Pro bike: Rachel Atherton's GT Fury World Cup

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This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Few people would be surprised to hear that downhill bikes have been the last holdout on making the switch to 27.5in wheels but now that the shift is in progress, it's happening at a feverish pace. British GT Factory Racing phenom Rachel Atherton is yet another top-name star to make the move, and she used it to good effect in Windham, New York.

Rachel Atherton has made the move to 27.5in wheels this season

Atherton's new GT Fury World Cup strikes a nearly identical profile to the 26in-wheeled one that debuted just last year and from a distance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was actually the same bike – and aside from a few geometry changes required to accommodate the bigger hoops, it mostly is.

The Fury World Cup uses GT's long-running Independent Drivetrain (formerly known as i-Drive) system, which offers the square-edged bump performance of a high single pivot suspension design but without the detrimental pedal-induced movement and kickback that normally come with it. Geometry is thoroughly modern, too, with a low, slack, and long setup that's tailor made for modern World Cup tracks.

GT's Independent Drivetrain design offers the bump-eating performance of a high single-pivot wheel path but without the drawbacks

Some might question why someone with Atherton's pedigree is on an alloy chassis instead of carbon one, particularly since GT's previous downhill flagship was just that. However, this new version is supposedly lighter and more rigid than the old composite structure. More importantly, welded metal construction enables GT to more quickly make changes based on rider (or market) demands – both of which are evolving with incredible pace. Given that the 26in version of this bike was only introduced last year, we probably wouldn't have seen Atherton on a new 27.5in version so soon afterward otherwise.

GT claims the current Fury World Cup's alloy frame is both lighter and stiffer than the previous carbon one - and it's far easier to make changes, too

Materials debate aside, Atherton likely cares much more about how her bike is tailored for her build and riding style – and between team mechanic Joe Krejbich and factory suspension support from Fox, it's quite an impressive job.

Both ends are astoundingly supple to the point where even with a modest total weight of "around 36lb [16.3kg]", there's so little seal friction that the bike actually sags slightly under its own mass. According to Krejbich, Atherton nevertheless still prefers the front end to be a little firmer and more supportive to prevent dive under braking and in hard corners.

Both the fork and rear shock are fully custom tuned by Fox

Krejbich says Atherton also likes her Shimano Saint brake levers to have as little throw as possible, and they're positioned quite close to the bars. We also noted how the pins on Atherton's Crankbrothers Mallet DH pedals barely extend out of the platforms. Krejbich says it's because she likes to move her feet around a lot during a run.

Speaking of runs, the GT Factory Racing team on the whole takes equipment setup quite seriously – and the method by which changes are recorded, which unfortunately we can't show you, is perhaps the coolest thing about Atherton's bike. Each and every run done during a race, practice, or test session is logged in details on a custom Apple iPad app so that the team (and the riders) can keep track of how each change affects how the bike performs and feels on the track.

Complete bike specifications
Frame: GT Fury World Cup
Rear shock: Fox RAD, factory tune
Fork: Fox 40 Float RC2, factory tune
Headset: Hope Integral
Stem: PRO The Athertons Star Series Direct Mount, 45mm
Handlebar: PRO The Athertons Star Series, 760mm
Grips: PRO The Athertons Star Series
Front brake: Shimano Saint BR-M820 w/ 203mm RT98 rotor
Rear brake: Shimano Saint BR-M820 w/ 203mm RT98 rotor
Brake levers: Shimano Saint BL-M820
Chain guide: Shimano Saint SMCD-50
Rear derailleur: Shimano Saint RD-M820
Shift levers: Shimano Saint SL-M820
Cassette: Shimano Saint CS-M980, 11-13-15-17-19-21T
Chain: Shimano Saint CH-M981
Crankset: Shimano Saint FD-M820, 165mm, 38T
Bottom bracket: Shimano SM-BB80
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH Race
Rims: Stan's NoTubes Flow EX, 32h
Hubs: Shimano Saint HB-M820 and FH-M825, 32h
Spokes: stainless steel, butted, 2x lacing, w/ alloy nipples
Front tire: Continental DerKaiser Project, 27.5 x 2.4in, tubeless, 25psi
Rear tire: Continental DerKaiser Project, 27.5 x 2.4in, tubeless, 25psi
Saddle: PRO The Athertons Star Series
Seatpost: PRO The Athertons Star Series DH
Other accessories: Hope seatpost collar