2017 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol Race with Pistola Setup

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"Why does the guerrilla fighter fight? We must come to the inevitable conclusion that the guerrilla fighter is a social reformer, that he takes up arms responding to the angry protest of the people against their oppressors, and that he fights in order to change the social system that keeps all his unarmed brothers in ignominy and misery." - Che Guevara

Debatably the tactics of guerrilla warfare were originally penned by Sun Tzu in The Art of War around 600 B.C. At its heart it is a series of tactics that a small army employs to fight against a much larger army. Guerrilla warfare is an agent of change or revolution.

Colorado-based Guerrilla Gravity, we would assume, sees themselves as that smaller agent of change up against the larger forces of the bike industry. A mainstay of guerrilla fighting is that a smaller army is much more mobile and able to move more quickly than its larger cumbersome rivals.

Out of this superior agility and giving the people what they want comes the new Trail Pistol - the long and low short travel banger that hit the gym over the winter and came back beefier and perhaps faster. Our "Race Build" test bike is the most extreme version of this weapon, taking advantage of the "Pistola Setup" and bumping up 10mm in both front and rear travel to 140 and 130mm, respectively, thanks to the use of a bigger fork and longer stroke shock. The bike is designed around two different modes, 29-inch wheels in the "Crush" setting or 27.5+ in the "Plush" setting. We headed to Tucson, Arizona for Vital MTB Test Sessions to see just what it's capable of.

Highlights

• Aluminum frame
• Welded in Colorado
• 29-inch (tested) or 27.5+ wheels
• Accepts 130 to 150mm (5.1 to 5.9-inches) travel forks (140mm tested)
• Accepts both 50mm and 55mm shock strokes to yield 120 or 130mm (4.7 or 5.1-inches) of rear travel, respectively (130mm tested)
• Freedom Linkage suspension with Horst link
• Crush and Plush suspension modes to maintain consistent bottom bracket height between wheel sizes
• 49mm headtube (fits tapered and 1.5-inch steerers)
• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket shell with ISCG05 mounts
• Boost 148mm rear spacing with 12mm Syntace through axle
• ISO brake caliper mount
• External cable routing with Stealth-style dropper routing
• NUTS (Necessities Under the Saddle) bracket
• Measured weight (size medium, no pedals): 30.8-pounds (13.98kg)
• MSRP $5,160 as shown

A clean-looking Horst link suspension design dubbed the “Freedom Linkage" drives the Trail Pistol. As with all of Guerrilla Gravity's bikes, the brand sought to "eliminate unnecessary complication" and focus on elegance through simplicity with the progressive suspension design. Pivots rotate on Enduro Maxx bearings, some of which are of the angular contact type. Everything is sprung by the latest and greatest Metric-sized Super Deluxe RC3 shock from RockShox and "tuned for the advanced rider."

The bike features a flip chip located at the rear shock mount that smartly addresses an issue larger bike companies have struggled with - how to make a bike both 29-inch and 27.5+ capable without sacrificing performance in one wheel size or both. Access Crush mode using the upper rear shock hole combined with 29-inch wheels for the slackest head angle and added bottom out resistance. Alternatively, go for Plush mode with the lower rear shock hole and 27.5+ wheels to maintain a consistent bottom bracket height, steepen the head angle 0.8-degrees, and tune the suspension for less aggressive riding. No fork swap is necessary to use either wheel size. We tested it exclusively in the 29er Crush mode configuration, simply because we like to party.

The frame is a fine alloy specimen with aesthetic curving lines up front and minimalistic rubber guards to protect the swingarm from chainslap. Sorted details include the NUTS bracket to hold all your tubing needs, a threaded bottom bracket to stop the creak, Syntace derailleur hanger and Boost axle, as well as ISCG05 chainguide mounts. Thankfully a water bottle mount, albeit only for a small bottle, is placed high on the down tube for those of us who view it as a necessity. Cable routing is external for easy maintenance save the clean Stealth-style dropper routing. The bike uses a 55mm chainline, offsetting things 3mm to the driveside for improved chainline and clearance.

Speaking of clearance, the Trail Pistol provides enough clearance for 27.5 x 3.0, 29 x 2.6 (120mm travel), and 29 x 2.4-inch tires (130mm travel). With a 2.3-inch rear Maxxis tire installed on our 130mm travel setup, mud clearance is decent at around 8mm of room for the muck. As you'll see in the video below, tire clearance on the seat tube at bottom out is very tight, however.

The one concern we had from the start is the lack of a bridge connecting the seatstays, as this has lead to the classic noodley 29er feeling on other bikes. The Boosted DT Swiss wheels gave us hope that this wouldn’t be true, but it’d take a proper thrashing to get things sorted.

For one beer less than five grand you can get an American made frame and an oh so nearly faultless component spec with the stock Race build. Our test bike featured a number of small tweaks that brought the price up to $5,160 and furthered the bike's capabilities. Guerrilla Gravity also offers the Ride 1 and Ride 2 builds at $4,095 and $3,095, or you can build the $2,095 frame up from scratch.

While internet and direct-to-consumer sales bypass the local bike shop, Guerrilla Gravity recognizes the service, value, and sense of community brick and mortar shops provide. Their Shop Direct sales model aims at helping keeping those values alive.

Geometry

Designed to be the one war horse you need to take on the gathered armies of singletrack far beyond your door, this bike's shining feature is its unique geometry. Recognizing the benefits of a long reach measurement and an ultra steep 75.8/76.6-degree effective seat tube angle, the recommended size for your rider height is likely to have a much longer reach and wheelbase than you're used to. For example, the size small bike's reach is longer than the vast majority of size medium competitor bikes. Tall riders who struggle to find bikes that fit should be very excited to try an XL.

Designed to be the one war horse you need to take on the gathered armies of singletrack far beyond your door, this bike's shining feature is its unique geometry.

We consider ourselves average fellas (hell, one of us is married even), and we’re both pretty much bang on the statistically average American male height at 5'10" and 6'0" (1.78 and 1.83m). Despite the measly 2-inch difference we reach for very different sized bikes based on preference. One tester is a lover of going fast and taking chances and finds himself reaching for XL or large bikes. The other is a lover of pop and play and goes for medium and large sizes. The Guerrilla Gravity promised to please both riders with a single size, so we grabbed the size medium and took to the trails. The bike had a 465mm reach, 617mm effective top tube, 1,207mm wheelbase, and 429mm chainstays.

The geometry chart above shows numbers with a 130mm travel fork. With a 140mm RockShox Pike RC doing the dirty work up front on our build, the head angle slackened to 66.2-degrees and picked the bottom bracket up 3mm. We measured the bottom bracket at 333mm, which is a tad lower than claimed.

Suspension Analysis

Using the bike industry's leading linkage analysis software, André Santos, the Youtube suspension whiz, was able to determine a close approximation of the the Trail Pistol's kinematics for the purpose of this review. These charts provide great insight into several key factors that impact how it rides. Those unfamiliar with these types of graphs should watch André's excellent series of suspension fundamentals videos. The results of his analysis are as follows:

Observations:

• Enough progressivity for a trail bike when in Crush mode at around 22%. In Plush mode the bike becomes more linear with 10% less progression.
• Plush and Crush mode mostly impact the leverage ratio while other parameters remain similar.
• Good pedaling efficiency in a 30-tooth chainring with anti-squat values around 110% on most cogs.
• Pedal kickback is proportional to the amount of anti-squat. Since the anti-squat values remain quite high over the whole travel, the amount of total pedal kickback is higher than similar bikes.
• Anti-rise is around 80% at sag, meaning that the geometry of the bike is preserved under braking.
• Overall it’s a moderately progressive trail bike with good pedaling efficiency.

How does science meet the dirt? Did our real life ride time confirm the analysis? It's back to Vital's testers to hear how the Trail Pistol performed on trail.

On The Trail

Tucson, Arizona brings the thunder. Decomposing granite was the name of the game with both high-speed smashing as well as low-speed technical riding to test both the riders and the bike. Bug Springs, Prison Camp, and La Milagrosa trails are littered with pops and small gaps that lead to setting your tires down in interesting places. Gobs of rocks and endless cacti meant that line choice and paying attention was vital.

Setting up the Pistola was a cake walk. Our two testers were on the extreme end of sizing on this bike. For our shorter tester, who typically prefers a reach value around 430mm, this was to be the longest bike he had ridden to date so he opted for a short 35mm stem. For the taller tester, who prefers a reach of 480mm, it was to be one of his shorter test bikes and he stuck with a 50mm stem. Interestingly, both riders shared the same initial concern that the top tube felt short and could be an issue. Different paths were taken in suspension setup, with one tester running an extra Bottomless Token in the fork and the recommended 30% sag for a "soft top stroke" while the other tester found more comfort in the stock Token setup and a bit more sag. The rear shock contained three Tokens.

Different setups on the same trail were to tell a similar story, though at first we weren't so sure. The 465mm reach seemed a touch stunted for our taller tester, and the 1,207mm wheelbase felt ungainly for our shorter tester. As time went on, both riders found plenty of room to move around on the bike while standing, and our shorter tester began to ponder if he should be on longer bikes given the Trail Pistol's downhill performance.

The bike says "I like goin’ fast" on the top tube and, you guessed it, it does. Pointed downhill the bike picks up speed very quickly. This isn’t some mindless 170mm travel plough horse, however, and you have to pay attention and ride fully in the driver's seat. Those willing to quickly choose and commit to rowdy lines are rewarded with the confidence and stability of quality suspension design and great geometry.

Picking up and pumping the terrain, this bike shows how it is "fun" in a Type A for aggressive fashion. Predictability is a great quality to have in a bike that you make questionable decisions on, and the Trail Pistol proved that it doesn’t run off scared when the fighting starts. As one tester replied with the longer wheelbase, “It feels like you can get away with anything.” That's true as long as the rider is in the driver's seat. If not paying attention or riding casual, the rider is certain to get ridden.

This isn’t some mindless 170mm travel plough horse, however, and you have to pay attention and ride fully in the driver's seat. Those willing to quickly choose and commit to rowdy lines are rewarded with the confidence and stability of quality suspension design and great geometry.

Speed before comfort is the tune on the Trail Pistol’s Super Deluxe rear shock. Running the softer end of their recommended sag settings at 30%, we’ll go ahead and call the ride a tad harsh and slightly taxing due to the firmer than normal compression damping tune. This tune brought a neanderthalish smile to one tester while the other found a bit more compliance running a touch more sag. The suspension does work on things like small bumps and chatter, but saying you can feel the trail is an understatement. Staying loose but strong is essential on the Trail Pistol, as it does have a tendency to bounce around a bit at slower speeds.

By cranking things up a notch, staying aggressive, pressing into the bike, and keeping your weight centered, things pull through just fine. There are no surprise wallows or ramps in the rear’s performance, just strong support through and through. The level of damping is to the extent that even with the shock fully deflated you can feel the low-speed compression damping at work by pushing into the travel. It's definitely a unique ride, especially considering that of the 18 bikes we tested only the Commencal Meta AM V4.2 came close to feeling as firm. Even drops are met with a firm thud, though the Super Deluxe isn’t damped or ramped to the point where getting full travel is an issue. You can still ding the bell on the Trail Pistol when it's truly warranted.

In order to match the back end's performance and balance the bike out, it was important to use plenty of Tokens, air pressure, and damping in the Pike fork. There wasn’t a place where the suspension sucked or surprised, though it was key to remember that the bike was going to do a fair bit of dancing about unless the rider made sure it went where it was supposed to. Not a bike for beginners, at least in this configuration, the Trail Pistol is meant for the aggressive rider who likes to go fast - comfort be damned.

Guerrilla Gravity's website reads, "As the 'Singletrack Flyer,' the Trail Pistol inspires the kind of fun you only experience flying through the pit of a punk rock show. The kind of reckless fun that reminds you why you started mountain biking in the first place." We feel this quote truly embodies the Trail Pistol, but you must be willing to "fly through the pit of a punk rock show" to really feel it in its element. This bad boy is not to be casually ridden.

Not a bike for beginners, at least in this configuration, the Trail Pistol is meant for the aggressive rider who likes to go fast - comfort be damned.

What about going with plus-size tires? It stands to reason that it could be odd with such a firm shock tune, accentuating poor tire sidewall stability.

The Trail Pistol isn’t some plastic featherweight at 30.8-pounds (13.98kg). While not as svelte as the YT Jeffsy, Santa Cruz Hightower, or Devinci Django, ride quality hits a nice balance for the riding we like to do. It could be ridden all day but will require a good degree of fitness and hand calluses to hold on. Thanks to the lack of bob it gets up to speed in a jiffy. Put down some pedal strokes and the bike jumps. Sure it’d sprint better if was a few pounds lighter, but so would we.

The extra steep seat tube angle takes a bit of getting used to, and you definitely feel as though you're directly above or even in front of the bottom bracket at first. Though rider position is more forward than most bikes, the front wheel felt like it was a mile away on some climbs to our shorter tester requiring slightly different timing for technical moves. The upright climbing position also felt as though it sometimes made it harder to balance. Our taller tester actually found himself preferring to climb out of the saddle, and that's okay because there is so little wasted energy. The heavily damped rear shock gives practically no bob, even in full open position. We didn’t find ourselves reaching for the compression lever on the Super Deluxe, however on full road climbs it might come of use.

Climbing capitalizes on a combination of the seat tube angle, suspension design, and the supple off the top feel of the RockShox Super Deluxe. The steep seat tube angle brings your weight forward, in front of the bottom bracket, which means you spend less time on the pointy end of your saddle during those steep loose climbs. The Horst link and "Freedom Linkage" do a great job isolating pedal performance and getting rid of pedal bob when laying down the power. Lastly, the shock backs up all these aspects by being free enough to provide traction, but not so much that it wallows. At times it can lack some compliance on technical maneuvers, however. All these add up to a bike that allows you to arrive at the top of the climb fresh and ready to descend without having touched the compression lever.

Build Kit

You get to do a great deal of customization on Guerrilla Gravity's standard build kits through their recently improved website. Several options for all the major parts allow you to purpose build your bike and look. Your choice of nine frame colors (including raw) and five decal colors means there are 45 choices and everyone ends up with a personalized ride. Giving the people what they want is what guerrilla armies are founded on, and Guerrilla Gravity really scores points on the customization aspect.

Some of the component choices are insightful, like $200 more for the FOX 34 over the RockShox Pike fork. Other choices are just smart, like being able to pick which dropper length you want. The NUTS frame storage kit that goes on the aforementioned frame bracket gets you a strap, a tube, a tire lever and a CO2 with inflator for $55. Speaking of nice touches and smart marketing, you get a t-shirt with your order. It almost goes without saying that the builds all come with wide bars and short stems.

Being able to get the RockShox Super Deluxe on a short travel 29er is an excellent option. Any shock on this bike is going to have to work hard to keep up with the pace, and having the extra damping and oil that comes with the Super Deluxe is worth the extra $160 on the Race build.

How easy is it to take the RockShox Pike fork for granted now? It's still a stellar performer in the RC version with enough basic tunability to make 95% of riders happy. We would’ve killed for this fork eight years ago and now it goes by with a simple sentence or two of gratitude. Thanks Pike, you changed the game and we’re better for it.

Best tires in the test? The 2.3-inch Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR combination we choose proved nearly impossible to beat in the majority of the situations we encountered. With large side knobs and deep center knobs, the tires did a great job making Tucson's decomposing rock more predictable.

Short travel 29ers with aggressive geometry need strong wheels. The confidence you get from the geometry pushes you far beyond what most 130mm travel bikes can do, and this category of bikes need the same kind of wheel performance found on 27.5-inch 160mm travel enduro bikes. Guerrilla Gravity has some interesting options to choose from, including the custom DT Swiss I30 "Super Awesomes" that are built in house. Our tester came with tubeless DT Swiss M 1700 rims, which performed flawlessly, had sufficient width, and held up to the abuse.

Paired with dual 180mm rotors, SRAM's Guide RSC brakes provided plenty of power, consistency, and modulation to ride the bike at the edge of control.

The hybrid 1x11 e*thirteen/SRAM drivetrain shifted smoothly and has a huge range. It's great having a chainring-saving MRP XCg bash guard come stock. As one might expect, the change from a full SRAM setup to an e*thirteen 9-46 tooth cassette did bring an ever so slight shift delay and minor clunking. If the sacrifice is worth it is entirely personal, and the majority of riders will find the added range useful while the minor sacrifices will soon be forgotten. Being able to replace worn out upper cogs without having to buy an entirely new cassette is a nice bonus as well.

The only part that is worth talking about changing is the seat post. Many find the KS Lev Integra to be finicky to set up, but when it's functioning properly it's as smooth as can be.

Long Term Durability

Midway through a ride someone noticed odd lines forming on the frame's stays. Looking closely it seemed that it could be an issue with the powder coat. No clear diagnosis was possible as the shear extent of the lines made it hard to pinpoint a single area. Even if these line were superficial cracks in the finish due to flex in the aluminum, it's hard to feel okay about them. Repeated stress at this level may eventually be the demise of this frame.Update: We received word that these lines were due to the use of an inferior powder in the powder coat process that the company wasn't aware of at the time, and were not limited to the stays. Guerrilla Gravity has since discontinued the "radiation" green color for this reason, and says, "it's something that would be covered under warranty and we would re-coat it for [the customer]."

Getting as rowdy on the Trail Pistol as we did on the 170mm Pivot Firebird came at further cost. Airing down the rear shock all the way revealed that there was a small 5mm gap between the rear tire and the seat tube at full bottom out. Maxxis rubber on the seat tube following our rides showed that those 5mm can be overcome under duress.

With no bridging on the seatstay, the frame relies heavily on hardware to keep lateral flex down. When the bolts became loose, the flex in the back wheel and frame became wild. The green guerrilla usually holds a line well, but with the back end loose there was some goo and vagueness in the system. Careful attention needs to paid to keeping the bolts tight to keep the bike riding well. Luckily Guerrilla Gravity provides riders with a very detailed owner's manual with all the relevant torque specs.

The frame is backed by a one-year warranty for manufacturer's defects and a lifetime crash replacement program.

What's The Bottom Line?

Guerrilla fighters believe in their cause, will fight for what they believe in, and are willing to pay the cost. Sign us up, as we were left strong believers in the Trail Pistol. An incredibly capable bike that rides fast and wild, the Pistol is not for the weak at heart. It's not playful in the traditional sense, but this built-to-charge weapon is amazing on wide open trails and encourages you to pick up and let it fly.

You can customize the bike to serve the purpose you choose with the styling you prefer. Make sure to have a look at the sizing and geometry charts because Guerrilla Gravity is doing some very interesting stuff.

Visit www.ridegg.com for more details.

Vital MTB Rating

• Climbing: 4 stars - Very Good
• Descending: 4.5 stars - Outstanding
• Fun Factor: 4 stars - Excellent
• Value: 4 stars - Excellent
• Overall Impression: 4 stars - Excellent

Bonus Gallery: 22 photos of the 2017 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol up close and in action

About The Reviewers

Brandon Turman - Age: 30 // Years Riding MTB: 16 // Height: 5'10" (1.78m) // Weight: 175-pounds (79.4kg)

"I like to have fun, pop off the bonus lines on the sides of the trail, get aggressive when I feel in tune with a bike, and really mash on the pedals and open it up when pointed downhill." Formerly a Mechanical Engineer and Pro downhill racer, Brandon brings a unique perspective to the testing game as Vital MTB's resident product guy. He has on-trail familiarity with nearly every new innovation in our sport from the past several years and a really good feel for what’s what.

Mint Henk - Age: 32 // Years Riding MTB: 18 // Height: 6'0" (1.83m) // Weight: 180-pounds (81.6kg)

"Ragged, with a hint of Neanderthal." We decided to bring Mint onboard after watching him absolutely rocket up and down Colorado's high country like it was no big deal. Meanwhile, we were huffing and puffing trying to keep up. Mint is the real deal, and he brings a fresh eye to the Vital MTB testing game backed with years of relevant experience.

Which reviewer resembles you the most? Don't miss our Q&A with the testers for more insight about their styles and preferences.

About Test Sessions

For five years a dedicated crew of Vital MTB testers have been bringing you the most honest, unbiased reviews you'll find anywhere. This time around we rode 2017's most exciting trail, all-mountain, and enduro bikes on a wide variety of rowdy trails in Tucson, Arizona. Reviews can be accessed 24/7 in our Product Guide. Test Sessions was made possible with the help of Arizona Cyclist. Tester gear provided by Troy Lee Designs, Specialized, Five Ten, ZOIC, Sombrio, Race Face, and EVOC. All photos by Lear Miller.