Well, I just testified but a major event happened. The bushings wore out in the main pivot, after four years and possibly 4k miles. Poo. My rear shock is toast, but I'm still riding it until I save enough to send it to Push. Overall, four years and one bushing set. Not too shabby. A buddy has been through four Giant AC frames in the same ammount of time. Those Giant warranty reps know him by name.
Submitted by
VERT
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2004
Strengths: Strong frame, cool paint job (I got the one with the holographic paint), frame is lightweight
Weaknesses: Bushings in pivots on frame
Bottom Line:
I bought this as a frame and built it up, I replaced the Fox Vanilla R shock with a 04 Propedal Float R as the rebound was stuffed and I got a bit too much bob riding up hills. With the Fox Float I have now I get no bob. I have riden this bike XC and in XC races I also freeride with the bike and have done a bit of downhill. This is an awsome frame to ride trails and down hills etc on and its easy to get up the hills on too, becuase you have to get up the hills to ride down them :) My RM Slayer is a very comfortable bike to ride and handles very well, I'm in love with it. When I ride it its like riding my dream bike.
Strengths: Bomber. I've never rplaced anything I didn't break. Paint job- lots of kids go, "wow, cool bike".
Weaknesses: Some cable routing, original tires, original handlebars. Magura brakes-never again.
Bottom Line:
I keep looking at all these new sick-ass bikes that come out every year and I think maybe I should get one of them. But then I go for a ride and I remember this is the best bike ever for me. I like the gnar, but I don't rally stair gaps and the big ladder-drops. When I am dropping (or climbing) a burly rock garden and I am thrity miles in with another twenty to go until I get to the cold the beer, I am thankful it rolls so sweetly. I have ridden all over the west, and AK has some burly trails, the slayer gets the job done. I realize I don't need to spend thousands of dollars all over again, cause I did it right the first time. SLAYER!
Favorite Trail: the fire line below Log Chutes in Durango
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$2200.00
Purchased At: Glacier Cycles Whitefish, MT
Similar Products Used: Giant AC, my old Bontrager ss.
Bike Setup: well, lately I put on a bash guard and 28" bars to compliment the hayes (w/ 8" up front) and a wtb stealth saddle, also wtb wierwolf 2.5 and motoraptor 2.4 in back
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Submitted by
Todd
a Weekend Warrior
from Orange County
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2003
Strengths: Super Strong frame and original RAD tubing, not like the new Slayer's. True Freeride bike. Coil Spring
Weaknesses: None...
Bottom Line:
I picked up the frame only on mtbr and what a great frame. I was looking at getting an 03 slayer but what did they do to the new slayers? They are no longer freeride bikes with the trimmed down Rad tubing and air shock. They made it more XC. Anyway, I'm able to do urban and freeriding with this bike with no problems. IT can take the hits and it's not heavy at all. My bike built up is 31lbs. That in my opinion is very acceptable weight for a freeride bike. I'm thinking of changing out the shock for a romic. Bottom line is the old slayer's rule. If you can find one, get it over the new slayers anytime. This bike is made for abuse!
Bike Setup: Hayes disc, RF cranks, XT all around, Chris king Headset
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Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from North Hampton, MA
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2003
Strengths: Super strong frame, nice paintjob, looks awesome - I get alot of stares
Weaknesses: None that I can think of except that the rear cable routing isn't the greatest.
Bottom Line:
The dealer gave me killer deal for $1500 with upgrades to XT disc brakes. This frame looks killer and I can do urban xc and some light DH with this bike. Whenever I go urban assault, I get a lot stares from the locals because not too many people have slayers like the FSR's, sugars and similar models. The bike rides so nice and the suspension is awesome. It feels so plush and endless in travel. The RAD tubing is awesome. The entire bike is heavy but so what? I am not entering into an XC race. I've done 6 footers numerous times and the bike soaks it up with no problems. I do plan on getting a 2nd wheelset later on that is more durable such as sun doublewides but for now I'm extermely happy this frame. Just a note: This is a 2001 model. The dealer had 2003's in stock but I hate the feeling an air shock, plus they made it lighter for these xc weight weenies. Why did they make the new slayers more xc oriented? Don't know why but I'm happy I got the 2001 model which in my opinion is way better then the 2002's and 03's. Very happy - 5 all around.
Weaknesses: Weight, no dealers nearby, rear derailleur routing, loose main pivot bolts (also tough to get at), ugly paint
Bottom Line:
I bought this frame on an impulse from Ebay and am very happy. The price was great, the seller was great, and I was sick of waiting for the warranty I-drive which I was afraid of breaking anyway. The Slayer has all I was looking for - beefiness (I weigh 190 and am learning to love urban and jumps), quality company, and a proven suspension design with 5" travel. Plus the paint is a love/hate thing. Sometimes it looks cool, sometimes it looks like a trout.
I was able to swap over all my old parts, plus I had some new some XT cranks & rear derailleur. After building it up with my "freeride" wheelset, the first thing I noticed was how perfectly it fit me. I was used to a largish frame with my GT, but the Slayer fits like a glove. Perfectly balanced front & back, the air/coil Stratos shock matches the coil Marzocchi very well. I began having problems with rear shifting immediately, and noticed that when the suspension compressed, the cable housing would catch on the seat collar, and when the suspension would extend, the cabel housing would then try to pull out of the stops. I tried a couple of fixes, and ended up having to replace the housing three times before getting a fix (the secret is to route the rear housing on the middle set of stops, then tuck it UNDER the front housing right in front of the seat collar.
I had to contact RM for the recall stay assembly. This was a pretty quick deal, but I noticed that the replacement seems a lot more spindly at the chainstay bridge.
The beefiness is just as I expected, as is the weight. I put together a lighter wheelset for XC use and save the DH wheels for urban and freeride type stuff, since I can really tell the 34 pounds is a climbing-killer. Confidence is utmost, and I feel assured that this bike will handle everything I can throw at it.
Similar Products Used: GT XCR3000, Kona Stinky, Kona Bear
Bike Setup: Stratos Helix shock, Marzocchi Z3.5 (4"), XT discs, XT/XTR drivetrain, King HS, 2 wheelsets (Mavic/XT disc/Fire XC Pro for XC, Sun Mammoth/XT disc/Kujos for heavy & urban)
Strengths: Everything minus the clara brake levers. 2001 bike rocks for free riding compared to lighter, newer models.
Weaknesses: clara brake levers. I had brake fluid constantly leaking. LBS bleed the lines and it started leaking again. I do dirt jumps so the levers where not tough enougth I guess.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. 30pounds isn't to heavy. Climbs awsome with no bob. Component list is very impressive.
Sitting on the bike always brings a smile to my face. So plush and can go anywheres.
Set up is dialed. Rocky Mountain got it right the first time for Freeriding and dirtjumping.
Bike Setup: Factory, minus new louise levers that magura replaced free of charge. I changed the seat for my old one. I had 2002 derialeur put on also.(plastic chain guide broke on 2001).
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Submitted by
Andrew
a Downhiller
from middletown ct
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2002
Strengths: awesome handling great paint scheme, i couldnt break it if i tried
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
great bike, you get the feeling that you never will run out of travel. our rocky mountain tech rep says they designed the slayers rear end to be plush and have the suspension stiffen up as it gets near the end of its travel great bike stood up to a six footer i want one so badly
Bike Setup: its the bosses bike shiver sc hayes hydro rhyno lites xt crankset xtr other stuff
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Submitted by
Mike S
a Downhiller
from Knoxville,TN..USA
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2002
Strengths: Rocky Mountain ! awesome
Weaknesses: not !
Bottom Line:
Just got this rad bike built up...First ,i weigh 180# 6'2" & the stock 600# spring is REAL soft..gotta get a 800# for sure ! SLAYER is nice n tight ..handles like a Azonic Slalom bike I love it !....This is the raddest bike i have had so far !!It feels perfect as hell! oh & it pedals like a hardtail too..really good..sitting or standing,it just goes-I will re-post in a few months after Really riding it on the rad trails.....I'm stoked !Real Nice paint... Rocky Mountain funk!
Similar Products Used: Giant atx-1 DH...Marin B-17 .....
Bike Setup: New 18" 2001 Black {killer paint} SLAYER.....Mammoth wheels/XT disk hubs---Azonic 1.5" riser 27" wide---Kona stem---Tioga DH seat---Oury grips...2002 Manitiou BLACK 120mm....etc
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Submitted by
Sam
a Weekend Warrior
from Sammamish, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2002
Strengths: The frame is absolutely awesome. The rear suspension linkages are sweet and provide supple travel.
Weaknesses: hmmm.... stock brakes suck with a passion. slap some hayes or hopes on there and your set.
Bottom Line:
This is an all around really nice bike and a good investment. Get a lockout on the rear, and this bike will be set for the fast freerider and the burly xc biker. There arent any problems with the bike so far, and it looks cool ;)... This is a knarly bike. Get one.
Strengths: The bike feels very solid to me and gives me confidence that I didn't have before, even though it gets me in trouble sometimes.
Weaknesses: The only weakness that I could possibly see is the bushings in the rear pivots, but it hasn't been a concern yet. The only other problems I have encountered are with componets spec'd to the bike. Prodigy seat post bent easily. Magura Clara brakes take some time to get used to setting up for no drag. Ryhno Lyte front rim bent, but I hit a tree so what do you do?
Bottom Line:
I really like this bike. I know that there are no mountains in Iowa but ride this bike x/c all the time. Sure the 23 lb x/c guys drop me on all the climbs but when the trail heads down or over some sketchy terrain it's my turn to say "ON YOUR LEFT". I don't race so the weight is no concern. I am disappointed that the bike shop where I purchased it told me that the pivots and hubs were cartridge bearings and this turned out not to be the case. I probably should have done more research but like I said they have not been a problem. In my opinion if you are a heavier rider looking for a good solid bike for all around riding and for some upgrading later this bike is worth checking out. Also you'll have a sharp looking bike to offset all the Fuel, Sugar(ugly) and FSRs that seem to be on trails, at least around here.
Strengths: Strong frame. Suprisingly great climber. A nice mix of stock products (got rid of almost everything, i like my bikes custom). Great on the drops, great on the technical sections. Oh yeah, comes with a THE fender!
Weaknesses: Bushings in the linkages. Why did RM switch drive trains mid year? The bike decends fast but feels sloppy and shaky.
Bottom Line:
This bike is sweet. Great on the drops, pretty damn good climber for a freeride FS. Not the fastest descender but more than makes up for that when it comes to the slower technical trails. This bike can also go deep into the turns (got to love the slalom in the parking garages on urban rides). This is definitely one of my favorite suspension designs (I'm getting sick of the FSR copies). I wish i could take off 1/2 ratings for those crappy bushings RM put in the links! I'll give it 5 though
Bike Setup: Ok here's the list...Supernova, fox vanilla RC, Xtr ft der/rear/shift/crank (splined), Hayes, Hugi(rear) Ringle (front/thru-axel), Motoraptor 2.4's, Race face- Xy posy, low rider, Sys-stem, thermo SP headset.
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Submitted by
Vern Kirkpatrick
a Weekend Warrior
from Lombard Il.U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2001
Strengths: The frame!The geometre is perfect!
Weaknesses: Prodigy cranks.But not for long!Magura Clara's! But not for long!That cool looking Rocky Mtn. saddle sucks! Broke and bend alot of rear dropouts.
Bottom Line:
This bike holds up to everything I put in front of it! Drops, jumps and hardcore urban. My friends all have more travel but the Slayer kicks ass. I race dual slalom and easy downhill with it no problem. It doesn't climb as good as some of my friends bikes with more travel (Ellsworth Dares, Santa Crus Bullets) but no regrets at all! To me, it's like having a hucking hardtail with 5" travel in the rear.
Similar Products Used: The only other full suspension I've riden is a Raven. I've broke 4 of those. That's why I got a Slayer.
Bike Setup: I broke a brake lever(plastic)and Magura sent me a new set of 2002 Louises. NICE!I'm putting on a Super T pro with 6" of travel.New Race Face Northshore cranks and an Azonic Love seat for my butt. 700lb spring in rear. Chain guard with only small and middle gear up front.
Strengths: Good price, light Easton frame, stro Product Review ng wheels, Rocky Mountain customer sevice is great. The bike is versatile and really fun to ride.
Weaknesses: You'll end up replacing a few parts, but nothing unexpected at this price point I would think. The Prodigy seatpost bends fairly easily. The cranks and bottom bracket are also pretty soft, and mine are both a little wobbly, The 600# spring will bottom out alot, and you'll end up breaking alot of shock mount bolts until you replace it. The rear derailleur is also fairly fragile. My RM platform petals bent a little, but other people have told me they worked well for them. Race Face outer chain ring seemed to bend too easily. The Clara brakes need a lot TLC to work properly. '01 model comes with a weird swept back RM bar.
Bottom Line:
This is the kind of bike everyone would be riding if they knew how much more fun it would make their mountain biking. The Slayer is a great bike and I would recommend it to anyone.
Bike Setup: 800# spring, 60mm Azonic stem, SDG Grand Prix saddle, Easton post, Wellgo Mag platforms, MRP bashguard, chromoly shock bolts (grade 8).
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Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2001
Strengths: Plush! Well spec'd for the price. Bombproof Easton frame. Great rider position & darn good climbing capability. Replaceable dropout.
Weaknesses: Gripshifters? Come on! 26 mm Prodigy seatpost on a freeride bike? Bad idea! Hmmm...stock tires are a little squirrelly in the mud. Dropout is made of playdough.
Bottom Line:
If you are a heavy rider and want a great freeride bike or plush x-country, look no further. I'm 200lb and tough on gear... this bike takes it all! Switch to the 900# spring if you are heavier than 200lb - the stock 600# spring is for 12 year olds. Tracks incredibly well for a plush ride and really solid on the dh technical stuff. I saw a picture of a 2002 Slayer in the October "Mountain Biking" mag - it had a Fox RC air/oil shock. Duh! I'd swap that puppy out asap for a coil-over. Buy this bike but, make the mods up-front or the cost-differential will put a dent in your piggy bank. I'd give this bike 5 flamers if the dropout wasn't made from playdough - I keep a spare ($10 part) in my pack if I don't feel like using my handlebar as a cheater to bend it back. Better than the rear d. I guess.
I'm building up a 2001 Slayer for my brother and can't seem to find out what BB length I should use. I'm going to be using a Race Face Ride XC crank. I'm thinking 113 but those s Read More »
