[acs]

Lookinig at the GT i-drive 5 1.0. I haven't been able to find any reviews & unable to test one out in the flesh. It seems like a sweet setup, and I'm wondering how it stacks up against the 575, 5-spot and the new enduro, which I was very impressed with. weight? how does it pedal? how does it track?...Thanks
try to refrain from the GT hating.

 

[blue]

It's awesome. Simply, awesome. I rode the bottom barrel one with the Splice up front and I was very impressed. Felt somewhat beefier than the 575, and pedaled excellently.

I haven't ridden a 5-spot, so I can't compare, but the ID5s can be had cheaply brand new. Get one and don't listen to the GT haters...They rock!

 

[SkaredShtles]

It's awesome. Simply, awesome. I rode the bottom barrel one with the Splice up front and I was very impressed. Felt somewhat beefier than the 575, and pedaled excellently.

I haven't ridden a 5-spot, so I can't compare, but the ID5s can be had cheaply brand new. Get one and don't listen to the GT haters...They rock!

You wanna buy blue's? He's trying to get rid of the P.O.S.



-S.S.-

 

[blue]

You wanna buy blue's? He's trying to get rid of the P.O.S.



-S.S.-

I don't have a 5...I have an ID-XC, douchecake

And the IDs are anything but pieces of sh!t. The 5s, IMHO, look nicer than the XCs. Nice matte paint schemes with beefy tubes and beautiful welds.

It comforts me to say that whenever I see a suspension design, I can usually go with "Hey, at least it's not an NRS..."

 

[The Toninator]

is it a new bike? i've heard lots of people breaking their i drives.
their HT's were awesome!

 

[SkaredShtles]

I don't have a 5..<snip blah blah blah> "Hey, at least it's not an NRS..."

I told you - I love riding a bike that other people think is a P.O.S.

This way I can *always* blame the gear.

-S.S.-

 

[blue]

is it a new bike? i've heard lots of people breaking their i drives.
their HT's were awesome!

Yep, the ID5 is the newest incarnation of the I-Drive...I haven't heard of people breaking them. Are you talking about the older ones?

New:

 

[mtnbikej]

Yeah, but I don't wanna have to call Pacific in the event that the bike does breake. Since GT has come back, I have seen them in very few shops.

I didn't care for the way the original I-Drives rode....plus they were a pain in the ass to keep the concentric clean.

Just my opinion.
mtnbikej

Yep, the ID5 is the newest incarnation of the I-Drive...I haven't heard of people breaking them. Are you talking about the older ones?

New:

 

[blue]

Yeah, but I don't wanna have to call Pacific in the event that the bike does breake. Since GT has come back, I have seen them in very few shops.

I didn't care for the way the original I-Drives rode....plus they were a pain in the ass to keep the concentric clean.

Just my opinion.
mtnbikej

If your dealer's Pacific rep is good, I don't think you'll have any problems. A few months ago when I was contemplating getting rid of my ID-XC frame for a hardtail, he offered to get me a new Zaskar frame for cheap (they only come complete). Now that Pacific got bought by Dorel, they don't seem to have "take over the world" aspirations anymore. Plus, they're concerned with keeping GT as their high-end brand and seem to be trying damned hard to bring the name from the gutter. You probably wouldn't have any problems should a warrantee issue arise.

 

[SkaredShtles]

If your dealer's Pacific rep is good, I don't think you'll have any problems. A few months ago when I was contemplating getting rid of my ID-XC frame for a hardtail, he offered to get me a new Zaskar frame for cheap (they only come complete). Now that Pacific got bought by Dorel, they don't seem to have "take over the world" aspirations anymore. Plus, they're concerned with keeping GT as their high-end brand and seem to be trying damned hard to bring the name from the gutter. You probably wouldn't have any problems should a warrantee issue arise.

"GT" and "high-end brand" in the same sentence.

The 3rd sign of the Apocalypse.

-S.S.-

 

[blue]

"GT" and "high-end brand" in the same sentence.

The 3rd sign of the Apocalypse.

-S.S.-

You were saying...?

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Rockin the Nexus

 

[SkaredShtles]

You were saying...?

Looks like junk.

You were saying.........?

-S.S.-

 

[blue]

Looks like junk.

You were saying.........?

-S.S.-

I was going to say it looks flexy.

 

[Skookum]

is it a new bike? i've heard lots of people breaking their i drives.

The first year run had issues with too much load on the dogbone part of the linkage. First year runs always have issues. That along with the fact that at the time the I-drive supplanted the LTS which was a popular bike to thrash around because even though it was a bobbing nightmare of a climber, it was a blast to descend with. GT customers tried riding just as hard with their new I-drives and they failed.

Yeah, but I don't wanna have to call Pacific in the event that the bike does breake. Since GT has come back, I have seen them in very few shops.

Alot of this has to do with how GT has changed the way they sell their bikes to shops now. Used to be shops did not have to order such a large stock as they demand now, so from that, you don't have smaller bike shops carrying them anymore.
Plus you cannot even order individual frames. i think that doesn't speak so much of the quality of the bikes or the technology but just dumb business practices.

I didn't care for the way the original I-Drives rode....plus they were a pain in the ass to keep the concentric clean.

i don't think the modern i-drive even has an isolated swivel i-drive mechanism anymore. It appears as if they've made the same effect from pivot points in the frame. And when i had one, i just rode the hell out of it and bought a new one to replace haha. So my train of thought was when you buy a new one that's essentially a cleaning, as clean as you can ever get one. ink:

My thoughts on the I-drive frame. GT was ahead of the game on a pedal efficient bike. It led them to the reward of bancruptcy haha. But really i don't know how well they've kept it together after the Pacific buy out. i for one am skeptic of them since i used to be a customer before the bancruptcy and their customer service was OUTSTANDING! i'm not sure how it is anymore. The i-drive technology is solid, that's why i'm sure they haven't gutted GT brand to a Wal-Mart bike like they did to Schwinn (which was merged with GT prior to the bancruptcy). ANYWAYS when i looked at the GT Ruckus i-drive i noticed that the seat post would slam directly into shock stanchion (effectively destroying it/oil leakage). That really got me thinking that the new crew at GT didn't really have any practical insight on this bike. That's worrisome.....
But anyways the i-drive itself is a great climbing bike. i think it's one of the more proficient climbers out there. But it is similiar to a single pivot frame design and suffers from some of the failings of a single pivot. You won't feel the bob since that's what the i-drive is designed to do, keep the length the same from your cranks to your seat regardless of where your suspension is in while being active. It unfortunately will suffer from brake jack.
Anyways good luck, i still am sentimental for GT's, i miss my LTS.

 

[blue]

Alot of this has to do with how GT has changed the way they sell their bikes to shops now. Used to be shops did not have to order such a large stock as they demand now, so from that, you don't have smaller bike shops carrying them anymore.
Plus you cannot even order individual frames. i think that doesn't speak so much of the quality of the bikes or the technology but just dumb business practices.

Wrong and right. The shop I ride for is pretty small and they carry GT. It seems they don't require as big of a commitment as Specialized/Trek/Kona do.

The fact that GT doesn't sell frames alone really bothers me...I ride/race an ID-XC 1.0, and I really would've liked to buy the frame alone and build it up the way I wanted (IE, non-Shimano). Sadly, I got stuck with a component spec I really didn't love, although it is a damned good spec for the price. I spoke with GT's product director at Sea Otter, and he said they might start selling frame kits soon, but nothing definitive.

i don't think the modern i-drive even has an isolated swivel i-drive mechanism anymore. It appears as if they've made the same effect from pivot points in the frame. And when i had one, i just rode the hell out of it and bought a new one to replace haha. So my train of thought was when you buy a new one that's essentially a cleaning, as clean as you can ever get one. ink:

My thoughts on the I-drive frame. GT was ahead of the game on a pedal efficient bike. It led them to the reward of bancruptcy haha. But really i don't know how well they've kept it together after the Pacific buy out. i for one am skeptic of them since i used to be a customer before the bancruptcy and their customer service was OUTSTANDING! i'm not sure how it is anymore. The i-drive technology is solid, that's why i'm sure they haven't gutted GT brand to a Wal-Mart bike like they did to Schwinn (which was merged with GT prior to the bancruptcy). ANYWAYS when i looked at the GT Ruckus i-drive i noticed that the seat post would slam directly into shock stanchion (effectively destroying it/oil leakage). That really got me thinking that the new crew at GT didn't really have any practical insight on this bike. That's worrisome.....

The Ruckus needs to be redesigned. You are very limited in seatpost adjustment, you just have to cut it. I've never seen anyone demolishing their shocks without being idiots (IE, lowering their posts onto the shock). But you're right, the Ruckus has problems because it still uses the eccentric BB. I'm thinking it may be redesigned for 2006. I don't think there is a "new crew" at GT. Pacific kept around the engineering and management, as far as I can tell. What I gathered from talking to the GT guy at SO was that Pacific throws money at them, gives them vague goals, and they do what they want.

Also, Pacific has "trickled down" the i-Drive technology to all the Schwinn and Mongoose FS bikes, but named it different things for each.

But anyways the i-drive itself is a great climbing bike. i think it's one of the more proficient climbers out there. But it is similiar to a single pivot frame design and suffers from some of the failings of a single pivot. You won't feel the bob since that's what the i-drive is designed to do, keep the length the same from your cranks to your seat regardless of where your suspension is in while being active. It unfortunately will suffer from brake jack.
Anyways good luck, i still am sentimental for GT's, i miss my LTS.

I haven't noticed brake jack with mine, as it is a 4 inch XC bike, but GT claims the newest incarnation of the i-Drive to be a "modified 4-bar". The old ones were just single pivots with eccentric BBs.

 

[Skookum]

Wrong and right. The shop I ride for is pretty small and they carry GT. It seems they don't require as big of a commitment as Specialized/Trek/Kona do.

GT is more marketable and had been marketable to aggresive riders and bmx'ers, at least back in the day. Specialized and Trek have always dominated the XC market, it just seems a shop would have way more of an easy time moving their bikes. Just a thought on why shops aren't commiting to selling 20 Zaskars just to have a few high end bikes that may not move.
But i'm really qualifying myself here, i'm just re-hashing a vague conversation i can barely remember of why my LBS doesn't carry them anymore, and in fact only one shop in the Seattle area does, that i know of right now. Probably more than i don't know... but still.
And Kona? Haha i still want the old Rasta Stinky Delux to mount on my wall, but i'd probably wouldn't bother riding it.

I haven't noticed brake jack with mine, as it is a 4 inch XC bike, but GT claims the newest incarnation of the i-Drive to be a "modified 4-bar". The old ones were just single pivots with eccentric BBs.

That makes sense.
Yes i owned one of the last American made models, i believe the second year run, so it appears as if my info is definately outdated.

 

[trailblazer]

GT=crap.
gimme a real bike and a real company with a track record that lasts more than 5 years without bankruptcy procedures and scares.

I-Drive does not work it is a myth and it will never ride like a VPP.
Heavy.
bulbous,
and
precambrian.

 

[blue]

GT=crap.
gimme a real bike and a real company with a track record that lasts more than 5 years without bankruptcy procedures and scares.

I-Drive does not work it is a myth and it will never ride like a VPP.
Heavy.
bulbous,
and
precambrian.

Since your opinion around here is so incredibly valuable...