2011 GT Karakoram 29er Hardtail MTB
Come 2011, the Karakoram from GT comes back in a 29er mode. This is ideal for people who wants to experience the thrill of the trail but are also looking to use the same bike for commuting. The line has two models, the Karakoram 1.0 and the Karakoram 2.0. Both models carry the Triple Triangle design of alloy constructed frames with integrated headsets.
The GT Karakoram 1.0 retails for £799.99. It has Kenda small Block Eight tires and Shimano hydraulic brakes. It uses a combination of Shimano Octalink chainset and SRAM X7 for shifters. It has 100mm travel RockShox Recon Solo Air fork.
The 2011 Karakoram 2.0 is more affordable at £649.99. It features Kenda Nevegal tires, Shimano Deore mixed with FSA Dyna Drive shifting kit, Shimano Alivio 9spd and Tektri Aquila cable disc brakes. It uses a RockShox Dart 3 fork.
Having been in the market for an entry-level 29er for about a year, but spooked by the costs, I was very pleased to discover some real bargains to be had in the 2011 line-up of bikes. It seems that the reality of the credit crunch has compelled manufacturers to offer some very good bikes at real-world prices.
One of the earliest entry-level 2011 29er bikes available at my local bikes shop was the 2011 GT Karakoram 1.0. Even though I found the bike’s bright green and gold colour scheme quite shocking, I decided to buy it after the bike shop offered to tone things down by offering to replace the gold pedals and white handlebars with black equivalents. The final look was something I could get used to. (I would have preferred a stealthy all-black machine).
The bike goes well and everything you have heard about a 29er is true. I’ve had the bike for about two months and have probably covered about 300km during this time. It really rolls easily over ruts, roots and sand. The front shock soaks op track undulations without ever bottoming out. I do not do much technical track riding and cannot comment about the bike’s handling in tight turns, but it is a dream to go cross country. The riding position is comfortable without compromising the ability to readily change position should it be required to negotiate sudden difficult terrain. Gear shifting is good, and the hydraulic brakes are excellent. The Maxxis Small Block 8 tires are fine for my type of riding, especially on some tar and hard-pack surfaces. The bike is well made, seems tough enough and I think the frame should last a life-time.
I noticed that the spec sheets of most websites claim that the bike is equipped with a SRAM X.7 carbon rear derailleur, but I cannot see any carbon parts on my bike’s derailleur. All seems to be alloy and plastic construction. Still, it works.
I’ve since replaced the standard saddle with a Brooks B17 model, a huge improvement. I would recommend the bike as great value for money, and a great way of dumping your 26er for the pleasure of riding a 29er cycle.
What Dawie is saying is true. Took mine out yesterday for 19km road and some off raod tracks. Bike handle well on all surfaces. Value for money, and a comfy ride overall.
GT you have outdone yourselves.
i just bought the entry level they offer here in the philippines which has v brakes and combination of suntour and shimano drive train. its perfect for less technical trail rides because it has a longer wheelbase geometry compared to the other brands i have. after the on and off road ride i purchased ss stylo cranks, surly ss convertion kit. i would strongly recommend it for a daily do it all trail/commute hassle free bike with a single speed configuration. with a price tag of $380 for a gt bike you cant go wrong
Had one of these (karakoram 1.0) for about three months now, got one of the first ones off the boat in this Country, so far love it. Mine is in commuter guise and handles what the daily commute dishes up beautifully. Had a dedicated road bike previously, for where I commute, the extra durability and reliability of the MTB is priceless, combine that with the larger (and 700C compatible) wheels and you’ve got a real winner.
Picked one of these up last week and have had a couple of rides so far. I’m 6’5″ and fairly top-heavy so have always felt a little ‘prone’ on standard 26″ bikes. With this machine, the best part for me is that I feel much more ‘inside’ the bike geometry and as a consequence don’t feel like I’m going to fall off the back of the bike when on a very steep climb. In fact, there are some of my usual hills where there was no way I could get out of the saddle without the back wheel slipping out, but with this bike, there’s more potential for different climbing positions. I was never convinced by the ‘rolling’ argument before, but I’m definitely a convert now. I’m only just beginning to trust the handling fully, but already I’ve noticed I’m getting about significantly faster.
There is a difference in the handling, and it is certainly a challenge to chuck it around compared to my small-wheeler (even though the Karakoram is actually the same weight as my Kona Blast Deluxe was). Manuals and hops are definitely harder to pull off so far and tight handling suffers slightly, although this could be a learning process as much to do with the shorter stem as general 29er esoterica. The fork on this model is much better than I’m used to, the wheels are sturdy and not too heavy, the frame is beautifully designed and is very responsive at the back, with geometry to handle a bigger fork at the front. The brakes seem a little better than those on my Blast (even though they are the same model) and the Kendas are a decent all-round tyre, though they struggle with muddy inclines. I quite like the blingy look of the hubs, bar, stem and finishing kit (my other bikes are soberly attired so it’s a nice change).
The transmission is where I’m most impressed. I really like SRAM stuff on MTB’s. It’s noisier, a little less refined feeling than SLX and you do miss the double-action of the triggers, but I’ve always found even X5-level rear-shifting to be more reliable and resistant to mud than SLX. The X7 on this model feels even better and has not missed a shift so far, even under pressure (in answer to a previous post, the lower cage is carbon). More surprising is the Alivio stuff at the front. I don’t know how heavy it is, but for stiffness of the chainset and reliability of gear-selection, I have found it at least the equal of the latest Deore and have had no problems with it. A lot of people don’t like to mix and match, but to me it shows that some thought has gone into the set up.
This has been my first foray into 29er territory and it’s been a lot of fun. I now know that there are strengths and weaknesses for each type of wheel size, but in my opinion if you are doing a lot of recreational XC rides, or even a bit of XC racing, the bigger wheels make a lot of sense. And if a decent entry-level 29er is for you, then the Karakoram is a very good place to start.