SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE
In 2020, gravel riding’s set to continue its rise with more bikes, events and riders than ever before. The market’s still a relatively immature one but it’s growing – and learning – fast. Inevitably, that means swift gear evolution with the survival of the fittest arguably coming down to suspension and comfort, but not by sacrificing speed. Cue GT’s Grade Carbon Pro, the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX and Canyon’s Grail CF SL 8.0 eTap…
SUCKING UP THE BUMPS
GT’s suspension system cleverly adapts its signature triple-triangle design; in other words, the small triangle created by the seatstays overlapping the seat tube and meeting the top tube away from the junction. It has featured on GT’s mountain bikes for decades, though on the Grade Carbon Pro there’s a twist. During development, GT’s engineers found that by leaving the stays unbound by the seat tube, they were able to increase compliance through both the seatstays and the seat tube.
That’s not the only innovation at play. The seatstays, that blend glass-fibre with carbon, are
