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GT Avalanche Hardtail Bike Review

The GT Avalanche hardtails will easily get you through some of the toughest terrain and keep you on the trails for years to come, without wasting a lot of time making repairs on the trail or having to walk back for parts and repairs.

The GT Avalanche hardtail mtn bikes come with a rock solid triple triangle aluminum frame, Rock Shox or Suntour front suspension and disc brakes (on most models).

GT builds some of the best BMX and Mountain Bikes in the world and the Avalanche is their high end Recreational XC category bike. If you've browsed the mountain bike reviews on this site, you know that we rank GT very highly.

The Avalanche series includes the Avalanche Expert, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0. The "Disc" models all have Disc Brakes and GT also offers women's versions of most models.

GT Avalanche Features at a Glance: All GT Avalanche bikes have the NEW Triple Triangle design 6061 butted aluminum frame, GT Mtn Riser handlebars, and Disc and V-brake (depending on the model). Other components are dependent on the specific model.

Note: As of 2/1/2012 the 2012 GT Avalanche 3.0 is on sale and selling for $469.99 (new) at Performance Bike with free shipping options. See GT Avalanche 3.0 for the latest price and customer reviews. 

You can often get a great price on prior year models online. See All GT Avalanche models at Performance Bike for good deals on older GT Avananche bikes.

See GT Avalanche at REI for the latest prices and selections for this bike at REI.

GT Avalanche Model Comparisons:

The GT Avalanche series has 5 price/component levels (in addition to the women's versions). The 5 price/component levels are based on suspension and components.

The Avalanche models from highest (most expensive) to lowest (least expensive) are the Avalanche Expert, Avalanche 1.0, Avalanche 2.0, Avalanche 3.0 and Avalanche 4.0.

There are quite a few differences in the specific models but the biggest differences are between the Avananche Expert and 1.0 and the others. The Expert and 1.0 models use the Rock Shox form while the others user various Suntour forks.

See the REI or Performance Bike links (above) for their automated comparison feature to see the specific details.

About-Bicycles Review:

The GT Avalanche series bikes are some of the best hardtail bikes available for under $1,000 (although full retail on the Expert is a little over $1k). I like the Expert and the 1.0 best for the Rock Shox forks and lock outs, but the lower end models still have the same triple triangle frame and all have quality disc brake options. You can also select the traditional v-brakes if you do not want disc brakes (which will also save you some money).

GT mountain bikes, in general, are some of the best mountain bikes on the market and the Avalanche series are, IMO, the best hardtail mountain bikes for under $1,000 (or under $1,300 full retail for the Expert model).

It's not hard to recommend GT bikes at any level but I can easily recommend the GT Avalanche as the best hardtail in its price range.

Customer Reviews:

Most of the online customer reviews of the GT Avalanche, at the time of this review, were for previous year's models but were all overwhelmingly positive. Most customers have rated all of the GT Avalanche models very highly (4 stars or higher out of 5).

I believe that the customer review below (from Performance Bike on 6/4/2011) captures the overall theme of most of the other GT customer reviews that I have researched.

2011 GT Avalanche 2.0:

"I got a GT bike a few months ago and i like it so much that i got a second one, a full suspension and the hard tail Avalanche. Great bikes trust me!!"
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend - from PerformanceBike.com

Here are some older customer reviews that are also still relevant and that give you an idea about the history and reputation of these bikes.

2010 GT Avalanche 2.0 Disc: 

Great Bike: "I bought this bike for my 10 year old son. It's his first mountain bike, and he loves it!!! I look at this bike and think this is an entry level bike. But I remember when I started mountain biking 20 years ago the components on this bike were unheard of. Disc brakes, are you kidding me?!?!? Back then this bike would have been a few grand! ... " - From april 2010, REI.com.

2009 GT Avalanche 3.0 Disc:

Stomps on the competition for the price: "I bought this bike for my son's 11th birthday last summer, he is tearing up the single track and loving everything about this bike. Shimano component group has worked flawlessly..."
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend - from PerformanceBike.com

See the REI or Performance Bike links (above) for more information, additional customer reviews or to purchase the GT Avalanche.

2012 GT Avalanche 3.0 Disc Features at a Glance:

• Frame: NEW 6061 aluminum, Triple Triangle construction, forged bottom bracket, dropouts, and 1 1/8" head tube
  
• Fork: SR Suntour XCM-V3 MLO with 100mm travel QR, lockout
  
• Bottom Bracket: Tange Sealed
  
• Brakes: Tektro Novela cable disc, 160mm
  
• Cassette: Shimano CS-HG31, 11-32T, 8-speed
  
• Chain: KMC Z72, 8-Speed
  
• Crankset: Suntour XCT 42/32/22T
  
• Front Derailleur: Shimano Acera
  
• Grips/Tape: GT dual-density MTB
  
• Handlebar: ALL TERRA 6061 aluminum riser, 685mm
  
• Headset: Tange threadless, 1 1/8"
  
• Levers: Tektro 2-Finger
  
• Pedals: GT Slimline flat
  
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio
  
• Rear Shock: NA
  
• Saddle: ALL TERRA by WTB
  
• Seatpost: ALL TERRA alloy micro adjust, 30.9mm
  
• Shifters: Shimano SL-M310 Rapid Fire
  
• Stem: ALL TERRA threadless, 4-bolt
  
• Tires: Maxxis Sphinx, 2.1" Front/1.95" Rear
  
• Wheelset: Rims: Alex DM25 disc, double-wall, 32-hole; Hubs: ALL TERRA alloy disc 32-hole; Spokes: Stainless 14G

See the REI and Performance Bike links (above) for specifications on the other GT Avalanche models.

More helpful online bike sales resources:

See Best Buy Bikes Online - for the latest sales and deals on quality brand names bikes for sale online.

Most popular bike brands in US - WIth so many bicycle manufacturers, bicycle types and popular brand names sold in the US, that it can be difficult to find a comprehensive summary of the top 20 bike most popular bike brands.

See Online Bike Stores - for a complete listing of where to purchase the most popular brands for all bike types online.