In the United States, mountain bikes with 29-inch wheels are much more in demand than in Europe. It is therefore clear that the US brand GT is launching such a bike on the market. A model of the legendary Zaskar has been adapted to the large wheels. Niner, as the 29-inch mountain bikes are called, roll easily and smoothly and have good traction thanks to the large contact area between the ground and tires.

The "Marathon" is aimed at sporty cross-country riders

The full-suspension cross-country bike has a stiffer rear triangle with seat stays made of carbon, just like the main frame. Visually, the bike now looks more uniform, which is also helped by the paintwork. The bike weighs 11 kilograms for the top model and boasts top-class suspension. With its playful character, it offers a lot of riding fun on sporty tours and in races. Unfortunately, this frame design has no space for a bidon in the frame triangle, which is clearly a disadvantage for a race bike.

Over hill and dale with the "Force"

The Force now has a beautiful carbon frame with internally routed shift cables, which reduces the weight of the top model "Force Pro" to 11.8 kilograms. The suspension travel has been extended to 154 millimeters. It is designed for fun tours in difficult terrain, or in more modern terms, for trail riding. A first ride impression confirms the playful character of the bike. Once again, the "Independent Drivetrain" suspension system knows how to impress with its sensitivity and efficiency, especially in this suspension travel-rich and touring-oriented bike category. For non-downhillers, the Force is the secret highlight of the new GT collection.

The "Sanction" offers a lot of riding fun

The Saction has been given a new aluminum frame and can now be described as a lightweight freeride bike. The head angle has been flattened by one degree to 66 degrees, the seat angle is now 71.5 degrees. The suspension travel remains the same at 154 millimeters. Thanks to the changes, it now stands out much more clearly from the "Force" than it did last year, although both models have the same amount of rear suspension travel. The areas of application for the Sanction are bike parks and freeride tours with shuttle support.

A racehorse on the downhill, the "Fury"

A downhill bike made from carbon? The safety of this lightweight material has been called into question by end customers at the latest after some frames broke. However, carbon can be modulated in many different ways and is not a homogeneous material. Depending on how the fibers are laid, which frame construction technique is used and which fiber quality is used, the frame properties change significantly. GT says that no other material can be used to build such a robust frame at an acceptable weight. The fact that a manufacturer places the stable properties of carbon at the center of its considerations and not the weight does not correspond to the usual lightweight construction mania. The fact that, at 17.25 kilograms (top model), a very light downhill bike has nevertheless been created is of course noted with satisfaction. To protect the frame from damage in the event of a fall and from bouncing rocks, the outer skin has been reinforced with a few additional carbon mats, especially in vulnerable areas. As with the previous aluminum model "Dhi ", GT's Independent Drivetrain is used as the suspension system, which gives the "Fury" 211 millimetres of travel.

GT sticks to the proven "Independent Drivetrain" suspension system

GT calls the suspension system used on all full-suspension models "Independent Drivetrain". The first thing you notice at first glance is the large number of bearings. But this should not put you off. The maintenance effort for this system is now no higher than for other multi-link systems and no special tools are required. The reason why GT has stuck with this system for years is its excellent function. Hardly any other system covers the various demands on a suspension as well as the "independent drivetrain". It has no influence from the drivetrain and even when pedaling out of the saddle, the rear suspension works very little. The spring characteristic and the wheel lift curve are almost ideal, which gives all GT fullys an unmistakably playful character. Together with the fine response behavior, this results in a suspension that enables very efficient pedaling and smooths out the trails like an iron on the downhill. Due to the many large bearings, the only disadvantage is that the system is somewhat heavier than others.