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GT Grade 2020 First Impressions: More versatile, capable, comfortable and now with adjustable geometry

GT’s gravel and adventure bike gets increased tyre clearance, adjustable geometry and more compliance

Waaaaaay back in 2014 GT Bicycles launched one of the first carbon fibre gravel and adventure bikes with the Grade, and for 2020 it has launched a brand new version, keeping everything that was good about the original but increasing the tyre clearance, improving compliance, ramping up versatility and introducing adjustable geometry for the first time.

Key Details at a Glance

  • Carbon and aluminium frames
  • External cable routing and internal Di2
  • Dropper post compatible
  • 160 or 180mm disc brakes
  • FlipChip adjustable geometry
  • 700x42 and 650bcx47 tyre clearance
  • Mounts for mudguards, cages and Anything racks
  • Extra comfort from Floating Stays
  • Priced from £1,000 to £3,900
  • Available mid-June

The timing of the original Grade launch was bang on the money, a bit of luck and crystal ball gazing by the US brand. Gravel racing was becoming popular in the US and starting to spread its influence far and wide, and GT saw an opportunity to bring its mountain bike experience to the drop bar market with a bike designed to be highly versatile and capable on any terrain. It’s fair to say it went on to be a huge success, and it’s a bike that has always reviewed well in the various incarnations we’ve tested.

“GT went rogue back in 2015 when we introduced the first Grade. GT was at the forefront of this emerging gravel scene and became the first brand to develop disc brake equipped carbon gravel bikes,” said Patrick Kaye, GT Senior Product Manager. “The increased performance and added adaptability that we’ve engineered into the new Grade meets the needs of today’s gravel and adventure rider.”

GT Grade 2020 first look253.JPG

In updating the Grade the company hasn’t stepped too far away from the design of the original bike. Instead of a radical redesign, it has kept the same formula and underlying design but made numerous changes aimed at increasing its capability, comfort and versatility.

The iconic Triple Triangle, a key feature of GT mountain bikes since it was first used on the Zaskar in 1992, remains but in a clear move to increase the seated comfort, the pencil thin seatstays have now been separated (or decoupled if you like, but don’t tell Trek) from the seat tube, which itself has been shaped to allow it to flex more throughout its length.

GT Grade 2020 first look139.JPG

Together, these two changes have contributed to a claimed 20% increase in compliance compared to the old Grade. GT calls this technology Floating Stays, but it uses the same skinny seat stays made from wrapping carbon fibre around a solid glass fibre core. You can actually see the seatpost flexing back and forth, both when you’re riding behind another cyclist on a Grade or more simply by leaning very heavily on the saddle. There is a 280lb rider weight limit, however.

GT Grade 2020 first look126.JPG

The gravel and adventure market has blossomed and with its growth has been an increase in acceptable tyre widths. The new Grade ups the tyre clearance to 42mm tyres front and rear. It’s not as progressive as some other bikes we could name but GT feels it hits the sweet spot for most of its customers. As is often the case, you could probably go a bit wider depending on your exact tyre and rim width combinations. The Grade will also accept 650b x 47mm tyres.

GT Grade 2020 first look256.JPG

The Grade uses 12mm thru-axles and 160mm disc rotors front and rear with flat mount calipers. Furthermore, the rotors can be sized up to 180mm for those riders or occasions when beefier braking is required, say if you’re bikepacking through the mountains. Cables and the rear brake hose are routed externally along the bottom of the down tube, and there’s internal routing for Di2 and dropper posts.

G20_Grade_Geo.jpg

The original Grade’s geometry centred around a long wheelbase, slack head angle, low bottom bracket and a tall headtube. The new Grade has been slightly revised, with a slightly longer wheelbase and a lower stack than before. A size 55cm has a 72.3-degree head angle and 73-degree seat angle, 1,055mm wheelbase, 445mm chainstays, 73mm bottom bracket drop and a 590mm stack and 394mm reach.

Of more interest is the new Flip Chip. It’s a chip in the fork dropout that lets you adjust the fork offset by up to 15mm, between 55 and 70mm to alter the trail to tune the ride characteristic to suit rider preference and whether you’re riding laden or unladen.

GT Grade 2020 first look89.JPG

The Flip Chip is an intriguing feature for sure. We’ve seen such geometry adjustments before obviously, most notably Rondo, but it’s certainly not commonplace. But where Rondo uses the flip chip to change the stack and reach with only a minor impact on the fork offset, GT has employed it to adjust the fork trail provide different handling.

GT Grade 202012.jpg

The default setting is a regular 55mm offset (57mm trail), but you can increase it to 70mm which shortens the trail (39mm). The difference is in how the bike steers and responds to your inputs, with the shorter trail resulting in a faster steering and more agile bike. GT intends this to be a setting to be used when the Grade is fully laden with luggage and water bottles, offsetting the extra weight by speeding up the handling.

“The 55 mm offset is perfect for gravel race days while the 70 mm offset or “low trail” setting is ideal when the Grade is loaded up with cargo for a bike packing adventure,” explains GT.

It’s not a trailside adjustment, but rather you choose the offset to suit the requirements of your riding, based on the terrain, wheelsize and how laden with baggage your bike is. Thorough in-depth testing will be required to assess the benefits of this new feature. This new fork will only be used on higher-end models, lower models will use a carbon fork with a fixed 55mm offset.

There are six sizes from 44 to 62cm and GT has evened out the stack and reach across the size range to provide a smoother progression.

GT Grade 20208.jpg

The original Grade was a versatile bike, the new Grade takes the versatility to another level. There are the same hidden mudguard eyelets with removable mudguard mounts to maintain the clean lines and clearance when not using ‘guards, and there are a plethora of mounts for attaching lots of water bottles with the carbon fork compatible with Anything mounts for racks and water bottle cages. The alloy Grade even has water bottle mounts on the seatstays for those epic distance rides when you need to lug a lot of water with you.

What’s it like to ride?

Girona was the launch venue for the new Grade, a well-known hub for pro cyclists but hiding miles of high-quality trails in the forests surrounding the historic city an hour’s drive from bustling Barcelona.

GT Grade 2020 first look9.JPG

I was only provided a couple of hours on the new bike so far from enough time to form a solid opinion of the new bike, but first impressions are that GT has retained all the key qualities of the original Grade whilst managing to improve it in key areas.

The ride is impressively smooth and calm, with a noticeable increase in seated comfort when riding over rocks and gravel of dried out river beds and tackling roots on tree-lined trails. You can feel the saddle deflecting underneath you when hitting a bigger hole or bump, and also see it moving on another rider’s bike when you’re following them.

GT Grade 202014.jpg

It’s also a very stable and easy bike to ride. The length of the bike and the head angle gives relaxed steering that makes it a breeze and a joy to carve the Grade through twisting singletrack, drifting the back wheel through tighter turns on the dusty gravel. It passes the riding no-handed test with flying colours.

I didn’t get the chance to experiment with the Flip Chip adjustment, riding the Grade in the default 55mm fork offset setting which provided very predictable handling that threw up no surprises on the trails we were being guided by local riders.

GT Grade 2020 first look228.JPG

When I rode the original Grade in Utah back in 2014, I summed it up by saying: “The Grade handles any terrain with aplomb, isn’t fazed by rough terrain and whizzes along the smoother stuff as quickly as any road bike. That you can fit mudguards and racks boosts it versatility immensely, making it a bike that can comfortably replace three or four dedicated purpose bikes. It’s well suited to the recreational cyclist who cycles for fun or transportation, rather than to those who count segments.”

GT Grade 2020 first look447.JPG

My feelings with the new Grade are little different, but it’s clear the comfort has been increased and versatility has been taken to another level ensuring it’ll appeal to people wanting to plan an adventure bikepacking trip with all the luggage and bottles they’ll need, whilst still appealing to people who want a rugged and comfortable bike for everything from normal weekend rides to daily commuting.

How much will it cost?

There will be five models of Grade to choose from, priced from £1,000 to £3,900 with two alloy bikes and three carbon bikes.

gt grade carbon pro.png

The top-end Grade Carbon Pro (£3,900) is equipped with a Shimano Ultegra  Di2 groupset with an RX rear mech and an FSA Energy Modular Adventure 46/30t chainset, and finished with WTB Riddler 37mm tyres on WTB tubeless rims laced to Formula hubs.

gt grade carbon expert.png

The Grade Carbon Expert (£2,500 ) steps down to a Shimano 105 groupset with an FSA Omega Adventure 46/30t chainset and the same 37mm wide WTB Riddler tyres.

gt grade carbon elite.png

The Grade Carbon Elite (£2,000) is built around Shimano’s Tiagra groupset with an FSA Omega Adventure 46/30t chainset and wide-range 11-34t 10-speed cassette and again the same WTB Riddler 37mm tyres.

gt grade expert.png

The Grade Expert (£1,500) combines an aluminium frame and carbon fork with a Shimano 105 groupset with WTB Riddler tyres.

gt grade elite.png

The cheapest Grade is the Grade Elite (£1,000) with a Shimano Claris groupset, a SunRace 11-34t cassette and an FSA Tempo Adventure 48/32t chainset and the 37mm WTB Riddler tyres.

The Flip Chip and Anything compatible fork is only a feature on the top two models, the three models below those use a carbon fork with a fixed 55mm offset and just pannier and mudguard compatibility.

All bikes will be specced with GT’s new aluminium DropTune handlebar which features a 16-degree flare. There are carbon seatposts on the top-end models along with Fabric Scoop saddles. WTB’s excellent Riddler tyre in 37mm width is used across the range which is tubeless-ready.

Stay tuned for a first ride and first impressions video soon. More info at

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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16 comments

Avatar
Panslanepaul | 4 years ago
0 likes

Just got an email from GT linking to their Grade page. Seems the alloy 105 not only has Tektro mechanical disc brakes but a square taper BB to go with its FSA chainset! Bit of a roll-back from the Alloy 105 from 2015 despite the doubling in price...

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

Well spotted Gossa, it was a picture I managed to find that was pretty standard, saddle looks upgraded to a Flite Ti, a change I would make too.

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

I always liked the triple triangle frames of GT.

I always wanted a Zaskar in the early 90s

 

Avatar
Gossa replied to ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

ktache wrote:

I always liked the triple triangle frames of GT.

I always wanted a Zaskar in the early 90s

 

 

Now that is a classic? Looks like a '92 with the U brake on the seatstays. GT 3D fork and Deore 2 groupset? Very nice!

Avatar
SilverBugle | 4 years ago
2 likes

 So when the £ was 1.02 to € some 15 years ago, were you whining then, wasn't anything to do with Brexit,

The Euro hit 1.02 the £ at the end of 2009  - that was probably due to how markets thought the UK would react to the financial crisis at the time.  It had been over 1.40 to the £ for nearly a year before that.  By 2015 it had clawed it's way back to about 1.40.   Between Nov 15 and the Referendum date it had slipped to 1.30 and within about a week of result it was down to 1.16.  Since then is had broadly gone up when the chances of deal have gone up and down when the chances of no deal have gone up.

Anyone is entitled to think that the markets are underestimating the UK's future with no Deal, but to suggest that the current exchange rate is nothing to do with Brexit is a fantasy - what do you think is responsible - the Tooth Fairy?

Avatar
Gossa replied to SilverBugle | 4 years ago
1 like

SilverBugle]</p>

<p>

&nbsp;So when the £ was 1.02 to € some 15 years ago, were you whining then, wasn't anything to do with Brexit, [quote

wrote:

The Euro hit 1.02 the £ at the end of 2009  - that was probably due to how markets thought the UK would react to the financial crisis at the time.  It had been over 1.40 to the £ for nearly a year before that.  By 2015 it had clawed it's way back to about 1.40.   Between Nov 15 and the Referendum date it had slipped to 1.30 and within about a week of result it was down to 1.16.  Since then is had broadly gone up when the chances of deal have gone up and down when the chances of no deal have gone up.

Anyone is entitled to think that the markets are underestimating the UK's future with no Deal, but to suggest that the current exchange rate is nothing to do with Brexit is a fantasy - what do you think is responsible - the Tooth Fairy?

 

Yep you're 100% right. Brands have to price mainly in $USD as bikes are made (predominantly) in Asia and paid for in American Dollars. Right now if you are pricing then you have to look at where the dollar is and the uncertainty about where it will be. As you state above, it's definitely Brexit related. 

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
0 likes

So when the £ was 1.02 to € some 15 years ago, were you whining then, wasn't anything to do with Brexit, we've had it good and bad over the years, I remember being able to buy stuff from the US for peanuts and that was after the pound dropped massively against the Euro, and then again when the £ went to 1.42 stuff in the eurozone was cheap as chips. Why not simply accept that inflation occurs and that manufacturers are trying to squeeze as much out of punters as they can and will charge bearing in mind the market/what other suppliers are selling their products for.

You could always buy elsewhere if £1000 is too much for you.

Avatar
fukawitribe | 4 years ago
2 likes

Frame bags take water bladders.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to fukawitribe | 4 years ago
0 likes

fukawitribe wrote:

Frame bags take water bladders.

Does the one in the photo? Surely you want a fluid 'tank' on the top tube if you're taking up your bottle space with luggage and having a third bottle cage mount would also be beneficial.

Avatar
Gossa replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
1 like

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

fukawitribe wrote:

Frame bags take water bladders.

Does the one in the photo? Surely you want a fluid 'tank' on the top tube if you're taking up your bottle space with luggage and having a third bottle cage mount would also be beneficial.

There's a third mount under the downtube but as fukawitribe said, nowadays you keep your water bladder in your frame bag, or use the fork mounts for extra bottles if you're not fitting front bags.

And you're quite right about the tyres, although you can still feel the flex in the seatpost area quite significantly. As for dogs dinner, what part exactly do you find pedigree chum chum? 

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
0 likes

"ride is impressively smooth and calm, with a noticeable increase in seated comfort when riding over rocks and gravel of dried out river beds and tackling roots on tree-lined trails. You can feel the saddle deflecting underneath you when hitting a bigger hole or bump"
 

Might not that be becuase you were riding wide tyres at low pressure and would have been same/imilar with other frames on same tyres?

It looks like a dogs dinner and whovever thought bikepacking taking up the space for both bottle mounts with a bag wants a good hard slap.

Avatar
zero_trooper replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
1 like

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

It looks like a dogs dinner and whovever thought bikepacking taking up the space for both bottle mounts with a bag wants a good hard slap.

At least there’s a choice. Looks like you could have water bottles wherever you want. Including on the seat stays of the alu models. Now that would look like a dog’s dinner?

This new range looks like a thoughtful update of a well regarded predecessor.

But £1000 for Claris? Have I missed something?

Avatar
Gossa replied to zero_trooper | 4 years ago
0 likes

zero_trooper wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

It looks like a dogs dinner and whovever thought bikepacking taking up the space for both bottle mounts with a bag wants a good hard slap.

At least there’s a choice. Looks like you could have water bottles wherever you want. Including on the seat stays of the alu models. Now that would look like a dog’s dinner?

This new range looks like a thoughtful update of a well regarded predecessor.

But £1000 for Claris? Have I missed something?

This is provisional pricing based on current exchange rate which is utterly shite (Brexit). Expect other brands 2020 bikes to reflect this as well.

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
3 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

"ride is impressively smooth and calm, with a noticeable increase in seated comfort when riding over rocks and gravel of dried out river beds and tackling roots on tree-lined trails. You can feel the saddle deflecting underneath you when hitting a bigger hole or bump"
 

Might not that be becuase you were riding wide tyres at low pressure and would have been same/imilar with other frames on same tyres?

It looks like a dogs dinner and whovever thought bikepacking taking up the space for both bottle mounts with a bag wants a good hard slap.

You do see the bottle on forks in the same picture?

Avatar
kil0ran | 4 years ago
0 likes

Blimey, those seat stays!

Avatar
paulrattew | 4 years ago
2 likes

I really love my original carbon grade. It's very much a fast endurance road bike that is capable of taking on a lot more than just tarmac. It's not a full on gravel bike (in the current sense) though, mainly because the tyre clearance simply isn't big enough. 35mm at 700c, and not a vast amount gained by going to 650B. 

It not being a full on gravel rig is fine by me. I have more of a problem with the fact that it came with a semi compact 52/36 chainset - my favourite set up for pure road riding but a bit too tall for anything off road. A standard compact would have made much more sense. Also, I have to have a -17degree stem fitted to get a good front position. 

This looks like a much more capable gravel bike. The much bigger tyre clearances certainly open up the range of surfaces that you can comfortably take on. Much lower gearing is firmly aimed at big miles off road. That said, half the fun of the orginal comes from when you find you have got yourself in over your head in terms of the terrain. 

The extra mounting points are a good addition. I get the feeling that the flip-chip is one of those things that the majority of people will never really play with - more of a set once and then forget about it. It's interesting that unlike Rondo (both the RUUT and the HVRT) they are not trying to turn it from the extremes of a race/speed focused machine to an all day comfort/endurance one with the flip-chip, but aiming at heavily laden travel, which ties in nicely with all the extra mounting points and carrying capacity

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