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2014 GT Force, Sensor 650B Mountain Bikes – Video, Pics, Specs & More!

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2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike

By now, it’s no secret GT’s been working on several 650B bikes and a revamp of their Independent Drive suspension platform.

What may be surprising (at least for the US market) is just how good the new bikes are. Granted, we only rode the upper end carbon frames, but more than one journo around PressCamp was humming some praises. We also heard murmur that the new Force (above) and Sensor bikes unveiled are not the same bike that Señor Atherton’s been humping around the Enduro courses, meaning there’s likely more to come.

Let’s start with their new schema and platform:  GT Global Marketing Manager Chris Hopwood says they started off with a new design philosophy and take into account how each bike will be used. They’re calling it COR, Centered On Rider, and each bike starts off by looking at a certain type of rider and the travel, geometry, features and spec most suited to them. They also looked at what sort of terrain those folks are most likely to ride, which can vary drastically from coast to coast or region to region.

They came up with five unique categories: XC, Trail, AM, Enduro and Gravity. Gravity’s been unveiled in the new Fury. The two bikes you see here are the new 130mm Sensor (Trail) and 150mm Force (AM). See? There’s a convenient hole between AM and Gravity. Anywhoo, check our video interview and much, much more below…

AOS SUSPENSION & PATHLINK

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike

They wanted to take advantage of their IP, but update it to work and look better. They developed a platform called AOS, Angle Optimized Suspension, and for the Sensor and Force, they were designed around 27.5″ wheels from the start.

It’s a high single pivot design, similar to what you’d see on a downhill bike, with an optimized rearward arcing wheel path. This helps you keep momentum when you hit something big.

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike

The old I-Drive dog bone link has been replaced by the new PathLink. The old system’s linkage moved and pulled the bottom bracket to keep it in the desired position. The new one has a similar function but is much stiffer, and it’s lighter because it uses fewer parts and can run smaller bearings with simple axles. The silver PathLink piece is heavily machined from the inside to reduce material. You’ll never see it, but there’s a lot of attention to detail hidden behind that monocoque piece. Thankfully, they stuck with a threaded BB.

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike
Top pic shows shock fully inflated, bottom is fully deflated to show how things move under full compression. Note how the derailleur’s pulley’s are virtually in the same position, showing that chain growth is very well controlled.

The combination provides a low angle of attack for the wheel, which basically means it’s going to move up and over obstacles easier and feel smoother, almost as if you had larger 29″ wheels. It also keeps the bottom bracket where they want to minimize pedal feedback and chain growth, allowing only enough to provide the desired anti-squat properties without limiting suspension travel like a static BB position could on a high single pivot design. It also has the added benefit of stiffening up the rear suspension a bit during hard pedaling so it feels crisp and quick.

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike
Closeup of the suspension in unsagged position (left) and fully compressed (right).

The PathLink rotates on two 15mm thru axles, with larger bearings on the main pivot because it sees more load and has to handle all the torsional forces. Both use pinch bolt designs to hold everything in place. The top, main pivot on the frame also rotates on a 15mm thru axle, also held in place with pinch bolts. Each axle slides in from the driveside, then a bolt pulls it tight before being pinched in place.

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike

The COR design philosophy also dictated a long front center/effective top tube with shorter stems. The combo lets you ride “in” the bike more rather than “on” it, so you’re more centered on the bike in a wider degree of climbing and descending. Sensors get 80mm stems, and the Force gets 60mm. Handlebars are also fairly wide, with 740mm and 760mm respectively.

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike

All models, alloy and carbon, will use a 142×12 rear thru axle and their post mount brakes with replaceable mounts.

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike

A cool feature is a built in mini-fender to protect the rear shock, shown above just behind the front derailleur. The alloy frames have it built into the swingarm, the carbon frames have this tiny bolt-on plastic fender that also helps manage the rear shift cable. That’s perhaps the only initial complaint we have is the convoluted cable run, which on at least one of our test bikes meant a bit of cable stiction during rear shifts. Of course, these bikes have seen a good bit of Park City, UT, dust and other riders before we were on them, so fresh housing might have fixed that. Both shifters use full length housing, and the rear’s runs between the fender and linkage into the seatstay.

At right, tire clearance is decent with the stock Continental Trail King 2.4 tires.

2014 GT Force 650b mountain bike

They’ll all use the Fox CTD shocks, with only the top model and special editions getting Kashima coatings. Hopwood says including the CTD shocks on all models bumps the price a bit, but since they did all development testing with those shocks, they wanted to keep it on the frames so everyone got the same performance. To aid set up, a convenient sag marker and pointer is placed at the lower pivot. Just look down to see if you’re sitting in the yellow. Lastly, they all have ports for stealth dropper post routing, with many models getting them stock.

For drivetrains, all bikes get Shimano triple cranksets (22/30/40). Based on rider research by Todd Seplavy, their MTB senior product manager, they wanted something that would work across all riding locations. GT’s a global company, and in a lot of Europe, people are climbing steep trails and roads to get to the singletrack, so they wanted something that offered both a wide range and provided a middle gear that would keep people in an ideal gear most of the time.

For the frame, they drew upon Peter Denk’s expertise in developing some of the high tech carbon frames for sister brand Cannondale. While it’s not sharing monikers like BallisTec, Hopwood says it’s made using some “very high tech carbon materials and processes.”

The Force Carbon, which is what’s shown in all photos above, will come in three models (Team, Pro and Expert with XTR, XT and SLX groups respectively). All three share the same frame, which has a claimed weight of 2,991g (6.59lb). There are no alloy models yet, so prices here range from $5,200 up to about $9,000.

2014 GT Sensor 650b mountain bike

The 130mm travel Sensor will have three carbon models, Team, Pro and Expert, and four alloy models (Pro, Expert and Elite plus a special Hans Rey version for select markets…which may be a Euro-only offering at first). Average frame weight with shock, hardware, seat collar and derailleur hanger is 2,721g (6.0lb) for carbon and 3,381g (7.45lb) for alloy, both size medium. Prices will range from $2,800 up to around $9,000. All except the Sensor Elite come with tubeless ready wheels and tires and come spec’d with a dropper post (either Reverb Stealth or Kind Suspension LEV).

Both come stock with Shimano Direct Mount rear derailleurs and hangers, but they’ll offer a standard hanger if you wanted to run something else.

2014 GT Sensor 650b mountain bike

Check them all out at GTbicycles.com.

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Dr. Monkeypants
Dr. Monkeypants
10 years ago

Wow. GT has never been afraid to keep it weird…

It looks nice if you like GT’s general design aesthetic.

Steve M
Steve M
10 years ago

Yikes! Free Willy for god sakes.

boobie
boobie
10 years ago

You know, GT bikes have always been an ugly dual suspension design… But these are the best looking bikes I’ve seen since the old Zascar Triple Triangle. It looks good in carbon, it might look chunky in AL. Nice big step forward for a faithful brand.

satisFACTORYrider
satisFACTORYrider
10 years ago

if i start from my house it’s road>cx>xc>am>(i then walk up stuff cuz I’m tired and just ride down parts)enduro>then it’s all dh from there.

Dr. Spaceman
Dr. Spaceman
10 years ago

Interested in the engineering/benefit behing the double-braced top tube? Looks like an expensive addition to the carbon mold.

Design Looks GREAT… Definitely spent with the I.D. team!

(I’d love to hear someone from Pacific Cycles chime in 😉

basil fawlty
basil fawlty
10 years ago

That’s a looooong way to reach that CTD control lever isn’t it?

greg
greg
10 years ago

is that right? 22/30/40?

friction_Shifter
friction_Shifter
10 years ago

If the bike fairies turned all you freaks into bikes (your name here), and then you met the GT Force (lets call the GT “Todd”) on top of a mountain somewhere in BC, and the GT got wind of your Sh@#$t! talking… it would kick your ass sideways. Then the GT would post your crumpled broken frame and parts on Facebook or Youtube so everyone else could mock you like you did. Probably post some comment mocking your total lameness and how your eights graphics and grip colors are stupid.

Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

Those are some mighty fine looking frames.

ThinkBikeminded
10 years ago

Does anyone else see the resemblance to Mongoose’s Freedrive suspension design? Take the pivot near the rear axle and shift it forward on the chainstays until it’s just after the bottom pivot of the Pathlink and you’ve got the Freedrive.

Chester
Chester
10 years ago

Looks like someone got inspired by Maverick Monolink / Klein Palomino but using a standard shock and making it more complicated……….I am still counting the final number of pivots….

Jdog
Jdog
10 years ago

I spent 2 hours on this bike today. I really didn’t want to like this bike, but I loved it. The bike is light, it is super fliickable and the suspension is nearly bottomless. It doesn’t climb like a pig.

This was my first real ride on 27.5 and despite the media hype, I am a huge fan. I reminded me way more of 26″, but with enough of a 29er feel to make me content. After a few hours it really felt like home.

Some bikes like to be in the air all the time, this wasn’t like that to me. It stuck to the ground in a good way and which makes for amazing traction.

This to me, marks the return of this brand.

CJ
CJ
10 years ago

After almost two decades, GT has finally come full circle to the RTS.

Dockboy
Dockboy
10 years ago

It sure reminds me of the old RTS, and I like that GT has steadily run this basic setup, with a floating BB, for 15 years. That makes essentially 3 platforms since they started building FS bikes.

Ron
Ron
10 years ago

I dig the hole/brace up front. It’ll let me strap the battery for my lights to the top tube. My short stem on my stumpy won’t, neither will the top tube…

mateo
mateo
10 years ago

– Shimano is making 22/30/40 triples now aimed at 650b/29″ bikes

g
g
10 years ago

@chester- the frame only has four pivot points- same as fsr, dw, vpp, etc. Is it really that hard to count to four?

I'm on a boat
I'm on a boat
10 years ago

Would like to see them do a 27.5 hardtail…..

jrock
jrock
10 years ago

Im hoping this new force Tracks/climbs up loose, ledgy, stairstep sections as well or better as previous model.
Prev. Force was not reliant on propedal/lockout of shock.
Shocks pretty low to reach down.

el rob
el rob
10 years ago

Rode this bike. Was super impressed by the stiffness, suspension feel, climbing ability and stable feel in the chop.
Been a long time since GT has made my short list. Coming off a Pivot 5.7 carbon for reference.

ChrisG
ChrisG
10 years ago

You are right ThinkBikeminded GT have switched their trail bikes to the Mongoose FreeDrive style design. It has clearly produced a more structurally sound and compact version of the FreeDrive but this bike will have the same issues as those reported by riders of the Mongoose bikes, namely a harsh ride in rough terrain. It is commonly but incorrectly supposed that eliminating or reducing chain growth necessarily leads to an improvement in the ride quality of a bike. Pedal kickback on FreeDrive bikes is indeed very low. As it happens, being free of the troubles of dealing with pedal kickback doesn’t mean there aren’t other causes for a harsh or uncompliant ride. Rider weight on all FreeDrive based designs, given the position of the BB, becomes (in part) unsprung weight. Unsprung weight always impairs the operation of a suspension system. I think the ID system previously used on GT bikes was probably better and am sad to see it go. Still, ID has itself got a deserved revision an update on the new DH and Enduro bikes.

auneletho
auneletho
10 years ago

With respect to those calling this the mongoose linkage. This may look similar but the freedrive is and functions quite different enough from this. I think you need to take a closer look at the two. However this linkage design has been used before… Look a little harder and you will find that it…

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