Submitted by
Gary Thompson
a Cross Country Rider
from Colfax Ca. Placer county
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2002
Strengths: The I-drive design, you can fly on DH.and climbs with positive traction.
Weaknesses: You can get some creeking, keep the I-drive clean. bike came with syncro stem, that will be changed to Thomson.
Bottom Line:
This bike is all I know, My hardtail buddys can beat me up hills but it's not because of the bike. The suspension and geometry alloys you to keep traction in the toughest technical trails. When it's time to go DH you will love the response of the I-drive, and that's where I leave my hardtail freinds behind. I will do some up grades, but it's not because the exsisting is weak. One change could be disc, but the avids keep the weight down (27lbs.). I love looking at this bike almost as much as riding it.
Bike Setup: XT, XTR,Rock Shock Judy fork, SID dual air rear,Avid sng. digital mag instead of disc and there great brakes.
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Submitted by
brandt wysocki
a Cross Country Rider
from thousand oaks
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2002
Strengths: its warranty
Weaknesses: the old frame design
Bottom Line:
wheel world stood up to the warranty more than gt, they {wheel world} handed out a bunch of warranteed frames,, and then they got the bill from pacific for all the warranteed? frames?huh? oh well I got my new gt and its all gusseted with a cnc'd machined shock mount at the seat, a gusseted head tube, and the seat mount is reinforced boxed in no holes not a taco of metal holding the seat and the shock together looks like it wont break.....
Bike Setup: hayes,xtr xt mavic azonic blah blah.....
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Submitted by
hank
a Weekend Warrior
from fort lauderdale, fl. usa
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2002
Strengths: made in usa, easton tubing, GT reputation for quality and customer service.
Weaknesses: all the strengths listed above are gone with the new owner of the GT name, Pacific.
Bottom Line:
Well after sending off my broken frame 4 months ago to GT / Pacific I finally recieved my new replacement frame, and it was not worth the wait. The new 2002 i-drive 1.0 they sent me as a replacement will soon be sold to who ever is willing to buy this turd. Other than the i-drive feature the new frames lack any of the qualities the original had. No more easton tubing, poor workmanship,(welds and paint are terrible)and the MADE IN TAIWAN sticker plastered across the head tube just finished me off. Not to mention the frame was sent back to me with no shock or shock mounting hardware which is all totally different from the previous MADE IN USA models. In addition the quality of the customer service people at Pacific is nearly as poor as the quality of their new "GT" product. So when your XCR breaks, and it will, this is what you have to look forward to.
Bike Setup: all xt & xtr, White Brothers AT-3 fork
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Submitted by
brandt wysocki
a Cross Country Rider
from thousand oaks
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2002
Strengths: the reputation not the frames
Weaknesses: the frames not the reputation
Bottom Line:
if you weigh more than 200 pounds do not but the bike. my xcr 1500 frame now hangs in my garage awaiting some hypothetical warranty, the company is now named PACGOOSHWINGT pronounced (piece of $#!+)
Similar Products Used: Tried them all, Nothing is better then i-drive
Bike Setup: Stock, Cept for the saddle, and the riser bar,, had to go monkey lite
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Submitted by
Keg Boy
a Downhiller
from Manchester, England
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2001
Strengths: i-drive,Brutal ride!!!!smooth and solid!! can't say much more!!good wheels!
Weaknesses: what the hell was that shock thing it was total dump! i broke my frame
Bottom Line:
Out of all my bikes this one rode the best!!! i say rode coz after about 5 months i went to my local DH spot, lauched down it at speed hit a berm too fast flew off smashing the bike into a big ol' tree and hitting my face against a big rock breaking my bike, nose and both my eye sockets (it hurt like hell).. so after my reconstructive surgery i built up another one!! and i can't beat it fantastic!!!
Similar Products Used: LTS, Santa cruz super-8, Orange-222
Bike Setup: upgraded front + rear mechs to XTR, whacked on a 7" Boxxer fork, Chris King headset and Robert's your mothers brother!!
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Submitted by
Greg
a
from Templestowe, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2001
Strengths: I-Drive - you've got to try it to understand how good it is
Weaknesses: Swapped them all on purchase Weight??
Bottom Line:
I thought the LTS was a pretty good bike, and I certainly didn't think that the I-Drive would be significantly better, but it is. The efficiency with which you can pedal is amazing, especially up rough climbs.
Whereas the LTS felt like it got bogged down when you pedalled hard (e.g. when you hit a root/rut uphill), you barely notice it on the I-Drive - to the point where you begin to feel the trail is smoother than it is. There is very little bump feedback through the seat/pedals which means that your cadence doesn't alter either, which is less wearing on the rider.
Downhill its great also, although the difference is less noticable here.
The only weaknesses were the Judy Race and Formula brakes which I swapped on purchase for a Psylo SL and Grimeca disks. So far these have been great also, although the fork makes annoying top-out noises.
Bike weighed in at 28/29 lbs before I put all my junk on it (toolbags, pumps, etc.) so its not too heavy given the 5" coil fork and disks - certainly you don't notice it on the trail.
Similar Products Used: Owned GT LTS2000, Proflex Beast
Bike Setup: Stock except Psylo SL forks and Grimeca disks
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Submitted by
AcunaMatada
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX.
Date Reviewed: February 13, 2001
Strengths: - Geometry - i-drive suspension design
Weaknesses: - weight - lack of sealed bearings
Bottom Line:
This bike is fun! Keep in mind you won't be the first up the hill or out sprint your buddy on his hardtail. But all day comfort and a bike that's bombproof is worth the trade off. I've considered trading mine in for a Santa Cruz Superlight, but I just can't part with it. It's been too good of a bike to me to just get rid of it to save a couple of pounds. The geometry is dialed and the suspension works, which is more than I can say for a lot of other FS models out there. Give i-drive a try if you get a chance.
Similar Products Used: Being a shop wrench, I've ridden most of the latest crop of full suspensions on troubleshooting rides in the parking lot. As far as trail time goes, the i-drive is pretty much it for me.
Bike Setup: The only thing stock is the frame, rear shock, and hubs. I bought a complete bike and then sold everything piece by piece. The current set up is a Marzocchi Z1 X-Fly fork, Mavic X317 rims, Chris King headset, Thomson stem and seatpost, XTR shifters and deraillures, Hayes hydraulic disc brakes, ODI Lock-On Grips, Avid Flak Jacket deraillure cables, THE shroud fender, SDG Comp Ti saddle, Salsa Ti QR skewers and seat clamp, Race Face Next Lp cranks with Ti self extracting crank bolts, alloy chainring bolts, and Ti inner chainring, Race Face crmo BB, and Speedplay Frog pedals. All that and it still weighs 28lbs.
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Submitted by
Richard Greer
a Weekend Warrior
from Buena Park, Ca USA
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2001
Strengths: All around awesome ride...Plush x's 10! This bike will keep you on the trail at all times!
Weaknesses: Whatever they are...fix them and you will never look back!
Bottom Line:
I loved my xcr-2000....wanted to build a lighter bike though. After completion, it weighed in at 26.3lbs. My 2000 felt a little more secure on the fast downhills because of the Marzzochi QR20 30mm tubes. That is why I put a SID 100 on this one...I wanted the same travel but a lighter weight. I am sure I will get used to the less stiff front end in time. The XTR ceramic padded brakes are bomb stoppers. I know the xcr1500 is spec'd with discs, but I am here in sunny California! The i-drive technology is what they say. My rear tire stays stuck! This bike climbs a bit better than my near 30lb 2000 and that is what I was after. Mine is a large with the ball burnished/red. Also went Chris King headset.This is one happy GT owner!
Similar Products Used: Diamondback ascent, '99 xcr-2000
Bike Setup: Bought frame w/SID rear,X-Max Mavics,SID100,Mag stem,Easton post and carbon bars,XTR except XT splined crank,Koobi Zenon,Panaracer XC's,Ti team SP pedals...
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Submitted by
offroader
a Cross Country Rider
from northeat pa.
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2001
Strengths: I-Drive is the Cats meow....if you have never ridden a GT with an I-Drive You are really missing the boat. Also form evelution disc once dialed in are a GREAT disc Brake.
Weaknesses: hmmm, weakness, well I still can't figure why they have an lx crank on it when the 2000 has and xt...for the money it should be all xtr. not real crazy for the syncros headset but so far its ok. Pedals had to go,,,time pedal upgrade. rear derailer is xtr but front is xt,,,,,get the xtr.
Bottom Line:
Well lets see......the I-Drive is it,,,thats all there is to it,,,if you have never ridden a I drive system then you have no idea what it feels like, so my advice,,rent one and see for yourself. This bike does it all for me, the more technical the better ,,I fly over rock beds and through all the tech. stuuf with ease,,,and the climbs are even better, what i can't understatnd is why the 1000 has a lockout,,if u understand the idrive and basic physics there is never a need for the lockout. anyway its about 27 pounds, a little heavy for racing, but i don't race often anyway....bottom line This bike is virtually mistake proof through technical sections. oh, that stuff about the dogbone being weak,,,,I'm not sure but i have never seen any of my friends that have problems.
Bike Setup: judy race fork....so-so.....rear sid --I ilike it--- form evelutn discs, these r great once u dial them it----evrything was stock except the front derailer.
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Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Virginia
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2000
Strengths: Plush active suspension that doesn't rob much power climbing. Decent spec for the price.
Weaknesses: seat post clamp broke after 6 mos, several friends have bent the seat mast web where the upper shock mount bolts in.
Bottom Line:
Nice bike, beautiful ride. Put it in a stand and move the suspension through its travel a couple of times. It's amazing that anyone thought of that. I have been completely satisfied with the quality and quantity of the travel. On rocky trails it's like riding a couch.
Has a few reliability problems. At least three people I know have bent the seat mast support that is used to secure the upper shock mount. I am 220 and ride pretty hard so I am probably outside the envelope for which the bike was designed and tested, but I broke the seat clamp off the bike at about month #5 (the post was all the way in).
It's hard to get over the ride, however. My wife loves her XCR and it has made her much faster on the downhills. I love it too, but don't want to hurt the one I love any more. I'm getting an Intense. I doubt I can break that.
Bike Setup: Marzocchi and Raceface with a little hayes on the side.
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Submitted by
RangerJay
a Cross Country Rider
from Trabuco Canyon
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2000
Strengths: Comfortable uphill and downhill
Weaknesses: Flimsy fork
Bottom Line:
I-drive really gets traction when climbing. You can feel the suspension move, which fools some people into thinking it's not a good climber. But a suspension must move to keep a wheel on the ground. Those who think a lockout is a good solution don't understand physics. This is simply an ultra plush bike that climbs incredibly well and is super comfortable on the downhills. It's too heavy to race, but that's not the idea here. The Judy Race front fork is the weak spot. It's flimsy in the turns and will be the first thing I replace The Formula disk brakes took some sorting. For a while they were a headache prevent them from locking up when overheating. But after some patience, now they're simply awesome. I suspect the problems getting them right are the reason GT is going to Hayes for '01.
Submitted by
Tommy R.
a Cross Country Rider
from Hickory, NC
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2000
Strengths: Plush, disc brakes standard, great wheels, no bobbing
Weaknesses: weight, Rock Shox fork, weight, lightweight tubes, weight.
Bottom Line:
First, to clarify- no one who has posted on this bike previously seems to be talking about the right model- this is the 1500, same frame as the 1000 but with Formula disc brakes and LX cranks instead of XT (had to save money somewhere, I guess). People who review bikes need to make sure they know exactly which model they are talking about. Anyhow, this bike is great so far- I gained some weight with the Z-1 fork but I no longer trust Rock Shox forks after owning a Judy two years ago. The SID rear shock is good so far, almost coil-spring plush, and very adjustable. BTW, my number-one bi#@h about bike companies is how they put ultralite tubes in the tires of high-end bikes to make them lighter on the showroom floor. I have NEVER had a lightweight rear tube last for an entire ride (I only weigh 170, but do ride very hard). Back to the bike, the Formula disc brakes are great so far, can't comment on reliability yet. I-drive does eliminate many of the drawbacks of long-travel suspension in my opinion. I may upgrade the rear shock to a Fox coil-over (offered aftermarket by GT) when I try downhill racing later this year. 4 Chilis for value (it's d$@n expensive) but 5 for overall- so far. Anyone who prizes descending ability will love the travel and brakes, but XC racer types will not be able to get this bike light enough for their tastes without serious cash outlay. Mine weighs 29 lbs. after modifications. I will update this later, after a few months of punishing the rig.
Bike Setup: standard except for- Marzocchi Z-1 BAM fork, azonic shorty stem, titec titanium riser bars, XT cranks & BB, Time ATAC pedals
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Submitted by
Brian Olsen
a Cross Country Rider
from China Camp, California
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2000
Strengths: Smooth, solid, & confident FS ride while the buyer has many options to enhance this factory speced bike.
Weaknesses: Noisy drivetrain at 1st but after learning more about the IDRIVE quarks and practicing patience with any new bike...this system rules!
Bottom Line:
The XCR line is a sweet design however all models require simple upgrades to meet my expectations. Shave weight where you can and a good bottom bracket (BB) will help this cause plus...do not forget the teflon tape when installing the BB. RIDE YOUR BIKE!
