Found a GT, good deal?

[drumbum540]

Hi, I have been looking for a beginner off-road bike and I like the GT's.I found an avalanche 2.0 disc for $360. It seems like for the most part it has good components for the price. The bike has good reviews but I am looking to see what other riders think. Also, I am only 14 years old so I can't come up with much money. I would probably upgrade forks though. I want to be able to use it on downhill courses but not at full speed, and not hitting any jumps over 5 feet.
Thank you for any responses.

[sanjuro]

This is probably not the best forum for your question. You should put this in the beginner forum or the Tech Talk.

This seems like a decent starter bike though, if it is new. Otherwise, $360 is a little high for an used bike.

[Pat...]

How many forks do you want to put on it?

[r464]

There is a beginners' forum.

This does not belong in Downhill.

(You only need one fork).

[Eren]

but the stock forks looks good on it.

make sure the forks you upgrade to is good

:poster_oops:

[drumbum540]

Yeah, It is a new bike and I am hopefully going to the lbs to try it out. If I uprgaded the fork/forks I would probably get manitou nixons. They seem like they have good reviews, and people like em'. I wouldn't want to spend more than $250 on a new fork/new forks. so which one is it fork or forks?Thanks for your help!
-drumbum540

[pinkshirtphotos]

fork, forks implies you have multiple or your from pinkbike.

so how many nixons are you getting?

[thom9719]

guys, leave the kid alone, he is stoked to start riding, and that's all that matters.

for an entry level bike, the GT is a good buy. however, it won't last very long for a downhill application. I would try to find a used freeride/dirt jump hardtail. it will have better geometry for jumping, and stronger parts. look for something like a giant STP, or a Kona Stuff/Cowan, etc.

Kyle,

[big-ted]

fork, forks implies you have multiple or your from pinkbike.


Just like confusing your and you're... ;)

[ire]

Do you have any pics of the bike?

[jonKranked]

Do you have any pics of the bike?

google is your friend!



To the original poster: For the price point you are looking at, I would recommend getting a Specialized (no joke!) I used to work at a S'zed dealer and the bikes they have at the price point you are looking are pretty much the best bang for your buck. It comes with a good parts build, and the bike is SOLID. Also, Specialized is good with warranties. I once had a guy bring in a frame that he bought 15 years ago brand new, with a crack in the frame. Specialized warrantied it basically no questions asked, and he had a brand spankin' new frame at no cost.

[davep]

fork, forks implies you have multiple or your from pinkbike...

Or you are from just about any country other than the US......


Sure the typical use in the states is 'fork' but going out of your way to poke fun at a 'newb' (including your own gramatical errors) when he is nicely asking for help, just makes you look like an ass.

[ire]

google is your friend!

I meant of the actual bike, not the manf. pic

<edit> nm, I assumed it was a used bike

[drumbum540]

thom9719- I just came back from one the LBS and they had the Giant Rincon and it was a decent price. The components looked decent but the fork<-(Did I say it right?) I wasn't too impressed with. It was really stiff and It came back up way too fast- I don't know what it's called. maybe rebound? I don't know but I didn't like it that much. They also had a Cannondale F7 but I didn't really like that bike. All of those bikes that you recommended are quite a bit pricey. I appreciate your recommendation but I don't have that kind of money.
jonKranked- I was very close to buying an '07 Specialized Hardrock disk but instead I bought new drums! I do really like the bike a lot though and it rides pretty nicely,very well for the money. Hopefully later today I can go to the other LBS and try out a couple specialized and GT's. The specialized is a very good price so in a couple weeks/months I could probably afford to buy a new fork. And since you worked at a specialized dealer do you know if the hardrock has a 20mm axle? or could fit a fork with a 20mm axle without buying a new wheel set?
Here is a picture and specs od the GT avalanche.
http://i21.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/cd/b7/917b_1.JPG

[jonKranked]

no, the hardrock doesn't come with a 20mm front axle. You could definitely put a 20mm axle compatible fork on it, but in order to do so you would have to buy a 20mm front wheel; there's no way around it.

[drumbum540]

wouldn't you want a matching wheel set though? or does it not matter?

[Yeti]

side note: remember to keep saving for the rest of your life...as soon as you upgrade your fork and start going faster, wheels will fail, then brakes, etc, etc....and someday you will end up with a big kick ass dh bike. have fun with whatever you buy and don't let the monkey bring you down.

[jonKranked]

wouldn't you want a matching wheel set though? or does it not matter?

nah you don't "need" a matching wheelset, other than having the same size wheels - GENERALLY (some people are getting away from this; using a 29" front wheel and a 26" rear). That's besides the point. There's no laws saying that you need to buy a matching wheelset (front & rear together). Sometimes you can find a good deal by doing so, but its not mandatory. More than likely you'll be able to save some $$$ by just upgrading the front wheel if you decide to go to a 20mm axle.

[CarlE]

wouldn't you want a matching wheel set though? or does it not matter?

That's a questions only you can answer as it would be your bike. What type of riding are you looking to do? As long as you're just looking to get out on the trails and start riding off-road you'll be fine with the price point you're looking at. You may out grow the bike rather quickly but it's always better to by the cheaper bike first and upgrade down the road then to buy the expensive bike straight away and let it collect dust after 1 ride.

[drumbum540]

Ok, good point Yeti. thank you both for your help! and im sorry about posting the same Thread all over the forum. I didn't know which category it would go under! my bad
-drumbum540

[drumbum540]

CarlE- I have no clue what kind of riding im going to be doing. maybe a little bit of everything except downhill and big dirt jump. and I agree that I need to start with a crap bike and upgrade as my skill/liking for the sport increases. I was just looking for a bike that I could buy crap but upgrade components as I became more experienced. Thank for your help!

[springfish]

Have you considered buying a used bike? Maybe something that would of retailed for about $1500 new that's about a year old? You'll probably get much more for your money. Just a thought.

[CarlE]

CarlE- I have no clue what kind of riding im going to be doing. maybe a little bit of everything except downhill and big dirt jump. and I agree that I need to start with a crap bike and upgrade as my skill/liking for the sport increases. I was just looking for a bike that I could buy crap but upgrade components as I became more experienced. Thank for your help!

Not crap, entry level. Crap will leave you so pissed off you'll never want to get into the sport.

[mandown]

guys, leave the kid alone, he is stoked to start riding, and that's all that matters.

for an entry level bike, the GT is a good buy. however, it won't last very long for a downhill application. I would try to find a used freeride/dirt jump hardtail. it will have better geometry for jumping, and stronger parts. look for something like a giant STP, or a Kona Stuff/Cowan, etc.

Kyle,

no, what matters is this kid has whipped this topic to death in the freeride forum and his enthusiasm is exceeded only by his inability to comprehend there is no Holy Grail DH bike you can get for under $500.

[drumbum540]

springfish- yes I have been looking through craiglist and the classifieds for used bikes. I have found a few but don't know if they are any good. and right now I have a crap bike. haha. and ive been saying the whole time that im not looking for an extreme downhill bike. Im looking for an affordable bike that can make it on moderately difficult trails. or the easy downhill trails at Deepcreek.

[thom9719]

thom9719- I just came back from one the LBS and they had the Giant Rincon and it was a decent price. The components looked decent but the fork<-(Did I say it right?) I wasn't too impressed with. It was really stiff and It came back up way too fast- I don't know what it's called. maybe rebound? I don't know but I didn't like it that much. They also had a Cannondale F7 but I didn't really like that bike. All of those bikes that you recommended are quite a bit pricey. I appreciate your recommendation but I don't have that kind of money.

check out the used section of pinkbike. there a a few in here in your price range that would suit you much better than a large XC bike.

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?q=Giant+STP&category=0&region=3

Kyle,

[mandown]

you lookin' at this one
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/267734/
http://i5.pinkbike.com/photo/1495/pbpic1495939.jpg

good price and good build. rear disc would be nice, but whatever.

[drumbum540]

Ok, thank you Thom9719.

[drumbum540]

that pink bike place is amazing!

[muddy beast]

I have a feeling this thread is going to get no where, but I could be wrong.

But yes, I recommend pinkbike...it's a great forum!

(Walks off...)

[Bldr_DH]

^^Pwahaha