Buzzillions Blogs

Nice setup, especially for the $$

: I have been overall very happy with this bike, which I purchased for fast training rides with the WestPoint cycling team. The frame is extremely stiff, and the power transfer is amazing. Although the specs list a 105 crank, mine showed up full Ultegra (not complaining!). The internal cable routing is very clean looking, and overall the bike looks very nice. It doesn’t ride with any noticeable traits or characteristics–it just handles well, is quiet, and does what you tell it to. For a bike in this pricepoint, “character” would probably be a bad thing. Overall, this is just very, very neutral. Descending and climbing are both fantastic.

Cons:

-Proprietary seatpost it scary–needed a lot of carbon prep and 6(!) nm of torque to keep it seated. Plus, if it does break, you’ve got one option. No serious problems with it yet, however.

-No round tubes for clamping in a repair stand, and even attaching a standard tail light is an issue. The pics don’t show nearly how shaped this frame is (actually a better looking bike than the web would suggest).

-Semi-compact sizing. I usually ride a 58, so I bought the large. I’ve got a LOT of seatpost out (which is ok), but still had to swap to a MUCH shorter stem. It worked out fine, but I’d check the specs on GTs website (you can find this bike under the english-international link) before settling on the size.

-The Vredstein tires are a problem. Around mile 150, my front tire completely threw the bead (kevlar everywhere!). I was running exactly 100 PSI, and didn’t hit anyhting. Upon closer inspection, there is next to no casing over the bead. 10 grams heavier would have been a lot more durable.

In sum, you’re probably not going to beat this bike for the price, and I’m much more excited about it than this post might read. Nothing here was a deal-breaker for me, and I’ll probably ride this bike (a lot) for 2-3 years.

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