[Dirtjumper999]

How do rocky mountain bikes handle on the downhill race course. my friend is looking at buying one for the next season just to try it out. I told him it really wasn't a race oriented bike. could someone end this arguement. How does that design feel on the course?

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

Speaking purely out of my ass (because i dont feel like looking it up), but traditionally Rocky's have that "shore" huck feel to them...Prob not the best choice as a race bike...You might want to go to nsmb to check out some reviews on them, as you wont find much Rocky support on this board.

Out of curiosity...If he is going to be racing why look at Rocky's when there are so many good race frames out that can be ridden on all the freeride stuff as well?

 

[Dirtjumper999]

cause he's an idiot, and won't listen to me, i keep telling him that just cause the frame looks cool doesn't mean it should be your last choice. i told him to go for a more race like bike, ie. v10, m3, m1, sunday. etc. but he won't listen unless i get all of the back ups. like this forum. but yeah what can i say he's an idiot

 

[Brian Peterson]

A Rocky will work fine for racing.... I have known several people who race on them...

Brian

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

I think it all comes down to how much racing he will be doing, and how competitive he is planning on being...When you get into the upper ranks of expert and what not, a pure bred race bike does give you the edge.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

A Rocky will work fine for racing.... I have known several people who race on them...

Brian

He is just saying that because Rocky MTN bought 4,000 units of 888's from his company this year neaky:

 

[Jimmy_Pop]

beach cruisers are good DJ bikes cause i know a guy who knows a guy who used one

Seriously though, if your buddy wants a RM, let him get one. Sounds like he will never know the difference. Let him be happy!!

 

[Dirtjumper999]

well, he's fast rider, but this will be his first year racing, and i'm just worried that he's gonna put tons of money into this bike and just have it turn out to be crap for racing. Well i'm really the descision maker for him cause we have to have our shock sizes for our new bikes into our sponsor by the end of the day, and i told him that if rocky turns out to be a crappy race bike, then i'm choosing a bike for him. i'm thinking a redline monocogneaky: , but really i'm just gonna order him a m3, thanks guys

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

just get him the rocky...

 

[Dirtjumper999]

alright. one rmx comein up. but if he sucks i'm blaming it all on you guys j/k but yeah looks like he's gonna be riding a rmx with 88rc

 

[bikenweed]

Woa, if he's only been riding for a year, a full DH bike is a little excessive. Riding a hardtail for a couple more years or at least a short travel frame will teach him proper technique and line choice. It seems like a little soon to dive in and spend several thousand dollars on some huge travel DH bike. That leads to bad habbits, and it is quite limiting. Might wanna check out an Enduro, a Big Hit, a Ruckus, or a Heckler.

 

[Dirtjumper999]

dude, you have no idea about how progresseive this kid is. he started riding this little hardtail, then started doing 10"+ drops with it. then he went to a full susser (4") and did the same drops. now he's on a mid travel bike and he's almost keeping up with me on the downhills. this kid is progressing so fast. so yeah i think he'll be just perfect with an 8" travel bike, my problem has just been finding out which one to get him.

 

[dante]

A Rocky will work fine for racing.... I have known several people who race on them...

Brian

Pfft, next you're going to be telling us you know people who race on 888s.

 

[DirtyMike]

My Bro races on a RM7 there fine if you dopnt mind a pretty heavy bike. But yes they are more for freeride than racing. One thing to remember if your on the older RM's. they tend to crack at the rear shock mounts... The RMx Has this problem fixed on it

 

[Brian Peterson]

Really? I keep reading that the 888 is a freeride fork here... Yet I heard somewhere about some guy who has won a couple of World Championships on a freeride fork....

It cracks me up how so many people get so hung up on what bike is a freeride bike vs. what bike is a race bike... Yet, when I would go to a race I see many of the same bikes that I see when I would see when out at the local shuttle runs and such... Or when you see the some bike at a WC race and there are some of the same bikes at a freeride contest.. Go figure...

Brian

 

[DirtyMike]

Really? I keep reading that the 888 is a freeride fork here... Yet I heard somewhere about some guy who has won a couple of World Championships on a freeride fork....

It cracks me up how so many people get so hung up on what bike is a freeride bike vs. what bike is a race bike... Yet, when I would go to a race I see many of the same bikes that I see when I would see when out at the local shuttle runs and such... Or when you see the some bike at a WC race and there are some of the same bikes at a freeride contest.. Go figure...

Brian

Yeah Look at the crowns on teh ones guys are using for racing.... They will be that shiny polished aluminum instead of teh ano black... They make the form a couple inches shorter

 

[Brian Peterson]

I bet you won't be seeing those for 06...

Brian

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

I bet you won't be seeing those for 06...

Brian

Oh, Brian, it's 06', and everytime I look at my 888, I still see them.
P.S. I got your e-mail, just haven't replied.

 

[Brian Peterson]

Oh, Brian, it's 06', and everytime I look at my 888, I still see them.
P.S. I got your e-mail, just haven't replied.

lol...

You know, there will be probably be people who get an 06 888 and put on the an 05 low ride crown because they like the look of the older crown... Or they want to match if they get the Go-Ride upper crown with the built in stem... Whatever reason, there will always be somebody who has to change something...

Brian

 

[kidwoo]

lol...

You know, there will be probably be people who get an 06 888 and put on the an 05 low ride crown because they like the look of the older crown... Or they want to match if they get the Go-Ride upper crown with the built in stem... Whatever reason, there will always be somebody who has to change something...

Brian

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't the zoke crowns contact the arch if you set it at exactly 200mm above the seal on the lowers? I know the ones that were around last year did and the go-ride ones definitely don't.

 

[lovebunny]

hey kidwoo. i dont have a 400 spring but i got a 450

 

[kidwoo]

hey kidwoo. i dont have a 400 spring but i got a 450

Me too!

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

Uhhh, actually Brian, can you re-send me the e-mail. I deleted it yesterday I guess. Thanks.

 

[Zoso]

Back in the day, John Kirkcaldie smoked everyone at Vermont on a Rocky Mtn. with 24 inch wheels. They can be a good race bike if you're a good racer.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

Really? I keep reading that the 888 is a freeride fork here... Yet I heard somewhere about some guy who has won a couple of World Championships on a freeride fork....

It cracks me up how so many people get so hung up on what bike is a freeride bike vs. what bike is a race bike... Yet, when I would go to a race I see many of the same bikes that I see when I would see when out at the local shuttle runs and such... Or when you see the some bike at a WC race and there are some of the same bikes at a freeride contest.. Go figure...

Brian

I do agree with this totally, im just saying that if you plan on racing alot, it just makes sense to buy a race bike...almost all of the "freeride" bike can be raced but they arent the best tool for the job...

What am I saying, Im preaching the the choir (hope i spelled that right)

 

[Radarr]

What am I saying, Im preaching the the quire (hope i spelled that right)

It's Choir. Quire kinda is spelled how a uber-hick would say "queer".

Brian - question for ya: Why did you guys stop making the Shiver? I was just curious.

 

[kidwoo]

I do agree with this totally, im just saying that if you plan on racing alot, it just makes sense to buy a race bike...almost all of the "freeride" bike can be raced but they arent the best tool for the job...

What am I saying, Im preaching the the quire (hope i spelled that right)

Choir.

RMX frames actually have geometry very similar to a lot of bikes sold as "race frames".

But that's just no rocky's target demographic.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

It's Choir. Quire kinda is spelled how a uber-hick would say "queer".

Brian - question for ya: Why did you guys stop making the Shiver? I was just curious.

you just made me laugh so hard...cant believe i spelled it that way...im going to go back to work and make some important decisions involving a large corporation.

 

[Brian Peterson]

The Shiver just fell victim to evolution....

Brian

 

[Zutroy]

Back in the day, John Kirkcaldie smoked everyone at Vermont on a Rocky Mtn. with 24 inch wheels. They can be a good race bike if you're a good racer.

With an exploded rear shock....oh wait...the was every run he did on that setup.

 

[Radarr]

The Shiver just fell victim to evolution....

Brian

Ahh, random genetic mutation. It's a shame that it sometimes makes the good stuff go away.

Oh well, I guess it's going to be an '06 888 RC2x then. A "Freeridin' fork". Dang. :love:

 

[S.K.C.]

The RMX is a great frame, but since it is FR specific, the TT is a bit on the high side (they didn't put a bend in it near the seatpost mast until 04' - before that it used to have a straight TT like on an Orange 223/224, only taller - ouch) and the chainstays are pretty long at 453mm or 17.8"...

I'd suggest him to get a Chumba F4 (similar looking rear end) for racing, if he really digs the way the RMX looks...

 

[Brunettes]

you're not going to win unless you can ride, period. some people can win on trail bikes...because they're good, only at expert and pro levels will it make a differnece. All this DH only stuff is for the birds (and pros)

 

[Wayne]

A Rocky is fine for racing. Its got the angles and the travel and would suit a lot of people on mostly any course.

 

[Dirtjumper999]

well, i did some research, emailed rocky mountain, and they told me that the rmx was specifically designed to meet the needs of an extreme freerider. But they did say that it could be done. So what i'm gonna do is go ahead and order him a Specialized demo 8 or 9. And after he races the first couple seasons he can see what a race bike should be like, then he can race an rmx if he wants to. But yeah thanks for the help. and btw he told me ha already ordered his new 888. so he can't wait to race that.

 

[zmtber]

well here is some info:

www.nsmb.com

The 2005 Rocky Mountain RMX R3
Some Quality Time
Words Stefano Piccone
Images Cam McRae

The RMX is Rocky Mountain’s state-of-the-art, downhill/freeride bike. The 2005 lineup all featured eight inches of rear travel supplied by the new Fox DHX series shocks, matched to either the Marzocchi Jr. T or 888 forks. Our test bike was the R3, which is the top of the line, decked out in the full Saint kit, Marzocchi 888 R, Fox 5.0 DHX with Pro Pedal damping. The RMX also features the fourth generation Thrust Link suspension design that has been evolving since the introduction of the RM9. Incidentally this design was originally the Duhane Lam’s Master’s thesis at SFU. Since its inception various changes have been made to stiffen the linkage and increase the travel of this extremely responsive system, culminating in the RMX. The maintenance and strength issues that dogged some of the early RM models seem to have been bred out of the line as well.

The 2005 Rocky RMX at the Cypress bike park this last summer.

The frame is built of heavy duty Easton RAD DH Taperwall aluminum tubing assembled and welded in the Rocky Mountain Factory in Delta, a suburb of Vancouver. The beefy linkage plates are also CNC’d to hair breadth tolerances by Rocky Mountain allowing them exceptional quality control over the production. The linkage features large diameter outboard bearings and “yolk” pivot link which give the RMX a dramatic advantage over previous RMs in torsional stiffness.

As psyched as I was at getting the opportunity to ride and assess this bike, it was a little daunting to know it was designed for a range of performance that I just might not exhaust. The burly 888s with their wide stance and stanchion diameter, the hefty frame, and the beautifully machined linkage definitively give RMX a thoroughly bombproof appearance - this bike means business.

Parked at the ready.

I spend most of my riding time on an 18 inch 2001 RM6 with Junior T’s and by comparison, the 18 inch RMX felt much taller than what I’m used to. Since the Easton seat post tapers inwards the last inch or so before the seat clasp, I exchanged it for a straight post that allowed me to lower my seat that extra bit, making it more comfortable.

The very first ride was at the Cypress bike park opening day. As it turned out it was a particularly mellow way to get acquainted. One of the first things that stood out was how well the bike steered. The stiff fork’s 20 mm through axle paired with a true downhill rear hub (150mm spacing and 12 mm axle), may be old hat to some riders but I could really appreciate the way they helped the bicycle rail through the corners.

Stefano pproaching the steep section on Old School in the Cypress Bike Park.

The brakes just amazed me and even after half a dozen rides I continued to be blown away by how decisive and powerful they are. It’s always a good thing to combine a bike that loves to go fast, with the ability to stop. It took me a while to realize just how far I could let it hang out without worrying about reeling it in when I needed to. I rarely felt like single finger braking wasn’t enough, and that white-knuckled death grip that sometimes occurs when fatigue sets in on those long stretches of steep terrain seemed to be a thing of the past.

The linkage in the RMX has evolved into a burly stiff, low maintenance mechanism.

After the maiden voyage I replaced the pedals with a pair of Syncros because the Shimano DX’s that the test bike came with didn’t provide nearly enough grip. As soon as the terrain got steep the slightest bump would send both feet sliding off the pedals, leaving me riding my rear tire right into the linkage - an experience I don’t care to repeat.

One of the earlier impressions I had of the RMX was that it was going to take a little getting used to the heavy front end. Manuals and j-hops took a lot of energy and I didn’t feel immediately confident on slow approaches to drops for fear I’d get dragged down. It definitely felt like a lot of bike at slow speeds. Once the pace picked up, though, the bike felt nimble and stable. The eight inches of rear travel felt infinite and absorbed everything from the smallest hits on, while the 888s dominated up front.

Eight inches of travel - front and rear.

While climbing, the combination of the super-stiff integrated Saint crank set and the Fox Pro Pedal stable platform dampening give a very efficient feel to the pedal strokes for such a heavy long-travel bike. I did try to avoid climbing out of the seat as much as possible though, on account of front end bobbing and was often relieved that this model RMX comes with a front derailleur. In any case, the main thing is that the bike got me to the top of some pretty long and steep climbs, an important attribute for a well rounded free ride bike.

Stefano again. Rocking the Rocky on Digger's final creation for the Cypress Bike Park in 2005 - an as yet un-named trail.

Rocky Mountain delivers a very high quality home-grown product in this bike from the concept to construction. The in-house aspect of the RMX production gives Rocky the ability to provide excellent customer service particularly to riders in the Vancouver area - and the world over.

As for performance, its maneuverability, brakes and awesome suspension inspire heaps of confidence – occasionally more than warranted by my ability. It’s been such a blast riding these past months and I definitely feel like I’ve kicked it up a notch as a result of experiencing the virtues of this bike.

Do I really have to give it back?
2006 RMX Pricing: RMX1 $3999CAD; $3399USD RMX2 $4999CAD; $3999USD. RMX SE frame only (Crossfire) $3099CAD$2799USD; RMX 2 Frame Only $2999CAD; $2699USD. For pricing in other parts of our blue orb head down to your Rocky Mountain dealer.

here are the pics that goes with it:

 

[Red Bull]

It cannot be raced. It will internally combust at the sight of a starting gate.

 

[Dirtjumper999]

haha, well idk, he just told me he ordered a new bike, he wouldn't tell me what it was.

 

[bullcrew]

I think it all comes down to how much racing he will be doing, and how competitive he is planning on being...When you get into the upper ranks of expert and what not, a pure bred race bike does give you the edge.

First off thanks for the parts! You tha man!
Everyone said single pivots weren't great upper level race frames a year ago on here and look at the standings between cannondal, moorewood etc...
If your buddy likes the RM then he should do it, put a 24" on the rear for a better head angle and a floating brake to eliminate any brake Jak.
Go out and have a good time, it all breaks down to the rider and the course, equiptment plays a role but the biggest role is the rider.

 

[bullcrew]

With an exploded rear shock....oh wait...the was every run he did on that setup.

AAAHHH YES! Put an Avy on it and be done.