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Submitted by
Corbett
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | hortkid@yahoo.com | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | performance bikes | | Strengths: | This bike has taken everything I can dish out. Great welding and strength. It feels like a tank compared to my friends "carbon this and that" bikes, but it has held up through it all, mud, rain, drops, speed, etc. This was my first FS and it was way out of my league when I purchased it but it has made me a better rider. I upgraded as necessary-mavic rims, sram x-9 shifters and rear derailure, wtb seat, race face bottom bracket and crank, shimano clipless pedals, it needs new shocks because being 200+ pounds I have worn them out. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy bike overall compared to what else is out there. | | Bike Setup: | see above | | Bottom Line: | Great starter FS. Will whip you into shape. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tony vazquez
a Weekend Warrior
from warwikshire, england
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | halfords | | Strengths: | my first full suspension bike. realised quite soon that at my age needed comfort more than speed. nice ride cross country and down hill gave confidence, made up for my lack of ability on more than one occasion. most of the fitted components lasted well. | | Weaknesses: | i drive replaced after about 1200 miles as developed a noise, fitted locally at a cost of about £130, realised quickly that they were'nt sure what they were doing by the look on their face's. noise came back a few hundred miles later, had a good look at it myself and changed the 'dog bone' link, sure thats what it was called, problem solved, cost £10. i drive dose'nt like mud. rock shox judy xc's fitted, they lasted about 6 months before they started squeeking. rear shock fox vanilla developed a slight high pressure leak which i put up with but made hill climbs hard work as bike liked to bounce a bit after long ride. Standard 'v' brakes..dont work well when in 6inches of mud or the wet. | | Similar Products Used: | giant nrs. | | Bike Setup: | as standard except for the following upgrades - marzocchi bomber forks, hope minis, xt front and rear mechs, hope xc rear hub. | | Bottom Line: | nice and comfortable bike which was more than capable on all sorts of surfaces. did mostly cross country but also did a few decent trails and never let me down in nearly 5 years, even though i tend to have a go at things i should'nt..because of age and lack of talent!
bike now is just a frame in my garage. stripped all the bits and fitted them to a trek6500 hardtail frame. (was going to buy a new i drive but decided on the giant mainly because of maintenance issues), most of the orignal parts still seviceable after about 3000 miles. not sure if the frame would take kindly to someone who rides it very hard on a regular basis, i'm an old bloke who gets out when he can! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alex kostecki
a
from Geneva
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Les Gets - Montchery | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | Athleticum | | Strengths: | This Bike is pretty cheap and simple. I think it resists alot to what you throw at it. I downhill and freeride and since i didnt have much money, i bought this one and it worked fine for me. Been going off 6 ft drops. The climb is fine, and although it wasnt made for it, the decend isn't that bad. The rims that come with is are pretty good, the I-drive system works pretty well keeping the chain taught and the seat an tires are pretty good. | | Weaknesses: | This bike does tend to break a bit and i wouldnt say the suspension is amazing. I had to replace my cranks after the first month, and the bike ended up in my workshop every month, and in the shops workshop about 7 times in 2 years. That said, maybe thats because i was using it for other then what it was meant... | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bottom Line: | This bike is pretty versatile, and even though you might not necessarily feel comfortable doing it, it will take alot of what you throw at it.
Things i replaced are:
-The pedals (terrible)with the Tioga freeride pedals
-The tires (the Tioga Extreme XC tires are fine but wear out quick) with Kenda Kinetics
-The saddle (the seat that comes with it is good though) with a DMR tenth anniversary saddle.
-The grips (they're good but i wanted to change a bit)
-The rear derraileur (about 5 times!)
-And the rear rim.
The bike is good for some soft all mountain riding, and i would change the brakes as v-brakes aren't the best.
Oh and DONT BUY THIS BIKE FOR FR/DH... you'll be unhappy... | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Craig
a Cross Country Rider
from San Ysidro
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | USA/MEX border | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$650.00 | | Purchased At: | Salt Water Magic Imperial Beach | | Strengths: | Strong frame, climbs very well, front wheel does not wander. For my purposes, the amount of shock and fork travel are perfect. Rides lighter than it feels. Great saddle. | | Weaknesses: | The original V-brakes were a bit weak for my liking, also the front derailier was out of it's league,(Alivio) Yuck! | | Similar Products Used: | KHS Alite 1000, GF HOKORIKO II, | | Bike Setup: | See Below | | Bottom Line: | I have since changed the V-brakes to Tektro discs, of course the rims and hubs were also changed, WTB. New bars, seat post, pedals, shifters,XTR ft dr, Deore rr dr and levers complete the upgrades. I have raced this bike three times to three top ten finishes in my age group, 50+. I rode down shutes so tight,steep and fast, on a rim brake bike, I would have gone over the bars too many times to count. It handled all the East County of SD could dish. I am very happy with this bike as I have it set-up. If you find one, grab it. They are well worth the money. Plus being upgradable, you can build your superbike. Those of you who are considering a XC full-supension bike, look for this as a great first full-supension. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Elliott
a Downhiller
from Las Vegas
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Bootleg | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Great frame, Decent components for the $$. Super fun Bike | | Weaknesses: | Mine has rim brakes. | | Similar Products Used: | hardtail Fishers and Specialized. | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awsome for anyone getting into our sport. My skills have gotten much better just from riding this machine, and it cost the same as most hardtails. Components will need to be swaped as required, but that's the beauty of getting a great cheap bike. The iDrive system works great, this bike climbs as well as any hardtail I've ridden. Even though there is only 3-4" of travel it does a really good job of soaking up the trail. I can seriously say that I've done alomst all types of riding there is in my area on this bike: XC, DH, FR, skate park, some decent drops and DJ's. This thing is a beast. Now that I've had it for a while I'm gonna upgrade to a higher travel bike and also get something for park, but I will definately keep this one in my stable. Highly recommended if you can get it at a good price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CJ Grijalva
a Weekend Warrior
from Graham WA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | backyard jumps, skate parks, neighbors' hills and trails, etc. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Beafy Frame, great for beginners, good price for design and components, I-drive system, handling. | | Weaknesses: | Not enough suspension adjustment. Only 3.5 inches of travel! Then again, it is only $750. Made me get into freeriding(if thats a weakness). | | Similar Products Used: | mongoose something(returned it the next day). | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Shimano PD M324 pedals and a shorter seat post. | | Bottom Line: | I guess I could be called a bike abuser. I know that this is a trail bike, but I use this bike for jumps, drops, skate parks, and mild downhill. I am only 135 lbs so I guess it isn't harming the bike. The fork is good for jumping because it is stiff, but the shock(fox vanilla coil) is too soft and bottoms out on one foot drops when tuned using the included 'perfect preload gauge'. I solved this problem by tightening the spring, which brought a slight 'bounce'(darn, no rebound control). But I don't care, I still love to ride. Other than the rear shock, the bike holds up great to my bashing-I dropped 5 feet onto a soft transition, bottomed everything, then kept riding(don't ever try that on this bike, even if you are as light as I am). I decided that my next bike will be a Demo 9.
At the top of the page it says this bike has 100mm(4") of fork travel and 4.5 inches of rear travel. For some reason, mine has only 3.5 inches front and back(I measured)! It might be because I got size small frame, but I'm still disapointed at this rip off. I might get a new shock, but I'm afraid it will mess up the I-drive mechanism.
When riding trails with my friends, I usual fly past everyone, stop and let them pass me, then repeat. I love flying past them on the downhills, jumping a good 20 feet, then popping a good hundred foot wheelie on the way to the truck. None of this I could have done on my old bikes(walmart cheapies).
If you want an inexpensive or entry level trailbike that can take a mild beating, this bike is great for the money. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Racer
from killeen, Texas
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Several | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | Johhy YUMA's Bike Shop in Yuma Arizona | | Strengths: | I have made sevaral up grades but for the initial bike set up its about the strongest for the money, under a grand. It is vert agile, strong easy to operate, and when tunned rides better than my yeti arc that has all xtr componenants. | | Weaknesses: | Seat post has to be cut, so it wouldnt bottom out. | | Similar Products Used: | GT i-drive 2.0
| | Bike Setup: | all xt compenenants, with disc brakes. | | Bottom Line: | I would highly recommend to a first timer in the sport that wants to spend a lil amount of money.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fil A
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$480.00 | | Strengths: | Good shocks, solid frame. | | Weaknesses: | Brakes aren't the best, front deraileur. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant VT2 | | Bike Setup: | Stock for now. Shorter stem and clipless pedals. | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike. I've had it about 2 months, and I've ridden it on average every second day (if not more). The stock suspension is surprisingly good. The rear shock especially seems to be quite firm which I like, but others have thought maybe a softer spring is in order. I weigh about 160lbs though, so take it with a grain of salt. Saddle is good. The shimano alivio front deraileur isnt the best. I have had some trouble shifting here.
This is my first "real" (ie not from k-mart) bike, so I might be a bit inexperienced riding real trails. However I've been on some pretty hairy trails with this when riding with more experienced friends, and its been great. Everyone who's ridden it has liked it too.
Excellent value for money. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to get into mountain biking but doesnt have too much scratch to throw at it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shoddy
a Weekend Warrior
from San Ramon, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Rockville | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Versatile....jumps, downhill, climbing....it does it all. This suspension works great, the rims(Syncros) and the front shocks(MZ Comp) are holding up as well. I'm 6'5", 230 lbs and so far, this XL frame has helld up well. | | Weaknesses: | Front De-Railer(low end Shimano) and the front hub(ball-bearing)generic maybe. | | Bike Setup: | I added an taller neck due to my height and I will upgrade the front hub and the front de-railer but other than that, it's stock. | | Bottom Line: | It's a great bike for little money. I ride with guys on Marins, Ellworths and Klein and the GT hangs. The only problem I ever had on the trail was the front de-railer. It's my first bike and I won't be trading it in, but I may upgrade the components from time to time. Best bike for the buck IMHO. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Quentin
a
from Lyon
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | everywhere where it'is steep with nice jumps | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$690.00 | | Purchased At: | velostore | | Strengths: | It'is pretty light, the suspension work pretty well, they can take nice drops and gaps. I have jumped 6 stairs with it and the landing was really smooth. | | Weaknesses: | no disc brakes, alivio set up isn't great but they are working pretty well at the moment.There is no lock on the suspensions. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | I haven't changed anything yet because i just got it but I am probebly gonna but hydraulic disc brakes pnit and a marzocchi 66 vf for more travel. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is really nice, the suspensions are workin pretty well and you can do nice gaps with it they will take it. it is also light, it is good climber and downhiller. if you are just starting like me by this bike, of course the suspensions don' have a lot of travel but they work just fine for a beginner. don't be affraid to do drops with it the bike is gonna take them (not to hight do, it is not a downhill bike). The suspensions don't need to much care just wash the bike after using it so that there won't be any mud stuck in it.
Its a great bike, if you are a beginner just take it!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a
from Sussex, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Red Dot | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$650.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Its a great all around bike and I haven't had any serious problem with it yet. Both the front and rear suspension work fine. It takes small drops nicely and is light enough to climb with. You won't find a better full suspension for this price. | | Weaknesses: | The rear brake handle broke but it was easily fixed. Otherwise there are no problems. | | Bike Setup: | I haven't changed anything on the bike but I am going to. | | Bottom Line: | You can't go wrong with this bike for it's price. This bike is especially great for a beginner or some one on a budget that wants to take their bike just about any where. The bike is light enough to climb with and a good descender. I no longer have to wonder if my bike can get over that or can it get down that because the GT can. I bought this bike and haven't looked back since. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pete Y
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond Hill, Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Purchased At: | Trails Richmond Hill | | Strengths: | I find that the suspension on this bike just eats the bumps, and asks for more! | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Bike Setup: | disc brakes added, few extras, but nothing much. | | Bottom Line: | This is a really great bike for under a grand, and handles great on and off road. I would strongly recommend this bike to anyone who has a price range under a grand, and who wants a great bikethat doesn't need a ton of upgrades to actually be fun. I actually look forward to getting this bike out, and seeing what kind of wild ride I can get myself into next. take one for a test ride...you will not regret it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a
from Bountiful (SLC) UT
Date Reviewed: April 7, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | All of Northern Utah!! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$750.00 | | Purchased At: | Bountiful Bike Center | | Strengths: | Light weight, good looks, the stock equipment works very well. | | Weaknesses: | None yet. | | Bike Setup: | Stock with just a few added features. | | Bottom Line: | High performance all purpose, High speed low drag....This bike rules! It looks good on the trails as well in the back of my Dakota (same color scheme...matched lugage for the truck I guess). This bike works very well. The 100mm forks are about medium on the hard/soft scale. The rear Fox shock is also good to go, not a whole lot of travel but this is a moutain bike not a Suzuki RM250. The frame and forks will support a disc brake set up should you want to go that way in the future, I will soon. If you are looking for a good lower cost full suspension bike with awesome qualities, this is the one for you. I am glad I bought this bike!! I'm giving it 5 flamin' bowel twistin' chilis! SEMPER FI AND OOOHRAH! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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