All-City Gorilla Monsoon

87/100
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Facts

Gender
Release Year
Brand
Wheel Size
Number of Gears
Gearing Type
Weight
28.99, 28 lb
Suspension
Frame Material

Summary of Reviews

We have read all expert and user reviews on the All-City Gorilla Monsoon. In summary, this is what cyclists think.

16 reasons to buy

  • This adaptable ape showed great capacity for many styles of riding.
  • Riders felt that the Gorilla rolled equally well with slicks or knobblies.
  • Built tough, this rig was resilient and easily toted large loads.
  • This silverback’s geometry proved aggressive enough for singletrack.
  • Sparkling Green Fade and subtle Orange Fade colors dazzled.
  • With slick tires on tarmac, some owners kept up with road cycling friends.
  • Reportedly, this hefty ape climbs like a famished panther.
  • The integrated dropper seat-post was a bonus on singletrack.
  • The 612 Chromoly steel frame was solid and comfortable.
  • A rust-inhibitive (E.D.) coating provided monsoon-proof protection.
  • Wide Salsa Cowchipper handlebars were comfortable and handled well.
  • Thru-axles ensured a stiff ride and made changing wheels easy.
  • Mounts for three bottle-cages were appreciated.
  • A stable front-end proved suitable for gravel and confident on descents.
  • All-City’s finish was delectable, with a bi-plane fork and shaped bosses.
  • A 73MM bottom-bracket allowed fitting of MTB cranks and fat tire clearance.

8 reasons not to buy

  • At 28 lbs, one reviewer found the Gorilla somewhat slow to accelerate.
  • An owner that loved their rig, said that wheel bearings wore out in 9 months.
  • Many buyers swapped out the 2.4” WTB Riddlers for more all-purpose tires.
  • An expert said chainstays could be more ‘tucked’, for quicker acceleration.
  • Some trekkers found a 36t chainring a little too big for loaded bikepacking.
  • One reviewer said the WTB wheelset was heavy and underspecced.
  • The non-tapered head-tube limited fork upgrade options.
  • A couple of reviewers found the Hayes CX disc brakes noisy and difficult to adjust.

Bottom line

All-City’s Gorilla Monsoon is a bit of a ground-breaker; with upright geometry similar to a road bike, coupled with aggressive angles and fat-tire clearance that made for capable off-road performance. Although easily shod with 700c wheels, 650b x 47s were the favorite, on road or off. Wider, lower volume rubber added to comfort on gravel and over long distances. The Gorilla Monsoon really is the definition of an ‘all-purpose’ bike, easily covering owners’ commuting, bikepacking, long-distance, touring and singletrack needs. The frame’s additional ‘Electrophoretic Deposition’ coating added outdoor security from rust. Handling was very stable but not twitchy. All-in-all, the Monsoon was a well-loved bike that earns the title of ‘quiver-killer’. One of the few drawbacks was a few pounds extra weight, which didn’t bother most owners as it wasn’t too noticeable and added to strength under heavy loads. For many riders, this was their favorite bike.

Expert Reviews

80/100 based on 1 rated expert review

All-City Gorilla Monsoon

A bike that blends the best of the categories of cross, touring, and MTB into one slam-bang package of goodness.

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The Path Less Pedaled

Review: All-City Gorilla Monsoon

What don’t I like..? …not a whole lot. I think it’s a contemporary build with contemporary geometry that’s addressing the needs of the gravel rider or dirt-tourer of today.

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Bikepacking.com

All-City Gorilla Monsoon Review: Monster Crossover

I took the Gorilla Monsoon out on countless unloaded gravel rides, along forest roads, and even on a little singletrack, and my first impressions never faded. The bike is simply a joy to ride.

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bike blog or die

Gorilla Monsoon Or Die!

The Gorilla Monsoon is built to be robust; it’s more Mad Max than Fast and the Furious.

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Adventure Cycling Association

All-City Gorilla Monsoon Project Bike

I’m confident that, with the right parts, the Gorilla Monsoon could serve the vast majority of your cycling needs.

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Bikepacking.com

Rider and Rig: Joe Tonsager’s Gorilla Monsoon

The Gorilla Monsoon…checked the boxes I was looking for … I was in search of something more in line with road/gravel/mixed use exploration and less mountain-bike-turned-road-bike.

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User Ratings

100/100 based on 5 ratings
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Rankings

Compared to other bikes

Bike Comparison

All-City Gorilla Monsoon in comparison to averages

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