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GT Bicycles Partners w/ Gary & Craig Turner on Limited Edition ’79 BMX Cruiser

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GT Bicycles announced a limited edition frameset made in partnership with the brand’s OG, Gary Turner. The frame is a re-make of history – the 1979 26″ BMX Cruiser. Available in four colors, it also includes a gift pack including a Flite pad set, GT shirt, decal, hat, and keychain.

GT Bicycles Limited Edition ’79 BMX Cruiser w/ Gary & Craig Turner

GT is a fan of throwback BMX bikes, and they’re at it again with a new limited run of 1979 BMX Cruisers. What’s more, only 100 will ever be made – and they’re hand-built in Turner’s own workshop. Check out the press release below for full details and how to get your hands on a piece of history.

PRESS RELEASE

Wilton, Conn. – November 21, 2019 – 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.

GT1972.com

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John
John
4 years ago

That is so cool. Love the old school stuff.

Dolan Halbrook
Dolan Halbrook
4 years ago

So rad. I wonder if Araya still makes anodized BMX rims to make the build period correct.

Huffagnolo SuperMagna
Huffagnolo SuperMagna
4 years ago
Reply to  Dolan Halbrook

I would go Velocity! They do anodized rims right here in America and you can get 26”! I doubt Araya is still doing that.

I kind of want one of these not going to lie! Have wanted to build a project like this for a while!

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago

I never knew there were 26″ cruisers in the 1970’s, even though I raced BMX as a kid in the 80’s. I think they should drop one (or all) of the paint colors to offer it in chrome, like in the photos of Gary.

Tony Villegas
Tony Villegas
4 years ago
Reply to  Dinger

You’d probably have to pay extra for chrome.

Armando Guerrero
Armando Guerrero
4 years ago

Nice to see gt retro. We could use a 20″ also I never was able to ride a cruiser.

David Brayton
David Brayton
4 years ago

That candy red color is sweet!

@EasternWalrus
@EasternWalrus
4 years ago

I’m 33, have ridden BMX since I was 6 and still love it. Are these for the even older crowd than me? GT wasn’t a great brand back in 2003… Just buy an S&M, they took over GT’s old warehouse anyways

ROBERT OTANEZ
ROBERT OTANEZ
4 years ago

Raced a 26” GT. Went to the shop and picked it up. Those were the days……..riding your GT and not a care in the world .

Matt Surch
4 years ago

I’ve never owned a 26″ cruiser, but I love the format; so simple. This story led me to jump to the site and start thinking about building a GT for our new pumptrack in Ottawa. My wife would not be impressed, but the nostalgic angles here are pulling me hard!

Darren
Darren
4 years ago

Would be sweet local pumptrack bike

ten-forty
ten-forty
4 years ago

$900. Hmmm, seems like a lot for a bike that will get ridden a hnadfull of times arounf the block only to be sold on CL a few months later…….or you could go out and buy a “retro” complete bike from Redline, SE or even GT themselves and have money left over.

Rudy Galicia
Rudy Galicia
3 years ago

I Have the chrome one they only made 10 chrome’s and I got #8 stamped.

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