Submitted by
volvo100
a Cross Country Rider
from United Kingdom Date Reviewed: June 18, 2010
Favorite Trail:
Lonesome Pine Trail, Kielder Forest
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Halfords
Strengths:
Cheap to buy, great bike on a budget...Great frame to build on. Standard parts are rubbish..
Weaknesses:
Paint rubs and chips to easy
Bike Setup:
Standard parts on this bike are really built to a budget so i have replaced everything so far apart from the wheels but new ones coming soon(Mavic Crossrides)...I'm running Deore lx front and rear mechs, Deore lx cranks, XT shifters and brake levers, Truvativ Team Stylo stem and Truvaitv Husslefelt bars, Rockshox Recon SL forks, Avid BB5 front and rear disc brakes, RaceFace Evolve Seatpost and WTB Laser V Saddle.
Bottom Line:
This bike for a first proper mountain bike is a great choice. Standard parts are poor and will need replacing as i have done but the frame is Strong and reasonably light. Mine now feels like a much more expensive bike and to buy a bike with the parts i have on mine you'd have to pay around £800-£900.
I use this bike on mostly XC trails but i like the odd drop off now and again and this bike copes excellently
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jubbs
a Cross Country Rider
from Scotland Date Reviewed: March 4, 2010
Favorite Trail:
Stoney Mullen
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Evans Cycles. Glasgo
Strengths:
Can be good value for money if you're going to be cycling some easier trails.
Good for those who are new to mountain biking and wanting to get some practice and build their skills/confidence.
Weaknesses:
Not suitable for much more than the easier trails! Cheap parts suffer from regular use.
The forks bottom out quite easily and are now starting to jam.
Real wheel buckled without me ever noticing any big hits
Brake pads wear away easily
Similar Products Used:
I've only ridden friend's bike that are valued in the thousands so perhaps not a fair comparison!!
Bottom Line:
I used it for cycling to work every so often. 14 mile roundtrip consisting of regular roads,dirt tracks and farm roads, some hill climbs/descents over loose stones small rocks etc. No jumps or drop offs.
I wanted a cheap mountain bike and found this to be a good entry level bike. I enjoyed riding the bike but it really was on it's limit on the route I used it and I was limited by how hard I could push it. After about 10 trips (so 140 miles) many of parts needed replacing as I mentioned above. I probably pushed it too hard but if you're after a bike to use off road without ever really wanting to do anything more than beginner level routes then this would be a decent bike to start off with. I grew with confidence and wanted to move onto trying more challenging routes-so an upgrade is needed!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ZA
a Cross Country Rider
from South Alabama Date Reviewed: February 1, 2010
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Boca Raton, FL
Strengths:
Great Frame. Classic GT 4130 CrMo, tig welded. Fairly light, very strong, easy to ride.
Weaknesses:
Mid level to low level components. Shocks were crap, heavy, crappy rims. Paint scratches off too easily.
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher, Trek, Giant
Bike Setup:
I bought this bike in 1995 and had ridden the piss out of it up until the forks separated on me. There was a recall on these so after I contacted Pacific Bike via the Govt recall website several time I was sent a new fork. The fork I received was a non-threaded Suntour Xfork so I had to change out my brakes to Tektro V-brakes, Kool-Stops, and went ahead and upgraded to an 8 spd rear with Shimano Alivio shifters and Shimano Deore rear derailliuer, new head set and stem, with some Richey Lite handlebars. The only thing that is original besides the frame is the cranks and seat post. Oh yeah, a new saddle too as the original on was bent badly.
Bottom Line:
I got the bike new in 1995 when it was new and GT was THE MTB maker after having won several top races. The Aggressor was great for the price, even for being the lowest tier mtb of the GT line. Actually, the components differences were the only difference in the quality of the bikes for GT back then. I rode that bike 20 miles a day, literally. It was a great bike, handled well, shifted great, comfortable to ride, it never gave me any problems until the forks broke. It has sat in my garage being shuffled around house to house until I finally drug it out and rebuilt the frame. It still is an impressive frame that garners looks from everyone.
Gary Turner has since sold the Company, and the company has changed hands again recently and seems to be reamerging as a solid Bike company, not the big box bike maker with Huffy quality.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
LHardin85
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, TX Date Reviewed: September 1, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$255.00
Purchased At:
Performances Bicycle
Bottom Line:
I am looking at a 2009 GT aggressor for my husband. Neither of us are very tech savy when it comes to bike componants. I'm reading reviews saying all the componants are pretty poor quality. Would anyone be able to tell me what exactly I should look to hav fixed if I do buy this bike?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
fmartin
a Weekend Warrior
from Stoneham, MA Date Reviewed: August 30, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Middlesex Fells
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
City Cycle
Strengths:
Light weight. I like the ease of shifting gears.
Weaknesses:
Sprockets at pedals bent after about two weeks. The chain is also very thin and it also bent after two weeks. The Bike shop repaired the bike for free but I had never heard of a sprocket gear getting damaged from normal riding. The rubber on the front shocks broke after about three weeks.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for a novice. Very very cheap parts. Great frame. I wouldn't take this bike on a mountain. It could be a replacement for your old 10 speed 1 1/4" tire bicycle.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MemphisMQT
a Weekend Warrior
from Memphis, TN 38117 Date Reviewed: April 8, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Wolf River (Shelby Farms)
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Midtown Bike Shop
Strengths:
Lightweight. Straightforward set-up and controls. Attractive design.
Weaknesses:
Stock parts wear out easily. Matte finish quickly shows wear.
Bottom Line:
Bought the GT Aggressor during the gas crisis of 2008 for local commuting/weekend trail rides and - for the money - the bike has been superb. If you plan to do serious trail riding, beef up the stock parts, but the frame is solid. Bottom line = great value.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kaltizer
a Cross Country Rider
from Christiansburg, VA Date Reviewed: August 24, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Jacobs Ladder and Skull Cap
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$260.00
Purchased At:
sporting goods store
Strengths:
The GT Agressor is a great bike for the money. I basically bought the bike for the frame, since then I have replaced all of the parts and constructed a very solid mountain bike. Off the shelf, the bike is great for light mountain biking and around town. The Mozo shocks are not meant for strenuous riding. I replaced the Mozo shocks with Marzocchis 180mm travel, I replaced the wheels, tires, deraileurs, and am currently replacing the brakes. I know it sounds like I gutted the GT Agressor and made my own bike. Well, that's because I did. I'm a firm believer that it's nearly impossible to find the right bike off the shelf. Find the frame that fits you best and custom build the rest with the parts of your choice. You will come out with a much better ride than most, and you'll also save a lot of money. I buy most of my parts from Japan , and from pricepoint.com.
Weaknesses:
Parts need to be replaced with more durable ones.
Bottom Line:
Enjoy the Ride!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
fiataccompli
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN Date Reviewed: August 20, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
2nd hand
Strengths:
A great frame - this is my 3rd GT frame - great handling & great ride, not particularly light in modern terms...but for my purposes, that is not a problem.
Weaknesses:
low end components on this model. being used to the Karakoram that (mine at least) are all Deore right of the LBS showroom floor, I can already tell that I'll be hitting Ebay up for some stout replacements.
Similar Products Used:
GT Karakoram '88 & '95, Giant SE Boulder, 30 years worth of bikes, bike parts, BMX, road bikes, you name it
Bike Setup:
lol...currently a bit neglected, but from the wear on it, not ridden very much either! To be used as an urban beater/commuter/trail runner bike - no serious trail riding, and will be upgraded to Deore components as I find the deals!
Bottom Line:
These GT mountain bike frames seem to be loved or hated. I bought my '88 new & have ridden it in all sort of terrain. The old frames have vertical rear dropouts, making a single gear conversion sound interesting - this one does not. This is obviously less of a bike in all aspects, but worth as a spare around the house & to goof with just for the frame. Did I mention really dig these frames?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a Downhiller
from Morgantown, WV, USA Date Reviewed: July 2, 2008
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
el gato bike shop
Strengths:
solid frame, super strong. Nice style, comfortable, fast, good shocks, low price
Weaknesses:
Shifters, derailers- always slip off gear. Crank bearings-began making creaking noised. Grips- way too squishy, leave a residue on your hands. Frame is little bit heavy. No rear mount for disc brakes
Similar Products Used:
specialized stumpjumper
Bike Setup:
shimano deore shifters and derailers.
Bottom Line:
Overall, this bike is a great deal for the money. The stock components totally suck, but if you know anything about bikes, you can replace them for new deores for around $100 if you do your own work, and you are still spending less money than the trek or specialized. After three years of moderate riding, the crank bearing failed, and i had it replaced at the shop for only $20, and its been fine since then. First time to bring it on an aggressive trail, i blew up the plastic guard that covered the front sprockets on a tree i was wheelying over. Other than that, i still outperformed my friend who rides the new specialized full carbon suspension bike. Overall, i recommend this bike if you are tight for cash. If you have money, get the specialized.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
shadow520
a Cross Country Rider
from Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA Date Reviewed: June 27, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
Tom's Bike Shop
Strengths:
Somewhat lightweight. Handles well. Easy to ride...not strenuous. Easy to control.
Weaknesses:
The back wheel has been bent several times and all i do is ride on the street sidewalks and through a couple of straight trails occasionally. Got it straightened many times. Mine is made of aluminum and it can bend somewhat easily and i must be careful of what I do with it. I cannot go in places where there are too many high bumps or falls. I also have had problems with the shifting mechanism. It may be because I shift too much because of steep hills and roads.
Bike Setup:
I love the setup. I am 6'3" and it was impossible for me to find a bike that is comfortable and big enough for a comfortable ride. Mine is an XL frame. After riding this bike, i would never buy or even ride anything else...EVER!
Bottom Line:
This bike is amazing with the way it is set up. It handles better than any other bicycle i have ever ridden, which by the way has been a lot. It manuvers well and better than anything else!!! I would recommend it to people that are tall. Most short people could not reach the ground, it is a tall bike. Anyone who is tall knows how difficuld it is to find a tall and comfortable bike to ride. If you are taller than about 5'7", I would definitely recommend it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ryan dent
a Weekend Warrior
from united kindom Date Reviewed: January 26, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$399.00
Purchased At:
halfords
Strengths:
very stable and solid bike. good to ride brill for light trails and small jumps found it easy to controll
Weaknesses:
a bit on the hevey side but in this price range is best have found
Similar Products Used:
cannon dale f1 speclized rockhopper fs comp
Bottom Line:
after not riding for 10 years found the gt to be very suprising good alrounder and a great budget bike to get back into riding change the break levers to dx for a little more power and stuff on a set of spd s to make it a nice weekend toy that will keep up with the outher boys.the triple tri frame gives the bike a low grav point and slightley longer wheel bace making it very good in very fast corners i love mine and will be getting anouther gt
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
les johnson
a Cross Country Rider
from Mt Pleasant SC Date Reviewed: October 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:
tsali
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
internet
Strengths:
I like the frame geometry
Weaknesses:
ALL the components...this is my third GT (all bought used, but, in reasonably good condition)...experienced bottom bracket failure in all three!It just doesn't make any sense to me to have such an outstandingly good frame design and equip w/such low end components!
Similar Products Used:
I have an old Mongoose IBOC Comp that has stood up through the worst and have worn components out, but never had outright failure
Bike Setup:
stock,as far as I can determine
Bottom Line:
I like the frame...just need to start from scratch w/ components!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Cotilla
a Downhiller
from Virginia USA Date Reviewed: September 28, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$340.00
Purchased At:
GT bikes store
Strengths:
Really sodid frame, nice shape, confortable
Weaknesses:
stock set up is so bad if you change some pieces it will be fine
since my last post i have changed some pieces as you can see.. GT aggressor frame is so good ,,, just upgrade the bike a little and its done... GREAT BIKE with the correct setup..
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Cotilla
a Downhiller
from Virginia USA Date Reviewed: September 26, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$340.00
Purchased At:
GT bikes store
Weaknesses:
pedals, cranks , and brakes are horrible..the worst i've ever seen..
Similar Products Used:
trek 3900
Bike Setup:
stock.. but with aluminium pedals
Bottom Line:
DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE. i thought it was a very good bike cause i had a gt bike but it was for racing and that bike was great i have never had problems with it,, then i bought the gt aggressor thhinking it was good ,,, first week i broke the pedals ,, the brakes started to fail.. suspension is very very week.. its not a bike for DH or jumping.. it for riding like a 6 years old child...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Genghis Khan
a Cross Country Rider
from spencer Date Reviewed: August 24, 2007
Jamis Durango Sport SX with the GT seat and metal pedals
Bottom Line:
DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE. This was my first serios bike and i thought it was really nice at first cause i had never paid this much for a bike b4. at first it was fine because i wasnt an aggresive rider at all. The one day i went DH Biking and i have been 10x more agreesive. This bike just couldnt keep up. I bent both rims, bent the frame, craked the pedals in 1 week, and shattered 2 derailers and the third was is bent like a beazy. The fork bottemed out like crazy and this bike just could not handle a beating. Since then i have upgraded to a Jamis and takes my beating like a pro, no problems in 3 months. the only preson i recommend this bike to is a 5 year old.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Davey
a
from Belfast N/Ireland Date Reviewed: June 14, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Secondhand dealer
Strengths:
I do not do mutch offroad but frame is sturdy strong and lightish its ovre all strong
Weaknesses:
I found like most the forks were crap, I replaced with better forks the day I purchased the bike, wheels were also quite cheap not very strong so I changed them to.
Similar Products Used:
I once had a frame from a company called Merlin who hail from London England somewhere, But after a while the frame snapped
Bike Setup:
Base Dual Slalom h/bars Rockshox Dart2's Bonterager wheels an old shimano stxrc rear mech, shimano deore crankset and rings,shimano alivio brake levers/thumbshifters, the rest is as standared.
Bottom Line:
The GT Agressor,well I picked mine up in a sorry state left me open to upgrade,when upgrading the forks be sure to buy forks with a loooooonnnnnnnggggg stearer tube (I think its about 210 or 220 long)other than that, I have allways wanted to get a GT and the one I got suffered from severe neglect(thrown to the bottom of the garden in all kinds of wet mucky weather I mean I live in N/Ireland 4 days of sun and the rest of the year its winter)Bottom Line A bike is as good as you treat it Keep it clean and keep it keen.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nate Widmann
a Cross Country Rider
from Soquel, CA, USA Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Nisene Marks
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Used
Strengths:
A very solid bike.
Weaknesses:
Not very comfortable. Terrible for mountain biking. The suspensio is very weak and not buit well.
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
This bike is ok to start out with, but don't get. I have had mine for a year and I am trying to sell as soon as possible.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Yoshi Lim
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Date Reviewed: July 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Yarra
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Ivanhoe Cycles
Strengths:
Stacked it time and time again, but hasn't cracked on me yet. Really cheap (entry model for GT XC..I think). Stock is great for (non-psychotic) use. Not insanely heavy.
Weaknesses:
The fork sucks badly such that it jams after one or two rides in the wet followed by one in dusty dry dirt. Has only ~6cm of travel. The stock seat post is a little short. Rims buckle quite easily.
Similar Products Used:
Giant Yukon (not mine)
Bike Setup:
Shimano SPD pedals + usual accessories for night. Stock otherwise.
Bottom Line:
Stock is good if you're not wanting to go out and thrash the crap out of the bike on hard XC trails. Definitely upgrade components if you like to push it hard. My view of the bike changed after replacing the pedals, for its performance on the road and milder trails is certainly not crap.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve East
a Cross Country Rider
from Aurora,Ontario,Canada Date Reviewed: June 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
case woodlot
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Spoke o' Motion
Strengths:
great frame smooth ride
Weaknesses:
forks suck need more travel and need to be more plush
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
great bike buy but if u start to use it alot upgrade the forks
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Durham, England Date Reviewed: November 8, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
secondhand
Strengths:
the frame itself is pretty lightweight and has a massive GT sticker down the side of it, which looks cool.
Weaknesses:
paint chips easily
Similar Products Used:
Trek 6000,Integra Phantom (awful bike, dont buy one)
Bike Setup:
Agressor 3.0 frame and all the bits that came with it. however i have added an RST tripleclamp fork, Ritchey 100mm headset,Shimano V's Jammin TT wide DH handlebars, Alexrims and i ride on IRC Notos XC tyres
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike secondhand so didnt pay too much for it. the initial setup is probably fine for anyone who wont take their life into thier own hands on a regular basis. But i find for the XC that i do, the stem placed my weight way back onto the back wheel and i didnt find this too comfortable. scince i have now a longer stem and wider handlebars, the bike really comes into its own and my riding posture is much better. I think a nice pair of decent (non-elastomer) forks would finish the bike off nicely, and as i have a pretty tight budget am looking for some secondhand ones. However with the Agressor, the barrel at the front is so long that really any fork with a steerer under 210mm wont fit. This makes it pretty tough to find secondhand forks as they're often cut down to less than this. This is probably worth considering if youre thinking of buying and upgrading this frame. I am very happy with it though and would recommend it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jack Haffenden
a Cross Country Rider
from Brighton, Sussex, England Date Reviewed: November 7, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Sydney Street bikes
Strengths:
It has a pretty tough frame, the saddles comfy... um not alot else going for it.
Weaknesses:
everything that comes standard on it, to be far I've used it for more than I should have, but oh well.
Similar Products Used:
nothing
Bike Setup:
standard
Bottom Line:
This bike is not designed to be thrown around like a freeride bike, and even if i hadnt done that everything would have broken within a year anyway. Personally looking back now i would have pushed my parents to pay the extra £50 and buy me the avalanche or waited and got somethnig i knew could withstand a beating. Even GT decided it wasnt worthy it as they have discontinued it for '06. I'd only buy this bike to potter around town or cycle on flat grass.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob Hardwick
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Vic, Aus Date Reviewed: October 23, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Yarra
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$295.00
Purchased At:
Goldcross Cycles
Strengths:
Forks and braked held up while almost everything else was replaced.
Weaknesses:
Rims appear to be made of paper mache. Rear rim died after 5 months, derailleur snapped, had to replace chain and cassette.
Tourney components, Weinmann Zac 19 rims, rest is stock
Bottom Line:
Good enough gor the riding i do, only light XC stuff. Stock rims aernt at all strong though. Most of the replacing had to be done from a series or major stacks. The bike is cheap. If i could go back in time i would sill buy it. Do not buy this bike for anything harder than light XC stuff unless you only want the frame and plan to replace everything else.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
carlo montecillo
a Downhiller
from laspinas,philippines Date Reviewed: July 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
joanne's trail tagaytay city
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
looks nice and its hella light.....
Weaknesses:
xc bike....
Similar Products Used:
norco
Bike Setup:
hanebrink dc lt8,shimano discs,maxxis minios 2.5,tioga dh bars,shimano drivetrain,dt swiss rims for the front and alex rims for the back.
Bottom Line:
well this bike gets the job done...and having a double crown fork is not that advisble but im still walking now so that means this frame is pretty strong.....for its price its soo good.............
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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