My Journey. GT build

z0tty

well better start with this!!


i was REALLY into the kite buggy scene from about 2001 but towards the end of 2008 i had pretty much lost the mojo for the sport . we moved house and ended up on the door step of Cannock chase (you know where this is going dont you?) well it didnt take long to spot the cars travelling past with bikes on the back on a regular basis, so i investigated. WOW... i found the 'follow the dog' trails!! so i needed a bike asap lol.

now i wasnt keen at the time to admit to my self that i had lost the kite buggy mojo so was reluctant to sell my kite gear which left my strugling for funds for a new hobby. so i sourced a frame off here and built it up budget style

Off to the trails i go !!

WOW

HOLY COW!!!

it all came flooding back.. my youth spent at birmingham wheels bmx track.. ridng the monkey run under the m6 in bromford (birmngham inner city lad me) etc etc!! i was addicted!

then the problems began! lol

brakes? what brakes!! seemed i needed new ones (although while waiting i did master the art of setting up mechanical disc brakes )

gears?? why wont they change up when i'm giving it some stick??

looked like i had to sell some kite gear didnt it lol

que the parts!!




ended up selling ALL the kite gear lol.

over a period of maybe 10 months i added

xt drivetrain
hope tech m4 brakes
hope pro 2 hubs on mtx 31 rims
gravity dropper (best thing since sliced bread)
easton bars
fattys flattys pedals
marz xc comp forks
and a few bits of bling lol..

i was happy....... for awhile!

the prob i had was i had gone up from 80mm travel forks to 100mm travel forks and i came across some pictures of some guys poor broken frame. and he had put it down to the longer forks.. the more i read up on it the more i worried about mine breaking lol

cue the GT xcr frame



i got the frame cheap from a local mtb forum member and did the rebuild..

WOW!! the change in ride was truely impressive .. switch backs suddenly became easy,, it went where i pointed it and did exactly what i asked of it...

but

i was aware the frame could take 130/140 travel.. and indeed that they came this way new lol..
the hunt was on for longer forks.

cue forks



life was good... ish.

i hated the colour of the black frame.. hated it with a passion.. and as i had said before the frame came cheap meaning it hadnt got the best of paint finish's lol.. infact it had a fair few battle scars on it. also the bike had originally been built around a white frame so was kinda themed to match.

cue frame hunt number two







frame is a totally mint GT aggressor xc2 which i bought as a complete bike and transplanted the parts onto my sons Saracen mantra 2 (and thats another thread in the making lol)

lifes good for now very happy with my bike and it certainly does its job over at follow the dog or indeed around the monkey..

heres the spec list

GT xc2 frame

marzocchi Bomber 44 tst2 airs

gravity dropper turbo

Hope Head doctor

Hope Grip Doctor

hope Space Doctor

hope 203 floating saw rotors x 2

hope QR skewers

hope tech m4 brake front

hope tech m4 brake back

hope tech levers x 2

hope tech Master Cylinder Lid x 2

Hope fork cable guides

Hope seat QR seat clamp

Hope Bottom Bracket (SS)

Hope Mount Adapter rear

Hope Pro 2 Front hub

Hope Pro 2 Rear hub

Sunringle mtx31 rims (welded)

DT Swiss comp 2mm-1.8mm spokes x 74

Blue Spoke nipples x74

Fatties flattys pukkas pedals

Easton EA30 bars

FSA os 115 stem

Giant lock-on grips

Shimano XT 9sp shadow deraileur M772

Shimano XT Front mech M771

Shimano XT M770 9sp cassette

Shimano xt HT2 M770 chain set

shimano xt shifters (F&R) M770

Sram PC991 chain (9spd)

Tacx ceramic jocky wheels

Clarks Gear cables X 2

titainium m5 bolts x 12

aluminium m6 bolts x 8

Kcnc jocky wheel bolts

M-part fork cable guide

Cateye w100 trip comp

lizard skins chain stay protector

panracer XC Pro 2.1 x 2

El Capitano

You have created a stunning bike. Also, nice transition from the original bike to the new one. It goes to show how anyone who starts off with a very basic bike can end up with something far more respectable.

Omar Little

Maybe shouldnt admit this but i quite like the look of the reebok bike in the 2nd pic!

z0tty

El Capitano wrote:

You have created a stunning bike. Also, nice transition from the original bike to the new one. It goes to show how anyone who starts off with a very basic bike can end up with something far more respectable.

i thanks you sir

Proutster

That latest GT looks great - I especially like the way that you've got the colour-matching scenery

In the summer (if we get one) are you going to get a green one?

EarlofBarnet

Nice change from start to finish. I also thought the RBK frame looked ok without the decals on. Looks a quality bike now

z0tty

Proutster wrote:

That latest GT looks great - I especially like the way that you've got the colour-matching scenery

In the summer (if we get one) are you going to get a green one?

lol lol now there's a thought .. do they even do a green aggressor? lol.. and my eldest lad might not be best pleased at me needing the black frame back for those night time rides lol lol

dot1

Wow that's a lot of Hope stuff! :shock:

That is also, without a doubt, the most pimping Reebok bike I've ever seen! Looks well tasty! (I'm not afraid to admit it!)

Very nice job sir!

D4V1D

Great read, and if I see you coming I'll get out of your way next time I'm at Cannock. 8)

Monkeypump

A case of "Trigger's Broom", perhaps?

z0tty

Monkeypump wrote:

A case of "Trigger's Broom", perhaps?

the flaw in that theory is the blind taste test.. you'd know if you'd have been unlucky or indeedy lucky enough to ride the Reebok.. hence forth with the item never became the item it originally was.. lol lol.. hows that for a befuddled way of putting it

jay12

wow very nice transformation. looks pimp

leaflite

I think I might have seen you riding the reebok round cannock once. You came flying past and took the warewolf drop flat out! Seeing you on the reebok doing it finally gave me the courage to do it on my gt( I have the xc2 frame like you, but with rockshox rev rlt forks)

Nice job anyway...

z0tty

leaflite wrote:

I think I might have seen you riding the reebok round cannock once. You came flying past and took the warewolf drop flat out! Seeing you on the reebok doing it finally gave me the courage to do it on my gt( I have the xc2 frame like you, but with rockshox rev rlt forks)

Nice job anyway...

i thanks you sir .. and if it was me and it did help then top job for going for it and mastering the wolf . its defo a 80% commitment and 20% skill thang is the wolf.. stop and think and it tends to catch you out ..

give us a shout if you see me about

MountainMonster

You know, I would actually like to have that Reebok frame with no decals, cheep, cheerful and would make a fun build for something to toy about on.

Any idea what the weight was on the frame?

THe GTs looking good, and the spec looks very good.

z0tty

MountainMonster wrote:

THe GTs looking good, and the spec looks very good.

thanks bud

xtreem

Cool story bro.


Seriously, cool story, and bike.

z0tty

well.. it has now done around 80 miles of various surfaces and i'm very happy with it . i do plan to replace all the gear cables to full length runs so have ordered some 'blingy' ferrules and cable ends lol

next mission is the mid 80's ernie clements road bike my ole man has just handed down to me

MountainMonster

Should be quite a cool build in the end then!

Pudseyp

Great post...shows passion and commitment !! top job fella....

(agree the bok does look kinda nice !)

z0tty

thanks guys

ilovedirt

Love that bike mate! I have a similar frame, really nice frames for very little money!

supersonic

I like black GTs ;-)

ilovedirt

I like white ones :P

z0tty

i like both lol.. and have both living under the same roof (my son has the xcr now) although,, the white one could be black,, or indeed black and white lol meaning i have the best of both worlds right??

z0tty

nice bikes you have there guys btw both look gooooooooood