GT

Sensor X Pro Complete Mountain Bike - 2015

Maybe you climb fast because you like the pain of redefining limits. Maybe you like being able to do it faster than the double crown shuttle crowd. Maybe you just can't wait to rip that line again. Whatever your reasons, if you look forward to the up as much as the down, GT's Sensor X Pro Complete Mountain Bike is on your level.

This racing chassis' heart is the Independent Drivetrain Angle Optimized Suspension System (AOS), which GT developed specifically for aggressive 27.5-inch riding that looks like XC on climbs and enduro while coming down the other side. The high main pivot lets the wheel travel vertically during impacts, limiting chain growth to keep the pedal platform steady while easily rolling through small bumps. It also isolates the drivetrain to eliminate wasted watts by keeping the pedals linked as closely as possible to the chainstay.

Of course, any suspension system is useless on floppy frame. To keep things on the up-and-up, the Sensor avoids wonder plastics in favor of the tried and tested material option: 6069 hydroformed aluminum. The metal itself is lightweight and stiff, but hydroforming allows GT to adapt the tubes to its signature triple triangle frame design. The Sensor X Pro adopts the triple triangle design with a geometry similar to the rest of the Sensor line, but with a few, aggressive changes.

The most obvious of these is the slacker head tube, which drops from 68.5 degrees to 67.3 (size medium), adding almost an inch to the wheelbase and boosting ripability by untold numbers. It's also got a long top tube and runs a stable, wide handlebar for confident control on descents that doesn't drop the bottom bracket to the point where obstacles on corners translate to spills.

The AOS suspension is governed by a FOX Float CTD Boost Valve shock, which takes full advantage of the suspension's small bump compliance and efficient pedaling by controlling bottom-out compression for a feeling of endless travel that doesn't sap speed like a DH rig. RockShox's new legend, the Pike RC, brings 150mm of travel to the front, and the one-by drivetrain blends Shimano bits with a Race Face crank for race-ready speed.