GT Grade endurance bike launched

First things first: GT doesn’t want you to call the GT Grade a gravel racer, as the carbon framed disc road bike is more versatile than that.

Compared to a standard road race machine, the Grade’s geometry leans far more towards an endurance or sportive bike; it’s a little taller at the front, a little longer in its wheelbase (as you’d expect from a disc bike), a little lower at the bottom bracket and a little shorter in terms of top tube and reach. Rounding out the geometry to assist with rough-road riding, the head angle is slightly slackened.

GT arrived at what the company calls ‘all-day’ geometry using GURU’s fit system data, as GT and GURU share the same parent company, CSG.

GT has been away from the higher end of road for a while now, but the brand historically had a deep road legacy. From 1996’s US Olympic bikes which pioneered  clever aerodynamics, to the sponsorship of Lotto with Ti Edge bikes to later US teams JellyBelly and Saturn.

The GT Grade bike has been in development for three years. Initially the team at GT had identified a trend away from traditional race machines with the shift to a more comfortable ride and a more comfort