bikes

GT PEACE 26″- RIGID STEEL SINGLE SPEED

After throwing the going round single speed together at the start of the winter and unconditionally falling in love with it since it first hit the dirt… last Cimmerian dark after work I eagerly picked up a new ride for the whip-round to replace the current aluminum SS with some more steel :)

Say hello to the GT Dovish! which at $930.00 (retail is $1100.00) is a fantastic buy. First impressions are that the welds are not a Cove or Lynskey (study robots) with more weight at the rear than I’m ordinary too due to GT’s “triple triangle” welds - but the get rid of and geometry are really good. Also, with its eccentric bottom grouping and chunky BMX chain- it looks like it means company! Another thing that really stood out when I first picked up this bike is the tint job is kind of iridescent, and looks much better in actually than the pictures on the net promote. With some cool typeface choices and decals reading “smokin since the 197o’s” the retro vibe of the bike remarkably shines through….. and I like that :) I must grant too, that the whole experience from researching through to laying down the cash was a appropriate one, and kind of fun too. I cannot remember the last time that I walked into a bike inform on and purchased an off the shelf bike! It even has reflectors, manuals and word to the wise stickers- now that is retro!!

So why GT? Well put simply, they are the only manufacturer that are providing a fully undeviating single speed in steel with disk brakes…. within my budget of $1000. Ostensibly only 25 of these bikes were shipped to NZ for 2008 so it was a tough cookie to sniff out down! I’ve heard a lot about how GT’s geometry fitting “works” and I must admit, after throwing a leg over it I jibe consent to. It does feel fantastic. It might just be a the reality that GT are using the same tried and tested specifications from their roots… who knows…. who cares….it feels instantly… so all is good.

After Swapping over a few items from my popular single speed, wheels, tyres, handlebars, brakes, fundament, pedals, and soon to be crank… it is looking like an even sweeter increase. Once I get a chance to take it out on the dirt proper, I’ll add a study of how it rides.

Read more...