Our 200th weekly Reader’s Rig comes from Gabe Neckolaishen in North Carolina, who shares the 1993 GT Timberline he found in original condition and rebuilt with drop bars, an 11-speed drivetrain, and a custom framebag made from Tyvek. Check it out here…
Words by Gabe Neckolaishen (@gabriel_neckolaishen)
Hi, my name is Gabe, and I’m from Brevard, North Carolina. I’ve been riding bikes since 2008. Most of my time is spent trail riding in the Pisgah National Forest Rangers District or smashing drop-bar bikes in places they definitely don’t belong. When I’m not trail riding, I enjoy spending my time doing bike-in, bike-out dinners in the forest and going on weekend bikepacking trips with friends.
After developing an affinity for these strange triple triangle bikes, I decided to look for a project bike of my own. Eventually, I found a zebra print ‘93 GT Timberline on craigslist upstate, and I decided to give it a look. I went to meet the older couple selling it and took the bike—which still had ALL of the original parts, including the dry-rotted 26-inch tires that were older than I am—for a spin around the parking lot of the gas station where we’d met. It felt awful, but I knew it had potential.
After agreeing on a price, I loaded the bike on my car and told the couple my plans for the ultimate drop-bar rigid mountain bike with a new drivetrain and aspirations for backwoods greatness. They pleaded that I keep the bike original, but obviously it didn’t stay that way.
Building this bike during the parts supply shortage made things interesting, and scavenging used parts and building a 26-inch 11-speed rim brake wheelset were necessary to completing the build. The custom Tyvek frame bag made by my friend Josiah at Garbage Bagz really pulls the whole bike together.
- Frame/Fork 1993 GT Timberline
- Rims Sun Ringle Rhino lites
- Hubs Scavenged Shimano hubs
- Tires Panaracer Gravel Kings
- Handlebars PNW Components Coast Drop Bars
- Headset Chris King
- Crankset GX GXP
- Pedals Shimano SPD
- Cassette SRAM Apex 11-speed 11-42
- Derailleur SRAM Apex 11-speed
- Brakes Shimano V brakes
- Shifter(s) SRAM Apex drop bar shifters
- Saddle Scavenged Giant saddle
- Seatpost OEM GT
- Stem Scavenged positive angle Bontrager stem
- Front bags Sea to Summit Big River dry bag with NRS straps
- Frame bags Garbage Bagz Tyvek rolltop dry bag by Josiah Weeks
- Rear bags Ortlieb Seat Pack
- Accessory bags Relevate Designs Mountain Feedbag
You can see more from Gabe on Instagram @gabriel_neckolaishen.
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Use the form below to submit your bikepacking rig. We’ll choose one per week to feature in a Reader’s Rig Dispatch and on Instagram. To enter, email us your best photo of the bike (preferably at a 90° angle), your Instagram username (optional), and a short description of you and your rig. If your bike is selected, we’ll need a total of five photos and a little bit more info.
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