Submitted by
John Shields
a Cross Country Rider
from Drake, CO
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2004
Strengths: Color! Flat Black is just cool. Super stiff frame which is great for my 200+ lbs. Steering geometry is the best of any bike. It sticks to lines and doesn't push in corners on decents. For tall riders this bike is THE solution!
Weaknesses: LX cranks and components when bought new. mine came with some decent components as well though that I'm still riding on: RockShox seatpost, Selle San marco leather/titanium saddle, WTB hubs/wheels are decent.
Got the frame used, with Thomson seatpost, XT front derailler, bottom bracket and Ritchey headset. The frame is stiff like hell - straight chainstays, Easton tubing and GT Triple Triangle do the job. It climbs, accelerates like jetplane, people who try it ask "why it jumps as I push the pedal?", makes me laugh :)
This may get annoying though if you have to descend stairs in the city or ride some bad asphalt road, you gotta work your legs to avoid breaking your ass into pieces, though its very subtle and depends on riding style.
Have no idea how to decide value rating, for you can hardly find any of these frames or bikes in the shops nowdays.
Similar Products Used: Simple aluminium RockMachine frame with too crappy components to compare it in any way with Zaskar X frame.
Bike Setup: Marzocchi Z2 atom 80, LX/XT drivetrain, LX/Alexrims wheels with Avid ArchRival brakes, now Kore Hoochie/Mavic wheels with Hope Mini/M4 brakes.
Strengths: I dont know what to say. This bike was one of the last decent framesets pumped out by the now crappy GT. Although the stock bike is a P.O.S., If you build it up with the best you will have one sweet arse freeride hardtail. I ride a lot of XC as well as some freeriding and this frame does everything while looking awesome and with wieght to spare. As far As i can say nothng compares.
Weaknesses: None other than that i have customized my frame by adding a clear coat over new decals as another reviewer said to do and adding a jump stop to stop my chain from chewing up my bottom bracket shell. I also added a new seat clamp QR. It is now officially bad @ss
Bottom Line:
Buy it and build it without compromise, you will be very happy
Purchased At: SBC canada for frame and online mailorder sites for components
Similar Products Used: old crappy things
Bike Setup: This frame Fox Forx Vanilla '03 R XT derailleurs, chain, shifters, and cassette Truvativ stylo team cranks and team DH BB Mavic F219 rims laced with 14 G spokes to '03 XT disc hubs Panaracer black fire XC pro tires Thomson stem and seatpost (amazing) Answer Protaper low rise bars XT hydraulic disk brakes Chris King headset Selle italia seat Dimesions skewers Avid flak jacket shift cables ODI ruffian lock on grips Lizard skin bits
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Value Rating:
Submitted by
Michelle
a Weekend Warrior
from Avon Lake, OH USA
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2003
Strengths: BAD-ASS BLACK, welds, legendary Zaskar frame, non integrated headset,geometry,under the toptube cable routing,RARE
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
This bike is replacing the Raleigh '01 M80(GOLDY)-she was a good steed however geometry just wasn't agressive enough-transferring all components except front fork which was a Manitou Magnum. This bike should ROCK - look stealthy - and weigh less. Female rider 120-125lbs., hence the LX components which are perfect. Also, $350.00 for this new frameset is a steal!
Bike Setup: size small,LX splined crankset,LX hubs&derailleurs stronger crumpet in rear der.,Ritchey Rock rims in silver,'99 'Zokes Z2 BAM 80 in silver,15x90 silver Thomson stem,silver susp. seatpost,natural finish alum. flat bar & bar ends,SRAM Plasma 9spd. gripshift,Avid ultimate levers silver clamp purple levers,Avid ultimate brakes,Pink Chris King headset,Selle Italia Ldy Trans Am seat,Continental Twister Pro Dual compound tires,Serfas clear grips w/silver metal flake.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
A.C.
a Cross Country Rider
from rochester
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2003
Strengths: frame is awesome in the first place Tip; if you hate the way GT left out the clear coating finish to give the matte balck color and the stickers are starting to look bad, go buy some automotive clearcoat paint and tape around the two small GT stickers on the top tube as well as the one on the headtube - then paint it
voila! now you have durable clear coated decals
rip off all the other stickers!
It looks much better this way!
Weaknesses: only have frame so nothing wrong but full bike specs look quite horrible
Bottom Line:
buy frame and build yourself. you will save a lot, learn about the bike, and have a silent bad ass machine!
Bike Setup: Zaskar 'x' matte frame marzocchi 02 EXR coil 100 (also with custom clear coat) XT drive Avid mechs mavic 223's on XT selle italia gel flite easton components
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
kirbert
a Weekend Warrior
from minnesota
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2002
Strengths: build custom
Weaknesses: finish is kind of cheap but has to be for the color
Bottom Line:
built mine custom, suggest the same to all marzocchi rules manitou sucks avid rules bad a$$ black all the way this machine flies down any trail on lutsen and climbs noticably better than my old c,dale absolutely love it
Strengths: This frame is absolutly the shiznit when it comes to looks.
stiff
responsive
nice geometry
light
strong!
cable routing that makes sense(my old cannondale had under the bb and over the top tube routing WTF!!!!!!)
Weaknesses: Gt is now owned by huffy, have heard it's getting harder for them to honer thier warranty because frames are not produced any mor
Bottom Line:
If you buy the complete bike you will have to do some serious upgrading fraom the stock gt parts and the formula brakes. I built mine from the frame up and am very pleased with total price( the secret is supergo.com and pricepoint.com)
Similar Products Used: upgraded cannondale f400 cad2 afterburner fade
Bike Setup: Gt zaskar x frame Hayes Hmx-1 Mech Discs(pads last longer than the avids, otherwise the same) Manitou 01 x-vert lx shifter/levers xt rear derailluer lx front derailluer irc kevlar tires mavic 223s on xt disc hubs tange sealed aheadset(as good as a king, sealed,and only $80 easton components xt bb on and on.........................
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Submitted by
J WGG
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2002
Strengths: Sexy frame, forgiving fork, excellent shifters, decent wheelset, trail gripping tires, and all around stealthy ride.
Weaknesses: Headset, stem, handlebar, crank, formula brakes,XT FD and cassette, and Ritchey Comp V2. pedals...
Bottom Line:
Out of the box...decent ride. Small gradual upgrades makes this ride even sweeter. Good looking bike that climbs the hills with ease and controls the corners with grace. I bought it at a discounted price and invested the savings into top of the line after-market upgrades. Still maintaining the BAD ASS BLACK ATTIDUE with the upgrades. It is a shame the GT is no longer one of the premiere bike companies around. They built a good one in the Zaskar X. Caio GT...
Similar Products Used: Trek 9.8/Zaskar Team 2001/Trek 8500?Klein/Titus
Bike Setup: Full XTR, Thomson Stem, Race Face Next LP crankset (BACK IN BLACK), RF handlebar w/ Cane Creek Ergo Bar-ends, Hayes Disc Brakes, and shimano 959's.
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Submitted by
Mikhail
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2002
Strengths: Very strong, Very Light, Very good looking... Very practical.
Weaknesses: Stupid intentation on seat clamp area of frame. GT QR's just don't have enough clamping force when used with a solid post. Took a while to get a suitable bolt on seat clamp.
Bottom Line:
Despite the fact that i've only had the bike for a short time, it has been ridden all day, and nearly everyday since i've owned it.
It seems that alot of the bad reviews about this bike, are the ones from those who have bought the entire package from GT. This build kit is obviously bad. Advice: Buy the frame and build your own toy. Mine is so silent, all you hear is the tyres hum from the wind!
Similar Products Used: Giant ATX-870,-890,-980,-990, GT Avalanche-2.0,-1.0, Zaskar Race, Zaskar X
Bike Setup: RS SID SL, RaceFace SYStem, RF XY post, RF Next LP ISIS, Shimano XTR drive, Hope/DT/Veocity wheelset, Hope XC4 brakeset, Azonic D.W Riser Bars, King Ti Headset.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Mike Sacklyn
a Weekend Warrior
from Kennesaw,Ga.
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2001
Strengths: See previous review
Weaknesses: Squeaky seat tube
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up review to my frist one almost a year ago and it is for all of those fellow "x" owners. About four months ago I had issues with the formula disc brake levers going soft under load and to make a long story short, GT replaced them under warranty with Avid's cable actuated disc brakes. I could't be happier with the results. They are a breeze to set up and no bleed/air/noise/vibration/stopping problems. If you still have the original brakes, ride them til they fall off! As far as the squeaky seat tube is concerned, a thin film of automotive brake quiet grease (ie:lithium) on the seatpost and in the frame(and a tight quick release seat clamp) did the trick for me. I am a 210 pound rider who rides hard 3 times a week and have yet to bust the frame. I am still very satisfied with this bike after a year of hard use. With the exception of the brakes and the seatpost, the bike still has all of it's original equipment. If any other zaskar owners have any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me. I'd like to hear from other owners.
Bike Setup: New Avid cable actuated disc brakes. Thompson elite seatpost 410mm version.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
JAmie
a Cross Country Rider
from CAlgary Alberta Canada
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2001
Strengths: Nice ride, handles well on technical decents
Weaknesses: I find that when i pump my tires up to about 50psi, the head tube creaks. Also im not a big fan of the decals.
Bottom Line:
I actually got this frame as a warranty, because I cracked my old Zakar, it looks like i cracked it just in time because of GT going bankrupt. I was extremely pleased to get this new frame epecially because I had bought my last bike second hand.
Anyways i dont seem to have any problems with the bike, nothing on it is stock, the only thing that bothers me is the little bit of creaking i get when my tire pressure is high. Other than that I really like the feel of it.
Bike Setup: Full XT, judy race, mavic 517, kore, azonic.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Steve Scates
a Cross Country Rider
from Poway, CA
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2001
Strengths: Very strong frame with good componets. Brakes work excellent. Great frame for taller riders.
Weaknesses: GT has replaced this frame once. More later... Brakes do squeak a little. Keep them clean and this stops. Of course dust is enough to get them sqeaking.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a great ride. I like climbing and descending. This bike does both well. Now about that cracked frame. After 3 rides, the down tube started creaking. I couldn't find the cause specifically. I took it back to the shop. They said the frame was cracked where the triple triangle comes together. GT said they didn't have any replacement frames, as they were the last of the USA made Zaskars. They offered a Zaskar Race frame, but said it was on a boat from China. I didn't want a Race frame as they are lighter than the X. I don't jump this bike, but I certainly don't need a light weight Race frame with a one year warranty. There's a reason there's only a one year warranty. Anyway, Action Cyclery in San Diego found a new Zaskar X frame at Cambria and convinced GT to give me enough credit to by from Cambria. Sean at Action worked all of this out. I got the new frame after Sean swapped all of the parts. After 3 rides, same noise. Wow! Inside the down tube just below the seat insert is a nub sticking out. If your seat post is lubed pretty well it won't make noise for a few rides. So, there never was a cracked frame. Oh well, since I have figured this out, I'm not going to call GT again. The bike works great now. As a side note, the gentleman at GT said that he wouldn't even ride the Zaskar Race frame that they offered me. That's how light weight it is. Disposable bikes! I hope this bike lasts 10 years. I guess GT is bankrupt. Quit your complaining about the squeaky brakes and go ride.
Bike Setup: Took off riser bars. Put a flat bar with bar ends. Climbs and descends much better. Everything else is stock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Jody
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington DC
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2001
Strengths: color,light,climbs well.
Weaknesses: Frame creaks after only 20 rides. No one, including GT's rep knows why. Also bent the chainring after six months. Previously had a stumpjumper for six years with no problems. GT filed for bankruptcy and is not honoring their warantee. Formula brakes squeal like a stuck pig and their is no resolution for it.
Bottom Line:
Don't buy this bike if your are into peaceful rides and like to see wildlife when out in the woods. Everyone knows your coming a mile away. GT has been horrid at honoring the warantee. I will never buy another GT product again. It's not set up for technical single track riding. It doesn't hold up for this type of abuse. That's why GT only waranteed this frame for one year. I was very excited when I first got this bike, but after only 20 hard rides their has been way to many problems that I'm still paying for because GT will not honor the warantee.
This bike can be punsihed on a daily basis.....whether cross country riding or downhill, this bad-ass goes and goes...great responsive handling on technical trails...out climbs, and holds its own on downhill......light and with an attitude!!!!!! This is a great ride for those of us seeking the harder line in life.....
Submitted by
ath
a Cross Country Rider
from boulder, co, usa
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2001
Strengths: I was stoked to finally have a light racing bike. It was quick in the turns and climbed extremely well.
Weaknesses: Weak. At least mine was. After only two months of riding, I broke the frame through the top tube and inch in front of the intersection with the seat tube. Lemon frame? We will see as I understand that the Zaskar Race that they are replacing it with is only warrantied for 1 year.
Bottom Line:
I was extremely pleased before I looked down and saw that damn crack. Buyer beware.
I need a bottom bracket for a 2000 Zaskar X frame that I just got. Any idea on what size to get for it. Is it 68x113?? I am connecting my old Race Face Next cranks to it which a Read More »
