Market: In the fast-moving bicycle cosmos, where models and companies often change every year, the GT Zaskar stands as a rock in the surf. In 1991 GT presented the then brand new hardtail - since then a lot has happened in the industry and the Zaskar has also undergone a lot of changes. Nevertheless, it is still the same bike that saw the light of day in 1991.
When presenting the new Zaskar, GT said about the bike that it was time to think about what a hardtail is actually capable of. The statement is certainly also a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the Zaskar is the only bike that has won a world championship in downhill, trials and cross country - of course at a time when hardtails were still used even for downhill. But back to the new Zaskar: the geometry of the frame has been extensively modernized. The Triple Triangle design, which has become a trademark, will of course remain. This means the triangles between the top tube / seat tube / bottom tube, chainstay / seatstay / seat tube and seat tube / chainstay / top tube.
Otherwise, the new Zaskar is much more balanced, you could almost say more comfortable. The steering angle is a little slacker, the reach is a little longer and the standover height is lower. These small but fine changes enormously expand the area of application of the former race hardtail. With the appropriate setup, the Zaskar is also suitable as a fun trail machine. The universal character of the frame is also made clear by GT's decision in favor of the 650b standard - performance-oriented race hardtails nowadays actually only come in 29″.
Geometry of the GT Zaskar 2016
[easy table]Size,XXS,XS,S,M,L,XL
Oberrohr Waagrecht,553mm,569mm,585mm,610mm,638mm,667mm
Sitzrohrlänge,343mm,355mm,380mm,430mm,485mm,540mm
Seat Angle,72.7,72.7,72.7,72.7,72.7,72.7
steering angle,69,69.5,69.5,69.5,69.5,69.5,
Steuerrohrlänge,90mm,90mm,90mm,92mm,108mm,124mm
Kettenstrebenlänge,435mm,435mm,435mm,435mm,435mm,435mm
Radstand,1055mm,1066mm,1082mm,1106mm,1135mm,1166mm
[/easy table]There will be four models with carbon frames and three equipment variants with aluminum frames. The geometry is not 100% the same, the aluminum models offer a slightly lower standover height due to their construction. The Zaskar Carbon LTD model is particularly interesting because it not only differs from its sister models in the quality of the attachments, but GT also gives the special model a completely different character. Instead of the 100mm Cross Country fork, the LTD model has a Rock Shox Pike traveled to 120mm, which promises significantly better downhill performance and, thanks to the 20mm more spring travel and the higher installation height, also flattens the steering angle by approx. 1° to 68°. The 1×11 drive from SRAM, the ZTR Flow EX rims and the Rock Shox Reverb dropper post also fit this orientation.
So what's left to say about the 2016 GT Zaskar? Well, 25 years of evolution have of course left their mark on the now legendary frame - and that's a good thing. The Zaskar 2016 is a modern hardtail with an unusually wide range of uses. From the fun trail saw to the lightweight race hardtail, countless possible configurations are possible. It remains to be seen whether we will celebrate the 2045th anniversary of the Zaskar in 50, but it would not necessarily be a surprise.
More info is available on the GT microsite: www.gtbicycles.com/Zaskar/
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