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Gord's Ski & Bike
2 Locations to serve you better!
[L1]
2 Donald St
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA | 204.284.2952
[L2]
1765 Kenaston Blvd
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA | 204.269.2952
info@Gords.com
1.877.GORDS.61 |
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This isn't you dad's GT
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GT BIKES: NOW AT GORD'S
 Drumroll please: Gord's has recently added GT bikes to our product mix... And frankly, we couldn't be more stoked! Complimenting our already illustrious line-up of fine bikes from such established and respected brands as Rocky Mountain Bikes, Scott, Commençal, Jamis, Salsa and Colnago,
GT's PR department describes GT Bicycles as follows: "Built on its race-proven performance products, GT Bicycles has been designing technologically advanced bikes in the road, mountain and BMX categories since 1973. With product innovations like the pattented Independent Drivetrain, GT Bicycles continues to lead the bicycle industry with world class products."
GT Bikes elicit many mixed feelings in the bike industry, Purchased several years ago by the new owner of Cannondale, GT Bikes has gone through many changes over the years. From an elite BMX brand to a 'cost no object' World Cup dominator in MTB ... to obscurity and back... GT bikes are nothing if not interesting. And while interesting is alway neat, we at Gord's are admitedly more about substance than we are about hype.
And yes, it was a tough one. We never take adding or deleting a brand lightly... But after much research, thought and consideration we came to the conclusion that GT was a great fit for us. And we took the proverbial leap. JF was so impressed after riding their first price-point bikes that he decided to get a GT Force Carbon Expert for himself for the 2009 season.
 From their most excellent and value-packed first price point bikes that have a unique look and feel to their insane carbon offerings and very sexy full suspension bikes, GT has never lost touch with their innovation mantra while still continuing their tradition of making killer BMX's and sweet mid-price hardtails...
We're not gonna lie, we're getting more and more excited about giving this tremendous brand the visibility and respect it deserves. Many of us have owned a GT at one time or another in our MTB 'careers'... Maybe it's time to get back on that saddle again. Drop on by either of our locations and check them out... More bikes are arriving weekly!
GT HISTORY- ABRIDGED
 GT Bicycles was founded in 1979 by California BMX racetrack operator Richard Long and engineer & former drag racer Gary Turner, who had been building customized bicycle frames in his garage in Santa Ana, California; the finished bikes were ridden by Turner's son in area races. Named GT after Turner's initials, the company started producing some of the finest BMX bikes available. By 1981, from a single bicycle shop in Anaheim, sales reached $4 million. All out of Turner's garage. In 1984, the company decided to enter the fast-growing mountain bike industry, introducing its own line of mountain innovative and great riding bicycles
GT Bicycles helped sponsor two athletes at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia in the first-ever Olympic mountain bike event, where the U.S. Bicycle Team, (riding the company's new Superbike) brought home two silver medals.
 GT mountain bikes are often readily identifiable by the unique "triple triangle" frame design present in most hard-tail designs. This innovative idea was designed to reduce the amount of vibration transferred to the seat from the rear wheel.
2008 marked a true return to form for GT Bicycles. With the introduction of the all new GT Zaskar carbon hardtail, Marathon, Force, Ultrabox 2 carbon BMX and GTR Series of carbon road bikes, GT have come a long way from the 2002 bankruptcy. To celebrate 20th year since introduction, GT also released a limited edition of GT Zaskar Re-Issue, in gloriously retro ball bearing burnished finish and decals to mimic the original Zaskar. In the pipeline: The new GT Fury carbon downhill bike and Force carbon. Both bikes are under development test by racers Bryan Atkinson, Jill Kintner and legend Hans Rey.
While the "bling bling" bikes have always been a staple for GT, it's GT's mid and entry level offerings that truly define it as a true contender in the crowded field of bike companies. Every one of GT's bike offerings features a generous amount of bang for the buck thanks to a healthy dose of trickle-down technology from their before-mentioned uber bikes. But reading about bikes is highly overrated... drop on by and take one out for a spin... It's the only way to know if a bike is for you.
For more on GT bikes, do yourself a favor... check out their website by clicking on the following link: 
GORD'S GT LINE-UP FOR 2009 - MTB
GT Aggressor BLK |
GT Aggressor WHT |
GT Outpost Disc |
GT Avalanche 3.0 |
GT Avalanche 1.0 |
GT Marathon |
GT Force 3.0 |
GT Sanction 2.0 |
GT Chucker 3.0 |
GT Ruckus SX |
BMX
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The new and very cool GT Sanction
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.THE LONG TRAVEL HOLY GRAIL
 What we look for most in a full-suspension bike is intuitiveness. When a bike simply does its job, no fuss no muss. Rare is the ride you just jump on and go. Rob and I share that appreciation for that particular underrated characteristic. Many 4" travel bikes deliver that "comfortable hardtail" feel, I'm no expert but I kinda believe that the drama free suspension experience of 4" bikes has something to do with the fact that, well... quite simply, there's less suspension travel... so it's more "buttoned down". Examples of solid, intuitive 4" designs are many including the Jamis Dakar and the timeless Rocky Mountain Element family of bikes.
 Getting bikes with more than 4 inches of travel to behave in that efficient, solid, yet lively way is not that easy it seems. Very few "5 inch and up" bikes that we've tested over the years managed to deliver the feel of a 4 inch bike with one or two more inches of travel. Once you get up there it seems that many bikes get wobbly knees or either get heavy in order to counter that long-travel challenge... The less-than-perfect examples simply become "squishy"
When we find that rare combination of balance, poise, comfort and efficiency it's usually very subtle. These bikes rarely jump up and shout "HEY LOOK AT ME! I DO MY JOB INTUITIVELY!" When we find a bike that blows us away we usually quietly look at each other and go "pssst! I like this bike" and ride for a bit longer until we add "hey, I think you should try this bike out, I'd like your thoughts"... all the while smiling and simply enjoying the ride.
 To say that 2007 and 2008 have been very good full-suspension test seasons would be an understatement. With 3 sweet new bikes recently inducted into Gord's Long-Travel MTB Hall-of Fame. The Jamis BAM, the Scott Genius and the very bling Commençal Meta 5.5... Joining such superlative squishy icons such as the stalwart Jamis XLT, the Ellsworth Epiphany, the Rocky Mountain SXC and the much loved Jamis XAM.
Life is pretty sweet at Gord's. How fortunate are we to have some of the very best long travel bikes that don't act like big fat spongy marshmallows. Long travel bikes that make you wonder why anyone would ride less.
 Listen, if you ride any trail, flat as it may be or steep as you can find... If you're over 19 years old and you want to keep on riding into your sixties and beyond... if you're still riding that hardtail WAKE UP! Give your head a shake. Do yourself, your body and your ass a favor, get with the times. INJECT SOME FUN in your moribund life, get a full suspension bike and join the ranks of those who do more than just ride, join the ranks of those who are having the time of their lives on their bikes, join the ranks of the living. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO RIDE A HARDTAIL. (We should make a T-shirt!) Check out our full-suspension page HERE
JUST ASK
 We're pretty sure we've said this before: Nothing is more expensive than the wrong gear. And the right gear is not always the most expensive gear... That's where we come in. Most of us have been there, done that... and if we haven't been there and done that we'll find someone in the building that has been there done that... and we'll get that someone to help you.
Not only are we all-out committed to providing you with the bestest gear at the bestest prices but we're also here for you with expert advice on everything from where to ski to how to layer. Go ahead, don't hesitate. Just ask. It would be our pleasure to help you enjoy your experience to the fullest. We live for that stuff!
TRAIL BUILDING
 Nothing quite compares to the thrill of blazing new bike trails, to give back to our sport by providing fellow mountain bikers with somewhere to ride. It's part of our mission statement, part of our DNA.
It's also a BIG component of Gord's Bike Club and the reason every Gord's Bike Club member is also a member of IMBA (The International Mountain Bicycling Association). After all, where would we be without trails? Read more about our trailbuilding and trail maintenance efforts on our trailbuilding page here: 
WE LOVE MOUNTAIN BIKES!
 Less kind folks who visit our fair province often scoff "Mountain bikes in Winnipeg? But... you have no MOUNTAINS!" To that we regularly reply "OF COURSE MOUNTAIN BIKES! HAVE YOU SEEN OUR ROADS?"
(no but really, all kidding aside, have you seen our roads?).
Mountain bikes are super versatile and allow so much terrain diversity that they're a hard entity to ignore if you're shopping for an all-around bike. For more about our Mountain Bike selection, check out our new MTB product page HERE:
THE RIDE
 We've said it before: It's all about the ride. The ride to Seven Eleven, the ride to your buddies house, the ride we call Ingolf, the ride at Panorama, Fernie, The Seine River, the ride through the monkey trails at Assiniboine Park, the ride with your 30 favorite buddies or the ride with your daughter.
Yes the bike is important. But more important than the bike is the smile on your face much like the smile on everyone's face at the last Gord's Bike Club Wednesday Night Ride. What a tremendous ride that was, what a tremendous group of people we have on our rides. If you haven't been on one yet... Now's the time.
BIKE ARTICLES
 Follow the link at the bottom of this blurb and you'll find more than your average amount of essays covering all aspects of our life on bikes. Adventures ranging from what JF likes to stuff in his camelback to the semi-regular Epic ride recap. Oh and lest we forget the Panorama excursions and the various other ramblings we may find interesting enough to ramble-on about. Hopefully you'll find some of these articles interesting, hopefully they'll motivate you to get your ass off your computer chair and out onto a bike so you can have your own stories to tell.
BACK FROM PANORAMAAMA
 What a fantastic trip it was. To quote Archie, a second year veteran: "Hi JF, This is one of many e-mails you received about how awesome the Panorama trip was this year. I know this was said many times but I would like to say THANK YOU for organizing such an KICK ASS trip and letting me be a part of it. This trip by far ranks up there in the category of BEST TRIP EVER for me. Sometimes I forget how lucky I really am." Read more about our latest, greatest adventure to the Purcell mountain range by checking out our PANORAMA 08 article/blog right here:
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