GT Grade - any owners ?

I bought the Tiagra 4700 version off Chain Reaction for a ridiculous £564 after BC discount. It's been great fun. Fitted a Tiagra Chainset and SKS Bluemells, some Vittoria Hyper Voyager tyres and it's a great commuting workhorse/winter bike. Search for the GT Grade owners on Facebook for loads more info.

I purchased this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-grade-al-x-2016/ on the cyclescheme. It is basically set up for cyclocross with the 11-28 cassette and 40 tooth chainring but this is perfect for commuting and general road use. The supplied medium cage deraileur can go up to 36 teeth if needed.

I absoloutley love this bike, especially the Rival 1x11 with the superb hydraulic brakes. The supplied tyres are genuine cyclocross tyres and are very, very capable off road. On road they are not so exciting but I did purchase this bike with the aim of using tarmac to connect to dirt trails  - it's been perfect for this. I love the fact that I can head out on a well ridden road route and then just decide to head off down a bridleway at whim - awesome. For commuting I managed to fit Crud MkIII guards but it is a tight squeeze up front with the 33c tyres. My next tyres will probably be 30c Schwalbe G-One.

I have had no issues with harshness up front, in fact I was surprised how comfortable this bike is both on the road and the rough stuff. No spokes broken yet (1000 km). At (currently) less than £1000 for 1x11 SRAM Rival with hydraulic brakes this bike is a steal. Buy it, you won't regret it.

Hi Gunswick,

I solved rear brake cable by removing inner and flushing with GT85 then when refitting used a noodle - rubber boot usually used on V brake no more than £1 also added a length of liner over inner cable too. Water must collect in the bend 6 inch's down.

Had front mech do same ad there is similar issue with the cable coming up through frame and boot which was fitted now perished so new gear inner being fitted after flushing and new boot with length of liner. My words bit muddle think brake noodle is usually the angled bend on v brake but I ment the rubber bbot which usually y comes with it. LBS should sell them individually.

+1 for the Nuke proof semic metallic pads, from chain reaction cycles for £8 a set.

I had the rear brake freeze, a little wet lube helped prevent it but it came back a few weeks later. What is the rubber noodle and can you link to one please?

Evening all,
first post for me. I have had my 105 alloy Grade for 20 months or so and am about 5500 miles in with this being its 2nd winter. I had £1000 to spend on a cycle to work scheme and at the time this bike was getting 5 stars so as it was for mainly commuting on a mix of road and cycle track ( Exmouth to Exeter on wooden boards and track) decided this would do the job. Since starting the commute I have been bitten hard and now do 90 miles per week to work and a weekend ride of anything from 35 to 75 miles so I think its had a proper run out.

I too had spokes snapping on the rear drive side and no amount of tweaking could sort it so first lesson for me = bikes built to price points, cheap machine made hubs which eventually disintegrated and could not be saved so opportunity to upgrade. New Hope hubs and Sapim spokes - sorted and cheaper than a wheelset of similar quality(good mate built them and trued them), not the lightest but bombproof. Only other gripe I've had to deal with being the HY RD front disc causing shudder of fork cured by swapping to Nuke proof semic metallic pads. I think the only other thing I'll be changing will be the crankset to 105 to get away from FSA mega thing BB. Oh and don't forget to get a rubber noodle over the rear caliper cable adjuster as water has a direct route in = frozen cables on colder days.

Have had SKS Blumels on all year round as I think it looks better with them on! If I'd had cash forvcarbon version different story. Have done a handfull of sportives on this bike and the comfort level is one of the things which in the reviews caught my eye being a 45 year old returning to the bike after far to long away.

I have the alu 105 version.  It is great, I would highly recommend one. I have owned it 6m and covered some 3000 miles on it.

The 105 is a useful step-up on the Tiagra version because you also get the TRP HY-RD brakes, which are better than the TRP Spyre on the Tiagra version.

I have broken two spokes on my rear in seperate incidents, over the course of 5 months.  My LBS (Evans Cycles in this case) where I got the bike rebuilt it for me after the 2nd one (for free, after replacing the broken spoke the first time), and Wiggle reviews show others having to do the same.  The wheels however, do convert and run tubeless very well so it's not all bad.  Hubs, freehub and rims seems fine so far, just the spokes are either cheap or machine installed badly from the factory.  

I recently added some rim tape, tubeless valves, and schwalbe s-one tyres which went on first time which just a track pump and no voodoo and they have been brilliant for the last month.

The spec on the alu Grades is way above other bikes.  It is fast, and very comfortable.  I commute using an Apidura saddle bag (17l) and then at the weekend I take it off and go fast riding.  It is a descending machine, fast, stable and sure.  Climbing its fine for an adventure bike, and is plenty stiff enough to get moving.

Sizing wise, I am 5'8 and a size 53 Small fits me nicely with 10cm seatpost and standard 70mm stem being fine.

I fitted wide road mudguards (SKS chromoplastics) and they have been very good.  Minor rub on the front disc caplier from one arm, sorted with a rubber band wrapped around the metal guard arm.

I agree with all the online reviews written about it, it is excellent.  Just ask the shop to rebuild the rear wheel with new better spokes, or as a minimum check the spoke tension on both wheels at purchase and your 6-week check.  Should be OK otherwise.  Then worst case a new wheelset could come down the line.

Has anyone managed to fit 45mm mudguards on the GT Grade Carbon frame? There doesn't look much clearance in the fork.

I have the carbon 105. Its amazing. Recently spotted the alu version on sale somewhere (cant remember if it was the claris or sora) for 350 quid. Amazing price. I love mine to death and it gets loads of comments. The ride is super comfy on 28's at 70 rear/60 front.

I work at a bike shop and they are quite popular  and well-built bikes. However, there have been a few issues with broken spokes on wheels that are specced on them so maybe upgrade the wheels? 

I also have a 105 Carbon Grade. Easily the nicest ride I have owned. No harshness at all. Very sure-footed on gravel and descending.

I have a 105 carbon Grade. No front end harshness, in fact with the wider 28 tyre it descends with way more confidence than my Enve forked road bike on 25s  

Totally academic of course if you're looking at the Alu version of course. 

I have one, love it, but there is one major flaw for an adventure bike, front end is so harsh, I'm told it can be improved with better tyres, possibly it could be resolved by running the supplied tyres below recomended pressure, but I'm ot keen on doing that.