June 27th, 2014 11:48am
Its not often one of the big manufactures is on the leading edge of bike trends and fads. They usually leave that to upstarts to develop a market and see if there is traction. Then they jump in with their marketing might and existing dealer network to get in the game. That’s why we were pleasantly surprised when we caught wind of what GT is bringing to the table for 2015.
For starters, the off road gravel bike races are catching on. Attracting adventure road and cyclocross riders to events like Dirty 40. The real attraction to these races is the ride whatever you want and if you want to be competitive, whatever will take you to the finish line fastest kind of attitude. GT astutely saw this opportunity to get in touch with what riders wanted and developed the Grade. According to GT, “The Grade is for those who crave an epic adventure on a road bike. This bike is focused on high performance, versatility and the ability to rip it up. The Grade is a do-anything machine – riders can race a fondo, get lost on an all-day ride or explore hidden side roads on the outskirts of town.
The Grade boasts All Day Geometry, which provides a more stable rider position as well as a Dual Fiber Dynamic for reduced fatigue allowing for marathon rides. It has also been outfitted with GT’s iconic Triple Triangle for better power delivery. “With the Grade, we’ve added innovative components that matter to the kind of rider who rebels against the standards of road riding,” said Tim Inall, General Manager, GT Bicycles. “The Grade is for those who want a bike that knows no bounds.”
Seemed like a bit of stretch to us until we saw this video that is a perfect visual demonstration of exactly what this bike is designed for and how you can ride it.
The GT Grade - Adventure Bike - Offers mulitple build kits and both carbon and aluminium offerings.
The GT Helion could be the only bike you want to own and the one bike you point your friends to when they ask you what they should buy.
We have all heard the term “quiver kill’ thrown around to describe a bike that does it all. And we know we can pretty much ride any bike anywhere, but that doesn't make it a true all- rounder. And what about friends that ask our advice that just plain want to ride. They don’t care about enduro, xc, dh specific rigs. They just want to ride...well, it seems that GT had this group firmly in the cross hairs when they made the Helion (Isn't this the biggest market anyway? Smart) . A true mountain bike for the weekend warrior who wants to ride any trail any day.
If I tried to describe the bike I would call it a long travel XC machine. But is more than that because is also has a slacker head tube which gives you all the stability of the longer travel bikes. Its not a true enduro rig because the travel is a bit short at 110 mm. But the funny thing is, you could race this bike as an XC rig, a short travel enduro or take it on a full tilt all day epic ride. The Helion also rides on 650B wheels. The company line on this bike is “The Helion is designed for the mountain bike rider interested in a lightweight, but stable XC bike,” commented Inall. “This bike has confidence inspiring handling that lets the rider have a fun and epic time on their ride.”
The GT Helion is outfitted with GT’s most efficient pedaling system, the AOS Suspension System, which isolates the drive train from the suspension and delivers pedaling forces into forward motion. In addition, the Helion uses the new LOCKR Expanding Axle System which allows for a simpler pivot and lighter pivot assembly, and a lighter bike.
We have not yet ridden this bike, but are solidly behind the idea of the concept..“this is for an XC rider wants more than just a race bike.” We cant wait to try this bike out.
Check out this video on the bike and share it with your friends the next time they ask you for a bike recommendation.
Be sure to check back in at the site to see a future review and leave your opinion on these bikes based on the video.
Location: News >> GT Hits the Mark on Two New Bikes
© 2025 Bicycle World TV
