Is GT any good?
 

So the wife finally settled on the 2011 GF Marlin. I don't get it, but she feels comfortable on a 600mm top tube.

As for me, I'm eyeing the 2011 GF Cobia
I like the bike, I like the fit, I like the price.
BUT...

There's a GT Karakoram 1.0 that's $250 less.
Is there anything I should know about the GT brand, before I make a decision?
Or about GF?
I know GT have been bought by some toy making company, and that GF have been consolidated into Trek.
But is GT any good still? Can I trust the frame, more than anything else?

Appreciate any input on this.


Cobia
http://tinyurl.com/6z483vw

------------------
Frame
6061 T6 aluminum, butted & hydroformed tubing, cold-forged dropouts & bottom bracket, G2 29" Geometry
Front suspension
RockShox Recon 29 w/Solo Air, TurnKey lockout, custom G2 Geometry, 51mm offset crown, 100mm travel
Sizes
15.5, 17.5, 19, 21, 23"

Wheels
Shimano M475 hubs; Bontrager Ranger 29 Disc 32-hole rims
Tires
Bontrager 29-2, 29x2.1"

Shifters
SRAM X.5, 9 speed
Front derailleur
Shimano Deore
Rear derailleur
SRAM X.7
Crank
Shimano Alivio, 44/32/22
Cassette
SRAM PG-950 11-34, 9 speed
Pedals
Wellgo LU-216A
Headset
1-1/8" threadless, semi-integrated, semi-cartridge bearings
Brakeset
Promax Hornet hydraulic disc brakes, 6-bolt; 160mm rotors



Karakoram
http://tinyurl.com/5saxyo2

----------------------
Type of Frame

NEW 29" WHEEL, HYDROFORMED, 6061-T6 ALUMINUM, TRIPLE TRIANGLE DESIGN, W/ ZEROSTACK HEAD TUBE, DISC MOUNT, REPLACEABLE DERAILLEUR HANGER

Fork
ROCKSHOX RECON SILVER TK 29" SOLO AIR, 100mm TRAVEL, STEEL STANCHION, MAGNESIUM LEG, W/ REBOUND ADJUST & LOCKOUT
Crank
SHIMANO FC-M430, OCTALINK, 44/32/22T
Bottom Bracket
SHIMANO BB-ES25
Shifters
SRAM X.5, TRIGGER
Cog Set
SHIMANO CS-HG30-9, 9 SPEED, 11-34T
Chain
HG53
Front Derailleur
SHIMANO ALIVIO, FD-M430
Rear Derailleur
SRAM X.7, LONG CAGE, CARBON
Rims
ALEX TD24, 29", 32H
Front Hub
ALL TERRA ALLOY DISC, W/ QUICK RELEASE
Rear Hub
ALL TERRA ALLOY CASSETTE DISC, W/ QUICK RELEASE
Spokes
14G STAINLESS
Nipples
BRASS
Tires
KENDA SMALL BLOCK EIGHT, 29x2.1", 60TPI
Front Brake
SHIMANO BR-M445, W/ 180mm ROTOR
Rear Brake
SHIMANO BR-M445, W/ 160mm ROTOR
Brake Levers
SHIMANO BL-M505
31.8mm CLAMP
Headset
FSA NO.11N 1 1/8" THREADLESS, ZEROSTACK

I was a HUGE GT fan back in the day, but they have gone way down hill since. I think they are now owned by Pacific and are no more than a glorified Roadmaster, and it makes me very sad.

I have a GT Zaskar 2010. It's alright. I dont have any complaints about it. The most important during any bike purchase is the quality of the components and how it fits.

Here's my baby.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_O...0/IMG_1241.jpg

I had a GT commuter and it felt pretty shaky in the front at higher speeds. I traded it in after about a week.

sonnetg - I thought the most important thing in a bike is the frame?

Any more thoughts on the quality of GT as a bike/frame manufacturer? Does anyone know of pro teams who ride GT?

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?

I used to be a pretty serious (read:addicted) road cyclist. Now I'm looking to get into MTB, after a 3 year hiatus from cycling altogether. I tried MTBing with my wife a few times on her fathers entry level Ironhorse and Trek. We both realized we had fun and decided to buy our own bikes. So, at the beginning, we'll definitely be riding only occasionaly, like on the weekends and vacations. If that develops into something more serious, I cannot say.

I realize the difference between the GT and GF isn't that one is a racing bike and the other isn't. I just want to know that the difference of $250 doesn't come with a catch that I'll regret down the road. I don't mind that the Karakoram is a tad heavier, but I just don't want to find out that that's due to the fact that the frame is made from some cheapo aluminium from melted window frames or something.

These days it's pretty easy for some factory in China to buy the GT name and just mass-produce bikes with the GT logo on them with little to no research or quality control.
Is that the case with GT?

Eric Carter, Hans Rey, Mick Hannah, Mike Day. I'm sure there are more, that's just who I can think of. Brian Lopes until recently.

Not familiar with Karakoram versus Cobia. I almost bought a Chucker before I saw the Komodo on sale though.

thats crazy about GT. i remember back when i was a kid in late 90's early 00, a GT was all we would dream about. sad...

As with all big makes, they offer really bling bikes and they offer a basic level bike for entry level riders. What it all comes down to is the aura that the same company that owns GT/Schwinn also owns Pacific(Doral.) Same thing with Cannondale.

I wouldn't mind owning a La Bomba in the future.
http://www.gtbicycles.com/bikes/moun...a-bomba-orange

Yes..... Just like Cannondale, GT is owned buy Pacific..... Pacific=JUNK. In the 80's and 90's when GT was Made In America it was a Awesome bike, now it is nothing more than a glorified Pacific Big Box Store Bike. As far as Pro's who ride them, who cares...... Pro's ride for whoever pays them the most. Also, buying a bike due to better components is NOT a reason to buy a bike. You want a good solid frame, as components can be upgraded as they fail or sooner.

Did you ever ride or own a GT? You are making big assumptions without even owning one. My GT has seen it's fair share of abuse....and no it did not break!

Are there any bikes made in America anymore? I also own a Surly, which i always thought was made in USA, but guess what, the frame is made in Taiwan. This does not make the surly an inferior bike. The aluminum GT frame would not be a match against the Surly chormoly frame, but it doesn't mean the GT frame is fragile.

GT hasn't tanked. They make some excellent bikes. As stated above, some great riders still riding for them. The Zaskar, Chucker, Force...lots of great designs. Good bang for you buck too!

Heck man...I'm starting to want a GT again now. I had a Vertigo Street back in the day. ACS rotor, pegs, frame standers, fork standers...layback seatpost. YEAH!! OLD SKOOL!!

Get me a medium Ruckus with some Vision Streetwear stickers on it.

http://www.gtbicycles.com/media/uplo...ed_preview.jpg

I take my previous comment back. The frame would be the most important and safety factor for any bicycle. The thing is i never had any issues with frames in the past. Maybe, it's my luck, but I also dont jump around and pull stunts with my MTB, so that may be thats why it lasts...

Here' my frist Wally world MTB (roadmaster by pacific cycle). It's a steel frame. My GT Zaskar wont be able to compete with this frame in the durability department, but this weighs a ton... :lol:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_O...0/IMG_3910.jpg

So to sum up, I can buy this bike with confidence? It's not like buying a bike at Walmart, or the Israeli equivalent thereof?

Because I gotta say, I really like the bike, and i've just read a pretty good review on BikeRadar.

This answer your question? 1995 MADE IN THE USA Tequesta.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...yer1961/GT.jpg

Cool bike. What happened to it? Is it a steel frame?

Yes, it's a Cro-Mo frame and fork...... Nothing happened to it, it's still going strong as ever. I ride my 1995 Trek 7000ZX (also made in the USA) more for some reason. I love the GT and the Trek and could never choose one over the other. I bought a 2011 Gary Fisher (Kaitai) and hardly even ride it, I find myself jumping on the 7000ZX or the GT and leaving the Kaitai in the garage. Here is the Trek, and the Kaitai. The Kaitai is more of a duel purpose bike than an all out mountain bike.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...1/IMG_3029.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...1/IMG_3002.jpg

OOPS... Almost forgot my 94 GT Backwoods. This one is aluminum with a Cro-Mo fork.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...1/IMG_2066.jpg

Nice pics man. I started biking recently, so i have no idea on bikes made during the 90s. I prefer steel frames over aluminum. Not sure why...as i never had any problems with Alumnum frames, but i know many who have issues with broken or cracked Aluminum frames. I love my GT Zaskar 1.0. It's light and seems durable. I paid $900 for it so it was a great deal at that time. Only time can tell how it holds up.

Here's some more pics of my babies: https://picasaweb.google.com/sonnet....ingAdenvtures#

Those are some awesome pics!!! I love the trails you have to ride as well. I'm sure your GT will hold up fine, I'm just an old stick in the mud. I like aluminum just fine these days as I don't ride hard anymore (being 50 sucks) I leave that to you young guys. My Cro-Mo Tequesta ride MUCH better than my aluminum Backwoods, but my aluminum 7000ZX rides as good as the Tequesta go figure.

The quality is going downhill as most manufacturers try to save on cheap parts and labor. I bought my GT expecting it will last at least 10 years. I would be darned if it lasted more. It was not the case a decade or two ago. You can still see bikes or the road made in the 70s or earlier. I doubt any bikes made in the 2000's would last 30 some years. (most consumers also have the mindset to "upgrade" when a new model comes out. it's sad but true..)

You are correct my friend..... It's not just with bikes though, it's with cars, household appliances, you name it. I'll be honest, my 2011 Kaitai is no where as well made as either of my GT's or my Trek 7000ZX sad but true. Then again the Trek was over $800.00 in 1995 and the Tequesta if my memory serves me correctly $650.00 and that was a good bit of money 16 years ago. Today you seem to get a lot of bike for $800.00 with shocks, disc brakes and things like that, but the quality has gone down the shi**er. I do have to say your GT does look really nice!

Not trying to pick a fight with you, but that frame was made in Taiwan.