Zaskar

Name: GT Bicycles Zaskar
Brand: GT Bicycles

mtb

Origin

The Zaskar is one of mountain biking's most storied names. Launched in 1991 as an ultra-light chrome-moly steel hardtail, it became GT's race weapon and carried World Cup XC champions through the 1990s. The modern Zaskar LT (2023) reimagines the name as a trail-enduro hardtail with slacker geometry and 130mm travel, bridging the gap between XC efficiency and trail aggressiveness.

Specifications

Frame: Zaskar LT alloy Triple Triangle construction with floating seatstays, BSA 73mm threaded BB, 12x148mm Boost thru-axle, tapered head tube
Drivetrain: SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed shifters and rear derailleur; SRAM SX Eagle 11-50T cassette; SRAM SX Eagle Power Spline 30T crankset; SRAM SX Eagle chain (Elite trim)
Brakes: Tektro M520 hydraulic disc, 180/160mm rotors (Elite); Tektro Gemini SL on lower trims
Wheels: 29" only; WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 32h tubeless-ready rims

The verdict

+Strengths

Slack trail geometry (66 deg head angle) provides genuine confidence on technical descents for a hardtail
Floating seatstay design smooths trail chatter noticeably over rigid competitors
Dropper post inclusion and tubeless-ready rims are rare at this price point

−Weaknesses

SRAM SX Eagle components feel clunky and underwhelming at the bike's price level
Internal cable routing rattles noticeably on rough trails — a widely noted quality issue
At ~15.9 kg (Elite), it's heavier than rival alloy trail hardtails