Submitted by
Eman
a Cross Country Rider
from CA USA Date Reviewed: October 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:
yorba linda, always looking for new ones
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
performance
Strengths:
( after modifications listed below!!!)
Componentry, obviously!
Climbs and descends awesome!
feels quality, well built
Weaknesses:
front end isnt optimal for this bike.
creaking joints.
uncomfortable seat. solutions:
1. I had the original 100mm stem replaced with same exact 90mm one, which performance did for FREE. I had handlebars cut 1/2inch per side, 1 inch total ($10). Bike feels awesome now, front end much more responsive and fun.
2. performance opened all joints, cleaned them out and put good grease in - FREE. problem solved and whole suspension feels like butter now! I like it more everyday i ride!
3. Seat was making my taint uncomfortable. I slid the seat forward about an inch, which brought my posture up ( I'm 5'11" using M size bike) now Im sitting on it well,seat comfortable, problem solved!
Similar Products Used:
K2 all mountain
Bike Setup:
Stock parts modified:
Stem replaced with same but 90mm - FREE
Handlebars cut/shortened 1 inch
Seat brought forward and downward increased comfortability
XTR SPD Pedals FREE ( purchased with the 10% back on the member card)
Bottom Line:
awesome package,this GT delivers. the cheap modifications I had done to it improved the bike dramatically. Happy with the purchase, would recommend!
5 chilis for performance AFTER the mods!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
reigndown3
a Racer
from Dry SW Date Reviewed: September 25, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Palo Duro
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2300.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike
Strengths:
WOW. All XT group with Fox suspension!! Super plush suspension, Price, weight, 2.3/2.1 Nevegals
Weaknesses:
Ritchey stem and bars, stock wheelset, needs to have 34T in the rear not the 32T cassette. A little slow steering at low speeds.
Bottom line this bike is an absolute steal at little over 2300.00 out the door. Some of the components are sub par such as the stem and bar combo, but that is easily fixed. I have actually raced this bike CC for a few races, and despite the weight, appx. 29lbs, and the travel, this thing rocks! It does steer a little slow and pushes like a boat at low speed but i found that with a new stem and bars that this was easily fixed. I would have liked to see maybe a lockout on the front shock, but hey for this deal who cares!!! GT is doing a hell of a job getting customers back with these steals!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO Date Reviewed: September 15, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1599.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bicycle
Strengths:
Great deal! This bike has an excellent build for such a low price. Shimano XT all around with Fox front and reach shock.
Weaknesses:
Some of the Ritchey components could be better, but you can't beat the deal.
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
Try and find a better deal!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Muddking
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County, California Date Reviewed: August 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:
United States
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2300.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike-Lag
Strengths:
Excellent group-set for the price. (Can't go wrong with ALL XT! and Fox front & year suspension) Fully active 140mm travel, Fox Pro-Pedal and GT I-Drive works well. Descends unbelievably well for a non-downhill rig. Tracks well in the tight stuff.
Weaknesses:
A little tall in the saddle for XC use but that may be more from suspension travel than design.
Similar Products Used:
Trek Fuel 80, tested new Trek Fuel EX9, EX8 and Specialized Stumpy FSR Comp.
Bike Setup:
6061 frame, all XT & Fox Racing suspension, Kenda Nevegal tires on Mavic 719 Disc wheelset. Ritchey post, handlebars and stem.
Bottom Line:
I just picked this bike up from the good folks @ Performance in Laguna. First ride was this afternoon after tinkering with suspension set-up & preloads. All in all, I really liked this ride, had no idea what to expect from 5" of travel and the GT i-Drive but it seems to work very well so far. I just retired my 5 year old Trek Fuel and had been looking to replace it for 6 months or so, doing my homework and several makes/models. Came across the GT by accident looking for a new BB for my Fuel. Performance had a big sale going on and it was REALLY hard to pass up a $3000 bike outfitted with all XT for $2200+tax. I have been skeptical about the i-Drive as early versions had their fare share of problems but after research, I discovered the newest version is near bullet-proof (provided you live here in the dry SW and not the wet MW and East, see prev. comments about squeaky BB's.) A quick test ride at the shop helped put my fears to rest as well as talking to several techs. I intend to make future updated reviews as I put the hours on this rig. So far so good.
A testament to Fox's experience, the suspension was pretty easy to pre-load and get it almost there, I've got some more fine-tuning to do but today's ride was a solid preview of what to expect from the Force 1.0. It's flat plush! The wheelbase seems shorter than my Fuel so it tracks well in the tight stuff. The additional travel & modern suspension pieces are a big improvement over even just a few years ago. The bike climbs pretty well for a "long travel, all-mtn" but really shines when it gets quick, tight and bumpy. The rear end stays glued and tracks well under breaking, even down a steep, bumpy section on my favorite trail. The bike is so quick going with gravity that I almost over-cooked two tight corners and wound up in the prickly pears! All in all, I think I'm gonna like this rig but I put between 5-8 hours a week on a bike so we'll see how she holds up over time. I expect the Shimano stuff to last and of course Fox makes good stuff too. If you're in the mkt for a new All-Mountain rig, I'd put the GT on your list along with the usual suspects.
I'm giving the Force 1.0 cinco chilis for value and quattro for overall rating. At $2300 out the door you simply cannot go wrong with this bike's setup. However, at it's list price of $3K, I'd like to see a Fox Float fork with lock-out to match the RP23 on the rear. It's a small complaint but why have the rear effectively lockout when you can't do the same on the front? Also, the gear ratio's seem a bit low for an all mountain rig, a couple more cogs on the rear might be useful on those steep uphill climbs. Otherwise, a darn nice balance for the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MrO
a Weekend Warrior
from Japan Date Reviewed: July 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Kamiseya
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2300.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike
Strengths:
The full Fox suspension and full XT components are a great value. The frame is black and beautiful, with innovation not limited to just the I-drive suspension, the rear derailleur is cleverly tucked underneath the chain stay for an extra layer of bash protection. The pro-pedal works as advertised, this was noteworthy to me because I came from a '01 Titus single pivot bike. "Bob" is no longer my middle name. I have lots of riding ahead of me to put my full seal of approval, but right now I am not suffering buyer’s remorse. Performance Bike in Austin, TX along with my brother and the US postal service helped get this bike out to me with a simple reassemble. I am deployed to Japan which creates some obstacles to buying online.
Weaknesses:
This is nit picky for the price I paid, but the stock Ritchey comp handle bars and stem look and feel heavy and clunky.
Similar Products Used:
Titus Loco-moto, Alpine Star 930 (Yes they made great full suspension bikes for a little while.) Trek 930
Bike Setup:
Current stock setup.
Bottom Line:
I purchased this bike to replace the Titus Loco-moto because it cracked at a weld and sheared the down-tube jumping off a 6 inch curb. The Titus folks did not bother to reply to my phone call and email and pictures I sent of the surprising structural failure. "Tisk, Tisk!"
Time will tell but the GT Force looks much beefier. I originally started my search looking to replace the Titus with a similar "High end" frame like the Santa Cruz Blur, Ellsworth Truth or Turner Five spot. I couldn't justify to myself or my wife spending the 5-6K for a new one. I attempted the EBay bidding wars, but after mysteriously being out bid and then being offered a "second chance" to purchase at the top end of my bid window. I felt safer purchasing retail and went with the GT because of its nice component list. I would have preferred a 'Made in the USA' brand but they all seemed to be out of my price range.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
GoobMTB
a Downhiller
from Little Rock, AR USA Date Reviewed: July 11, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Argenta Freeride Area
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Purchased At:
Riders Ready Bicycle
Strengths:
This bike does it ALL! When I first got it I was doing XC type riding. I would do 2 ft drops and jump small jumps w/ ease.
Recently I have changed a little bit. It is stock except I installed a 55mm DH stem and e13 Double Chainguide(got tired of my chain slippin in the rough stuff). The force now jumps, drops, and descends better than ever. I have been riding 5 ft drops, hanging on and trusting my tires stay glued to the trail on the DH, and still getting in the occasional XC ride all on this set up.
It climbs great thanks to the gt iDrive system and the fox RP23. Just remember to open the platform(on the rp23) before you go down or your rear wheel will be dancing.
Stock 2008 GT Force w/ BBB DH stem and e13 Double Chainguide. 30.5 lbs
Bottom Line:
If you want an awesome XC/Freeride/AM/DH Bike, Go buy one of these.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chizelballer
a Cross Country Rider
from Monroe, NC USA Date Reviewed: February 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Sherman Branch
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2499.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike
Strengths:
Frame Design, Shimano XT Components, Fox front and rear Shock, Tires are awesome in dry conditions. The bike climbs like a goat decends like a dream. It is an awesome bike for XC riding and can be easily morfed into a downhill machine by swapping out to a bigger set of tires. Most of the riding I do is hitting the local XC mountain bike trails around the Charlotte NC area and this bike handles them with ease.
Weaknesses:
(1)Suspension creaks, but I found keeping the bike clean and lubed alleviates this issue; (2)Rear chainstay is a little tight if you need to run a fatter 2.35 rear tire;(3)The rims (rear) will probably be the first component to fail on this bike; (4) Availability, the bike was hard to get. I ordered my bike in March and I took possesion on June 23rd; (5) The Dallas Cowboy like star on the back of the seat tube.
Similar Products Used:
GT XCR 2000
Bike Setup:
I use the stock components for XC riding. When riding in the mountains I run a 2.35 tire in the rear and a 2.6 tire in the front. This is the only change I make on the bike.
Suspension is set for 205 LB rider. I don't use the Pro Pedal option. All Suspension adjustments (rebound) are set at the halfway point.
Bottom Line:
My bias view of the this bike is it is awesome. I'am so glad that I stayed the course and did not settle for something else when I found out it would take 3 months to get the bike. The bike is fun to ride and can handle any condition. An earlier review, not posted here, stated that the bike tended to oversteer and did not really know what type of bike it was Downhill or XC. I'm not sure what that meant exactly, but as far as I can tell I haven't experienced any oversteer. Also, a majority of the riding I do is XC with an occasional trip to the mountains and the bike handles both conditions with excellence. Lastly, I was worried about switching to the Crank Brother Acid egg beeter style pedals because they were different from what I had been using (Shimano SPD). The mechanic at the bike shop recommended I give them try before putting them on Ebay or Craigslist. I did and I got use to them and I like them. Bottom line is this bike is the best value for the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gonewalkabout
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: January 12, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Business, CH
Strengths:
Relatively light, nimble, and a very responsive ride. Big grin downhill I really love all terrain now and theres little need to think about the line - it handles it sweet as. This bike has a similar weight (13.6kgs) to other similarly specd models and while being a kg heavier you wouldnt really know it.
I'm 5-9 and the small frame size fits perfectly with the stem of 100mm making the total horizontal frame size 665mm - this is a similar distance as other brands that are marketed as medium with a 90mm stem - something to be aware of.
The Idrive seems to make logical sense with the swingare pivoting high on the frame altho Ive only just bought my Force 1 and yet to test properly.
Replacement bearings for the rear susp are the same bearings used for the head meaning saving $$s when it comes that.
Climbs well and downhill is an all out blast (for a XC rider).
Weaknesses:
Squeaking is apparently a common problem for this rear shock design - when the bike comes from the importer/producer the grease used for fitting the bearings can fail after about 6mths (not sure why it may just simply dry) - aftermarket grease should be placed by the shop prior to purchasing, and you wont have this issue.
Similar Products Used:
Giant Trance x2
Specialised stumpjumper
Merida AM
KHS
Bike Setup:
As in shop.
Bottom Line:
For the price weight design and ongoing maintenance this offers a sweet ride for cross country/all terrain riders.
I had been looking at the entry level xc range with no particular preference for brand but decided to spend more to gain a good fox shock and weight and feels somehow totally in control of the bike. So i found myself going higher in spec (and $$s) and settling on the Force 1 as opposed to 2 or 3 (moreso for spec and weight).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
swerve1937
a Cross Country Rider
from Tauranga, New Zealand Date Reviewed: October 25, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Redwwods, Rotorua
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Great spec bike. Rides great and feels really positive and gives the rider loads of confidence. Runs through/over anything like ruts, roots drops, etc. My 1st dual suspension bar the odd trail on a friends so i havent a great deal to compare it with.
Weaknesses:
The rear drop ous and the i-drive pivots creak and groan like mad after they have got wet/muddy. Apparently this is normal according to GT and just needs regular attention and regreasing but a bit annoying nonetheless. There is an article in this months NZMTBR magazine with how to service the pivots so must be common and maybe GT paid for th article to be done so as to cut down the customer queries!! I brought the bike mid-winter so bike has been hammered in really wet and muddy conditions.
Similar Products Used:
Giant Trance X1
Bike Setup:
I have just been running the bike as it came
Bottom Line:
Great bike - handles as much rough stuff as i can throw at it and gives rider huge amounts of confidence. Great looking bike as well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
who cares
a Downhiller
from south lake tahoe/huntington beach, ca, usa Date Reviewed: September 17, 2008
Favorite Trail:
toads, darnels
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
california
Strengths:
the bike goes up the mountains nice and smooth,can take good drops, handles tech sections easily, fun on fast jumps and hauls on downhill. pretty light for the travel and doesn't bottom out easily.
Weaknesses:
the maintenance on all the headset bearings and teflon spacers can take some time. the bike has a some rattle from the chain slap and on fast corners it seems to washout, but i think with some stiffer wheels the problem can be solved.
Similar Products Used:
s.c. heckler, trek session, haro xeon, kona stinky
Bike Setup:
stock except a shorter freeride/downhill steam with narrower bars. i am going to switch the wheels to some mavic cross to see if it handles a little better on the cornering.
Bottom Line:
the bike is really fun i have sold my other frames and only ride this one. it does it all and takes some beating better than most. if you ride a lot get some replacement teflon spacers they will be used and get comfortable maintaining all those headset bearings used in the i drive, they will start to squeak if you ride through water or a good amount of mud with regularity. if you are looking for one bike that can do it all try this one out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
skota
a Cross Country Rider
from Madison WI Date Reviewed: August 13, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Blue Mounds
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Very active, the suspension is working all the time. It's super easy to set up for different trails and feels super balanced. I've never had a bike that can climb, decend, handle switchbacks and just run over stuff like this bike. Best mountain bike I've owned!
Weaknesses:
keeping it clean, but thats just because I'm riding it all the time.
Bike Setup:
I have two sets of tires, and two handlebar/stem combo's that I'll switch out for different riding conditions. I'll run a longer stem and slight rise bar with 1.95 tires for faster trail systems and a shorter stem and wider/higher rise bar with 2.4 tires for technical places.
Bottom Line:
I have a 24lbs carbon hardtail and a 4" travel crosscountry bike collecting dust in the garadge. This bike is that much fun. And I love the way it looks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
keith
a Cross Country Rider
from martinsville n.j. u.s.a. Date Reviewed: August 3, 2008
Favorite Trail:
washingtonvalley park
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
this bike rocks at the rock i demo'd several gt bikes today at newmans ln. lou from gt an alex from efingers sporting goods bike shop did an awesome job putting on the demo today they were very helpful as i tested the bikes from the 29r to the marathon to the force an any other bike that was available i especially liked the 6 inch force. as the co- creator of the trail network in 1993-1997 ive seen more an more longer travel bikes in the park as it is a little rocky an my 4 in. is due for an upgrade to a 6 in.plus, since technology has made it possible with pro pedal tech
Weaknesses:
none , well i would have liked the levers switched because im a moto-x racer an i like my front brake on the right side but i adapted as all good riders can.
Similar Products Used:
nomad ,spec. enduro ,turner 6 pack ,turner5.5 , intence 5.5 ,turner exc .these are bikes ive ridden on these trails not today but they were a good comparason.
Bike Setup:
demo package, fox float 32,xt drivetrain an xt disc brakes
Bottom Line:
may the force be with you the bike just plain works great an i hear they are adding a carbon verson soon.an for the price its a great bike. thanks lou from gt bikes an alex fron effingers for a great demo day cant wait till next time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
norcalchico
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico Date Reviewed: July 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Bidwell park, chico,ca
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2600.00
Purchased At:
GT Sales rep
Strengths:
The I drive suspension works great. Zero Peddle Bob.Out fitted with full XT, Light for a 6 in bike only 30.12 for the GT force 1.0
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
GT 2005, Specialized stunpy and the Heckler.
Bike Setup:
Stock. No need to change out the great build GT put together.
Bottom Line:
Great bike. Takes everything you can throw at it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
fleury
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA Date Reviewed: July 1, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Peaks trail in Breckenridge
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2700.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Experience
Strengths:
Can’t find this spec on any other bike at this price that rides this awesome! Watch out Specialized this bike kicks butt. They stock the bike with a Thompson stem and post, as well as a Ritchey bar with a WTB saddle. Companies that actually make this stuff for a living. Or you could do like everyone else and make your own sub quality accessories and put their logo on it to make more on their bottom line.
This bike handles everything, climbs better than anything I have ridden. And tracks perfectly on the descends.
Weaknesses:
None, I mean it. Ride one, you will see and save money.
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruz Nomad, Specialized Stump Jumper, Trek, never what’s the point
Bike Setup:
I kept it stock, comes with full XT, and all the after market products I wanted were already on there.
Bottom Line:
The Independent Drive train deliveries big time, no pedal bob. No brake jack, this thing just rides like a dream. Now they have a cleaner Bottom bracket area. No more EBB, super durable and easy to work on. Buy this bike, you won’t be disappointed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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