# My 1991 GT Quatrefoil



## bme107 (Jul 23, 2008)

I just bought this used Quatrefoil off ebay 2 weeks ago. Seller listed it very poorly and did just as bad packing it for shipment. Too bad, because otherwise it would have been quite a steal. The paint is perfect otherwise and just the stickers show signs of peel.

So many forum classifications that this falls under, I just don't know where to post.... 













































(duct tape residue from the packing on the bars)


















(mmmmm, thick dust)









(yes he placed the rear cassette next to the frame. Cheese grater.)

Everything is original except for the captain seat. The bike even came with that musty mildew smell that comes from an old basement, garage or barn. As you can see the dust is quite thick and gummy on most of the frame.

I plan to ride it on the road or rail-trails type paths with the Mrs. I had missed out on several other Cannondale tandems recently and others were just too much compared to what we were looking to spend for the intended purpose.

And so the journey begins.....


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## Plum (Sep 14, 2004)

Nice, I picked one of these up last fall and have been 'restifying' it as well. 650b tires are a direct fit on the 700d rims, and there's clearance for 2.1's easily, and possibly 2.35's. I am fitting 2.35's with 'some' clearance, but I did away with the rear u-brake mount as well, so i can't speak for clearance to the brake..

I have a thread in the 'other wheel size' forum on mine, here:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=578055

Is that a crack I see in the picture of the stoker's BB setup? Hopefully not, but it looks like one in the pictures..

Plum


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## Mr.SBC (Dec 18, 2006)

I saw that too.... Im thinking its part of the splatter paint job?
Although, my tandem frame of the same era was broken in the same spot...


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## bme107 (Jul 23, 2008)

I'll make a note to check the stoker BB. I really doubt that it is a crack with the little amount of use the rest of the bike shows. I really believe that it is probably the paint job. I can't tell you how many times I've been admiring the bike from 5' away and think I see a huge nick/ding only to get closer and discover that it is either the paint scheme or some cob webs.

The paint job is basically a white base coat with black dribbled on. If I had to guess they probably loaded up a brush with black paint and immediately waved it over the bike from a few feet up. There is no pattern to it and you can see a few areas where the black was put on too heavy and it ran.

Plum- I sent you a specific tire question via PM.

Does anybody know the correct way to adjust the captain's EBB to tighten the timing chain? This bike has 2 bolts on the bottom of the shell that pinch the halves together. My problem is that I don't know how to turn the eccentric to make it tight. Is there a specialty tool I need? The search function typically sends me to the singlespeed forum where they are hot for the latest aftermarket EBB to turn a geared frame to single.......

Here is a picture of the right side. On the left there is a single 0.25"dia. hole adjacent to the BB axle.


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## Plum (Sep 14, 2004)

bme107 said:


> I'll make a note to check the stoker BB. I really doubt that it is a crack with the little amount of use the rest of the bike shows. I really believe that it is probably the paint job. I can't tell you how many times I've been admiring the bike from 5' away and think I see a huge nick/ding only to get closer and discover that it is either the paint scheme or some cob webs.
> 
> The paint job is basically a white base coat with black dribbled on. If I had to guess they probably loaded up a brush with black paint and immediately waved it over the bike from a few feet up. There is no pattern to it and you can see a few areas where the black was put on too heavy and it ran.
> 
> ...


To tighten the EBB, loosen the two bolts on the outside of the shell, just enough to get the ebb insert loose in the shell. Then stick a long handled allen wrench into the hole on the timing (non-drive) side of the ebb insert, through a window in the crankset/ring. Rotate the cranks forward, holding the allen key in the EBB insert, and the cranks will force the EBB to rotate forward and tension the chain. You're rotating the EBB a little off it's axis, but this method works pretty well. Once you have adequate tension on the timing chain (doesn't need to be a LOT of tension, just snug) then tighten up the pinch bolts on the BB shell evenly. They only need to be tight enough to prevent slipping, no need to go all the way to town on them..

I'll check my PM's.

Plum


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## bme107 (Jul 23, 2008)

I did exactly as you say with the EBB insert except with a long round shafted screwdriver. The shell was loose because I could wiggle the EBB insert up and down, I just couldn't get it to rotate.

I tried like hell to avoid letting the crank spider touch the screwdriver all the while muscling it and swearing up a storm. I figured there had to be a special L-shaped tool that went in the hole and ran past the BB lock ring to lever the eccentric. Turns out your method intentionally uses the spider to do this. Ha.


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## Plum (Sep 14, 2004)

bme107 said:


> I did exactly as you say with the EBB insert except with a long round shafted screwdriver. The shell was loose because I could wiggle the EBB insert up and down, I just couldn't get it to rotate.
> 
> I tried like hell to avoid letting the crank spider touch the screwdriver all the while muscling it and swearing up a storm. I figured there had to be a special L-shaped tool that went in the hole and ran past the BB lock ring to lever the eccentric. Turns out your method intentionally uses the spider to do this. Ha.


Yeah, because you're so close to the center of the EBB, there's not a lot of leverage to rotate, so using the crank spider gives you a little extra 'ass' to get it tensioned.

I've been using this method on my SS for a few years now, after reading it on MTBR somewhere else.

Plum


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## Plum (Sep 14, 2004)

A few pics of the stock Quatrefoil fork with the stock Araya wheel, mounted with a 2.35 Neo-moto. Clearance above tire is generous, maybe 3/4" or more, clearance at the widest point of the tire to the adjacent blade is ~1/4" or so, tight but manageable. 

Sorry about the picture quality, cell phone pics in the basement. I tried to lighten up the side clearance shots, but they're still crappy.

If it were me, I'd go for the 2.1's over the 2.35's in the stock fork..

JP


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## bme107 (Jul 23, 2008)

Thanks for the pictures. The 2.35 Neo is the absolute biggest I'd ever want, and it fits, so that's all I'm worried about. Local practice is to give 24hrs after a rain so the trails are rarely muddy but for only select low spots. Slogging through miles of mud is a big no no here.

Then again, this bike will be a fair weather/trails friend and mud clearance should never even come up. I'm looking for something in the 1.8"-2.0" range and possibly something with a continuous center spine since we will use it on the road and crushed gravel trails, but selection is limited in this tire category.

If I can get the Mrs. into off-roading on a regular basis it's probably time to upgrade the bike anyway.


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## muddybuddy (Jan 31, 2007)

I have one just like that. Currently rolling on 2.35s. Going through the rear brake it just barely fits with a true wheel, so 2.1s might be the best choice, at least for the rear. 

Plum -- What are you doing for a rear brake?


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## Plum (Sep 14, 2004)

muddybuddy said:


> Plum -- What are you doing for a rear brake?


Had a tab and brace added, u-brake posts removed. I can run 650b up to 2.35, 700 x 40c, and largish ( I don't have anything large to test fit) 26" wheels.

Plum


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## muddybuddy (Jan 31, 2007)

Looks good. I was thinking about doing the same thing, but I didn't want to mess up the paint.


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## Plum (Sep 14, 2004)

muddybuddy said:


> Looks good. I was thinking about doing the same thing, but I didn't want to mess up the paint.


My paint was fair, but having a frame that was updated was more important. I decided to worry about the paint later. Found a guy within 30 minutes to do a full strip and powder job on the frame and fork for $150, so it worked out well.

Plum


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## patineto (Oct 28, 2005)

By any chance do you know the diameter of the seat post..!?

Thanks.


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## moabjason (Apr 26, 2010)

*Surly,GT*

The seat post diameter should be on the seat post you may have to pull it out and clean it up to read it. This is what I did with my quartofoil. We put a surly instigator fork, front disk brake and a rabbit hole wheel and a 3.0 kanard tire. My pictures are up side down? But here it is.


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## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

With the current trend coming into 650, seems the available tires makes owning an old GT more viable.

PK


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## rcnute (Jul 31, 2006)

I have a couple old 700D GTs and am looking for a Quatrefoil if anyone knows of one for sale. Thanks!

Ryan


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