain and bought some new stuff. Pace forks are RC36 MXCD, groupset is XT (original parallel pull V brakes - squeaky, squeaky), headset is a new VP one (will get a 3DV Chris King if the day ever comes I can afford one). Not 100% happy with the Kore stem but yet to give her a proper ride.

Essentially this is my bike - I don't have anything modern. So, she won't be a garage queen or dry miles only, hence I didn't spend £££ on NOS stuff (that and having no cash!). Only NOS were the purple porcipaws (thank you racer-x) which I've always loved and only stopped using when they stopped making them in purple, and the USE post. I only tried these tyres on before selling them (Magic 2.1s) but now I'm not so sure, kind of want to keep them.. hmm.. decisions...

Anyway - enough babbling - more pics to follow on a different thread, but here's a taster. Few pics of 'then' to start with:

and now...

get on with it then

Sodding photo upload was playing up I'm sweating here!

oooh thats nice
thumbs up smiley

Nowhere near as nice as some of the stuff on here I know. But she's mine(!) and there's plenty of time for flites and decals in the spring.

(Oh yeah and the Crud catcher is blu-tacked on for the photos )

not often you see Pace on a GT for some reason. GT normally = rockshox.

Looks nice though.

Agreed, to both points. Used to run Mag 21s (see first couple of pics) but fancied a change and always drooled after Pace back in the day. And if retrobike means anything to me, it's about buying the bike stuff you lusted after in your youth.

Thanks for the nice words, both, btw.

4 bolt crank needs to go too

nicely done

Stunning , thought i was going to have to say it looked better with the mags (before scolling down to the pics), as mentioned usually GT = RockShox but have to say the forks and whole bike look ace

16" is the best size too

am getting my first zaskar frame during the week, cant wait

Oooh what year?

97 18" though as i'm 6 foot and fairly long legged.

nicely presented, no doubt when time & funds allow you to get it to how you want it will be very nice indeed!

3dv on a polished zaskar should be the law imho! it just looks right.