It's been three decades since GT were THE mountain bike suspension brand of choice, with its RTS, LTS and STS designs ridden to countless race and championship wins by a star-studded XC and DH roster.
And while it has had race success and some interesting designs since, the spotlight has definitely been shining elsewhere. Joining the PON bike family alongside Santa Cruz, Focus, Cannondale, Cervélo, Juliana, Reserve and others means new investment for GT and new bikes. That includes fresh versions of the Sensor 29er trail bike in 120mm and 140mm-travel options. I've been riding the top-spec 140mm LE version to find out if it's a return to the glory days for the SoCal BMX-born brand.
The new carbon Sensor looks a lot like the old one, with flowing triangulated lines, and a classic Horst-link four-bar rear end. The rocker linkage still drives a vertically mounted shock and the seatstays are now carbon not alloy. This, combined with other tweaks, shaves approximately 600g off the old (size Medium) frame.
Both travel options use the same frame where an extra 5mm of stroke on the trunnion-mounted RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock boosts rear travel to 140mm on the Sensor LE. That's teamed with a 150mmtravel RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork to give the Sensor LE more suspension muscle and slightly slacker geometry than the short-travel bike,
Esta historia es de la edición Summer 2023 de Mountain Bike Rider.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición Summer 2023 de Mountain Bike Rider.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Best places to ride with your kids
Five top venues to keep the nippers entertained this summer
CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2
It’s got more suspension tunes than a Hitchcock movie, but will this Moterra thrill us or chill us?
100% GLENDALE GLASSES
When it comes to eyewear, having a large lens not only offers a lot more protection from trail splatter, it puts the frames further out from your field of view, allowing you to focus on the terrain in front of you. The Glendale is absolutely vast, and actually has a lens size akin to a full downhill goggle, so you literally can’t see the top or sides of the frame.
DMR STAGE 2 MTB RAIL SADDLE
DMR's new Stage 2 MTB Rail is one of those new/old products. The shape and construction are identical to the existing Oi Oi saddle, but the company has wrapped it in a new skin and added some harder-wearing reinforcement to the edges. It's also toned down the lairy graphics; this saddle only comes in plain black.
STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN
Has tech taken the hard work and fun out of mountain biking, or should we embrace evolution and roll with it?
STORM FORCE
Manon Carpenter may have retired from downhill competition, but her new role as a trail advocate is achieving results far beyond the race track
SWEAT AND SLATE
We ride 140 miles through Snowdonia on Cycling UK's newest and gnarliest long-distance trail
HEAD SPACE
New guidance reveals how to spot concussion, and how best to treat it
LATE SUMMER LOVIN'
Classic UK holiday hotspots that really shine when the crowds have gone
HOT STUFF
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH