WILTON, Conn., Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GT Bicycles, a
premium brand of Dorel Industries, Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) today
released a modern version of the iconic 1979 26" BMX Cruiser
frameset to celebrate the brand's new partnership with original GT
Bicycles founder Gary Turner and his
son Craig.
After reconnecting with GT in 2017, plans around a reunion
project began brewing. "GT has been a part of our family since I
was five years-old," said Craig
Turner. "Partnering with the company again is really
exciting."
Only 100 limited edition frame, fork, seat post and handlebar
sets of the original 1979 26" BMX Cruiser design will be produced.
The new framesets will be the first GT Bicycles made in
the United States in almost 20
years. They will be built in the Turner's workshop in Orange, California, not far from where it all
began. The framesets will be designed with the same 1 1/4" toptube
and downtube outer diameter as well as an American bottom bracket,
and 5/8" thick chainstays. The dropouts will be beefed up
from the original 1/8" to 3/16" for added strength. The
headtube will be updated from 1" to 1 1/8" to accommodate modern
headsets and forks.
In the early 1970s, while BMX was still in its infancy, kids
would race their bikes on the big dirt tracks of Southern California between motocross races.
The bikes produced by leading companies of the day were heavy,
slow, and fragile. Gary Turner took
notice and decided to change this. A professional drag racer, Gary
had experience welding and building cro-mo chassis for dragsters.
In 1972, using the same high-grade aircraft cro-moly used for
dragsters, Turner designed his first purpose-built BMX bike for his
son Craig to race at the motocross track. People began to take
notice, including shop owner Richard
Long, and together, the two teamed up to start GT Bicycles
producing some of the best BMX and mountain bikes on the market,
including the 26" BMX Cruiser of which less the 100 were made due
to the on-set of 24" wheels in 1980 setting the trend for the
future.
"BMX and GT became passions (and remain passions) once I started
taking my son to the track more than 45 years ago," added
Gary Turner. "It's exciting to see
my son Craig developing and building frames and forks like I did
back in the day, and we're looking forward to doing this with
GT."
"This is a special partnership celebrating the accomplishments
of my father and Richard Long and
the lasting impression they've left on GT Bicycles," noted
Craig.
When asked what made, and continues to make, the BMX cruiser so
popular among riders Craig believes "It's the camaraderie of BMX.
It's for the people that used to race back in the day, you don't
have to gear up and go to the BMX racetrack and race, you just get
out and pedal. Now, everyone meets up, goes out and has fun. This
bike is perfect for that."
The framesets will retail for $899. Those who purchase the frameset will also
receive a custom GT Flite pad set, GT t-shirt, decal, hat and
keychain. The frames will be available in four colors: yellow,
black, candy blue and candy red. For more information on the
limited edition 26" BMX Cruiser visit www.GT1972.com and
www.gtbicycles.com/reunion. Check out GT Bicycles on
Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
GT is a premium brand of Cycling Sports Group, a division of
Dorel Industries' (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) Dorel
Sports segment, encompassing several powerhouse cycling
brands. Dorel Industries Inc. has annual sales of US$2.6 billion and employs approximately 9,200
people in facilities located in twenty-five countries worldwide.
For more than 40 years, GT has provided riders of all abilities
with a trustworthy, rock-solid bike they need to push their limits.
GT's legacy is instilled in every design, be it a BMX, mountain,
road, or pavement bike. For more information,
visit www.gtbicycles.com.
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SOURCE GT Bicycles