GT force 2.0

[stevebuff]

I'm starting to shop for a new bike, does anyone here have experience with the GT force 2.0 pros and cons would be helpfull thanks. Steve

[Gunchie]

Very cool looking bike, but it is an All Mountain bike. This means you will have a lot of travel in the suspension which is good in rough stuff (stuff you will not typically see in the Midwest), but will sacrifice pedaling efficiency. If you are looking for a full suspension bike with plenty of travel but still climb well then you should look into the trail bikes. These tend to have 5 inches of travel and are more upright and relaxed for day long rides. If you are looking for a full suspension you can race on I would go for a 4 inch travel bike that has a little more bent over race geometry. But honestly for the Midwest a good hardtail works well for anything the Midwest has to offer (a little rough at Blue Mound, but do-able). You will also get more bang for the buck with a hardtail. Also, if you get a 29er it really smooths things out yet still climbs and handles amazingly. The 2010 Zaskar 9r Expert or Pro are both awesome bikes and the components are pretty good. Even though they say they are race bikes, both would be comfortable to ride on for a nice long day ride. Hope this helps!

[jimithng23]

Very cool looking bike, but it is an All Mountain bike. This means you will have a lot of travel in the suspension which is good in rough stuff (stuff you will not typically see in the Midwest), but will sacrifice pedaling efficiency. If you are looking for a full suspension bike with plenty of travel but still climb well then you should look into the trail bikes. These tend to have 5 inches of travel and are more upright and relaxed for day long rides. If you are looking for a full suspension you can race on I would go for a 4 inch travel bike that has a little more bent over race geometry. But honestly for the Midwest a good hardtail works well for anything the Midwest has to offer (a little rough at Blue Mound, but do-able). You will also get more bang for the buck with a hardtail. Also, if you get a 29er it really smooths things out yet still climbs and handles amazingly. The 2010 Zaskar 9r Expert or Pro are both awesome bikes and the components are pretty good. Even though they say they are race bikes, both would be comfortable to ride on for a nice long day ride. Hope this helps!

holy crap Gunchie! where did this knowledge and zen-mastership of biking come from? wow! :eek:

[Gunchie]

Pure addiction to mountain biking, and it's only getting worse. I actually went up and did a race in the snow in Leadville. Altitude sucks!

[stevebuff]

Thanks Gunchie that makes sense, I do want a full suspension bike though I think I'm leaning twords a trek ex7, or 8 but i'm open to more sugestions and input from the unlimited knowledge sorce which is FORC so lay it on me fellow peddlers!

[Byke Dood]

Two wheeler
I was really looking hard at a new Trek EX 8 but I read to many posts that there has been a lot of problems with the rocker link pivot point :shrug: something you might want to check into.

[Gunchie]

Don't blame you. Full suspension is nice. From your choice in bikes I'm assuming you are looking for a nice trail bike with 120 mm (5 inches) of travel. These are really good all around bikes that have plenty of travel for the rough stuff and still climb pretty well. If you are all about just getting out to enjoy the ride and having beers with friends this is the perfect bike. I love my trail bike and I haven't found any single track yet that it hasn't been able to handle. Just remember, if you ever get the racing bug in you, this is not the ideal bike.