GTR Type CXi (2010-2011)

OK, I've had my first ride in the snow. We had two feet of snow dumped on us in 48 hours. Once I cleared the driveway and the trucks had made the roads passable (I live outside of the city). I decided to go see how things looked. I put about 45psi in the Kenda's and took off. There was more snow/ice on the road than there were clear sections. The tires worked flawlessly in these conditions. The bike handled very well and I contribute that to the geometry. I was able to cruise at a fast pace over snow and ice as my confidence in the bike increased. There are a few extended climbs where I was able to motor along, navigating what looked to be the best line. The bike did fishtail a few times, but quickly regained it's center and I just clicked right along. I have yet to replace the saddle and feel it's very comfortable, so I'll probably stick with it. I ended up riding today for 2 hours in the snow and it felt great. Love the bike!

This is one serious race ready cyclocross bike. The geometry is great for getting through and around the toughest obstacles. It's stiff enough to stand up and hammer, yet very comfortable through the rough sections. I can corner on this bike much easier than my Cannondale. The GT CXi is outfitted with Sram Rival which is great for CX and shifts flawlessly. All the cable routing is along the top tube and keeps them clean. When shouldering the bike or carrying it over obstacles the cables are out of the way. Mine came with cable adjustments inline for the front brake and derailleurs. This is very helpful and shows how much attention was paid to what a cyclocrosser needs when this bike was designed. The Easton EC70X fork is great and I have not had any chatter. I do "toe" in the brake pads, but like I said, no chatter at all. The wheels are also designed with CX in mind. The rims are aero and glide through mud and sand without letting anything build up on the rim. The tires are some of the best for tough conditions and have a tread pattern that will keep you from sliding around. I tried really hard to get these things to slide out and they weren't going to let me. The brakes are top notch, light and easy to adjust. The professional center pull cable set up is important. Not the cheap stuff you see on some bikes. The color coordinated bar tape, saddle and tires is just a huge plus. Great looking bike, great handling bike and ready to podium with the right rider. I am going to replace the saddle with something a little lighter. The bike comes out of the box weighing (for my XL) 20 lbs. My Cannondale was 21.5, my Giant was 21, so this bike is definitely lighter than most. If I was a sponsored pro and raced for GT, I'd ask for the Easton EC90X fork(1lb lighter), a better saddle and a carbon crankset. However, I'm not a pro and will leave the bike as is (with a new saddle). I have raced CX for 5 seasons now and am a Masters rider. I have won, seen the podium from 5th and been off the back. I love the sport and love bikes that know what a real CX rider needs. The GT does and has a race ready steed right out of the box. GT is making a comeback to the sport and are doing it right. I may just look into a GT road bike for the season ahead.