Review of GMC Topkick Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike

GMC Topkick Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike
By: Triton Workshop Systems Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 24
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Excellent choice for the price

On: 2008-07-09

Ive had the GMC Topkick for almost a month now, during which I have been using it daily (home-work); it has also been put to the test on a biking trail in a nearby state park.

First of all, let me say this: the topkick is a beautiful bike. So if fancy looks is the number one factor for you, stop reading and just buy it. It looks rugged, serious, sporty but with a certain "class." Secondly, the bike is indeed amply endowed with disk brakes and full suspension, things one can find only in high-end models costing over $1,500.

On the negative side, this is a heavy bike (did you think they simply "forgot" to mention its weight?). It does not compare to truly lightweight mountain bikes and, although for daily in-city use this is indeed minor, on the trail it can be problematic and make your life quite harder. This is not to say that the bike is unbearably heavy---it still is much lighter than any of my older bikes. Also, the bike comes with no "direct" assembly instructions. However, there are two manuals which more-or-less contain all the necessary instructions scattered among various chapters (e.g., in the how-to-change-a-tire chapter, how-to-install-the-brake chapter, etc.). I do not really consider myself a technically savvy person but I found a way to assemble it by peeking at these (somehow overly technical) instructions within 2 hours, so I guess its not impossible.

As far as the quality of the different parts (brakes, shifting, etc.) is concerned, I am not sure I can express an opinion, as I am no expert. Time will tell; so far so good though. In general I consider my purchase a good one: the bike looks great, does the job and will give you a fun, comfortable ride everywhere. It is not a substitute for a $2,000 bike, but it was never meant to be.

Great Value...Worth the Money!

On: 2008-06-26

GMC Topkick Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike
Amazon came through again with the best price on the web. It was such a good deal that I bought two! With no sales tax and free two day "Prime" shipping, I figure that I saved $200 over store retail for the pair. Packing was about as good as one would expect. There were a couple of small nicks to the frame but a black Sharpie fixed them to where one does not notice. Other than that there was no damage. As other buyers have stated it is a tad heavy (38 lbs?), but that is a testament to its solid construction. The rims are somewhat narrow but I plan to ride more for pleasure than sport. For those two reasons I rated this bike a four out of five stars. If the manufacturer could change those two features it would be a solid five star mountain bike. I am 63" and the frame fits me fine when straddled (it measure 31" at the upper cross bar). I would have liked a higher handlebar height but I can live with it...Thank goodness I have long arms!

I looked at a lot of bikes before making a final decision...All were considerably more expensive with the same basic features. If you plan to ride aggressive this may not be the bike for you...But for street and light off roading it is a real bargin at $229.95.

Good bike for the money

On: 2008-06-26

Lets put it this way: If you dont know how to tune dÃ©railleurs and brakes, youd better learn it now or shell out your dough for others to tune. Chances are, you probably need to tune everything. The bike is very easy to put together. I am a total newbie and it only took me 1.5 hour. However, it took me about a week to finally tune the front/rear dÃ©railleurs and disc brake. Of course, I am a newbie and I am learning and tuning at the same time. It can get frustrating and you might not interested in going through the pain. However, when its all said and done, I have learn and understood and comfortable in bike tuning. For those of you who does not want to DIY, get it to a bike shop. Certainly, if you are very familiar with tuning, usually it can be done in 1-2 hours.

With that said, the quality of the bike is acceptable. The disc brake is functional and brake nicely. The rear dÃ©railleur is good quality shimano part and easy to tune. The front dÃ©railleur is kinda cheap and flimsy and I had a hard to tune it properly. The shifting, in general, louder than average and not very smooth. With tuning, I eliminated under shift, gear skipping, hesitation, and some cage rubbing. I even have to lube the dÃ©railleur to make the spring return mechanism work properly.

The brake cable could use some lubrication. To top these all off, the bike is about 40-50lbs and it is heavy. I weight 150+lb and this thing is almost 1/3 of me. However, the beefy weight does come with a benefit: The aluminum frame is very sturdy and strong. It will last a long time with proper maintenance. However, with that weight, I would not recommend taking it to the "mountain" perform stunt and get crazy. I will stick to the pavement.

The suspension fork is functional and good. The rear suspension is very stiff and I dont feel it smooths out the ride that much. I am trying to save $$ here and quite frankly, I get what I paid for. This bike is not really good, but not bad at all. If you just need a bike to get around town and not into the whole mountain thing and dont mind the weight. By all mean, GET IT. I give it 3-4 STARS.

good bike for the price

On: 2008-06-12

This bike seems to be a pretty good buy. The only complaint that i have about it is that i bought it for my father who is very tall and the handle bars are very low and are not adjustable however i did find a handle bar stem riser made by delta along with a delta hi rise stem which raised the handle bars up perfectly and the cables were all long enough so i didnt have to replace those either. It came with just minor assembly required and I only had to make minor adjustments to the brake cables. I read a couple of the other reviews that had said their were scratches on the frame from shipping when they recieved them mine also had a couple of pretty good scratches on the frame too they could definately package it a little better. The fact that i had to buy extra parts to raise the handle bars and the scratches it recieved in shipping are the only two reasons i gave it a 4 star rating instead of a 5. My dad loves it now that the handle bars are higher and rides it every day. I would recommend this bike to anyone who wants an above department store level mountain bike but doesnt really want to or need to pay the big $$$$ for an overpriced specialty store bike.

great bike

On: 2008-06-05

i bought this bike for my husband and he loves it. Its a very good bike for the price cant ask for more. great purchase and great price. i would totally recommend this bike

bike

On: 2008-05-08

Very good item I love it and I will encourage others to get it also.

Satisfied

On: 2008-05-07

Received bike within 2 days of purchace on the first time PRIME trial offer. Bike was in good condition with the exception of the front disk. The disk was a little bit warped but due to hazards of shipping, i didnt complain as i was able to tweak it into its original shape with some needlenose pliers and a little tension. I did have exact item instructions included with my bike for the Promax disk brakes as well as a general bike manual. Not a whole lot of instructions were needed to come with this set-up however, but i did look back on it upon completion for assurance. So far bike seems to hold together very sturdy and comfort is no issue for my body at 61". I shopped around for other bikes with front and rear disk brakes and this was by far the best bike i found for the price. I wasnt too sure of it at first but now i am quite pleased at the quality i recieved and at my bank account for the money i didnt toss away. This bike is also much better looking in person than the one average and small photo that any and all retailers share for this bike. Also, I am not a real fan of the motor company and model it mimicks but as long as its core duties hold to the quality expected, then i could care less if it had Volkswagen printed on it.

Has anyone WEIGHED this thing yet?

On: 2008-04-03

I see reviews all over the place and am wondering whether anyone has yet weighed this bike? In the photos it lookes enormously heavy. Plus, it says it comes with 700cX38mm tires? It that true? IN the pics, the tires look much bigger.
I am considering buying this, and would greatly appreciate any feedback those of you who own it can give.

Mountain Bike

On: 2007-12-28

Outstanding !!
Product was exactly what we expected.
Service was great, we ordered, you responded, bike was delivered (much quicker than we expected).

POR EL PRECIO ESTA BIEN

On: 2007-12-08

ESTA BICICLETA SIN DUDA ES PARA PRINCIPIANTES, LO QUE YO COMENCE CON EL MTB, PERO CON EL TIEMPO SIN DUDA OCUPAS ALGO MEJOR, PARA EL INICIO ESTA BIEN. BUENA COMPRA. CLARO SE NECESITA UN PROFESIONAL PARA ARMAR LA BICI.

POR EL PRECIO ESTA BIEN

On: 2007-12-07

ESTA BICICLETA SIN DUDA ES PARA PRINCIPIANTES, LO QUE YO COMENCE CON EL MTB, PERO CON EL TIEMPO SIN DUDA OCUPAS ALGO MEJOR, PARA EL INICIO ESTA BIEN. BUENA COMPRA. CLARO SE NECESITA UN PROFESIONAL PARA ARMAR LA BICI.

GOOD

On: 2007-07-12

Overall the product is very satisfactory. We have had a couple minor issues, which possibly could be associated with the assembly. Overall, it is a great product and looks very good as well.

Good bike for the money

On: 2007-05-25

Good bang for a buck... Dual suspension + disk brakes. Nicely built sturdy bike.

Great bike, needs instructions....

On: 2007-03-21

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 isnt astounding, but it doesnt 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 isnt 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 isnt 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 arent 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. Id say if it dropped under $200, get it.

great bike great price

On: 2007-03-17

the bike came partialy assembled in good condition , some cosmetic damage but overall a good deal for the money. i would recomend this bike.

Great Bang for the Buck

On: 2007-03-14

My old Cannondale finally gave out. The Topkick looked like the ticket, so I gave it a try. GREAT BANG FOR THE BUCK!!! At $150.00 and free shipping, how could you beat this deal. Dual suspension, disc breaks and tough aluminum frame make this one a steal.

PROs: What I said above, including; cool color/style and easy assembly (even though there were no assembly instructions).

CONs: Center frame shock takes up valuable space on the frame for accessories. The paint finish is easily scratched off. The disc breaks take a large amount of tweaking to get set properly. The handlebars are too low (no easy way to raise). This is one heavy bike.

Overall, like I said before. Great Bang For The Buck!!

Good Mountain Bike;Bargain at $150

On: 2007-02-22

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 dont 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 cant 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.

great bike

On: 2007-02-21

i Just got this bike today. took about an hour of assembly, and required a lot of tightening. as most people have already said, there are no instructions included, but assembly is pretty straight forward. shifting can be a little troublesome, but i think i need to do a little tweaking with that.

Good Mountain Bike;Bargain at $150

On: 2007-02-21

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 dont 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 cant 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.

Great

On: 2007-02-08

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).

Great

On: 2007-02-07

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).

GMC Topkick- middle of the pack

On: 2007-01-11

Bike is a little flimsy for the price. Went together OK, but no instructions as most people indicated. No broken parts on receipt. My first dual suspension bike. Shifting could be more accurate, but overall an average bike for the price.

Topkick is topkick

On: 2007-01-09

Fabulous bike!!! It appears that they have thought of everything for the rider. Dont know about jumping or other extreme sports, but for everyday use its right on. Workmanship is defined by the details and this bike has it. No sloppy welds anywhere.

:-)

GMC Mountain Bike is GREAT

On: 2007-01-04

I love this bike, its light, it looks good, its comfortable, it rides amazing, its a great price for what you get. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

GMC Topkick

On: 2006-11-18

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!!

GMC Topkick

On: 2006-11-17

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!!

Excellent bike for its price!

On: 2006-10-31

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. Its a beautiful bike that grabs alot of attention everywhere I go.

Facts: I am solid, 200lbs 510" from Michigan, Ride bikes an average of 4hrs/day, in harsh climates/terrains, (Mich. area) and daily commuting 7 days/week. Im tough on bikes, and haul groceries with my trailer attached to it.
(good job, GMC/Kent bikes)

Great bike...however....

On: 2006-09-16

well i just recently got this bike. It came with no instructions...it was really easy to put together though. The front disk breaks have to be tweaked before its maiden voyage. Also the back gearshift needs to be adjusted before the first ride. Its a really nice bike for its price. Its a great bike i recommend it for anyone who likes dirt trails.

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

On: 2006-08-31

THIS BICYCLE IS EVERYTHING I EXPECTED. ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE IS THAT THERE WERE NO ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS PACKAGED WITH THE BIKE. AN OWNERS MANUAL CAME WITH IT, BUT ALL IT TELLS YOU IS TO SEE YOUR DEALER IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, PLUS ALL THE SAFETY INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR A BICYCLE. OTHER THAN HAVING TO FIGURE OUT THE ASSEMBLY, THIS IS A VERY NICE BIKE.