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Submitted by
steve baranowski
a Downhiller
from downingtownDate Reviewed: June 14, 2005
Strengths: great uphill climber do to the i-drive. solid rims. shocks worked fine for big bumps and jumps. I owned this bike for 500+ miles and it worked fine for me. good frame size for a 6 foot 3 in person.Weaknesses: disks are etchy but good for a beginner like me. spokes broke after one year of riding.Bottom Line: works fine uphill as it does downhill. strong frame, it never broke like my last bike did. buy it now
Favorite Trail: marsh creek
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$742.00
Purchased At: paoli performance bike shop
Similar Products Used: none
Bike Setup: ritchey bar stem. odomiter
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a Cross Country Rider
from Aberdeen UKDate Reviewed: October 20, 2004
Strengths: Quality frame, good beginner spec.Weaknesses: Brakes are ok but they are low end disks no better than some decent V's and upgrading to hydros requires new shifter too, F Derailleur requires allot of tuning to keep it working correctly.Bottom Line: This is a great bike for beginners, some of the other reviews may critise the components but good luck getting a full sus bike of GT's quality and design for $800 (under £500). Overall the stock bike is fine, if your looking to buy one just have the store upgrade the Front mech before you purchase and make sure the brakes are properly setup. Everything on a bike can be changed when it wears out or you can afford better, the important thing is getting a frame that you will still love to ride in years to come, the I-Drive is an excellent system and rock solid too.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At: Richards
Similar Products Used: Trek Fuel 80
Bike Setup: Stock (new F derailleur soon, maybe a set of Avid disks later)
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
kyle
a Downhiller
from washingtonDate Reviewed: August 5, 2004
Strengths: the I-Drive is a monster(thats a good thing) when it comes to riding up hills it is a smooth ride down hill and it has incredible turningWeaknesses: the breaks are ok even though they are disk but you might want to envest in some hydrolic brakes that is the only thing I can see thats wriong with the bikeBottom Line: the bottom line is that this bike is worth it even with the brakes this bike is ment for some one who is an advanced rider and who weaghs any were from 115-185
but the facts are it can climb a hill it can ride down the hill it can ride stares and can jump this bike can do it all.
Favorite Trail: A-line (Whistler B.C.)
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Purchased At: E-bay
Similar Products Used: nothing is even close
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a
from Lancaster PADate Reviewed: May 12, 2004
Strengths: Not ManyWeaknesses: heavy
Derailers are a joke
paint chips easily
crank is very noisy
stock brakes are crap
whats up w/ the integrated shifter/brake lever? (no not the xt or xtr kind)Bottom Line: Ive had nothing but problems with this bike. Ive had a chronic problem with the rear wheel. The spokes keep breaking on it. Also recently the crank has started making this horrible grinding noise whileunder stress. The chain skips while the rear shock is in Action. Another gripe I had was when i wanted to replace the disc brakes with avid mechanicle and sd 7 levers I had to replace the shifters as well because the levers and shifters were integrated. The rear tire clearence is very low even with a 1.95 tire. This may be ok for an xc bike but this bike is not light enough and has too much bob. I bought this bike because I did not have enough money for a more expensive bike ( im 16) and was sorely disapointed. Ive decided to cut my losse and sell the bike and then save up for a jamis xlt 1.0. Do yourself a favor and buy another bike. If you price range is under 1000 and you want a good full suspension get a jamis dakar sport.
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$850.00
Purchased At: online
Similar Products Used: none
Bike Setup: st
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
mo
a Weekend Warrior
from ACT, AustraliaDate Reviewed: March 25, 2004
Strengths: Reasonable base to build on, I-drive system with disks hubs, drive train solid.Weaknesses: Forks are too soft and flex, brakes, and rear shock adjustability is poor, Frame creaks as does seat post, spokes are weak, had to get the wheels re-laced after 3 weeks. Tyres are a joke.Bottom Line: This is my first full suspension bike, I’m a big rider at around 115kg and I managed to break everything on my old hard tail except the forks, go marzocchi!!!! so much of the upgrades were to do with bringing up the specks to cope with my weight. I do mostly cross country and single trail and ride at least every weekend. The bike is stable climbing and generally rides through anything you point it at up or down hill. The bike is great fun and fast down hill, the rear end gets a bit skiddish at high speed, however I’m running the shock at it’s limit @ 300psi for the bigger hits (280psi if I use the calliper setting). The rear suspension is quite direct and with no other damping adjustments the shock is ether plush and bottoms out at lower pressure or hard and kicks back on big hits. Generally the bike is solid and does what you want, smaller drop offs up to 3’ and rutted single trail are a breeze. It’s comfortable for long rides and makes for a good heavy duty cross country bike to kick around on, or for epic rides. Apart from breaking the spokes and the creaking I haven’t broken anything major on this one yet, Unlike may last bike a 01 Norko Charger.
Favorite Trail: paintball
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$1600.00
Purchased At: Fraser Cycles
Similar Products Used: AC2, Norko Fluid, Kona Dawg, specialised stump jumper
Bike Setup: Before I took the bike out of the shop I had the forks replaced with a Marzocchi dirt jumper III’s, initially set to 110mm, upgraded the brakes to Hayes HFX 9’s front and rear, also replaced the handlebars to something wider. Replaced the seat with a cross country style saddle off my old bike as well as the pedals with some Shimano PD-M545. I’ve since upgraded the forks to 130mm of travel, great improvement. After replacing the spokes with heavy gauge stainless steel the wheels have remained true. I’m waiting to blow the rear shock to replace it with a coil over with some rebound and damping adjustment. The rear has a little flex which isn’t a problem yet however the frame creaks whenever under pedal load, I’ve had the I-drive and the pivot bush pulled apart but it still makes the noise.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Gill Gallegos
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuquerque,NMDate Reviewed: March 2, 2004
Strengths: can take substancial abuse, climbs very well with little to NO bob, front and rear air shocks are smooth if adjusted right. I-Drive is FANTASTIC!!!!!Weaknesses: Bike is a little heavy (30 LBS) front shock kinda noisey when broke in and abused. Front stock derailur is crap, seat is very unconfortable.Bottom Line: I currently have over a 100 miles on my bike and the only thing I've had to replace was the computer. I don't know what kind of bikes the negative feebacks were riding ..but it sure wasn't the quality this bike is. I've ramped,wrecked,slid,abused,jumped the heck out of this bike and all its needed was a tune-up. Its not high maintenance and its a good looking bike So give it least 2 hours of good riding to make a decision.
Favorite Trail: 365A
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At: Albuquerque bicycle shop
Similar Products Used: specialized
Bike Setup: stock with specialized computer
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
RJ
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodbridge, VA USADate Reviewed: February 13, 2004
Strengths: The I-drive makes a big difference in many climbing situations, plus the looks.Weaknesses: HeavyBottom Line: At first it rode ok, but I wanted more, I love it. To do more climbing and screaming around corners. The weight was 30.5lbs on a scale at my shop. I figured the only way to get serious was to reduce the weight. So I changed all components to XTR, Seatpost, stem, handle bars and New set of wheels and tires all from Performance. And bike now weighs 25.5lbs. It is a great bike and takes everything I ask it to do. The I-drive is great and better now with the weight reduction in the climbs. Yes I have 2k into it now but it out does my friends 4k bike (Santa Cruz) every time.
Favorite Trail: All
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At: Performance,Manassas, VA
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz
Bike Setup: XTR and more now
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
EDDIE HOWE
a Weekend Warrior
from CHICAGO ILDate Reviewed: January 16, 2004
Strengths: I-Drive system is the hot set up. Bike climbs awsome, has exellent ground clearence, and a low center of gravity for great handling. Good package for the money.Weaknesses: Front fork is horrible. It rattles clicks and clacks. At first I thought I had a defective fork & my shop switched it out with another bike. Same problem with new fork. Also the seat looks cool but my butt dont like it.
Bottom Line: Great bike for the money for a weekend warrior type. I-Drive system makes for a smooth ride that is a blast on rough single track. Bike is a bit heavy, not a racing bike.
Favorite Trail: TURF 1
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At: RICHARDS
Similar Products Used: Test rode several bike befor buying I-Drive
Bike Setup: Stock set up except for seat & Psylo front fork that was up
graded buy the fine folks at RICHARDS bike shop for no charge
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Chris Neubert
a
from Pembroke Pines, FL USADate Reviewed: December 28, 2003
Strengths: Great center of balance for handeling. Decent componets for the priceWeaknesses: Back shock linkage bolt is weak. Needs stronger bolt. Once replaced it worked fine. However after that my frame is now broken just below the weld. It has been sent back to GT over 1 month ago and I am still waiting for it. Also the SGD seat needs to be replaced immediatly. Both of the rims I also had to replace and since I put on Mavic 317 disc it has been running like a champ, except for the frame of course. I wore the grips out and was not able to find or order GT replacement grips not that they are that great I just like them. I now have Bar ends with new grips. I did break the Derailer however that was my fault and replaced it with an XTR rapid rise which is excellent. The Pilot sl shock is ok for the price paid.Bottom Line: If you are an die hard rider, riding more than 3 times a week on MTB trails this is not the bike for you. It is a heavy bike weighing in over 30 pounds new. If you are just learning this and want to try a full suspension bike this is not a bad choise. This bike is not good for racing. I wish at this point I could try GTs new frame and I-drive system to see if it is better. GT service has been very slow in getting me a new frame. I have alway been a fan of the GT product. I wish I could trade the broken frame for there new I-Drive system to see if they improved on the product. I guess I will be starting my race season on my trek hardtail. This is also a follow up to the review I did earlier in the year. My rating on the bike is now down.
Favorite Trail: Gun Range
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Similar Products Used: Trek OCLV 9900 pro issue hard tail
Santa Cruz Super Light
Bike Setup: These are the upgrades I had to do to the bike.
XTR Rear Derailer, Mavic 317 rims with XT hubs, Crank Brother Egg beaters, WTB Rocket V seat, The rest is still stock so far.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Gill Gallegos
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque NM, UsaDate Reviewed: December 16, 2003
Strengths: Over all a good bike for the price and my style of riding. It shifts well and handles great. Low center of gravity makes turns easy and fun. Brakes are disk and thats a plus too. Fox rear shock is excellent for single track trails and medium jumps. I haven't tried it on large jumps yet.Weaknesses: Bike weighs 30 Lbs, Would do better with xt,xtr deraillers and a stronger front shock. Front shock is pretty spongy. Don't put suggensted amount of air in front shock PUT MORE!Bottom Line: I was on a budget at the time of purchase. If IBEX had their Apogee line in stock I would have gotten that but GT i-drive seemed good at the time. At the time I have no complaints except that the front shock kinda blows. Don't follow the book on that one its kinda spongy for my tastes. I like a stiffer ride. The I-drive helps me climb like a goat. Shifters are responsive but I want to up grade the front to LX. Other than that...Its a good bike for my style of riding. I was thinking of a specialixed FXR but it didn't have disc brakes. Other than that, I decided to spend the extra hundred dollars for Lx shifters and disk brakes.
Favorite Trail: sandia foot hills
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At: Albuquerque Bicycle Center
Similar Products Used: Specialized FXR
Bike Setup: Totally Stock
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake CityDate Reviewed: November 14, 2003
Strengths: Great looks, great price, great ride. This bike had all of the components that I was looking for at a price that was less than I expected. The frame is strong and responsive. Steering is tight.Weaknesses: A bit heavy, and a few frame creeks. Had to adjust the disk brakes after a month of hard riding...but have had no problems sinice. Front deraileur (Alivio)is crap.Bottom Line: After watching all of my riding pals move to full suspension and pass me on every downhill, I figured it was time to bite the bullet. I had ridden my GT hardtail for 9 years and had never had a single problem with it...so it was a no brainer to stay with GT. This bike climbs like a friggin' mountain goat. I don't notice any bob at all with this bike. It attacks the downhill and has definitely covered up a lot of mistakes I have made and would have been punished for on my hardtail. It is a great looking bike as well. I realize this is not an Ellsworth, it doesn't have an Ellsworth's pricetag either. this is a great bike for anyone who just wants to get out and ride.
Favorite Trail: Gooseberry Mesa - St. George Utah
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At: Richards Bicycles
Similar Products Used: 94 GT Karakoram.
Bike Setup: Upgraded rear deraileur to XT and front deraileur to LX. Replaced tires with 2.4s.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Israel
a Weekend Warrior
from White Salmon, WADate Reviewed: November 5, 2003
Strengths: Full suspension and disc brakes for less $$.Weaknesses: HeavyBottom Line: I decided to upgrade from my old Trek Antelope to something that would help me progress as a rider, as I still think of myself as a beginner in the sport. I was looking for something with full suspension and disc brakes. Found a good deal and I took it. I have been impressed so far. It has handled everything I have thrown at it. It has some trouble changing gears while climbing, but that is something I am hoping a little tuning and/or better riding will fix. The bike is noticeably heavier than my previous ride, although the weight differential has only been little cause for concern. I don't have a lot to compare it with, but I have enjoyed my time on this bike.
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At: Ebay
Similar Products Used: Trek Antelope 800 (hardtail)
Bike Setup: Stock except for Time pedals
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rui
a Weekend Warrior
from Porto, PortugalDate Reviewed: November 3, 2003
Strengths: 5 year warranty, good control, great components for the priceWeaknesses: a little heavy, no rear suspension adjustabilityBottom Line: enjoy !!!, I recommend that bike for who wants a bike fun to ride and with a reasonable selection of components , Its a heavy bike, but the performance of combination rear float\iDrive its great
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Bike Setup: GT iDrive 2.0 Year2003
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ted Brasky
a Weekend Warrior
from Buffalo, NYDate Reviewed: October 15, 2003
Strengths: The bike performs well on downhills. It comes with decent components, considering the price. Fork warranty, 2yrs -- not a bad deal...last year RockShox only had a 1yr warranty.Weaknesses: Plush suspension -- you'll bob a little on the climbs; but compensating for that will probably make you a better pedaler overall. Also, I killed the fork (Pilot SL) crush-washers within the first month of riding. Was easily replaced though. Frame Warranty - 5yrs, not lifetime.Bottom Line: Bottom line --- get the bike if you're starting out and want a quality piece of hardware without spending a fortune. If you're in the market for full XTR, Avid Breaks, and the like...look elsewhere and find yourself with a lot less cash left over. Upgrading to XT derailleurs and clipless pedals will be well worth the extra $$.
Favorite Trail: Hunter's Creek, East Aurora, NY
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At: Dick's Bicycles
Similar Products Used: Jamis Dakar Sport (Disc)
Bike Setup: XT/XT upgrade; TIME ALIUM pedals;
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
LIN
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCalDate Reviewed: October 12, 2003
Strengths: Fast and stable going downhill. Manuvers great on smooth singletrack. Looks cool.Weaknesses: A bit heavy. Air shock pump is extra $30. Slow on rocks and uphill. Pedals are lame.Bottom Line: Fun to ride. A lot slower than my Cannondale F900sl. All my friends are faster than me until we start going downhill. Its a heavy bike, dont buy this bike unless weight doesnt matter much or cant afford a lighter bike.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Similar Products Used: GT XCR 3000, Marin Wolf Ridge, Jamis Dakar, K2 Attack...
Bike Setup: Stock except XT rear and Time Alum Pedals
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