Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
92 of 97 people found the following review helpful.
By cdog
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 backward s 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 don't 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 can't raise the stem on the handlebars without adding a spacer. If anyone finds out otherwise, please comment to this post.
Anot her 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.
57 of 60 people found the following review helpful.
By F. Moreau
I purchased this bike in February of 2009. I was looking for something to improve my cardio health but wasn't sure that I would really enjoy biking. After seeing numerous ads in the online classifieds of nearly new $1000 to $2000 bikes being sold for substantial discounts after being ridden for only a few miles, I decided to err towards caution in my initial purchase. I was hoping that by purchasing a mid priced bike I should get a reasonable quality components and not be deterred by a low quality bike. Assembly was basic requiring me to attach the front wheel, handlebar, pedals and seat. Everything else was preassembled. Pretty simple really. Inflate the tires and in 45 minutes it was ready to ride.
I am 58 and live in the mountains in the Pacific Northwest so I was looking for a full suspension bike, mostly to ease the shocks and jolts from riding on bumpy chip sealed roads. Since I was looking for a bike for exercise, weight of the bike was not a huge factor to me.
Having not owned a bike since my 20s, I was unfamiliar with the improvements in cycling. The 21 speeds seemed a bit of overkill to me at first, but now I find it well worth having in the rolling hills in my area. The push button indexed shifters were a real treat to me and easy to learn. The rear derailleur shifted extremely smoothly with no jumps clicks or clatters especially in the upshift. It simply changed ratio and I could feel a little extra resistance in the pedals as I gained speed. The front derailleur is a little less sophisticated but it works adequately. The disk brakes are a good idea in the wet region I live because they are far less likely to lose effectiveness due to getting wet. I remember rim brakes that would become almost ineffectual after riding through a large puddle. My only complaint would be the squealing noise they make at the end of a stop.
On flat roads the gearing is adequate to allow me to pedal along at 22+ mph until my legs tire, but it isn't designed to be a race bike. I have climbed some rather challenging but short hills (total of about 400' gain over a mile and a quarter) and pedaling like mad, I can climb a 12% short grade at 4.8 mph. The bike is heavy, approximately 37 pounds so it makes the hills a little more challenging. Over varied terrain on paved roads I can routinely average around 14 mph. Going down the above series of grades I have coasted up to 38 mph.
The only things I have found to be problematic are that as the bike breaks in, the cables stretch a little so the shifters need to be adjusted after a 100 or so miles. (Common on all bikes) The inner tube in the rear wheel failed at about 130 miles when the joint around the valve gave out while I was off the bike taking a photo. That brings me to a second problem, the tubes. Because of the deep V rims (which makes them stronger) they require a long schrader valve tube. Department stores carry the standard size but not the 48mm valved tubed this bike requires. I would recommend that anyone buying this bike order a couple of 26 x 1.9/2.125 48mm valved tubes at the same time.
The bike is fun to ride and so far, after over 700 miles, it seems very durable. The only problems were the aforementioned inner tube and derailleur adjustments. The seat isn't the best either, but unless you ride more than 30 minutes at a time it will do. The only changes I have done is to replace the saddle with a male gel saddle (I sometimes ride for two hours or more at a time), added a couple of lights for safety, a bike computer, a clamp to the seat post carrier rack (a cheap and effective dual purpose rear fender), and replaced the knobby off road tires with a smoother tire designed for pavement for lower rolling resistance.
Overall I am very pleased with the bike. The bike is good quality especially for the price. I have recently been test riding some higher end bikes and the only difference is that they are are significantly lighter and significantly more expensive. I would have no problem recommending the bike to anyone.
49 of 52 people found the following review helpful.
By UART
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. It's a beautiful bike that grabs al ot of attention everywhere I go.
Facts: I am solid, 200lbs 5'10" from Michigan, Ride bikes an average of 4hrs/day, in harsh climates/terrains, (Mich. area) and daily commuting 7 days/week. I'm tough on bikes, and haul groceries with my trailer attached to it.
(good job, GMC/Kent bikes)
