GT Chucker XS1 - Updated 11/07/16 - PG 12

gt-arrowhead

I think the stem faceplate may be upside down. Hahaha It makes no difference really, as the raceface logo looks similar both ways.

Kowalski675

The extra stickers you've added to the frame are too much - would looke better if you removed them.

gt-arrowhead

I like them. Personal preference thing i guess.

Kowalski675

That's 'cos your young - youngsters like sticking stickers on things

gt-arrowhead

I think that might be it

declan1

Kowalski675 wrote:

That's 'cos your young - youngsters like sticking stickers on things

Nope, my dad loves stickers. I hate them, but it's just personal taste I suppose...

gt-arrowhead

New bottom bracket fitted. Old one was a 116mm axle, this one is a 113mm. And is a tad lighter. The actual wobble in the old axle was so little, but it translated to quite a fair bit at the pedals, so had to change. Ive only had a quick trip up and down the road with it and all problems have been solved. The BB is now quiet and play free. Its a VP bottom bracket. Would have bought a Shimano one but i needed a new bottom bracket for this weekend and obviously there isnt enough time to get it through the post, so i reserved and bought one from the local Halfords.

That Superstar XCR chainguide is a right barstard to setup properly, but its really good once you get it right.

gt-arrowhead

Why are all my updates so bloody long?!

New tyres. Woohoo!

I really was not getting along with the Kenda tyres, the rolling resistance was too high for me, and i really felt the effect towards the end of the ride, and i was bogging down very often in thicker mud, the kind that isnt very watery. The grip on them was fine for everything else though.

So i was scouring the internet for reviews and good deals to find a tyre i liked. After ages i decided to go for Conti Explorers in 1.75 width, but they were not available. This put me back to square one, so in the end i decided to buy a pair of Maxxis Beavers from CRC. My card got refused and i was furious. I checked my balance the next day and found i had £39.57 in my account, and the tyres came to £39.98 (i forgot that i bought a can of coke).

After that i decided to take someone up on the offer of 2 mint condition Beavers for £30. Im so glad i did, as they turned out to be the 120 TPI folding versions! Met up the following day in the car park and fitted them, and off for a ride. The tyres are simply awesome in the mud, and the rolling resistance is so low! I ran them at 35 PSI and the grip was still awesome. Just a bit allergic to roots when pedaling, so you have to be a bit careful and choose your line well on the roots.

The mud has demolished my pads, so i put an older but not finished pair in the front, as i did last week with the rears. Some new pics from my new phone. Picture quality is far better, especially in "focus mode"

Worn the braking material away completely!

All nice and dirty








My budget "repair stand".

All cleaned up




Sorted my seating position out now too. Ride alot higher, and with the seat flat.

Also got some new Muc Off wet lube. Did the trick well in the mud yesterday.

gt-arrowhead

Next time i go out, ill get some better shots of it in the forest. There arent many shots in the forest.

Twelly

GT-Arrowhead wrote:

2 mint condition Beavers

Giggity

Lewis A

GT-Arrowhead wrote:

Some new pics from my new phone. Picture quality is far better, especially in "focus mode"

Hmmmm was your neighbour's house on fire?

gt-arrowhead

I know what you mean, i was facing the sun when i took the photo, so my phones camera got a bit confused.

gt-arrowhead

I want to take some nice pictures next time out as i said, i do like a bit of photography, eventhough im not particularly good at it. The camera does have potential though:

Old phone:



New Phone:

Twelly

GT-Arrowhead wrote:

In focus:



Not in focus:

FTFY

gt-arrowhead

Yeah, that's exactly it. My old phone wouldn't focus

Kowalski675

GT-Arrowhead wrote:

i do like a bit of photography, eventhough im not particularly good at it.

Really? I'd never noticed... To be fair, if you want to dabble in photography, buy a camera - you wouldn't buy a camera to make phone calls on...

Lewis A

Samsung made one.

Kowalski675

Lewis A wrote:

Samsung made one.

And where is it now? Sitting alongside the Amstrad Emailer...

gt-arrowhead

ANYWAY back to the bike

Im buying some of these tomorrow. Stuck on whether i should go red white or black. :O

Kowalski675

Black, obviously.

Lewis A

Kowalski675 wrote:

Lewis A wrote:

Samsung made one.

And where is it now? Sitting alongside the Amstrad Emailer...

And I think the one they unveiled just before CES (2 weeks ago) died even quicker.

Red skewers will look best, even if the anodising disappears after a ride, then they'll just be raw and match the white-ish.

Kowalski675

Lewis A wrote:

Red skewers will look gash, even worse after the anodising's faded to pink

FTFY

gt-arrowhead

Heres a pic of me getting it wrong. Did it too fast and my low front end meant i did an endo all the way up to and over (somehow) that burm and landed on my side. No injuries luckily.

rockmonkeysc

You certainly weren't going too fast. Looks like your weight must have been too far forwards and possibly too slow.
Don't give up though, at least you give it a bash.

Kowalski675

GT-Arrowhead wrote:

i did an endo all the way up to and over (somehow) that burm and landed on my side.

Could be worse, you could've landed on your face

The person in the red jacket - why are their legs so short? :? And is the bloke at the left of the frame saying "I'm a little teapot..."?

gt-arrowhead

Rockmonkey, i think you may be right, a bit slow. I think its just more shitty technique though. I let the front of the bike come down on its own. The reason why i didnt go as fast as i would have liked is because i didnt want to land close to the berm then end up shooting over it.

There is a drop off where i used to ride which was at least 3 times higher than that, and i do it as fast as i can, and i always land it perfectly on two wheels simultaneously. Sometimes the rear hits the ground just before the front, but thats because my bike is a bit out of balance with more weight at the back.

Kowalski, definitely. Very lucky i didnt faceplant those logs!

gt-arrowhead

Just given the Chucker a weigh in on my cheap scales. It says 12.1 KG. Not too bad i guess? I could easily get it down to 11.5. My Raceface DH stem weighs loads, and so do my Wellgo V8 copy pedals.

My future plans for this bike is to well...get rid. For no other reason than its just not the correct frame for the type of riding i do. This is a DJ frame and im now getting stuck into proper XC riding. I could probably shed a bit of weight there too.

I often say/plan loads of things for my bikes that never actually happen, but this time im going for it :P When i get a new frame i shall either sell this or keep it as a muck about bike.

Im praying that as soon as ive saved up enough, someone within 5 miles of me posts an ad on eBay for a nice GT Zaskar. Unlikely, i know. But it was exactly what happened with this! Searched "GT Chucker Frame" on eBay, clicked nearest first, and it only took me three days of searching to find this one for sale literally a 3-4 minute drive from my house."

buddy_club

You do like your GT's Why not try another bike?

Kowalski675

'Cos then he'd have to change his name, see?

buddy_club

now it makes sense