The Zaskar was first introduced by GT Bicycles in 1991.

The Zaskar quickly became one of GT Bicycles’ most successful models, thanks to its lightweight frame, aggressive geometry, and responsive handling. The Zaskar was popular with both recreational and competitive riders, and it helped to establish GT Bicycles as a leading brand in the mountain biking world. With out the development of the Zaskar future models like the RTS, Team Trials, LTS, LOBO, DHI and Ruckus may not of been so successful. The Zaskar quickly earned its name as the “King of Hardtails” soon after its release with riders like Dave Wonderly, Hans Rey, Mike King, Steve Peat, Alison Dunlap and Brain Lopes wining all disciplines on the Zaskar.

As GT Bicycles continued to evolve its product line in the years following the introduction of the Zaskar, the company did begin to develop new suspension platforms that were intended to improve the performance of its bikes. These platforms included the LTS (Linkage Tuned Suspension) system, which was first introduced in 1995, and the i-Drive system, which debuted in 1999.

The Zaskar directly influenced the development of the above suspension platforms and help to establish GT Bicycles as a brand that was focused on innovation, performance, and cutting-edge design. This reputation helped to pave the way for the development of new suspension platforms that would go on to define the next era of GT Bicycles’ product line.

The GT Zaskar is one of the most iconic mountain bikes of all time, and it had a significant impact on the sport of mountain biking in the 1990s. While the Zaskar was primarily designed as a hardtail mountain bike, it was used by riders across a range of disciplines from trials, cross country, dual slalom and downhill and it achieved success in a variety of different events.

In particular, the Zaskar was widely regarded as a top-performing bike in cross-country racing, which is a discipline that emphasises speed, endurance, and technical skill. In the mid-1990s, a number of high-profile riders were able to achieve success on the Zaskar in cross-country events, including:

• Alison Sydor: Canadian mountain biker Alison Sydor won the UCI Cross-Country World Championship in 1994 riding a GT Zaskar. She also won the UCI World Cup overall title in cross-country that same year.
• Thomas Frischknecht: Swiss mountain biker Thomas Frischknecht achieved numerous podium finishes in cross-country events riding a GT Zaskar in the mid-1990s.
• Julien Absalon: French mountain biker Julien Absalon won the UCI Cross-Country World Championship in 2004 riding a GT Zaskar.

In the early 1990s, Hans Rey rode a GT Zaskar to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, which is the highest mountain in Africa.

Brian Lopes rode a GT Zaskar to a number of downhill race wins, including several national championships 

Overall, the GT Zaskar was a highly versatile and successful bike that was able to compete at the highest levels of mountain bike racing across a range of different disciplines. Its lightweight frame, responsive handling, and aggressive geometry made it a favourite of many riders, and it helped to establish GT Bicycles as one of the leading brands in the sport of mountain biking.