GLIDER GPM - GRAND PRIX MONTAGNe. a mountain to climb.
We think we have improved on last year's frame....the tubing has been upgraded and we have been working closely with the factory in Italy to improve the paint finish and quality control. The frame weighs in at 1330g, its not the lightest carbon frame on the circuit but some of this is due to the deep laquer finish (80g) and the few extra layers we have added around the head tube to ensure a frame strong enough to handle a pothole at 50mph.
It would never have been enough to simply replicate our CycleFit geometry philosophy on a generic carbon platform - especially when we were so unimpressed with the ride quality of some of GPM's main rivals.
We were aiming so high that at times it seemed an impossible mountain to climb. We wanted nothing less than the perfect bike on which to mount an assault on five Alpine cols in one day if needed. And the next day could double as the perfect race instrument.
For 2009 we are offering the GPM as a custom option to enable us to not only fine tune your riding position but to also adapt the handling characteristics to your requirements.
Crucially the GPM is not a monocoque - it is handmade in Northern Italy using radically shaped Dedacciai carbon tubes that are mitered together and carbon wrapped for a seamless carbon finish. The use of smaller individual carbon components is vital to preserve quality and integrity through the building process - a lesson we learnt from Serotta and Colnago. We have been able to use the feedback from GPM owners, and continued to road test prototypes racing in the UK and climbing and descending the legendary climbs in the Alps with GPM10 - our Alpine partner that inspired the GPM name - to achieve the perfect strength v's stiffness v's lightness ratios (in that order). We wanted to blend the perfect climbing frame to exploit the light weight and stiffness that quality carbon allows with the perfect descending tool for those not pre-disposed to back-off on the downslopes.
The GPM uses a slightly shorter chainstay than the Tupelo or Boxer for faster turn-in and a slightly longer toptube to swing with a race sensibility.
We climbed that mountain so now you can.

Glider GPM - £1,750.00 (frame and fork) Glider Geometry
Glider GPM - CUSTOM - £1,999.00 (frame and fork)