GT Triple Triangle BMX Build

[dcoultis]

Picked up this GT triple triangle tonight for 100 bucks cdn. Previous owner already did a single speed conversion and polished the aluminum frame.

I'd like to find a 26" bmx fork and do up a bmx conversion on it.

Is an SE Landing Gear fork my best option for a fork is there a cheaper alternative?

 

[Tallbikeman]

MTB frames with suspension forks are engineered so that the head tube is shorter on the bottom. This means a BMX fork will lower the front end because in order to accommodate the suspension extra room was taken from the frame. They make suspension height corrected non suspended forks. Surly sells them for their front suspension adapted frames. There are 26" suspension corrected solid forks out there so good luck.

 

[dcoultis]

Thanks for the info Tallbikeman, I didn't realize that!

 

[RustyGold]

You'll be in the ballpark with 29" BMX forks. Landing Gear was running super cheap for a while...but not so much anymore. Try the Black Ops chromoly forks...might be cheaper. If patient, watch the ebay for some 26" Redline Monocog forks... already suspension corrected and good BMX look.

There's plenty of Surly options...but none look very BMXy.

 

[Captain Awesome]

https://www.modernbike.com/product-...gTtFpsXFgbkI0lCi4E8lKDwk3CUGq4exoCil4QAvD_BwE

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Tallbikeman, on-point with the suspension-corrected information.

If you wish to put a brake on the front and do not wish to have a disc brake up there, the 29er forks are not an option. I don't believe a long enough caliper brake is made to reach that far and bosses for cantilever or linear sidepull are too far off for an ISO 559 wheel. If you do wish to use a 29er fork, don't care if it's BMX style or not and are okay with putting a disc wheel and brakes up front, the Origin 8 29er rigid fork is probably the best deal.

IMO, looking at that frame, it's an earlier model when compact geometry was not quite making it to the larger frame sizes yet (for GT) and in order for it to have BMX type handling, a 29er fork will work best. The two options with that in mind are going brakeless up front with a BMX fork or using a MTB fork and adding a disc wheel and brake up front. Truly, it depends on what you wish to do with this bike and if you wish for that to include high performance, you're going to have to shell out a few more dollars unless you have a good semi-modern MTB stash of parts.

 

[kissmyklunker]

I found a Haro steel reserve fork on the local craigslist for $50. These are also height corrected because they sold those bikes with suspension forks as well. But Karate Chicken is right, if you want a front brake, its either disc or some custom work. These dirtjumpers are fairly common now...

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Surly and Soma make a couple without disk mounts, bike packers like the rim brakes still

But pretty much everything in this market is going to be curved legs

 

[Captain Awesome]

I found a Haro steel reserve fork on the local craigslist for $50. These are also height corrected because they sold those bikes with suspension forks as well

Another great option

 

[RustyGold]

Those Black Ops forks at Modern Bike are a great deal...too bad I'm broke.

 

[dcoultis]

I am not going to run a front brake so I could go the 29er fork route. For now I am going to run the rock shox, trying to do this as budget as possible.

Chopped the seat post today.

Polished the chain tensioner.

Repurposed this old Haro stem I had on a parts bike, sanded and polished it.

 

[dcoultis]

Mocked up some handlebars to see if I like them before I invest time in refinishing them, I like the look and feel. Swapped on some cruiser 26 x 2.125 street tires, removed the front brake.

 

[kissmyklunker]

Looking very clean. Sometimes a splash of color like those bars puts it over the top.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Mocked up some handlebars to see if I like them before I invest time in refinishing them,

Looks like a lot of fun

Sometimes a splash of color like those bars puts it over the top.

Yeah but it can be dangerous, sending you down an expensive path... Blue shock would finish that front end nicely

 

[Palepainter]

I love my triple triangle conversion. I went with the 29 bmx fork up front, and found a generic caliper that provides adequate breaking up front. Handles great with 29er up front.

 

[Palepainter]

Link to fork.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2839751957...8qSb09XSZq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[dcoultis]

The bars are just temporarily blue, I am going to sandblast them at work and paint them black. I'd love a set of chrome bars but they are not in the budget. So far I've only had to buy the bike, everything else I've had laying around.

Routed the rear brake cable properly through the guides on the frame. Got rid of the ugly e tape the previous owner had attached the cable with.

 

[dcoultis]

Link to fork.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2839751957...8qSb09XSZq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Thanks for the link!

 

[Palepainter]

Thanks for the link!

Welcome. It’s a sweet fork. I know the front caliper I used was pretty inexpensive. I had it lying around for years. It has long enough arms to engage the rim properly.

 

[kissmyklunker]

The bars are just temporarily blue, I am going to sandblast them at work and paint them black. I'd love a set of chrome bars but they are not in the budget. So far I've only had to buy the bike, everything else I've had laying around.

View attachment 201106
Routed the rear brake cable properly through the guides on the frame. Got rid of the ugly e tape the previous owner had attached the cable with.

Have you thought about going raw on the bars? just blast and clearcoat. It fits with the raw aluminum frame...