Submitted by
Ymiller
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton, Co USA Date Reviewed: October 19, 2009
Favorite Trail:
porcupine rim moab
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Climbs great, easy to manuever around, over and thru obsticles while climbing. Pedal bob is almost non-existent, in many cases I leave the pro-pedal off so I don't have to remember to turn it off on the descent. Very smooth and fast downhill. Suspension does its job extremely well. Handling is predictable and stable
Weaknesses:
occasional chain suck. Cables rub paint off head tube immediately...I know its a mtn bike and it will get scratched and beat up, but I prefer its from hard riding.
Similar Products Used:
specialized stumpjumper FSR (prior bike), before purchase test rode a Santa Cruz Blur LT, Yete 575, Canondale RZ 140
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
Very capable bike for all day riding with enough travel to enjoy and not worry about things if they get a litte nasty/hairy. Compared to the other bikes I tested, I felt this one climbed the best. With the slacker seat angles on the other bikes I found it tough to keep the front wheel on the ground on steep sections. The Rocky allowed me to keep enough weight forward without giveing up to much traction in the rear. So if your looking to keep the climbing ability of a true xc bike, but want 140mm of travel for more aggresive descents this bike is hard to beat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
saddlesore
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Date Reviewed: September 28, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Prairie View
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2500.00
Purchased At:
Private seller
Strengths:
pedals really really well. Great climber. Solid component specs. Pretty much Full XT with Raceface.
Weaknesses:
Some people are not fans of Raceface cranks or twitchy downhill handling. Everyone knows that Crankbrothers pedals are junk!
Similar Products Used:
2004 SantaCruz Blur, 2008 SantaCruz Blur XC spx.
Bike Setup:
Flat bars with barends, 8speed XTR shifters/rear cassette, better pedals. Mavic SLR Wheels and Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires
Bottom Line:
This bike is taller than expected, but stable with good traction. Suspension setup is your weight in pounds -10%, that lets the back end hold the ground better and lowers your centre of gravity. Once set up like that it pedals better than either of my Blurs did and is downright sweet on rough terrain with very plush suspension. Handleing is like my blur XC, a bit twitchy, and I love it that way There is very little bob even with the propedal off. Some don't like raceface, but they stand behind what they make and it performs like Sram and shimano. The XT brakes are certainly the new standard for XC brakes, I am a big fan of the modulation. The entire original drivetrain/brake spec was almost full XT which is remarkable these days. I hope to see more of it in the future.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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