The object was to put GT's full suspension LTS-2 through it's paces.There could be no better time: spring after oneof the snowiest winters in years. The trails were at their worst -- I haven'tseen mud like this for a while!
While I'm not sure that I will ever get the beautiful ball burnishedLTS-2 back to it's brand new pristine state ofcleanliness, I can say that this is a bike I highly recommend for some highperformance riding.
At first I was a bit confused as to how to categorize this bike. GTadvertises the LTS-2 as an all-around bike(something you rarely see these days!), and it doesn't take long to figure outwhy. The 7000-series aluminum frame is lightenough, and extremely reliable. The fully active rear suspension comes from acoil-over-oil Rock Shox Super Deluxe rearshock attached through a cold-forged aluminum link. The result is incredibleshock absorption with next-to-no side to sideflex -- exactly what any cross country racer demands. Front suspension comesfrom a Rock Shox Quadra 21R frontsuspension, which complements the rear suspension nicely.
The folks at GT aren't trying to pull your leg with the all-aroundpromotion, either. There is enough rear travel tomake this bike eligible for downhill trials. The few rough descents I managed,while not ski-hill length, showed me that thisbike can take a lot of pounding -- very little of which is transferred to therider. Even over the roughest terrain I was able tosit comfortably. After a lot of years on hard tail bikes, the feeling was downright disconcerting! My hat goes off to the GTdesigners -- they have managed to provide excellent shock absorption withoutsacrificing any performance. It doesn'talways feel as responsive as a hard-tail might, but what you sacrifice there youmake up with in downhill performance, andgeneral ride.
The bike comes specced with Shimano's LX gruppo, but an upgraded XT rearderailleur is included in the package.The LX brake levers and shifters work exceptionally well. Braking is precise,gear changes are quick and easy. GT uses aKORE aluminum AHead stem and Raw-110 Onza bar ends to finish off the "handlebar"package. Mavic M-220 rims arepaired with WTB Velociraptor kevlar tiers. It all adds up to a package thatdoesn't skimp on quality. The $3,000 price tagmight sound steep, but when you see what you're getting, it's not outrageous.
In these days of extreme specialization, GT's LTS-2 seems like itshouldn't fit in. Cross country racers might want tofind a slightly lighter bike, down hill riders might want to go with somethingwith a bit more rear travel. That's why peoplewho plan to do both should look hard at the LTS-2, they will find that verylittle is compromised for either endeavor.