1984 GT TIMBERLINE - DONE

[Rat Rod]

Re: 1984 GT TIMBERLINE

I got busy and picked up a new pair of 26 x 1.76 Kenda gumwalls, some AME Tri Grips and a new gel seat.

I ended up removing the front derailleur and taking it down to one chainring in the front....much cleaner now.

Got it all put back together and gave it one final wash and now the bike is officially done.

I'm super pleased with the way it turned out and I feel like I've covered several aspects of vintage bikes that I like.

The frame geometry and components gives it that old school 26" BMX look. It's comfortable to ride and has six speeds to get you around.


Here's how the bike started....

Here's how the bike looks now...

 

[HotRodRob]

Super clean ride man, love those Skull Skates bars. I want those for my bike, just not sure if I can bring myself to spending 60 bones on them.

 

[Rat Rod]

They are worth every penny. :wink:

 

[johnny nightwolf]

Wow... Even the pie plate and the nicks in the chrome look amazing in those shots. Great job and just a beautiful bike!

 

[GTCOMA]

It's a beauty!

But I don't know if I can get used to the tan garage door instead of white. Can you paint the garage door white so i can get the full effect?

 

[Markm]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Rat Rod]

But I don't know if I can get used to the tan garage door instead of white. Can you paint the garage door white so i can get the full effect?

Ha Ha...I moved just so I could have a new backdrop for my bike photos! :lol:

 

[rico]

Rat Rod
That is a nice transformation on a great GT , NICE JOB I LIKE IT A LOT :!:

 

[Rat Rod]

Stumbled upon this one today while checking Ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0385560011

 

[Rat Rod]

Converted this bike into my workhorse. I've been grabbing it when I want to hook our trailer up to a bike to pull the monkeys around.

Ended up throwing some 1.50 Cheng Shins on it, swapped out the cranks with the Super Maxy's and some Welgo bear traps.

This bike is very nimble, very fast and totally silent except for that wonderful clickety click from the cassette out back.

 

[johnny nightwolf]

I liked the gumwalls better, but the Super Maxys are perfect on there. Just a beautiful bike!

 

[Rat Rod]

I liked the gumwalls too, but I needed something a little narrower with more of a slick tread for what I'm using it for.

Aesthetically, the only thing else I'd like to do is install an all chrome chain on the bike.

It's kind of a crazy looking bike, but the parts are of such awesome quality, I've found it hard to let it go.

 

[johnny nightwolf]

The frame has almost new school dirt jump geometry with the low standover. It almost looks like it could have been built by Norco this year, not by GT 26 years ago. And I bet those tires make it fly. Seriously one of the coolest old MTBs I've ever seen.

 

[bigj]

That is a SWEET bike! It is almost too nice to ride.

 

[Social Reject]

Rat Rod,
What do you call this style of bike/modification?


By the way, this bike looks super cool.

 

[Rat Rod]

Technically it's just a small framed version of GT's 1984 Timberline mountain bike. Someone on one of the MTB forums told me that he worked in a bike shop back in the day and built and sold several of them. He said that the smaller frame design was meant for the ladies or shorter male riders. What's funny about it though is that the top tube is pretty long and easily can accommodate a rider 5'9" and taller. My wife is 5'4" and she cannot ride the bike with the seat slammed to its lowest position...still too tall for her.

The taller standard version of the bike would have looked like this...