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Noob with a 97' GT Zaskar LE

5K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  aae.kae 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello from Berlin!
Im from Detroit but have been living in Berlin for the past 3 years.

My Motobecane is finally kaputt, the real derailleur wrapped itself up in my back wheel and bent the dropout... its about time for a real tough and versatile commuter.

I just bought a 97' GT Zaskar LE frame online yesterday and I cant wait to get building! It currently has a Chris King headset, Ritchey stem and bars.

I am a total beginner when it comes to building bikes, I literally have to refer to google images to identify components as Im writing this lol I hope I dont get chewed out too hard :)

I would appreciate any and all input, I am going to need a lot of help from an experienced community!

Thanks!

 

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#2 ·
I see the rear brake studs are missing. Do you have tools to build this thing? If i were in your shoes i would search for a good bike shop in Berlin and see what they come up w/. You already need those studs and either find a crankset that matches your BB spindle or get a new BB along w/ cranks but then comes up the tool issue.
That´s a nice frame. They love Zaskars in Europe and keep their love for 26in.
 
#3 ·
Rear studs will be the first research project. Measure the bottom bracket spindle and we can let you know what will or won't work. Parts wise it's up to you. You should be able to run anywhere from 1-3 rings on your crank & 7-11 speed out back. It's all up to you.

A decent 2-8mm Allen key set, & some good cable cutters should have you set for tools, nothing major. Tools would be cheaper than a bike shop.

You're obviously smart enough to post pictures here, building a bike shouldn't pose much of a problem. The second best part of bike ownership outside of riding is learning from your mistakes building and fixing. If you're like me you'll only make the same mistake once (every six months to a year)
 
#6 ·
The second best part of bike ownership outside of riding is learning from your mistakes building and fixing. If you're like me you'll only make the same mistake once (every six months to a year)
hahaha a whole new world of hair pulling and parts running. I have experience with working on cars, Im sure this is going to be the same madness on a smaller scale.

Ill run to some shops today for tools and the brake posts!

I found a complete Shimano XT m737 groupset on eBay for 220... Does that sound like a decent deal or a worthwhile set for this bike?

(google translation from german:)
- XT brakes new pads
- XT
cranks -XT wheels Parralax hubs Ritchey Z MAX tires (NEW !!!)
-Wheels run great without 8 or punch
-Mavic rims loosened in a great condition
-XT quick release
- XT cassette 8-speed
-XT seat post 27.2mm
-XT brake and shift combination, switches through cleanly (right and left !!!)
-XT rear derailleur
-XT front derailleur
and all screws.
All parts without rust and in very good condition.
To build a retro mountain bike.

Not sure what direction to take with the shifting set up... I would just like it to be as clean and classy as possible but also offering a couple of gears so as not to be too limited...

thoughts?

Thanks for your input so far!!
 
#7 · (Edited)
Thanks man ;)
Ill keep the photos and process coming!

Any recommendations to build a slick and versitile city bike? There are literally thousands of parks in Berlin as well so ill be hitting trails occasionally but getting to work is the main objective. here are a couple ideas of builds that im into:



 

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#8 ·
Your Zaskar and my Balance have a similar feel, the decision to go with one over the other was a toss up back when I bought my frame. I just completed a fresh rebuild on mine, including a 1x11 setup and going to a rigid fork. While I built mine specifically for trail riding, I would think my current setup with a tighter gear range (34T front and 11-32 rear?) with slicker/harder tires would be pretty awesome at getting around in an urban environment while maintaining ability for occasional off road ventures.
 
#16 ·
I live in Berlin and if it is ust for the city rides one chainring for the front does the job ( 48 or 46). If you plan to hit the many trails in the forests go for two chainrings.
I live in xberg and have plenty of old school parts and bikes and know a few bike shops who are familiar with the old bikes and parts. I have a GT Psyclone and Xizang btw... both are amazing to ride in the city. Excited to see your build.
Cheers
Ali
 
#21 ·
I love xt m737. It was the first microdrive from shimano. Everything is classy, solid but also lighter than previous xt. Brake levers kept the awesome SLR action while being 100 grs lighter than xt m733.
Back in the day high end shop builds had m737 all over w/ rear xtr m900 derrailleur.
I have appreciated more and more the tiny 22t granny ring and rarely use the 44t. My gear shifters broke a long time ago: i kept and massaged the brake levers to go w/ thumbshifters and never looked back.
A triple crank means whenever i waste the middle ring i have the other two to get me riding till i order a new 32t.
 
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