2015 Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt - Press Release

Aug 7, 2014
by Rocky Mountain  
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Culture & Design

We have been developing high performance bikes in Vancouver, British Columbia since 1981. Our Development Centre is located at the foot of the North Shore mountains, home to some of the world’s most rugged and diverse riding terrain.
These mountains are where our engineers design, prototype, and test our bikes. It’s not uncommon to see team riders like Wade Simmons and Thomas Vanderham out on the trails with our product team, notepads crammed into jersey pockets and data acquisition equipment mounted to their bikes. From getting our hands dirty at local trail building days, to rugged backcountry adventures, to the global stage of World Cup racing, we live and breathe mountain biking. As riders ourselves we obsess over material quality, frame geometry, and suspension optimization to deliver the legendary ride quality we’re famous for.

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Thunderbolt MSL

Named after its lightning quick agility, the 2015 Thunderbolt MSL dominates on a variety of terrain. Equally at home on long, technical climbs as it is flowy singletrack descents, it’ll have you powering through the rough stuff and popping off every trail feature you lay eyes on. The all-new SMOOTHWALL carbon frame on Thunderbolt MSL models represents a major milestone for Rocky Mountain: by using our new PIPELOCK main pivot we have removed all traditional bearings from the frame. This combined with grease ports in key pivot locations results in a stiffer, lighter, and lower-maintenance bike.
bigquotesWe designed the Thunderbolt MSL for our own special blend of XC and trail riders - people who hammer at the pointy end of the pack, but stay aggressive and stylish when terrain gets rougher. Marathon racing? Sure. Triple up those whoops? Why not! BC Bike Race? Of course! Smash every corner? Be rude not to.


We gave the Thunderbolt MSL 120mm of SMOOTH LINK suspension travel to provide a perfect blend of XC efficiency and trail capability. In order to achieve the agility and responsiveness we were looking for with this bike we chose 27.5” wheels and engineered short, 422mm chain stays. We increased control by lengthening the top tube and reined in the stem length, and were able to significantly reduce standover height by tucking the shock into the top tube. Finally, we added our RIDE-9TM system into the mix, providing a wide range of adjustment—from slack and progressive to steep and efficient—to allow riders to dial the Thunderbolt MSL in for their preferred riding style and terrain.

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Thunerbolt MSL Key Features

• Fully Di2 compatible with integrated battery stealth port in down tube
• Internal cable, shock, and stealth dropper post routings keep cables neatly stowed
• Easy internal cable management with down tube stealth port
• 142mm E-Thru rear axle increases stiffness
• BB92 pressfit bottom bracket provides maximum lateral stiffness
• Grease ports on BC2TM and PIPELOCK pivots allow for fast and easy maintenance

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2015 Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

The 799 MSL sits at the top of the range with a $10,999 USD MSRP.


2015 Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

770 MSL retails for $5,499 USD.


2015 Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

750 MSL retails for $4,299 USD.


Photo by Margus Riga.


Thunderbolt MSL BC Edition

We’re a selfish bunch, so we couldn’t resist producing a Thunderbolt MSL BC Edition. With its lively, bottomless-feeling SMOOTHLINK suspension curve, adjustable RIDE-9 system, and class-leading stiffness it was the perfect candidate for some additional brawn. Set up the way we set our own bikes up—wide bars, short stem, big tires, stiff wheels, and premium suspension—, the BC Edition translates the Thunderbolt’s agility into true trail bike playfulness and aggression.

2015 Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

The BC Edition goes for $6,399 USD.


Thunerbolt MSL BC Edition Key Features

• Fully Di2 compatible with integrated battery stealth port in down tube
• Internal cable, shock, and stealth dropper post routings keep cables neatly stowed
• Easy internal cable management with down tube stealth port
• 142mm E-Thru rear axle increases stiffness
• BB92 pressfit bottom bracket provides maximum lateral stiffness
• Grease ports on BC2TM and PIPELOCK pivots allow for fast and easy maintenance

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140 Comments
  • 95 2
 11k usd for a bike, nice to see crack is selling well in canada
  • 14 2
 www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/performance_race/emonda/emonda_slr_10_h1/
  • 5 0
 Holly s*** whadda price man!
  • 18 1
 Still, a complete bike at 4.65kg? Daymn.
  • 20 9
 What bothers me is not so much the price itself, but the fact that it simply isn't worth it.
Other manufactures will do a similar carbon frame bike with all the most expensive shit you can throw on for 6.000-7.000 USD. I fail to see why this bike should be worth over four grand more?...

I can't even imagine how much of a thorn in the side companies like Canyon and YT Industries must be, if you are trying to sell 10-12k. bikes with the exact same components (I'm looking at you Specialized, Trek, Rocky Mountain, Santa Cruz, etc.)
  • 26 2
 probably because its full di2 xtr
  • 21 3
 Exactly JonJonM... of course why would anyone else who wants to complain about the pricing bother to look at the bike specs.... logic gets in the way of their ranting.
  • 5 0
 I will say that Rocky's got it dialed and ride like nothing else that I have thrown a leg over. They are super playful, with what feels like bottomless rear travel.

Shockingly these ubber high-end bikes sell better than you would think to the ski area Porsche crowd. Regarding the value that is a lot of green, but you probably won't find a $2000 carbon wheelset on those $6000 bikes. Not justifying just saying.
  • 12 2
 Rob Ford approves this message.
  • 4 1
 I think bikes are expensive because of all the new tech. 11 speed drive trains, electronic drivetrains, perfect dampers, perfect shocks. Shit is just getting really good
  • 4 13
flag ryan83 (Aug 7, 2014 at 7:21) (Below Threshold)
 Wait, where' the enduro model? I need a bike that looks awesome while I ride with my stupid looking goggles and over-sized lid...
  • 6 0
 So you think that emonda is expensive? Bitch please! www.specialized.com/us/en/sworksmclaren
  • 3 2
 I love riding bikes so much but man, seriously, wake up, it's a bike...it can be as expensive as a little car
  • 5 1
 I'm just wondering if there really is that big a of a difference between the top line 799 MSL and the 770 MSL to justify an additional $5,500 in price? Is the 799 MSL really $5,500 worth better than the 770 MSL ?? Would instantly notice the difference when riding it?
  • 4 1
 XTR Di2 and Carbon wheels... so yes... there's the price jump right there. And exactly Fercho25... Specialized has that 20k road bike... people here really need perspective beyond their tiny view of the sport. They're making a total of 250 of those Mclaren road bikes and I'm sure each and every one has already been ordered by someone.
  • 2 0
 Frame price ??
  • 9 0
 Its an old story. You get 90% performance at 60% price. The last weight and performance upgrades to the absolute top of the line are crazy expensive. They are small production runs to showcase new technology and provide bragging rights for the riders and the manufacturers.

I stopped going top of the line years ago. My last high end frame was my Ibis. I would now buy an off brand or even E-bay frame, and put a great set of wheels on it. I like Sram, so I would go XO 1 rather that X11, or even a wide ratio 10 speed, and the best wheels I can build. While Enve may be "bling" I have had great success with Light Bicycle wheels with high end spokes. So for about $4000.00, I could have 90% of the performance or better than the top of the line. Getting clearouts on "last year's" components often with only a decal difference from the current year makes sense to me.
  • 5 2
 This is just getting waaay out of hand... I sold my 2005 GMC Sierra Z71 for Kelly Blue Book: $10,500. You cant tell me there is more engineering in a bicycle than a motorcycle capable of 200 mph. Seems a bit ridiculous.
  • 11 2
 On single track my mountain bike is far more capable than a motorcycle capable of 200mph. You people will complain about anything. Cant we just complain about favorite beer and wheel size like normal mountain bikers?
  • 4 0
 Most of us wouldn't... carbon Stans wheels, full Di2. Most everyone on a bike won't ever need that, but it is cool see. I think the BC edition is the way to go, full rock shox and a x01 setup, looks pretty dialed.
  • 3 0
 Motorcycles and Cars get to ammortize the R&D and tooling costs over millions of units... bicycles... not so much. A brand like Giant might sell 10 million bikes a year worldwide, but 9 million of them will be the lowest priced models.
  • 8 0
 I don't understand why everyone is complaining about an $11,000 bike when there are 3 other models that cost significantly less. It's not Rocky Mountain's problem if you're too poor to afford an $11,000 bike. Like with any consumer-based industry, there will always be a portion of people that will pay the extra money to buy the top end product and good on them. Your $3000 bike has the technology it does because of the $11,000 bikes of yesterday.
  • 2 0
 Your 200mph motorcycle is a bad one. No carbon wheels, no electronic shifting, basic gas emulsion shocks, and an engine design spread over 6 years and probably 3 or 4 displacements. Oh, one size only too. Look at an aluminum framed, aluminum wheeled MTB with average fork and shock. There are a lot of them, all around $2000.00. The standard equipment on any $3000.00 MTB exceeds the moto standard.
  • 4 0
 A customer in a bike store I was at an hour ago was asking about stainless steel framed touring bikes... there's a HANDFUL of brands world wide that do framess in INOX, and they cost a heck of a lot as a result... most in the market for that sort of bike would buy titanium instead because its cheaper, but for the true connoisseur stainless steel is the way to go. If you're going to be buying a bike expecting it to last TENS of thousands of miles of the roughest "roads" to travel the world with, you don't skimp on the up front price tag.

By the same token, if you're an elite level rider, and you want to have a bike as close to what sponsored elites use, without having the benefit of sponsorship yourself... then you're going to be paying high prices for high end bikes. And a lot of people have the income for these bikes, a lot more than the "kids" on here seem to understand.
  • 3 3
 That's a hefty price. Pretty sad in my opionion.
  • 3 1
 Willie1, you are focusing on the shock/fork. Think about a motorcycle, it has a frame, motor, transmission, high speed wheels and tires, forks, electronics, all the engineering spent in R&D for all these components, computational fluid dynamics for the plastics, software that tunes the bike, testing to make EPA regulations. I bet you there an equal amount of man hours spent on the exhaust alone as in most bicycle frames. You are wrong about no electronic shifting, there most definatelt is. I'm not talking about dirt bikes here. The point I'm getting across is that the amount of thermal, fluid, dynamic, computer, electrical and materials engineering in a $11000 street bike would but the simple static FEA analysis done on a bike frame. I think deeeeight brought a very good point up but I would put street bike sales in the same magnitude of sales as bikes. But don't tell me that carbon fiber wheels makes a bike worth the same as a gsxr 1000. It takes hundreds of people and multiple fields of engineering to develop a street bike. But who knows....the bike market may just be expensive because it can be and it has to make up quantity with price to stay profitable. I'm no business man, just an engineer desk jockey lol
  • 2 0
 I have been involved in motor sports racing and tuning since my early teens. I know full well what goes into a motorcycle.

If you look at a motorcycle rim from 1980, and look at one from 2014, they are the same, and interchangeable. That's a lot of years that the technology gets amortized over. Bicycle parts change quite frequently. You might be able to lace a 1980 rim to a modern hub on a bicycle, but the widths, materials, and profiles keep evolving. In terms of the engine, the manufacturer's cost is just a few hundred due to the scale of the manufacturing and the number of years the designs stay in production.

If Specialized made only an aluminum stump jumper, and kept the same frame and components for 5 years, and only offered one size, how much do you think it would cost?
  • 3 1
 Why are you focused on the wheels? All I'm saying is you can't tell me more engineering has gone into a truss member (bike frame) than a complex motorized machine (motorcycle) that also has a frame. I don't think there is much input cost into designing and building a bike frame, especially after being farmed out.
  • 1 0
 Now someone's talking my language!! 29ers suck, and I only drink craft beer with bike parts in the name Wink
  • 2 0
 The motorcycle only comes in one size, and stays the same for several years. What is so hard to understand about that? Bicycles come in different sizes, meaning more cost, and change more frequently.

How much do you think a carbon framed, carbon wheeled motorcycle would cost? I was looking for parts for my Ohlins shocks on my vintage bike, and saw the top of the line moto Ohlins fork is $13,000.oo. That's just a fork! You guys have no idea what top of the line in motorcycle racing costs. Comparing a pedal bike to a moto is silly. You get the asme level components on a $2000.00 bike, or better, than a $10,000 moto. You cannot buy the $159,000.00 mx factory racers, but you can buy a $10,000.00 bicycle which is the. Best you can get.
  • 1 0
 Think about this. How much does petrol cost? Over here it's about the same as milk. Now think of the cost of producing a litre of milk. Not really expensive, right? Just buy a cow and feed her. Not so much with petrol. 60% is taxes and the with the rest, the oil companies must fund expensive drilling platforms in hostile environments, employ 1000's of people. Then the refinery plant cost billions. Distribution cost could be about the same though.
  • 1 0
 Willie, Forks that cost $13000 is literally starting this same argument again haha. Cost vs. worth. I just think it boils down to if people are willing to pay it then the cost will reflect. Having a bike in 3 different sizes does not even compare to the engineering into a motorized vehicle. You mentioned that engines may used for years at a time...what about bike frames...How long have bikes been relatively unchanged for. I don't think there have been any quantum leaps in structural bike frames. I completely agree on the note that racebikes (moto) can get stupid costly, been there and seen that. Even to send off forks to get them tuned for your weight can run you $1k-$2k. Maybe this is just too much of apple and oranges case to compare the two fields. All i'm saying is their price tag is maybe a little bit much, and it will probably show in sales. In the oilfield its the other way around, not much engineering goes into the equipment but the cost is in the material/machining....just stupid cost. A solid 10" OD mandrel that's 7 feet long made from 125ksi material will probably run you about 70 grand haha.
  • 1 0
 Quantum leaps no. But then most production vehicles still rely on mild steel bodies and bike frames change materials/layout regularly. Ford's 2015 F-150 pickup is going to an all aluminum body which sheds 750 pounds... however to repair it also means the same tooling and methods as used in say Porches and Audis... something beyond the typical body shop. It is a quantum leap but its the first such leap in automobile production for such a scale of vehicle (ford has sold MILLIONS of F150s alone) in decades. This btw will be the 15th generation of F-150 trucks. Most generations of a vehicle today last 5 years... most bike brands don't keep a model based around the same design for that long. Take Rocky Mountain as an example... the Altitude name returned to the lineup as the replacement for the ETS-X (which itself went through THREE generations of frame in about six years) and within 3 years its had been redesigned twice.
  • 1 0
 Yo are getting it, it's apples to oranges. Comparing top of the line in a specialty market to entry level in a much larger market doesn't make sense. Scale has a lot to do with pricing. Is an Audi that much more expensive than a VW in terms of materials, or engineering? The scale of production is much smaller.
  • 3 1
 Yeh but it's still overpriced. by 3000.
  • 5 1
 In your opinion... but unless you're a buyer of 11k bikes...your opinion really doesn't matter.
  • 1 1
 I'm only one person, I realise that my opinion doesn't mater shit to anyone. But that's the thing about opinions, just like assholes everyone has one and when you get lots of similar ones expressed together then you have a movement, and that's powerful. I'd sure spend 11k on a bike if I thought it offered value for money and performance to match the dollar value, but I don't think this does. I think it's overpriced, I think it will struggle in the market and maybe only sell well to a few Canadian internet blowhards. But you know that's just my opinion.
  • 2 1
 Of course it isn't value for the money, but neither is a Ferrari, or other elite product. They offer much more value balanced builds too, so why all the hate?
  • 2 1
 Last time I checked Ferrari weren't made in China.
  • 2 0
 @sq225917 as a bike shop employee, I've seen plenty of purchases where the price far exceeds actual value, but it's valuable to that person and money is close to no object. On bikes like these, it's not normal people who are riding them. The ones who are either: get them heavily discounted, get them for free, or have a ton of money and don't care about the price.
  • 2 0
 No Ferrari's are made in Italy but then Ferrari itself has been owned by Fiat since 1969 as those sorts of cars aren't that profittable given how few are made each year and with how much money the racing programs suck out of the brand each year (it was the racing expenses which led to the buyout in the first place). Same reason why Lamborghini and Bugatti and Audi are owned by VW.
  • 1 0
 Ferrari's are still made in Italy:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=La73Oy9ZGVw

www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com/en-gb/attractions/made-in-maranello.aspx
  • 1 0
 how the hell did we start arguing about the price of the bike, and now where ferrari's are made?
  • 37 2
 I would hate to own a bike company, you wouldn't be allowed to make any bike because it would be wrong lol. No dh because dh is dead, no 6" because the xc guys would be mad, no xc because the shore guys would be mad and even if you made one of each none of them would be good enough or the price would be too much. So then all of the groups would bitch about how there's too many options and the company should focus on one genre of bike but then the other groups would get mad because they're being left out and then the wheel size would be wrong because #26forlife and the pike is obsolete now because Fox has a new fork so now what?
  • 3 0
 Ha! You nailed it!
  • 13 2
 someone's been snorting the coffee

"SMOOTHWALL", "PIPELOCK", "SMOOTHLINK", "RIDE-9", "BC2TM", "ABC"

ha ha......
  • 4 3
 Like ABS, EDC, TCS, 4WD .......
  • 5 1
 @novocaine- Those things are auto industry standard acronyms for actual systems, all the ones Hampsted pointed out are BS copywrite terms that mean absolutely nothing.
  • 2 1
 "Engineered shorter chain stays"
  • 1 2
 "down tube stealth port"

WOW. Who the hell do you think for a raise for coming up with that one?
  • 2 4
 At one time, those auto industry terms meant nothing beyond one particular brand either... and if you don't like rocky's use of trademarked and patented terms for their bikes, don't buy them. But don't buy Specialized, Trek, Giant, BMC, Ghost or anyone else who does it either. Oh wait that pretty much eliminates every brand except probably Raleigh. Have fun.
  • 3 2
 Pipelock = oversized bush with greaseport. Why can't they call it what it is. I hate pretend tech and marketing bull$hit. It was probably marketing men who told Gwin to say "yeah, I am the fastest rider in the world" right before his nightmare season. Made him sound arrogant and turned into a humiliation. No disrespect. Wish him all the best 4 windham. Sorry, got a bit off topic there :-)
  • 3 0
 @karatechris: Yes Pipelock has large grease port bushings, but the innovation lies in the tapered collets that thread together to form the pivot shaft. It is a pretty neat design... but you wouldn't know without having a closer look or being a bit less skeptical.
  • 1 2
 @mammal I am not saying the design is bad, I am saying I hate made up acronyms and names because they don't mean anything... Replace "pipelock" in the above article with your explanation and it's sounding better already.
  • 3 0
 @karatechris

Its not "pipelock"but PIPELOCK

Has to be expressed in capital letters, you know Wink
  • 2 0
 Hee hee! @hampsteadbandit - of course, how silly of me. Wonder if thats why @mammal keeps negative prop'in me.
  • 10 0
 Hmm. No comments on the BC edition? That thing is sweet. Hitting all of the right components and a stealth package without a bunch of ugly a$$ graphics. I like it a lot.
  • 4 0
 B.C. baby! Yoohoooooo!
That would be my choice!^^
  • 11 1
 Rocky Mountains rigs always look so clean. Never disappointed with their bikes
  • 4 2
 Quita the jump though. $5,500- $11,000?
Beautiful but come on...
  • 2 1
 Agreed. Great looking bikes. It seems like the 120mm category needs a much lower price point build though as this is the range where most casual riders start.
  • 3 0
 These are just the carbon versions (that is what MSL means). Thunderbolts are also available in aluminum at lower price points with similar build kits and a 730 version with a lower end build kit.
  • 3 1
 @E-ROG this is a launch for the CARBON Thunderbolt, the aluminum Thunderbolt will still be available. And in case you didn't actually read the article there is a $4300 model with a spec that doesn't need any changing.
  • 11 6
 Maybe it's just me, but I used to love Rockies based on their functionality and indivduality, but their "new" bikes all look the same and it's (to me) quite boring, honestly. I'm sure they ride fantastically, but when I drive away from the trails and look back at my bike on the rack in the rear view mirror I want to think "ahhhh what a sexy beast of a trail machine" and honestly, the Thunderbolt isn't something I want to set as my desktop background. Or I'm just being too picky- one of those two options.
  • 1 0
 Yeah I think there are sexier bikes out there for sure. This is kinda simple looking but that's my opinion. Shouldn't affect anyone else's
  • 2 1
 I myself wish they'd kept up offering frames alone with custom paint. They HAVE the capability since they paint the frames in Quebec.
  • 2 0
 If you listen closely to the wind, you can almost hear it whisper RM's secrets. I think I heard "carbon Flatline".
  • 4 0
 well if you ever wanna get to the point where your riding speaks louder than how fancy your bike looks, rocky's will get you there Smile the thunderbolt is a ridiculously sick bike if you love to jib the f*ck out of the trail. bummed I have to break mine down to build up my race bike....
  • 1 0
 I bet a lot of bikes are amazing. Rocky's probably just one of many now.
  • 1 0
 They're dropping the road bikes for next year to go back to focusing on mountain/off-road (they're keeping a CX model and they'll likely turn that sherpa 650B fat dually into a production model to compete with the Salsa Bucksaw). Maybe they'll bring back the frame only option to the catalogs for folks who want to build their own way in a color scheme different than the production bikes.
  • 1 0
 Nicely said
  • 2 0
 ?"looking at your bike in the rear view mirror" I think you should ride your bike home instead of driving it.
  • 1 0
 That doesn't work when you're in a rush and live 30 miles from the trail head.
  • 1 0
 Just have fun and love your bike. Why's this sport gotta be more than that every time someone gets butt-hurt?
  • 3 0
 I'm not sure why anyone complains about the price. If you think it's too expensive, than don't buy it. I love the look and tech of all of the top-end bikes but I know that I would never buy one. I'll opt for the mid-range bike because that is where my riding is at, and I'd rather put my money on a host of other things that interest me, including as many trips as I can take to different riding locations. There are folks I know that have a 15 year old car, live in a modest home, but have 30k worth of bicycles....to each their own
  • 2 0
 Yep. One of those guys. You're not serious if your bike doesn't cost more than the car it's on. Just kidding. I just hate spending the money on a new truck, but enjoy building bikes.
  • 5 3
 quoting deeeight: "Exactly JonJonM... of course why would anyone else who wants to complain about the pricing bother to look at the bike specs.... logic gets in the way of their ranting."

it's exactly that kind of stupidity that allows big bike mfgs to push 11k bikes on us. this crap is only worth what we're willing to pay. you realize that's probably 30% or more of the mean individual income of most well developed countries? A tricked out moto trail/race bike is 8~9k, if you pay 11k for a mtn bike you a senseless clown - and i will be there in 6 months to snatch it up for 1/3 price ; )
  • 3 1
 i totally agree! dont get me wrong,i love mountain biking,but if i have to pay (and i dont) $6000 or more on a bike, it will have an engine thanks.
  • 3 2
 A tricked out moto race bike is a LOT more than 9k... for that matter again, economics of scale... bike companies don't produce models to lose money, and they don't have the volumes of unit sales that motorcycle manufacturers do to reduce the unit costs (and thus lower what they have to charge consumers to still be profitable) and its exactly that sort of stupidity on the part of many bike buyers that lead them to bitch about bicycle prices. There is no comparison to motorsports manufacturers.
  • 2 1
 My friends race moto costs way more than any bicycle. You have to compare apples to apples. If you want to ride top fuel then you have to pay. His motocross bike lasts about a month on a engine. And we bitch about a chain or two a year. No warranty on motocross.
  • 2 0
 idk sports, but my wr is just fine for any desert race and i am into it ~$8500. is it a works racer, no but it's got plenty of essential racing upgrades guards/big tank/etc. and seems to last me plenty well without needing rebuild. point is, a piss ass little bit of carbon or aluminum and some nifty shimano/RS gear is not worth 11k compared to how much work/money it takes to actually produce it. mtb have stupid $ margin built into them. go ask a kid at a bike shop what his extra good guy deal is worth sometime.
  • 1 1
 Really? Can you build that bike for $11k? Given that you'd have to source each part out probably at retail methinks not.

MTB end retail has margins built in for replacement parts/accessories of usually 100%... but the margin on complete bikes is rarely more than 40%. But hey, you're an expert so you should be running your own bike company.
  • 4 0
 I'd love to rip that Rocky Mountain on a erm Rocky Mountain!! Looks so clean
  • 4 3
 F. I was thinking this press release was going to be about a new slayer or a longer travel altitude or instinct. What a let down. Who the hell buys a 5" travel bike when you could have a 6" travel one that weighs and costs the same. The mark has been missed one this one
  • 4 2
 I'll swing at this one: when I rode a 5" 650b bike, it rode as well as my 6.5 inch 26" on the downs, but climbed like a goat. my next bike will be a 5" 650b bike.
  • 4 1
 That 5" travel bike is probably the most popular bike on the market. Maybe not with the pink bike crowd but as hard as this may be to fathom, Pinkbike only represents a tiny fraction of the bike world.
  • 2 1
 The bikes look rad. I was just anticipating a reworked Slayer. Could still happen…. sometimes dreams do come true. Haha! Anyway, If a 5" travel bike is your thing, I'm sure these bikes would be great for you
  • 3 0
 Gotta admit, I was thinking it was going to be something a little longer travel too. Just responding to the whole"who the hell buys a 5" travel bike anyway" comment because the answer is a lot.
  • 1 0
 Keep in mind, too, there's been people racing enduro on things like a Tallboy LT(Cedric.) 5" bikes, especially with bigger wheels, are a lot more capable than people give them credit for.
  • 1 0
 True! The paint and spec look rad. Especially the BC edition.
  • 1 0
 I like the BC, but I'm actually really attracted to that blue/orange of the 750.
  • 1 0
 Well, you can tell that they actually ride around here since they removed all the "traditional bearings" from the frame and added grease ports. Living and riding a few hours South of Vancouver, BC I can't keep up with bearing maintenance in the Fall/Winter/Spring/and Summer except for some of July and August months. There is nothing more frustrating than having a MAX Enduro set of bearings turn crunchy after three weeks of riding in Pacific NW goo. Hell. I'd happily pay a premium for a rig that doesn't require a complete rebuild every month.

My only complaint is the BB92 Pressfit BB. Why go through all of the trouble for a less maintenance frame and then put a press fit BB into the mix? Unless was for some super critical reason they should have stuck with a BSA BB and made it a Chris King.

Anyway, good job Rocky Mountain!
  • 1 0
 What kind of bearing do you buy? I presume a set for about 20-40 dollars? Give it a try and buy once a set of German-made bearings. They are 6-8 times more expensive (for the Giant Reign complete set, the price was about 110 euros two years ago), but they will most likely last for your life-time (assuming you do not aim with pressurized water directly on sealed bearings while washing you bike, in this case nothing will help)
  • 1 0
 Agreed with the press fit bottom bracket. I can't stand them. Met up with a guy recently on the trails and he had to take his bike in three times because of the annoying creaks. After that ride, his bottom bracket started creaking again. I posted my dislike in the Giant section as well.
  • 1 0
 - milkdrop- I was buying bearings directly from Yeti that were stamped ENDURO MAX. Now I but through Real World Cycling (RWC) for bearings with the same ENDURO MAX stamp, but a different color and a little cheaper. I can't fault the bearing manufactures since the Yeti's main pivot and rear shock bearings are horribly exposed to the crap conditions that we have around here.

And while I do rinse my bike off after most rides I don't spray the bearings directly. Also, with Yeti's new Infinity Pivot thingy I'm fairly sure that they are trying to address (amongst other things) one of the biggest complaints about the SB66's Switch Pivot - bearing life.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll shop around and look for some German made bearings Smile
  • 8 5
 I think Rocky Mountain lost their way years ago. There are much better alternatives put there to buy.
  • 2 0
 first bike coming stock with Di2. looks good! price will have to go down eventually though. waiting for the XT version in a couple years..
  • 1 0
 WOW!! Not wow that's an amazing bike but WOW that's a big price tag!! At that price I sure hope you can choose another colour because yellow and black never looked good to me.
  • 4 0
 Bushings as a selling point....?
  • 1 0
 From my room here is Whistler, the day before the start of Crankworx, I am hoping to see RM launch a new carbon Slayer. Maybe the MTB gods in NVan (there are others) will deliver.

Or maybe, I'll snort some more coffee.
  • 3 0
 Kinda wish it had the full 130mm of travel.
  • 3 2
 What is happening to mountain biking these days, it's turning into who can afford the most expensive bike! I don't think anyone even cares about actually riding anymore
  • 1 0
 Last time I checked PB still had a buy/sell.
  • 1 0
 I just love what this bike has going on. Hope more companies make bikes like these (or I could find a BS Edition for cheap. Big Grin )
  • 1 0
 Industry set the prices, we have the money. If we keep buying those bikes at those prices we are the only ones to be blamed.
  • 2 0
 Volkswagen JETTA STARTING AT 14 990$.... !
  • 2 0
 For 11k you'd think they have a weight they wouldnt be affraid to post.
  • 3 1
 That is by far the best name for a bike I've seen in a while.....
  • 2 0
 Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt...dates back to at least the early '90s actually...the T-Bolt and the Blizzard were hot tickets back then!
  • 2 0
 They also just revived their Blizzard too in fact...but as a Fatty model
  • 2 0
 The price is btw appropriate as the Thunderbolt was the top model until it stopped being offered around 1994 (when Rocky was bought out by Procycle), custom ordered hand-built fillet brazed steel frame available in any color you wanted and a choice of tubesets with any parts you wanted.

There are a host of discontinued model names they still could revive... Stratos, Nimbus, Tantalus, Experience, Cirrus, Avalanche, Expert, Summit, Wedge, Glacier, Hammer among others.
  • 4 2
 That is a whole lot of a sales pitch of an article.
  • 7 0
 Probably because it's a press release directly from Rocky Mountain
  • 2 2
 Beautiful...but christ thats expensive and I agree with the comments...not worth the cash especially when alternatives with the same components run 3-4k less..
  • 3 1
 No bike out there is $3-4k less with XTR Di2. In fact the new S-Works Epic with Mechanical XTR 9000 is $12.5k, granted it comes with a new RS-1, which is an expensive fork, but it is $1.5k more than this bike and doesn't have electronic shifting. I don't know why people complain about price, if the spec is too high for your taste, get the next model down, it seems pretty simple to me.
  • 1 0
 I'd like a 10mm longer TT on each size and to get rid of the BB92 and jobs a good 'un. Love Rocky bikes
  • 2 0
 Nnew Flatline Please... i will be first in line
  • 1 0
 Best trail bike l have ever ridden climbs like a goat and decends like a shooting star.
  • 3 1
 $11,000 for rocky mtn wtf? That's at least $6,000 over what it's worth
  • 1 0
 "The 799 MSL sits at the top of the range with a $10,999 USD MSRP."

/falls off chair
  • 1 0
 looks nice but what a price!
  • 1 0
 i like the Stryper color, Yellow and Black!
  • 1 0
 When are they going to make it a fat bike?
  • 1 0
 Im Loving the BC EDITION SO MUCH!!
  • 1 0
 well it would be a bargain if you buy one and get one free
  • 1 0
 and another stumpy rolls off the shelves
  • 1 0
 11k ?!...oh god, I think that I just get a heart attackkkkk.......
  • 2 0
 Very cool!
  • 1 0
 The grey and green color scheme is beautiful, the others are sheer ugly...
  • 1 0
 Bah! blue & orange rules.
  • 1 0
 Does that link by the drop out qualify as an FSR?
  • 1 0
 I believe that the FSR design is defined by the rear pivot on the chain-stay being lower than the drop-out/axle. Rocky's design keeps the rear pivot in line with the drop-out/axle, so that it does not infringe upon Specialized's design.
  • 2 1
 Looks like a Transition Bandit
  • 1 0
 cant wait, looks a killer rig
  • 2 1
 lowest price is over 4gs????!!!!! oh ok thats normal.
  • 3 2
 To infinity and beyond!
  • 2 1
 "out"
  • 2 1
 how much??????
  • 2 1
 And 26" ?
  • 1 0
 Like, very much!







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