Loose Chain

I have come to have a GT brushed aluminum frame, no paint anywhere, bicycle in decent shape needing some TLC. Despite having some heavy parts (not original) on it the bike is light. I think it could build up sub 20 pounds. It is odd in that it seems to be a very sporting ride yet has a triple Shimano 600 crank? It has down tube shifters, probably 6061 aluminum. Is this a triathlon bike intended early attempt?

oddjob2

I think you need a new scale or you have been riding your Raleigh Sports too often.

exmechanic89

So it's a road bike frame? Post a few pics..

Loose Chain

Not sure I follow?

Right now with cheapie platform pedals and what looks like a Walmart saddle and some other strange junk including a rather chunky tripe chainwheel it weighs 21.5 on both of my REAL bike scales.

J

Loose Chain

Yes, road bike. Down tube shifters, the handlebar is indented for aero brakes but it has older Shimano 600 non aero levers so they are not original. Mavic wheels on Shimano hubs. Dunno, I like it, the raw aluminum is neat.

jjhabbs 

I was a GT bicycles rep from 89 to 99. All of the frames they made are 'racing" geometry. usually 73 degree angles. Not to aggressive. They were alway stiff frames. They were all made in taiwan except for the highest end models. 7000 series were over seas bicycles, 6000 series were made in Santa Ana. They came in ball burnished and brushed aluminum. Usually the edge model was ball burnished and made here. Others were overseas. Show some pics. Also, an authority is Kevin Sande. He has a facebook page for GT bicycles.. Check him out as well.

Thanks
JJ

Loose Chain

Here you go, pretty sure it is brushed 6061. Seems clear coated.



Just needs some decals, TLC and some quality components. Maybe I will use it for my Colorado bike. This frame is tight, as in stiff. There is no flex in that rear triangle. And it seems to be at least in the same weight range as my Centurion Prestige (another nice bike). This bike is a 56cm. No dents or dings but the center chainwheel is chewed up on a couple of teeth, odd, usually it is the outer that gets bunged up.

As it is sitting there it weighs 20 pounds and 10 ounces. Regardless of where it was made, the workmanship is clean and neat and the tubes are all straight unlike Cannondales of that approximate era which were crooked as all Hades.

J

Chris Chicago

Cool bike

Lazyass

Don't underestimate those 90's alu bikes. This one weighs 18.0 pounds as pictured. And those aren't the lightest rims in the world.

DMC707

If that is a replaceable rear dropout hanger that might indicate a model

My '94 Edge aluminum does not have a replaceable dropout

The Edge, Fury, Strike , and maybe a couple others look roughly the same , but the Edge was the only US made model - it came in a ball burnished finish

The Edge was available for the most part as a frameset only, but the rest came with a variety of Shimano brifter groupsets. -- Someone drug yours through their parts stash - but except for that seat and post, it all looks like decent stuff from here

Regarding the "heavy" triple chainwheel setups --- pop off the inner ring and 5 bolts and throw them on a gram scale - if they're aluminum, they aint that heavy -- but they do have a chunky appearance

Loose Chain

Thanks. Yes it has a replaceable hanger. I am fairly sure it is a 94 year model. Likely Taiwan because it so neatly welded and uniform. As far as the parts stash, actually, the only things that are not likely original are the seat, the non aero levers, the pedals and one rim appears to have been replaced. The rest is original.

The triple I said was chunky because triples have the extra bosses for the third ring and it just looks heavy for 105 spec parts.

Maybe a carbon fork and bars, new 105 and a proper saddle, it will be well below 20 pounds easy. As it is when I rode it then thing accelerates like its tail is on fire, there is no give, each pedal rotation goes fully into forward motion.

Spaghetti Legs 

Aluminum is light ( but not "the Light")! My upper echelon 80's steel bikes come in at 21.5 to 22 lbs so I don't think just under 21 is unreasonable, especially for a decent 90's bike.

GT bikes are cool.

Loose Chain

Yeah, thanks, the raw brushed aluminum is sort of industrial looking

It weighs 20 pounds and 10 ounces minus the bar tape and steel platforms. I think below 20 easy with a carbon fiber fork and handle bar and higher spec components. Hell, right now it has wire bead tires! And some sort of cheapo gell saddle that weighs a ton. I think around 20.5 to 21 with the aluminum fork and bar retained. This is not my first rodeo, I have built several steel bikes in the sub 21 pound weight range and I am simply comparing this one to them in what I can do to get weight off.

The bars are original but nothing special, there is more drop in them that I normally would want. Frankly, I hate carbon fiber as a frame and wheel material as it is a temporary consumable but for items like bars and forks which I have always considered at least replaceable, I can cut some weight and provide a useful reduction in harshness. I am not sure this bike will fit 25mm tires! Yeah, they will go but only by a skosh, the front fork is tight on the 23s.

Well, I shall see, I like it, in this case, as a steel frame addict, I like the aluminum and the bike rides nice and taught but does not seem unstable or flitty. It just goes and that is the ultimate test, does it feel good and my answer, at least for me, this bike feels good.

Spaghetti Legs 

I'm not an "alumino-phile" either but that being said, my fastest bike (based on PR's set on my local rides) is aluminum with carbon seat stays, a Wilier Alpe D'Huez. If I would generalize about aluminum, it's that the stiffness makes for an uncomfortable ride beyond 40 miles or so. I don't think that's as much of an issue though if you're using a carbon or steel fork. My general bias against aluminum comfort, although tempered somewhat by my Wilier, was set by my first real road bike, a Trek 1000, which was like being beat with a solid aluminum hammer every time rode it.

Enjoy!

Loose Chain

Yes, I agree fully. I had an original Cannondale. Talk about being beat by a hammer, it was like being beaten by an aluminum baseball bat. The steel fork tried but could not overcome. I did not keep the bike long.

DMC707

have fun with the build

Mine weighed 18 long ago with a "criterium specific " build --- that is -- all the parts were cheap and disposable in case damaged heavily in a racing incident
---- Tubular wheelset, Vittoria Corsa's , and a mutt Campagnolo downtube friction shift groupset filled with other people's cast-off's from the 80's and early 90's

--- not an exaggeration to say it was the "fastest " bike I ever rode up till that time -- you still had to pedal it, granted ------ but what an effective prime' machine

-- Hopefully one day soon it will roll again

Loose Chain

Oh, N-I-C-E! Thanks for sharing your GT roadie. Which model is that, I think that must be the "burnished" model thus USA? Yeah, I really think something below 19 pounds is possible but I will be happy at 21 or under.

I wonder were decals can be gotten?

Aluminum is God's gift to aviation, without it flight would be a challenge. And my GT will fly again!

But it is number three down on the build list .

J

Loose Chain

Stripped, removed clear coat, buffed and waxed. Have decals ordered, installing new 105 9 speed Octolink V1 drivetrain including front and rear mechs in black. Bell true CF water bottle holder, new light weight seat post from another project, very little left though I do like the brakes, they stop great so I am keeping them. Shimano 9 speed bar ends too and new Shimano aero brake levers.



The threaded stem was too short for me, I generally run a 100mm on 56cm frames so I am using a threadless 8 degree I have with the converter with the original bars which I quite like.

J

T-Mar

I see rack eyelets on the upper seat stays and the crankset appears to be 105SC, as opposed to 600 Ultegra, so it would appear to be one of the lower models. Serial number?

Loose Chain

Oh, I am sure it is one of the "lower" models, I assume the model is a GT Force with 105. Nonetheless the frame is very light and nicely finished and straight. Most of the time, then and now, the same frames get used over several models with the difference being components. If anyone has a chrmo or titanium GT around in a 56cm might give me a shout.

Being a lower model it probably has road bike geometry instead of crit geometry. The rack mount capability might be useful. There is absolutely no room for fenders, especially up front, never happen, it is tight, tight. A 25mm tire will go, nothing larger it appears. The head tube angle is sporting, there might be a skosh more trail than my Pinarello (since the Pinarello was my first real racer that I bought, I compare everything to it).

I rode the bike a few miles in the condition I first got it before stripping. It handles nicely, quick but not skittish, accelerates solidly. It holds a line nicely. It is stiff, especially in the rear triangle. If I were going to pile long distance miles on it I could see going to a cf fork for some damping of vibration, not weight, it is building out under 20.

The original crank is a triple Shimano 105. It is in good shape, even the BB runs smooth. But I replaced it with 105 Octolink V1 (yes, yes, but I have several sets NOS) and a DA BB. I will use the original crank on another project. Perhaps on my new gravel grinder:

Loose Chain

Now at 16 pounds and 10 ounces. I put the POs heavy, junk saddle on it just so I could rough in the seat post. Still needs a chain, rear mech, two shift cables and some tape.



It will be close to my goal of twenty pounds, plus or minus a bit.

J

DMC707

Yes, it was made in Longmont CO,its a pretty early model, - it has some dings on it from use, but , like a few of my other projects, I really just want to get it back together to relive the "good ol days" again ---- I'll never be 24 years old again, but riding the same bike from then can be fun


Glad to see you are getting yours going again

- chain, derailleur, and pedals, - that's another 2.5 lbs give or take, but you'd get some of that back with a light saddle like an SLR or something similar if your caboose can stand those, and some latex tubes

I think that one above was around 18, but that was with tubulars built around Mavic GEL 280 rims

Loose Chain

Thanks. I never counted pedals as part of the bike weight since they vary so wildly, always thought of them more as part of the shoe. I think that has always been? In any case, all up weight now, complete, minus pedals, and the honking heavy temporary saddle is 18 pounds and 15 ounces. If you count the pedals then right at 20 and I can get a few ounces back on the saddle.

This is not a restoration, I wanted to somewhat modernize and make useful again a nice frame that is kind of unique with the triple triangle and beautiful polished aluminum tubing.

So, final weight, complete, sans pedal system, 18 pounds and 15 ounces, call it 19 pounds.

mstateglfr 

Interesting on pedal weight. I count it since pedals are required to move.
Saddles vary in weight by a lot, but i include that too since i find a saddle necessary.
On the flip aide, no water bottles are included when i weigh.

Loose Chain

Yeah, I would not argue, I can see it either way. Yes, no water bottle cages, bottles, saddle bags, tools of course (but the weight was with those but for tools and bottle). I guess anything that is required to make the bike go should be included, just always remember them being weighed at cycle shop without peddles when we put them on a scale and I think some high end bikes it specifically showed them supplied without peddles. But, yeah, you are right, yes.

I still have to trim the cables and housings and rig it out to function and tune it.

I sort of like those Specialized (used to be Avatar?) saddles with the gel, they fit me well and are comfortable and of course, not especially light. I have three of them on several bikes. Something like that is what will likely go on it. All my shoes are set up for SPD so I will need to find some inexpensive road SPD peddles.