Customer Reviews

GMC Topkick Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This is a good bike - the best feature is the dual suspension. Light and easy dropping off curbs on the way to work - huge difference from my hardtail mountain bike.

Disc brakes are nice to have, on front and rear - work much better than rim brakes. To adjust them hold the brake lever in and tighten them down via a hex wrench on the opposite center of the disc brake until the pads are flush against the disc, then turn back until the brake lever has enough play in it.

The rims are v-shaped, and narrow - much more so than my other bikes. It was quite a job to add tuffy liners to to the tires. I think I will have a bike shop change the tire next time they need it. The hard part is getting the tire off and on those narrow rims. The people at REI said to squeeze on the sides of the tire as you put it on, so both ends go deep into the rim.

Be careful when you put the front tire on that you have the fork facing forward. (I had it backwards the first time). Make sure the big round points on U part of the fork point towards the front of the bike.

The tires are very knobby. If you ride on the street a lot you might want to change them to something with a smoother tread in the middle.

The bike weighs 38 pounds put together - not exactly light, but since I ride for pleasure and exercise, and don't plan to race, the weight is fine.

If you get it for less than 150, (what Amazon is selling it for the week of Feb 20), it is quite a bargain. (disc brakes by themselves often add $100 to a bike).

I raised the seat pretty high for a comfortable ride at my height, and found the handlebars are two low. I fixed this by adding some handlebar extenders which allow me to be more upright when I am not braking.

To my knowledge you can't raise the stem on the handlebars without adding a spacer. If anyone finds out otherwise, please comment to this post.

Another possibility (besides handlebar extensions), would be to replace the handlebar with one that has more of a rise to it.

The Topkick is made by Kent Bicycle Company for GMC. They also make some Cadillac Mountain Bikes - the Cadillac AM2.4 and AM2.7, which are sold on Amazon. They are both dual suspension with disc brakes and have a very similar frame as the Topkick. Both bikes sale for over $1000.

I purchased this bike in February of 2009. I was looking for something to improve my cardio health but wasn't sure that I would really enjoy biking. After seeing numerous ads in the online classifieds of nearly new $1000 to $2000 bikes being sold for substantial discounts after being ridden for only a few miles, I decided to err towards caution in my initial purchase. I was hoping that by purchasing a mid priced bike I should get a reasonable quality components and not be deterred by a low quality bike. Assembly was basic requiring me to attach the front wheel, handlebar, pedals and seat. Everything else was preassembled. Pretty simple really. Inflate the tires and in 45 minutes it was ready to ride.

I am 58 and live in the mountains in the Pacific Northwest so I was looking for a full suspension bike, mostly to ease the shocks and jolts from riding on bumpy chip sealed roads. Since I was looking for a bike for exercise, weight of the bike was not a huge factor to me.

Having not owned a bike since my 20s, I was unfamiliar with the improvements in cycling. The 21 speeds seemed a bit of overkill to me at first, but now I find it well worth having in the rolling hills in my area. The push button indexed shifters were a real treat to me and easy to learn. The rear derailleur shifted extremely smoothly with no jumps clicks or clatters especially in the upshift. It simply changed ratio and I could feel a little extra resistance in the pedals as I gained speed. The front derailleur is a little less sophisticated but it works adequately. The disk brakes are a good idea in the wet region I live because they are far less likely to lose effectiveness due to getting wet. I remember rim brakes that would become almost ineffectual after riding through a large puddle. My only complaint would be the squealing noise they make at the end of a stop.

On flat roads the gearing is adequate to allow me to pedal along at 22+ mph until my legs tire, but it isn't designed to be a race bike. I have climbed some rather challenging but short hills (total of about 400' gain over a mile and a quarter) and pedaling like mad, I can climb a 12% short grade at 4.8 mph. The bike is heavy, approximately 37 pounds so it makes the hills a little more challenging. Over varied terrain on paved roads I can routinely average around 14 mph. Going down the above series of grades I have coasted up to 38 mph.

The only things I have found to be problematic are that as the bike breaks in, the cables stretch a little so the shifters need to be adjusted after a 100 or so miles. (Common on all bikes) The inner tube in the rear wheel failed at about 130 miles when the joint around the valve gave out while I was off the bike taking a photo. That brings me to a second problem, the tubes. Because of the deep V rims (which makes them stronger) they require a long schrader valve tube. Department stores carry the standard size but not the 48mm valved tubed this bike requires. I would recommend that anyone buying this bike order a couple of 26 x 1.9/2.125 48mm valved tubes at the same time.

The bike is fun to ride and so far, after over 700 miles, it seems very durable. The only problems were the aforementioned inner tube and derailleur adjustments. The seat isn't the best either, but unless you ride more than 30 minutes at a time it will do. The only changes I have done is to replace the saddle with a male gel saddle (I sometimes ride for two hours or more at a time), added a couple of lights for safety, a bike computer, a clamp to the seat post carrier rack (a cheap and effective dual purpose rear fender), and replaced the knobby off road tires with a smoother tire designed for pavement for lower rolling resistance.

Overall I am very pleased with the bike. The bike is good quality especially for the price. I have recently been test riding some higher end bikes and the only difference is that they are are significantly lighter and significantly more expensive. I would have no problem recommending the bike to anyone.

Phenomenal bike! That is all I can say, especially for the price. Ideal for casual riding. This bike however came with instructions and was purchased from Dunhams in Michigan for about $200.00.

Pros: Stylish, Appealing, both aluminum and steel build, and the full strut suspension system gives it a comfortable ride. Disc brakes are very nice, too!

Cons: (applied to stock build only) After long rides the pedal-bearing hub assembly becomes tightened, very difficult to pedal forward until you reverse-pedal. The rims are too narrow and the high knobs will cause the tire to twist making it difficult to ride sideways on concrete slopes at 45 degree angles or more, The rear suspension system makes is difficult to buy accessories such as a rear tray or basket, The rear derailleur causes the chain to "jump" only during high speed/heavy torque conditions (rear derailleur=7 front=3)

Overall: BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. It's a beautiful bike that grabs alot of attention everywhere I go.

Facts: I am solid, 200lbs 5'10" from Michigan, Ride bikes an average of 4hrs/day, in harsh climates/terrains, (Mich. area) and daily commuting 7 days/week. I'm tough on bikes, and haul groceries with my trailer attached to it.

(good job, GMC/Kent bikes)

This bike is phenomenal, i enjoy riding it AFTER i assembled, i do not reccomend this bike to people who are begginers to the world of Mountain Bikes. I found NO assembly instructions for this bike inside like many others. Luckily i have assembled bikes before. When i opened the bikes packagind it wasnt the best box,I believe it was handled poorly. When assembling the bike i noticed the Disc Brakes took ALOT of tweaking. My rear disc break was not properly fit for the bike, OR shipping bumped it and damaged the rear disc,causing it to bend and mechanical failure. I found myself NOT using the Rear Brakes anymore,it was rubbing on the caliper constatly making a noise and slowing me down. I decided to just take off the top and tie back the wire. I reccomend looking into a more exspensive shipping unless you want bent parts. Its a nice bike, but small things like that make the company look poor in the eyes. So i reccomend looking into an inch smaller Rear Disc Brake. A good bike that needs a little more than assembly. Hope my review helps Customers!!

I got this bike for my husband for his birthday. I put it together in about 2 1/2 hours myself, and test rode it, seems to be working well. The toughest thing was adjusting the disc brakes, which I had never done before. I found it easier to adjust like this: loosen all four bolts holding the caliper assembly on, then lock the brake, tighten the two bolts attaching the assembly, release the brake, spin the tire while manually fine-tuning the position of the pads while looking head-on to see a little daylight on each side of the disc and hear no rubbing, then tighten the remaining two bolts a little at a time while maintaining the position of the caliper by hand. I also had to tweak the inside pad 1/4 turn counter-clockwise, but it worked well! Just need to see how my hubby likes it. The bike looks great, but is heavy. I will try to update this after he's ridden the bike for a bit.

UPDATE: He likes the bike, it handles well and is a good fit for him (he is 6'2"). I thought the handlebars seem a little low, but he hasn't mentioned this as a problem. I had to adjust the front brake one more time after he'd ridden it a few times, but now seems to be just right. Seems to be a good investment, I recommend to anyone looking for a good quality, dual suspension mountain bike at a very affordable price. Also, I just uploaded some photos of the bike so that you can see more detail, look for them to show soon on the product page.

I am very new to mountain biking, and only got into it because of this bicycle. I have never taken bikes off road until I got this GMC Topkick (In reality, this is made by Pacific Cycles - cheap department store level of quality, for the most part). For a novice like myself, initially the bike seemed fantastic. As I continue to progress into the sport, the shortcomings of this bike are becoming very apparent, however, it is only a ~$300 bike. So, to be concise and to the point, here is my take on it:

PROs:
- Decent enough construction quality
- Perfect place for this bike is on city streets, negotiating potholes and other like hazards
- Comfortable seat
- Good looking bike
- Disk breaks that work very well! - few offer disk breaks at this price point
- Sharp and responsive rear derailleur

CONs:
- TERRIBLE front derailleur (no matter how many bike pros have tuned it, the chain rubs on the derailleur and the derailleur fails to shift downward often) NOT trail-worthy derailleur at all
- Handle bar height cannot be adjusted - I had to purchase a stem extender, as the default posture for the bike is very uncomfortable.
- The inter-tubes of the bike are what are called "Aero" design, meaning that they are a deep V. This is fine except that very few bike shops carry these, so carry a patch kit with you
- This is a HEAVY bike and even on smooth pavement, you have to work hard to keep it moving (I see this as a PRO overall, as it is a good workout in my opinion)
- CHEAP pedals that start to click and clank after a few runs on the trail
- The suspension is just good enough to handle smaller bumps and potholes, but is not really meant for jumps, rocks, roots

VERDICT:
- I have been having a blast riding this bike on an intermediate-level mountain bike trail for 3 months now (probably 20 or so trail outings). I make sure not to take jumps that are any more that 1.5 feet tall, and I have to plan ahead for when I want to shift gears with the front derailleur (it does not respond when you need it, regardless of how well tuned it is).
- However, for $300 or so, this is a good enough bike. Yes, I do get passed frequently on the trail by guys on lighter, "real" mountain bikes, but for a beginner like myself this is a perfect tool to get into the sport and figure out what it is I am looking for in my next, "real" mountain bike.
- If you are going to use it as commuter bike, it is fantastic, provided you get the handle bar height where you want it and are willing to push a bit harder to get it moving.
- This bike made me understand that when it comes to mountain biking, price and quality are highly correlated.

This is a great bike; unfortunately I had to go through some loops to get the actual bike. The bike that came out of the box from Amazon had parts that did not match the description on the Amazon site
[...]
Here are some of the discrepancies
1. Strong aluminum wheel set featuring V-shape rim profile and high-flange alloy hubs but the actual bike does not have this, but simple rims
2. Brake levers: GP 30 AP aluminum, but the actual brake levers are plastic
3. Tires: Kenda black with yellow band 700 x 25C but the bike has some no name tires
4. The front wheel has a quick release system but the actual bike has screws at both the end
5. The stand of the bike in the pictures is also not the same as the one that I have

I then decided to return the bike, because I had thought I was buying a quality product, but what came out of the box was very disappointing
I called Amazon and they gave me a return receipt. Then as a side thought I called Kent Bicycles. Their customer service and tech team worked with me and send me the actual bike with which I am very satisfied.

Amazon may have a great business model, but they need to ensure the actual product is the same as advertised!!!!!!!!!

First off, I ordered this bike from Amazon at $150 on March 5th and was told 4-6 week delivery at mid April being the estimated ship date. Luckily, I got it by March 20th, assembled it, and just took it out for a test ride. Overall I am very satisfied, it is a very solid bike worth every penny.

As previous reviewers have mentioned, shipping quality isn't astounding, but it doesn't seem like I have any damaged parts other than slight frame scratches.

Assembly is quite tedious and the only fault about this bike I could really come up with was the lack of instructions (besides the bike being a little bit heavy) but it isn't hard to figure out. Only tools you need are hex wrenches and pliers. Mounting the front brake was confusing and tweaking it to align right was tricky, make sure you understand which way to mount and how to tweak before assembling the brake. Also, make sure you screw the pedals in completely. I failed to do so and the pedal snapped out of place while riding, although I was able to fix it.

The dual suspension is really nice to have as well as disk brakes (the main reason I opted for this model) and quick release tires/seat are nice. Seat is a little uncomfortable, shifting isn't that smooth, but both do the job.

The rear suspension takes up space in the middle. I mounted a pump and lock on it but no room for water bottle. The kickstand is not your average flimsy stick, very sturdy. Handle bars aren't the best but adequate. Be sure to tighten everything!

The bike was worth every penny at $150 (keep in mind that it came with a claimed 4-6 week wait), jumped to $260 as of today. I'd say if it dropped under $200, get it.

This is a great bike.

However, the shipping dented the chain and it costed me 40 dollars to get it repaired/new one. I called amazon and they gave me a refund for the money i had spent in no time. I have to say, amazon customer support is great (at least off holiday season).

I am updating my original 4 star review of this bike and downgrading to 2 stars. After spending an additional [...] and 4 trips to a competent bike shop that deals primarily in high-end racing bikes and MTBs to have the shifters and brakes tuned, retuned and tuned again, to the point of needing to replace cables, it's obvious the componentry of this bike is of very poor quality. I am a firm believed that you get what you pay for, and this bike certainly proves that theory correct. Fortunately, I saved the box and was able to pack and ship it back to Amazon.com for a full refund. I replaced it with a Gary Fischer costing twice the price, but it's worth it for no headaches.

My fiance and I are avid road cyclists, but wanted MTBs to ride on the trails. After researching MTB's, we decided on the GMC Topkick for her because it received decent customer reviews and offered the most in terms of features, such as alloy frame, dual-suspension and dual disc brakes. We found other MTB's offering similar features, albeit brand name w/ higher end componentry, costing [...]. At [...] w/ free shipping from Amazon.com, the GMC Topkick, manufactured by Kent Bicycles, was too good a deal to pass up. As others reported, the included assembly instructions aren't helpful as they are generic and not specific to assembly of this bike. Since the bike comes 85% assembled, it wasn't too difficult to figure out where things go, and if you're unsure of something, there are plenty of videos available on [...] for reference. After I removed all of the packing material and tape, assembly took about 2.5 hours, which included removal of the knobby tires and replacing them w/ more street worthy tires. It's built like a tank, and at 38 lbs, it's heavy, but at this price point, that was expected. To shave weight, we'll lose the kickstand, reflectors and change the seat post and saddle for alloy and a racing saddle. The front forks can't be locked down and there's more plastic on the bike than I'd like to see. I rate the quality of the componentry on this bike as marginal, and not great, so I don't expect my fiance will get more than a few years out of this bike without having to replace something major, up to and including the bike itself. All and all, for the dollars spent, I think it's a good MTB for recreational road and light trail use.