JIMMER’S GT FORCE CARBON EXPERT £3,199.99
Looks like it’s love at irst ride for Jimmer
The Force arrived right in the middle of the utter madness of an issue deadline, so it was a while until we got properly acquainted. With little time to set it up before the first ride, I spent a frantic hour trying to sort out some minor issues. These included fitting a bottle cage, which turned out to be a super-fiddly job, because the externally routed cables and cable clip on the down tube require the use of extra-long mounting bolts. Cue me rummaging about in the darkest corners of my shed. I also swapped the Performance-compound Schwalbe Magic Mary front tyre for a softer Addix version to add grip, but failed to find a chainstay protector.
Nervous as hell at the thought of riding with a big group on a
bike I hadn’t really ridden before and trails I didn’t know, I made up my mind to just go for it. Rob did a quick suspension set-up check and I was ready to roll. I was packing a 160mm RockShox Pike RC fork, 150mm of travel out back and a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed transmission to get me up the hills, so what could go wrong?
Rob had sorted a great route at the Forest of Dean. Off-piste and away from the sculpted trails, it was steep, fast, rooty and muddy – and I do mean muddy. By the bottom of the first trail I was buzzing, smiling from ear to ear and totally feeling the Force. The suspension was so active and plush that I could hold great lines through techy and rooty trails, and even on some crazily steep off-camber stuff I stayed upright. Straight-line speed was outrageous on this thing and because of the superb suspension and tons of grip, I could finesse my way through the trail – pumping and popping rather than having to muscle the bike through – leaving plenty of energy for all the climbing.
My only real gripe was the KS LEV Si dropper post failing to drop mid-ride. It didn’t work properly when caked in mud, so this needs addressing. I also chipped the shit out of the chainstay, and in my haste, forgot to fit a front mudguard – a proper schoolboy error, which saw me finishing the day winning the prize for muddiest rider! All in all, it was a sick first day aboard a bike that I have a feeling I’m going to have a rad year on! www.gtbicycles.com