The GT Distortion has had a little bit of a strange incubation. Originally made as a slopestyle bike for GT team riders Andrew Cho and Tyler MacCaul, there were no plans to bring it in to the UK, but at GT’s Press Camp in Les Deux Alpes last year it had such a good reception from the assembled journos that UK importer CSG changed it’s mind.
With 140mm at the front and 110mm of travel at the back via the Independent Drivetrain system, the Distortion offers some excellent spec for the money with a dropper post, Maxle thru axles front and rear and on paper the angles seem to make a lot of sense.
Jon’s been test riding this, the £2,250 GT Distortion 2.0, for a little while now and here, in video form, is his review. If you don’t like moving pictures then we’ll have a proper words’n’pics piece in the Reviews section of the site soon, don’t worry…
Shot at Lee Quarry, home of the Singletrack Classic Weekender…
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Well i think i heard most of that.
Why are not all reviews in video form like this? It seems to work nicely.
It’s the infamous Lee Quarry wind sorry. We’ll get round to buying a proper directional mic and a dead cat to cure it all soon, honest.
Glad you like it…
One of the best reviews ever, his face tells you more than his lips. I like the idea (and want the bike).
smoking a tab while doing the piece to camera? hmmm..
I thought it was some vocals on the backing track that was conflicting with the review
How did the pivots hold up, I had to sell my i-drive 5 because of the creaking from the bb / pivot area.
They overhauled the pivot hardware for 2011.
Jon, are you stoned?
Dawson +1
Dawson +2 Role models etc etc
Role model? Oh deary me. Only in a ‘live your life a totally different way’ style I’d hope. Sorry if you’re offended – I’d done my bit to camera by the time I’d realised I’d left my pre-take cigarette in my hand.
I’m just sorting out the sound levels now, should be better.
Tang: that’s me normally – sorry…
Anyway, the bike: It was creak free. Pivots now run on cartridge headset-style bearings which should be easy to obtain and also easy to fit. Them being angular contact affairs is A Good Thing too.
Dont worry in my youth the two(plus some other cycling/recreational combis…) went hand in hand….As you weren’t stoned, I like your laid back style.
Maybe I missed something but isn’t he just smoking – not a crime as far as I’m aware. His body/lungs so let him do what he wants with them. (I am a non smoker)
so just a skatepark bike then? not for proper trails with roots,trees and grass?
I got the impression that it’s “best for built stuff”.
It’ll do/go anywhere (it’s a mountain bike innit).
But it finds its true home on sculpted-for-MTB terrain.
ah, no good to me then, not much sculpted stuff here, do you need rear suspension on smooth trails like in the vid, seems like a waste to carry the extra weight around when there’s nowt for it to smooth out?
JON, PROJECT YOUR VOICE DEAR BOY!
(Read in a Brian Blessed sylee)
Travel setup mirrors my 105mm Trance frame rear and the 150mm Sektors up front. Not through design but because I don’t feel like I need to upgrade the frame to have bigger travel. Works a treat.
“do you need rear suspension on smooth trails like in the vid?”
Not “need” no.
But IME full sussers are usually faster than (lighter) hardtails on a lot of trails where you’d expect hardtails to quicker.
There’s a lot to be said for the increased traction, landing-softening and “squashability” of a full susser :]
Smoking whilst reviewing a bike, yep, real classy!