The bridgestone GP bikes were very much mainstream bikes. He liked to mix components from different groups for a weight and/or functional advantage. The geometry of the mtb's was a bit different but not radically so. The chainstays were a bit shorter and the head and seat angle were a little steeper.

GP launched the hybrid market essentially single-handed with the XO's and never got credit for it.

I never did buy a GP Bridgestone, but always wanted one. I opted for a similar bike a pound or two lighter at the same price point made with an alu frame.

The haters out there are conformists who can't stand anyone who thinks outside the box or challenges any form of authority or power. That's why the attacks are so personal, exaggerated and almost always devoid of facts. As in, real facts, not fabricated ones.