On Review: Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail

Situated just a stone’s throw away from Denver’s Mile High Stadium sits an unassuming shop cranking out some of the best bikes in the business… and chances are most riders have never heard of them: Guerrilla Gravity. After pioneering a largely successful downhill bike with the local Colorado crowd, the GG DH, Guerrilla Gravity (GG) tapped …

Situated just a stone’s throw away from Denver’s Mile High Stadium sits an unassuming shop cranking out some of the best bikes in the business… and chances are most riders have never heard of them: Guerrilla Gravity.

After pioneering a largely successful downhill bike with the local Colorado crowd, the GG DH, Guerrilla Gravity (GG) tapped into the enduro movement with a unique offering dubbed the “Megatrail.”

There isn’t another bike quite like this on the market.

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Popping off one of the favorite feature drops at Dakota Ridge. The Megatrail soaked this up like popping off of a curb

For starters, this American-made wunderbike was designed to be the “one quiver” shredder for aggressive riders that can handle the long, lung-busting climbs in the Colorado Rockies, then rip down them with the character of a downhill bike. The guys at GG made no compromises to cultivate this aluminum rig as the ultimate backcountry machine. That sounds like a lot of hype (and hyperbole), but the fact is: this bike may have no equal when you factor in cost, quality, capability, and overall cool-factor.

The Guerilla Gravity Megatrail is ultimate American made enduro slayer..
The Guerilla Gravity Megatrail is ultimate American made enduro slayer..

Frame Features (from GG)

  • Trail Mode and Gravity Mode™
  • Front and rear triangles optimized for 26″ or 27.5″ wheel options
  • Water bottle mounts for Small – XL sizes (Small frames only compatible with a water bottle mount with a non-piggy back shock)
  • Universal Syntace rear axle and derailleur hanger (no quick release thru-axle, which is more secure)
  • Premium Enduro Maxx cartridge bearings last longer (they have more balls)
  • Threaded bottom bracket to retard creaking and loosening (vs press fit)
  • Stealth cable routing for adjustable-height seatpost
  • 6.9 lbs. (3,130g) frame with hardware (size Medium, no shock)
  • 30.9mm seatpost (34.9mm clamp)
  • 142 mm rear wheel spacing
  • 73 mm BB spacing
  • 200×57 mm shock
  • 1.5″ head tube (49 SHIS – compatible with all steerer tubes and Cane Creek Angleset)
  • Max tire size: 2.4
  • Bolt-on ISCG05 chainguide mount
The GG badge adorns the universal headtube, designed to accept just about every current fork and headset combo there is
The GG badge adorns the universal headtube, designed to accept just about every current fork and headset combo there is

Carefully handcrafted using durable, high-quality, heat-treated aluminum, the superior welds buttress every angle of the frameset to withstand almost anything you can throw at it. With a frame/shock at over 7lbs, the Megatrail wasn’t designed to win races uphill, but this bike is no beast. My test bike, spec’d with burly components to handle “the whole mountain,” came in at a respectable 31lbs. A few upgrades could easily put this bike in the 28lb territory.

High quality aluminum and superior welds set this bike apart
High quality aluminum and superior welds set this bike apart

If how much a frame weighs is your top priority, then this bike probably isn’t for you. Few other bikes in the enduro/trail/all-mountain category can hang with the Megatrail, however, which was also designed with simplicity, versatility, and durability in mind. This frame was designed to be relevant years down the road if you dig this kind of riding.

The rear linkage is the pinnacle of race-inspired engineering and keeps the piston tucked away nicely
The rear linkage is the pinnacle of race-inspired engineering and keeps the piston tucked away nicely

The most obvious, and noteworthy, feature that sets the Megatrail apart is its adjustable geometry. Designed around the Cane Creek DB Air, the two bolts connecting the shock to the frame can be repositioned on the trail in seconds to re-configure the bike into four distinct personalities: Trail Mode, Gravity Mode, Super Trail Mode (i.e. “Flannel Mode”), and Super Gravity Mode. When these bolts are moved, several things happen. The bottom bracket height changes. The suspension changes by10mm. The head and seat angles change. Ultimately these modes have been optimized to alter the leverage curve for the entire suspension to transform the Megatrail from a pedally bike to an all-out ripper.

With adjustable geometry this bike is designed to conquer everything you can throw at it
With adjustable geometry this bike is designed to conquer everything you can throw at it

Coupled with an efficient single-pivot pedaling platform, it dishes out mega traction, too, with excellent mid-stroke support as it crawls its way uphill in search of the next descent to slay.

My Test Bike Build

  • Megatrail frame optimized for 27.5″ wheels
  • MRP Stage Fork 170mm
  • Cane Creek DB Air 160mm (150mm in Trail Mode)
  • RaceFace Turbine Cranks with 32T Cinch Chainring (I swapped this for my personal 30T for some steeper trail climbs)
  • SRAM X1 shifter, cassette, and rear derailleur
  • Custom red Spank Oozy rims laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs
  • Rockshox Reverb dropper post
  • SRAM Guide R brakes
  • RaceFace Atlas Stem 35mm
  • RaceFace Turbine aluminum bars 760mm
  • RaceFace grips (tested, then swapped for thinner Easton grips for rider preference)
  • WTB Volt Saddle
  • Schwalbe Magic Mary 2.35in tire (front)
  • Maxxis High Roller II 2.3in tire (rear)

MSRP for the “Race” build is $5,495 and while similar, it differed slightly from the build I tested. The Race version comes stock with handbuilt DT Swiss 350 Hubs/EX 471 Rims and a SRAM X01 drivetrain. A frame-only options retails for $1,925, and the more affordable “Trail” build hits the cash register at $3,995.

An ultra stiff linkage platform keeps flex to a minimum
An ultra stiff linkage platform keeps flex to a minimum

Sizing and geometry seems to be spot-on for rides who prefer longer top tubes, medium reach, short stems, and wider bars

Sizing and geometry (from GG)

FRAME SIZE XS SMALL MEDIUM LARGE XL
Sizing Guide 4’10”-5’3″ 5’3″ – 5’8″ 5’9″ – 6′   6’1 – 6’4″   6’4″ – 6’8″
HA – Trail Mode 66.5 66.5 66.5   66.5   66.5
HA – Gravity Mode 65.5 65.5 65.5   65.5   65.5
SA – Trail Mode 74 74 74   74   74
SA – Gravity Mode 73 73 73   73   73
BB – Trail Mode 13.2″ 13.2″ 13.2″ 13.2″ 13.2″
BB – Gravity Mode 12.7″ 12.7″ 12.7″ 12.7″ 12.7″
Effective Top Tube* 23″ 24″ 25″ 26″ 27″
Reach 15.75″ 16.75″ 17.75″ 18.75″ 19.75″
Stack 23.5″ 24.2″ 24.2″ 25.1″ 26″
Wheelbase 44.8″ 46.3″ 47.3″ 48.4″ 59.8″
Standover 26.5″ 27″ 29.5″ 30″ 31″
Chainstay – 26″ 16.8″ 16.8″ 16.8″ N/A N/A
Chainstay – 27.5″ N/A 17.3″ 17.3″ 17.3″ 17.3″
Headtube Height 4.3″ 4.3″ 4.3″ 5.1″ 5.9″
Seat Tube Height 15.5″ 16.5″ 18″ 19.5″ 21″
Pictured here in "Gravity Mode", this bike can quickly be configured for pedally rides, or as a mini-downhill ride
Pictured here in “Gravity Mode,” this bike can quickly be configured for pedally rides, or as a mini-downhill ride

I’ve already spent a few weeks riding this bike with some hard trails underneath the tires. No bike is perfect for every ride, but so far I am very impressed with what the guys at GG have come up with. The Megatrail is amazing, but it is not for every rider. It is designed for those who like to ride on the ragged edge, and push the bike and themselves to their limits. It seems to reward speed, and is still capable of monster trucking over slow, chunky terrain.

Look for my final review in the coming weeks. Check out more details regarding this bike’s spec below, then configure your own Megatrail on GG’s website found here.

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SRAM Guide R brakes have minimal adjustment, but are affordable and have extremely reliable modulation and stopping power
The 170mm RF Turbine cranks minimize pedal strikes and provide a reliable drivetrain system that is easy to swap out chainrings
The 170mm RF Turbine cranks minimize pedal strikes and provide a powerful drivetrain system that is easy to swap out chainrings

 

The 11-42T chainring allows a wide range of options for climbing or speed when paired with different sized chainrings
The 11-42T chainring allows a wide range of options for climbing or speed when paired with different sized chainrings
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Spank Oozy aluminum rims mated to a Magic Mary (front) and Maxxis Highroller II (rear) to handle butcher trails
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GG chose DT Swiss 350 hubs laced to heavy duty Spank rims to handle the dirtywork
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Hardly an afterthought, the Cane Creek DB air with large canister is one of the crown jewels of the Megatrail’s success. The climb switch allows reasonable anti-squat, with a whole lot of squish when pointed in the downward direction
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The compression dial on the MRP Stage fork is easy to use and helps this long travel sled climb a lot better in certain situations
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The Rockshox Reverb has been flawless on this build
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SRAM X1 is affordable and an excellent choice for getting the most out of a 1×11 build
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Although shorter than I normally ride, the Atlas 35mm stem was perfect given the Megatrail’s long toptube and reach
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A closer view of the two eyelets that allow a rider to select Gravity Mode (bottom eyelet, pictured), or Trail Mode (top eyelet)
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The front of the CC DB Air shock can also be positioned to allow a rider to select Super Gravity or Super Trail mode
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My first ride on an MRP fork, I have been impressed with the fork’s performance after a few snags on the first ride. Look for a more in depth review in the final article
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One of the interesting nuances of the MRP Stage fork, the thru axle must be screwed into this spinning nut. This is a tad more cumbersome then other forks, but also more secure.
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There is an interesting bleed valve on the left side of the crown of the fork to allow riders to let out small amounts of air to tune the fork during a ride, as well as a ramp control knob
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Raceface Turbine 760mm aluminum bars rounded out the cockpit, which paired well with the 35mm stem and 25in toptube