Jan 29 1999 GT Edge from Alison Dunlap

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

In honor of World Cyclocross Championship week here in the states it's only right that I add this bike to the mix. While it's possible that this bike could be from a number of years I searched all the pictures I could find on line and believe this to be the bike the 2001 World Mtn Bike Champion Alison Dunlap rode to win the US Nationals Cyclocross Championships in 1999. She was the also the US Champion in 97, 98, 00, 01 snd 03....Six out of seven years. She also placed in the top ten at World's three years. There is something I need you to pretend while viewing these pictures. Either think they're knobbies or think of it as set for an urban cyclocross event. I've been hunting like made to find the period correct tires without much luck. I did manage to pick up a pair of the Cane Creek wheels she raced on but have yet to find time to get a hub repair completed on them.

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

GT cataloged these beautiful fillet brazed Reynolds 853 cross frames in their 99 and 2000 catalogs but I know riders that had them as early as 97. I picked this one up from a girl in Colorado. It had a full Ultegra Triple long cage rear derailleur build on it when I got it. I switched the bar tape back to original "Off the Front" GT Project 896 tape just like that run by Alison in the pictures. While many of us like collecting older vintage bikes it always seems like the rider/pro/team bikes always have that extra bit of lore to them. I have five past GT team racer bikes and have passed on a couple more I probably should have picked up over the years. This one's unique for me because it's the only cyclocross bike in the stable.

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

When I get the wheels finished and some period correct rubber back on this baby I'll post up a pic of what it should really look like,