Comparing GT RTS1 and Team RTS

stesnape

Old School Hero
Here's a question for you GT experts out there. How do you tell the difference between a GT RTS1 frame and a GT Team RTS frame? Any help would be greatly appreciated, cheers all.
 
You can not compare the two as the Team RTS was never sold as a frame.

The Team RTS was only sold as a complete bike loaded with XTR, while the RTS-1 was a complete bike sold with XT. The frame set only was sold as simply and RTS in the Gt Tech Shop program/catalog.

But I can guarantee you that 9o% of those people listing RTS's for sale call them Team RTS's because most of them called Team RTS in their listing's don't have the XTR spec on them. The sellers are just attempting to pump their chests and get more people to bid and get more out of their sale by calling it something better than it really is. Then brings into the discussion redecaling and don't even get me started on that.
 
I've got a team rts, no longer is it wearing m900 though, as I've modernised it slightly, first did an m970 build, but have gone back a few years and now it's m952 mostly. It's still a team rts frame though, which brings me back on topic.

I've owned a few rts bikes in my time, including the above team, an rts frame, a couple of rts-1s and back in the day (1992/3 iirc) an rts-2. The 2 aside, there weren't many differences in the actual frame, unless you count the rear end, as the older ones had a steel one, later versions alloy. The rear shock may have differred, can't remember exactly, but some didn't have the piggy back Noleen, but this could again be down to the year.

Both the team and 1 have flat caps and were made in the USA from 6061 alloy.

I'm sure someone will be along and correct any of the above, but that's my experience of these lovely frames, not sure I'll part with my team ever. Still have the full m900 if I ever need to sell it as a 'real' team, though I'm not a huge fan of the m900 shifting performance, and I've always upgraded anything that I didn't like or that wore out, so unless it's a catalogue spec that really makes a team a team, I guess mine isn't a team, although it really is, and bloody lovely it is and hopefully always will be.
 
Re:

I didn't think there were any differences in the frames themselves but I just wanted to make sure. You're right about people changing the decals though, if you scroll the old internet for pics of peoples bikes it looks like more Team bikes were sold than all the 1's 2's and 3's added together. I was just wondering because everyone else seemed to have a Team bike and I just had a poor old 1.
 
The twos and threes were different, different alloy, no flat cap and came with a made in Taiwan sticker. I didn't realise teams were so common, I've had numbers of one's and plain old rts, but only one team.
 
Re:

I know the 1 and 2 were different and I'd imagine that Team bikes are very rare, I was just making the point that there are a lot of frames with Team stickers added afterwards,just like LE with Zaskats.
 
gm1230126":3d5mvtre said:
The Team RTS was only sold as a complete bike loaded with XTR, while the RTS-1 was a complete bike sold with XT.


Thought the original RTS-1 was built with M900 XTR? :?
 
A lot of bikes, not just the rts shared the same frame, just different component spec. I certainly hear what gm..... Is saying about redecalling something to make it look like what it's not, but if the frames are the same, and someone pulls together a catalogue spec build of a team using a 1, or rts as a base, is the end product any different? I've no idea, but I'd guess only from the point of view that the frame started life with different decals on it, unless of course it was a genuine team bike, raced of course, which is a different matter entirely. Well, in my humble opinion anyway.
 
Re:

It seems there is a wealth of GT knowledge on here so I'm gonna ask for a bit more advice. I've been offered a LTS frame, I've only seen it in a pic do am sketchy on the full details. Its in now condition and has never been built into a bike, it only has LTS with no number after it and no stickers have been removed. However, I think I can make out a 7005 sticker near the bottom bracket. If anyone can give any info or ideas it would be a great help, cheers
 
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