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Call it enduro, call it trail, I call the GT Helion fun

  • Ron 

Besides the inexplicable growth of fat bikes, the enduro or trail bike has been the hottest thing in mountain biking for the past couple of years. GT’s Helion is their latest entrant in the market and it is worthy to stand toe to toe with its competition.

I was fortunate to receive the GT Helion Carbon Pro ($4999) for review earlier in the year. It arrived just in time for my return from Winter Park, Colorado, where I spent an extended weekend updating my mountain bike skills. With 110mm of travel front and rear (courtesy of a Fox 32 FLOAT 27.5 CTD in front and a Fox Racing Shox Float CTD Remote BV in the rear), the Helion Carbon Pro was not on par with the full DH rigs I trained on, but it definitely was an upgrade from my hardtail XC bike that I started the summer riding.

A Fox 32 FLOAT 27.5 CTD fork handled suspension duties up front...
A Fox 32 FLOAT 27.5 CTD fork handled suspension duties up front
...while the Fox Racing Shox Float CTD Remote BV did the duties in the rear.
…while the Fox Racing Shox Float CTD Remote BV did the duties in the rear.

The Helion’s Angle Optimized Suspension (AOS) made for efficient pedaling, making uphills as easy as downhills, while still allowing full use of the bike’s travel range. AOS also allowed GT’s engineers to keep all of the suspension elements low on the bike, making for a more grounded and centered feel than other FS bikes I’ve ridden.

The Angle Optimized Suspension (AOS) places suspension components low on the bike, lowering the center of gravity.
The Angle Optimized Suspension (AOS) places suspension components low on the bike, lowering the center of gravity.

The Helion also was equipped with a 27.5″ wheelset (Stan’s NoTubes Crest tubeless rims built up on DT Swiss 350 hubs). I first had the opportunity to ride 27.5 wheels several years ago at Interlake (when Jamis first started pioneering the size) and I feel know as I felt then that it is the best of both the 26″ and 29″ wheel worlds.

The largest rear sprocket looks like a pie plate, but gives plenty of gear to climb any hill.
The largest rear sprocket looks like a pie plate, but gives plenty of gear to climb any hill.

I also liked the Shimano Deore XT 1×10 drivetrain. That setup has mainly been the domain of racers, but I feel that as casual riders start to upgrade their bikes, acceptance will grow. With a 32T chainring and an 11-36 tooth cassette in the rear, I never wanted for gears and appreciated the lighter weight and easier maintenance that the system brought.

Shimano Deore XT hydraulics handled bringing speed back to safe levels.
Shimano Deore XT hydraulics handled bringing speed back to safe levels.

The arrival of the Helion also corresponded nicely with the opening of several new trails at nearby Devou Park.  The 1.5 mile Sleepy Hollow trail was built with the latest industry best practices and served as an excellent test course for the Helion. The old but good Full Monty downhill course also gave me plenty of opportunities to test the Helion’s ability to both climb and descend.

Crawling up the backside of Full Monty the Helion seemed to have an almost unnatural connection to the trail. Whether on the saddle or standing, my weight stayed perfectly balanced over the bike at all times and the rear wheel never slipped, giving me an edge over my ride companions.

Both the front and rear suspension can be locked out with this lever.
Both the front and rear suspension can be locked out with this lever.

When I pointed the bike back down the trail, once again it was the balance that aided my confidence and allowed to ride with much more speed and confidence than I could produce on my hardtail. Still, when I needed to slow down, the very confident Shimano Deore XT hydraulic brakes were always there, and the Helion never suffered from brake dive or threw me off balance.

GT bills the Helion as an XC bike, and it would certainly serve the weekend or competitive racer very well, but I don’t think that it would be out of place in an enduro race either. The Helion Carbon Pro, in particular, has the kit that will hold up to the demands of racing and the carbon frame definitely provides a welcome drop in weight over comparable aluminum or steel bikes. In fact, the Helion was very close in weight to my aluminum hardtail in the ‘huck it over the side of the truck’ comparison test.

If I had to mention any drawback of the bike, it would be the handlebars. They were unusually wide for an XC bike, and on tight trails, I felt like using a boat tiller to navigate through the trees. After taking a little over an inch off each side of the bars, it felt just right.

The same AOS suspension technology is available across the entire Helion range, starting with the Helion Elite at $1549 all the way up to the top of the line Helion Carbon Team ($7499).

You can learn more about the Helion Carbon Pro at their website, but I definitely recommend visiting a dealer or demo day to try one for yourself. You’re sure to be hooked.

Tags: bicycles, brakes, carbon, Colorado, Cycle sport, cycling, downhill, elite, Enduro, Felt, Gravity, GT, handlebars, mountain bike, mountain biking, racing, review, Shimano, speed, summer, trails, Travel, wheels, winter
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