Bike Check: Hans Rey's Custom 35th Anniversary GT eForce AMP+

Oct 9, 2022
by Nick Bentley  



This year not only marks GT's 50th birthday but also 35 years that Hans Rey has been riding for GT. This is perhaps even more of an achievement. It's hard to think of another rider who has been as synonymous with another brand for as long as Hans has been with GT. To celebrate this the team at GT decided to surprise Hans with a fully custom version of their eForce AMP+. The bike has some pretty nice touches from Hans' sponsors to celebrate this achievement.

Hans' eForce AMP+ is set up to be a do it all trail ebike and at the same time allows Hans to be messing around, hopping up and down rock gardens all with Hans' normal laid-back style. I spent a few hours riding with Hans and a group of raffle winners at The Malverns Classic before doing this bike check and all I can say is never before has a rider summed up a companies slogan more than Hans because one thing is for sure he is all about the good times!

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Hans Rey // GT Bicycles, Adidas/FiveTen, iXS protection, Shimano, SQ Lab, Stans No Tubes wheels, Suntour suspension, Crankbrothers, Clif Bar, Schwalbe, Deuter Packs, Fix Mfg.
Age: 56
Hometown:Laguna Beach, CA
Height:180cm/6ft
Weight:185lbs
Instagram: @hansnowayrey

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GT eForce AMP+
Frame:GT eForce AMP+
Shock:SR Suntour TriAir
Fork: SR Suntour Durolux 38
Hub: Stans M-Pulse
Rims: 29" Stans Flow EX3
Tyres:Schwalbe Hans Dampf
Chainring: Shimano 34T
Cranks: Shimano XT
Pedals: Crankbrothers Stamp
Cassette: Shimano XT 12 sp. 11 - 46
Derailleur: Shimano XT 12 sp
Shifter: Shimano XT 12 sp
Brakes:Shimano XT 4 piston
Rotors:Shimano XT 203mm Front / 180mm rear
Pads: Shimano 4 piston resin finned
Handlebars: SQ Lab carbon 3OX
Stem:SQ Lab 8OX 35mm
Grips: SQ Lab 7OX
Dropper: Crankbrothers Highline
Saddle: SQ Lab custom color and design 6OX Infinergy
Drive Unit: Shimano Steps EP8 630w battery
Weight:52lbs

bigquotesAmazing ebike with perfect set up and colours. Definitely a keeper in my collection, but first I’ll ride the hell out of it. Big thank you to GT and all the co-sponsors who made this bike and surprise happen.Hans Rey

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This is not an off-the-shelf paint job. This custom paint job is by John Canepa and it looks stunning. It also has some nice bespoke graphics celebrating Hans' 35 years working with GT. The frame itself is the standard aluminium eForce Amp+ that you can buy right now. Hans rides a medium frame which is a size below what GT would recommend for his height but it does make for a more playful bike.

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At the heart of the eForce's suspension is an SR Suntour TriAir shock which is controlling the 150mm of rear travel on the eForce. Hans was running his suspension to the standard SR Suntour settings of 180psi in the main body of the shock and 200psi in the reservoir but Hans did say as he rides his eForce more he's sure that will change.

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Out front it's more SR Suntour suspension for this eForce, with a set of custom-painted SR Suntour Durolux 38 forks with a 44mm offset and 160mm of travel. Much like his shock, Hans is running his fork with stock settings right now with 90psi in it but this will all change as he rides it more. Hans' Durolux 38's got some custom decals too just for Hans.

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Hans was running a set of Crankbrothers stamp flat pedals in the small size on his bike the weekend I caught up with him. However, sometimes he likes to ride what he calls the 'HalfWayRey' set up. This consists of his leading foot clipped in using a Crankbrothers Mallet and rear foot is a flat pedal. With this setup he also rides two different shoes.

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Nothing too crazy when it comes to drivetrain for Hans' bike. It's a full Shimano XT 12-speed set up. The one change on this bike for Hans is that he is running an 11 - 46 cassette instead of the 51t version he runs on his trail bike.

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The Shimano XT cranks fitted to Hans' eForce are 165mm long. He will be changing these to the 160mm version he normally rides when he can get them.

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It's yet more Shimano XT parts when it comes to brakes with Shimanos XT 4 piston brakes fitted front and rear with the finned resin pads installed. These are running on a set of Shimano's new XT rotors with 203 fitted to the front wheel and 180mm in the rear. Hans also has his brakes levers set up in the moto style.

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When it comes to wheels and tyres on Hans' eForce there is a set of Stans wheels consisting of Stans M-Pulse hubs with 29" Stans Flow EX3 rims. Wrapped around this classic set of Stans wheels is a pair of Schwalbe Hans Dampf tyres which are 2.6" wide and are running tubeless with 17 - 20psi of air depending on the terrain without tyre inserts.

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Unless you are from Germany, Hans' SQ Lab carbon 3OX handlebars may not be something you have seen too much of previously. SQ Lab is a German company that specialises in ergonomic components for all types of cycling. Hans runs a set of the carbon 3OX handlebars with 15mm of rise, 12 degrees of back sweep, that are 780mm wide. These are held to Hans' fork by a 35mm long SQ lab 8OX stem with 6 degrees of upsweep.

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Mounted to the SQ Lab carbon 3OX handlebars is a set of SQ Labs 7OX black grips. These come with SQ labs Ergobar profile. The Ergobar is a wave-shaped profile on the front and right side, which produces a flat, slightly angular grip bottom.

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It is another custom item for Hans when it come to his SQ Lab saddle which comes in a custom colour and with a custom logo for Hans. The German brand's 6OX Infinergy saddle is 14cm wide and mounted to a Crankbrothers Highline 150mm dropper post.

A massive thank you to Hans for his time helping with this bike check and congratulations on 35 years with GT.

Author Info:
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Member since Nov 28, 2019
245 articles

55 Comments
  • 56 0
 Will we ever hear about Sr Suntour here on pinkbike? I've had a durolux 36 for about 3 seasons and it's one of the best (if not best) bang for buck forks out there, but yet they are invisible and always looked down upon. Come on Pinkbike, give the new 38 a shot
  • 21 0
 Check NSMB. They did an in depth review of both the 38 and the 36 and had nothing but positive things to say. I was really leaning towards DVO for my next fork, but I am honestly probably going to get a SR Suntour in that cool battleship grey color they have.
  • 6 0
 Seriously. I haven’t had a chance to try their higher end goods but they’re all over WC downhill and I’m really interested to try out their 38.
  • 33 0
 Thanks! We're happy you're stoked on the Durolux! It was fun to create and contribute that custom Durolux 38 to Hans' bike! It really sparkles in the sunlight!
  • 8 1
 Nope, only Jr Suntour
  • 4 0
 Can confirm. I’ve had a Suntour Auron fork on my trail bike for a while and the performance was top notch. On par with the last-gen Rockshox Pike Ultimate or Fox 36.
  • 5 0
 @SRSuntour: Could you PLEASE consider setting up a dedicated online shop for Europe?!

Would be cool if I had an easier time ordering your products. I know quite a few people who would ride Suntour suspension if it was more easily available to them.

Please and thank you Smile
  • 4 0
 @SRSuntour: why is it impossible to actually buy any of your high end forks? There just seems to be none around
  • 2 0
 Pinkbike doesn't go out and buy stuff for review. Its up to whatever manufacturers choose to send them, or show them, that gets reviews.
  • 2 2
 @deeeight: .... or pay them.
  • 1 0
 @SRSuntour: how come there is no Durolux 38 on your webpage? Only goes up to 36? Too new in the line-up?
  • 1 0
 @enduroNZ: yepper....went to US suntour site....38 isn't even listed for sale!??
  • 1 0
 @sprockets: Thanks... would be a nice fork for the next build...
  • 14 0
 Really nice guy too. Had a chat with him a few years ago when he was touring the UK and he so down to earth and approachable, and still so stoked about riding mountain bikes. Proper inspiration.
  • 15 1
 Hats off for Hans Rey that is loyal to a bike brand for 35 years, something allot of riders in this industry couldn't achieve but Hans does.
  • 32 1
 Hats off for GT that is loyal to a rider for 35 years, something a lot of brands in this industry couldn't achieve but GT does.
  • 13 0
 Hats off to having one foot clipped in and the other flat pedal lol ! Never in 25 years of mtn biking have I seen that before !
  • 12 0
 The Hans Dampf seems a perfect tyre for Hans Rey.
  • 3 0
 The 2.6 super trail is an excellent tire.
  • 9 0
 I agree, Hans Down, that it is a perfect tyre.
  • 2 0
 Any feedback on which Schwalbe casing provides more Dampfing?

Trying to decide between Super Trail, or Super Gravity.
  • 12 3
 Moto-style brakes..........as nature intended
  • 1 0
 Huzzah!
  • 4 0
 I remember seeing Hansyorg Rey compete in Open Pro Trials vs Ot Pi at the inaugural 1988 Swatch World Mountain Bike Championships at Mammoth Mountain California, these guys were amazing flying off the top of an inverted log in front of and wowing the crowds!!! At the time I rode Pro Stock, Tomac competed as well in pro stock Trials, Tomac did win the Dual Slalom, 2nd in pro Hillclimb, 3rd in Pro cross country, 2nd in Pro Downhill, Tomac did take the Overall GNCC that weekend.
  • 3 0
 @MitchellDidcott - BMX Action had some cross trails coverage back in that timeframe. As a BMX rider it was very interesting to see (only form of info we had back then) and a forecast to where trails and bmx would blend together. Also, the John Tomac era was incredible. It was crazy how good at every discipline he was. It would be rad to see a format like that today and see what type of rider is the best all around.
  • 4 0
 Met Hans when he was doing a demo on the new, game changing Shimano V-Brakes at a bike shop near Vancouver. The brakes were so new they weren’t for sale yet.

So many years have passed…

A legend, Great to see him still riding!
  • 4 0
 Had the pleasure of having Hans wipe out on dirt merchant right in front of me .....didnt realize who he was until I stopped to ask if he was ok. P.S this was mid 2000's Great Guy.
  • 5 0
 An absolute legend and amazing ambassador for all aspects of the sport
  • 3 0
 I bet these images do not do that rainbow flake justice but I guarantee that Hans has done it justice riding it the way only Hans can.
  • 3 0
 Kinda weird how the shock angle seems to perfectly match the HTA. Can't stop from looking at it now. Hans is awesome.
  • 1 0
 Oddly satisfying, isn’t it?
  • 4 2
 "Special thanks to my sponsors who didn't even realize what length crank I prefer."
  • 2 0
 Legend. Still blazing up and down Lagunas most challenging. Yup-Laguna still provides some challenging ups on E.
  • 3 0
 Dope ride, thanks for sharing
  • 2 0
 That's an 11 speed drivetrain. 12 speeds come in 10/45 or 10/51 but the wide range 11 speed is 11/46.
  • 3 1
 I think we need to see/hear more about SR Suntour Forks and Shocks on Pinkbike, also DVO while youre at it...thanks Smile
  • 1 0
 Yep, when you go to their webpage and hit "SHOP" for the 38, OOPS, 404 Error. Dang, why is it so hard to go shopping anymore?
  • 2 0
 Is it me or am I the only one that thinks GT needs to make a new Zaskar for him?
  • 1 0
 Was expecting a video, disappointed. He has this special way of riding bikes and I'm curious how he'd translate that to a bike with pedal assist.
  • 3 0
 Love Hans Rey but 6ft?
  • 1 0
 They should have renamed the tyres 'Hans Rey's' would have fit in nicely!
  • 1 0
 Sticking with my RZ for now...
  • 2 0
 Hansey!!!! legend.
  • 4 3
 Came for the vintage retro colorway left seeing a boring black bike...
  • 1 0
 Was about to reply this as well. Boring black spruced up with some glitters. Meh.
  • 1 0
 Halfwayrey? Half clipped in? Seems a bit bizarre.
  • 1 0
 Looks identical to a trek fuel ex. Oh man.
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