The Pipeline is back.
Sort of. The name may be the same, but the bike is certainly not. Rocky Mountain's new Pipeline is a 130mm travel rig - with a 150mm fork up front - that rolls on 27.5+ Maxxis Rekon 2.8'' wide tires, a recipe that should make for a trail bike that doesn't shy away from some rowdy riding. Rocky Mountain will have two versions of the Pipeline in their catalog, the $4,799 USD 770 MSL with Fox Factory suspension and a drivetrain mix of Shimano XT and Race Face, and the RockShox Yari RC and Monarch RT Debonair spec'd 750 MSL (shown above) that retails for $3,999 USD.
Both bikes are assembled around the same carbon fiber front triangle and aluminum rear end, but Rocky Mountain has no plans for a frame-only option at this point.
Pipeline Details• Intended use: trail riding
• Rear wheel travel: 130mm
• Fork travel: 150mm
• Wheelsize: 27.5+
• Carbon front triangle
• Aluminum rear end
• Single chainring only
• Clearance for up to 27.5 x 3.25'' tires
• Internal dropper post routing
• BB92 bottom bracket
• Boost hub spacing
• Sizes: S / M / L / XL
• Availability: mid May
• MSRP: 770 MSL - $4,799 USD, 750 MSL - $3,999 USD
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www.bikes.com /
@RockyMountainBicycles Big Tires, Same DNA
The 130mm travel Pipeline shares the same carbon fiber front triangle with another 130mm travel bike, Rocky Mountain's Instinct. But while the latter rolls on a conventional 29'' wheelset, the Pipeline sports 27.5 x 2.8'' wide rubber that is going to give it a very different personality on the trail. The 27.5+ specific Fox or RockShox 150mm travel fork on the front of the Pipeline also sports plus-specific offset numbers, and the bike's 443mm long aluminum rear-end is also specific to the Pipeline and made to clear 3.25'' tires.
The usual frame details are all there, including internal cable routing for a dropper post and all of the other lines. However, you won't ever need to think about installing cable and housing to control a front derailleur - this bike is for single chainring drivetrains only. A set of ISCG 05 chain guide tabs are found around its BB92 bottom bracket, and, being a 27.5+ bike, Boost axle spacing is used front and back.
Familiar SuspensionWhile it would have made for an interesting story, Rocky Mountain wisely chose not to go with the unified rear triangle suspension design employed on the original Pipeline from nearly two decades ago. Probably a smart decision. Instead, you'll find their Smoothlink four-bar design on the back of the second generation Pipeline, a setup the delivers 130mm of travel and also one that's been a proven performer over the years. If it isn't broke, don't try to fix it.
The major pivots are all of Rocky's BC2 variety, a bushing-based design with hardened alloy inserts that control the contact area of the bushing surfaces to keep things rotating smoothly. The setup, which evolved from Rocky's ABC pivots, is said to be lighter and stiffer than a more common sealed bearing-based system.
Just as you'll spot on many of Rocky Mountain's other high-end full-suspension bikes, the Pipeline features their chip-in-chip Ride-9 geometry and suspension rate adjustment system (shown at right) that allows for, you guessed it, nine different configurations. You can tinker with this to tune-in more ramp up if you need it, but without altering the bike's geometry. Or vice versa.
While fewer and fewer bikes are coming with adjustable suspension or geometry, Rocky Mountain continues to offer more setup options than pretty much any other company.
Wide But Not The WidestI've spent a ton of time on a few different plus-sized machines lately and have been happiest on those with 2.8'' wide rubber. It seems that I'm not the only one who thinks that this big-but-not-too-big tire size makes a lot of sense, with Rocky Mountain spec'ing both Pipeline models with Maxxis' Rekon EXO 27.5 x 2.8'' tires. While the difference between the Pipeline's tires and the 3.0'' rubber found on some other 27.5+ bikes may not seem like much, that 0.2'' of missing tire makes the bike feel more like a normal machine, but without diminishing the benefits of going with big meat - more traction and more forgiveness.
Both the 770 MSL and 750 MSL also come with Alex's mega-wide XM35 rims that should go nicely with the 2.8'' wide Maxxis tires.
So, What is the Pipeline For?Nothing in particular, which is what makes most of these plus-sized bikes so much fun. This is just a first look at the Pipeline, with information and photos supplied by Rocky Mountain, so I haven't been able to ride the new bike yet in order to confirm or deny whether the Pipeline is as good of a time as its tires and geometry have me suspecting that it is. But that's the only thing these 27.5+ bikes are suitable for, having fun, and that's a good thing because most of us are here for that exact reason. Flipping through Rocky's catalog reveals that the Pipeline's brothers include the 150mm travel Altitude, a big-hitting 27.5'' wheeled bike that's raced on the EWS circuit; the 130mm travel Instinct 29er that I'd probably prefer over the Pipeline for all-day epics; and the 120mm Thunderbolt that's more of a lighter duty trail bike.
And the Pipeline? With 130mm out back and a 150mm fork, it could do any of those tasks, too, but its 2.8'' wide tires mean that it's probably going to go about it in its own way. We'll find out what sort of way that is when we get our hands on one soon for testing.
Photos by Margus Riga
Also, not 12 spd either~!
On another note, why is it always Sram/RS pushing these new standards. I'm starting to loathe that ugly conglomerate. They do make some pretty decent stuff though.
Yes.
It's not like you're running a 28t on a regular 27.5' tire/bike, but the Enduro's have SRAM d-trains, so they at least
have the taller 10t cassettes to help mitigate the 28t on the top end
I had a TT race the other week, a mate turned up on his new 650+ and was 7 seconds slower than me, he would have been much closer without the extra weight on his wheels
I off hand rejected the concept until I demo'd the hightower 27.5+ and had a blast. Hightower enroute! I've waited out the storm of new standards since my 2012 Blur LTC and other than 12 speed I think I've got enough under the belt with this move.
It has become a nightmare because we loose money on the tire swaps just so we don't get returns
Too much and it bounces, too low and it becomes hard to turn or it pinches flat.
Your riding or mine it's not in question, it's the new owners wich I'm majority are new to the sport.
They don't have the care wich is needed to this tires.
They just want to ride. And even with proper information about the tire pressure.
I said Stumpjumper fattie .
To do that you need a big pump.
A pump that fits the SWAT compartment would be tiny.
When a bike leaves the store we provide information and in most cases we sell them the Specialized 's Air Tool pro pump.
After dumping around $7.000 customers expect the bike to do everything for them.
It's the nature of the beast when you sell high end bikes.
When a customer comes back ,you help them but , if he wants different tires ,he gets different tires.
You can try to educate but you can't argue with them
I'm not a beginner in any sort of way and I absolutely love my plus size. It's so fun. I'm on the specialized tires and they're awesome, tons of the grip, only downside is that it took them a while to stop seeping sealant through the sidewalls. So I just had to stay on top of the pressure.
@rockymountainbicycles this bike is dope as well. I rode the Sherpa for a couple weeks when it first came out, and I had ridden the Thunderbolt and all I wanted was a thunderbolt BC with midfat tires. Super stoked on this. Wish I was still selling Rockies.
New Slayer is in the works. It's going to go up against Nomad, Delirium, Uzzi and Darkside type bikes.
Also, slap a boost hub 29er wheelset on it, and it's a bike I'd consider worthy of the Pipeline heritage: the setup is that good over rough stuff.
If I had to start over with new bikes and could only have two, it would be a RM Pipeline and a Canfield EPO, with a Minion DHR2/SS 29er carbon wheelset and a Rekon+/Ikon+ 27+ aluminum wheelset.
I'm sure people who can use this bike for it's intents and purposes will love it.
Huh? But the difference between my current 2.4 rubber and 2.8 is worth me spending $6000?! Seriously, I don't have traction issues w/ 2.4 tires. I guess I just don't get the + thing. Also, my bike already feels "like a normal machine"...
Ya know its gonna be fast called xs speed!
There are definitely times where I too wish I had a little less rear end length, but being a taller (and fatter) rider those are rare compared to the times where I'm delighted that the bike is so planted over rutted turns and awkward chunky segments. Considering what the 27+ tires can enable on the bike, I think carrying over the chainstay length from the Instinct was exactly the right call.
I'm sure the revised damper and air spring setup in the '16 Fox34's and EVOL-DPS can cumulatively fix a lot of the Fox woes and get it performing correctly, but considering what the full-SRAM sourced kits can run, I'd be miles happier running GX 1x11, Guide RS, Pike RC, MonarchDBA RT3 level stuff on Aeffect kit that costs a good bit less than the pricier XT and Fox Factory level stuff.
A$$holes.
Nothing in particular!!!! hahaahaahhahahahhahahaha