BMX - Sprucing up my old 1996 GT Vertigo

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.




chapel
06-15-10, 04:08 PM
Bike had been stuck in the shed since 1999 and I decided to pull it out and bring it to my new house for a fixing and to try to get back into shape. I was surprised how well it had aged for sitting over 10 years

I don't have any of the 'just out of the shed photos' but here's what I've got
I started by replacing the tires and tubes with Hookworms.
http://www.chapeltech.net/GTVertigo.jpg
The brakes were sticking up front, so I disassembled them, lubed them up and readjusted them. Filled the tires up to 110psi. lubed the chain, the gyro and the gears and said
"****it, let's do this!" and I rode VERY slowly and shaky around for a few seconds before it all came rushing back. I stood up on the pedals and gave it a few good shoves to get going and it just felt so good to be up high in the air and gliding along.
The brake pads were the OEM pieces so they were all dry rotted, there was a LOT of corrosion on the frame.
Here are some photos of my first (painful) commute on it
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_1.jpg
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_2.jpg
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_3.jpg

Afterwards, I bought some new pieces

Bought a set of axle swivel nuts
some chrome dice valve caps
AME TRI clear grips with a low flange (I hate big flanges on my handle bars..)
and the pi�ce de r�sistance
a black diamond quilted padded Troxel seat!

and after a weekend of polishing chrome, installing seats, brake pads, and grips... I took it to work again:
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_9.jpg
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_10.jpg
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_11.jpg
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_12.jpg
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_13.jpg
http://www.chapeltech.net/vertigo_14.jpg
the seat is SO high... but it's much more comfortable to ride sitting.