Yoann Barelli on GG's New Trail Pistol and Riding Fully Revved

Going fast has never been this fun: Yoann Barelli pilots Guerrilla Gravity's newly updated Trail Pistol across Kamloops' enviable flow. 

Yoann, who normally isn’t the first rider that would come to mind when envisioning a bike built for long singletrack days, was definitely surprised with his Trail Pistol.

“It’s a RAMPAGE cross country bike. It’s super playful. I felt like I could do a lot of the same jumps on the Trial Pistol as I would with another GG bike, which opens up a lot of possibilities. It’s confidence inspiring.”

The Trail Pistol rear triangle was an obvious target for updates to reduce weight on GG’s efficient “downcountry” model. The update reduces the bike weight by an additional 300 grams and increases the stiffness by 50%. This additional stiffness improves power transfer while climbing and improves cornering precision. Like the rest of the lineup, these updates are built on GG’s Modular Frame Platform, with Revved Carbon rear triangle kits available later this year.

Yoann, who has been predominately riding GG’s Gnarvana, was also impressed by the ability to switch to a 120mm travel bike while using the same frame as his usual ultimate enduro setup . “I haven’t ridden a cross country bike since 2015, and now I have the option in 15 minutes with the GG. Actually, I think I might do it again this weekend. That was fun!”

Not that Yoann sees the GG as a stereotypical short-travel trail bike, either. “Many singletrack bikes, you don’t feel like you can go fast at all. This one is far more comfortable. This is not a bike you would use to do World Cup cross country… This is something totally different. This is a cross country bike with versatility to it. It brings the traction you need when you climb and the support that you need when you send it bigger.”

The Trail Pistol frame, which starts at six pounds, has also received refinements to the kinematics. GG has chosen to replace their Plush/Crush Mode in favor of a more permanently supple setup, similar to what riders experienced in Plush Mode, with the addition of increased small bump compliance.

The use of Revved Carbon also increases the toughness and allows GG to continue taking steps toward a lower carbon footprint. “For me, GG is doing their job, using Revved Carbon and making the moves to bring everything in house.”

The updated Trail Pistol is the first GG bike to be released in 2021, and currently the only model to feature an updated carbon rear triangle.