GT Aggressor Expert

GT AGGRESSOR EXPERT

GT are one of the original mountain bike (and BMX) brands. They were designing mountain bikes before anyone knew what a mountain bike was.

Let’s focus on why you would want to consider buying the GT Aggressor Expert mountain bike and who it’s for.

WHO IT’S FOR

The Aggressor Expert is perfect for pre-teens from 10 years old, through to adults who are searching for a recreational mountain bike to use on bike paths, rail trails and even smooth entry level mountain biking.

THE FRAME

Made from 6061 aluminium. The spec says T6 too. This means the aluminum frame has been hardened (or strengthened) to its maximum. The next level down in hardening is called T4.

The GT Aggressor also uses floating stays. This is a fancy way of saying the back-end of the bike ‘moves’ up and down.

Why is this good?

Because when you’re riding over rough surfaces, this movement absorbs vibrations and delivers a smoother ride.

The frame is also compatible with baby seats and pannier racks. It has all the appropriate mounting points needed.

THE COMPONENTS

MicroShift is not a brand most have heard of but the quality and performance of the parts are exceptional. Our mechanicals love working on it because the gears are so easy to adjust and every gears shift is smooth.

Compared to the equivalent Shimano, MicroShift is a definite step up.

The Aggressor Expert has a 24-speed drivetrain. Before you freak out though, it’s more than OK to just use gear number 2 on the front and use the 8 gears on the back. For young riders it’s also possible to ‘switch off’ the front gears - essentially converting the Aggressor Expert to an 8 speed mountain bike.

There are two paddles on the shifter; 1 to shift into a harder gear and the other to shift into an easier gear. Otherwise called a trigger shifter. Unlike grip-shifters, triggers are far more precise and easy to use.

Next, the brakes.

The GT Aggressor Expert comes standard with hydraulic (or hydro) disc brakes. More importantly, for small hands, the brake levers can be adjusted to sit closer to the handlebar.

But, why hydro brakes?

First, they have much better stopping power than mechanical and traditional V-brakes. Second, they actually work in dry and wet conditions and lastly, there’s a lot less maintenance too.

As a result, they tend to be safer than tradition brakes. If you’re a heavier rider or there’s a few downhills where you ride, disc brakes allow you to slow down faster - without losing control and without using a lot of hand effort.

A Suntour XCM suspension fork helps you stay in control over rough terrain. Large diameter 30mm tubing allows the fork to remain composed over uneven road and unsealed surfaces deliver better durability and control.

Riders can quickly switch the suspension off (by rotating the blue lockout lever) for riding on smooth bike paths and on roads. This makes the Aggressor more efficient to ride because all your power is going into the bike (rather than the suspension movement).

WHEELS

GT uses specific wheel sizes for certain frames. The lazy way is to use the same wheel size across the board. They’ve done this in an effort to improve handling and confidence for rider’s of all sizes.

I’ll explain:

XS and S frame sizes use smaller diameter 27.5-inch wheels. This means pre-teens and shorter riders benefit from the quick handling, agile 27.5” wheels. It also means better standover clearance (crotch clearance) and a low centre of gravity for better high speed stability.

M, L and XL frame sizes are obviously suited to taller riders who will benefit from larger diameter 29-inch wheels. These wheels are the most efficient - every rotation takes you further for the same effort.