I believe that you can turn a MT/SD into a Smash with a different set of seat stays.

I don't know that you can convert that frame into anything else, but that already gives you six configurations with one frame, two shocks, and another set of seat stays. (I don't know enough about 29ers to definitively be able to say if there's a fork that will work with 650/650+/29, but that can't be hard to find out)

The Trail Pistol can also be converted to a "Pistola", but I haven't been paying enough attention to that model to know much about it. Matt or one of the BAMFs will certainly be able to fill in the gaps.

Your parking lot ride won't tell you anything other than if you were on a massively incorrect frame size. Or if you wanted the DH and demo'd the Pedalhead. Demo the bikes on real trails, in real riding conditions. I think you'll find that you could get along with any of them but will likely have a preference for one (or two).

 

You can do lots of swapping with GG bikes, but to your core point if you setup a SD with a reasonably burly build you can ride it on XC trails and on badass AM trails. So basically anything you would ride without a true DH bike.

You'll have a very versatile ride without having to swap anything. If you did want to do a bit of tinkering get an air shock and a coil shock to change the bike's personality with only 5mins on unbolting/bolting.

I see the swapping to a different model of GG bike more for after say 3-4yrs of regular riding and you are bored so doing a swap to another model gives you a fresh feel on the same trail.

Just a thought... Enjoy whatever GG setup you get.

 

gundrted: There is a lot of modularity in the GG frames, and it is no secret.

Trail Pistol: Can be converted from 120 to 130mm rear travel via shock stroke (50mm vs 55m)

Shred Dogg & Megatrail use the same frame, the difference is the shock and fork bolted on. The shorter shock stroke (57.5 vs 65mm) and fork make the difference.

The Smash frame is the same as the Shred Dogg/Megatrail, albeit with a different seat stay kit, and it uses the 57.5mm stroke shock of the Shred Dogg.

You absolutely can buy a Shred Dogg, put an inline air shock on it, and then get a 65mm stroke coil shock to have both the Shred Dogg and Megatrail. Using an adjustable travel fork, or one set to 160mm is the recommendation for that setup. A number of riders have done this, and it is a really good way to optimize the bike for a huge range of riding with minimal changes.

 

GG bikes are so capable -- excellent at climbing, descending, flying -- how much do you want to change them? Or should I ask how much do you need to change them?

Here's what I did back in March, and I'm happy. Bought a Trail Pistol (size L, I'm 6'2") and took the 55m shock option so I've got 130mm rear travel aka Pistola. Then bought both 27.5x3" and 29x2.6" wheels. I also bumped the fork to 160mm but this was overkill (did it so I could run 185mm cranks without hitting the ground all the time).

Here's my point. With the two wheelsets, the bike has two completely different personalities. I can hardly imagine how confusing getting a coil shock would make things but maybe if I lived in chunkier terrain that'd make sense as well. Imagine the combination of options I'd have then. Sheesh.

I reiterate, GG bikes are SO capable as delivered. They already bridge gaps (literally and figuratively) with their purpose-built personalities. You don't need to change much to get a whole different animal.
=sParty

 

Megatrail with coil, shred dogg with air, then a 29er fork and wheel set with shred dogg shock.... Too cool.

 

Thanks for the insights.

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I run a shred dogg coil with a Fox 36 in gravity mode all day for everything. I have a set of 650b wheels for most everything. Have a set of plus wheels for snow/soft stuff. Get a rear megatrail shock, and you have four bikes in one. 6 in one if you also buy the chainstays.

This bike is amazing in all it can do.


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I run a shred dogg coil with a Fox 36 in gravity mode all day for everything. I have a set of 650b wheels for most everything. Have a set of plus wheels for snow/soft stuff. Get a rear megatrail shock, and you have four bikes in one. 6 in one if you also buy the chainstays.

This bike is amazing in all it can do.

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Just digging into some details here.

Your SD has the upgraded coil rear and a Fox fork. I would get a air rear cuz I won't ride hard enough to see the benefits of a coil. I'm also looking at the MRP Ribbon set to 150mm.

Is your Fox a 27.5 or 27.5+/29?

Do you run the longer MT rear shock and your daily driver?

I'm looking at buying the DT i1700 30mm rims with the the stock 2.6 Maxxis.

How wide of rims/tire combo are you running for the 27.5+ setup? How often do you use the plus setup?

I get the longer travel rear shock, but what would swapping the chain

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Thanks for the write up. That is a sweet setup.

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I couldn't find the Smash stays on the GG site. Does anyone know the difference?

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Two notes/requests/begs/suggestions on this topic:

1: It'd be super rad if GG offered a Trail Pistol SL. Maybe we call it the Bush Knife. Aims for sub 7lbs for all frame sizes with shock. Shorter travel F/R. Little more efficient tuning (lower leverage?). Could be utilized with a 100mm fork like the SID or 120mm Ribbon. This setup might allow a large size frame with short travel air shocks, a few carbon bits and some lighter tires to achieve 27lbs. Which, if we compare to something like Mike Levy's 27lbs Rocky Mountain Element or the Nicolai Saturn-11 would be a perfect long-distance trail weapon. With a setup like this, who would need carbon?

2: Going along with the abilities to switch seat stays for various combinations, what about offering an optional chainstay for the Trail Pistol that increases tire clearance to 275x3.8? Perhaps it stretches the chainstays a few milimeters and limits you to 30t chainring, but I could deal with that to have baby fat bike. Lots of 275x3.8 tire options now.

I would imagine that a lighter frame would likely require reworking the Trail Pistol from the ground up, and such a frame would likely no longer be able to safely support 130mm/140mm setup like the Pistola. When I see the no-carbon-anywhere Techline-spec Nicolai Saturn 11, I know it can be done.

A GG Semi-Fat 275x3.8 option for the existing Trail Pistol might just be as simple as a re-worked chainstay/seatstay combo.

I just hope that GG tries to utilize 148 spacing to it's utmost extent, rather than jumping to 157.

Even if nothing changes in the lineup this year, I think I'll likely be on a Trail Pistol by 2018.

 

Pheller, as always, you have detailed and well thought out feedback.

Light weight Trail Pistol:
27lbs is achievable with real parts. Go with a Deluxe RT, Pike 120/130/140, I9 Trail wheels or DT Swiss XMC 1200's, light tires, Next cranks and bar, etc.

You are correct that some of those would require a ground up redesign. That would include a lighter tube set just for a "Trail Pistol SL", and 27.5x3.8 compatibility. For 3.8's, we would have to use at least an 83mm BB shell, make custom machined chainstay pieces just for that setup, and I'm not sure about the hub width, as the crank arm and chainring would be required to be pushed further out than current to fit a 3.8. That means the cassette would have to be pushed further out as well, which would be either more offset in the hub or a wider hub. Neither option is perfect.

As far as a Trail Pistol as a long range bike, I'd say it's pretty good as is, and there really isn't any efficiency to be gained in the frame itself. Last year, I rode one all year with a 140 Ribbon up front, 130 coil sprung rear, e13 wide range cassette, CushCore to keep the rims round, and rode many 40+ mile rides with 6000+ feet of elevation gain at high altitude. And, bike park days at Angel Fire, Keystone, and Trestle on the same setup.
That culminated in the Monarch Mind Bender, which was 89 miles, 10.5k of climbing on/around the Monarch Crest Trail. The only bike changes made for that was switching to a 120mm travel air shock setup, and 29x2.4 Ardent tires.

 

If you are looking at just the numbers, the ratios are very close. I know data is not the same as feel, but its a start. Here is the comparison I've been working up for my next bike. I'm looking at moving from 29er to 27.5.

I hope the link works.

Bike Gears calculator

 

FWIW... I was surprised enough after a demo of GX/e13 that I ordered it with my bike, and I'm still impressed with it. Other bikes have had XX1, XO, XTR, XT. I do prefer Shimano's XT's more positive feel and double-shifting, but the more econo GX has been completely sufficient shifting-wise and at taking abuse.