Submitted by
brajal
a Downhiller
from Portugal Date Reviewed: June 19, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Purchased At:
_____
Strengths:
Very solid , it's a much better design then the previous a bit flexy RM series. I used it for 9 day downhill in a row in Costa Rica and man I felt that I could take every line with no problems.
Weaknesses:
Well with this set up it felt and is a heavy bike, but when it catches speed then this is not a major issue.
Similar Products Used:
Intense M1 , Schwinn S8, Vp-Free, many DH bikes....
Bike Setup:
It was the standard setup
Bottom Line:
I loved this bike, I would stay with this bike if I could, problably with lighter parts only.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Uncle Cliffy
a Downhiller
from Medford Oregon Date Reviewed: August 3, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Any Whistler black diamond...
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3600.00
Purchased At:
Bear Creek Bicycle
Strengths:
Low CG, Stiff, set-up options; Can be run with a triple crown or single, FR or DH...
Stock except wheels swapped for Hadley/Mavic 823 with XTR cassette and Syncros mag pedals.
Bottom Line:
This review is mostly for the frame, but I bought the bike complete since it came with Saint brakes, LG1, DHX 5.0 ect. The bike caught my eye since you can run different shocks for different set-ups, and the 1.5 headtube allows triple or single crown options. The frame is a large that fits me well, but has a long wheelbase. (I don't need tie-downs in my truck...)
Stability at speed is amazing. The BB height is just above 14 inches with the shock in the forward hole. Carving turns is great fun. Rocky decided to spec 175mm cranks for some reason and it's noticable with a bike this low. My pedals take a beating.
Great Whistler bike as you can mash the Garbanzo trails plus have fun on the jump trails... One problem to mention is the fork. It came with a 888rcv that had a serious fail on the 4th day owning the bike. Bushing broke in the lowers rendering the fork useless my first day in Whistler! Not stoked on 2008 Marzocchi...
Weight is up there currently at 46 lbs, but there are plenty of areas to trim weight. Rear axel is a solid chunk of steel, steel coil must weigh a ton, cranks will be changed out for new Saint or modified XT, and my tires are chunky right now as well. (Don't get me started on which fork I'll upgrade to...) I'll be happy to get the bike to 44 lbs. for a large.
Paint quality and welds are spot on. Classic Rocky quality, even if they are made overseas... This thing is built for high speed downhill. I would size down maybe if your trails are really technical, just to keep the wheelbase in check. I'm happy I went large though. This is the best fitting DH bike I've sat on. Ever. If you're looking for a solid, stiff plush DH frame, this thing rails and can handle some serious abuse. Loving it!
I'm giving 5 chilis for the frame, but as a complete it's really 4, and I'm going 4 for value for the semi weak spec that I've had issues with.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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