Submitted by
Jon Cooper
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey, England Date Reviewed: May 3, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Coed y Brenin, Wales
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$4000.00
Strengths:
Beautiful to look at! Strong but light as a feather, flies
Weaknesses:
There was a problem with the frame - had to be returned under warranty - RM were fantastic about it.
Similar Products Used:
Rocky Mountain Equipe
Bike Setup:
XTR, Raceface, Sybcros stem, X Lite riser bars, Pace RC36 forks - top notch stuff
Bottom Line:
Still love the paint job - suffers a bit from chain suck which has caused some issues with the chain stays
A joy to ride - keep it up RM
A bike for those who enjoy the trails - it tackles any hill wihtout a second thought
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andreas
a Cross Country Rider
from Innsbruck, Austria Date Reviewed: August 11, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Tremalzo/Gardasee
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$3500.00
Purchased At:
Radstudio Innsbruck
Strengths:
Light, stiff, great paintjob, best geometrie,
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Rocky Mountain Element t.o., Wilier triestina
Bike Setup:
Shimano XT, Rock Shox, Syncros,
Bottom Line:
Best bike ever had (the 99 ltd. edition). Great in climbs, perfect in single trails. With UST-tubeless setup the perfect bike for all conditions!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Big Daddy
a Racer
from Canada Date Reviewed: July 7, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Birch, the Pan Am '99 race course
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Geometry, stiffness, weight, beautiful paint job (I hvae the '98, by far the prettiest one they have ever made), handles like a cat on velcro.
Weaknesses:
none with the setup I have now (had trouble with the 98 Race Face cranks with XTR shifters - wouldn't go into granny under load, remedied with XTR crankset).
Similar Products Used:
Specialized M2, Cannondale, Rocky Mountain Hammer Race, etc.
Bike Setup:
AMP F3 Carbon fork, full XTR, Ti Cane Creek wheelset, Frogs, Race Face Carbon bars, Dean Ti post (Ti post a must), Conti Dual fighter tires.
Bottom Line:
As set up above, this bike is 19.5 lbs! That AMP fork only weighs 2.2 lbs, so that helps alot going from the Z2 anchor that was on it stock. This bike is amazing, handles beautifully up and down, gotta say it is a little light on the front uphills, so you need to get used to leaning that much more forward. Never had or ridden a better bike, highly recommend it. I rarely give 5 flaming dead horses, this is one of the products that deserves it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill
a Racer
from Canmore,Alberta Canada Date Reviewed: May 3, 2000
Favorite Trail:
ANY
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
this is a very responsive bike!!great for the extreme technical riding and nice and true downhill!!have a Dekerf as well and for the price difference between the two would take my Rocky in a heartbeat
Weaknesses:
the 0 degree rims are very heavy and would recommend changing as well as the z1 bam fork !! oh ya i have the 98 model!!the bam fork i seem to go through seals like mad,they are cheap to redo but gets annoying after a few times,tried the superfly fork but didnt think the adjustments were good enough so stuck with the bamz1
Similar Products Used:
Dekerf,gary fisher x-caliber
Bike Setup:
full xtr,race face(bars,cranks,post)roox headset,z1 bam fork
Bottom Line:
This bike is great for beginners to racers,although the price may scare a few away i would highly recommend it anyday for those whom wish to ride,race or even learn and progress to the higher levels,i would like to give it a 4.5 for overall because of the rims and fork but is leaning toward a 5 !
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alison T
a Racer
from Abbotsford, BC Canada Date Reviewed: April 29, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Ledgeview
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
well... great for the climbing and i like it on the down hill also. Good for trials
Similar Products Used:
thin air
Bike Setup:
oxygen parts, Z2 atom bomb
Bottom Line:
GOOD BIKE
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Davidson
a Racer
from Palo Alto, CA Date Reviewed: January 24, 2000
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Nimble Handler. Great geometry. Nicely spec'ed out.
Weaknesses:
None. I've broken two deraileur hangers and they are pretty hard to come by.
Similar Products Used:
Trek 8900, Kona Explosiv, Rocky Mountain Blizzard
Bike Setup:
Stock except for SRAM shifters instead of Rapid Fire
Bottom Line:
This is such a nice bike that my wife wishes she got one as well instead of buying a Trek 8900. I have raced this bike and have taken it to Moab, Mr. Toad's and other places and it's beed an incredible performer. This is the best handling bike that I've ever ridden. I would gladly buy another one in a second.
My only problem is with the Marzocchi Z2 Bam (on the 98). It's a wonderfull fork, feels great and fairly easy to maintain except that it's pretty heavy and I go thorough seals every 6 months. I guess that's to be expected for heavy use. My wife's SID has long bit the dust on her Trek.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Racer
from T.O Can. Date Reviewed: November 13, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Mt.Saint-Anne Qu./ Camp fortune
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
The Vertex screams through tight and twisty singletrack, keeps it's line up the most deadly technical uphills and descends like a dream, as well as having one of the nicest paint-jobs I have ever seen.
Weaknesses:
Besides the heavy sun 0 deg. xc rims. Nothing!
Similar Products Used:
Specialized M4, RM Cardiac, Hammer, element race, Schwinn homegrown team.
Bike Setup:
All stock, besides: -xt hubs/cassette -SDG S7000 ti saddle -raceface air alloy bar (don't trust carbon!)
Bottom Line:
Even at four and a half G's,the RM Vertex t.o represents one of the best bikes for value and performance. I recomend it to any hardcore x-c racer who can shell out the extra cash for a superior product; if not, just get a thin air instead. Nothing less that five chilies for this machine.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pip
a Racer
from Toronto, Canada Date Reviewed: November 6, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Camp Fortune
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Ride Quality is great!
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Other Rocky's, Kona's, Klein's etc.
Bike Setup:
XTR, Race Face, Chris King, Profile.
Bottom Line:
Kick Ass ride! Great for climbing\decending and tight single track.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
RGS
a Cross-Country Rider
from SAC CA. Date Reviewed: October 9, 1999
Favorite Trail:
AUBURN
Duration Product Used:
more than 3 years
Strengths:
BUILD QUALITY, WARRANTY,HELPFULLNESS
Weaknesses:
YOU CANT STOP LOOKING AT IT,
Similar Products Used:
KHS RITCHEY,GARY FISCHER.
Bike Setup:
FULL XTR, RACE FACE,SID,RITCHEY OCR WHEELS AND RITCHEY 2X9 DRIVE.
Bottom Line:
YOU SPEND TIME RIDING THIS BIKE NOT FIXING AND OR WAITING FOR WARRANTY ISSUES, AND IF YOU DO BREAK IT LIKE I HAVE IT IS TAKEN CARE OF IN A PROFFESIONAL WAY QUICKLY. GREAT JOB ROCKY, AND WHATS BETTER THAN TO RIDE A NORTH AMERICAN BUILT BIKE!!!!.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
james
a Racer
from waterloo ontario Date Reviewed: September 1, 1999
Favorite Trail:
camp fortune/ horseshoe valley
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
a good fast cross country race bike. Good climbing and excellent decents.
Weaknesses:
the warranty sucks ass, the frame and fork warranties are good but when it comes to the parts that break, nothing is covered and when you pay that much for the bike you want some security
Similar Products Used:
RMB thin air, Rmb cardiac, Fisher Mt tam, Giant 890, Marin Indian fire trail, Rmb hammer race, rmb blizzard
Bike Setup:
pro set up
Bottom Line:
A great bike, a must try. If only the ass holes at the dealers would warranty the parts i would have no complaints.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
CheeseDevil
a Cross-Country Rider
from London, ON Date Reviewed: August 25, 1999
I no longer seem to need to be in shape for riding, as it has quite a large weight difference from my old bike. Frame geometry is great for climbs and maneuvering, very stiff. Looks great, and works great.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MAX
a Cross-Country Rider
from Toronto Date Reviewed: June 12, 1999
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
awesome bike
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
there's nothing out there
Bike Setup:
syncros, xtr, use
Bottom Line:
an excellent bike
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dustin
a Racer
from canada Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999
Favorite Trail:
whistler
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
the frame geometry rules perfect for climbing and for technical desents
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
peice of sh!t kona
Bike Setup:
all stock
Bottom Line:
Buy this bike you will be a very satisfied customer
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross-Country Rider
from seoul, korea Date Reviewed: May 23, 1999
Duration Product Used:
more than 3 years
Bike Setup:
XTR allset, Chris KIng Headset, Cross-max wheel
Bottom Line:
My body is Sick... after riding(Verte.t.o) Rocksy Mountain Vertex.t.o have Very Short Top-Tube. Because, I like a Long Frame(Long Top Tube).
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross-Country Rider
from Palo Alto Date Reviewed: April 30, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
There are none.
Weaknesses:
The company, the people in the company, the warranty.
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
Fine until you call on the warranty. It responds to nothing. R/Mountain people have taken warranty denial 101 at Cocunut College. Strictly garbage.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric Shueller
a racer
from Denver Colorado Date Reviewed: January 7, 1999
Bottom Line:
I have been racing for three and a half years now for the Wolf Creek team as a semi-pro, and this has been the best hardtail that I have ever raced. And I have raced on a Trek 9900 and a Litespeed Owl Hollow. I have always been a big fan of Rocky Mountains component selection, and this is by far there best. The Marrazocchi Z2 Atom Bomber is sweet. They are light with out sacrificing its abundant plushness and travel. The Race Face crank is the best. It is stiff and light and looks cool too. Of coarce, I would not race any bike with out XTR deraillers, brakes and shifters. The frame is sub three lbs and yet super stiff aluminum that climbs like a beast. On my first race with it at Big Bear, I was testing it out for Rocky Mountain. I was suprised. It was extremely light and handles perfectly in mud, rocky downhill, steep uphill climbs and fast sprints. After that test ride, I went out and bought one and have had it ever since and haven't changed any parts. If you are a die hard racer or a junior going up the ranks, this is the bike is for you.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bitchen
a racer
from Vancouver, Canada Date Reviewed: November 4, 1998
Bottom Line:
Rocky mountain recently gave me the Vertex T.O and i haven't been able to race it, but just riding at the shore this bike handled wounderfully. This bike is light, strong, and super fast. It would be even better if they got rid of the XTR shit and used the ESP.
Overall Rating:
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