Abbreviated/conclusion only. Full piece viewable at The Radavist.
Guerrilla Gravity has managed to do something truly impressive with their company, and there’s no doubt about that. Taking a grassroots approach to a massive industry led by multi-billion dollar companies, they have demonstrated that being Made in the USA doesn’t need to come with a price tag usually associated with custom frames and orthodontics, and that there’s still room for the little guy in an industry started by the little guys, weirdos, and rowdy ones. They have pioneered a manufacturing process that is more sustainable on an environmental scale than traditional methods, arguably more economically sustainable for workers and consumers. On top of that, they committed fully to a business model that incorporates as much of an anti-excess ethos into an inherently excessive sport as possible with the modular frame system. Why buy two bikes when you can buy one and a half? As I mentioned, these concepts are only slated to become more solidified as the company grows. From developing more Revved frame components to perfecting in-house recycling, GG is slated to revolutionize what a bike Made in the USA means.
Though the brand focuses on consumer direct sales, they also work with local bike shops in a hybrid model that allows the brick-and-mortar places we all care about to sell a bike that is “off the shelf” but also unique. The Ride it Grrrl program that Kristy has pioneered is aimed solely at getting folks who aren’t dudes out on bikes in an inclusive community. Those two things are pretty nifty, in my book.
The bikes, in a vacuum, aren’t substantially better than the competition, and they aren’t any worse. A Trail Pistol is not all that different from any other progressive and slack Horst link 120mm bike out there in terms of the most noticeable characteristics of how it rides. Yes, it is stiffer and absorbs vibration better than an alloy or traditional carbon bike. It’s also a lot stronger. Oh, and it’s modular and made right here in the Rockies. See how quickly we exited that vacuum?
For me, GG represents a new era of the bike industry. This is due equally to the ingenuity and the pretty damn fantastic state of mountain bikes in 2022. The vast majority are incredible pieces of technology that do an amazingly good job of making us sweat and smile. So, what makes one better than the other in this brave new world of rad bikes? I can’t answer that question for anyone else. I firmly believe that ethical consumption under capitalism is a unicorn. Still, there’s something to be said about a company that has eschewed industrial expectations and brought revolutionary concepts to an established status quo. That’s about as Guerrilla as it gets.
