GT Bicycles, Inc. 2001 Quatrefoil

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
XT drivetrain, Suntour friction shifters, 11-34, front Magura disc, rear V-brake

Summary:
We've owned our GT for about 15 years. We converted the wheels to 26" and had the brake posts rebrazed ($75) and got another fork ($80). With the new front fork I can use disc brakes which makes a huge difference. We've taken this bike everywhere from offroad to onroad centuries. It is very versatile but in return it is not a specialist at anything. Of all my bikes, this one would be the hardest to replace. It has been a great value and a great way to get my wife to join me on rides.

Strengths:
Price, versatility, stability, toughness

Weaknesses:
Original wheels, original wheels, original wheels!

Similar Products Used:
C'dale, Santana and still view our GT as a keeper

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Hilo-to-Kona Saddle Road

Summary:
Good bike with a fatal flaw: GT supplied these tandems in their own unique wheel size - 700D - and five years later (2006), with the old GT company only a memory, there are no more 700Dx140 tires for this size wheel to be found. As Sheldon Brown noted, "most of the bikes made for this orphaned size used cantilever brakes, so the possibility of making the bikes useful by replacing the wheels is even limited." He recommends 650B wheels and tires as a replacement, but they're also hard to source today.

Strengths:
Great GT frame, made of classic CroMo tubes, with both strength and excellant ride quality.

Weaknesses:
"Old" GT's crazy choice of a unique wheel size, coupled with the successor company's complete lack of interest in supporting bike sold earlier under the GT brand, make using a Quatrefoil problematic. Wheel, brake and tire conversions are feasible but likely to be very expensive.