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GT iT1

MSRP $
# of Reviews 9
Average Rating 5/5
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Submitted by kanine a Downhiller from Italy
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2009
Favorite Trail:finale freeride
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $4000.00
Purchased At:doctorbicycle
Strengths:ginternal gera, nice balance, hard frame
Weaknesses:weight (21.2 kg, difficult to change rear wheell
Similar Products Used:big hit, demo 9
Bike Setup:40 rc2-dhx5- hope m4-shiamano saint....
Bottom Line:it's a dream became reality... since i saw for the first time this bike I want it...and now i've it.
it's really fast if u are able to push it.
The internal gear is fantastic.
it's not a bike for win races but for ride stronger sever years without problem!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jay a Downhiller from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2007
Favorite Trail:Thredbo Cannonball
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $6000.00
Purchased At:Gunpoint Bike Shop
Strengths:No more Chain guides to un'guide, No more Derailleurs to "Deraill". Bashguard unlikely to get bashed. 21 gears (equivalant)in the twist of the wrist. Doesnt pedal like a 8" waterbed. Little to No Maintenance. A Gravity Fiend's Daydream =)

Weaknesses:-Tribal Pattern ruins a otherwise Smik Paintjob and Color.
-Not really a weakness; but the Chain must be setup nice and tight to avoid coming loose.(We all had a Bmx, not hard to do).
Similar Products Used:Specialized FSR, Foes LTS, Norco VPS, San Andreas, Rotec, M1, Sintessi Bazooka.
Bike Setup:Stock for Now. (40's/DHX 5.0/Hope Mono M4's/Saint Stuff) The DX pedals are Fine once you change out the included Pins
Bottom Line:I remember seeing the prototpe in a magazine back in 98' (Complete with Motorcross Seat and fender), and thinking "That is what a DH Bike should be, I want!!", and Here it is! Deraillers are a thing of the past, and the sooner designers embrace the "gearbox" concept, the sooner they can do away with the whacky, over'engineered suspension designs we are seeing coming out now (Keep it simple stupid). If you Frequent a Chairlift or 10m Gaps; "This is the Bike for you"
Cheers to GT for the IT-1!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Dan a from All over
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2007
Favorite Trail:Rough and steep
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Unbreakable, durable, part spec. Little to no maintenance. I've had horrific crashes on this, drivetrain and the rest of the bike are flawless. Super tough bike, geometry is great for big guys. Still pretty flickable. Feels PERFECT. GEARBOX IS THE .
Weaknesses:Shifter is less than perfect. A big long for some tight corners, better learn to drift if u wanna win races. A bit burly, but I swapped out the 40 for a 66sl. Stock shimano pedals are garbage, no grip.
Bottom Line:Best freeride/DH bike on the market. Not gonna win races, but I intend to have this bike for many years. Great for any DH or freeride stuff. I've done everthing from 50 ft gaps, the 20 foot drops, to super fast techy steep DH. I've taken this bike all over the World literally. Works better than new since I put new brake lines on the front and new pedals. Gearbox still works perfectly. Chains, cogs still in perfect shape. I don't forsee doing anything to this bike but occasionally changing the brake pads and tires.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Tim a Downhiller from new zealand
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:National downhill
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $2000.00
Purchased At:Plant Cycles
Strengths:This is a mint bike, Take up all the small bumps is easy to throw round and the internal gearbox is a great idea. Instant changing and changing without out pedeling are great for freeride and dh. All the components on the bike are great.
Weaknesses:Fox 40's, Drive train
First of all the fox 40's are average. I have had a bit of a play with them but the are still not really suited for freeride. I am going to have to spend extra for theese to be suited to freeride because the stock springs that come in them are way to soft. Second the chain that drives to the back wheel keeps droping and getting stuck between the frame and tyre. We thought that this was just set up so we set it up to how it said on the internet and it just keept doing the same thing. I also broke the chain tensioner on my second ride of the bike.
Similar Products Used:Kona stinky dee-lux, Keewee Cromozone
Bike Setup:gt-it frame with fox dhx 5.0 stock components, 5050 pedals
Bottom Line:This is a great bike. There is no worry about having to replace an expensive derallier. The internal transmission is great. I would say this is definitly the best bike i have ever ridden. If it is set up right it is mint so if you get one make sure it it set up for your weight and the style of riding you do.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Eric Reece a from LBZ, CA USA
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:Telonix/Luge
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:private party
Strengths:My riding style is a little dated. I like feeling like I'm riding a CRF 450 and this bike feels just like that. It makes me feel like a better rider. The whole set up feels stretched out and solid and i dig that. The part spec is top shelf though i chose to change stem, bar, post, and seat. Chassis is just unbelievable. FOX 40 best fork i have ever sessioned.
Weaknesses:If there is any weakness its the shifting. Grip shift is creepy and the fact that nexxus is a comfort bike set up, does not inspire alot of confidence. The tranny is pretty solid, I just get the feeling I will be replaceing the stock nexxus grip shift sooner than later. i have no problem with the gear ratio.
Similar Products Used:Shockwave 9.5, Kona Stinky 9, Giant Team DH
Bike Setup:Diabolis stem, bar, post: all 31.8. WTB saddle, full Saint including hubs and brakes,Sun MTX wheels,Michelin DH soft Rear, WTB Raptor 2.5 front.
Bottom Line:The bike just rides like auto pilot through anything. The geometry is near perfect for DH'ing,and near perfect for FR'ing. It sits right in the middle. It pedals amazing for a really heavy rig.
*Note. I threw a chain on the right side final drive. It destroyed the swing arm and all prepriatary GT drivetrain parts such as pully mounts, tensioner etc. Really ugly. Freakish. The Bike Co. in Lake Forest, CA where the bike was originally purchased, sent it in to GT R&D and they replaced the swingarm and all damaged components NO questions asked! It was the finest customer service I have ever experienced. GT and The Bike Co. are true pros and they have my business indefinately.
**Right side chain tension is the prevention method for this. Make note of it and check it frequently.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Scott Colson a Downhiller from Bozeman, MT
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2006
Favorite Trail:Keyhole @ Big Sky
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $3800.00
Purchased At:Bob's Bikes in Boise, ID
Strengths:Component spec is A+. The drivetrain works all the time and you can trust it when you mash the pedals to hop off a ladder or a drop. You can shift while coasting. You can shift from 1st to 8th gear quickly, easily, and reliably. The transmission is super smooth. The Fox 40RC2 is a major step up from the 40R because the dual compression adjustments really help me to keep the fork from bottoming and nose diving while braking. Transmission is well protected. Unsprung weight is minimal, and the bike is nicely balanced.
Weaknesses:The chainstays are long (17"+), which makes lofting the front wheel a bit tough, but the long chainstays and wheelbase sure keep the bike stable.
The drivetrain and transmission create more drag or friction than a normal drivetrain, even when coasting.
Similar Products Used:Norco A-Line
Banshee Scream
Scott Nitrous
Bike Setup:Stock, except a longer stem for more cockpit room because mine is a medium, and I usually prefer a Large.
Bottom Line:I am so happy to have a DH bike with a drivetrain that is tougher than the road bike's! This bike has already saved me the price of at least one deraileur. GT has combined the reliability of a single speed with the necessity of multiple gears. The GT IT1 is not a race bike, its a bike that will work all day even after the lifts are closed. Thank you GT for solving my drivetrain problems from expensive chainguides to expensive deraileurs and casettes.
If you have a shuttle driving girlfriend, or a chairlift; Buy this bike.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jan Cerny a Downhiller from Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, EUROPE
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:Bozi Dar, Klinovec, Czech Republic
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $5000.00
Purchased At:Theosport, Czech Republic, EU
Strengths:No derailleur, no cassete, rear wheel is almost the same weight as front, rear 20mm axle makes rear suspension system very stiff, there are only 2 lenghts of spoke all over this bike, you can ride trough the swamp and your Inter Transmission shifts 8 speed as if in dream. 230mm(9") rear wheel travel and 203mm(8") travel of Fox 40RC2 is ideal for DH, however you can lower the travels about 50mm(2") F/R. The bike with 150/180mm (6"/7") travels and with Fox's propedal on DHX 5.0 shock, and compression tuning on fork 40RC2 gives you a very different (slopestyle?) bike. With its 1200mm(47") wheel base is very skillful. You can also change wheel base in the space of 20mm(0.8").
Weaknesses:Nexus shifting in grip is very BAD for downhill.
Weight: with DH Michelin tires and DH tubes grows up to 22kg.
One of two chain must be preloaded, from whence it follows that chain is more often wears off...
If you have defect on rear tire/tube, the changing is about 20 minute sweet working (bike stand recommended)
Similar Products Used:Haro DHR (FSR system) with 888, DeeMax, Hope Mono6-Ti; SCOTT OCTANE with Shiver SC; benest.cz with 888 and mechanical 8" Avid and many hardtails (Trek, Scott, Cannondale)
Bike Setup:Shorter Easton Havoc stem, wider Easton monkey lite DH handlebars, Shimano PD-M647 (SPD) pedals, aluminium bar ends, Michelin DH tires/tubes...
Bottom Line:I feeling this bike as 100% DH machine (except grip shifting and original Kenda kevlar tires). You don't need chain guide again (yeah), no more problems with chain falling, and breaking off thederailleur. The frame seems very duty - after three months biking and after four DH races looks very pretty. There wasn't any single problem with transmission.
I AM PREFERING DH RIDING AND RACING AND THIS BIKES GIVES ME A VERY SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR THIS!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Brad Reece a Downhiller from Laguna Hills, CA,, USA
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2006
Favorite Trail:Santiago Oaks
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $2500.00
Purchased At:Bike Company, Lake Forest, CA
Strengths:The build spec is ridiculous--All Saint components, Fox 40RC2 and DHX 5.0, Easton Bars and Stem, and so on.

The cockpit is comfortable. I am 6'4" and ride a large and find it to be very roomy.

Cornering is excellent. I am a bit surprised by that actually, I wasn't expecting it to rail like my race bikes, but it really does.

It pedals incredibly well for being such a beast.
Weaknesses:You'll hear this again and again...and again: the gearing. It's too spaced out for racing applications. I like to run a road cassette with an XO der. and shifter because the action is quick, smooth, and aggressive. The Nexus 8 speed is used in comfort bikes and, unfortunately, those characteristics are slightly evident even under the veil of sick dh/freeride platform. I have mixed emotions on the grip shifting, too. It's just a matter of getting used to it though.

The flames on the frame look a bit "tribal tattoo" for my taste. It's just too predictable I think. I would rather see something a bit more "Gucci"--something more creative and high-end--not flames or lightning bolts.

Performance--the bike jumps well and is very stable at high speed. It also corners very well which I mentioned before.
Similar Products Used:Azonic Eliminator, Mountain Cycle Shockwave 9.5, Giant Team DH, Santa Cruz V10, Iron Horse Sunday, Ellsworth Dare
Bike Setup:Fox 40 RC2 and DHX 5.0; Sun MTX wheels; Saint cranks, front hub, brakes; Easton bars and stem; SDG IBeam saddle (forgot the model); Kenda Nevegal/Blue Groove combo.
Bottom Line:The IT1 is an awesome piece of engineering in addition to being a superior "black diamond" mountain bike. Given the gearing situation, I would not consider this bike a good candidate for a dedicated racing platform. There are simply far better, more dedicated machines for that purpose. As an enthusiast, however, this bike is just fun to own becasuse it is so trick and exotic and it really turns heads. In addition, all of the hardware is top shelf and the quality and performance are superb. Finally, the internal gearbox gives this bike distinctive characteristics that you won't find in most bikes of its kind (as in DH or freeride).
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Edward a Downhiller from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:you yangs
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $5000.00
Purchased At:Busy Matts bike shop
Strengths:9 inches of rear travel(fox dhx 5 rear shock), hope twin piston brakes, Fox 40rc front fork, 8spd internal transmission
Weaknesses:um.. not really any weaknesses, gear spacing is pretty long could be a little closer spaced.
Similar Products Used:Norco team vps,
Bike Setup:GT IT1 , new bar ends, 24 inch rear atomlab PIMP,2.7 inch arrows tyre
Bottom Line:This bike will take that ass to the next level, feels like a yz 125 with pedals, I flat land the bike on 15 foot gaps and hardly notice, shift while pedaling flat out, this bike has changed the game forever. There are two chains so theres a little more pedaling resistace than some are used to but over all its nothing to worry about, If you can, buy one of these bikes, you will never go back. As you shift up thru the gears you never realise your doing it. Butter soft and bling.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5






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