Retro MTB arrival - a 1990 GT Timberline

[DCLane]

I picked this up locally via eBay last week; it's a 1990 GT Timberline, frame size Small-Medium. 21 speed triple which is in very good condition with the marbled grey paintwork. All seems original, with the wheels trued slightly this evening. The tyres are a bit old but with decent tread and no cracking. Oh, and the stem looks interesting

One issue; the LH triple shifter isn't moving/clicking. Any suggestions gratefully received.

Plans? Potentially fit spike tyres and use as a snow bike to save the Raleigh SP150 and/or I'm planning to leave a bike at work for cross-campus riding.

 

[AndyRM]

Stem looks like ET's surprised neck. Looks good apart from that, though I do have soft spot for old school GTs.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Those first generation Rapid Fire shifters weren't the best! My XT ones didn't last the year. I replaced them with thumb shifters that still work fine. Or, it might be a rusted cable!

Yours has a powerful, but mud trapping U brake; nice

I still use a 1988 Saracen as my go to mountain bike. I still manage to surprise a few "radical gnarly" dudes on the red route on Cannock. It does all hurt more than it used to though!

Edit: That stem is from the beach cruiser range. I mean look at it. All that rise! Obviously for just bimbling along looking at the view. 150mm length with zero rise! That's what real men rode with in that era!

 

[DCLane]

Those first generation Rapid Fire shifters weren't the best! My XT ones didn't last the year. I replaced them with thumb shifters that still work fine. Or, it might be a rusted cable

I've looked again this morning; it's broken. A replacement new pair are en route. I need this finished and on the road ASAP.

 

[raleighnut]

Nice looking bike, apart from that stem.

 

[cyberknight]

I like the paintwork, interesting rear brake set up.

 

[MarkF]

Great stuff, I had a similar GT Outpost, same wacky stem, I bought it for £50 also from Ebay and with a new chain I had 3 years of fun. My son then rode it into the ground with a paper round, 7 days a week for another 3 years, talk about getting your money's worth!

They are tough things, this summer I met a Spanish guy on the LL canal, he was riding a horrible, yellow, women's early 1990's GT that was way too small for him, it was a comical sight, overloaded with camping gear too, he was riding it from Edinburgh to.............Malaga!

 

[Gravity Aided]

GT loved their U-Brakes, back then. I've had the Tequesta and Outpost, and the Outpost had a near vertical stem like that. While offered in many sizes, you don't commonly see GT's in the larger sizes, as you do the Treks. I liked the Outpost well enough to ride around on it with a silly amount of seatpost for a good while. It was in great shape, and caught the eye of someone looking for a mountain bike, so out the door it went.
http://midlifecyclistblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/gt-outpost-trail-all-terra_edited-1.jpg

 

[DCLane]

Well this got fettled this afternoon ... lightly.

The new shifters arrived and whilst I was trying to get the bar grips off using GT85 some got sprayed into the shifter. To cut a long story short, with cleaning and spraying they now work

Bike cleaned and set up with lights etc. Test ride tomorrow.