A couple of months ago my friend Mauricio told me a GT Avalanche was for sale. I had no room for yet another bike, but I really wanted a GT. I used to have a 2016 GT Palomar, but I decided to pass it on to my brother.
At first I was willing to strip the Singletrack and move its parts to the GT frame, but later on, while talking with Mauricio, I gave him the Singletrack and got the Avalanche for me. On August 26th of this year I finally became the owner of a classic GT.
Why a GT? For me it is simply the looks. GT's triple triangle, where the seat stays run past the seat tube and join the top tube, makes the bike recognizable from across the street. My dream GT is a titanium one from the Zaskar days, but I don't think that will ever happen. The Avalanche will do just fine.
Technical description
- Frame: GT Avalanche, aluminum, triple triangle, size S
- Fork: RockShox Judy J1, 100 mm travel
- Drivetrain: 3x9 Shimano Deore, LX cranks, Deore front derailleur, 11-36 9-speed cassette
- Shifters: Shimano Deore, integrated with the brake levers
- Brakes: Shimano XT parallel-push V-brakes
- Wheels: Shimano STX hubs, CST All Terrain tires
It is not a stock 1996 bike anymore. The frame and the STX hubs are from the '90s, but the 9-speed Deore drivetrain, the XT parallel-push V-brakes, and the brown saddle and grips came later. That is the restomod idea: keep the classic frame and make it ride like a newer bike.
The biggest change is up front. The frame was designed for an 80 mm fork, and it now has a modern RockShox Judy J1 with 100 mm of travel. The longer fork raises the front a bit, so the bike is less aggressive than it was meant to be, and more comfortable to ride. I like it better this way.
I have already done two good rides with it.
Güenda Espejo
On August 30, with Fernando and Julio, we did a 68 km ride with 961 m of climbing on unpaved roads, crossing rivers several times around Porongo. It was really hard, almost 6 hours pedalling, but the bike performed great. I had a problem with the rear tire and was not able to finish the trip; Fernando picked me up with my car.
After so much water, on September 6 I serviced the hubs, then washed and greased the chain.
Breakfast at Chaco
On the first of November I went for a ride by myself, just 32 km with 315 m of climbing, mainly on paved road with some river stones. Once again the bike did great.
On the way I had company: a peacock walking down the road. It let me get close before stepping into the grass, showing off its long green tail.
The only drama was mine: I stopped on a step, my foot didn't find the ground, and I fell sideways. Just a few bruises. The bike landed on the non-drive side, so the only damage was a twisted bar end.
Final thoughts
I love my GT. It looks great, as you can see. It has a minor problem with the rear hub: the old STX makes a weird sound, because the ball bearings have pitted the cone a bit, maybe a leftover from all those river crossings. I need to find a repair for it, or a new/old hub.
