yeah...what's up with the frame? The frame that comes with my GT could have been lighter, but i dont really have any complaints regarding the weight. The bike fits me perfectly. I am not a hard core mountain biker, so my opinion will vary from many pros.

As for my decision, it was based on brakes, drive train, gearing, fitting...it was on sale and looked cool too.

The worst thing that I hate about GT is their sizing chart. It comes with S, M, L, XL...and the sizing is not consistent. eg, A small frame on the Avalance was too small for me, but a small Zasker frame fit me perfectly. So make sure you have the bike fitted properly.

What is your purpose for MTB? Racing or Occasional riding?