GT Avalanche 1.0. What £30 gets you.

Sir.Swish
Sir.Swish Posts: 80
edited December 2013 in Your mountain bikes
It's a 10 year old pile of scrap aluminium with an uncomfortable seat. I picked it up with one wheel, no seat, god-awful plastic bottle holder and bike lock bracket.

After removing said articles I fitted a ddm wheel, avid elixir rear brake and a cheap seat I forgot I owned, screwed some lights to it and took it on it's first test ride. I tried to like it but it just wasn't happening.

I mean, just look at it.
2013_12_15_13_46_41.jpg
This didn't help matters...
2013_12_15_13_46_19.jpg

I was beginning to really hate the thing but after spending some time on eBay while having some very good soup I decided to buy it presents.

Panaracer XC Fire Pro 2.1 tyres
Mavic XM719 Front wheel with Hope Pro 2 hub
Mavic EN321 Rear with Shimano M525 hub
Shimano Alivio rear cassette
Avid Elixir 5 front brake/185 rotor
Unbranded black handlebar (very light)
Specialized lock-on grips
Wellgo pedals

2013_12_25_11_30_08.jpg
2013_12_25_11_30_59.jpg

It feels much more nimble and responsive. Though it still needs shifters, a longer hose for the front brake, a shorter stem and a better seat. Plus the bottom bracket is creaking.

I guess it's not so bad...
2015 Giant Glory 1 27.5
1975 Vindec Vogue
1968 Raleigh RSW "Boris"

xX Forever in our hearts mum Xx

Comments

  • Sir.Swish
    Sir.Swish Posts: 80
    By the way, Merry XCmas everyone.
    2015 Giant Glory 1 27.5
    1975 Vindec Vogue
    1968 Raleigh RSW "Boris"

    xX Forever in our hearts mum Xx
  • gt-arrowhead
    gt-arrowhead Posts: 2,507
    Isnt that a seat facing down a bit too much?

    Thats a good deal for £30. Even with just one wheel.

    Merry XCmas :)
    The GT Owners Thread - Show us your GTs!

    GT Arrowhead

    GT Chucker XS1

    Raleigh Mirage (Commuter)
  • Sir.Swish
    Sir.Swish Posts: 80
    The seat is terrible, it's the only position that's currently bearable :/
    2015 Giant Glory 1 27.5
    1975 Vindec Vogue
    1968 Raleigh RSW "Boris"

    xX Forever in our hearts mum Xx
  • Ouija
    Ouija Posts: 1,386
    GT-Arrowhead wrote:
    Isnt that a seat facing down a bit too much?

    Thats a good deal for £30. Even with just one wheel.

    Merry XCmas :)

    A general rule for saddles is that if you placed a really long ruler on them they should point directly at your handlebars. So if the seatpost is set really low the saddle should appear to be pointing up a bit, and if it's set at the same height as the handlebars it should appear to be level with the ground and, if it's set much higher than the bars (most road bikes, for example) then there should be a downward tilt to it.

    It's when you see saddles pointing at odd angles that don't conform to the above paragraph you know the saddle is either badly shaped to the riders bottom (forcing them to try odd angles to get comfortable) or that the overall setup of the bike is bad (frame too big or small for the rider, stem too short/long and seat too far forward or backwards).

    So, i kinda agree with the above pic. Ideally that saddle should be pointing more at the handlebars rather than at the top of his stem. But like the guy says, it's really, really uncomfortable so he's had to adjust it past the optimum to get comfortable. A new saddle would be the next upgrade i'd think.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Not a bad buy for £30 as a bare frame would cost that much, looks like it's now a reasonable ride, although I suspect the forks are a weak link.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • gt-arrowhead
    gt-arrowhead Posts: 2,507
    Ouija, not that i was dissing the saddle position or anything, its just a little unusual to see a seat an angle like that. Well, for me anyway. I personally always lean mine backwards just a tiny bit. It just feels better for me, for some reason.
    The GT Owners Thread - Show us your GTs!

    GT Arrowhead

    GT Chucker XS1

    Raleigh Mirage (Commuter)
  • Ouija
    Ouija Posts: 1,386
    GT-Arrowhead wrote:
    Ouija, not that i was dissing the saddle position or anything, its just a little unusual to see a seat an angle like that. Well, for me anyway. I personally always lean mine backwards just a tiny bit. It just feels better for me, for some reason.

    Yes. I know. I had you in mind when writing it. You've had a lot of comments about your tilt back seat angle on your GT's since you started posting. :wink:
  • Sir.Swish
    Sir.Swish Posts: 80
    I'm not even sure which bike that saddle came from, although it's clear now why it was removed haha. The forks are ancient Judy TT's that I want to replace with Tora's when the funds are available
    2015 Giant Glory 1 27.5
    1975 Vindec Vogue
    1968 Raleigh RSW "Boris"

    xX Forever in our hearts mum Xx
  • pnev
    pnev Posts: 236
    Ouija wrote:
    GT-Arrowhead wrote:
    Isnt that a seat facing down a bit too much?

    Thats a good deal for £30. Even with just one wheel.

    Merry XCmas :)

    A general rule for saddles is that if you placed a really long ruler on them they should point directly at your handlebars. So if the seatpost is set really low the saddle should appear to be pointing up a bit, and if it's set at the same height as the handlebars it should appear to be level with the ground and, if it's set much higher than the bars (most road bikes, for example) then there should be a downward tilt to it.

    It's when you see saddles pointing at odd angles that don't conform to the above paragraph you know the saddle is either badly shaped to the riders bottom (forcing them to try odd angles to get comfortable) or that the overall setup of the bike is bad (frame too big or small for the rider, stem too short/long and seat too far forward or backwards).

    So, i kinda agree with the above pic. Ideally that saddle should be pointing more at the handlebars rather than at the top of his stem. But like the guy says, it's really, really uncomfortable so he's had to adjust it past the optimum to get comfortable. A new saddle would be the next upgrade i'd think.

    No. This is completely incorrect information and no one should pay attention. All saddles are designed to be perfectly horizontal, maybe and only maybe a couple of degrees tilt forwards or backwards depending on body positioning
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    Pnev wrote:
    Ouija wrote:
    GT-Arrowhead wrote:
    Isnt that a seat facing down a bit too much?

    Thats a good deal for £30. Even with just one wheel.

    Merry XCmas :)

    A general rule for saddles is that if you placed a really long ruler on them they should point directly at your handlebars. So if the seatpost is set really low the saddle should appear to be pointing up a bit, and if it's set at the same height as the handlebars it should appear to be level with the ground and, if it's set much higher than the bars (most road bikes, for example) then there should be a downward tilt to it.

    It's when you see saddles pointing at odd angles that don't conform to the above paragraph you know the saddle is either badly shaped to the riders bottom (forcing them to try odd angles to get comfortable) or that the overall setup of the bike is bad (frame too big or small for the rider, stem too short/long and seat too far forward or backwards).

    So, i kinda agree with the above pic. Ideally that saddle should be pointing more at the handlebars rather than at the top of his stem. But like the guy says, it's really, really uncomfortable so he's had to adjust it past the optimum to get comfortable. A new saddle would be the next upgrade i'd think.

    No. This is completely incorrect information and no one should pay attention. All saddles are designed to be perfectly horizontal, maybe and only maybe a couple of degrees tilt forwards or backwards depending on body positioning

    You are correct, saddles for most should be almost perfectly horizontal. What people with problems often don't do is properly measure themselves up for saddles e.g. Width. My road bikes saddle was painful after an hour due to being too narrow. Got the right sized saddle and can now ride fine for three hours or more.
  • Sir.Swish
    Sir.Swish Posts: 80
    There's truth in all of those theories but even with a good saddle it's an element of trial and error, same with any seat.
    2015 Giant Glory 1 27.5
    1975 Vindec Vogue
    1968 Raleigh RSW "Boris"

    xX Forever in our hearts mum Xx

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