Road bike fixed gear conversion - GT Force

Thanks for checking out the video! Here are some links I mentioned in the video
Neko Cycles custom reflectors: / nekocycles_
Bb.Yayarea / bb.yayarea
SquidBikes / squidbikes
Music by: Bensound.com
00:00 intro
3:00 disassembly
6:06 paint prep
9:35 painting
12:55 wheel building
16:20 handlebar stripping
17:30 headset
19:30 stem
21:15 reassembly
24:09 chainring polish/drillium
25:02 brakes
26:24 cranks
28:50 wheel install
30:02 pedals/cages
30:56 seat stuff
31:28 all finished, ride time!

[@toastyrides]

Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out the video, prepare for rambling! 😆 some links in the description, I also forgot to include some clips of stuff (finishing the rear wheel, rusty treating the inside of the frame-to name a few!) but ah well. Cheers and enjoy the video 👍

[@brittanyharmsie]

Never stop rambling!!! I like to hear about your process.

[@toastyrides]

@@brittanyharmsie thanks heaps, that’s good to know 🙌 💖

[@oreocarlton3343]

@@toastyrides are you a bike mechanic by trade?

[@joshable337]

Great video! I had a GT, and loved it!

[@frankwilliamson1208]

Oh man, the riding footage of the new builds is the best part - keep em coming!

[@toastyrides]

Awesome, will do! 🙌🤙

[@MonkeyShred]

Great work my dude. Love the look.

[@toastyrides]

Thanks heaps 🙌💖 so in love with it, the painting was fun! Can’t wait to do the next one 😎👍 thanks for sharing it!! 😍🤯

[@NAMUH11]

What a coincidence, i just got myself a GT but a GT Palomar was 60 pounds so couldnt pass it up even tho i did not really need another bike .Sadly some one along the lifetime of this 1990s mtb decided to put some fugly suspension forks on it so now im on the hunt for rigid ones. Slowly starting the resto-upgrade process ( got to love the triple triangle ) but ill get there. Always nice and relaxing to watch the vids with my morning coffee. Keep it up my dude.

[@toastyrides]

I love all the old GT’s 😍 I’ll be building up an old Talera soon 🤙 it’s second in the list, tied with a GaryFisher build so we’ll see which parts show up first haha. Oh dang, hope you find a rigid fork for it! Thanks for checking out the video and good luck with the build 😎🤙💖

[@andypicken7848]

Really enjoyed the upload. Many thanks from Birmingham UK

[@toastyrides]

Thank you, glad you liked it! No way, that’s where my mum’s from! 🤙 ha Greetings from New Zealand!

[@dhcmrlchtdj-1]

3:59 big smiley banana in the background :)

[@toastyrides]

HA! That’s hilarious, good spotting 😆🙌

[@PIN666]

This bike looks so good, dare I say one of the best looking you’ve done so far 🥴

[@toastyrides]

Thanks! It’s hard to say, but I’m in love with it and really enjoying riding it (and just staring at it! 😆). Such a lovely build, thanks for watching 🥳💖

[@komoonkh]

That made me remember that I need to tighten my lockring and take the fixie for a ride. Its been a long time.

[@toastyrides]

Yes! 🙌 fixed gears are fun, enjoy the ride 🤙

[@pierrorider]

What a beautiful bike ! I love the crankset.

[@Hazball]

great build. Really great attention to detail, was not expecting you to rebuild the wheels! Love the second hand/lying around part sourcing, so much more satisfying, some things just shouldn't be bought new, theres plenty of bike parts already out there!

[@greenS14]

Love the paint job on this😎

[@yardsalecycles]

the old school Dia comp brake lever was a nice touch

[@toastyrides]

It worked out nicely, I have the other one of the pair on my other fixed gear!

[@ashpunting]

Another bike that didn't get left behind thanks to you 👍🏾

[@toastyrides]

Saving the old bikes one at a time 🙌🤙 cheers!!

[@DopeEd]

you do some quality work man! great editing and narration too!

[@madsespedalericson4722]

Awesome detailed look for me who’s new to bicycling! Also really cool build🤠

[@burundi8909]

good video , good paint and love the drilled chainring !

[@myvicariouslife4012]

Looks like fun albeit I cannot ride fixed(too old). I once hopped on a Bianchi something I bought at a yard sale for $10 not realizing that either the freewheel was seized making it fixed or that the seller converted it to fixed somehow. LOng story short I started riding it and got up to a good speed. Had to stop and yeah. my legs stopped me however I lurched foward and racked my 'Bottom Bracket' on the stem....never again for fixed for moi.

[@toastyrides]

Oh damn! That would put me off, too! 😖 hope you made a full recovery, haha. It’s definitely fun, but takes some getting used to. Once in a while I still get a surprise when the pedal rotates and carries my foot with it!

[@darthtrolleus1947]

@@toastyrides yes other than that I really liked that Bianchi once my buddy fixed the Freewheel . Unfortunately he had a heart attack at 55.(RIP Rich) Kewl dude...knew a lot about MacGyver bike repair ...I was in the homeless shelter with Rich in the same room. He got a job at a bike shop he knew a lot about bicycles.

[@dropthesubjectkiddodropthe5450]

A cold weather and a pasta while watching. ❤️❤️❤️

[@johnssonnz]

Great build, beautiful bike, and this handlebar is so cool...

[@toastyrides]

Thanks, Michel! It’s such a comfy but weird looking handlebar!haha. Fits the bike and me nicely 🥳🤌

[@BrianSantero]

Love the paint job!

[@tonyfrewin4822]

Great work on the GT.

[@Robert-zn9ub]

Nice ride. Super cool wheels too.

[@mk4golfmt]

Great build , great channel keep up the good build loving the build

[@toastyrides]

Thanks, awesome to hear you liked it 🥳👍

[@paullacey2999]

Any bike rescued for a new life,that can only be a good thing👏👏👏

[@necrodefecator]

Man this is so much better than a Steamroller. Don't get me wrong all Surly´s bikes are rad and I always wanted to own one, but your custom job is just more way more fun and unique. And please continue the rambling and the long videos I actually enjoy it a lot :D

[@toastyrides]

Thanks, I agree! I would definitely own one, but everytime I weigh up the cost it’s just easier to justify a custom creation 😅 Definitely more fun and unique! Thanks for the input, will do! 🙌💖 have a great day and greetings from New Zealand 🤙

[@who6184]

Awesome build.

[@draggonhedd]

You really have some great bike infrastructure out there. certainly a lot more than where I'm at.

[@toastyrides]

Some of it is great! 🙌 glad it’s going in the right direction, grateful to have it 👍 hopefully you get a few new bike paths where you’re at!

[@draggonhedd]

@@toastyrides i just discovered that there is some decent single track down by the river near my house. time to build a bike to explore it! be nice to not have to drive 30 min to get to the mtb trails at the state park

[@Locojoe]

Another sweet bike. I wasn't too sure about the heaviness of the black atop the paint at first but it looks great. Tones down and ties the colors together.

[@kevinfeeney5309]

Regarding your comment about trying fixed gear.. I did the same experiment with a conversion. Ended up loving fixed gear riding so much I bought a 200o SE Draft. I find it hilarious though, because it was entry level SE using high ten steel, the weight helps in the wind. A dude on a Bianchi fixed gear noted to me at a red light how he was having trouble holding his line while he noticed that I maintained mine like an arrow. And I don't mind the extra weight either.. besides, most of the weight I need to lose is around my belly! Buahahha

[@toastyrides]

Hahaha good point! There’s a nice window of weight, when it comes to bikes. Too light has its downsides with practicality 😆 The extra weight doesn’t make much difference to me with these bikes, most of my bikes are loaded up with racks etc anyway 👍 and I weigh quite a bit, caring about a few KG’s seems pointless 😆

[@KEIRINSTREETS]

Awesome build

[@ryanhegarty8524]

Stunning build. Perhaps you are not allowed to drive a car unless you stop in the areas dedicated to cyclists. Awesome ending: "bye bye!". I've got an old black and yellow decal, GT Rave. I'm trying to think of how to spice it up, and your video has given me food for thought 🤔 Keep those videos flowing Adam! 😎🥳

[@johnbrann75]

Nice bike, really like the wheels. I've bought a few bikes just so I could get a particular set of wheels or a crank or something and then gave away the frame.

[@toastyrides]

Thanks! Yeah I’m stoked with the wheels! Oo good thinking, pays to grab the parts when they show up 👍

[@levibradley9170]

another great build toasty that paint job was sweet az i will be trying that technique on one of my bmx builds now i no how to do it thanks, look foward to your next vid that gary fisher looks rare and unique

[@Saints66]

Seriously like your stuff, 👍

[@toastyrides]

Thanks! 🙌 loving this bike and the builds lately have been heaps of fun!

[@sebamilanesi3787]

great job...nice handlebar¡¡¡

[@donttouchthisatall]

"Pretty toasted, but not in a good way" :D Amazing build as per! You've given me the confidence to take on hub/bearing mainteance 👍 Thanks! Now i need to get into wheelbuilding to get that 26'' rim break tubeless, i want and nobody manufactures :P

[@toastyrides]

Haha glad you liked that line 😆👍 that’s so cool to hear, I’m glad you’ve tackled that! So satisfying 🥳 ooh yes, you can do it! Just take your time, keep a wheel that you’re lacing the same way (like a 3 cross 32 hole, if that’s what you’re doing) nearby so you can compare. Good luck 🙌💖

[@kevinfeeney5309]

The straps you were talking about, that the fixed gear freestyle riders use...one brand I know is Hold Fast. When it comes to toe clips and straps, I preferred the quad gate clips with double toe straps, but I now just ride 2 bolt clipless

[@toastyrides]

Yeah those are the ones! Forgot the most popular ones name 😆👍 I think I’ll try the quad gate/double clips next, Soma do some pink ones! 😍

[@kevinfeeney5309]

@@toastyrides if memory serves me right, I used the soma quad gate clips with the origin8 double straps.

[@burrito_bobby]

Cool GT!

[@toastyrides]

Thanks, love this frame 😍

[@antoniocorigliano68]

Good job 👋🏻

[@mom_im_losing_it]

Paint liner works well for a degreaser and you can reuse it a lot. Cheap but affective hack.

[@Capriboy1972]

Very nice build. I have the same bike. Tried to install 32s on the rims but both front and rear were rubbing. Might give them another go after watching this 👍

[@toastyrides]

Ooh that’s cool!! 🙌 the front of mine could fit something a bit wider, but a 35mm Continental Cyclocross tyre hits. So maybe a knobbly 32-33mm tyre should clear 🤔 Sweet, hope it works out!

[@donalddonley8420]

Great job stunning

[@toastyrides]

Thank you! 🙌💖

[@mattwolfe70]

Love it 👍🏽

[@tlister67]

In the US the tire levers sold at bike stores come in threes, since the 1980s at least.

[@entme8905]

Nice!

[@jp93309]

The bike looked absolutely HUGE until you got on it then all of a sudden it wasn’t. 😂

[@toastyrides]

Haha yes! I love the clip of me throwing a leg over it, can almost see it shrinking 😆

[@freddaneker]

Awesome

[@d.schwahn8080]

👍 from Germany Fixed Gear

[@toastyrides]

Greetings from New Zealand, thanks for watching! 🙌💖🥳

[@iddra1868]

I have those same tyres, and they're great because even the cheapest road tyre is still faster than the most expensive commuting tyre. I did have to pick out pieces of glass a couple times, but none of them went through.

[@AbrahamRodrigo2707]

This is an end game build for sure better than the GT PULSE might i add.

[@viviennepatterson5950]

Loved the video and the commentary was good. Where did you get the decals? Not often I get to see NZ scenery- nice to see the Auckland waterfront and appreciate the steepness of Symonds Street!

[@toastyrides]

Thanks! I felt like I rambled too much, but it’s good to know your thoughts 🙌 Those are just vinyl cut by me, hence the quality haha. No one does the Force decals that I found and to get them professionally made would have been expensive. There are plenty of cool decals on VeloCals (my pink Specialized decals are from them) who are in the US and also RetroDecals in the UK do plenty.

[@invectiondk]

Those Park Tool tirelevers came in sets of three, so that you had a spare if one broke.

[@toastyrides]

That’s quite cool!! Guess none broke 😁🤌

[@bennyjmarston]

I'm just about to have my first go at fully servicing a wheel and I've been thinking "what grease should I use for the bearings?". Well whaddaya know! Thanks bro great tip. Supercheap 👍

[@toastyrides]

Haha perfect timing 😆🙌 hope it goes well! It’s hard to show in the video, but the cones should have a very minimal amount of play. So you can just feel the axle move up and down (and rotate smoothly obviously) take your time with the final adjustment. The QR skewer adds a bit more tension to the cones, so if you do them up “perfectly” before installing they’ll then be too tight when installed. Have fun! 🙌🤙

[@ozenfant_ozn]

awsm!

[@peterbarnes2845]

If I aim to have any predefined quantity of tyre levers it is always 3. You can manage with 1 but 3 is the SOP as far as Im concerned.

[@kossmanneault683]

way to go with the old brake lever, pretty cool. Where do you get chain? You mentioned using garage door chain? Great work as always, thank you for sharing

[@lolsaLlama]

Hello, what paint stripper did you use? I'm going to be breaking down and stripping my old mtb soon for a project and trying to decide between nitromors or No nonsense (from screwfix). Thanks

[@bennyjmarston]

Once again cool stuff. Gotta ask about stripping the handlebars. What kinda paint stripper? I'm thinking of doing something similar but on some nitto bars 😬 so not to keen to stuff that one up. PS hopefully it isn't too annoying to have questions like this here.

[@alotmorformoney]

Kia ora Toasty. U doing great job with your videos. Its like meditation for me :). I want u to ask which frontback do u use in this video? This one might look great on my tequesta. Thanks for inspiring me and keep on. Greetz from Germany

[@glennpettersson9002]

There is nothing so good as a well set up Fixie,

[@toastyrides]

Agreed 😁🤙 so clean, fun to ride and awesome to look at 🤌

[@Liofa73]

Apart from a properly geared bike with proper brakes.

[@toastyrides]

@@Liofa73 there are plenty of other videos to check out, if this isn’t your cuppa tea then why click on it? 🤔

[@kevinfeeney5309]

@@toastyrides idk, anytime I see/hear that comment from someone it's from someone who has either NEVER tried it or didn't give it a proper try. So I generally ignore such comments.

[@Machinationstudio]

In the past, tyre levers always came in threes. I actually find it weird that presently, they come in twos. Hold with two and pry with one.

[@gregrobertson9957]

Why are horizontal dropouts a big deal? I guess for proper chain tension, but what else?

[@TheScooterHoon]

Hi! Cool build! What is that orange jacket?

[@toastyrides]

Thanks! It’s just a Kathmandu Andulo 🤙

[@Matdog2010]

This bike was really easy to assemble kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.

[@stephenpaoli1243]

The numbers on the bottom bracket is the serial # of the bike and production date that bike is 22 years old

[@insertnamehere8686]

I have those same bars on my Trek 1200

[@toastyrides]

You do?!

[@insertnamehere8686]

The drops you pulled off originally yes.

[@insertnamehere8686]

Those Sakae cranks are tits.

[@insertnamehere8686]

Your singing is hilarious.

[@toastyrides]

@@insertnamehere8686 hahaha don’t even notice when doing it 😆

[@cardenben]

I'm doing a resto-mod on a rockhopper, what is you're preference for inner tubes? Anyone else feel free to comment!

[@davidwhocares3293]

Tubes that fit !

[@toastyrides]

Ooh nice, what are your plans for it? I like tubes with removable cores, so I can put some sealant in them for added protection 😅 Continental and Schwalbe have been good for me.

[@cardenben]

@@toastyrides I'm just doing some upgrades as I go along. Brakes, friction shifters, bars stuff like that. Its more of a project to learn about bike maintenance. I just put in an order for some continental tubes, thanks for your input! Love the content, really inspiring!

[@toastyrides]

@@cardenben ooh nice, friction shifters! Haha that alone is a lovely upgrade in my opinion 🤩 should be a fun project 🤙 You’re welcome! Have fun with the build and happy riding 🥳💖

[@ZaneAplin]

Where do you get your spray paint from in NZ?

[@Nerdsplayingcards]

I'd like to paint my raleigh frame camouflage pattern to match my bar tape

[@tedwingate]

Another great build, you and Old Shovel sure do scratch a strange itch. Is it possible to sand the colour coats without messing up the fades? The Spray.Bike looks like stucco out of the can.

[@toastyrides]

I think Old Shovel has some tips for smoothening it. And Craig(“2nd life bikes” here and Instagram) will be doing a video about it sometime I think. I did quickly smooth between coats, but sanding the fade just messed with it-so the top coat I left “as painted”. The fluoro is definitely worse than their regular colours, it can look like sandpaper 😳

[@toastyrides]

Side note: it still blows my mind when people mention me next to Old Shovel 😳👍 thank you, it’s such a compliment 🙌💖 hope to someday have even a fraction of Old Shovels skills 🤌

[@kevinfeeney5309]

@@toastyrides I think it's because you share the same mantra as he does... giving old things new life.

[@breathestrongcycling3672]

As fun as that bike looks, and i've done similar myself, part of me feels such a frameset deserved a wee bit better, maybe Shimano 600 and much more trad paintjob....but that's just me ✌️

[@Chopperdog]

I have a factory built alloy road e-bike it looks just like a GT road bike frame I'm thinking of making it into a GT replica bike just for a laugh.

[@knife1406]

lol at the cagie

[@toastyrides]

Haha I’d be angry too if I was trapped up like that 5 days a week and hungry 😂

[@lugu9708]

Awesome Ads... Another RAD build

[@toastyrides]

Cheers mate! LU GU 🙌💖 loving the simple look of this 😍

[@oreocarlton3343]

How have you Got into bike mechanics?

[@hourlay9556]

Works well but bowl is really shallow.

[@dreammusicchannel1431]

safe no safe bro..

[@brianmaldonado3723]

Where is the Koala basket?

[@ronwhite8503]

I would have kept the original paint, drops and gears..... living in Cumbria I need all the gears my old knees can get.

[@toastyrides]

Fair, gotta save those knees! I’m glad I live in a place I can have fun with fixed, it’s such a cool and weird experience 😍🤌

[@Hazball]

We need better quality shots of the finished build. Those grainy night shots don't do the paint job and polishing any justice!

[@ricowhoo1313]

y would u want to ride 1 of these stupid bikes

[@Liofa73]

Another bike that's become useless and dangerous by converting it to a fixie. Please stop doing this and just renovate it as a geared bike with proper brakes. That bike hardly needed any work as it was, it looked great. This constant obsession on youtube with having to respray older bikes and convert them to fixies is getting ridiculous.

[@toastyrides]

A fixed gear isn’t useless or dangerous, it’s fun! If they aren’t for you, then that’s your opinion and no one’s forcing them upon you 😎👍 I wanted it as a repainted fixed gear, so that’s what I did and I’m stoked with it 🥳 If you’ll check out my other videos, you’ll see it isn’t solely what I do-but it certainly isn’t my last fixed gear conversion as they’re heaps of fun! Next time I see you in the comment section, I hope you’re having a better time 🥳🤙 take it easy Liofa 🙌💖