We’re used to the phrase ‘quiver killer’ being wheeled out by marketing departments but the Guerilla Gravity Gnarvana offers exactly that.

>>> MBR Trail Bike of the Year 2020

Guerilla Gravity Gnarvana need to know

• The Revved carbon fibre used in the production of the Guerilla Gravity frame is claimed to be 300% more impact resistant than traditional materials.
• Curing the frames takes 30 minutes compared to several hours for regular production methods.
• GeoAdjust headset lets you tune reach and wheelbase by 10mm by flipping the headset inserts.
• Bikes and frames shipped direct from Colorado, and the frame is covered by a lifetime warranty for the original owner.

Shapeshifter

The Guerilla Gravity Gnarvana itself is a 160mm-travel 29er – so far, so run-of-the-mill – but at the heart of it is a modular carbon frame that can be modified and adapted to fill a variety of roles, from a mid-travel trail bike with 27.5in wheels to a big-hitting 29er, all thanks to ingenious accessory kits mated to different components.

The Gnarvana is infinitely adjustable

These kits comprise an alloy seatstay assembly, bearings and mech hanger, and in combination with a different shock and the frame’s crafty GeoAdjust headset, you can tune your bike to your mood and currently favoured terrain. It’s neat, it’s innovative and, at £390 for the kit, it’s a lot more cost-effective than buying a whole new bike.

One day you could have a capable enduro bike for smashing laps of the bike park, the next you could have a short-travel trail bike for taking on a multi-day epic.

And you can also tune the reach of your bike, should you wish to experiment with your riding position and weight balance, using adjustable headset cups. Dropping the fork and flipping the inserts lets you alter the reach by 10mm – great if you’re not sure about committing to a size. Currently there are five different configurations in the range, from the recently released Gnarvana, to the shorter- travel Smash and Trail Pistol and the 27.5in wheel-shod Megatrail and ShredDogg.

Computer carbon

Designing a modular frame is only one part of what makes Guerilla Gravity and its proposition so different. The direct-sales brand has not gone to the Far East to produce its carbon main frames. Instead it has adopted patent pending technology from the aerospace industry that allows for automated lay-up within its Colorado base. The method is quicker, and therefore labour costs are cheaper, while increasing accuracy and consistency, according to Guerilla Gravity. It also claims that impact resistance is much higher than you’d expect using traditional materials and techniques.

Sticking to a single colour for the frame and allowing owners to customise their bikes with different decals also reduces production expenses. All told, those cost savings mean you can buy a Guerilla Gravity carbon frame for £1,950, which is impressively good value for a US-made product. And if you buy a complete bike, even shipping to the UK is free.

There are three frame sizes on offer – S2, S3 and S4 – and with the two reach positions this effectively creates six fit options. As well as a frame-only, there are three build kits – Ride (£3,450), Rally (£4,200) and Race (£5,600) – with custom-build options also on the table.