GT Grade Carbon Ultegra

GT's flagship carbon fibre Grade was one of the first of the new breed of gravel and adventure bikes to hit the market when it launched a couple of years ago. It combines disc brakes with big tyres and slacker geometry to create a bike that is fast on the road yet capable of tackling more adventurous trails and paths. You get a well-considered package for the asking price and it should definitely be on your shortlist.

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Ride and handling

Where road bikes are pure in their pursuit of speed on the road, the new gravel/adventure category offers you a wider choice of roads and tracks to ride over. GT tags the Grade with the EnduRoad descriptor, but you can call it what you want: it's a road bike with bigger tyres, disc brakes and slacker angles, which opens up the sort of riding the bike is capable of doing.

Take your pick of gravel roads, bridleways, beaten up old farm tracks, potholed country lanes, old mountain bike tracks... the Grade tackles them all, and more, just fine. Its 28mm tyres (which appear much wider on the Grail rims) provide good comfort and traction (in the dry), while the carbon frame and fork take the edge out of bumpier tracks but maintain a nice bit of zip when sticking to the tarmac.

The geometry, with a longer wheelbase and slacker head angle than a road bike, instills a huge amount of confidence in its ability to be stable and steady, traits that mean it's very composed at high road speeds or when hurtling down a dusty tree-lined track dodging roots and rocks.

Don't think that it's slow and ponderous on the road. Granted, it doesn't have the razor sharp direction changes or acceleration of a race bike, but it's far from a slouch when used mainly as a road bike, and it'll cruise along the road just as fast as the best endurance bike. You can ride it for long distances or load it up with some bikepacking bags and go on a multi-day adventure – on a route that takes in some of the forgotten lanes and byways that crisscross this small island.

The weight – 8.78kg thanks to the carbon build and generous kit choices – gives you a fighting chance on the hills, where the 52/36 chainset and 11-32 cassette help you scale most climbs. A 50/34 chainset would be preferable, especially when heading into more challenging terrain and especially if you do decide to swap the slicks for a tyre with more aggressive tread pattern and head into wilderness, where climbs are typically steeper.

The bike displays a high level of front-end stiffness when climbing out of the saddle, with the 15mm thru-axle helping to eliminate rotor rub from the disc brake and the oversized bottom bracket and down tube area ensuring it feels stiff under pedal. The use of a regular quick release 135mm back-end didn't appear to be a detriment to the ride of the bike, but it must be noted that more recently designed adventure bikes are leaning towards thru-axles at both ends.

The full-carbon frameset, with slender seatstays (carbon wrapped fibreglass cores) and fork blades, noticeably removes more vibration from the ride than the aluminium Grade I tested last year, resulting in a more composed ride on the wide variety of terrain the bike is able to tackle and conquer.

A pair of 28mm Continental tyres are, at about 75-80psi, beautifully smooth on the road, mopping up bumps and ripples very well. They're capable of tackling off-road trails, provided the ground is dry: the slick design is next to useless in mud. There's ample tyre clearance, up to 35mm, to fit a gravel tyre (such as Panaracer's GravelKing) or even a cyclo-cross tyre, so the Grade can be easily adapted for a higher ratio of off-road to road use if that's how you want to use the Grade.

The Grade, then, handles any terrain with ease and isn't fazed by rough terrain, yet whizzes along the smoother stuff as quickly as any decent endurance road bike. That you can fit mudguards and racks boosts its versatility immensely, making it a bike that can comfortably replace three or four dedicated-purpose bikes. It's well suited to the recreational cyclist who cycles for fun or transportation, rather than those who count segment chasing as their priorities.

Frame details

GT has used its iconic Triple Triangle design, most famously used on its Zaskar mountain bike from the 90s, with a full-carbon fibre construction.The seatstays are actually made by wrapping a fibreglass core with carbon fibre, to provide the right blend of stiffness and compliance. That, along with the 27.2mm seatpost, is claimed to provide as much as 11mm of deflection, which helps to smooth out rougher roads and impacts from riding over ridges and holes.

A huge down tube, BB30 bottom bracket and tapered head tube help to ensure the frame is stiff enough to deliver the speed on the road. As I've said, this model benefits from a full-carbon fork with a 15mm thru-axle. Because the Grade has been around for a few years now, it's using post mounts for the disc brakes; while not as clean looking as the newer flat mount standard, it works just fine and is easy to adjust.

There are details of which I'm a fan, the external cable routing being one, with the cables and rear brake hose neatly clipped to the underside of the down tube. Full-length outers prevent dirt getting into the cables, the frame looks clean, and cable replacement is going to be far easier than with internal cable routing. A removable seatstay bridge provides a mudguard mount, a simple and smart solution that lets you fit mudguards for winter riding.

Build and prices

The pictured bike is the most expensive model in the Grade range, and packs a full Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset with hydraulic disc brakes. It's an excellent combination. Gear changes are a delight, with a light action, and the brakes are simply superb. Get them bedded in and they deliver stacks of braking power with easy one-finger application, they're a godsend on challenging descents and flawless in the dirt.

The devil is in the detail, for GT has packed this bike with a really high-quality set of wheels. The excellent Stan's Grail rims – a wide aluminium tubeless rim able to take plenty of abuse – are laced to the lovely DT Swiss 240 hubs which are silky smooth and very durable. Brass nipples are a nice touch as they provide better longevity and durability, for a negligible weight penalty.

Continental's Grand Sport 28mm tyre is a good choice, fast-rolling and puncture-resistant, and on the wide Grail rims measure closer to 30mm – they look huge! It's a shame that GT hasn't opted to make use of the tubeless compatibility of the Grail rims and fit some tubeless tyres. There's nothing to stop you upgrading them yourself, but if you've just spent £2,700 on the bike, you might understandably be wanting to curtail any future expenses.

> Check out our guide to the best adventure and gravel bikes

You get a GT branded aluminium handlebar, with its flared drops, and matching stem, coupled with an FSA K-Force carbon fibre 27.2mm seatpost. The flared handlebar feels a bit odd at first if you've never used one before, but while it makes less sense on the road, it's invaluable on off-road terrain. The extra width provides more leverage and control over the bike's direction when tackling rougher tracks, especially those pointing down.

The seatpost is topped with a superbly comfortable Fizik Aliante saddle, the kicked tail shape a benefit on steep off-road trails. The plastic edges help to prevent scuffs if you have any crashes or tumbles off-road as well.

Conclusion

Its looks might be divisive, but it's a well-designed bike packed with some thoughtful details and the performance will appeal to the many riders who want one bike that is happy on the road but capable of going off-road, and versatile enough to be turned into a touring bike, cyclo-cross racer, mudguard-equipped commuter or regular road bike. The Grade is a chameleon of a bike.

Verdict

A versatile, fast and capable road bike that's happy in the rough