Rockhopper Expert 2021

mo6500 said:

Looking for a 29 HT. Not anythin fancy, just a solid and fun bike to ride on light trails/urban (will be using my FS bike for the more challenging trails) .

My son has the 2015 RH sport and he likes it a lot. I rode it a few times and liked it too
I'm considering the 2021 RH Expert because it has a good value fot money: RS air fork, SX 1X12 drivetrain, Shimano brakes (a reliable entery level, not Tektro) and tubeless ready rims and tires!

For 2021 the RH got an updated frame and geo, but these are hard times and no demo bikes are available. LBS says that all RH bikes he can get are backordered and sold out, so nothing on LBS floor too.

Did anyone ride this model and can share his thoughts?

Thanks, Mo.

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1. The 2017 was a women's frame; all are now men's. The fit feels similar, though it's hard to tell not having the two for a side by side comparison.
2. The 2017 stock tires were 2.1" Ground Control - fine for mixed surface riding; ok on paved surface (though a bit noisy) and good enough for my off-road needs. The 2021 comes with the same, but 2.3". The additional 1/4" of tread on the 2021 tires is less desirable for riding on pavement and more than I need off-road. The extra effort needed to pedal is quite noticeable, to me anyway. Fortunately, I still had the 2.1" tires from the 2017 (it had the GK tires when stolen). With spare wheels, I can easily switch from gravel tires to off-road, as needed. The only caveat is, 700x43 GK tires (as I had on the old bike) were unavailable, so I settled for 700x38. I've yet to test them on gravel to see how they perform.
3. I love the idea of the 1x drive train on the new RH; no front shifting to think about and less maintenance or chain issues. The gearing is taking a bit of getting used to. The low gear ranges work well for steep terrain, which is mostly when I ride pavement or gravel. On the other hand, the 2017 had a few more high gears for faster pedaling. This will take some getting used to.
4. As mentioned in point #2, the 2021 is equipped with wider tires. I think this tends to be the trend with MTB these days. This is easily remedied with a tire swap. If you plan to ride less agressively off-road as well as on pavement, I would suggest a gravel tire. I have the SK Plus tires, since I have the option of swapping to the Ground Control. If you want something a bit "knobbier", Panaracer has a couple of options: Gravelking AC and EXT. The SK and EXT both are offered in Plus+ models with better puncture resistance and more durable construction (also lighter in weight), for $10 additional cost. Note: Good luck finding any of these as they are routinely out of stock. I settled for SK in 700x38 whereas the stolen bike had the same, but 700x43, which was unavailable at my LBS.
5. As you stated, the 2021 has a redesigned geometry that Specialized describes as a melding of the previous RH and the now discontinued Chisel. I'm expecting this to be positive for my modifications as the Chisel was designed more as a XC bike, so better for hill climbing. The most obvious changes from the prior RH geometry (2015 and 2017 were the same) are:
   1. Longer reach and WB
   2. Lower standover height - Probably to account for the discontinuance of a women's frame. This does reduce room inside the frame's triangle for mounting bottles or bags, though it does come with two mounts for cages and will accomodate two water bottles.
   3. Head angle changed from 71 deg to 68.5 deg
6. I find the SRAM 12x1 to be very smooth shifting with small increments between gears until you get to the higher range, where the difference is more noticeable; as mentioned previously, another high gear would be nice. The 2021 Expert has a wider range cassette (12-spd 11-50 vs 9-spd 11-34) but with 1x front vs 2x), so 12 speeds vs 18. This may require some getting used to, but no front shifting is required to get the lower gears. I am also having to adjust to the difference in the SRAM shifters: Shimano was thumb/index finger while SRAM is thumb/thumb. With the Shimano I had to be careful, when shifting with the index finger, not to grab the brake lever. This is not a problem with the SRAM controls, but it does require a change of mindset if you are accustomed to Shimano shifters.
7. I haven't weighed the new RH, but expect it to be lighter with no front derailleur as well as an alloy steerer tube, vs steel on previous model.
8. Frame now comes equipped with mounts for panniers, fenders and kickstand
9. Only the two upper RH models (Elite and Expert) are equipped with air adjustable shocks; the older Pro had non-adjustable coil springs. This is a big improvement. Though there is no remote lockout on the shocks, as there was on my 2017, it is actually easier to reach down and manually lock/unlock the shocks.
10. Another upgrade I added to my new RH is a dropper post with remote cable. I mainly did this for ease of getting on and off, but it allows you to fine tune saddle height while seated.

mo6500 said:

My son's 2015 RH Sport still rides great!
A friend just picked up his 2022 RH Elite 29 the other day, after he waited for a little more than a year.
Shimano Deore 1X11 drivetrain & brakes, RockShox air fork, original tubeless wheels & tires, and even a beautiful satin doppio color...
He loves the bike and is very happy with this choice.
At this price point, it's one of the best value for money bikes out there and after riding it I consider getting one for myself too (fitness and commuting rides instead of my FS bike).

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