GT Avalanche 3.0
GT are know for making good mountain bikes and the Avalanche 3.0 is no exeption. There are better bikes on the market but they are also considerably more expensive. The only issue I see with the bike are the pedals which tend to become slippery when worn or wet, which can simply be upgraded once they become worn. The GT Avalanche 3.0 is well built, smooth shifting, handles real well,I don’t think you’ll find a better bike for the price.
2011 GT Avalanche 3.0 - SPECIFICATIONS
| TYPE OF FRAME | HYDROFORMED, 6061-T6 ALUMINUM, TRIPLE TRIANGLE DESIGN, W/ ZEROSTACK HEAD TUBE, DISC MOUNT, REPLACEABLE DERAILLEUR HANGER |
| FORK | SR SUNTOUR XCM-V3-HLO, 100mm TRAVEL, STEEL STANCHIONS, ALUMINUM LEG, W/ LOCKOUT |
| SIZES | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL |
| CRANK | SUNTOUR XCT-30V2-T2, 42/32/22T |
| BOTTOM BRACKET | TANGE SEALED |
| SHIFTERS | SHIMANO SL-M310, RAPID FIRE |
| COG SET | SHIMANO CS-HG30-8, 8 SPEED, 11-32T |
| CHAIN | KMC Z72 |
| FRONT DERAILLEUR | SHIMANO ACERA, FD-M360 |
| REAR DERAILLEUR | SHIMANO, RD-M410, ALIVIO, 8 SPEED |
| RIMS | ALEX DC25, DOUBLE WALL, 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 | MAXXIS MOBSTER, 26×2.35″, FRONT; MAXXIS MOBSTER, 26X2.10″, REAR |
| PEDALS | GT SLIM LINE FLAT PEDAL |
| FRONT BRAKE | TEKTRO NOVELA CABLE DISC, W/ 180mm ROTOR |
| REAR BRAKE | TEKTRO NOVELA CABLE DISC, W/ 160mm ROTOR |
| BRAKE LEVERS | TEKTRO |
| HANDLEBAR | ALL TERRA 6061 ALUMINUM RISER, 685mm WIDTH, 25mm RISE, 31.8mm CLAMP |
| STEM | ALL TERRA 1 1/8″ THREADLESS, 4-BOLT W/ CNC FACE PLATE, 5 ﾰ RISE, 31.8mm CLAMP |
| HEADSET | TANGE SEIKI 1 1/8″ THREADLESS, ZEROSTACK |
| GRIPS | DUAL DENSITY, GT WING W/ WAFFLE |
| SADDLE | WTB PURE-V SPORT |
| SEAT POST | ALL TERRA ALLOY MICRO-ADJUST |
| SEAT CLAMP | ALL TERRA ALLOY QR |
2011 GT Avalanche 3.0 – Much more than just a bike which you can ride about town
What sold me on this bike were the disc brakes, fork lock-out, and the brake levers and shifters were separate components. I have not seen many other bikes with these features in this price bracket. If you are looking for a solid bike with disc brakes, shimano Alvio components, brake levers and shifters that are not integrated, and the fork comes with a lock-out then the GT Avalanche 3.0 is for you. As far as good mountain bikes go this is a great entry level bike. The women’s version of the GT Avalanche 3.0 is equally well equipped.
GT are a well respected bicycle manufacturer known for using quality components and its strong frames and the Avalanche is a good example of why GT are considered a maker of good mountain bikes. The GT Avalanche 3.0 comes with the Tektro Auriga Comp Hydro brake and the Shimano Alivio 24 speed set up making it a very reliable, smooth and responsive bike and one of the ten best mountain bikes under $500.
