vomitron

I just scored a killer rear wheel for $50. Now I must wait for my front rim to come in the mail (UPS = non-post-haste) so I can lace it up and have a ride.

Here's what I have so far:

GT frame. Incidentally, I can't find ANYTHING on this frame. It has shimano drop-outs, and has "USA CYC 9767" stamped on the bottom bracket. Anyone have any info?
Dura-ace headset
Mavic 610 track bottom bracket
170mm Mavic 631 road cranks
Spinergy Rev-X read wheel
Mavic seatpost
Syntace (made by modolo) x-pro handlebars
3TTT stem (95mm)
Speedplay Frog pedals
Louis Garneau Prologue timetrial helmet (I figured a ridiculous bike calls for a ridiculous helmet)

I'm thinking I might need a new stem, since the virtual TT length is about 61cm, while the seat tube (ctc) is about 57cm. I'm a 70cm total reach, but with that sloping tube, a 95mm -15deg rise stem might be harse on my back. We'll see when I get my front wheel built up.

Shiznaz

Yarg! where did you get the rev-x for that cheap? I really want a set of those wheels but they always go for around 300 on ebay.

vomitron

My LBS had it lying around with no endcaps or cones ($15+shipping from spinergy), and since it's threaded, he said the only person who would probably use it would be me. He has a lot of amazing stuff, like a red Cinelli jump suit (like a mechanics suit), but that's going for $80.

I just got really lucky.

jitensha!

whoa. i may be (and often am) wrong, but that may be one of the frames built by koichi yamaguchi for us cycling when they were sponsored by gt. if so, you freakin' scored, brother...

ryan_c

Even if not, I am of the opinion that the whole setup is a great score. One day I will find a GT track frame... one day. I'm a sucker for the triple-triangle, or whatever its called with the seat stays.

Vomitron - not getting a matching Rev-X for the front? Hope you are getting something equally saucy.

ephemeralskin

those bars look perfect for a sloping tt project. never seen em before. that bike will be awesome, youve done well.

vomitron

Perhaps! I didn't think about that. I contacted Yamaguchi, and if it is infact one of Yamaguchi-san's creations, I will probably try to get some decals (and one of those slick Yamaguchi cycling hats). How exciting! Maybe I should e-mail the US cycling team too? They might know.

You're right. I'd be just as happy (WARNING: TOTAL LIE) if it wasn't a Yamaguchi, given how sweet of a ride it is. I picked up the frame for a mere $250 on ebay. Not bad, considering the glassy smoothness of the filet brazing, and that it's reynold 853, and came with the BB and headset.

The front wheel is a 24". I have a Mavic Mach 2 CD 28h tubular rim coming tomorrow that'll be radially laced to a quintana roo low-flange hub (something the LBS had lying around). With 24", I take what I can get!

Thanks! The bars are TOTALLY awesome, and provide a great number of hand positions (they simulate drops exactly). I searched and search on ebay until I found just the right ones.

sohi

ephemeralskin

how long ago was it on ebay? ive been wanting a regular gt pulse for a while now.

formulaben

Me too. I've always thought that design seems inherently much stronger.

skitbraviking

Those GTs are solid. Me likey.

vomitron

So, I called Yamaguchi-san, spoke to his wife (at length, she's a REALLY nice lady) and they informed me that it's not a Yamaguchi built frame. When GT sponsored the National Team, Yamaguchi-san offered his services, but they declined (idiots!).

But just for my enthusiasm, she's sending me a cycling cap!!!! Now I just need to buy a Yamaguchi frame to go with it.

vomitron

Actually, about a year ago. The luck on my part was that he didn't put "track" in the title, just "pursuit" so no one bid on it.

After winning the auction, but not meeting reserve, I lowballed him an offer of $200. Much to my suprise he replied with, "Well, I'll go at half of reserve which is $250."

After changing my soiled underwear, I sent him the money, and the rest is history. My Mavic 24" rim came in today. I'll post pictures after it's all built up.

jitensha!

awww. still, it's a hot ride, sir...

luckycat

Since it wasn't a yamaguchi, any idea who built it? A friend of mine bought one of Nothstein's gt's a couple years ago, the paint is a little different from yours, but still really similar.

michaelwlf3

This is really cool: I am a huge GT fan, too. As of this minute I own two of them: one steel and one aluminum.

vomitron

You know, I have no idea. I e-mailed GT and they had no clue. I guess I could try Marty? Maybe find out who their builders were in '97. Maybe CYC 9697 is a date of some sort? I'm really curious now.

Rex

Yeah, the funny thing is that GT totally blew a great deal. Yamaguchi was the last ever framebuilder that the USCF actually selected to build the frames for the US Teams. The frames were white colored branded with the Performance label, as in the PerformanceBike.com mail order company we all know, and they also had yellow Yamaguchi decals on them.

When the sponsorship w-hores that took over our sport and came in, GT basically ripped Yamaguchi's Triple Triangle seatstay design. I'm sure that was his design because there were some 3Rensho bikes (when Yama was the head builder there) way back before the 80s that had these. GT acted like the had it patented or something. I believe there might be a pic on OldSkoolTrack.com or another one of those fixie sites.

Anyway, if I'm not mistaken I think it was a US rider (Jeff Evanshine, maybe?) that broke a GT Tig bike on the downtube and had to get it replaced. Rather than getting a replacement GT, he just had his old Yamaguchi frame repainted with the GT red/blue paint scheme. It was a frame that Yamaguchi made for him the year before when he was riding on the National B team. In fact, many of the riders just decided straight up to have their old Performance-Yama frame repainted the GT colors. So, if lucky you happen upon a mid 1990s red/white/blue US National Team GT that is fillet-brazed, chances are it may have been a Yamaguchi anyway depending on whose bike it was.