Picked up my old 2004 (bought it in Poland in '04 but not sure what is exact model year) GT Timberline LTD and somehow it turned into a full little restomod project.
I’m definitely not a bike mechanic. This was my first "real" build, done mostly in the evenings over about two weeks, with a lot of learning, swearing, measuring twice, asking questions and slowly figuring out how everything actually works.
The goal was not to make it modern-modern. I wanted to keep the soul of an early-2000s 26” hardtail, but make it genuinely fun again for city rides, forest paths, gravel, errands and random “I’ll just take the long way home” loops.
Current setup:
- 1×11 drivetrain
- SRAM GX 11s rear derailleur
- SRAM GX Grip Shift
- Shimano CS-M5100 11-42 cassette
- Shimano Deore FC-M5100 32T crank
- Shimano BB-MT800 bottom bracket
- Shimano PD-EF202 pedals
- Schwalbe Smart Sam Plus 26×2.25 tires
- Shimano Deore BR-T610 V-brakes
- Avid Speed Dial 7 levers
- Ergon GP3 grips
- new cables and housing
- wider (780mm), more upright cockpit
- some vinyl details (on a generic bike bag) and 3D-printed valve caps
Then I made the mistake of realizing how good it rides, caught the upgrade bug, and, well… it escalated. The next front-end update is on the way: RST Omega 26” TNL, 100 mm, still with V-brake mounts, plus a full conversion to 1 1/8” threadless/AHEAD with new EC34 headset, spacers and adjustable stem. I’m also starting to think about the seatpost situation. Maybe a dropper, maybe not. That rabbit hole is currently staring at me from across the garage.
What surprised me most as a bike noob: it’s all actually doable if you go slowly. The first ride after finishing the build made all the little garage battles worth it.
Biggest real-world difference so far:
- tires: the Smart Sam Plus 2.25s completely changed the bike’s confidence and comfort
- grips: way more comfort than I expected
- pedals: honestly, good pedals made the bike feel much more “connected”
I’d think of this as a retro-modern ATB / light-trail hardtail. Still simple, still 26”, still V-brake, but now with enough range, comfort and control to actually want to ride it all the time.
About 150 km in the last two weeks already – not finished yet, but already my favorite bike to ride 🙂
by OilNice227