1996 GT Avalanche on FB Marketplace - Had to save it!

[27motorhead]

Amazing you have photos of your first MTB, I don't. I barely have any of my second MTB either. Just rose tinted memories!

That was still a GT despite no triple triangle, but had their trademark overshot ovalised top tube/seat tube intersection with branded end cap. Love the bottle cage mounted to the underside of the top tube. How the hell did you fit a lock in there between x2 bottles?

Love you riding through the water, that's what I use to do, especially when you first got into MTBing, you head for the deepest, wettest, dirtiest thing you could find, just because, but you soon realise, cleaning bikes is a pain in the arse!

Hope they don't ever introduce mandatory helmet wearing to the UK, shame Australia and NZ have it. Retro helmet will be cool, plus some Eyeshades like your friend had, although so many glasses these days have Eyeshade DNA in them...

 

[JustinFox]

I hunted down some Rock Shox Mag 21’s. They look damn clean, but as expected they don’t work too well. Definitely more plush than what I had on there originally, but they don’t bounce back to where they should (they need air? Probably a lot more than just air). I swapped out to a shorter stem and a super beat up $10 SDG Bel Air DH saddle I found on eBay. Also a silver Chris King style headset (the old was one crunchy as) and silver seatpost clamp and Acor front brake booster.

I’m thinking I’ve done a bit too much all at the same time, but that’s how I like to work! I’ll most likely get a longer stem back on there, put the slimmer and lighter Tioga saddle back on and I’ll start looking into what it’ll take to get the fork working smoother.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I’m thinking I’ve done a bit too much all at the same time

Naw man, bike is looking FINE! I adore the smaller gt frames, angles are so good

 

[zonoskar]

Turned out very nice. I like the RST fork better. Like you said, the MAGs don't really work very well. But this reminds me I really need to get a ball burnished hardtail GT for my stable...

 

[JustinFox]

Cheers guys, lots more trial and error to come as I'm having way too much fun.

Lots of purple bits came in the mail today from ImprovePart who make improved retro MTB parts no longer available new. I always dreamed of owning Ringle stuff, could never afford it. I found some bits on eBay but most of it's aged really badly (and commanding quite high prices).

Ringle style Zooka stem.

Ringle style Ti Stix skewers. Unfortunately one side of the Mag 21 forks won't hold air (the other is fine). I've ordered some bits off eBay to see if I can service the fork myself, otherwise it's not working any worse with one leg than the RST forks I had on there before.

Ringle Moby style seatpost. Not sure how these guys improved this design, it's super annoying to get a saddle on there and even more annoying to adjust the saddle tilt, but it looks rad!

Have a purple King headset, might need to get that one there now. Still waiting on purple bars, a crankset and some other bits too lol.

Ordered Gravel King tyres in tan wall. Looked a LOT lighter on the site, but these are more like gum walls. 200g heavier than the Schwalbe Billy Bonkers too, but I'll leave them on for now.