Similar Products Used: just rode around other DHers
Bike Setup: stock except for diabolus stem(sick)thompson post, platform pedals, and lock on grips
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Submitted by
Christian
a Downhiller
from Herndon, VA
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2002
Strengths: Frame build quality, plush travel but hard to bottom out, pimp looks
Weaknesses: the play in the rear? Call RM and they'll take care of you
Bottom Line:
This is the BEST freeride most BMX handling FS rig out there. They ride a bit tall so try on a smaller size to judge for yourself... There is some play in the rear linkage but it's no biggy and RM will help you out anyways. The RM7 pedals better than any of the RM FS line (w/out lockout), manuals and wheelies like a black stalion, while the suspension feels endless, is super plush and progressive.
It's really hard to describe how well balanced this bike is, try one one and you'll see for yourself.
Similar Products Used: RM Pipeline, RM9, RM6, Switch, Intense M1, some norco
Bike Setup: Super T, 26F/24R wheels, 37T w/MRP, Azonic love seat, primo super tenderizers
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Submitted by
Mike
a Downhiller
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2002
Strengths: This bike has no strengths. I is all weak. It has some good parts but frame sucks.
Weaknesses: Frame. Price for frame. Quality. Snapped swingarm and frame.
Bottom Line:
Do not but a Rocky Mountain. They suck. I did a 8 footer to flat and the rear end snapped right off. Then when I got it back on warrenty I snapped the swingarm. No more Rocky mountain for me. Do not buy this s**t.
Strengths: -very plush and adjustable 7 inches of rear travel -powerful Purple Hayes brakes -some very strong parts - North Shore cranks, SingleTrack wheels -6 inch Super T feels like 7 inch -front derailuer compatible -handbuilt wheels -very nice to see the 646 pedals
Weaknesses: -seatpost is too long, hits the shock when put down too far -useless chainguide - broke when I tried to tighten it -stock bars and stem are weak -North Shore cranks are strong but square taper -8 speed rear cassette -Gripshi(f)t sucks -way too skinny 2.35 inch tires look more like 2.1 inch -saddle is way too big -noisy chainguide -play in rear end -stock springs in Super T are way too soft
Bottom Line:
Well for the money it can be a very good downhill bike if one spends quite a bit of money swapping out parts. Stock this bike has its problems but one can expecr that when you get a fully built DH at this price.
Submitted by
Icey Mike
a Downhiller
from Concord, Ca
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2001
Strengths: Unbreakable, really good parts spec., super plush, bottomless travel, decently light, rocky is an awesome company, and hey look, a nearly 8 inch tavel bike that can mount a triple and still pedal well!!!
Weaknesses: That play in the rear, but is hardy noticable unless going down a really long set of stairs. The rims are a bit soft and the bars have a wierd bend. GRIPSHFIT.... the "F" is silent.Chainguide is garbage
Bottom Line:
i have been through 3 bikes in the last year and a half and this on just beats the sh*t out of all of them. the only thing that might bug someone is that rear linkage play, but that's only if you are an over analytical prick who would rather look at his bike than ride it. if you've got the cash and need a bike that wont break, this is for you. mount up a triple ring and take it absolutely anywhere. get out and ride, That's the bottom line.
Similar Products Used: Mtn cycle, GT LTS, Diamondback X-10, Super 8, Big hit, Rm6
Bike Setup: nearly stock-XTR rear der., new shifter, 8 in rotor in back, tioga mx flats, and had to change bars and stem after they snapped went with raceface stem and azonic bars.also threw on a double with a mrp.
Bike Setup: Super T,hayes,singlewides,Nshorecrank,rf bb,hayeshyro 8" dics,maxxis2.7,sram9.0,rockyMountain stem,bar,grips,easton frame
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Submitted by
matt hamm
a Weekend Warrior
from atlanta,ga,usa
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2001
Strengths: every thing.frame design espsecialy.inspires confidence,so good at everything it does,i can't beleive it!I try to earn this bike every time i ride it.soooo strong.feels better than other dh bikes i've ridden
Weaknesses: the rear end suspension play really bothered me,but being the bike shop mechanic i am,i improved it big time thru some ingenuity:fact-most up and down play isn't the needle bearings floating,it's because the 4 bolts in the rockerarm/dogbone linkage are slightly smaller in diameter than the sleeves which the fit thru.this is because rocky correctly used super strong bolts that met a certain standard,but which happened to be slightly smaller than ideal.think-if each bolt is 1mm smaller than it's sleeve(in diameter)than 4 bolts add up to 4mm totlal suspension play(up and down play)solution-take teflon tape,also known as plumber's tape-and wrap each bolt as much as you can while still being able to put it back in.tip-wrap in a clockwise direction so when your putting the bolts back in you can turn them in this direction to help keep them from getting stuck and shredding the tape off.(much like wrapping road bars in the right direction makes the tape tighter over time,rather than looser,because the riders hands push the tape in the right direction.I cut my excessive suspension by about %80 with this method-remember,this has nothing to do with needle bearings,wrap the bolt so it fits snugly into the sleeve,do not put teflon tape between the needle bearings.your bolts are to small,so make them bigger.repeat this after some riding,since the tape will compress some under riding forces.the remaining %20 of plays was the neddle bearings floating,and this is good.side to side play solution:the main pivot on top of the bottom bracket tightens like a threadless heaset-loosen the clamp bolts on the swing arm around the bearing,then tighten the bering from the sides,then tighten the clamp bolts in the swing arm(the ones you loosened at first)down again,not too tight!just firm.call rocky for torque specs.problem is,you have to take the bolts that tighten the assembly from the side out to fit your chain guide.mine came with the chain guide installed and dind't even have these bolts!I found substitutes in a hardware store.if getting new bolts,make sure the screw in easily and are made of hard metal,now here's the fix-take one of your new bolts(shouldn't be too long,or it will bottom out before it's tight)and grind the head flat,till it's about 1mm thick or so,then,very carefully,maybe even by hand,grind a pair of flats on the sides of the head of the bolt(i used an 11mm wrench)so you can turn it.then loosen the main pivot clamps,install the modified bolt on the drive side(we modified it so you can still run your chain guide)and the un modified bolt on the non-drive side,tighten them only until there firm,and there is no side to side play in the swingarm.then tighten the clamp bolts down again until lightly snug(follow rocky's torque specs)now brush some white out on the head of the modified bolt and while its still wet push your chain guide flush to the bottom bracket shell,in the position you want it,now look at the back side of the chain guide-where you see white you should grind(only about a half to 1 mm deep,out of the total 5 mm thickness of the cahin guide)a concave surface into the chain giude so the modifided bolt has all the room it needs with out affecting the chain guide at all,you might not even have to do this,as there is about 1mm of clearence between the main pivot and the chain guide,so when you put your modified bolt in,you will only nedd a liitle more clearence,if any which is why you grind the chain guide4 some.please e-mail me with any questions,i'll explain this to you better if you want to do it.I'm very proud of it becase it worked so well,and took about 4mm of up and down play out and all side to side play.this is for mechanically inclined,patient people only.if the play doesn't bother you forget about it.if it does this makes a huge difference.this could concievably void the warranty even though your not really changing anything.besides,rocky is supercool so if you nedd anything just call them first
Bottom Line:
sick sick sick!buy it and don't look back!the best!if you ever have to call rocky about anything,you'll feel even better about your bike and thier company when you hang up.
Similar Products Used: have ridden an m-1,stab primo,super 8,stinky deluxe.these are big names and bikes,but for all round freeriding,dh and sick drops,the rocky mountain is the beat one(frame geometry helps this view alot
Bike Setup: titec knucklehead stem and bar,splined north shore,titec post,azonic a-frame pedals
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Submitted by
Coleigh Patrick
a Downhiller
from West Palm Beach FLA
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2001
Strengths: Strong,buttery looks,does well in fla conditions when properly set up. Does even better in its element-DOWNHILL !!! Very stoked with its DH performance , and since Im based in s.Fla where your biggest hill is the city dump its potential is limited, but with an imagination, jumping and droping can be incorporated very nicely with this machine !!
Weaknesses: Just a tad of play in rear link,but nothing that you can feel while riding, also if a dropper and a jumper you may want to change to a monster T
Bottom Line:
I do most of my ridding in Florida unfortunatley, there for again the bikes potential is a bit limited as far as DH goes. Other wise with the hand full of guys I ride with and our playful style of riding(jumping,droping and urbans)the bike is cherry man !!!don't have any thing to complain about yet ! Ive already got Northstar and Mammoth under my belt with a stellar performance, Moab and Boulder city on its way. So Lads! hopefully the little rocky holds his own out there!!
Strengths: Beast of a frame, super t, tomav wheels are sick, everything but the chain guide
Weaknesses: Chain guide is a heap, massive play in the rear sus, i have needed three sets of bearings already.
Bottom Line:
The bike is awsome i race expert dh on it and it does a great job of doing what i need it to do. It handles north shore style riding any drop up to 10 ft it handles with no prob. The on;y thing is the rear end movement. Im light only 140 so i feel it more but rocky is being cool bout it and iam sending my bike to them so they can check it out. Overall it is a fine piece of machinery and rocky is def the coolest company out there so go get one.
Strengths: Very plush yet bottomless, very well built, Rocky is a very down to earth company, very cheap.
Weaknesses: Swingarm is weak, thats all
Bottom Line:
There is a little lateral play in the pivots but that is supposed to be there (needle bearings). It is a big improvement from the RM6. It pedals amazingly good. I took it cross country with my chainguide and did good anyway. I got the weight down to 40 lbs. w/ fork and wheelset. It is super plush and I've taken a 10 ft. drop and didn't feel the rear bottom out. It pedals better than the RM6 and does a better wheelie. It pedals very good with the right set up. The only things wrong are the rear derailer cable routing (didn't get mine stock) and since there are only chainstays for the swingarm it is weak. I can feel side to side play when going down stairs and very rocky sections. I had a little trouble putting on my chainguide but I only had to take out a bolt that is useless after the main pivot bearings are tightened so it wasn't a big deal once i found that out. It is a great bike overall and the strenghts completely outweight the two weaknesses.
Similar Products Used: Dare, pipeline, truth, RM6 many others
Bike Setup: Azonic bars and stem, lock on grips, Maxxis Mofo DH tires, D321's w/ hayes hubs, Shimano quad pistons, North Shore splines, Wellgo Wam flats, X-vert Carbon, Blackspire chainguide, XT/XTR
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Submitted by
Speedster
a Weekend Warrior
from Helena, MT
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2001
Strengths: Solid Canadian craftsmanship, good company to work with, good major components come stock
Weaknesses: Rocky Mtn handlebars have a weird bend, Rocky Mtn stem is ok, just not trick, Rocky Mtn hubs are made by Formula, work fine, just not fancy.
Bottom Line:
Excellent local pro DH/Freeride bike. Mine weighs in at 48 lbs with triples and a 10.5 lb fork on it, but I can climb most anything anybody else can. The play in the rear pivots is supposed to be that way-it has needle bearings, ask your favorite Rocky Mtn. rep, so don't worry about it. Bottomless travel on both ends now that I put the S8 on it. It is not a national caliber bike, but most local fast guys/abusers will find that it is plenty of bike for real world riding. If you need something bigger, you probably get your bikes for free. I had the RM6 DH last year, and this is a step up from that with the improvements. The swingarm is stiffer, the bearings make it more plush (also a bit more pogo when climbing, but just crank down on the preload). After putting a bigger fork on it to balance out what the front can handle vs. the rear end, it is even better. The stock Marzocchi is a great fork, just not enough when compared to the back end. This is a bike that you will be happy with for a few years.
Strengths: Rides nice and suits my style. Great for urban riding, nice and laidback for drops. Handles nice in turns. Not for the cross country set. But fun to ride.
Weaknesses: Some play develops in rear suspension, but not noticeable when riding....who cares.
Bottom Line:
Nice ride at a decent price. Hard to beat. If my wallet were a little deeper maybe a Karpiel. Makes stair transitions and wheelie drops simple. Have heard of lack of lateral regidity, but seems ok. Its taken 15 ft+ drops and a few hard crashes and been fine(less several derailure hangers)
Similar Products Used: Other duals...Norco, GT, Santacruz, Cove....all have good aspects...RM just fit the bill.
Bike Setup: Stock less minor changes...36 ring, XT, grips etc.
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Submitted by
paul crentola
a Downhiller
from australia via nebraska :(
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2001
Strengths: versatility, fun factor, travel feels bottomless (no harsh bottoming out like on my ol m1 sl), i can run triples up front
Weaknesses: 'paint' chipping around front shock mount like guy below... nothing major but looks sh1tty... little play in rear but hell, most longish travel bikes develop play as well
Bottom Line:
overall a good bike, i m happy... e mail me if u have any q's
Similar Products Used: nothin similar but lots of car park tests on most bikes out there... had a 99 m1 sl for a year and a half, sick ride more plush than the RM7 (doh) but for me now the rm is the better bike
Bike Setup: s7, hayes hubs/dt spokes/321's, hope enduros 8" f and r, profile cranks with race face triples (around here)... slip on the mr. dirt out west, hurricane seatpost, AC stem, azonic bars, odi rogue lock ons, nokian gazza jr's, xt deraillers etc
SWEET MACHEEEEEENN
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Submitted by
Mike Algots
a Downhiller
from Clovis,CA,USA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2001
Strengths: The best riders in the world ride this bike. Do I need to say more.
Weaknesses: Say what?
Bottom Line:
If you like to trail ride, urban assult, downhill, drop of cliffs, and just straight up free ride the crap out of everything this is the bike for you.
Bike Setup: Monster T, Platforms, the rest is stock.
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Submitted by
Paul Gwin
a Downhiller
from Bear Valley, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2001
Strengths: FUN, strong, confidence inspiring, fun. This bike will make you a better rider.
Weaknesses: Heavy (but who really cares), play in the swing-arm
Bottom Line:
This bike is just too much fun. I was a little intimidated by the weight at first, but it really isn't an issue. It rides very light and is great in the air. This bike is supper strong and confidence inspiring. The first day on it you will ride faster. I have noticed some flex in the swing arm and a little play at the pivot, but it isn't apparent while riding (I need to get a hold of RM for some torque specs to be sure the swing arm is tight). The supension really does feel bottomless, whether it be a tech section of trail or an foot drop, the rear end can take it easily. Bottom line the RM 7 rocks.
