GT Xizang XC Hardtail
4.9
/5
REVIEWS
4.9
QIKRATE
5.0
WEB
0.0
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DESCRIPTION
Available in both 26" & 29" frames. Aerospace grade 9, 3/2.5 titanium, hydroformed, butted, and machined, Dropouts: Laser cut, grade 5, 6/4 plate with CNC post machining, Disc brake mount: grade 5, 6/4 investment cast, Headtube: Tapered 1.125 to 1.5 w internal machined bearing seat, Down.
USER REVIEWS
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Light strong frame. Easy to upgrade and be creative building. This has become my most fun bike. Chaned to a 1x10 drive. Put a factory 36 boost with 150 travel and a 3.0+ highroller (29r). Has a 2.6 650b on the rear to compensate for the steep headtube (74degree to about 68). Saint and XT build with Industry nine wheels. Cant have more fun climbing and descending.
Quick release rear
Light strong frame. Easy to upgrade and be creative building. This has become my most fun bike. Chaned to a 1x10 drive. Put a factory 36 boost with 150 travel and a 3.0+ highroller (29r). Has a 2.6 650b on the rear to compensate for the steep headtube (74degree to about 68). Saint and XT build with Industry nine wheels. Cant have more fun climbing and descending.
Quick release rear
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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These bikes are awesome. Light, strong and fast
Customer support. GT abandond us owners. No available warranty from GT.
Get as many of these frames as you can. The are getting hard to find and I am still looking for a nice 16" for my Wife. They ride great and anyone looking for a XC rocket won't find a better one. What a great climber (mine took me to a 10hour finish in Leadville, it could have been faster if I helped). Buy one if you find it!!!!!!!!!!
Similar Products Used:
I currently own 3 Xizangs
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Beautiful cycling. I am not a fan of suspension, so this bike suits me just fine. Its a manaic on the trail. Light and durable, I have banged it around so much. Boulders, rocks, logs, sticks, everthing. Oh I also careened over a cliff and landed on my back to save the bike from near ruin. Me, I was ruined for about three weeks.
Light end up front. When I am pulling up, I can almost pull the front end off the trail
Just a terrific ride. Worth the investment. I have had mine for over three years, and its just breaking in.
Similar Products Used:
none as good
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Ti can't be beat for a mountain bike frame. I've ridden many over the last 15 years since building up this frame. It's geometry, design and Ti's forgiveness still make the GT Xizang the best hardtail I've ever swung my leg over.
The price when I bought it was $1410 bike shop dealer cost.
Like it so much I bought one used for my son and just recently purchased a second one for myself. Also just built up the road bike equivilent a GT Edge Ti and it is everthing the Xizang is. Awesome! Anybody looking for "the best hardtail ride ever produced", should try to find one used since they don't make them anymore. I would recommend it for anyone that wants to ride cross-country seriously or recreationally. This frame is there when you need it climbing yet forgiving enough not to rattle your fillings loose and pound you kidneys.
Similar Products Used:
GT Avalanche LE and other numerous Prestige Chromoly ATBS. Have ridden most all ever produced after 12 yrs in a shop and another 5 working inside the industry
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Flawless welds, beefy dropouts, and a tad of forgiving flex in the rear triangle.
For the retail price of the frame, you could buy a Geo Metro with air conditioning. Also, some riders may not be comfortable with the "long and low" position they get after they buy the frame based on the seat tube length--they think the frame is too big. My solution is to buy your frame according to your preferred nominal top-tube length.
It could be lighter, but it couldn't be much better looking. At 5'9", I only weigh 140, so I'm not the best person to test durability. I am a long-and-low rider (no riser bar), and I prefer the stretched-out position of the 18" frame. The Kona Hei Hei and the GT Xizang have similar, perfect welds, but the Kona seems about a pound heavier. If you want to spend less than $1000 on a Ti frame and want a riser bar/freeride setup, get a Kona Hei Hei or King Kahuna. If you want a cross-country rocket, get the GT Xizang.
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I bought a 1998 Kona Hei Hei (Ti) for a friend, and commute on a 1993 GT Avalanche Team Edition (cro-mo).
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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rigid as heck. light as a feather. lively feel of titanimum. the welds are flawless throughout the frame.
lame stickers. i removed them all with a xacto knife. for a ti frame, gt should put a head badge similar to litespeed or lemond bikes. i think this would give it a classier look, instead of the lame 'fast, it's corporate policy blah blah blah look'.
the ride is rigid and stable (maybe because i'm 5 9" and only 155 lbs?). it doesn't have that 'heaviness' feel of my old fisher (steel) or zaskar (aluminum). this is the first titanium bike i've own, but i don't think i will ever go back to the other stuff. the coolest thing about this frame is the way it responds when i climb, which is my number one weakness. it sort of responds like a 'spotter' does when you're lifting weights, you're doing 99% of the work, but the other 1% gets me up that crazy hill. the only complaint i have is gt's customer support. it's non-existant! my wish is for gt to make this frame in a softail, but hey, i'm saving my $$ for that 'silk ti' i've been eyeing at the lbs.
Similar Products Used:
fisher, gt avalanche
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Light
nimble through turns
forgiving ride
Will update if I find one....
This will not be a complete review, as I have not had the amount of time to put the bike through it's paces. I will give initial reactions and update as needed:
Bought 98 frame as a hand me down from someone who did not use it, built it up and have ridden a few times since: Gives an excellent ride, headtube angle makes it seem like the steering control is better than my old frame. Dampens the bumps more than I thought that I would feel and is overall an incredible frame. I do not think that I will need another considering it weighs 3 1/4#, and will never rust, oh- and is pretty strong!
I am looking forward to seeing what this bike will do.
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Cadex ALM1
Mongoose
Diamondback
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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awesome ride
light
GT customer support
The ride is awesome. A little vertical compliance and titanium's damping characteristics soak up the harsh stuff beautifully. The frame does have a touch of torsional flex but it isn't a problem for me (6', 160 lbs). My 18" frame weights 3.50 lbs, it's top tube is 22.5", seat tube is 18", and chain stays are 16.75". GT's customer support was unable to tell me anything about the bike before I ordered it and generally seemes kinda clueless. "fast. it's corporate policy" But the frame still rocks so I'll give it five.
Similar Products Used:
GT Karakoram
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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I have a 1994 18 Xizang built up with XTR & Manitou Spyder Rs. I have owned this bike since new and have covered many thousand miles both on & off-road in Europe & Canada. Despite many crashes & component changes the bike looks as good as new, one of the main advantages of a polished Titanium Frame. The bike climbs well due to its lightweight & is extremely comfortable for a hard-tail. I would say though that it is a bit twangy in the bottom bracket area, not as rigid as a good aluminium or steel hard tail. I imagine that the smaller Xizangs 16 or less are less flexy. Apparently most of the GT team riders ride 16 Xizangs with custom length front triangles. Overall one of the best Hardtails for general xc riding, but not rigid enough for Hammerheads!
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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I am on my second Xizang frame. I recently cracked the undersiding to the top head tube next to the stem. I was afraid that GT would just say sorry!!, since I had been riding and racing on the frame for three years. But to my suprise GT warrentied the frame. I had to wait about three weeks without a bike but then was quite happy to see my brand new 98 Xizang. It was much improved over the 95 model I had been riding on. I added new components which has made the bike even ride faster. I want to race on it but am afraid to crash on it. I had probably 45 crashes on the 95 model, and it was beginning to show it. So I think I will wait another month or two before I take it to a race, but it will see those days in the future. Is that not what it was made for??
The bike is like riding a dream, and not longer puts my body parts to sleep when I ride like previous bikes have, if you know what I mean!