If you had only one bike or had to choose a favorite, I’d bet you’d pick a well-rounded one that could smash anything and everything in its path. Denver, Colorado’s Guerrilla Gravity decided they should create a bike like this, and looked to the punk rock world for inspiration.
You might notice that The Smash’s graphics are a reference to The Clash- The text bears punk-influenced stencil lettering and stars, and GG’s promotional copy states “The spirit of Joe Strummer lives on in The Smash”.
A solid-looking 29er with 140mm of rear travel, The Smash (like The Clash’s music) can’t be neatly contained within one category. Guerrilla Gravity says it’s mainly intended for shredding trails or touring through big mountain terrain, but it’s equally capable of lapping the bike park or just knocking out a mellow after-work loop…
Guerrilla Gravity’s frames are made in-house in the USA. The Smash’s head angle is 66 degrees (with a 140mm fork- up to 160mm can be accepted), and its effective seat angle is quite steep at 75.8 degrees. Keeping things current The Smash’s effective top tube measures a lengthy 617mm on a size medium, and all frame sizes have stout 429mm chainstays.
As for fittings The Smash uses a metric 230×57.5mm shock, and a 12x148mm Syntace rear axle. The head tube is tapered, the bottom bracket is a threaded 73mm BSA type, and the rear end offers clearance for up to 2.5” tire widths. Cable routing is mostly external but there is a port to accommodate stealth dropper posts.
The frame also includes ISCG05 chainguide mounts, bottle cage bolts atop the down tube, and a bracket on the seat mast where a Velcro strap conveniently secures a tube and tire levers to the frame. And nothing makes your rocker link (and head tube) rock like an image of a hand throwing the horns!
While some companies are not very forthcoming with weights, GG lists a size medium frame at 6.6lbs with hardware. Complete bikes vary between 28.9 and 30.5lbs.
Guerrilla Gravity’s Freedom linkage is a variation of the Horst Link design which is designed to react heavily to your shock’s tune so you can set up the bike for the terrain you ride. GG took a good look at their other trail bikes and tweaked the suspension specifically for The Smash. This iteration aims to provide a softer top and mid-stroke, but also strongly resist bottoming out.
The suspension also offers Crush mode and Plush mode, which are selected via a flip-chip at the shock’s lower mount. Crush mode is more supportive, giving you a little more pop for jumping and pumping less technical trails. Plush mode offers softer bump absorption for shredding through really rough terrain. GG points out that riders can also choose coil or air shocks to further refine the ride qualities of their bike, but adding a coil shock will be a custom option.
The Smash is available in three stock builds and as a frameset, but a ton of custom component options can be added to either the framesets or complete bikes. All models come with 50mm stems and 780mm bars, wide rims, 1×11 drivetrains and dropper posts.
The Ride 2 is the most basic build. Key components include a 140mm Suntour Auron fork, a Rockshox Deluxe RT rear shock, DT Swiss’ M 1900 wheelset, and a 125mm KS eTen Integra dropper post. Sram supplies the Guide R brakes, and Shimano provides an SLX drivetrain. This model retails for $3,295 USD.
The Mid-spec Ride 1 model sees incremental upgrades across the board- The suspension is upgraded to a Rockshox Pike RC 140mm fork and a Super Deluxe RCT shock. The wheels are DT Swiss M 1700’s, and the seat post is a KS Lev Integra 125mm. Sram handles braking and shifting duties with their Guide RS and GX components. You also get an MRP XCg chain guide for your $4,295.
The top-of-the-line Race model uses the same suspension as the Ride 1, but this model rolls on Industry Nine Enduro S wheels. SRAM X01 shifts over an E-Thirteen 9-46t cassette, and the Race Face cranks and handlebars are upgraded to Next R models. The race-ready model includes an AMg chain guide from MRP. The top tier build sells for $5,295.
As a frameset alone, The Smash will cost you $2095. Frames come in S-XL sizes, and tons of color options are available for both the frame and the decals.
