GT Sanction Team

Rowan404

Looking at getting a custom used 2017 GT sanction team for a cracking deal. Anyone on the forum have one of these? I am keen to know how the suspension setup works and how the geometry feels on the descents and climbs. Thanks in advance!

steve_sordy

I ignored this post before because I have never ridden one, but seeing as no-one else has responded, I thought I'd have a go. Maybe you are still deciding, or have let it go.

The bike is big travel and designed for Enduro, so it should be a good climber as well as a good descender. Rocky trails and big features are where it lives. Unless you are lucky, I doubt bike will be outstanding (it should be more than OK though) on typical red trails in the UK. Please tell me I'm wrong if you are an owner.

The rear suspension appears to be a straight forward single pivot. I personally don't like single pivot suspension, but legions of Orange Five owners will lynch me at dawn for dissing their god. SP has its good and bad points.

The kit seems all good, no point in me saying "what if" about any of it, it will all work just fine. The reviews are good for 2016 models, I couldn't see any reviews of the 2017 model, but I didn't look hard. You really must test ride the bike before parting with your money. But first you have to decide whether this used bike is actually in good condition. There are pages of stuff to be found on Google and elsewhere about how to buy used bikes. So I will limit myself to two things. 1) Has the suspension been serviced by a recognised agent? 2) Check the frame for cracks. Unless it's a carbon frame, I'd ignore chips and scrapes, but always look at the seams and junctions for cracks.

Rowan404

Thanks for the response. I know the bike uses their I drive suspenion system so I was wondering about that or is it just a fancy name for single pivot? The bike is coming from a YouTuber so I assume it's in good condition as that's what he said. Also it's got rockshox instead of fox and it has x01 eagle.

steve_sordy

Rowan404 wrote:

Thanks for the response. I know the bike uses their I drive suspenion system so I was wondering about that or is it just a fancy name for single pivot? The bike is coming from a YouTuber so I assume it's in good condition as that's what he said. Also it's got rockshox instead of fox and it has x01 eagle.

Hmmm, I hadn't spotted the i-drive. I was looking at the lack of pivots anywhere except the one behind the chain wheel. A mate of mine had an old GT Full Suss with i-drive and he loved it. It was still going strong when he bought a better bike and gave the old one to his son. From memory there were some early problems with frame cracking, but that has probably long been sorted. It is well worth you doing some research on the advantages and disadvantages of the i-drive suspension.

Again from memory, the crank goes through the BB (as per usual), but the whole BB can move with your effort. So there must be a spring in there somewhere.

Oh, and I wouldn't assume it's in good condition just because a You Tuber said so. Caveat Emptor rules! (the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made).

Rockshox make good suspension, no comment there except I've had zero problems with mine. Read up on how to set up suspension beyond just the sag and rebound.
Eagle 12-speed is great, I have it on both my bikes. It's a great 1x system that gives a massive 5.0:1 gear range. But it is not all sweetness and light. The gear set up has to be spot on or you start to have shifting problems. Ensure that the rear jockey wheel is set sufficiently far away from the 50T such that the shift into the 50t is smooth. Many bike mechanics set the gap as normal, when it actually needs to be a lot bigger. SRAM make a plastic template, but once you know what its supposed to do, you don't need one. I went through years of bike riding without ever having to have the mech hanger straightened. I've needed to have it done so many times that I've bought a Parktool mech hanger alignment tool for myself! That is a long mech arm and it is hanging in harms way! It can exert a lot of leverage on the mech hanger if it gets hit.

Rowan404

Thanks for the advice again. Decided to pick it up today as I couldn't really resist the spec for a mere $2000 cad. There were a few nics here and there but overall the frame was in great condition.

There was a problem with the dropper however. Not caused by the post itself but by the weird seattube that lets the post go down into the shock. Apparently the post was down too low and when the suspension compressed it disconnected the hose and fluid spilled everywhere. Don't know if it's easy to bleed these things or if I should just bring it to a shop.

Eagle seemed to be working well although it kind of gets held up when you shift multiple gears at a time near the larger cogs. Guessing I need to adjust b screw although there already seems to be a lot of tension on the largest cog.

steve_sordy

Most of the shifting problems I've had have been as a result of something I wouldn't normally expect with anything up to 10-speed. I had 11-speed for a few months before I sold the bike (it was time), so I didn't have time to see if it was any different maintenance-wise.. Things like the b-gap I have mentioned. Also the mech hanger alignment. Seriously, it is worth getting it checked now before you put loads of effort into all the usual stuff.

And don't forget that mucky gear cables also cause problems, but in the case of 12-speed, they cause more sooner!

Good luck with the bike!

supersonic

iDrive - need to test it really, as in the long travel versions the movement of the BB can be quite noticeable!

Basically the BB is located on a linkage that runs between the front triangle and swingarm. The theory is that the high main pivot position would normally cause a lot of chain growth as the suspension compresses - this can cause the pedals to 'kickback' on big hits as the chain tension pulls the crankrings back around. By allowing the BB to move slightly, it reduces the effect.

But as above, some can feel this movement which sort of undoes what it is trying to achieve! An unusual side effect is that the front wheel seems to stay more 'planted' on climbs - I think this is again due to the BB moving as the suspension compresses, altering the effective seat angle and weight distribution. A lot of people also report that this makes it harder to wheelie and manual.

sniper68

I last had i-Drive on my Circa 2000 GT XCR3000 and it wasn't particularly good...then again neither was the shock or RS Judy fork(replaced by a Marzocchi Bomber...and it was 18 years ago!