GT Zaskar 1993 | #MTB Flashbacks
February 16th, 2016
By Andrew Dodd in Bikes,Features
GT Zaskar – the iconic Triple Triangle MTB
The GT Zaskar was first launched 25 years ago, and has won fans all over the world for it’s amazingly tough build and versatile performance.
It’s probably the only single bike frame in the world that can claim it won World Championship titles in XC, Downhill, Trials and Slalom racing over the years.
And we still love eye balling a nice retro build – like this purple stunner owned by Richard Key from On Two Wheels in Bourne End…
This is a 1993 GT Zaskar, which was made in 1992. The whole build is stunning and includes original Shimano Deore LX and XT components, a Manitou 2 suspension fork and an enormous Ringle Zooka stem.
Shimano XTR cantilever brakes adorn this GT Zaskar, and even have X-Lite titanium bolts. Note the huge aluminium plate that was a characteristic part of the Triple Triangle design.
Mavic 231 SUP rims were the cream of the crop in the early 90’s. The pinned, welded and machined joins made them the strongest and straightest out there. A design classic – and look perfect on this GT Zaskar
Remember the Specialized Ground Control tyres? Specialized always made great tyres, and these were about as good as they got in 1993 – though we were always fans of the Onza Porcupine.
Due to the leverage that cantilever brakes exerted on the brake bosses they mounted to, many riders fitted aftermarket brake boosters – which braced the bosses to help eliminate flex. And they came in popular anodised colours too!
In the early 90’s, riders colour co-ordinated everything – ranging from handlebar grips like these from Yeti, to cable ferrules and nipples. If you were really dedicated you would do anodised spoke nipples and risk the rounding off when truing – and if you had a load of cash you’d have a 150mm Ringle Zooka stem like this. 150mm!
GT were proudly made in the USA, and let everyone know with stickers and graphics on everything! The GT Zaskar really was one of the greats – but managed to be a realistic purchase for many riders. This inspired years of customisation, as fans would start small and end up with a seriously tricked out ride.
GT Bicycles produced this cool video about the history of the Zaskar with MTB legend Hans Rey – check it out:
Remember the original GT Zaskar frames?
Anyone got a retro build?
We’d love to see it – let us know in the comments below!
