BikeRadar recently reported on GT’s answer to the gravel/adventure road bike movement. Known as the Grade, it’s a disc-only road bike with a thru-axle fork and room for 35c rubber. After a visit to GT’s UK distibutor, Cycing Sport Group, BikeRadar can now confirm final builds and pricing for this highly-anticipated bike.
No matter which Grade you choose the fundamentals are the same with every version – slack angles and a long wheelbase, room for up to 35c tyres, a 15mm thru-axle fork and disc brakes as standard. Each Grade also gets its own GT handlebar complete with a unique 14-degree flare.
To give you an idea of how radical that is a typical road bars feature a flare of around three to five degrees. This extra bend puts a rider into a more suitable position for any off-road excursions.
The Grade Carbon 105 – full carbon, 105 mechanical, hydraulic discs (not pictured) and tubeless ready rims for £1,999
One particularly interesting model was the Grade Carbon 105. For a penny under two grand it appears to offer exceptional value. There’s a full carbon frame and fork, Shimano’s 105 11-speed transmission and RS685 hydraulic disc brakes.
And no, that’s not a mistake – the display bike we photographed was built up with mechanical discs, but production models will feature the hydraulics. GT hasn’t skimped on the wheels either – they’re tubeless-ready offerings from Stan’s. Should you want a transmission upgrade then there's a range-topping Ultegra mechanical version for £2,599.
Alloy models
The GT Grade Alloy X has the same geometry as the carbon model
For £1,499, there’s the Grade Alloy X. The frame shifts to an alloy construction but shares identical geometry to its carbon sibling. Amazingly there’s still 105 11-speed and the RS685 hydraulic discs but the chainset has been swapped out for a cheaper FSA item.
Drop to £999 and you get the Grade Alloy 105. It’s a similar build to the Alloy X but with more affordable finishing kit and TRP’s Hyrd mechanically actuated hydraulic discs.
Below this there’s a 10-speed Tiagra model with Tektro mechanical disc brakes for £849. The entry-level bike uses Shimano’s Claris group and budget mechanical discs to hit a price point of £649.99. Sandwiched between these two is an 18-speed Sora-equipped bike for £749.
Even the £649 entry-level Grade has discs and a thru-axle fork
For a more detailed look at the GT Grade check out our initial report.
