GT has released the 2023 Sensor, stating it is their most capable trail bike to date. Available in both Carbon and Aluminum options, frame material isn’t the only thing that sets them apart. The Sensor Carbon is the longer travel of the two, pairing 140mm of rear wheel travel with a 150mm fork and a longer, more aggressive geometry. In contrast, the Sensor Alloy boasts 130mm rear wheel travel and a 140mm fork.
Ryder Bulfone puts his 2023 GT Sensor through its pacesThe feature image shows Ryder’s own custom-build Sensor
Then, there’s the 2023 GT Sensor ST; as the name suggests, this is a short-travel offering with 120mm in the rear and 130mm in the fork. It runs the very same frame as the Sensor Carbon, only with shorter-stroke suspension.
The 2023 Sensor Carbon is available as a frameset too, but some reasonably priced builds make the purchase of a complete bike a bit of a no brainer. Here’s an overview of the range.
The 2023 GT Sensor PRO LE is the top-end Carbon offering retailing at $5,750 USD
GT Sensor
Bike: 2023 GT Sensor
Frame Material: Carbon / Alloy
Fork Travel: 150mm / 140mm
Rear Wheel Travel: 140mm / 130mm
Wheel Size: 29″
Sizing: SM, MD, LG, XL
Starting Price: $3,800 USD / $2,300 USD
Frameset: $3,500 USD (Carbon Only)
The 2023 GT Sensor Carbon is a bigger, bolder trail bike than its predecessor. It still runs GT’s Linkage Tuned Suspension (LTS) platform, a four-bar design, but travel is boosted to 140mm delivered via a 185mm x 55mm Trunnion Mount shock with piggyback.
The Carbon Version is constructed with a carbon front triangle and seat stays, while GT opted for aluminum chainstays and rocker link for durability purposes; there are three complete builds to choose from, as well as a frameset with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Shock.
The entry-level option is the 2023 GT Sensor Sport retailing at $2,300 USD; it has a full aluminum construction
A complete Aluminum Version remains in the line-up for 2023 with 130mm of rear wheel travel delivered by a 185mm x 50mm Trunnion Mount shock of the in-line design; this one is available in two build models and, at least for now, there is no alloy frameset only option.
The Sensor Carbon and Aluminum bikes are modernized with internal cable routing and a SRAM UDH. Riders looking for an easy-to-live-with-bike will be relieved to see cables entering the frame directly, rather than taking the recently-popularized fully integrated route through the headset. In the Carbon models, cables are guided internally via molded carbon in-tube tubes; the benefits of that are less risk of rattle, and easy cable and hose swaps.
Kinematic information is thin on the ground, but we are told the Sensor Carbon with its 140mm of rear wheel travel sees an overall progression of 17%, and is both coil and air shock compatible. Indeed, the Sensor Elite Carbon is spec’d with a coil shock.
GT Sensor Geometry
The 2023 GT Sensor is available in SM, MD, LG and XL, all of which roll on 29″ wheels. Geometry is now simplified; GT has done away with lower shock mount flip-chip, committing riders of the Carbon models to a BB height of 344mm, and a head angle of 65°. On the Aluminum models, the BB sits at a comparable 345mm, but the head angle is steeper at 65.5°.
While the Carbon models boast more travel, they also see a more aggressive set of geometry figures that give rise to a much roomier cockpit. The discrepancy in seat tube length is a stand-out difference between the two; on LG Alloy has a seat tube length of 445mm, while the LG Carbon has a seat tube length 420mm. This difference in and of itself will make the Carbon models the more attractive option, giving riders the option to run longer-travel dropper seat posts. The exception here in the XL frames where both the Carbon and Alloy offerings have a seat tube length of 460mm.
Reach is 5mm longer on the Carbon models, coming in at 480mm on the LG. Seat tube angles are quoted as 77° for all sizes of the Carbon models, and 77.5° for all of the Alloy models. Chainstay length is consistent across the board, at 440mm.
At these price points, we wouldn’t necessarily expect to see proportional length chainstays; for trail bike options that do offer a more proportional approach to geometry (and suspension kinematic), it’s worth checking out the recently-launched 2023 Cannondale Habit.
Our tester, Veronika Benson, has a review of the 2023 Sensor ST coming up
GT Sensor ST
Frame Material: Carbon
Fork Travel: 140mm
Rear Wheel Travel: 120mm
Wheel Size: 29″
Sizing: SM, MD, LG, XL
Starting Price: $3,900 USD
The Sensor ST runs the very same frame as the Sensor Carbon, only with a 185mm x 47.5mm Trunnion Mount shock to damp its 120mm of rear wheel travel. That’s paired with a 140mm fork sat at a head angle of 65.4°. Such a slack head angle on a short-travel bike reveals its intentions are a little more trail oriented than you might otherwise think.
The seat tube angle is pretty steep, too, at 77.4°, and the BB sits slightly taller at 340mm. Chainstay length is of course unaffected by the shorter-travel suspension configuration, still at 440mm across the board.
For the time being, the Sensor frameset is only available in the Gloss Purple colorway, with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T shock
2023 Sensor Frame Details and Actual Weight
We have an actual weight for the GT Sensor ST Pro, only; it weighs 14.27 kg. Yes, the image below shows 14.63, but the bike has Crankbrothers Mallet pedals on.
For the 140mm travel Sensor, we are told by GT that all the Carbon bikes are being built up to around 30 to 31 lbs (13.6 to 14.0 kg). Frame weight for the Carbon with hardware but no shock is a claimed 2,760g in a size large. The Alloy frame in a size medium weighs a claimed 3,460g.
2023 GTTire ClearanceMaximum Rear Rotor SizeMaximum Chainring SizeISCG-05 TabsBB SpecsHeadset SpecsSpacingSeat Tube DiameterSensor Carbon29″ x 2.5″203mm34TYesBSA 73mmIS42/28.6 Upper and IS52/40 LowerBoost 148 with SRAM UDH31.6mmSensor Alloy29″ x 2.5″203mm34TYesBSA 73mmIS42/28.6 Upper and IS52/40 LowerBoost 148 with SRAM UDH31.6mm
Pricing & Availability
All 2023 GT Sensor bikes and frames are sold with a lifetime warranty on the front triangle, and a 5-year warranty on the chainstays, seatstays, and rocker.
Sensor Pro LE – Carbon – $5,750 USD / $7,700 CAD / £5,000 / 5,699 EUR
Highlight components of the Pro LE model include:
RockShox Lyrik Ultimate
RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate
SRAM GX/X01 Eagle 12-Speed
SRAM Code RSC Brakes
WTB KOM Trail i30 Wheels
Continental Kryptotal Tires
Sensor Pro – Carbon – $4,950 USD / $6,600 CAD / £4,200 / 4,899 EUR
Highlight components of the Pro model include:
RockShox Lyrik Select+
RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
SRAM GX/NX Eagle 12-Speed
SRAM Code R Brakes
WTB KOM Trail i30 Wheels
Continental Kryptotal Tires
Sensor Elite – Carbon – $3,800 USD / $5,075 CAD / £3,400 / 3,999 EUR
Highlight components of the Elite model include:
Marzocchi Bomber Z2
Marzocchi Bomber CR Coil
SRAM SX Eagle 12-Speed
TRP Slate T4 Hydro Disc
WTB ST i30 TCS Wheels
Continental Kryptotal Tires
Sensor Carbon Frameset – £3,500 USD / $4,650 CAD / £2,500 / No EUR Pricing
The 2023 Sensor is also sold as a frameset, in the carbon offering only. It is available in this purple colorway only, and comes with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Shock, seat clamp, axle and SRAM UDH.
Sensor Comp – Alloy – $2,600 USD / $3,500 CAD / £2,500
Highlight components of the Comp Alloy model include:
Marzocchi Bomber Z2 140mm Fork
Fox DPS Performance Shock
SRAM SX Eagle 12-Speed
Tektro M745 Hydro Disc Brakes
WTB ST i30 TCS Wheels
Maxxis Minion DHF and Dissector Tires
Sensor Sport – Alloy – $2,300 USD / $3,075 CAD / £2,200
Highlight components of the Sport Alloy model include:
RockShox Recon Silver 140mm Fork
X-Fusion 02 Pro RL
MicroShift Advent X 10-Speed
Tektro M275 Hydro Disc Brakes
WTB STX i25 TCS Wheels
WTB Breakout Tires
Sensor ST Carbon Pro – $5,000 USD / $6,675 CAD / £4,000 / 4,199 EUR
Highlight components of the Sensor ST Carbon Pro model include:
RockShox Pike Select+
RockShox Deluxe Select+
SRAM GX/NX Eagle 12-Speed
SRAM G2 RSC Brakes
WTB KOM Trail i27 Wheels
Maxxis Dissector and Rekon Tires
Sensor ST Carbon Elite – $3,900 USD / $5,200 CAD / £3,350 / 3,599 EUR
Highlight components of the Sensor ST Carbon Pro model include:
Marzocchi Bomber Z2 140mm Fork
Fox DPS Performance Shock
SRAM SX Eagle 12-Speed
SRAM Guide T Brakes
WTB ST Trail i25 TCS Wheels
Maxxis Dissector and Rekon Tires
David Lieb treating his 2023 GT Sensor like a jib bike
