Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Mountain Bike;Bargain at $150, February 21, 2007
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.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent bike for its price!, October 31, 2006
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)
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
GMC Topkick, November 17, 2006
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!!
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