Ask someone what they think of an i-Drive and you don't know what they'll say. Some people love them. On the other hand, quite a few people hate them. Allegedly, the 2001 models are supposed to be much better than the earlier XCR models, although I'm not certain what the difference is other than a redesigned seat support and maybe some new shocks.

The i-Drive as it comes

There are two bones of contention in i-Drives. First is the durability - and since mine is still fairly new (I bought it in August 2001) I can't so far comment on that. It does look quite complex for the British climate, but time will tell.

The other question mark is the suspension action. Personally I find it's fine, it's pretty much how I wanted it to feel downhill - but I'm not too experienced with full suspension bikes. It certainly doesn't climb as well as the Konas do, but not so much as to make it a dog.

Part of the reason I love the suspension is that the shocks are so good. I'm a fan of air/oil units, and the SIDs and the Fox Float rear shock feel like they were made for each other. There's no stiction, and the damping is spot on. They're both 'no frills' units, but they do the job well - there's no denying that the ride is plush.

Dropping in

The original equipment on the bike is generally good. Lots of Syncros stuff, which is pleasing. The Shimano kit works well, although the shifters feel a bit flimsy compared to my old XTs. The saddle's not great (no surprises there though). I've had some trouble with the hubs: I've had two front ones seize completely (I've got a matching wheel on the Lava Dome); replacing the bearings with fully sealed ones isn't cheap but they seem to be working pretty reliably now. The Ritchey clipless pedals came straight off in favour of some good old DMR V12s, and the WTB headset seems to be a bit crunchy after only one or two muddy rides - other than that, everything seems to be working fine.

There are two obvious duff components specced on the bike. First up is the Avid SD3 rear brake, which is fine out of the box but is useless as soon as the pads wear - the geometry of the arms is nowhere near as good as Shimano's. Mine was swiftly replaced by a second Avid CPS disc - these are cracking good performers. The second duff choice is the tyres, WTB Motoraptors front and rear. The tread on these is blatantly front-specific, and they're not even that good at cornering. Off they came to make way for a pair of Tioga Factory DH tyres, 2.3 front and 2.1 rear. After initially being unconvinced, I now love these tyres, especially the rear. The front is ok, but doesn't bite enough on hard turns.

I had a problem with the Fox Float, which seems to be a common one: it went squelchy. The ride didn't seem much different, although I thought it felt a little bit underdamped on the last ride (might be my imagination). It was sent back to Mojo under warranty and they overhauled it and sent it back by return post - outstanding service.

Latest change to the bike is that the SID XCs have been donated to my hardtail and replaced with SID 100s, and I've bunged on a short Tioga Cube stem. This seems to make up for the head angle being slightly slacker than the Konas, so it's more at home on singletrack.

Current Setup

Frame: GT i-Drive 3.0
Rear shock: Fox Float
Fork: Rock Shox SID 100
Wheels: Syncros Lil' Snapper rims on GT MTN Disc hubs
Tyres: Tioga Factory DH 2.3F/2.1R
Brakes: Avid CPS discs
Front mech: Shimano Deore LX
Rear mech: Shimano Deore XT
Shifters: Shimano Deore
Brake levers: Avid Speed Dial 5
Chainset: Shimano Deore LX
Bottom bracket: Shimano Deore LX
Headset: WTB Momentum Comp ST
Stem: Tioga Cube 50mm
Bar: Syncros
Seatpin: GT MTN
Saddle: WTB SST.X
Pedals: DMR V12