Rocky Mountain Element C70 Review - Fast, confident and versatile

The new Rocky Mountain Element saw a complete re-design that left some die-hard cross-country racers questioning its identity due to its enduro-inspired geometry in an XC-weight package. Offering a fairly steep seat angle, a head angle around that 65-degree sweet spot, and two bottles inside the main triangle all wrapped up in a 26-ish pound package, the new Element should please a wide range of riders from the race crowd to bikepackers and to those who enjoy riding a wide range of trail networks.

Rocky Mountain Element C70 Highlights

✅ Pros:

• The lightweight frame and geometry make for a really fun bike to ride.
• Generous space inside the main triangle for a frame bag or room for two standard water bottles. The size large frame fits two 26oz bottles in standard top-pull cages. The size small frame fits two 22oz bottles, but side loaders are needed.
• Sleeved cable routing inside the frame for easy cable routing.
• RIDE4 for subtle geometry tweaks.
• The size small maintains 29” wheels as opposed to going 27.5”.
• SRAM UDH ready.
• Price: $6,299

❌ Cons:

• Noisy PF92 bottom bracket.
• If you’re an enduro rider, you may find the more cross-country-oriented component spec to be undesirable.
• The extended lower headset cup made the bike feel a bit too nervous handling for those coming from more of the cross country/trail riding experience.
• Not available with a SRAM component spec.

💲Buy If:

• You want a versatile short-travel bike for racing, trail riding, or bikepacking.

Shop the Rocky Mountain Element at Jenson USA

Rocky Mountain Element C70 Component Highlights
Rocky has placed the Element as the company’s flagship XC bike, and I think they did a phenomenal job finding a balance between XC and light-duty trail capabilities with the component specs. The Carbon 70 model we have for review is spec’d with XT 2-piston brakes paired with 180mm rotors, Maxxis Rekon 2.4 tires that are hard to complain about, a 130mm Fox 34 with FIT4 damper, 175mm dropper, and as many gears as one could need with Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain. The WTB/Race Face wheelset isn't anything special, but the 10-degree hub engagement of the Race Face Trace hub was better than expected and really seemed just fine.

I did, however, start to notice the bottom bracket creaking from the Shimano (24mm spindle/PF92 BB) interface after 300 miles which became the standard soundtrack to each ride.

Lower Headset Cup
To extend or not to extend? When the Rocky showed up, it came equipped with a 10mm lower headset cup, and after talking to Rocky’s marketing guru, Andreas Hestler, he explained that due to some supply chain delays, some Elements had the 10mm cup and some with the intended zero-stack. The Element’s geometry chart on the site is based on the zero-stack, so with the 10mm extended cup installed, you can tack on an additional half degree of slackness to the charts giving the bike a range of 64.5-65.3 degree head angle versus the zero-stack with a 65-65.8 degree head angle.
Personally, I preferred the feel with the zero-stack; however, what this does tell me is that If you want a true XC-style bike, you can put a 120mm fork on there with the 10mm extended cup or lean on the brappy side with a 140mm fork and zero-stack cup and effectively maintain the stock geometry with subtle tweaks utilizing the RIDE4 settings.

Climbing
As someone who spends most of his time riding and racing singlespeeds, I prefer a more efficient pedaling platform, as I like to stand and climb often, and this bike felt very natural to do so. Each frame size has a size-specific damper tune on the Fox DPS shock. After setting the Element up with about 25% sag, I never found that I needed to lockout the shock, but there were some flow trails where I preferred the stiffer feel of the shock in the medium setting. With that said, I never fiddled with the FIT4 damper settings after getting it set up to 20% sag. As a Fox 34 owner for quite some time now, I can't say I can recall the last time I locked the fork out and wouldn't have opposed the GRIP2 damper on this bike.

The Element’s seated pedaling position puts the rider in a slightly forward position but in a way that feels balanced, as if you’re within a pocket of the bike rather than over one end or the other. The steeper seat angle also puts the ergonomics of the pedal stroke inline to slightly ahead of the BB shell providing a more efficient and comfortable seated climbing position.

With the extended lower headset cup adding an additional 10mm which is roughly equal to a half degree of added slack to the front end, I found that the front end became a little lazy and wanted to wander, especially at slower speeds. It wasn't out of control by any means, but I did consciously have to think about keeping the front wheel where I wanted it. Once I replaced the extended lower cup with a zero-stack, the wondering stopped, and I felt a bit of sharpness return to the overall handling.

Sharpness aside, compared to some recent XC bikes I have ridden, the Element didn't feel any less efficient compared to the Santa Cruz Blur or Pivot 429, at least when there wasn't a switchback or tight corner where the Element’s length was abundantly apparent. Compared to some of the more trail-oriented bikes like the Santa Cruz Tallboy, Pivot 429 Trail, and Reval Ranger, the Element felt a bit more eager to get to the top.

Descending
Coming from either end of the spectrum of XC or trail, I think you’ll find that the Element is an absolute blast to rip on the descents. The enduro-inspired geometry in an XC weight package is just plain fun and Rocky hit it right on the money with the new Element.

The suspension leans a bit on the more supportive tune compared to other short-travel bikes, but not to be confused with a typical XC tune. Think light-duty trail versus trail. I found the Element feels planted and composed on the high-speed descents if you are willing to pick good lines and pilot your ship versus mindlessly plowing your way down the mountain. I could certainly see getting yourself into some hairy situations and finding the limits of a short travel bike, but the progressive curve kept me from blowing through all the travel even when I made some bonehead moves at speed.

Compared to the Blur, Ranger and 429, the Element is more stable, plusher, and more enjoyable to descend on than any of these bikes. They are not even in the same league when it comes to descending. As for the Tallboy and Pivot Trail 429, I wouldn't say either is more capable per see, but these bikes do feel slightly more plush compared to the Element.

The Element’s long and slack geometry really suits a rider who likes challenging terrain and has a tendency to enjoy pushing their bikes a little harder than perhaps they were intended for or just doesn't want to be lugging around their 30-pound plus park bike at the local hill.

Not Bad at Bikepacking, Either
The Element offers very generous front triangle space for both bottles or a frame bag. I wasn't able to get a frame bag during the review; however, the space is plentiful and may offer just as much volume as some popular bikepacking hardtails. The inside of the front triangle has a lower set of 3-pack mounts and an upper set of dual mounts, so you could easily get a nice direct mount frame bag made if you desired.

Headed out to a local trail network with a full night of gear, the Element presented no surprises, and I am at a loss for reasons why this bike is not seen more often within the bikepacking crowd. It’s lightweight and offers generous front triangle space while being an exceptionally well-mannered bike.

Bang for the Buck: Is the Rocky Mountain Element C70 a Good Value?
The C70 model will set you back $6,299, but the C50 model at $4,769 is a very appealing price point—so much so that my wife purchased the C50 for herself after I spoke so highly of my test bike.
The C50 jumps out at me more since there are really only grams that separate an SLX and XT brakes. The biggest difference is that you lose the Performance Elite for a regular Performance suspension setup, moving from a FIT4 damper for the regular GRIP damper, and you get a Rocky-branded dropper. Second-hand Fox 34s can be had for around $700, if not much less if you are patient enough, and a PNW or OneUp dropper can be picked up for under $200 new. Two items that, when all is said and done, probably just make sense to upgrade once the OE parts need to be serviced.

Rocky Mountain Element Verdict
From big days on the Colorado Trail, chomping through some of the chunkiest backcountry trails I’ve experienced, swooping along Colorado’s flow trails, and even serving as the kiddo trailer hauler on double track to the brewery, the Element has been an absolute pleasure to ride.

I love how versatile the new Rocky Mountain Element is. That’s not to say you should go rip the big lines at the bike park, as it is still a light-duty short-travel bike. However, the Element confidently holds its own in the steep and techy where most riders would opt for bigger bikes. On the other hand, the Rocky Mountain Element would also be my first choice for endurance races like the Breck Epic, Transylvania-Epic, or BC Bike Race. I can't personally speak to the latter of that mix, but given that Rocky Mountain is the primary sponsor of the event and the Element was designed around said event, it’s probably safe to bet the bike would excel.

In my opinion, the Rocky Mountain Element defines what a modern XC race bike should be. It’s been challenging to hold back on all the industry buzzwords. It’s by no means a "quiver killer," but it covers a wide scope of what people want to do on their mountain bikes. If you’re coming off a fairly modern trail or XC bike, the Element shouldn't feel overly long or slack. However, it will be an adjustment if you are accustomed to that more aggressive point-and-shoot cross-country sharp-shooter. Those coming off a longer travel enduro or trail bike will find the Element may be the perfect bike when not at the bike park.

Whether you want to dabble in a local XC race, do an overnight bikepacking excursion, gear up for a week-long stage race, or take a trip out West for long days of big mountain riding, the Rocky Mountain Element will serve you well in each scenario.