Today, GT Bicycles has announced a new GT Fury downhill bike. Taking design and suspension cues from the complete revamp that the rest of the trail bike range (the Force and the Sensor) has had, this sees GT take on a more conventional-looking (and riding) suspension design.
The new Fury offers “fresh geometry, a carbon front triangle, and a gravity-focused take on the newest evolution of Linkage Tuned Suspension (LTS)” with GT claiming that the Fury is GT’s most adjustable and tunable downhill bike yet.
One of those adjustments is in wheel size, with the Fury able to be set up for 27.5 or 29in wheels. In 29in mode, it still offers a whopping 190mm of travel – and in 27.5in mode gets another 10mm for the full 200mm of downhill travel. GT imagines that the 29in setup will find most favour on the downhill race course, while the 27.5in setting will probably appear more on bike park style rigs.
“Both wheel sizes have the same geometry,” said Cait Dooley, GT Global Director of Product. “Riders can lengthen or shorten the Fury’s cockpit with adjustable headset cups, and they can also lengthen or shorten the rear end. This allows race-ready riders to make their bike as long as possible to go as fast as possible, while freeriders will want it shorter to keep it flickable in the jumps.”
The bike, which has been spotted in prototype form many times this year, was due a revamp, having previously been launched as part of the 2011 range. This new bike, however, is a complete departure from that old design, featuring modern touches like an idler pulley to keep the suspension free of chain input forces:
“On the Fury’s LTS platform we wanted to keep the drivetrain and suspension forces completely separate,” said Luis Arraiz, GT frame engineer. “The idler pulley in the design is key – this allowed us to optimise pedaling efficiency, increase traction, and eliminate pedal feedback. The result is a bike that lets riders charge confidently over obstacles on the trail.”
The Fury’s flip chip, which also appears on the Force and Sensor, allows riders to switch the bike from fast and low to faster and lower. The shock flip chip allows for a change in geometry to better tackle different types of terrain. On the 27.5in set-up, the dropout flip chip allows for a 10mm change in chainstay length as well as adjusting the head angle and BB height.
GT has also made the Fury as easy as possible for riders to work on by using Groove Tube technology. The Groove Tube has a divot on the top side of the downtube, which allows cables to be externally routed yet tucked away for easy upkeep.
The completely new design of the GT Fury is a result of several seasons of testing with GT Factory Racing on the World Cup circuit. GT Factory Racing athletes are crucial to product development and have put the bike through its paces. According to Wyn Masters, “The new Fury rips turns and eats bumps for breakfast! It’s everything I could want from a DH bike!”
“The new Fury is next level! It’s predictable and forgiving. Getting a top ten in Fort William with this all new Fury meant a lot to me,” added Martin Maes.
The GT Fury comes in three models, Team, Expert, Pro, and a frameset. The GT Fury Team, a near replica of the GT Factory Race bikes, will be available in 29r only. The Pro model features a blended wheel size offering – 27.5” for small and medium and 29” for medium and large. The Expert is exclusively equipped with 27.5” wheels to keep it poppy and playful in the bike park. Racers and riders who want the most adjustability out of their Fury can purchase a frameset which includes a Switch Kit to swap from 27.5in to 29in wheels.
In the UK, the frameset price will be £2499.99 in the UK (and $2999 USD), this price includes a switch kit so you can run 27.5 or 29in wheels. (This kit includes an additional seatstay and headset lower cup to accommodate the change.) The Fox Factory Float X2 shock is the same as on the Team model.
