I've finally managed to put in some decent mileage over the past few weeks, so I'm able to write a short review of the bike.
This is the third bike I've built this year, so I'll mainly be comparing it with my other builds and focusing on geometry details.
I had my eye on this frameset even before EuroBike, but initially crossed it off my list after running some calculations based on the geometry.
However, after seeing it in person and with Peter offering me a generous discount, I couldn't resist and took the frame home.
Fun fact: I even got caught in the act in this YouTube video (
https://youtu.be/4aRrWVxKaZ8?t=268) by forum member zealot128 at the XMCS booth.
Meeting everyone was a fun experience, and I definitely recommend visiting EuroBike.
With every new bike, I try to learn a bit more about bike geometry in my quest for the perfect frame.
This year, I've been mainly riding the Factor Ostro V2 in size 58, which has the same wheelbase length but a very different composition - making comparisons particularly interesting.
The standout feature of the GT is its massive 422mm chainstay length. For context, the Ostro's chainstays are 14mm shorter. This gives the GT incredible stability when descending or riding over 60 km/h.
On paper, you might expect this to compromise agility, but in reality, it's still very flickable and corners exceptionally well.
I would even argue that it feels more playful than the Ostro. However, part of that might be due to running the GT slammed with a stack about 2cm lower than the Ostro.
Climbing and going out of the saddle feel great as well. On some setups, I sometimes get out of sync when going out of the saddle, but that never happened with the GT.
It feels intuitive and responds exactly as expected. As for stiffness and comfort, I honestly can't tell much difference compared to the Ostro. Nothing stands out in either direction.
On the downside, the long chainstay doesn't really improve rear tire clearance, which is limited to around 35mm if you want 4mm of clearance on each side.
The tire makes contact with the chainstay before the seatpost, so there's always going to be a noticeable gap.
Another downside is the relatively short front end, causing toe overlap with 30C+ tires for me. It's not a huge issue, but it's something to keep in mind.
The biggest personal issue for me is the slack seat tube angle (73°) combined with the setback seatpost. Even with the shortest saddle, I can't move my position as far forward as I'd like.
This was initially why I crossed the bike off my list. I tried convincing myself it wouldn't be a big deal, but I remain very aware of it on every ride.
This is the main reason I probably won't be happy riding this bike long-term and am already considering replacing it with the Intropy Speedster.
So for anyone in Germany interested, this one may be up for sale at a heavily discounted price once I move the parts to the new build - so HMU.
My build includes a mix of high-end and premium Chinese components:
- SRAM E1 Red/Force XPLR 1x13
- XMCS 40/50 Wheelset with 30C GP5K STR (32C in future)
- Black Inc Aero 120/380 Cockpit (custom 3D-printed bearing cover)
- Leese 165mm crank with ArcRayo PM and 52T PassQuest chainring
- Kinan Kore Ti Pedals
- Arundle Mandible bottle cages (clones)
- SLT-style headset bearings from kugellager-shop
- Custom Garmin Varia 3D-printed frame mount
- Rainbow Ti-bolts throughout
As mentioned in previous posts, I found some "Gran Tourismo" stickers on AliExpress and also added a random Black Inc decal on the headtube that I had lying around from a wheelset to make the bike look less empty.
Bonus Fact: the exact same build of the Ostro would have been 93g lighter on the GT.
