Guerrilla Gravity, badass frame manufacturer in Colorado
- Thread starter mtg
- Start date
LOLZ
Literally the reason I quit reading/posting on MTBR. Fuuuuck that place.
For anyone looking, alloy stock finally arrived:
ridegg.com
Seatstay Kits
About Seatstay Kits The Guerrilla Gravity Modular Frame Platform brings new meaning to the quiver-killer bike. Using a single frame, riders can convert their bike to another model simply by swapping out the Seatstay Tuning Kit and a few components around. Optimize your bike for speed or fun (but...
ridegg.com
I don't believe so based on the description I read.
Looking at ordering a Megatrail but only CC or MRP shocks and forks are available and I know nothing about either of them. Sounds like CC wants you to send their shock in for just a seal replacement, which seems nuts, dunno about the fork. Any consensus as to which way to go? Want something that I can do basic service on with reasonable parts availability, and that doesn't blow its guts out every other ride. What say you?
IF you can get the right tune, a super deluxe air is super easy to work on AND bleed at home, no special tools needed. I bought the ifp spacer and shaft clamps, but you really don’t need those. I don’t know of a coil shock that is the same as far as that. I “did” bleed the bomber cr successfully by immersion bleed (uses a ton of oil), any other way is damn near impossible at home. Maybe the RS SD coil has the same bleed architecture as the air? The key is the bleed port in the IFP and the bleed port on the shock body. These let you purge air from both sides.
The problem is getting the right tune aftermarket, so you might be best off with the MRP and get something else when availability opens up.
Anyway, even with shitty suspension on my ill-tuned bomber CR, I was very happy with how well the MT handled aggressive terrain in and around Whistler and in the PNW. Stable, nimble, able to make the last second unplanned “oh shit” moves, reasonably efficient for long climbs, etc. Since I got the bomber CR working with no trapped air, I dropped the SD off at Vorsprung and EXT is supposedly retuning my Arma properly this time. I’ll use the bomber CR as backup on another bike after I get this shit shorted.
But yeah, despite kids asking me in the lift line how I can ride with clippless, I did just fine with those and tiny skateboard 27.5 wheels.
The problem is getting the right tune aftermarket, so you might be best off with the MRP and get something else when availability opens up.
Anyway, even with shitty suspension on my ill-tuned bomber CR, I was very happy with how well the MT handled aggressive terrain in and around Whistler and in the PNW. Stable, nimble, able to make the last second unplanned “oh shit” moves, reasonably efficient for long climbs, etc. Since I got the bomber CR working with no trapped air, I dropped the SD off at Vorsprung and EXT is supposedly retuning my Arma properly this time. I’ll use the bomber CR as backup on another bike after I get this shit shorted.
But yeah, despite kids asking me in the lift line how I can ride with clippless, I did just fine with those and tiny skateboard 27.5 wheels.
Last edited:
Can't speak to either of those, or self-servicing shocks, but I found that Fox X2 and Super Deluxe Ultimate (or RCT) standard tunes seem to work well with GG. I'm a big fan of the EXT Storia, but that's a send-in for service.
I've heard that the DVO shocks are easy to self-service, but haven't tried it myself, and my only experience has been with the Topaz T3, and was less than impressed.
How much do you weigh?
A shipment of Super Deluxes for Megatrails and Gnarvanas just showed up and have just been added to the website. They probably won't last long, though!
Damn...I tried the bomber CR and SD ultimate stock mediums and they would just kick my ass on little vertical bumps, basically any high speed stuff, so damn harsh. And I told EXT that yes, I ride aggressive, down double-blacks, gave some examples, said I wanted good stability, but I don't want it 60-foot-road-gap-stiff, and of course it came 60-foot-road-gap-stiff.
I'm going to be trying a Topaz soon, that's the frame I'm also going to use the Bomber CR on.
It can't be this ****ing hard to get a shock that works, but methinks these lower leverage frames and high stroke-metric shocks are not a good match damping wise. To get decent compliance out of the SD ultimate I'm having to run around 128psi in the 155 setting, which seems ridiculously low for an air rear shock. It's still not smooth, but better, except it seems dangerously close to bottoming on bigger stuff. Both the SDU and EXT run crazy high in the travel. Not too bad if I adjust the pressure in the SDU, but the EXT can't run the spring they gave me, 400lbs is way to stiff, pushes my weight bias way forward and makes me ride totally on the front of the fork. They said that would be "fork hard park days", except with no way to fix that bias with a coil front fork (without going stiffer up front and making it all way harsher) it makes no sense, especially when the shock has the HBO adjustment. You'd think just turn in the HBO a few turns. I ran 350lb in the 155 setting with the Bomber CR at whistler and everywhere else and it worked great for ride height and bottom-out resistance. Rode about the right height, not excessively saggy, no problems doing bigger stunts, g-outs, etc. I did run it at the 165 setting coming back down from across the Whistler valley when I did my "XC" ride (inc. steep slab trails still). I felt in that setting I had to be a little careful. No huge drops or jumps were encountered, just steep hard g-outs, but I felt if I was in the park like the day before I'd be bottoming with 350/165, it just felt like it was using too much travel.
Last edited:
I ran the SD Air when I was running a Smash setup, and I think that's more like the 165 setting in terms of progressiveness. I lost my notes, but I think I was running like body weight + 15 psi, 2 tokens, and compression about 2/3 open. I don't ride a lot of big chunk, but there is a section of brake bumps halfway down one of the local trails that you hit at really high speed where you're trying to check speed before a couple of hard corners, and I definitely try to tune compliance around that part.
I've got the Storia, which doesn't have the HBO. I wonder if the damping on the Arma is much firmer by default, since it's a DH shock? Everyone I personally know who has an EXT is on the Storia, so I wonder if that has something to do with it. I was actually considering getting an Arma whenever I change bikes, just because everything climbs so well now, a climb switch is unnecessary.
The Topaz I rode was in desperate need of service, so the rebound was totally fucked. But I did notice the 3 compression settings were all quite soft. Even the firm was probably only about equivalent to maybe 2/3 open on a Fox or RS.
I've got the Storia, which doesn't have the HBO. I wonder if the damping on the Arma is much firmer by default, since it's a DH shock? Everyone I personally know who has an EXT is on the Storia, so I wonder if that has something to do with it. I was actually considering getting an Arma whenever I change bikes, just because everything climbs so well now, a climb switch is unnecessary.
The Topaz I rode was in desperate need of service, so the rebound was totally fucked. But I did notice the 3 compression settings were all quite soft. Even the firm was probably only about equivalent to maybe 2/3 open on a Fox or RS.
The smash should be pretty close in terms of LR and that just blows my mind, that's like 25-33% more air than I'm running. MegNeg by chance? Steve at VS was suggesting that and said it should improve small bump significantly.
I definitely don't notice a climb lever though when I don't have one. With the SDU, I do, but I don't find I use it much and last week I never missed a climb lever through rides with 5.5 to 6.5vert climbing. What I didn't do though was long fireroad climbs. I know there are a few good ones that access good riding and maybe there I'd want it, but again, when it's not there I don't tend to miss it.
Small point of correction: the Storia does have a HBO circuit, it's just not externally adjustable like it is on the Arma.
Yeah, I know, it's not medium now, but still not optimal. I though Andeh said he was getting along just fine with medium tunes at the same weight. Anyways I was more commenting how RS and others flood the after-market with "medium" tune shocks but considering their long-stroke applications now, these "medium" tunes are whack for most of the bikes they'd be going on, in other words the "medium" should be backed off and probably around the "light".
all the damn time.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a medium tune. It was an older RCT, so like a 2016 version or whenever it was just before they changed to the "Ultimate" description. I got it off PB so not sure what bike it was off of, and sold it when I switched to the Megatrail because it was more expensive/hassle to change the stroke than buy another 65mm used takeoff as backup. For whatever stupid reason, I deleted my tuning notes for that bike. But I'm certain I started at 30% sag, then maybe added 3psi or so to make pedaling a smidge better.
I've also got a DPX2 Performance Elite that I got used with an official Megatrail tune. It's definitely very lightly tuned. I'm not a huge fan of that one , and the interface of the rebound/compression stack makes it tricky to add back LSC from wide open without messing up rebound.
So I'm underwhelmed with the EXT Arma. I had them re-valve it and send it back. Main complaint is it just doesn't seem to move fast enough, high speed/sharp-edged bumps still kick some and it just seems to move too slow to grip the trail like you expect from a coil shock. Sometimes when there are a few bumps close together and it's started moving it seems to suck those up a little better, but when it's a lone bump just by itself it seems to kick more. Performance is more like an air shock IMO. It was kicking real hard on the high speed stuff initially before the revalve. After revalve this is somewhat better, but performance doesn't seem to be hands down better than the Bomber CR I have, seems more like an air-shock and the transition to HSC is just not easy enough. Going to try riding it for a while more, but a $1K shock this is not so far. 11-6 only fits on Gnarvana, TP or Smash. Not Megatrail. The EXT is light...very light, for a coil shock.
wait, you work there now?
I guess we know where "blue square chainstays" came from
Are you talking compression or rebound. I'd agree the rebound valving on the Storia seems very slow. I run mine nearly open... like 8 from open and their recommended was like 3. I can run it fully wide open but it starts to hurt my arches moving that quick. I've never used an Arma though, and I wonder if they're overdamped to compensate for being designed for long travel DH bikes.
Push's obsession with "we only sell shocks tuned for bikes we've specifically tested" is stupid. I'm guessing they don't because there's 2 different travel options, and you need a different spring rate for each, so their single shock/spring combo won't work for both. Just tell them you've got a Gnarvana with an extra spring (or a Sprindex) and it will work fine. It will be 230x65 and tuned for halfway between the travel options (160mm vs. 155 or 165).
No, Push doesn't because they moved to the spherical bearing and it takes up more space at the eyelet. It doesn't fit due to this. The previous version 11-6 fits.
As far as I can tell, the Storia and the Arma are nearly identical, only the Storia gets the climb lock thing and the Arma gets the adjustable bottom. As far as whether it's compression or rebound, it's really both. I thought my Avalanche had slow LSR and a lot of LSC, but this takes it to a new level. It's stable, but it seems stable at the cost of that whole coil effect where it fees like the coil shock is hugging the trail/terrain. But I'll ride it more and over other terrain and see if it doesn't come alive or react better. That's always one issue, sometimes your terrain is very limiting and you get on something different and either it's way better, or worse. I've been riding it on the local trails up and down a bunch, trails we built, hard surface, bumpy, but real small hard bumps for the most part, whether it's roots or little rocks. We have a chunkier one, but it's been pretty bad to ride with the wet. I took the bike over some real rooty stuff a few days ago, switching out for my Bomber CR multiple times. Just the Arma hasn't really blown me away at all, like the old Avy stuff did. Will keep playing with it as much as I can, we just got a dumping of snow, but it's melting fast.
Can you reshim it yourself?
I don’t want to attempt with this, looks like lots of special tools needed, and even then, can it be bled?
I have done it. Not that crazy difficult if you have worked on other shocks before.
Check that and a few posts after:
Rear Shock Knowledge / Rant Space
Ohlins literally built the original Double Barrel old ones even have the Ohlins logo on them. You kids and your rap music and your not knowing your history... https://www.velonews.com/gear/velonews-qa-cane-creek-teams-with-ohlins/
ridemonkey.bikemag.com
Nice, although looking at the bleeding procedure I'm not sure how it would avoid air around the main piston when you reinsert it into the filled damper body. There's almost always a little bit of air here and somehow it has to be bled out?I have done it. Not that crazy difficult if you have worked on other shocks before.
Check that and a few posts after:
Rear Shock Knowledge / Rant Space
Ohlins literally built the original Double Barrel old ones even have the Ohlins logo on them. You kids and your rap music and your not knowing your history... https://www.velonews.com/gear/velonews-qa-cane-creek-teams-with-ohlins/
I usually pour some oil on the piston before pushing it back in the body and trying to avoid bubbles on the surface from the pouring. I also wait long enough for the oil in the body to fully degas.
It has worked great. No sound of air trapped when compressing the shock on the workbench.
I once read from a pro that you need quite some air trapped in the system for it to show on a dyno. I don't know if this was about a specific damper or general. Maybe some pros here can comment on that?
Could you please elaborate as to why making sure our product works properly and is safe for the rider stupid? People pay a lot of money for an ELEVENSIX which comes with a certain expectation that we take very seriously.
Also, we have a very close and successful relationship with GG. We don't fit the Megatrail because our new shock features a larger diameter shaft eyelet that interferes with the seat tube at full extension in one of the ride positions. @mtg and I decided it was best to not offer the shock on that particular model due to the clearance.
Clearly you don't understand that bike forum posters know what is better for your product than you do. We have the internet at our disposal while you industry types spend all your time conspiring ways with the deep-industry cabal to screw over the consumer as foretold by the L-Anon prophecy.
(L)Izard.
Last edited:
