I literally just bought the GT aggressor pro. My mountain bike friends already want me to swap the fork. I just want to ride it first in the trails. But this build of yours gives me some solid ideas. Dope build.
Potential MTB buyers/owners: I've had this great bike for a year now and for an entry / mid level bike, it's awesome. Don't even try to compare to others, you will just get frustrated and confused. I changed: bike seat , pedals (do this 1st week) , switched to 27.5 x 2.3 Conti Mountain King in front and Cross Trail in back , switched to a 1X 10 drivetrain & new fork: RockShox 30 Gold RL. Oh, and removed all of the yellow decals on the rims with a hard plastic blade tool. Bought it for $450 US, added $260 in additions. I must say it looks truly impressive and more importantly, I am a very confident rider now as I trust all these parts as well as the well constructed frame which might be a little heavy but as far as design & quality it's an amazing "starter" frame...or else why would I invest so much around it?! Also, with these upgrades, your bike will of course be much lighter....simply changing the fork and drivetrain alone took off 20% of the weight. I know it may seem way more reasonable to simply save the upgrade money and buy a $700-$800 hardtail with all the better parts etc... well, every bike goes through upgrades and so forth so I went this route and I am very pleased. In addition, the re-sale market is VERY strong, especially when they see so much money and effort to maximize the bike's potential with such care. You might lose $150-$200 max. Next week....new brakes :) Peace and Happy Trails to all!!!
That's one clean GT! I hope this ain't the last time we see the GT. Hopefully you are going to post some videos from the bike park your going to. Good luck and be safe.👍😎
I had a GT Aggressor Pro a few years ago and just got a brand new one yesterday (late birthday present). In stock form, my biggest complaint is the stock handlebar stem, it is terrible and makes you hunched over at a strange angle (much too long). Maybe a person with long arms would be okay with it, but it makes me uncomfortable quick. The handlebar stem is too long, which causes me to be hunched over, and I am not the only one who has had this issue. This will be fixed by Monday or Tuesday because I cannot stand the way it is! It hurts my back to ride it for any extended amount of time. Stage 1 upgrades: (already ordered and will be installed after receiving). Wake 31.8 x 45mm stem 780mm Wake aluminum handlebars RockBros aluminum peddles RockBros locking hand grips Risk headset (sealed bearings) Stage 2 upgrades: The front fork: Bottom of the barrel Suntour, it is a must to change this out if you want to go down any serious trails and would be the biggest "must have" performance upgrade. It is akin to forks found on $120.00 Walmart bike. This will be part of my Stage 2 upgrade. I will likely go with a Rockshox Judy or Recon. The Tires: While I find the stock ones are usable and adequate, they are heavy (heard they are thin as well) and could definitely use a size change, so I will go with Maxxis tires in .2" bigger size. The brakes: My stock ones are set terribly, the back is pretty good but the front one seems to be rubbing and is certainly not set right. I will go with beefier discs and higher end hardware (hydraulic). Stage 3 upgrades: The drive train: The stock shifter hardware is usable, but to save weight and improve performance, I will likely go with a 34T oval 1X crank and a 11 to 10 speed cassette in the back. I am still debating on what I want to do here, but I plan on changing out the crank to a 1X and ditching the front derailleur. My rear derailleur works pretty good, but my front one was poorly adjusted and does not shift too well. I will go with a high end rear derailleur, once I make my final plan After this, I plan on just enjoying it. Yeah, I could have bought a high end MTB with no need to mod anything, but this is more fun. I really like the frame and looks and I would have done this with my original choices (Trek Marlin, Specialized Rockhopper, Giant Talon) anyhow.
Well I didn’t get to ride her on Wednesday like I planned. I slipped on ice in the driveway in NC and had to get 6 stitches in my elbow 🤬 I’ll try again in a month or so
I’ve got the same bike in a different color. No upgrades yet, but I love the bike. I like your upgrades. I want to change the pedals first. My feet slip off mine
@Dawson I will cut the steerer tube down as I loose my belly fat. For Now I Prefer The more upright stance, as I said in the video, if you weren't too bothered to watch the whole thing 😂
Looks awesome! Slowly upgrading my aggressor too, hope it looks about like at the end! 2 questions, is the fork 100 mm or 120 mm and how you like those wheels?
How tall are you since you have a large bike frame? I just bought the GT Aggressor Pro and bought my wife the Laguna. I bought the XL frame and I was recommended it because I'm 6' 2". I went on a pretty aggressive trail from where I'm at and I can tell I need practice but the bike definitely has it's weak points. I couldn't get up some hills because the tires wouldn't grip and it looks like the tires you have wouldn't have any problem. I went to a local bike shop and the owner said I basically bought a bike that is a little better than a Walmart Huffy then keep it a year or so and buy a better bike instead of upgrading. I would like your thoughts on it. I think with the upgrades you made it could make this bike a really enjoyable ride.
I am 6 feet tall and 260 pounds. the bike supports me very well. Tires make a huge difference and are not too expensive an upgrade. True what the bike shop told you, but most of the cost on higher end bikes is in the components, not so much the frame (unless it is carbon, that is a different animal). Some upgrades that I would recommend at a minimum are better tires, hydraulic brakes, and a 1x crankset. all of these can be done for a small investment, however they will improve the ride quality by a lot. Good luck!
In my opinion the guy at your LBS is an asshole who probably wants you buy something from his shop. With the right upgrades this bike can hold it's own with bikes of the same price range. It really just depends on what upgrades you put on it. Really the only two week points on this bike is that it doesn't have a tapered headtube so that limits what forks you can put on it, and to be honest GT should have put a tapered headtube on this bike considering they are asking $500+ for it (atleast currently, I know a few yrs ago it could be bought for cheaper) also the other weak point is that it's made for quick release wheels. Most higher quality bikes nowadays use a boost thru-axle, which is alot stronger then the thin 9mm quick release axles used on this bike. Your local bike shop owner is 100% wrong. I have basically upgraded every part on my GT Aggressor Pro, which is also an XL becuase I'm also 6'2. I am going to be posting a video on my channel tomorrow just giving people a look at it along with pointing out all the upgrades and the prices for each part. I did alot of the same upgrades he did.
Other than no rebound on the Bolany fork, did it hold up? Pros and cons of that fork please. Maybe a video would be a good thing. Lots of ppl considering those low cost Chinese forks.
It was pretty good as far as function, I had it on my bike for my first trip to Kanuga. I am by no means a fast rider or jumper, but it never bottomed out on me
@@chumrob100 Thank you! also what frame size is this aggressor pro? I’m rocking the medium frame and planning to upgrade my tires to a bigger width. Do you think it’ll fit 3.0 for my frame and the stock fork?
Sorry I gave incorrect measurements. Maxxis are 27.5 x 2.3. On my stock wheelset I have surly extraterrestrial 27.5 x 2.5 and no issues. I’ve seen as high as 2.8 on the stock wheels
I slipped on ice in my driveway the night before I was supposed to go and had to get stitches. 😡 I went back in October for the first time and it was great!
I literally just bought the GT aggressor pro. My mountain bike friends already want me to swap the fork. I just want to ride it first in the trails. But this build of yours gives me some solid ideas. Dope build.
Potential MTB buyers/owners: I've had this great bike for a year now and for an entry / mid level bike, it's awesome. Don't even try to compare to others, you will just get frustrated and confused.
I changed: bike seat , pedals (do this 1st week) , switched to 27.5 x 2.3 Conti Mountain King in front and Cross Trail in back , switched to a 1X 10 drivetrain & new fork: RockShox 30 Gold RL. Oh, and removed all of the yellow decals on the rims with a hard plastic blade tool.
Bought it for $450 US, added $260 in additions. I must say it looks truly impressive and more importantly, I am a very confident rider now as I trust all these parts as well as the well constructed frame which might be a little heavy but as far as design & quality it's an amazing "starter" frame...or else why would I invest so much around it?! Also, with these upgrades, your bike will of course be much lighter....simply changing the fork and drivetrain alone took off 20% of the weight.
I know it may seem way more reasonable to simply save the upgrade money and buy a $700-$800 hardtail with all the better parts etc... well, every bike goes through upgrades and so forth so I went this route and I am very pleased. In addition, the re-sale market is VERY strong, especially when they see so much money and effort to maximize the bike's potential with such care. You might lose $150-$200 max.
Next week....new brakes :)
Peace and Happy Trails to all!!!
That's one clean GT! I hope this ain't the last time we see the GT. Hopefully you are going to post some videos from the bike park your going to. Good luck and be safe.👍😎
I had a GT Aggressor Pro a few years ago and just got a brand new one yesterday (late birthday present). In stock form, my biggest complaint is the stock handlebar stem, it is terrible and makes you hunched over at a strange angle (much too long). Maybe a person with long arms would be okay with it, but it makes me uncomfortable quick.
The handlebar stem is too long, which causes me to be hunched over, and I am not the only one who has had this issue. This will be fixed by Monday or Tuesday because I cannot stand the way it is! It hurts my back to ride it for any extended amount of time.
Stage 1 upgrades: (already ordered and will be installed after receiving).
Wake 31.8 x 45mm stem
780mm Wake aluminum handlebars
RockBros aluminum peddles
RockBros locking hand grips
Risk headset (sealed bearings)
Stage 2 upgrades:
The front fork: Bottom of the barrel Suntour, it is a must to change this out if you want to go down any serious trails and would be the biggest "must have" performance upgrade. It is akin to forks found on $120.00 Walmart bike. This will be part of my Stage 2 upgrade. I will likely go with a Rockshox Judy or Recon.
The Tires: While I find the stock ones are usable and adequate, they are heavy (heard they are thin as well) and could definitely use a size change, so I will go with Maxxis tires in .2" bigger size.
The brakes: My stock ones are set terribly, the back is pretty good but the front one seems to be rubbing and is certainly not set right. I will go with beefier discs and higher end hardware (hydraulic).
Stage 3 upgrades:
The drive train: The stock shifter hardware is usable, but to save weight and improve performance, I will likely go with a 34T oval 1X crank and a 11 to 10 speed cassette in the back. I am still debating on what I want to do here, but I plan on changing out the crank to a 1X and ditching the front derailleur. My rear derailleur works pretty good, but my front one was poorly adjusted and does not shift too well. I will go with a high end rear derailleur, once I make my final plan
After this, I plan on just enjoying it. Yeah, I could have bought a high end MTB with no need to mod anything, but this is more fun. I really like the frame and looks and I would have done this with my original choices (Trek Marlin, Specialized Rockhopper, Giant Talon) anyhow.
Respect from Raleigh NC! Awesome set up bro 👌🤙.
Thanks!
Well I didn’t get to ride her on Wednesday like I planned. I slipped on ice in the driveway in NC and had to get 6 stitches in my elbow 🤬 I’ll try again in a month or so
Thats a nice bike. Great job
Thanks!
I’ve got the same bike in a different color. No upgrades yet, but I love the bike. I like your upgrades. I want to change the pedals first. My feet slip off mine
Thanks for watching! The Crank Brothers stamp 1 pedals are awesome and not too pricey
@Dawson I will cut the steerer tube down as I loose my belly fat. For Now I Prefer The more upright stance, as I said in the video, if you weren't too bothered to watch the whole thing 😂
Nice bike keep riding..
should do a price list of the upgrades
Hendo ❤️
Can you add links for parts upgrades.
Looks awesome! Slowly upgrading my aggressor too, hope it looks about like at the end! 2 questions, is the fork 100 mm or 120 mm and how you like those wheels?
Fork 100 mm the wheel set is awesome so far!
@@chumrob100 Sweet!
How does it feel with the handlebars higher I kind of want to do that to mine do you still climb good with them like that?
have you been to the bike park yet
I did make it a couple weeks ago! It was a blast but it started raining so I had to cut the day short
@@chumrob100 aw nice!! how was the bike? what upgrade do you think will benefit the ride the most
@@tomtricks6838 definitely the hydraulic brakes. Air fork, Tires and 1x drivetrain performed very well
@@chumrob100 alright thanks
Chris, what parts to get the "steerer tube tall" ? Thanks!
I just left the full length of the steerer tube as delivered from the factory. I Used Several Large spacers to fill the gap.
How tall are you since you have a large bike frame? I just bought the GT Aggressor Pro and bought my wife the Laguna. I bought the XL frame and I was recommended it because I'm 6' 2". I went on a pretty aggressive trail from where I'm at and I can tell I need practice but the bike definitely has it's weak points. I couldn't get up some hills because the tires wouldn't grip and it looks like the tires you have wouldn't have any problem. I went to a local bike shop and the owner said I basically bought a bike that is a little better than a Walmart Huffy then keep it a year or so and buy a better bike instead of upgrading. I would like your thoughts on it. I think with the upgrades you made it could make this bike a really enjoyable ride.
I am 6 feet tall and 260 pounds. the bike supports me very well. Tires make a huge difference and are not too expensive an upgrade. True what the bike shop told you, but most of the cost on higher end bikes is in the components, not so much the frame (unless it is carbon, that is a different animal). Some upgrades that I would recommend at a minimum are better tires, hydraulic brakes, and a 1x crankset. all of these can be done for a small investment, however they will improve the ride quality by a lot. Good luck!
In my opinion the guy at your LBS is an asshole who probably wants you buy something from his shop. With the right upgrades this bike can hold it's own with bikes of the same price range. It really just depends on what upgrades you put on it. Really the only two week points on this bike is that it doesn't have a tapered headtube so that limits what forks you can put on it, and to be honest GT should have put a tapered headtube on this bike considering they are asking $500+ for it (atleast currently, I know a few yrs ago it could be bought for cheaper) also the other weak point is that it's made for quick release wheels. Most higher quality bikes nowadays use a boost thru-axle, which is alot stronger then the thin 9mm quick release axles used on this bike. Your local bike shop owner is 100% wrong. I have basically upgraded every part on my GT Aggressor Pro, which is also an XL becuase I'm also 6'2. I am going to be posting a video on my channel tomorrow just giving people a look at it along with pointing out all the upgrades and the prices for each part. I did alot of the same upgrades he did.
Other than no rebound on the Bolany fork, did it hold up? Pros and cons of that fork please. Maybe a video would be a good thing. Lots of ppl considering those low cost Chinese forks.
It was pretty good as far as function, I had it on my bike for my first trip to Kanuga. I am by no means a fast rider or jumper, but it never bottomed out on me
@@chumrob100 thank you for posting your experience with it!
Hi there, the steering headtube of the fork is straight ? Thanks
Yes is is a straight (non tapered) head tube
what MAXXIS wheel are you using? 27.5 by what? Great upgrades!
Minion DHF in front, aggressor in rear. Both 27.5 x 2.3
@@chumrob100 Thank you! also what frame size is this aggressor pro? I’m rocking the medium frame and planning to upgrade my tires to a bigger width. Do you think it’ll fit 3.0 for my frame and the stock fork?
Sorry I gave incorrect measurements. Maxxis are 27.5 x 2.3. On my stock wheelset I have surly extraterrestrial 27.5 x 2.5 and no issues. I’ve seen as high as 2.8 on the stock wheels
Large frame
@@chumrob100 Thank you! I’ll probably go with a 2.5.
Jesus how many spacers are on that steerer tube 😂😂
As many as I want. As I loose weight I will cut the steerer tube down. A more upright ride position suits me better.
@Dawson looks fine to me
are these from alibaba?
Looking great! I’ve been upgrading the same bike. Would you still recommend the IXF Crankset? How do you like them?
Absolutely. I put one on my vintage GT as well. Love it
Nice! Oil slick is like stickers, they make you faster ;) Also, how was Kanuga?
I slipped on ice in my driveway the night before I was supposed to go and had to get stitches. 😡 I went back in October for the first time and it was great!
@@chumrob100 Too bad, man.. Kanuga seems like such a cool bike park, I would definetly wanna go there at some point.
nice 26er 😂
Uh, no. 27.5
@@chumrob100 its ok bro i had a 26er too
Lol 27.5.
What size frame is this?
Large size
17in or 19in frame?
@@robertxiong9606 19
You sella de Wells
No. Going to keep
27.5 wheels not 26.5 😂
garbage bike, anybody who bought this bike ethers got lucky it didn't broke down on them yet or will break down on them.. smh
This one is built. My nephew is currently shredding it on trails around Atlanta. 🖕🏼