This article is part of the Mtbr's Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here--https://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

In an alternate universe where all bike tests utilize the exact same parts spec, and only the frame is judged, the GT Sensor Carbon Expert might just sweep the awards podium. Indeed, this 27.5-inch 130mm trail tamer employs a novel new suspension design, longer wheelbase, and low-slung geometry to create a bike that climbs well, steers with razor precision, and descends with stability, ease and confidence.

During our time in California's Soquel Demonstration Forest, testers raved about the bike's ability to tackle a variety of tasks-and do them well. Minimal pedal bob, snappy and fun, quick responding, and moments of ecstasy were all phrases associated with the GT Sensor Carbon Expert.

Alas, "WTF" was also a common refrain. Masking the good manners of this $4880 bike is a laundry list of head-scratching-and often underperforming-parts that includes a noodly fork, sub-par brakes, wimpy tires, a rock-hard saddle, and an out-dated triple chainring.

And therein lies the problem with this bike. No matter how good the frame is, it's hard to justify a near five grand outlay for what amounts to a teardown where the foundation is kept, but the rest of the proverbial house is in need of serious updating. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Let's first talk about the good.



Photo by Tyler Frasca.

AOS is boss!

The backbone of the entire Sensor platform (which also includes the $9220 Carbon Team, $7050 Carbon Pro, and $3800 and $2820 alloy versions) is what GT calls its Angled Optimized Suspension or AOS. The big picture idea behind AOS is that by utilizing a high pivot point, the rear wheel moves upward and backward, which gets the wheel out of the way of obstacles more effectively, making for a more capable and playful ride.

At the same time GT has countered the most prominent complaint leveled at high-pivot designs (poor uphill performance) with what it calls PathLink, where pedal feedback is minimized by controlling chain growth and isolating rider input from suspension performance. You can see a nifty illustration of all this in the video below.



On the trail, testers were roundly impressed with AOS and the entire frame design, especially in rolling terrain.

"This is really the bike's comfort zone," said one tester. "The 27.5 wheel platform made it snappy and fun, and the low bottom bracket (13.2 inches) allowed me to easily pop in and out of turns.

"A totally fun ride," said another tester. "The bike is super responsive at moderately aggressive angles, and it really shines when the trail undulates all over the place."

However, one tester did encounter some slight tire rub when landing jumps or diving hard into off-camber turns.

Uphill ride performance was also primarily praised. Pedal bob was minimal, and the larger rollover of the 27.5 wheels helped the Sensor Carbon Expert claw over chunky trail obstacles. If we could just slice some weight off the somewhat hefty 28.04-pound scale reading, climbing performance would be even better.



Photo by Tyler Frasca.

Hold the C-TD will do just fine

Like many of the bikes in this test, the Sensor Carbon Expert comes stock with Fox's 130mm Float CTD shock. For the sake of comparison we spent time in all three settings, but found that in nearly all cases the Trail mode was plenty stiff when it came time to climb. There were even occasions when the extra squish of Descend helped the bike keep traction on more challenging, rocky uphills, maintaining rear grip without causing unwanted bobbing.

Turns out this lack of mode changing is a good thing because it's a long-and potentially precarious-reach to get your hands on the lever while underway. Best to wait for a mellow section of trail before trying to switch things up. Additionally the shock is tucked so deeply inside the frame that you can't eyeball the o-ring when in the saddle. GT has included sag indicators on the frame, but you'll need the help of a riding buddy to read them.

The upside of keeping all this weight so close to the ground is that the bike's low center of gravity and low BB gives it amazing snappiness, especially when faced with a series of tight switchbacks.

"I banged my pedals a few times," admitted one tester. "But the tradeoff was how fast you could throw the bike around. It felt really stable and whippy at the same time.

Continue to Page 2 for more on the GT Sensor Carbon Expert and full photo gallery »



Is it wrong to say the GT Sensor has a good looking rear end? Whatever the case, we wish the front end matched it.

Where's the beef?

It would border on understatement to call this bike's parts spec disappointing. Up front is a 130mm RockShox Sektor SL 32, which frankly was just not up to the task. Think of the muscle head gym rat who only works his upper body, and you get the idea. The Sensor Carbon Expert's beefed up rear suspension easily drove the front end into submission, causing the fork to dive. Give us a Fox 34 or better yet a RockShox Pike, and this bike would immediately be improved.

There were similar issues with the Formula T1S brakes, which one tester called "downright scary" due to a lack of modulation, while another reported that they were "howling like banshees by the end of the test run."

There was also plenty of griping about the triple-chainring-"I thought they were dead;" the Fizik Tundra2 saddle-"Ouch, just plain ouch;" the Continental X-King tires-"On a trail bike?" and the WTB alloy wheels-"Flexy and totally inadequate for really pushing this bike hard."

The easiest solution, if money is not an object, is to jump up to the $7050 Sensor Carbon Pro. But even then you'll get a bike with a triple chainring and 32mm stanchion Fox fork, which remains underwhelming for a bike that's screaming for a more balanced and beefy parts spec.

On the upside, we continue to be impressed with the KS Lev dropper post found here, and appreciated the reliability and crispness of the Shimano SLX rapid fire shifters.



Photo by Tyler Frasca.

Pasta anyone?

Finally we'd be remiss for not mentioning this bike's cable routing, which at varying times was labeled artistic, confused, or just plain ill-conceived. Bottom line, there's a lot of twisting and turning, especially underneath the bottom bracket, which leads to both poor shifting performance and increased exposure to the elements-remember, this bike is closer to the ground than most.

If this bike ends up in your garage and you decide to do some work on it, best snap a photo of the routing before taking anything apart, lest you can't figure how to put it all back together.

Who is this bike for?

After reading all this, you might think our answer would be, no one. And honestly that thought crossed our mind. As one tester put it, "This is proof that a solid frame design can be undone by bad parts spec."

But GT's AOS suspension design struck such a positive chord that overall our test crew were willing to look past some of the poor spec and weird cable routing. In a perfect world, we'd love to just buy the frameset (currently not offered on the GT website) then spec it ourselves. Shimano brakes, wider bars, a shorter stem, softer saddle, and a better fork could instantly transform this bike into an all-day expedition machine that could handle all but the most technical and rough downhill problems, and still carry its pilot up hills that would force lesser bikes into push mode.

The Last Word

Props then to GT for coming to market with such a successful suspension redesign. They've proven that common perceptions of what works and what doesn't aren't always grounded in truth. The high-pivot-point rear suspension easily handled all we could throw at it during our test session, while at the same time delivering a fantastically fun, nimble and playful ride both going up and down. If they can get some of the spec issues sorted out, this rig will immediately leap to the top of our personal trail bike wish list.

The Good

  • Low BB and center of gravity enhance control and steering
  • Minimal pedal bob
  • Reliable Shimano drivetrain
  • Good looks
  • Innovative and effective suspension design

The Bad

  • Potential for pedal strikes
  • Heavy
  • Triple chainring
  • Lower tier fork
  • Flexy wheels
  • Hard to reach shock lever
  • Brakes lack modulation, squeal
  • XC'ish tires

Price and trickle down versions

GT Sensor Carbon Expert as tested: $4880
GT Sensor Carbon Team: $9220
GT Sensor Carbon Pro: $7050
GT Sensor Expert (alloy frame): $3800
GT Sensor Elite (alloy frame): $2820



2014 GT Sensor Carbon Expert Key Specs

  • MSRP: $4880
  • Weight: 28.04-pounds (size large)
  • Wheel size: 27.5 inches
  • Sizes: S, M, L, XL
  • Color: Raw
  • Frame Material: Carbon
  • Fork: 130mm RockShox Sektor
  • Rear Travel: 130mm
  • Rear Shock: Fox Float CTD
  • Headset: Orbit C-40-ACB
  • Handlebar: Kore Durox AL6061 bars 740mm
  • Stem: Kore Cubix 80mm
  • Grips: GT Statement Single Lock-on
  • Seatpost: KS Lev Integra dropper post
  • Brakes: Formula T1S with 180mm rotors
  • Brake Levers: Formula T1S
  • Shifters: Shimano SLX Rapid Fire
  • Front Derailleur: Shimano SLX
  • Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT Shadow Plus direct mount
  • Cassette: Shimano 10-36
  • Crankset: RaceFace Evolve triple crankset (42/32/22t)
  • Rims: WTB ST i23 TCS 650b
  • Hubs: All Terra High Flange alloy disc hubs
  • Spokes: DT Competition, 1.8/1.6 Stainless, Black
  • Tires: Continental X-King 2.4"ProTection Folding front, Continental X-King 2.2" ProTection Folding rear
  • Bottom bracket type: RaceFace PF30
  • ISCG Tabs: No
  • Chain guide: No
  • Head tube angle: 68.5 degrees
  • Seat tube angle: 73.5 degrees
  • Chainstay length: 17.3 inches
  • Bottom bracket height: 13.2 inches

For more information visit https://www.gtbicycles.com/2014/bikes/mountain/trail-full-suspension/2014-sensor-carbon-expert.

This story is part of Mtbr's 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.