Submitted by
turbo
a Weekend Warrior
from whittier, CA
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2009
Strengths: durable, tough
Weaknesses: original chain
Bottom Line:
bought in june 2002 as my first adult bike to start hobby while attempting to get in shape. have rode bike approx. 24 miles (my longest trip) this bike has never failed me after replacing original chain and upgrading tires with puncture proof road tires. Love this bike. looking to buy my wife a GT mountain bike
Bike Setup: replaced original tires with armadillo road tires
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Submitted by
Kyle Dowdy
a Cross Country Rider
from Abilene, Texas 79606
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2006
Strengths: Durability! Oh man i have fallen off of massive drops crashed into trees and more over i have put it thought hell...and yeah she's still as good as ever.
Weaknesses: Front shocks, i still need to replace these bad boys.... they were okay in the begining but the moment i need them to come through it was as if i didnt have any at all.
Bottom Line:
I got the bike for the desire to start a new hobby and reccomend it for just that. its proved itself from my beginer - advanced riding...i am wanting to purchase a new bike, but i cant seem to stop wanting to Riding the one i've Got. beautiful, sturdy, and just plain fun.
Submitted by
Jeffo
a Weekend Warrior
from Cleveland, OH, USA
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2004
Strengths: Way solid frame; good price for the beginner; upgradable
Weaknesses: Stock components are low quality, but of course, the price is low. Derailuer hanger can cause trouble.
Bottom Line:
Growing up in the 80's, GT was the standard in BMX. This bike feels a lot like those rigs. I bought mine new in '01 and over the years have replaced everything except the frame itself. The frame has proven to be able to take relentless abuse -- and I really beat the hell out of this thing, sometimes even intentionally (until I started getting more serious about the sport and my subsequent bikes cost a lot more). I still keep this ride around as a spare/backup, and I still love it a lot, even with it's dents and marks. Through the abuse, the frame remains straight. The only real issue (excluding cheap components of the original configuration) is the suspect derail hanger. This has been known to bend and produce unreliable shifting, but it's been cool for the last couple years w/o replacement. With technologies progressing w/re: to materials, I'm considering replacing this frame with something lighter, but I'll still hang onto it as a parts mule at least.
This is a great bike. I'm mainly a roadie and have very expensive road bikes compared to the cost of the GT. I have not changed one thing on this bike and it handles everything I dish out. Huge nobby tires are great on the trail and the frame is indestructible, but it is also comfortable on the road. I would take this bike anywhere!
Submitted by
Ross Neilson
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2003
Strengths: Great frame, unbelievable balance and handling. Light and the polished aluminum is better than paint.
Weaknesses: Horrible rims, low end components. Stock fork sucks.
Bottom Line:
This was my first bike, and I had no idea if I would like the sport. The price was right, and the guy told me that it was an amazing frame and I could upgrade if I got into it. He was right. I've riden many other XC bikes, and none have the feel and balance of this frame. I bought another bike (a Norco) for downhilling, but for the trails I love this bike. You'll need to upgrade the rims right away, but the rest of the components should last a few months. A fork upgrade is a must as the Rock Shock Jett that mine came with was more like a crappy pogo stick.
Similar Products Used: Low end specialized or giant.
Bike Setup: XT drivetrain, stock brakes, but upgraded pads and cables (XT V brake in rear and Hayes disk up front next upgrade). Mavic 517 rim up front and 519 in the back. Michelin Wildgripper in back, Hutchinson on the rocks up front. Fork upgraded to Marzocchi MX Comp with ETA (kick ass fork!)
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Submitted by
A.
a Cross Country Rider
from Timmins, ON Canada
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2003
Strengths: Cool frame, ball burnished aluminum, kickass geometry. nice upgrade bike. looks sweet. best bike for the money in 2001.
Weaknesses: stock rock shox jett's, sucky front deraileur. weak rims. pro max breaks are pro junk.
Bottom Line:
bought this bike cuz it was the best i could afford. plus, ball burnished frame doesn't look like crap like a chipped paint frame.
flow down a rocky mountain at 50 km/hr. jetts bottomed out pretty much whole way, blew out rear Tioga Factory XC tire. replaced with Intense comp 60 (heavy!).
went over bars on a single track, rear rime taco'd. replaced with rhyno lite (never out of true!). same wipe out bent deore rear deraileur. replaced with XT. same time replaced weak pro max brakes with deore.
replaced intense and tioga tires with wtb velociraptors. very nice tires.
i think it got heavier after i changed the rims and tires. no matter, the bike kicks ass, and it's way better than the new aggressors. bought it to upgrade, which i did. now i have a $1500+ bike. could have bought a new bike, but didn't. plus, i got the only one in town!
Weaknesses: Components suck, When the Judy TT's got to me they were broken, what else can I say?
Bottom Line:
Great bike that's easy to upgrade and very light, all my friends gripe about how heavy their bikes are because they're cromoly. I just laugh. I got the bike for a great price, but because Supergo sucks I couldn't ride it for like 3 months. They sent me broken forks and then gave me the runaround. I'm still waiting for some parts. I went on ahead and finished it with my own money.
I'm 6'2" and about 160 so I ride a large frame which is great. It's never really that cumbersome and it's still way lighter than my friends small Gary Fisher. Make sure to have a little extra cash layin around all the time because the rims suck and are either gonna have to be worked on all the time or replaced. I've raced this thing in downhill though (with the stock rims) and it held up til the day was over with minimal breakage. This is a bike that I would recommend to most riders that do around town riding to do errands, occasionally race it, and aren't crazy people that jump off of like 50' drops. Buy it, ride it, have fun.
Similar Products Used: Very old Specialized Rockhopper
Bike Setup: Aheadset, stock front rim, back is new don't remember what kind (old one cratered), 02 Psylo SL's, Specialized grips, XTR cassette, Alivio crank, some sort of shimano brakes, Bontrager Revolt SS tires
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Submitted by
"Big" Al
a Weekend Warrior
from Bisbee, AZ
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2003
Strengths: Triple Triangle It's a GT Awesome geometry Featery light frame Very stiff, yet incredibly agile Well Balanced Easy to toss $500 Ball Burnished Finish (paint=useless weight, aluminum don't rust)
Weaknesses: Low end components Rims Judy TT Aformentioned agility can be called instabilty if you like a locked in feel (personally I love this aspect but some may consider it a weakness)
Bottom Line:
This is the best frame geometry I've found yet, and it's light, tuff, and aluminium. It feels like a grown up BMX GT. I didn't even attempt to ride te stock rims, and the shop where I bought took $85 off the price and built me a set of Rhino Lites so I rode out the door for $500+ tax. Great price, but I would like to see it equipped with a better front fork than the Judy TT. The Judy held up for 6 months with no maintenance, no problems, but it's not dampened and has a lot of flex. I've got a Marzocchi Z2 Atom80 coming in the mail this week so that should be a dramatic improvement over the Judy.
Overall this is a bike that a beginner could buy and be happy with, and would become obsolete before the frame is outgrown. As for the components I'd like to see a better set as well as a better fork on such a capable platform and I'd be willing to pay the price for them. I haven't tested the warranty yet but I have friends who have snapped 2+ year old GT frames riding extremely hard and they've gotten updated units back with a quick turnaround for just the cost of shipping. I ride XC, downhill, urba, and trials with my GT and I consider it an all in one, go anywhere do anything hardtail and I wouldn't trade it for anything that wasn't titanium.
I am a big guy, at 275 lbs and 6' and I beat the livin poop outta this thing and it just keeps on going, uphill, downhill, jumps, down stairs, small drops up to 3' so far (i've been scared to drop big with the Judy fork) and a lot of pogo-geeking all over everywhere. It's an extremely small frame for a dude my size but for my riding technique it is perfect and with a smaller frame you increase stiffness and strength while at the same time saving weight, double bonus!
10 chilis for value if I could, and 4 for Overall, only because of the low end components and fork are not up to the level needed to make this frame "shine".
Similar Products Used: '99 giant 640, early 90's GT Hybrid
Bike Setup: '01 small (13") stock componenets, Odessey Triple Trap platforms, Rhino Lites, Coming soon: Zoke Z2 Atom Bomber 80
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Submitted by
Robert
a Weekend Warrior
from Fargo, ND, USA
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2002
Strengths: good, stable frame, decent components
Weaknesses: rims suck, seatpost bends
Bottom Line:
decent bike for your money. I've done 5.5 ft drops and been fine w/ the tt fork, but the suntour crank and rims will die on you in the first 3 months, with hard riding, otherwise a great bike for mild riding
Bike Setup: stock frame, fork, bars, headset, stem, hubs, xt tranny, rhyno lites, a norco tire that somehow became impossible to remove, xt shifters, kalloy seatpost, specialized telluride seat
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Submitted by
MIKE GRABOWSKI
a Cross Country Rider
from TOLEDO OHIO, U.S.
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2002
Strengths: I AM A BEGINNER. RIDES WELL. SHIFTS WELL STOPS WELL .
Weaknesses: I THINK THE FRONT DERAILER ISNT VERY GOOD YOU HAVE TO ADJUST IT SO IT DOESNT HIT THE CHAIN FOR ALL 3 FRONT GEARS. THE RIMS SEEM TO FLEX
Bottom Line:
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD BEGINNER BIKE. I PROBLEY WONT DO MUCH TRAIL RIDING, THERE ISNT MUCH AROUND HERE. I BOUGHT IT FOR EXCERSIZE AND TO TAKE MY KIDS FOR RIDES. I GOT THIS BIKE FOR ABOUT $280 OFF ORIGINAL PRICE.
Bike Setup: XT Drivetrain, LX V-brakes and levers.Mavric X517 rims with XT hubs.
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Submitted by
JAKE
a Cross Country Rider
from PENNSYLVANIA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2002
Strengths: THE GT FRAME IS LEGENDARY. PERFECT BALANCE AND CONTROL. GREAT BIKE TO START SMALL AND UPGRADE AND CUSTOMIZE.
Weaknesses: OVERALL, LOW-END COMPONENTS, AND I'LL CHIP IN WITH THE RIMS ARE PLYABLE-THAT'S A BAD THING. BUT FOR $400, DEAL WITH IT.
Bottom Line:
FOR A HARDTAIL- IT CAN HANDLE IT'S SHARE OF THE TRAIL. I MAY GET A FS, BUT THE AGGRESSOR IS ONE BIKE THAT I WILL NEVER GIVE UP. GT LIVES. STOCK COMPONENTS HOLD IT BACK FROM RECEIVING 5/5
Similar Products Used: OLD STUMPJUMPER, TEQUESTA STIFFIE CROMO
Bike Setup: PANARACERS, TOOTHFAIRY, T.H.E. FENDER, ROCKSHOX SEATPOST, BOMBER MXC FORK, NEW WHEELSET IS NEXT(CAN'T BE TRUE)
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Submitted by
matt colosino
a Weekend Warrior
from new orleans, la, usa
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2002
Strengths: great, light frame. strong frame for build-ups. holds well in dirt, moderate single track and climbing. bike is solid and fun to ride. have not encountered the rim dificulty due to custom mavic setup.
Weaknesses: stock derailuer setups are weak, stock judy fork is weak.
Bottom Line:
i will upgrade fork as needed(soon). i got lucky on the price, i found a custom build that was never paid for and got it cheap. stock derailuers needed to be upgraded anyway and other extras make this bike a winner for any price under $800. love this bike and would not give it up for the world. great investment for the $$.
Similar Products Used: specialized rock hopper, stump jumper.
Bike Setup: custom build from shop...xt F/R, leavers, brakes, hubs and crankset. mavic F519 rims and specialized more extreme kevlar tires. barends and flightdeck comp.
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Submitted by
Clay Pittman
a Racer
from canyon texas
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2002
Strengths: good strong frame, good for upgrades, awsome beginers bike
Weaknesses: wtb rims and ront tire lack of availibility of derailer hangers
Bottom Line:
i got this bike simply becous of the realy low price....it has turned out to be a verry good bike i started racing on it and have put a lot of upgrades i would recomend these to any one.....plus you can now get new derailer hangers on line at http://www.betd.co.uk
Bike Setup: duke xc fork xt drivetrain shimano disk seli italia seat 545 pedals
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Submitted by
Paul Whitten
a Weekend Warrior
from IRELAND
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2002
Strengths: Frame is good and strong,and the perfect base for upgrades
Weaknesses: The wheels bent in no time at all
Bottom Line:
Change the wheels ...then mybe upgrade the forks ,then put on disk brakes...and you will have a nice medium bike .. When i use to race bmx I rode GT so my first mountain bike was a gt and im very happy....a good first time bike for the price...Ive GAVE IT THE DEATH OFF ROAD AND ONLY THE WHEELS HAVE BENT....OK
I posted [URL=http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=108842]this[/URL] question at the shox forum. Pehaps someone from GT owners had a similar experience? Thanks. Read More »
