Here is my old hack for toeing in the brake pads. I would take a business card and wedge it under the part of the brake pad that I wanted the gap at. Super easy way to adjust your brakes and keep them consistent.
Awesome build, i just picked up a used GT ricochet frame in orange amd I'm hoping to get a build together half as nice as this. That green color is fantastic, im jealous!
I have the same frame. The original bike was a 1995 GT Timberline, peak rigid bike for it's day. Still handles the trails like a champ with all of it's original parts. Great platform for any build!
Thanks for your hard work turning out these build videos after I just read an article saying "The base model Canyon Grail CF SL has a Canyon Grail CF SL R119 frame, and with prices starting from £2,599 (with Shimano GRX 620) the CF SL is a great entry model" I'll estimate your build wasn't as expensive and it's much better looking and riding.
Hey thanks for the feedback - glad you enjoyed the build. I like the idea of cycling being accessible to all budgets, and with new bikes becoming so expensive, this is another option if you’re willing to put in some time and effort - it’s even easier if you can buy a complete bike to start with. I’ve made some tweaks and changes to the GT, which are coming up in a video tomorrow, before the test ride video next week! 👍👍👍
Beautiful bike, love that deep metallic green! On the brakes: You know that the pull ratio is not correct and better brake pads won't change much - braking will be more than sketchy! If you want to stick to v-brakes, go for mini v's (not sure if they provide enough tyre clearance, though) or you install a travel agent to the brake, to get the extra cable pull.
Yeah I love the colour! Funnily enough, I saved the travel agents for a separate video!! Retro GT MTB Gravel Bike gets V-Brake adaptors for Road levers #bike #gravelbike #mtb th-cam.com/video/3GcluIF9i3w/w-d-xo.html I’m gonna try mini v brakes but I don’t think they’ll clear the tyres!!
@@Downhillsmoothtarmac Oh yeah, I see - problem solved! If you still want to try mini-v's, Tektro's RX6 have 90mm arm length which might give you just enough tyre clearance without sacrificing too much brake power.
I love what you do❤ Ist there any e-book or guide how to start such a rebuild? For example: what components to buy, where to look for it .... And also what type of components can be combined 😊
I turned my old GT from that period into a road bike lol, Some company made a 1" wide slick for 26" wheels back in the 2000s and I rode it to work for years, The bike industry phasing out the super versatile 26" wheel didn't make much sense to me.
I still have schwalbe marathon 26s on my Cannondale tandem - I get why 29er and all that have become popular, but I agree, the loss of the 26 inch wheel is a shame, you could always get spares and tyres too!!
@@Downhillsmoothtarmac technically pull ratio is not same on mtb and road shifters. Mtb ones pull more cable than road ones. That's official Shimano statement in their manuals. Whenever i do some conversion of some vintage mtb into gravel (leave everything as i find on bikel, whole groupset, except brifters and drop bars) , i am in situation that i must find some road fd, or to change cranks to 2x. Problem was always in shifting on biggie. Maybe i am doing something wrong? BB length is same, cause i do not change original parts if they are ok
@stefandjuric3975 shimano didn’t change their pull ratios until a few years back, before that they were the same for road and mtb, so anything 9 speed or below should work without issue. If your shifters are of a newer design it could be that, or it’s not a triple specific shifter for the front? As the double shifters have three clicks, but one is only for trim. The only time the fronts are troublesome for me is if they’re worn out or tired - generally if I have to mess around with it a lot, I replace it with another. I learnt this with my shop, sometimes the FD can appear functional, but if worn, simply won’t work reliably. Also, the FD swing can be an issue, so I always try to use a top swing with Road shifters - which is what I switched to in the next video. th-cam.com/video/3GcluIF9i3w/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yPVdrDHbR8Gy2diS
Awesome build! But will those brakes work with road levers? The v-brakes should have long pull ratio and the road levers a short one. Thinking of doing the same conversion on my GT and I am looking into mini v-brakes with short pull instead, but if you don't have any problems, that may change my plans hahah. Looking forward to hearing your experience!
Hey thanks for watching, I’ve done an extra video here that might explain a couple of changes Retro GT MTB Gravel Bike gets V-Brake adaptors for Road levers #bike #gravelbike #mtb th-cam.com/video/3GcluIF9i3w/w-d-xo.html They do work but are a bit spongey, so I’ve gone for some adaptors that are great!!! A few folks have mentioned mini v-brakes, the only thing I’ve found with them is clearance can be a bit of an issue! Have a look at the problem solvers and see what you think!…. 👍👍👍
@@Downhillsmoothtarmac Oh pardon my ignorance, I did not see the other video. Very glad you got it sorted! I have seen the travel agent but always thought it looks bulky and like a bit of a parasite on the bike 😬🤣. Do you have any hands on experience with the mini v's on MTB tires? I cant seem to find much on the forums about this combination. I plan on running a 2 inch tire with minimal knobs, basically a slick tire for commuting. I have measured and I expect to get a gap of around 2-3 mm form the tire to the cable which should be okay-ish, but I will not know until I get my hands on some.
You’re right they do look a bit bulky, but I don’t mind them too much! I actually have a set of mini v brakes lying around somewhere - perhaps it’s time for another video!!!
gravel is gау, I prefer rigid mtb with geo fitting same+ goals = gravel + better control and abilities (trialsy moves/bhops/good control with normal mtb bars)
Gravel, GT and Retro. Three of my favourite words.
Yes, yes and yes!!!! 👍👍👍👍😎😎
Here is my old hack for toeing in the brake pads. I would take a business card and wedge it under the part of the brake pad that I wanted the gap at. Super easy way to adjust your brakes and keep them consistent.
Great tip, I’ve used an old business card for cable disc brakes too! 👍👍👍👍
Awesome build, i just picked up a used GT ricochet frame in orange amd I'm hoping to get a build together half as nice as this. That green color is fantastic, im jealous!
Thanks Man, sounds like you've got a decent build yourself there!
I have the same frame. The original bike was a 1995 GT Timberline, peak rigid bike for it's day. Still handles the trails like a champ with all of it's original parts. Great platform for any build!
Awesome thanks for the info - stay tuned for the test ride video! 👍👍👍👍
Thanks for your hard work turning out these build videos after I just read an article saying "The base model Canyon Grail CF SL has a Canyon Grail CF SL R119 frame, and with prices starting from £2,599 (with Shimano GRX 620) the CF SL is a great entry model"
I'll estimate your build wasn't as expensive and it's much better looking and riding.
Hey thanks for the feedback - glad you enjoyed the build.
I like the idea of cycling being accessible to all budgets, and with new bikes becoming so expensive, this is another option if you’re willing to put in some time and effort - it’s even easier if you can buy a complete bike to start with.
I’ve made some tweaks and changes to the GT, which are coming up in a video tomorrow, before the test ride video next week! 👍👍👍
Beautiful bike, love that deep metallic green! On the brakes: You know that the pull ratio is not correct and better brake pads won't change much - braking will be more than sketchy! If you want to stick to v-brakes, go for mini v's (not sure if they provide enough tyre clearance, though) or you install a travel agent to the brake, to get the extra cable pull.
Yeah I love the colour! Funnily enough, I saved the travel agents for a separate video!!
Retro GT MTB Gravel Bike gets V-Brake adaptors for Road levers #bike #gravelbike #mtb
th-cam.com/video/3GcluIF9i3w/w-d-xo.html
I’m gonna try mini v brakes but I don’t think they’ll clear the tyres!!
@@Downhillsmoothtarmac Oh yeah, I see - problem solved!
If you still want to try mini-v's, Tektro's RX6 have 90mm arm length which might give you just enough tyre clearance without sacrificing too much brake power.
@@marcusathome I think I’ve got the tektros - will give them a try!!!
Only just started the video and already know its a winner your bike builds are great to watch
Thanks very much for watching! Stay tuned for more videos with the GT 👍👍👍👍👍
Love these triple triangle GT frames, cool green colour as well! Perfect video to get a rest from the studies 😃
The colour really made it for me!! Thanks for watching 👍👍👍👍👍
I love what you do❤
Ist there any e-book or guide how to start such a rebuild?
For example: what components to buy, where to look for it ....
And also what type of components can be combined 😊
Hey thanks for your reply! I don’t know of any book, but I’m putting a bit of a guide together for an upcoming video - maybe that might help a bit?….
I turned my old GT from that period into a road bike lol, Some company made a 1" wide slick for 26" wheels back in the 2000s and I rode it to work for years, The bike industry phasing out the super versatile 26" wheel didn't make much sense to me.
I still have schwalbe marathon 26s on my Cannondale tandem - I get why 29er and all that have become popular, but I agree, the loss of the 26 inch wheel is a shame, you could always get spares and tyres too!!
A green GT!? love it already!
That’s how I felt when I saw the frame!!! 🤣👍👍
Nice brakes those 😮
Now it’s time for a test ride!!!!
Informative and entertaining ..someday I will get my '91 TA out for build No.3 #midnightaurora
Thanks man appreciated! Sounds like. Good build - do a video!!!
What about sora shifters and mtb fd pull ratio? I had problems with 3x. Grany and middle one works fine, but shifting on biggie not
Technically the pull is the same, so as long as they’re triple shifters and bb length is right, it should work fine 👍👍👍
@@Downhillsmoothtarmac technically pull ratio is not same on mtb and road shifters. Mtb ones pull more cable than road ones. That's official Shimano statement in their manuals.
Whenever i do some conversion of some vintage mtb into gravel (leave everything as i find on bikel, whole groupset, except brifters and drop bars) , i am in situation that i must find some road fd, or to change cranks to 2x. Problem was always in shifting on biggie.
Maybe i am doing something wrong?
BB length is same, cause i do not change original parts if they are ok
@stefandjuric3975 shimano didn’t change their pull ratios until a few years back, before that they were the same for road and mtb, so anything 9 speed or below should work without issue. If your shifters are of a newer design it could be that, or it’s not a triple specific shifter for the front? As the double shifters have three clicks, but one is only for trim.
The only time the fronts are troublesome for me is if they’re worn out or tired - generally if I have to mess around with it a lot, I replace it with another.
I learnt this with my shop, sometimes the FD can appear functional, but if worn, simply won’t work reliably.
Also, the FD swing can be an issue, so I always try to use a top swing with Road shifters - which is what I switched to in the next video.
th-cam.com/video/3GcluIF9i3w/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yPVdrDHbR8Gy2diS
Georgeous colour, I would go for a flat alt bar. Is the steerer 1 1/8?
I do like an alt bar, I’ve got a Jeff bar on my other retro Specialized - the video is on here somewhere! 👍👍👍👍
Awesome build! But will those brakes work with road levers? The v-brakes should have long pull ratio and the road levers a short one. Thinking of doing the same conversion on my GT and I am looking into mini v-brakes with short pull instead, but if you don't have any problems, that may change my plans hahah. Looking forward to hearing your experience!
Hey thanks for watching, I’ve done an extra video here that might explain a couple of changes
Retro GT MTB Gravel Bike gets V-Brake adaptors for Road levers #bike #gravelbike #mtb
th-cam.com/video/3GcluIF9i3w/w-d-xo.html
They do work but are a bit spongey, so I’ve gone for some adaptors that are great!!!
A few folks have mentioned mini v-brakes, the only thing I’ve found with them is clearance can be a bit of an issue!
Have a look at the problem solvers and see what you think!…. 👍👍👍
@@Downhillsmoothtarmac Oh pardon my ignorance, I did not see the other video. Very glad you got it sorted! I have seen the travel agent but always thought it looks bulky and like a bit of a parasite on the bike 😬🤣. Do you have any hands on experience with the mini v's on MTB tires? I cant seem to find much on the forums about this combination. I plan on running a 2 inch tire with minimal knobs, basically a slick tire for commuting. I have measured and I expect to get a gap of around 2-3 mm form the tire to the cable which should be okay-ish, but I will not know until I get my hands on some.
You’re right they do look a bit bulky, but I don’t mind them too much! I actually have a set of mini v brakes lying around somewhere - perhaps it’s time for another video!!!
😅😂Looking forward to it!@@Downhillsmoothtarmac
Thanks again for watching too!! 👍👍👍
gravel is gау, I prefer rigid mtb with geo fitting same+ goals = gravel + better control and abilities (trialsy moves/bhops/good control with normal mtb bars)
"gay" as in having a good time
I hope that’s what they mean……