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A new GTS range joins the Origine line-up. Its mission is to make the world of high-modulus carbon, and all the know-how that goes with it, accessible. At a time when every development is focused on ever stronger, higher, faster and ever more expensive, Origine has chosen with the GTS range to concentrate on how to build bikes with an accessible price point whose ride quality and reliability rival the very top-end machines.
Source: press release
GTS: 3 letters, 2 families for gravel and road
Origine has developed the GTS range on 2 of its flagship models, the Graxx and the Axxome. On these 2 types of bike, the work done on the carbon fibre is essential, because these bikes perform without gimmicks: the manufacturing expertise and the layups are the key to the result.
High-modulus fibre or nothing
Every bike in the Origine range is built from High Modulus (HM) fibre, or Ultra High Modulus (UHM) for the GTR ranges. The brand ruled out offering a bike not built, at the very least, with HM fibre. The GTS range is a pure piece of engineering, a genuine technical challenge: using HM fibre with moulding and counter-moulding processes simpler than those of the GTO and GTR ranges, while keeping a ride that will give the GTO series a run for its money.
GTS // GTO: what are the differences?
As mentioned, for the GTS range Origine has developed a moulding technique that is simpler and less costly than that of the GTO range. The main challenge was to match 90% of the GTO range’s performance while keeping the efficiency, ease of handling and reliability that made the reputation of the GTO and GTR series.
The most noticeable difference will be felt in comfort. The brand prefers to be completely transparent and not sell a cheaper bike claiming it is just as fantastic in every respect as one from the range above. It is hard to match the comfort level of the GTO series, judging by the many reports from its customers and the press. The Axxome GTS and the Graxx GTS are still among the most comfortable bikes on the market.
This is an acceptable trade-off, because today’s wider tyre sections make it possible to keep an almost identical comfort level from one model to the other.
• To get the comfort of an Axxome GTO fitted with 28mm tyres, you will need to move up to 30mm on the GTS (the maximum section being 35mm)
• To get the comfort of a Graxx GTO fitted with 35mm tyres, you will need to move up to 38mm on a GTS. Beyond 700×40 the difference will be almost imperceptible; it comes down to 0.3 bar of difference in inflation pressure.
• The other difference is frame weight, with 11% extra weight for the Graxx GTS compared with the GTO, and 8% for the Axxome GTS frame compared with the GTO frame.
A specific construction
You already know the Unique Matrix Layup of the GTR range and the EPS moulding of the GTO range. To these moulding techniques is now added SPS moulding, where internal counter-moulds compact the fibre along the entire length of the 3 tubes of the front triangle.
The difference with EPS moulding is that with SPS moulding the counter-moulds are placed along the whole length of the 3 tubes of the front triangle, whereas with EPS moulding the counter-moulds are placed throughout the front triangle, including the head tube and the corners.
To reach a performance level almost equivalent to the GTO with EPS moulding, Origine worked on the positioning and construction of the HM carbon fibre layups. One cost-saving factor that makes these GTS series possible is that Origine reuses exactly the same geometries and the same moulds as the Axxome 3 and Graxx 3. The design office therefore did not have to work on those 2 points.
This is simply the approach of drivetrain makers, who let their more affordable ranges benefit from the technologies developed for top-end groupsets when the latter are updated. It is common to find former Dura-Ace developments in new Ultegra groupsets, for example. Which goes to show that the adage “it was better before” cannot be applied to every situation.
The Origine configuration
As with the rest of the range, the GTS series benefits from the Origine configuration. To guide you as well as possible in your choice, the brand has specially selected components with the best performance / reliability / price ratio.
You can thus choose your components from a preselected list, your favourite colour from 20 shades and, most importantly, you can adapt the bike to your measurements. You will no longer have to put up with the standards that some product managers impose on you: everybody has a unique build, and everybody has the right to ride a bike adapted to their measurements.
The brand would not dream of imposing a 44cm handlebar on a 1.90m climber just because he rides an XL, or a 40 on a 1.65m rugby player.
When you order your Origine, you get, straight away and at no extra cost, gearing suited to the way you ride, cranks that fit your size, a stem you will not need to swap, a handlebar of the right width, and the choice of the saddle that suits you best. All while keeping control of your budget and with a colour you like.
Prices
Origine Axxome GTS: from 2319 €
Origine Graxx CTS: from 2126 €
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