Pimped GT Avalanche

[ChrisEyles]

Just finished making a few tweaks to my trusty Av'.

Went from 90mm stem 720mm bars to 60mm stem 780mm bars, and stuck on a shadow style rear mech to hopefully tame some of the chain slap while bombing it downhill.

It's not exactly an efficient xc machine, but climbs well enough in a tenacious sort of way and monster trucks down the other side in a very pleasing manner indeed.

A few test rides confirm the wider bars and shorter stem have made it even more enabling for this sort of thing, with no real drawbacks elsewhere - other than fitting it through the garage door 🤣

 

[ChrisEyles]

Not much stock left on it any more...

Got some rev's up front, running at 115mm, definitely a revelation to me after late 90s elastomer jobbies!

Gearing is old school 3x8, by preference rather than cheap skatedness in this case - 30t middle ring for general trail riding, granny for steep climbs and the big ring sticks a bit more chain tension on the rear mech on descents. Running 170mm cranks due to the lowish BB and 40/30/22 rings due to wussy legs!

New mech certainly shifts all right, will test the spring strength out on a proper ride tomorrow. Cable routing certainly looks a bit smarter.

Having baulked massively at dropping £80 on a dropper seat post, when I finally crumbled and stuck one on after trying a friends, there's no going back.

 

[ChrisEyles]

It's quite short in the top tube by modern standards. The in-line post puts the saddle in just the right place for super steep climbs, but the cockpit does feel a smidge short when seated with the 60mm stem.

Once out the saddle it feels spot on, and feels a bit more nimble than some more modern hardtails I've ridden, perhaps due to the shorter wheelbase. Despite this it's great at holding a line through the rough stuff and in spite of a moderate head tube angle no trace of skittishness, which I was concerned about switching to the shorter stem.

It's a very different ride than my arse-up-head-down 2000 Marin mount vision!

 

[I like Skol]

I LIKE!

Gearing is old school 3x8, by preference rather than cheap skatedness in this case - 30t middle ring for general trail riding, granny for steep climbs and the big ring sticks a bit more chain tension on the rear mech on descents

3x drivetrains rock for exactly the reasons you state. A thinking mans choice, none of this trendy bollocks 1x nonsense. Sir, I salute you for not being a sheep and choosing something for a reason rather than following a ludicrous trend.

 

[I like Skol]

I think it's appropriate to drop this in here...

2x Zaskars and 2x Avalanches about to head out on a family lockdown ride about 2 weeks ago. Fantastic, unpretentious bikes that just do the business!

 

[ColinJ]

Nice bike!

2x Zaskars...

My cousin has bought a new mountain bike and was due to give me his old Zaskar when he came down for this year's Tour de Yorkshire, but that trip has been cancelled due to the damn coronavirus. Still, it is something for me to look forward to on his next post-viral visit!

 

[southcoast]

Nice, what year is it?
here’s my 2001 model with its friend. Lol

 

[Levo-Lon]

My step son's GT from a few yrs back after I sorted it out for him.

 

[ChrisEyles]

I think it's appropriate to drop this in here...
View attachment 520245

Highly appropriate, they look the business! What's the difference between the Zaskar and the Avalanche - is it just a matter of finishing kit or are the frame geo's different?

Lol when I read reviews or threads on 1x setups saying they get pretty much the same range of gears as 3x8 they never mention it's about 5x the cost and less durable. Bloody good bit of marketings been done there!

 

[ChrisEyles]

Nice, what year is it?
here’s my 2001 model with its friend. Lol

View attachment 520250

My frames a 2010 Avalanche 3.0. Shame the more recent models have all but lost the triple triangle, as those looked the business.

Unpretentious they may be, but they look the business, as showcased by a couple of the fine specimens above

 

[Threevok]

I miss scratchy

 

[I like Skol]

My Zaskar is from 1996, owned it and abused it from new. Hand made in USA and heat-treated after welding. Not long afterwards they moved all frame production to the far East.
The Avalanches are 2015 models, one size M and the other an L.
The other Zaskar is my youngest son's. A 2016 carbon limited 27.5. Unfortunately just slightly small for me.
All different creatures. The Avalanches seem like a Zaskar equivalent when compared to my 96, but when you pick up the 2016 carbon you realise they just ain't. Jeez that thing is light, nimble and flies. It just needs a double or triple chainset to make it perfect!
Jnr loves his Zaskar.

 

[ChrisEyles]

Somehow to me "Zaskar" always conjures up images of big bar ends and 90s awesome anodised purpleness.

Guess they've changed a bit since then

 

[ChrisEyles]

Remember seeing your '96 Zaskar update thread on here ages ago, you did a cracking job with that one.

 

[Threevok]

Of course, there is the new Zaskar to consider, including the welcome return of the Triple Triangle

https://singletrackworld.com/2020/0...9NuHYzBF3sldoRU0nA9b-1dP1raqb7BNPvlUO7zixaFK0