Submitted by
Francisco Bazo
a Downhiller
from Vancouver,BC,Canada Date Reviewed: March 23, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Sexboy in the North Shore
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2850.00
Purchased At:
Cyclepath in Vancouver
Strengths:
Good handling in tight places. I can willie more with my GT XCR 2000 than with any other bike I've tried.
Weaknesses:
Too fragile for someone above 160 pounds.
Similar Products Used:
Norco vps 2
Bike Setup:
Z3 QR 20 XRT Rear, XT Front , 6" Hidraulic Hayes front and rear, sunlite rims and now 700 lbs fox rear shock.
Bottom Line:
I got this bike instead of the Norco VPS II because I do some cross country. I made a big mistake. The big mistake was trying to get one bike that is good for cross country and downhill, unfortunatlly that is just not possible.What I got was a bike too heavy for long rides and too fragile for the north shore of vancouver. I weight 190 pounds with my gear, maybe 200 but no more than that. I still love my bike but just for being a bike.The first serious break was when I did a very very steep rock face of about 15 to 20 feet and maxed out the rear air shock breaking the top support on the frame. I sent the frame for warranty taking almost a month for that. I sent the triangular part with the rear attached. They replaced the triangular and kept the old rear part, with a different color which I did not care. After putting everything together I noticed the rear going side to side and an ugly click click tieck teik noice. Bushings were trushed. OK we changed all the bushings and everything was the same. We phone the guys from GT and they told us that is because of the shock.....whaaat??? OK we put a new one and still the frustration. Then I took that ugly air shock and put a new fox with a 700 lbs spring which makes my bike feels a thousand times better but still the noice and the side to side movement of the whole rear part of the bike.Yesterday I took it to the streets for fun to do some lil drops and staf like that and the bushings gave so bad that if it was a dog would be the happiest dog alive, the tail just wags buadghhg. Now even one of my pedals is totally lose and there is no way to remove it from the crank and the other in bent. Tomorrow I am ridin my hard tail again because as always my GT is going back for warranty and takes for ever to come back.I am going to sell it as soon as I get it back and I'll get a Norco Shore. For cross country and long rides I'll use my steeffe cove of 23 lbs full XTR.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Reocreux
a Cross Country Rider
from St Etienne (France) Date Reviewed: December 14, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3200.00
Purchased At:
Jormabike
Strengths:
Very nice bike, looks like the lethal weapon for X-Country. Carbon fiber frame, lifetime warranty, components, good rider (when it works).
Weaknesses:
The i-drive system is too complicated to work correctly. Because of the i-drive, there are a lot of noises near the BB, the system is always broken, the 2 bearings and the i-drive (with the dogbone) are always used, so my bike was more often in my local bike shop than at my home, I have been disgusted by GT because they didn' want to recognise that they were faulty (even if they have changed my frame under warranty, the problem was always here after the replacement). I have never had so many problems (cannondale f 900 97 and Jekyll 2000 Sl 2001)with other bikes. Now I've moved on a great Jekyll 2000 Sl year 2001, I've no more problems and I enjoy my rides because my bike works correctly without strange noises as on the GT.
If I can give you one advice : NEVER BUY A GT, you will regret it.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale SV 900 (98), Cannondale F900 (97).
Bike Setup:
Mavic Cross Land
Bottom Line:
See above
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nigel Plummer
a Cross Country Rider
from England Date Reviewed: November 17, 2000
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Strengths - Are you joking
Weaknesses:
Lots - read below
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale Raven 2000
Bike Setup:
upgrade to full XTR
Bottom Line:
i am a very tough rider and bikes do tend to suffer when i use them. a folded the front wheel on the 2nd day I had it front forks adjuster broke rear shock went wrong. I drive kept needing attention and tightning. chrome gets very scratched. stickers fell off. rear pivot was not made properly and so the backend moved around I bought new bearings but the damage was already done´ rear shock bushing wobble - caused because of the faulty pivot and also they use fully threaded bolts which tear the bushings to bits. There was lots of noise as well because of the wobbly back end. Never buy a GT. The bike spent more time in the shop being fixed than off road. Good points - well thats a hard one. handling was OK and it did climb hills very well. looks stunning but with scuffed chrome and stickers falling off it sort of ruins it though. I've had a Cannondale Raven before this that had the same sort of abuse and it took everything I could throw at it. The bearing problem was that the 2 bearings at each end of the pivot were not apert but in fact one was in the correct place and the other one instead of being on the far left side was next to the right hand side bearing. Not a good thing at all. Conclusion - Never buy a GT. Buy a Raven instead
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Waialua Date Reviewed: July 29, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Climbing and pedaling thru technical sections. Great tracking thru turns at high speeds. Very efficient...Loves to fly! One of the best all around high performance bikes for those under 165 lbs.
Weaknesses:
Not durable for more hardcore freeriding (big drops,slamming thru rocky sections at speed. Creaky at seat pod. Though a lighter rider (140-160 lbs) could do almost anything on this bike.
Bike Setup:
xtr/xt, 517s
Bottom Line:
Well, I just wanted to give a final update since breaking the frame and returning it. GT authorized the shop where I bought it to replace the whole frame on the spot with a brand new STS XCR 1000, shock, i-drive and all! I went in prepared for a hassle and long wait, but Carl at the Bike Factory and the powers that be at GT stoked me out in a big way! GT comes through again. Even though I just ordered a new Bullit, I'm gonna build my i-drive back up by early next week so I can get as many "last rides " in as possible before selling it to my friend. I know he'll dig it as much as I did!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Waialua Date Reviewed: July 27, 2000
Favorite Trail:
any singletrack
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
great pedaling up and through technical stuff
Weaknesses:
Not durable for very hard freeriding. Creaky.
Similar Products Used:
Y-33, Intense Tracer
Bike Setup:
XT/XTR, SID XC, 517s.....
Bottom Line:
Just wanted to update my last review. Since then (1 month ago) I've broken my rear triangle at the chain stay and blew out my SID XC fork. I have to still say that I've really enjoyed riding this bike over the past year, but now it's time to move on and "upgrade" to something more durable with more plush travel. I wish GT had a Freeride style bike with the i-drive. I'd just have them repace my frame with that. This is one of the best cross-country full susp. bikes I've ever ridden, but I would'nt recommend it for those who thrash their toys. Any one want to buy a new STS XCR 2000 frame? Think I'll buy a Santa Cruz Bullit next....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Bloom
a Cross Country Rider
from Waialua, HI, USA Date Reviewed: June 21, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Kahuku & Mililani areas
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
i-drive works to maximize pedaling efficiency, great traction both up and down, looks mean!
Weaknesses:
Creaky where aluminum seat stay links to main carbon fiber triangle, must run rear shock (SID) with lots of air if you like to take big drops.
Similar Products Used:
Trek Y-33, GT LTS1, Santa Cruz Superlight
Bike Setup:
size-M, SID rear shock, SID XC long travel fork, XTR/XT mix, 517X with XTR hubs, Specialized Fear Master rear tire(2.3), Hutchinson On The Rocks II front, 747 pedals...around 27-28lbs
Bottom Line:
First of all, I'm 5'11" 185lbs and live to freeride! I am very hard on equipment. I've broken two of the bolts that link the rear shock, so I now run 225lbs of air in the rear shock to avoid the grief....Because of the higher air pressure the bike is less plush than I would like on rooty rocky stuff, but when I need it, the bike will still dish out about 4.5 inches of rear travel. No matter what anyone says, I think the i-drive works killer. I love to climb technical singletrack and this bike makes me love it more! I'll ride down pretty much anything on this bike without thinking twice. It's a perfect balance between a cross country race full suspension and a true freeride bike. The best of both worlds for an aggressive rider who is semi-weight conscious but wants something that'll handle most anything. I've learned to live with the creaking but still make sure everything's tight before a ride. It ain't cheap, but it's worth every dollar I've spent so far. Can't wait to take it with me to North Shore, West Vancouver this September. I'm bring'n an extra set of link bolts!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rick chaffin
a Weekend Warrior
from martinez, ca. Date Reviewed: September 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
pinenountain/downieville dh
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
overall comfort on long rides, traction on uphills, ability to descend at higher speeds.
Weaknesses:
weight, fireroad cornering due to higher center of gravity-amount of air pressure needed to prevent pinch flats, squeeking seatbracket
Similar Products Used:
gt lts,outland,
Bike Setup:
gt sts xcr 2000, z1-bomber fork w/ heavy (200 lb.) springs, sid rear shock mavic 517 rims, velociraptor tires
Bottom Line:
overall i'm very pleased with bike.i've noticed no loss of enrgy due to biopacing, in fact i can clear all technical uphills as good as or better than i could with my 23 lb. marin hardtail. main problem has been adjusting riding style to compensate for higher center of gravity. the only thing limiting downhill speeds is my ability- the bike is superplush on high speed technical downhills. made downieville downhill feel like a freeway!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ham man
a Cross-Country Rider
from nantucket Date Reviewed: August 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
beyond alter rock
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
i-drive rocks! suspesion aborbs whatever you go through, with noloss of power when yourpeddling hard. whoeverdoesnt like this bike is high!! your peddling hard.
Weaknesses:
too many gears. it goes way too fast.
Similar Products Used:
cannondale super v, gary fisher jousha,specialized fsr
Bike Setup:
sid front and rear,xt, xtr combo
Bottom Line:
fat, fat, fat. period. people say the i-drive is a hoax. all i know is that i am riding faster, longer and better. sorry, got to go. going out on a six hour ride. FAT!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
james
a Cross-Country Rider
from WA Australia Date Reviewed: July 3, 1999
Favorite Trail:
eastern states varous
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
I-Drive works, good freeride type bike
Weaknesses:
heavy, complex maintenance bits, wierd sizing, overpriced, not an XC bike like it wants to be
Similar Products Used:
in dualies, specialised FSR, cannondale super v, giants, sintessi, konas, various others
Bike Setup:
stockers with 545 pedals, oh yeah, longer stem
Bottom Line:
GT is right, the I drive works and this bike is not bad. Climbing is good, but bike is too heavy for hardcore climbing/XC racing. Decends better. Still a new product though, next years should be better. Anyone else reckon GT makes a very shor t(toptube) 18 inch frame? Very different to their hardtails.Overpriced in Australia, I can import a Turner for what their asking. Overall, good freeride bike, but could be much better. GT might think XCR stands for XC racing - but you won't be seeing me on the track with one. RE the bottom bracket thing, who cares how it moves - the priciple works
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lars
a Racer
from Phoenix, AZ Date Reviewed: June 16, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
Obviously you cannot possibly test a bike like this by just demoing it. It takes hours to get the suspension dialed in. And unless you are graduate from MIT you cannot even begin to understand the complex nature of the I-drive. Also GT DOES NOT list the weight of their bikes. So they cannot possibly lie about it. Just because you cant afford a bike like this don't rag on it.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bad boy
a Racer
from London Date Reviewed: June 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
anything WILD
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Strong, stiff and lightish. Looks the best out there. Designed very well, climbing is very good rather than excellent. But DHing makes up for that!
Weaknesses:
Must ride with rear shock at MAX, or it does BOBB a bit. Could do with better rims. No disc set up at rear.
Similar Products Used:
Kona (stab dee,lux) Cannondale Raven (discs) GT LTS, STS LOBO, Kona stinky, and Marin.
Bike Setup:
all original equipment used, except atomic pedals
Bottom Line:
Excellent bike for the money, not that much between it and the 1000, slightly heavier but just as strong. Excellent all-rounder. For playing around, racing XC and DH (but no disc breaks for rear). CURRENTLY the best bike out there for the money !!. BUY it you will not be disapointed.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Douglas Daniele
a cross-country rider
from north jersey Date Reviewed: January 29, 1999
Bottom Line:
The verdict is still out because I.m waiting for my own bike to come in but let me ask all you guys,does anyone one of you actully own this bike that you are rating? no, I didn't think so....I just picked 3 chills because it was in the middle and you could'nt post this without it!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bicky
a cross-country rider
from Montana Date Reviewed: January 20, 1999
Bottom Line:
I think that you all are flatlanders with stagnant backwater minds. First of all I beleive that even if the distance between seat and bottom bracket does not change or doesn't(I've personaly have never felt the need to measure), the fore and after position of bottom bracket does change in its relationship to the seat. It has to. It does not take a rocket scientist to see, when simply studying a picture of a URT, that the bottom bracket moves in direct relationship to the movement of the entire rear triangle. Regardless if the bottom bracket movement is up and down or back and forth or whatever,its position in relation to the seat changes-PERIOD. Over rough terrain this is felt at the pedal and that is not good. As far as the rediculous notion that energy is stored in the spring and released I also will give my two cents worth. Yes, it is true that the energy is stored in a spring and then released, but the release of energy pushes the bike verticaly not horizontaly. This creates a spring board action and does not contribute to the forward movement of the bike. Therefor energy is wasted-PERIOD. As far as the bike we are suppose to be reviewing here, I guess I am obligated to give my opinion seeing as how this is its space that I am filling right now. G.T. lies about its weight. It is heavy and it feels heavy. This is no lightweight cross country race bike. Heavy bikes climb slowly and take more energy getting to the top. The pivoting bottom bracket is big, ugly and unproven. Longevity is still a big question. With that said, I must admit that I am extremely biased in favor of more pure cross country designs and I am no freerider. This bike is extremely plush and smoooooth. It may not be faster than my FS bike up the hill, but it is a more capable descender than any lightweight XC race orientated bike. So take your pick. The question still remains XC race or freeride mania.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill Steele
a cross-country rider
from Brampton, Ontario Date Reviewed: January 18, 1999
Bottom Line:
All suspension systems will bob if you ride ragged, the trick is to pedal smooth enough that your centre of mass doesn't move up and down. This is difficult to acheive, but it is possible to minimize the effects that your body bob has on the suspension. Most full suspension bikes also suffer from some sort of drivetrain induced compression or expansion, this is because the chainline shrinks or grows as the suspension is compressed. This is not a bad thing! When some of your leg energy is absorbed by the the spring on your full suspension it is stored in that spring, (for all intents and purposes you can ignore the damping because any modern shock worth owning hardly damps small amplitude compression and rebound)now when your power stroke ends and you are in the 'null zone' where pedaling generally doesn't input much energy into the bike's forward motion the spring will decompress and pull on the chain causing a net forward force. This is because of the first law of thermodynamics, energy can not be created or destroyed. So in effect the drivetrain interaction with the suspension helps to smooth out the power that is applied to your rear tire giving you more traction. Now from a geometric standpoint the only things that matter on a suspenion system are how much the chainline changes when the suspenion compresses and the relationship of the seat to the bottom bracket. There are only three situations that can occur 1 the chainline is constant, but the seat to bottom bracket changes 2 the seat to bottom bracket changes and the chainline is constant or they both remain constant. (this disregards the forth alternative that I have only seen occur on the Storm DH) On the I-drive the seat to bottom bracket is constant and the chainline grows. There are simpler ways to acheive this situation, namely a monoshock setup such as Cannondale, Marin, Santa Cruz etc utilize. These designs closley mimic the performance of the I-drive with only one pivot, no eccentric bottom bracket, no dog bone. The I-drive is a rube goldberg design, it belongs to that class of moustraps that missed the point. Sure it works well, but with proper pivot placement a single pivot would perform exactly the same. Now, a URT must have change in the bottom bracket to seat distance under compression, this is a geometric truth unless the pivot is located between the seat rails, however on many bikes the change consists of between 1/4 and 1/2 inch under full compression so it is understandable that it seems there is no change under a 1/2 inch of sag when most offer 4 plus inches of travel. Now as to a review, the I-drive does work and someone riding it will enjoy its performance. Ultimately that's what any suspension should aspire to, performance for the rider. So I'm going to subtract one chili for an overly complicated design and one more for not providing for active braking (I know, that would just induce a more complicated design, but hey I need to be inconsistent) so Three Chilies
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Feid
a cross-country rider
from Harkonan Date Reviewed: January 18, 1999
Bottom Line:
Obviuosly N has never riden a URT. Maybe softride is the only ROAD bike that has seat movement relative to the BB. Anyone can look at numerous FS MTBs that dont pivot exactly on the BB and SEE what bandicoot is saying. Anyway, good design GT, except for the der relationship to the gears.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
N
a downhiller
from NY Date Reviewed: November 20, 1998
Bottom Line:
Bandicoot, The only currently available suspension design in which the distance between the seat and BB changes is the SoftRide bikes where the rider is floated on a beam that is independent of the BB. All other designs, 4 bar linkage, VPP, cantilever beam and URT maintain a constant and unchanging distance from seat to BB.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bandicoot
a cross-country rider
from USA Date Reviewed: November 10, 1998
Bottom Line:
Chris, Chris, Chris.... will people like you NEVER learn??? I test rode the XCR also. Now lets get to the point about this bobbing. ANY suspension will go up & down with enough force applied, including the I-Drive. What makes the I-Drive unique is the BB stays the same distance from the seat so that your body may feel bobbing , but if you pay attention to your pedaling and the ride, you will notice your LEGS feel no bobbing! So sit down and pedal. You will find the I-Drive is one of the best suspension bikes available. Im only giving four chilis because of my initial fear and prejudas about plastic frames
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chris
a racer
from New York Date Reviewed: November 6, 1998
Bottom Line:
NO way. It's all a lie. I told a few people I know who were in the market for a light fs bike to watch for the new i-drive. Although I was very apprehensive about the open BB design, GT's marketing and all of the reviews that I read said that it was very efficient. I was a fool to believe. I rode a version of this bike last night, and it bobs under pedaling forces as much as any single pivot Cannondale or Basic Horst Link design (Specialized, AMP, Turner, etc.)This may not be a bad bike, and I did not ride it off road, so I am not qualified to say anything about what kind of bike it is. I do however, know that the Outland is much more efficient and still active, as is the mighty Brooklyn Supertrucker DH bike (which uses a 2nd chain/jack shaft).What a hoax! It bobs! The reviews I read said that it was efficient. This merely affirms the suspicion that most reviews are unreliable. Don't listen to me, go ride it and see. Ride a Brooklyn Machine Works (If you are that lucky - as of now, only 4 exist), or ride an Outland (I own one, and as much as I like it, it has it's flaws) and you will see the difference between active suspension that is truly efficient, and a typical Bicycle Corparation load of marketing lies. I rate this bike neutral since I did not ride it off road (Maybe other reviewers can take a lesson from my example).
Overall Rating:
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