THE 2014
COMPE
At only $380, the Compe now retails for less than it did 20 years ago. How is this possible? Along with bike products becorninq more affordable and, quite simply, better over the past few decades, the bike has also evolved to meet the needs of the modern upstart rider. Gone are the days of the detangler, front brakes, four pegs, frame standers and splatter paint jobs. As the sport evolved, it simplified, allowing GT to create a better bike for less. The Compe frame features chromoly main tubes, with an integrated head tube drilled for detangler tabs, a Mid bottom bracket, and welded-on brake posts and routes. The fork features a chromoly steer tube and tapered legs and a mild offset for quick handling. A top-mounting GT stem holds a new, taller set of 8.27-inch rise bars in place and turns on a sealed bearing headset for reliable performance. Tubular chromoly three-piece cranks push a 25/9 gearing
with the help of GT's low-profile plastic platform pedals and a sealed-bearing cassette hub. Lightweight alloy rims are home to GT's own Pool tires that offer plenty of cushion, with a 2.1 in the rear and a 2.3 in the front. Tektro alloy U-type brakes, fit with soft-compound pads, help manage speed, while a padded pivotal GT saddle doubles as something to pinch and something to park your backside on between runs.
WHAT WE LIKED
For those who remember our previous GT Fueler test, the Compe was in stark contrast to it. For starters, we had a very hard time convincing people that the Compe was truly a $380 bike. Most people, gauging purely on its looks, guessed the bike would retail for over $600. The clean-looking raw finish on the frame paired with the subtle blue accents really made this bike look like it was ready to go head to head with other ~ top-of-the-line models we have seen and III. tested this year. We were really happy with their decision to go with wider tires and a taller bar and stem, helping this otherwise "budget" bike handle like a custom build. At the park, the fat tires boosted traction and softened landings, while the taller front end made hops, spins, and tech-manual and nosewheelie lines much easier and more controlled. The wide seat lent itself very well to pinching for bar spins. And with enough brake
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cable for a full wind without affecting brake performance, we were tosslnq the bars off of everything in our path. While the Compe does come with two pegs, we chose not to run them on our out-of-the-box session and can't even say we missed them, as this bike rode so well on everything else at the park, we never found ourselves looking for things to grind before we had to peel out for the trails. But if pegs are your thing, or you're not even sure yet, you have a set for a rainy day. We arrived at the infamous Sheep Hills a few hours before .the session kicked off to get in some ride time ..W~ile a bike can work great on tech terrain like parks and street, bigger jumps can be another story, so rather than make fools of ourselves, we decided to ease into things. Fortunately the transition was seamless, and we were flowing lines in minutes. By the time people started showing up, we didn't want to hand it over to test riders for the shoot. The bike's compact geometry was limiting for taller riders, but when paired with the tall front end, it was perfect for smaller riders hoping to gain more pump and bike control in tech lines and through sections with tight transitions. With the trend floating back and forth toward shorter 165mm and conventional 175mm cranks, we were happy to find GT went with 170mm cranks to suit both smaller riders and tech riders who like to switch their stance. This also reduces the chances of bending a spindle or twisting crankarms on liard landings: making it a big plus for developing riders who toss their bikes almost as much as they ride away on them. The pedals were super grippy, with 12 pins per Side and a large platform, making them ~asy targets for no-footed tricks. The straightcable brake system felt great. While street-specific riders may not be as keen on the welded brake posts and cable routes, trail riders will love the simplicity and stiffness this adds to the overall system. While the wider tires aren't as necessary for trail riding, you won't hear us complaining about the added cushion when overshooting a landing
or over-lunder-rotating a trick. Their soft compound also worked very well on hard packed lines and rolled very well on the smooth center tread. Did we mention the bike flat out looks great?
WHAT WE DIDN'T For starters, we are bummed this bike only comes in a 20.5-inch top tube option, because it is a prime candidate for a budget-minded 21-inch bike as well. That said, the brakes on the Compe worked fairly well at the park,allowing for any of the rear-wheel tricks we cared to fire out, but as soon as they hit the dirt, the performance . quickly faded into subpar. Keep .In mind, most brakes won't perform well In dirt, but this bike is another prime example of what clear pads can do to overall performance for only a few bucks. We had some bar and rear-wheel slip issues early on, but once things . settled, the wheel held for the remainder of the test, and the bars held tight, only slipping once on an overshot landing, which is to be expected. Sanding the paint from the clamping surface of the bars would be a quick, free and permanent fix to unwanted bar movement and was something we did as soon as we returned to the shop. For such an affordable bike, we were really surprised to find that the only things that didn't survive were the pedals, which is a bummer, because everyone really liked them. Oddly enough, they didn't crack or break, but under the twisting feet of dozens of riders, we did manage to shear off most the pedal pins, leaving them all but traction-less at the end of the day. Overall, everyone loved the pedals, especially at the trails, but expect to rotate them out in the short term.
OVERALL Overall, we have to say that we were very surprised at the performance, appearance and ride quality of a bike that is edging toward the more affordable side of the sport's most popular price range, that being $350 to $425. With a focus on all-around riding, we feel like the Compe should . be at the top of any rider's test-ride list ' if they would classify themselves as a somewhat experienced and quicklearning rider. This bike offers not just the look of a high-end bike, but also the geometry to back it up. The only thing we feel like we would gladly pay a few bucks more for on this bike would be a double-walled back rim to suit more serious street riding and drops, but as it sits and for the money, the Compe is very tough to beat. 2014 could very well rewrite history for this bike as the Compe to remember. 0
HEAD TUBE: 74.5° SEAT TUBE: 71° TOP TUBE: 20.5" CHAINSTAY: 13.6" BOTTOM BRACKET: 11.77" WEIGHT: 26.3 lb. PRICE: $380
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HITS: • Tall stem and bar combo • 170mm cranks • Fat GT Pool tires • Great all-around geometry MISSES: • Brakes don't work in the dirt • Molded pedal pins broke off too easily
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Ben Cope reaches over the Compe's big bars and gets a handful of GT's Pool tires at Sheep Hill.
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