I had a mid nineties Zaskar, great bike and a true all rounder.Handled great and quick to boot. You’re right it’s a classic, up there with the Stumpie in the legendary bike category.
I agree that they are legendary and have had a couple. One back in the day before the whole long, low, and slack thing took off and one a couple of years ago.
I liked the first one I had and rode it some fun places. I got it cheap and it was the wrong size for me, the seat tube was about 3 meters long but the top tube was too short even with a 110mm stem. I can’t work out if it was too big or too small, most likely both at the same time.
The second was bought just for riding with the kids and it was ok but again it didn’t fit well at all and I have already experienced bikes that were much more fun and fitted better. I sold it as it wasn’t fun.
Here is the second one, a ’97. [url=https://flic.kr/p/a7ssKt]Untitled[/url] by i_ache, on Flickr
Had a ’96 Bull Burnished (naturally) LE. Cracking bike, shame it didnt have disc mounts as I’d probably still be riding it now. Well if it wasnt for the silly cow in 2002 who pulled out on me at a junction and kindly hit be with the front bumper.
Poor bike didnt stand a chance. Still got the frame in the garage.
Blew my student loan on a ’93 Zaskar LE frame. Recently raided the parts bin and rebuilt it back to ‘working’ – all bits original and owned by me from new!
About 26lbs, was awesome to ride and took some hammer in the Peak District, BMX tracks, raced DH and XC on it!
Love them, bought a 91 Zaskar with a U brake from the car park at an NPS race many years ago. It was the holy grail for a penniless teen, built up with period nonsense. Nearly killed it doing ‘one more jump’ and snapping the alloy mech hanger. Had a new hanger screwed on and it was eventually finished someone tried to nick it, failed, kicked the mech and wrecked that hanger. Still got the frame, going to make it into an outside light I think…
Insurance then coughed up for a new 97 16″ frame, absolutely stunning, one of the last USA welded ones. Built that up in many many guises over the years including an ill advised period with Tioga DH 2.3″ tyres, Judy twin crown forks and one of those foot long Tioga saddles, (no pics thank goodness) went from this:
to this:
and now it’s finally been retired, I’m going to hang it on the wall in the hall.
nemesis – Member
Always wanted one (and a ’95 LTS to match), haven’t ever had one and I’m not sure I ever will now.
I had one EXACTLY the same as that with a Suntour XC Pro groupset, back in the day before SRAM were Shimano’s rivals… I still have the fork boots in my toolbox. The rear end got bananad when it was d-locked to a fence and some twonk tried to remove it with sheer force.
Straightened it out (ish) with a vice and wooden blocks and sold it cheaply to my mate’s brother!
Loved it and have always had a soft spot for them. They just need to make a long slack 27.5+ version and I’ll be in!
When I worked in a bike shop my boss had one, I remember thinking the forks were massive (early Marzocchi Z1’s – I think they were 110mm travel). It was his only bike due to ongoing divorce/separation, but it seemed to do OK until it cracked (and was replaced under warranty)
This was back in the 90s so he was definitely ahead of his time with the hardcore HT thing!
The name might be however many years old but the modern bike is just re-using a name. Good marketing.
I always hated that GT frame mini-triangle thing and I see they are hinting at it in the modern carbon version.
Did you know that the car that sold most in history is not the VW beetle or the model T Ford but the Toyota Corolla (in all it’s totally different incarnations).
Had a ’95 (I think) Zaskar LE in yellow with gold Judy XC’s (IIRC) on it. Bought it 2nd hand when it was about a year old with what was then the new mk1 8 speed HT XTR build on it, complete with Syncros post & stem, Flite Ti saddle, etc.
No longer have it as I needed the money for a new build.
Had a 97 in yellow. Sold on ebay to a guy who offered way more than I expected and ups posted to Germany. As I sent it I regretted it. I’ll deffo get another zaskar one day. It’s the first bike I remember seeing in an ad in mbuk I really wanted.
bought mine back in 96 as an LE frameset from the states – has been with me ever
since in various build configurations, still love it for just the way it rides..
Had a 96 zaskar le, which is still around, although it has spent the last couple of years hung up in the cellar after a few years service as a commuter. Battered but bombproof. Might sell it one day if the need for pennies arises, or wait until the kids are old enough for 26″ bikes!
I’ve had a ’93 blue 16″ since 1998ish. Used as my hardtail mtb for 5 or so years and for most of the last 10 has been my commuter/town/hack bike. It was rebuilt with bits from my parts bins including: Hope Big un front wheel, Kona Project 2 straight steel forks, easton ea70 bars, stem etc and also has a pannier rack and other totally out of places bits fitted.
I’ve got a year 2000 Zaskar LE hiding up the attic same as the Blue & yellow Team in the Pics further up but has black SIDS on it all Xtr was £2700 in 2000