Black_puma
GT Fan
Like yourself, I started with BMX racing in the Netherlands, then later I got a job and spent my disposable income on bikes in my 20's.Because I used to race BMX's when I was younger and moved to Mountain bikes in the early 90's. University, then work and kids took over, but I always rode. I am lucky enough now to be able to (just about) afford to buy some of the bikes that I dreamed of when I was 15/16/17, so why not. Plus I love the restoration and build process, it is a distraction and quite different from my everyday job, it creates balance in my life, if not in my finances
I was very fortunate that despite having lost (stolen from me) a few bikes in the early 90's ( My first MTB, My Dawes Tracker and my first two GT's), that the guy (Jules) from Broadribbs Cycles in Leamington Spa was very supportive of helping me learn to build my own bikes in his workshop. I know it was a mutual respect as I did spent a fair bit of money there, 4 complete bikes and the '93 Zaskar project.
Now 33+ years later I find myself wanting to relive those happy days but taking it a bit further by actually keeping more of the bikes I buy!
Also, I enjoy the actual process of building my bikes, it's a very tactile thing for me, very therapeutic in many ways. So it's a win win situation.
And I like to admire the bikes, even if they were bought nearly complete with very minor work needed.
I have owned many other bikes of different brands besides GT and enjoyed a few of them more than others.
My favourite bikes so far..
1992 GT Timberline (green, heavily upgraded before it got stolen)
1993 GT Zaskar (custom build)
Columbus Zona MTB frame with Ritchey rear dropouts (I believe it to be from Merlin Cycles) built up to replace my dying GT iDrive 4.0).
1992 GT Bravado
