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Submitted by
Bob Stickers
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | 98 Thin Air. Fantastic bike and outstanding components. | | Weaknesses: | Bike had 600 miles of mid to hard XC use and 10,000 miles of road/paved bike path use. Very well maintained and once the original rims were replaced with X517s no real problems until the frame failed without any warning. Top tube behind the headset snapped the the front triangle collasped inwards. RM wouldn't warranty initially then send out bottom line frame they had kicking around to placate me. They did do something but far from what I expected and feel was owed. While there was a 5 yr warranty on this al frame obviously with such a catastrophic failure you'd got to wonder when and how to tell when you should just hang the frame up b/c its unsafe. All the parts that fit were put on a Giant NRS Air and are doing well. Can't say the same for me but thank God for helmets. | | Bottom Line: | Companies take advantage of customers every change they get and play by their own rules and ignore warranty terms.
Regardless of statements to the contrary bikes/frames don't last for every or even for their warranty period and they do fail without warning.
My ratings reflect the bike when it was working, prior to the "big crash". While RM makes some excellent bikes and specs them well their breach of my warranty and BS they fed me would lead me to choose some other manufacturers product in the future. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scotty
a Cross-Country Rider
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
light | | Weaknesses: |
very poor quality control and warranty service | | Similar Products Used: |
Rocky Altitude, Vertex,Cyrrus, Stratos | | Bottom Line: | This frame was a warranty replacement which took a month to get, was badly misaligned at the factory and Rocky refused to repoace it with a correctly welded one. I had to pay $400 for the warranty.I like to support Canadian companies, and have owned numerous Rockies before but NEVER again. If this is a typical example of how they treat lifelong customers my advice is to buy ABR (anything but Rocky). I would give it a zero rating if possible. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian Slater
a Cross-Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: May 5, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Lake Minniwanka | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Stiff, unbelivably durable frame.
Solid XT component group.
Sun CR17 rims (handbuilt wheels) | | Weaknesses: |
Mid-price cranks, Mag21 shock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is amazing. I bought it in 1995, and have since logged over 3000kms on it. Most of my riding as been done on the rooty, rocky, muddy trails of the Canadian Rockies. The bike has not had a single mechanical problem. Not one. In fact (and this is completely unbelievable): I have yet to required a wheel trueing. The bike climbs like a demon, and devours single track. Buy, buy, buy. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith Jines
a weekend warrior
from Casco,Maine,United States
Date Reviewed: November 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
my favorite bike is the new Huffy Primous it is a fantastic bike even thow i dont have one. ive test drove the bike and when i did that was moven the bike is made of titniam alloy and has 52 spoked rims it is a great bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vernon
a racer
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: October 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought my Thin Air to replace my Specialised hardrock. This bike is oh sooooo light and fast. Climbing, no problem - this baby feels like an extension of yourself. Since I bought it as a limited edition frame, I laid it out with Cane Creek Crono Ti wheels and SID fork. Now it weights less than 22 pounds. After all that's been said about made in USA products, I'm convinced Canadians do kick ass with their products - cheers for rocky mtn and raceface. A word of advice though, change the @#$% ESP derailleur, mine broke into 2 after a stationary - STATIONARY - fall. For the bike, must be worth 5 flaming chillies. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver, BC
Date Reviewed: July 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I was going to get an Oxygen Race but couldn't find a frame my size. I was forced to move up to a 21 Thin Air. The extra cash outlay was worth it though. This bike feels like a feather while climbing and making its way over North Shore roots. Downhill is handled quite responsively by the Bobmber Z2s although a bit more travel would be nice (Z1s next time). I must comment that the ESP 1:1 actuation ratio in the rear gives incredibly speedy shifts and has yet to go out of tune. Minor trouble with the spokes on my rear wheel loosening (not enough spoke prep goo?) compliments of Chris (grr) at Wheeltech. Also, is it me or do Synchros stems seem to loosen up a bit too easily? Ignoring the minor issues, this is one 'sweet' ride. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a racer
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: May 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I posted right after I got my 98 TA around the new year and said I'd follow up so here it is. THE BIKE IS STILL SWEET! After being thoroughly thrashed in three
big races and a midweek race series it is holding up well. I needed to re-adjust the rear derailleur last week(minutely), but that is after leaving it untouched for four months. No qualms with ESP. I replaced the slightly uncomfy saddle with a Flight ti, the grips with some Pedros, the fast wearing Taya chain with an XT and the brake pads with Kool-Stops (wore out). The first two were personal choices, so I have really only needed to put about $45(CAN) into the bike, and I have been putting in the miles! Yes, the levers are still plastic, but I have learned to love them.
Keep the bike clean, and it'll stay loyal.
If you buy a Thin Air, you won't be disappointed.
Keeps my original rating! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
No name
a racer
from Canada, the best country there is!!!
Date Reviewed: May 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This bike beats anybike there is, it comes stock with the best components and RaceFace cranks, also canadian made and the best, I put Z1's on mine and it rules over any bike there is, they may comment about my bike on XC races but after the race when im in first they will all go out and buy this bike and Z1's this bike rules. It's great for singletrack and fast downhills, also since it is made up here in B.C. it is meant to handle all of the tough terrain and north shore riding we have to offer. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a cross-country rider
from Toronto, Ontario
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought my Thin-Air 2 years ago and it still kicks ass!! I just upgraded from partly LX to complete XT.. I put on some Judy SL (my Manitou Mach 5 SX got really dinked) and I have put on some Mavic SuP 217s.. I am really happy with this bike, light, looks cool, rides good.... Takes the big hits well.
Paint job is phenomonal!! I only have 3 scratches on it! And I ride hard!
Hmm.. Nothing more to say.. GO BUY THIS BIKE!!! IT kicks ass! Change the tires though! Suggesting Panaracer Dart + Smoke.. Still #1 in my book!
Thanks Rocky Mountain for the great ride, for a great price... Keep up the good work on the trail, in the shop and with the service.. Great Web Page too!!
http://www.bikes.com or their froriders page http://www.freeriders.com
Thanks again! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a racer
from Burnaby
Date Reviewed: March 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got the new Thin Air two weeks ago with XTR components instead of XT. i have taken it on two rides and the first ride busted my back wheel on a small stupid crash (no reason for the wheel to go potato chip) Yesterday went out again in North Van and busted my saddle, it just poped out. The wheel that was busted Rocky Mountain replaced with no complications. But i tell ya guys when the baby isn't busted she is the sweetest thing it just Rocks!!!!!!! so far i give a three star but lets see how she does next week a the Burnt Classic and i might change my mind | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean
a cross-country rider
from Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Rocky Rulez! I have a '96 Thin Air avec XTR components and a carbon fibre Judy fork. It weighs nothing and climbs like mad. The geometry works great for technical riding but still manages to inspire confidence in the fast stuff. The factory anti chainsuck thing was a nice touch! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Faul
a cross-country rider
from OTTAWA, ON - CANADA
Date Reviewed: February 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought this bike back in '96 for $1700 CDN and have had two awesome seasons of riding so far, mainly in the Gatineau Hills. The bike is very light, and is superbly outfitted - great for climbing. Very nice drive train, and the shocks are adequate for cross country riding. I didn't care for the WTB tires, and just upgraded to Bontranger Jones and Revolt tires which handle great. The LX brake pads were a bit shabby as well, so I threw on some Eagle Claws which made a big difference.Overall an excellent bike, that hasn't cost me anything in repairs so far, and very little in upgrades.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Billy
a weekend warrior
from Vermont
Date Reviewed: February 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Great Bike! Everything about it is great, except I wish that they had put a clear coat over the decals. They took the time to give it such a nice powder coat paint job, it would have been nice to protect it with a clear coat. But that isn't enough, when you consider everything else (great climbing and handling, and best value on the market), to keep it from getting 5 chillies | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Desi Leo
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date Reviewed: January 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Oh baby i tried this bike out in Whistler a week ago and it busted after i went off a cliff. I had to pay a shitload of cash to fix the damn ass bike. Only SuperMan could fix a peice of shit like thatTHANKS FOR NOTHING YOU PEIVCCE OF SHIT ASS HOES THERES YOUR 50 WORDS | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew M.
a racer
from Toronto, Ontario
Date Reviewed: January 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got a 98 Thin Air a couple of days ago and am very impressed.
For the price it is unbeatable. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe
mail order stores are selling them for about $1850 US. I got mine for
$1999 Canadian. Not to shabby. I haven't been able to really ride it yet,
due to incredibly low temperatures, but I can tell you that this bike is
mint. Go to the Rocky site to check out complete specs (note: for some
reason they are shipping 98 Blizzards and Thin Airs with syncros ti seat
posts, I'm not complaining) Also, mine is a really nice blue, not the red
shown. Supposedly only 500 were made, which is pretty cool, and the frame &
wheels are initialed by the builders. The only parts on the bike that I
am the least bit concerned about are the ESP levers, which are kind of
cheesy, but I think they'll hold up. Anyways, until I get in some serious
saddle time (at least march) definitely five stars. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew
a cross-country rider
from Eugene, Oregon
Date Reviewed: December 31, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Wow! I love this bike. I have the 1997 one in that hot blue. I gave mine a few upgrades - XTR rear derailleur and XTR brakes, Marzzochi Z2 bomber front suspension and WTB sst-ti saddle, Gore ride-on cables. I think that was all the new stuff, but I may be forgetting some things. This is the best bike I've ever had and there are only 474 other people out there with my bike. I don't think any company make a better bike for the money. It climbs like a maniac! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Geoff
a cross-country rider
from canada
Date Reviewed: August 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Excellent bike. I have been riding mine for almost a year now. Super light, fast.great climbing. have not brocken anything yet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Won-Jae Cha
a weekend warrior
from Toronto, Ont
Date Reviewed: August 17, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased my Thin Air in 94. I loved how light the bike was, which resulted in a fast and agile ride. Although I would have liked better forks then the Quadras it came with. My bike took a lot of abuse on trails such as Mt. Seymour, Whistler, and many North Shore mountains in Vancouver. My only concern was the life of the thin aluminum tubes; I put quite a few dings on it. Would I buy another Thin Air? No, I would pay the extra coin and buy a Rocky Mountain Blizzard or Vertex; of course I would invest in a better lock as well since Rocky Mountain bikes are in great demand in Toronto! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brodie
a cross-country rider
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: July 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is one sweeeet bike! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Brett
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date Reviewed: June 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Sweeeeeeeeet! I'm going to keep this frame for the rest of my life. Extremely light and durable. Rocky Mountain is the only way to go. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tres
a cross-country rider
from toronto
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
this bike is definitely a sweet machine. I picked up the '97 model and it was wotht every penny. Upgrade the derailers to xtr, the rims to mavic 217's and the hubs to chris king's and there wouldn't be a better machine out there. Mayby some bigger riders could consider bars which are a bit wider. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
peter brink
a cross-country rider
from kingston ny
Date Reviewed: May 25, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
this bike fits like a glove .it climbs like a banshee!!
light ,stiff, fun to ride. great on winding singletrack.
a bit twitchy on
superfast downhill stuff ,but thats not my strong point anyway
5 hot peppers for this one
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug Swanson
a racer
from MN,USA
Date Reviewed: April 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have just bought this bike so I have to give it a 5 but it is really fast. I can't wait to race it because it is so fast. The frame is just as good or better that a Yeti. I put XTR on it and have not one complaint. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
celly
a weekend warrior
from Calgary, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I always wanted a Rocky and I finally took the plunge buying a '97 Thin Air. I replaced the Judy XC with SL's and the Ritchey pedals with 747's. What a sweet bike and super light. Took it out on the trails today for the first time and although I didn't push it hard, it begs to be ridden hard. Can't wait to push this work of art to the limit. Well done RMB! A definite 5 chilis! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MORT THE MTBER
a racer
from GREENVILLE,SC
Date Reviewed: March 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
HEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL YA!!!!!!!!!!!!HALL OF FAME!!GOOD JOB ROCKY!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
van
a cross-country rider
from vancouver, WA usa
Date Reviewed: February 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
theh only one bike to have for cross-country ! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BIGMORT THE MTBER
a racer
from GREENVILLE,SC
Date Reviewed: February 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
ONE THINGS FOR SURE:THIS BIKE IS ONE HELL OF THE BEST VALUED,BEST PRICED,BEST RIDING,
BEST COMPONENT SPEC IVE EVER SEEN,STIFF,COMPLIANT,SINGLETRACK BLAZIN,
SWEET RIDIN,SHOCK ABSORBIN,TREK EATIN,C-DALE EATIN,ANIMAL OF A BIKE.I
PUT V BRAKES,XTR RAPIDFIRE,JUDY XC'S,CONTRL TECH STEM,AND A THERMO
BAR ON IT,AND IT IS THE SHHHHHHHHIT!BUY IT!!!!
GOOD JOB ROCKY MTN.
I BOUGHT THIS BIKE USED.....ITS THE ONLY BIKE I WOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF
BUYING USED!!!
INFINETELY MANY STARS!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a cross-country rider
from Etobicoke, Ontario
Date Reviewed: February 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought the frame and built it with my own spec - '96 xts, control tech ( can't afford syncros ), Judy SL (used) and Race Face crankarm. Coming from a steel Kona, I thought the Thin Air would feel too stiff yet to my surprise the frame flexes at the right spot giving the bike a livelier feeling than most Alloy bike I've ridden before ( CAD3 frame, Schwinn Homegrown ). The frame geometry, with super sloping top tube ( the reason I bought the frame ) allows tremendous clearence and the paint job ( bought the frame used ) seem to holdup even after two years. Overall a great frame. Saw the '97 complete Thin Ait at a LBS recently - although I love my bike, I wish I could have that one, too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gjermund Espeseth
a weekend warrior
from (Hamar)Norway
Date Reviewed: January 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Rocky Mountain Blizzard
I have buildt a custom Blizzard.With XT,XTR,Syncros,Judy.It works perfektly,and its awsome on downhill and singletracks.The steel frame is stiff,quick and it have a racing geometry that make the bike very fast.Just try it,and fall in love.I'll give my Girl 5 Hot chillis. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean Donaldson
a racer
from Toronto Canada
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
It's one digadi dank bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Burpo
a cross-country rider
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This is the best bike I have ever ridden priced under $1500. The bike is very
quick in the singletrack and the acceleration is awesome. The drivetrain is
very stiff (Raceface cranks & Easton HBO tubing). I've been thrashing this bike
for about a month now and the wheels are still true (They are hand-built by
wheeltech). I'm 5'8, 165 lbs and the 17.5 frame fits perfectly.
Things I don't like. - Front tire just plain sucks. Average braking and very
poor cornering (read: dangerous). If you buy one of these bikes you should buy
a new front tire with it.
Big S LX brakes are adequate. I replaced the pads with Aztec Mags and got
a noticable improvement.
I got mine on-sale for $1200 so these minor defecits weren't enough to change
my overall rating... Five Hot Chilies. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Norris C.
a weekend warrior
from Vancouver , BC
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The Rocky Mountain Thin Air is a HBO alluminum bike. I upgraded the shocks from quadra's to Judy's. The bike is great on forest trails, but lacks on rocky downhilling. I find it tends to bounce around a lot going down the mountain compared to the GT Zaskar, but it handle's very well in the forest.
| | Overall Rating: |
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