Martin Maes' GT Force - Enduro World Series 7
Finale Ligure, Italy
Martin Maes' GT Force
WORDS Mike Levy
PHOTOS Matt Wragg
How fast were you at sixteen? Imagine not only being fast enough to go head to head against some of the word's best racers, but to actually give them a real run for their money. At an age when most kids are spending less time on bikes and more time in cars, chasing tail, and discovering the effects of grape coolers and cheap beer, GT's Martin Maes is threatening to bump established names like Graves, Clementz, and Barel off of the podium at Enduro World Series races around the world. These stunning efforts have come aboard two different bikes this season, with him contesting early rounds on the older 26" wheeled, 150mm travel aluminum Force platform before moving to the fresh carbon fiber, 650B bike pictured here. While the new bike also sports 150mm of travel, it is a completely new machine with revised geometry, bigger wheels, and a fresh 'AOS Independent Drivetrain' suspension design, all of which is looked after by GT factory mechanic, Matteo Nati. | Maes' GT Force details • Rear wheel travel: 150mm • Wheel size: 650B • Frame material: carbon fiber • Frame size: medium • FOX RAD suspension • FOX D.O.S.S seat post • Shimano single ring drivetrain • PRO components • Continental 650B Mountain King tires |
 | I like to look after the bike's cable routing - shifter and brakes. I really like to see the bike clean and organized. - Matteo Nati, GT factory mechanic |
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Suspension: While the new Force platform may look nothing like the previous iteration, it actually retains many of the main design principles but in a simpler and far more low slung layout. Its AOS Independent Drivetrain system makes use of an extremely high main pivot compared to what you'll see on most of the competition, a design choice that should allow the 150mm travel bike to really fly on rough terrain, and it is a layout that is possible thanks to the Force's PathLink rocker arm that not only compresses the FOX Float X shock on Martin's bike, but also acts as home for the bottom bracket shell. The system works by literally pulling on the carbon fiber chain stays as the rear wheel moves up and out of the way when it meets a bump, which in turn tugs on the PathLink which compresses the shock. While you'd be forgiven for thinking that the bike's high main pivot makes for large amounts of chain growth, much of that is taken care of by the bottom bracket moving rearwards by a few millimeters because it's located on the PathLink that, don't forget, rotates as the bike goes through its travel. Sound complicated? It isn't,
with no more pivot locations than many popular and proven bikes on the market. GT has also put much effort towards creating a laterally rigid bike, with large diameter aluminum pivot axles used at the main pivots, and dual row bearings at the clevis-style dropout pivots. They have also decided to craft the both the bike's chain and seat stays out of carbon fiber, a move that is in contrast to many brands that prefer to use aluminum for the rear ends on even their high-end carbon bikes.  |
Being the fastest sixteen year old enduro racer in the world gives Maes access some some pretty trick kit, including FOX's Racing Application Development (RAD for short) program that sees his bike fitted with a RAD tuned Float X shock and a 650B specific 34 FIT CTD fork that is usually run at 150mm of travel to match the bike's rear end. That number isn't set in stone, though, with races that include terrain more suited towards true downhill bikes seeing him bump up to 160mm of travel from the Kashima treated 34 fork. Don't think 10mm makes much of a difference? Racing a mid-travel bike against the clock can be a knife edge sort of test, especially when the stage is long, rough, or comes after a long and difficult access climb, and that small increase in travel could be the difference between setting a top three time or suffering a race ending crash. Grams are shaved by way of a very exclusive, non-quick release axle courtesy of FOX that sees it forgo the usual 15QR lever and clocking mechanism. This means that he'll take more time to repair a flat and need an 8mm hex key to get the job done, but a puncture on a timed section would
rule him out for the overall regardless so a speedy repair doesn't rate too high in importance. While exact suspension settings weren't divulged, you can bet that the speeds that Maes travels at means that he requires a far stiffer setup than the average rider would be able to get away with.  |
Components: GT's factory enduro team runs a full Shimano drivetrain, including the elusive Shimano chain guide that is still a rare sight. This is a slightly revised version of the model we first spotted at this year's Sea Otter event, with the guide's lower slider using an enclosed design that features more material surrounding the contoured rubber-like piece that the chain slides on, all of which is mounted on the same spring-loaded lower boomerang arm that can move up and out of the way if struck. Maes also doesn't run the segmented bash guard that we've seen some Shimano sponsored riders using, although this bolt-on piece could easily be attached to the crank spider if the day's course calls for it. Word is that Maes sometimes pushes a 38 tooth ring if the event features easy climbs on the transfer stages or lift accessed days like those at the Colorado round, but he has decided to go with a 34 tooth ring for the Italian enduro race, as well as a set of Crankbrothers Mallet Mk3 trail pedals instead of the platforms that we saw him using earlier in the season. An XTR derailleur and 11 - 36 cassette round out his drivetrain.
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FOX's 5" travel D.O.S.S. dropper post is used to get the Atherton Star Series seat down and out of the way, and Maes is able to run the dual trigger remote on the underside of the bar in place of a front shifter due to his single chain ring setup. It's interesting to see how far outboard he runs his brake levers on the PRO handlebar, with them positioned nearly right up against the lock-on grip clamps. That isn't the only unusual cockpit preference, though, with Martin also preferring to run the levers quite far out from the grips and with a very firm on/off feel compared to his teammate Dan Atherton's more traditional setup. The 760mm wide PRO handlebar is also from the Atherton series, and is 20mm wider than what Maes began the season with.
He has also changed from an extremely short 35mm stem to a 50mm unit, something that may have come about with his switch from the older Force to the newer version, although this also could change depending on how burly the track is. Nati explained to us that bar height is tweaked to suit different courses by swapping around the spacers above and below the stem, with 15mm of extra stack height added for the Finale Ligure event.
It gets even more interesting when you take a close look at Maes' wheel and tire setup, with a set of un-labeled aluminum rims laced to Shimano XTR hubs with aluminum nipples. The 650B rims appear to be from Stan's, which would make sense given that the GT team has used them in the past, and Nati did admit that Maes runs a tubeless setup with 28PSI up front and 29PSI out back - how exact are you with your tire pressure?
It gets even more interesting when you take a close look at Maes' wheel and tire setup, with a set of un-labeled aluminum rims laced to Shimano XTR hubs with aluminum nipples. The 650B rims appear to be from Stan's, which would make sense given that the GT team has used them in the past, and Nati did admit that Maes runs a tubeless setup with 28PSI up front and 29PSI out back - how exact are you with your tire pressure?
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www.gtbicycles.com
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@RLEnglish... All bikes with rear gears attached to a pivoting swingarm would be "half floating" drivetrains then.
I'm guessing this bike won't feel super plush, but it'll be fastish in the rough, pump well and power like a hardtail.
I know they made reys sensor in al...
Need a pb review please...to include frame + shock weight and as tested weight (every review!).
..still baffled about the cable routing, then mechanics quote. .he must be sarcastic right?
What goes around comes around*
*I'm aware the bb positioning is different and changes everything, and there's only a finite number of ways to position pivots and linkages, but I'm still amused
When will this design be used for DH? Would need work to lesson BB movement.
Good to see they've gone the Mongoose design route and ditched the dog bone I-Drive style.
Wheel goes back, and your feet move. Altered by a linkage true, but you could have a proper URT with BB close to pivot achieve the same movement I'd guess.
Wheel goes back = Feet Move = URT. If you wanna carry on, call my lawyer.
Don't get me wrong. I think this is a brilliant design. If it had an Effigear gearbox, I'd be all over it. Or a pivot mounted Alfine and no floating BB.
Until then, I'm looking forward to getting my Nicolai with Pinion, but more-so my 160mm medium high pivot Cavalerie with Effigear gearbox. Sick. If they didn't exist, I'd be all over this GT like a drunk sailor at a strip club.
NoW just bring back the IT and do it right(cough Lahar/Zerode) ;-)
@saint4life : not all the racers are using carbon, just look at Absalon or Quere...
And I dont want a 5K€ bike wich break if I fall on rocks
@ erik I see only carbon on marin's website