Mountain Biking - GT Avalance or SCOTT Aspen

Hi there everyone,

I want to get a bike for on-off road / cross country cycling and was suggested the GT Avalance or SCOTT Aspen.
Has anyone tried either of them or would you suggest something else ?
(The money to be invested are in the range 500-700 $).

Thanks
Costas :)

I moved it to the right area for you. You will get more answers here :)

Cheers Maelstrom :)

What Avalanche model are you talking about?

aspen, because Gt bikes are...junkier... and Gt bikes have junkier components. Scott aspen all the way. Deore components.

I have an Avalanche that is probably seven years old and was build before GT went through all the ownership changes that hurt its rep. It has LX and XT components and for its time was a great bike. The newer hard tail frame designs like the Rockhopper I bought this year have a top tube that drops down at an angle to the seat tube instead of being parallel to the ground like the GT's. For the same frame size, the new designs seem much more manuverable. As much as I like the GT, time has passed it by independent of the component and quality issues people talk about today.

What Avalanche model are you talking about?


Im talking about Avalance 2.0 (model 2005). What is your opinion about it ?
Cheers.

aspen, because Gt bikes are...junkier... and Gt bikes have junkier components. Scott aspen all the way. Deore components.

Isnt it though that GTs are robust ? I mean what ever components they come with they stand the test of time.

The older GT that I have is an Avalanch, but I'm sure the origninal version and not the Avalanch 2.0. I did look at a 2.0 when I was deciding to get my next new bike, and I couldn't tell any difference in the frame design between my older one and the 2.0. It looked like the primary difference was in the components. Mine came with the best front shock Rockshok made at the time and LX components throughout except for the derailer which was XT. With the 2.0, I don't know anything about the shock they chose to put on it, but the rest of the components were not of the same quality. Regarding whether the current 2.0 components are "good enough", I think it depends on how much and how hard you ride as well as how well you maintain the bike. My wife is an occasional rider with a bike with Shimano Alivio components (a couple steps down from LX) and I have maintained it as often as my bike even though I ride a lot more. The components have held up very well for her.

For 2005 models, a side by side comparison component spec would say the Scott Aspen is a superior bike. That reflects in the price also, as it is 25-30% more than the GT.
As far as ride quality, handling and frame strength, well, they are fairly similar in geometry, tubing material, etc. So, I would anticipate the frames themselves being essentially equal.
The fork on the Scott is marginally better than the GT (Manitou vs. SR).
Probably the most important issue is Scott is a company that is coming on strong, while GT is (sadly) slipping into mediocrity. If you should have a frame warranty issue, Scott would likely be a faster and less complex responder.
Ed

Thanks a lot djcolorado and FS Tech u ve been really detalied and helpfull with your posts. :)

I just bought the Gt Avalance 2.0 and I love it. It's a great bike. I was comparing to the Trek 4500 and the Specialized Rockhopper. I like all 3 bikes. I cam home with the GT.

Years ago when I used to ride, I owned 3 different GT bikes all BMX.

Forced