I went to a shop and saw this GT frame that I have never seen before, and was printed Avalanche. The Shop keeper told me that it's the 2003 model.

It has no more triple triangle style, and looks a bit weird. The tube that holds the saddle pole curves upwards towards the end, and the whole frame looks smaller.

Has anyone seen it yet?

I haven't seen any of the new bikes, but have heard that it's available. I read that they're even still producing the I-Drive!

L8R

There was a bit on www.bikemagic.com a month or so back about te new frames - definitely i-drives and I think zaskars.

The iDrive is popular. What's so good about it?

It's a Cocentric Bottom bracket with a "dog-bone link" It's a little heavier than other full suspension designs but works incredibly well! The bottom pivot IS the bottom bracket. It feels wierd (o.k. different) at first, but the first time you ride some roots or some really rough terrain you'll appreciate the effort that was made by GT's designers.

There are a few drawbacks however. Since GT's the only one making them, parts are only available through GT dealers. If you're on vacation and no GT dealers in the area and something goes wrong, you're screwed! Second, if Pacific decides to drop GT, the replacement parts are no longer there! Thirdly, the design weighs more! Fourthly, (Is fourthly a word?) proper set-up is critical to performance! Lastly, the cocentric is a mud collector. And mud and moving parts don't mix!

L8R