You’ve all seen a bunch of long-travel, big-hit enduro bikes on my channel: the Transition Spire, Ibis HD6, both prior and current Pivot Firebirds, the Yeti SB160, and the Rocky Mountain Altitude. But what you haven’t seen is a true high pivot enduro bike.
That all changes today with the GT Force, coming to you in a beautiful shade that the comment section has declared to be light lilac. We’ll ignore that the website says lavender, for the sake of controversy.
Earlier this year, I bought a GT Sensor (at slightly reduced industry pricing) from Jenson USA – and I really enjoyed it! You may or may not have seen the videos I made featuring the mint-colored bike.
What is the current status of the Gary Turner brand? I’m honestly not sure. Were they made or are they making more? The tense to use in conversation is a question mark.
Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah from Jeff Kendall-Weed’s YouTube videos for riders who prefer reading over watching. They’re written in Jeff’s first-person voice to stay true to the style and storytelling of the original content.
Unboxing & First Impressions
As usual, a big thanks to Jenson USA for sponsoring the YouTube video. Anything you purchase through links here helps to support my channel, at no cost to you… And it shows the companies that you’re stoked on the content! A huge thanks to you! And, if you’re curious about how bikes are shipped and received, hop into the video for a visual tour. They do a great job at packaging the bikes so that the distance between the box and the trail is as short and easy as possible.
For the GT Force, the bike comes with both reflectors and a dork disc – my favorite bike accessories (just kidding – please remove both before riding off-road, to avoid being a litter bug when they will inevitably break). Beyond that, the build is simple: tighten the handlebars, throw the front wheel on, and voila. You’ve got yourself a pretty purple bike!
Now for a little more tech talk –
Over the last couple of years, my SOP has been to ride every bike bone-stock before customizing as I see fit. But, this time I’m riding this bike following the GT Sensor, and honestly – a lot of the parts are the same. I don’t love the rims, nor the rear hub. Rather than have the same riding experience as I did with my first rides on my Sensor, I decided to make adjustments right out of the gate (er, box). A little different from the usual, but time is valuable and it’s so much better to focus it on what I care about most: how the frame itself rides.
I decided to spruce it up with my Shimano XTR build kit and fancy shmancy Industry Nine wheels, transforming the bike into one worthy of careless sends and reliable trail miles.
To sum it up: the frame design is gorgeous — industrial lines, solid paint, and pivots that only loosened up slightly after hard use (easy fix, and nothing unusual).
The bike has gone through a few layers of customization!
Revelstoke’s Idiot Gambler
Like a true self-diagnosed idiot, I planned a road trip as my first few rides on the Force. Anyone who brings a brand new bike on a big trip is doing themselves a disservice. It’s far smarter to ride something tested, proven, and dialed for your needs when you’re exploring a new place. Simply because when you’re in adventure mode, the fewer unknown variables you have, the better your experience – and calmer your nervous system – is likely to be.
But logic and self-prescribed advice are both overrated, so I grabbed the long-travel, idler-equipped Force and drove to Revelstoke, BC, with a quick stop to break up the driving in Salmon Arm.
One of the first features I played with during our pitstop was an easy hop over a log, the approximate height of the tire. Powered by Savannah’s belief in me and my belief in a perfect bike, the feature was a success.
Next stop: our final destination, Revelstoke.
Immediate impressions? Not so much the bike — more the mosquitoes. But when I did focus on the bike, it was clear this was a very different beast. A lot of traction, and a different cornering feel than my usual. I began to feel this as the most interesting bike of the entire year.
Ride Feel: Plushness Redefined
The rear tire has an ungodly amount of traction – moreso, even, than the Pivot Firebird.
The Force is easily the plushest bike I’ve ever ridden. Several times I noticed the rear end finding traction where the front wheel would just slide.
Because of this, I had a hard time predicting what the bike was going to do, and if it was ever going to slide. Almost as if it’s glued to the ground.
Not a fault of the Zeb fork — it’s the frame. I did consider putting the Fox Podium on for this trip, but figured I ought to ride it as it comes.
Fox Fork Experimentation
After a few rides, I swapped on the Fox Podium inverted fork. No matter what bike I put it on, it’s the most plush front end I’ve ever experienced — an incredible match to the Force. Nevermind that the fork costs more than the discounted price of the entire bike – but hey, tinkering is part of the fun. Besides, when the stock buy-in is so low, it gives you that extra bit of wiggle room to budget for some higher end components that complete your ideal shred sled.
For the first ride on the GT Force x Fox Podium pairing, I ventured off to Hope, BC to explore the new trail, First Blood. If you haven’t already connected the dots yourself, this trail is named after the first Rambo film, as it was the setting for “Jerkwater, USA.” Funnily enough, you can see signs labeling the town of Hope throughout the movie!
When the Podium’s brake-side seal blew, I tested a Marzocchi Z1 coil fork with an older Grip2 damper.
This bike hugs the ground, yet somehow still jumps well. Typically, bikes this planted don’t like leaving earth, but the Force bunnyhops and sends with confidence. It surprised me, especially knowing how much Phil Kmetz shreds on his Force.
There’s a misnomer that high pivot suspension designs will be a challenge to craft into playful bikes, as the chainstay grows so much through the suspension action. That was simply not the case with the GT Force.
It felt surprisingly good with the coil sprung Marzocchi Z1 w/Grip2, offering a bit more traction and high speed compression control than the stock Zeb, even if the chassis wasn’t quite as stiff.
I’ll keep tweaking the setup (a Fox Float X2 rear shock is next on my list).
Geometry & Playfulness
The Force’s geometry is excellent.
- Back end: not too long, which keeps the bike poppy and playful.
- Chainstays: adjustable (long setting test ride coming soon).
- Wheelbase: long enough to be stable yet short enough to toss around in tight turns.
This balance makes the Force fun on a wider variety of trails than some bigger enduro rigs.
Where the GT Force Struggles
Before I get heavy into some no-BS critique, I just have to say: the Force is a gorgeous bike – impressive industrial design, a well-fitting waterbottle, and high quality paint job. The pivot has only loosened up a tad during my rides, which proved an easy fix and was expected as normal wear and tear.
Climbing: You can indeed pedal your way up a mountain. But, the extra pulley resistance doesn’t help, and the super-active rear end moves under the smallest bumps. VERY short top tube when seated is a little tricky when climbing, especially with the long wheelbase.
Cruising? Fine. Not exceptional. But it is so plush that every small bump will get the suspension moving.
Apply human-powered energy? Pace change is negligible.
Compared to bikes like the Pivot Firebird, the Force is less efficient – the rear end of the Firebird firms up noticeably more under pedaling forces. I’d say that all other enduro bikes are better climbers.
On mellow, chill trails, The Force wasn’t as unwieldy as The Spire. Nor, muting the mellow trails as much as the 180 fork on the Ibis HD6. But the Force is still happier on gnarlier terrain.
Braking (aka my biggest complaint): Though traction is good, the back end firms up unpredictably. Sometimes it grabs, sometimes it skids — hard to predict until you adapt.
Riding can feel like a rollercoast, and not because of the landscape of the trail: one moment, the bike feels incredible; the next, you’re feeling a bit discombobulated.
Is the adapting worth it? It certainly is the most unique suspension I’ve felt within the last five years.
Big hits: The Force dives deep into travel easily, and though it ramps up late, I don’t fully trust it on the biggest hits yet. The spring rate feels pretty good, but seems like it could use more damping.
That said, the more time I put on the Force, the more I adapt. It’s the most unique suspension feel I’ve experienced in at least five years. And it’s good! But it’s certainly a different feel.
Customizations in the Queue: The stop dropper seat post is less than inspiring, and the short distance from the seat to the front end is a bit weird on the climbs.
Comparisons: GT Force vs. the Field
Transition Spire: Spire is more composed on big hits, but harder to get airborne. Force is more playful, easier to jump, but bottoms out more often. The shorter backend means more maneuverability. The Spire is great, but ultimately needs speed or steeps to truly shine. The suspension of the Spire is better tuned for bigger hits.
Riding the Force, I would have the occasional bottom-out; The Spire is more predictable and more supportive on jump lines. The GT Force CAN hit the big jumps, but the Spire was built for the jumpline.
Ibis HD6: The Ibis HD6 feels like a totally different bike than the GT Force. It’s more racey, pedaling noticeably better, and carrying that snappy DW-Link feel I’m used to. The GT Force stays more planted, while the HD6 just wants to move.
The mullet setup on the HD6 has tradeoffs. It loses traction out back sooner than the Force, but is more forgiving when you drag the brake. Up front, the longer fork really tames terrain, and I’d pick the HD6 when things get properly gnarly.
Geometry-wise, I much prefer the slacker 76° seat tube angle of the Ibis. It keeps the front end long while seated, and even though reach is the same between the Force and HD6, the Ibis adds 20mm of top tube – exactly what I like.
Yeti SB160: The Yeti SB160 felt more traditional than the GT Force. It firms up nicely when pedaling, yet still stays forgiving on square-edged hits – honestly not far off the Force there. Braking performance was better on the SB160 too, with the suspension staying active instead of locking up.
I did prefer the shock tune on the GT over the stock Yeti, but the SB160 came across as the friendlier bike overall. The GT can go fast, but like a friendly Lewis Hamilton, the Yeti actually invites you to go fast.
Pivot Firebird (both gens): Both current and prior generations of the Pivot Firebird feel more like big trail bikes compared to the Force, and without idler pulleys they come across as simpler machines. I’ve also had fewer bolts loosen up on Pivots, and they’re definitely peppier when pedaling.
The Firebirds are precise, love to be pumped and jumped, and respond to every bit of rider input. The GT, by contrast, feels more like a blunt instrument.
Rocky Mountain Altitude: The Rocky Mountain Altitude is an absolute beast. I feel like a broken record saying it, but I just love that bike. I felt comfortable on it almost immediately, and the adjustment system made it easy to set up for different scenarios and seasons.
The Altitude pedals better than most, and it inspired me to push harder and try sketchier lines with confidence.
Recapping the Front End
Now, about the front end – as you know, I’m a big fan of the Podium fork. It matches this frame design so well that it’s convinced me I really need to get an X2 on the rear of the Force (still sitting on the constantly expanding to-do list).
Of course, my Podium fork’s brake-side seal blew, so off it went for service. Instead of swapping back to the stock Zeb, I got clever and threw on a coil-sprung Marzocchi Z1 with an old Grip2 damper. To my surprise, it rode really well.
The old Grip2 offers more high-speed control than the stock Zeb damper, though not as much as the new GripX2 in the Podium – unless you sacrifice some sensitivity. While the Grip2 has finally broken in, it took ages before it felt this nice. The Zeb chassis is stiffer than the old Z1 and delivers a more turn-key setup overall. For now, I’ll keep tweaking the Force. I own it outright, so there’s no rush (which I can’t say about my regular fleet of loaners).
Final Thoughts
The GT Force is not a high pivot bike you instantly “get.” It asks you to adapt, to commit time, and to learn to trust the suspension’s unique personality. If you do, it rewards you with unmatched rear-wheel grip, surprising playfulness, and a very different ride feel than DW, VPP, or Switch Infinity designs.
It’s not perfect. Climbs are sluggish, braking feel is inconsistent, and big-hit support isn’t quite there yet. But it’s fun, unique, and — once dialed — capable of serious shredding.
THANK YOU for being here, and thank you to the support from my favorite brands!
In all the riding footage aboard the GT Force, I’m rocking a kit from my pals at SMBL. They’re a rad new brand, and you can check out their gear here: SMBL DRT Collection.
Huge thanks to Formula 100 for keeping the bike dialed. They make a full line of chain lubes and washes — you can check them out (and support my channel) through this link: Formula 100 at Jenson. I ran the Dry Conditions lube on this trip, but honestly, the All Conditions is just as good.
Hydration-wise, I had LMNT in the bottle. Hit up DrinkLMNT.com/Jeff to score a free sample pack with any purchase: 8 bonus packets of their 4 best flavors.
Safety gear? A full Endura setup: padded undershorts and MT500 knee pads. If you want to check them out, you can grab some for yourself here.
And of course, a big thanks to Jenson USA for all the support. Any purchases made through these links help keep this channel rolling. 😊
Peace and Wheelies,
Jeff 🚴
