Crossword Genius

Not the sort of gear for go-ahead people (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

neutral

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'sort of gear for go-ahead people' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'not the' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'neural' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for neutral that I've seen before include "Grey" , "Impartial, non-aligned" , "Impartial; colour" , "Not partisan or supporting either side in dispute" , "'Impartial, unbiased (7)'" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app