Submitted by
dan carey
a Weekend Warrior
from fort atkinson wi. usa
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2008
Strengths: bought the xl frame only , its sturdy excellent welds nice fit.
Weaknesses: paint chips extermely easliy , thats its
Bottom Line:
this bike is excellent i havent been on it much but right now i have had no problems . it sits alot higher than my old bike which takes some getting used to . but its nice to have found a frame thats long enough for me so i dont feel all cramped up . that was biggest deal for me .
i got the frame in jan. bought all the parts i needed and had it on the road last 2 weeks ago . i liked it enough that i went and bought my sister a new GT avalanche 3.0 for her birtday . the stock bike is nice for starting out but some of the stock parts are fairly cheap .
Strengths: a really tough frame great disc brakes great rear derailleur good front derailleur awesome fork suspension that can handle just about anything(i went over a half foot tree trunk like it was nothing )has a lockout mode so when ur going up hills u can lock the shocks by flicking a switch on the fork so they dont absorb the pressure ur putting on the pedals easy shifters and the toughest tires on a bike ive seen yet(kenda nevegal)
Weaknesses: handle bar grips thats only a problem when ur hands r really sweaty make ur hands slip
Bottom Line:
if u want a tough reliable great mountain bike then this is the bike for u.....i go off road into the woods on trails with all sorts of stuff in the way like logs,tree trunks, giant roots and the bike goes over them like nothing but its still at the same time a good bike o ride around in the neighborhood or the streets just get this bike if u want a reliable mountain bike with great suspension that can go over anything!!!!!
Similar Products Used: avalanche 2.0 iron horse maverick lime green
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Submitted by
m
a Weekend Warrior
from Redlands, Ca, US
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2006
Strengths: Durable. 4th year i've owned it, and took it to the shop for the first time this year for just a little service. good for the price.
Weaknesses: cheaper components, but you get what you pay for. and even though they're on the cheap side, i haven't had to replace anything except one of the wheels, and that was my fault.
Bottom Line:
Pretty good for what you pay for. A good buy for somebody who is looking to do some moderate to light mtn biking. I'm in the market for a full suspension now, but this is a great starter bike. The cheaper components (brakes, derailers) require a little extra tuning to run smooth, but learn how to do this yourself and you save a bunch of money from taking the bike to the shop. it's easy and there's tons of places on the internet that will teach you for free. i'm a satisfied customer. a good enough bike that i've had it for 4 years and am just now looking to replace it with the new fs technology.
Strengths: wicked frame, my m8s have paid loads for wicked frames such as cove but this one seems to keep up never fails me
Weaknesses: rst shocks r crap, im up grading to marzzochi all mountains
Bottom Line:
recomend to any one wanting to get into freeride mtbing or xtc, quality frame. only thing needs doin is gear shifters and shocks. i recommend this bike 100% to anyone lookin for a decent bike on a budget
Bike Setup: standard, apart from new shocks going on
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Blenheim, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2006
Strengths: Strong Frame
Bottom Line:
If you can afford it do not purchase this bike. The frame is of good quality but the rest is all low end crap. The forks are very hard with very little adjustment. If you can buy something a bit higher priced and of better quality do it. This bike would suit recreational riders just getting into mountian biking.
Bike Setup: stock except new truvativ bars and exustar pedals.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
caleb johnson
a Weekend Warrior
from bowling green KY USA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2006
Strengths: frame,sturdy all around
Weaknesses: brakes very finicky for me, wheels come out of true easily, wierd noise that sounds like a problem with bottom bracket but has no effect on preformance
Bottom Line:
this was my first mountain bike and i have the 2003 model. when i first got this bike i had never ridden a trail before, and it has taken me from that point to being an avid mountain biker. overall my complaints are very few. i have been bery hard on this bike especialy in the last year and it has held up extremly well. the frame seems to be bombproof i rutinely take it off 3-4 foot ramps and jumps and have never had the fork botom out or any other problem besides chain slap. i have leaned by trial and many errors how to sevice this bike myself and even after being taken apart and put back together by an unexperienced bike mechanic it still holds up. i have never had to replace any major part and i have bashed almost all of them. most of all i just wanted to say that this bike has served me well over a huge learning curve, and it is a great beginner bike. the only reason i did not give five chilis is that is reserved forthe best of the best! good bike for any one trying to get into the sport.
Bike Setup: all stockbesides cheapo headset that i bought
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
noel
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2006
Strengths: Frame
Weaknesses: Front derailleur I guess
Bottom Line:
I like this bike. It's great for a weekend warrior like me; I don't push it beyond it's limits but it has taken some punishment well. I've changed to a 9 speed setup with Deore parts I already had. Am waiting for the forks (RST Gila SL) to die then i'll change them and I am also going to upgrade to disc brakes. The stock wheels are pretty decent though but I changed the Tektro brakes with Deores (because I had a spare set). Wasn't too keen on the WTB saddle either ( a bit wide) so I replaced it with a Giant saddle i've been using for over a year now. It has a slimmer profile with cutout (like to give the boys some breathing space). GT Avalanche frames are the same from the Avalanche 2.0 through to the Expert from what I remember so you can't go wrong. Upgrade as things wear; i'm sure the frame will outlast the other bits.
Submitted by
Austin McNulty
a Weekend Warrior
from Ringgold, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2006
Strengths: Light Frame, very durable from what i can tell, good brakes unless muddy or wet...Duh! nice rims and tires from the store.
Weaknesses: Aweful pedals, and rear derailer is very sketchy, both of these are easily and inexpensively fixed.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. It will handle any trail you take it on as long as your not trying to keep up with a professional... very affordable and upgradeable as your experience grows.
Submitted by
mikey f
a Weekend Warrior
from london eng
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2006
Strengths: the frame is the lightest ive ridden so far, im able to bunny hop-no problem.
Weaknesses: the rear derailleur sucks! do a few jumps and it falls to pieces, and is almost non-adjustable. the pedals are also crap! one stair-ride too many shook my already damaged pedals to pieces....plastic pedals with a metal srtip round the outside, dont get that....
Bottom Line:
a good beginners bike as it can take a lot of abuse, but its all about aftermarket parts if you dont want to ha to keep reapiring every 5 minutes.
Strengths: very strong frame, The price is with shipping. the setup is great at what it is.
Weaknesses: could be light, the components are ok, but the front Derailuer is garbage.
Bottom Line:
Great looks and strong frame. excellent buy compare to other bikes at the same price range. great mix of component setup--except the front derailuer. great for beginners.
Bike Setup: with upgrades already, XT RD, Truvativ Stylo Team Crankset, Sram 9-speed cassettes and Chain, Sram Attack Shifters. waiting on the Front Derailuers to crap out.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Ricardo Carvalho
a Cross Country Rider
from Lisbon, Portugal
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2005
Strengths: Frame Material
Weaknesses: Fork, it is very hard and the adjust is very poor
Strengths: 04' model year not 03'- Great value, better components verses similar priced bikes. Judy TT fork, Alivio derailleur.
Weaknesses: Pedals have a plastic body so they failed in three weeks, saddle is poor, easily ripped and not comfortable for roadies used to italian leather. Grips although tacky, are not nice to those of us whom like beefy handholds.
Bottom Line:
Great deal for the price, for someone whom is unfimiliar with trail riding it is perfect fit. I haven't ridden a mountain bike since I was 13, but I found this bike vastly superior to any of my old modles. Light and responive, easy to set up, and for a few bucks more you can change out the annoying bits and have a solid light trail or commuter bike.
Similar Products Used: none, roadie testing local trails
Bike Setup: Serfas AL barends, Tioga surefoot VI pedals, Fizik Plateau saddle, Slime tubes
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Submitted by
nik
a Cross Country Rider
from oak harbor, wa
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2005
Strengths: frame bars components
Weaknesses: forks
Bottom Line:
this bike is incredably tough. I have beat up on it relentlessly and nothing seems to hurt it. I will have to replace the shocks with in the season but it out performs some of the 800 to 1000 dollar bikes that i have ridden in the past. expert or novice this is a great deal
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakewood, WA USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2005
Strengths: Unbeatable value, sweet ride, sturdy frame, excellent riding bike overall for entry level price and it looks great.
Weaknesses: front derailler
Bottom Line:
Brakes are just okay, i'm planning an upgrade to a set of discs though. This bike takes any beating you throw at it and keeps riding smooth both on an off the road.
Hi
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