Hey guys, first time poster!

I’m looking for a good all mountain type bike and rather like the look of the above – from what I’ve read it has all the characteristics of a bike that would suit me (i’m an ex downhill racer who hops everything in site). I know there are a few threads on the bike already but what I’m looking for is some proper feedback. How does it climb/descend, where you’ve ridden it etc etc. I’m looking for a bike that’ll be comfortable on long XC rides but can also take a kicking on the downs…

Also, wondering if there are any owners north of the border (I’m from Glasgow) who’d be willing to let me have gander?

Any help would be much appreciated!

*Watches thread with interest*

Cy was kind enough to let me have a long (7hr+) demo ride in the Peaks on one last year.

I loved it, and one is on the shopping list for 2013. (It helps that I’m a spot on fit for a medium Cotic)

It’s a slack, 150mm travel bike, so it goes downhill pretty damn well, as you’d expect. It feels fairly pert/non wallowy until you hit something big, which it just deals with, and it’s easy to pop off trail features. Handled exacty the way I expected it too – just jumped on and rode it, really.

Uphill – awesome. It just climbed tech stuff brilliantly. You won’t win an XC race on it, but if you want to clear that gnadgery climb you’ve never quite made, this will help. Very neutral feel – no nasty pedal/suspension issues, but LOADS of traction and the front end was light enough to move round when needed, but not wandery. I was genuinely surprised how easily I got up a couple of sections I’ve only ever cleaned once before after many attempts.

It’s a very solid feeling frame – made my Uzzi VP feel positively noodly, and it tracks very well in corners. (caveat – I only weigh 140lb, so not the sternest test ever!)

The one I demoed (the orange one that got nicked from STW) was a hair under 31lb with a sensible, but not overly fancy (3×10 speed) trail build. So not featherweight, but not fragile either. (for comparison my Uzzi is 36lb, my BFe is 30 and the SOs Hemlock is 29lb with some light wheels and tyres on).

HTH!

I had a quick razz on one at the STWeekender (it was quick because my friend gashed the tyre open) and I can only agree with the above statements. Climbed like a proper XC bike, descends like the BFe, unitl you get to some rad tech, then it just eats it up. It rides and handles like it is much, much lighter than it actually is (although this may change for a ride longer than 30 minutes)

Thanks for the feedback people, keep it coming! I’m currently riding a Trek EX8 & whilst its a good bike it doesn’t really inspire confidence on rough downhills, the Rocket sounds pretty much ideal in this respect. I know being a steel bike means it isn’t going to be the lightest but I’ve read they can be built up under 30lbs? I’ll have a light set of wheels and another set for more DH type riding.

Have a word with The Bike Chain in Edinburgh. They have a medium demo bike.

Have just emailed them Cy! cheers

Wondering whether to demo one myself. How does it compare to any of the following:

Orange Five
Transition Bandit
Liteville 301

I had a demo day on one from Keswick Bikes, took it to Whinlatter for the day and did several laps of the Blue Route and South Red.

It was disappointing on parts of the blue route where it goes down through the woods between Mass Mill and the other car park. Part of this might have been the suspension set up but it did give the impression of being rather too much bike for the job in hand.

It pretty much shot up the hill to the top of South loop no problems. First go at the top section of South felt a bit similar to the bit in the Blue woods. However, once things pointed downhill after the fire road it really did come to life and show it’s true colours, absolutely fantastic. Tracks well, corners superbly and will fly off anything. Back up to the top and rode the upper section of south with more Umph and it was better but still felt like a bit too much bike for the situation.

I concluded it wasn’t the one for me as it felt like too much bike for the stuff that I do.

Can I ask what you mean by over biked? It sounds as though it climbs well and handles the rough stuff well but not the more gentle downhill. Was it just a case of isolating you too much from the trail (making it too easy and a bit boring) or was it slower to turn or something (making the smooth twisty sections harder)?

Ive had my Rocket since october. Its my first full sus bike.
IIII LLOOVVEE IITT!
So – it climbs really well. set it up properly and it wont bob going up even the most techy uphill bits. As for singletrack – the faster you go the more inspired you will feel. Its like that. The more you put in the more it rewards you. Love doing XC routes on it as its very comfotable to ride – not like a 30lb bike really.
Then I went to Antur Stiniog. Im still grining.
Enjoy your test ride and lets us know what your think.

Feeling over biked has far more to do with the fear of being ridiculed for being ‘all the gear no idea’ than it does with the bike not being the right choice for your riding. After all if it climbs well, handles well, doesn’t weigh a ton and has loads of feedback, why wouldn’t you carry 150mm+ of travel.

Nice 1 MrCrush… what kit are you running on yours? Forks, wheels etc?

Part of this might have been the suspension set up

Cy was pretty insistent with me that its important to get the sag right as this affects how the chain tension interacts with the suspension – I seem to recall 17mm of sag on the shock shaft was the magic number (make sure you’re in full riding gear and camelbak when you set it!).

mine is currently a collection of scattered boxes… Just short of a few bits, can not wait to get it finished.

Cy was pretty insistent with me that its important to get the sag right as this affects how the chain tension interacts with the suspension

That may well have been part, even a significant part of the problem, not sure it was the complete story. There were parts of where I rode it and it felt really sluggish, wallowed around and generally needed more work compared to other bikes I’ve ridden down the same sections (Orange 5 and various hardtails).

More recently I’ve been riding a Trek Remedy 8 and found that much easier to get on with, although in fairness I wasn’t at Whinlatter.

None of which makes the Rocket a bad bike, it isn’t, rather it didn’t suit me or the riding I do.

Apart from the Orange option Stilltortoise has my exact short list. Of those who’d care to offer an opinion do you reckon the Rocket is worth an extra £150 over the Bandit? (For comparison I’m assuming the same rear shock on both i.e the Bandit comes with a Fox RP23 CTD but its a £150 option on the Rocket)

Love mine. Bought about the same time as OC up there (same demo day I think!). Managed about 500k here in the Malverns/FoD/Yat, Afan and four days being shuttled in Tenerife. I think Jon hit the nail on the head for me, it doesn’t feel like a very long travel bike until it needs to be. It is very poppy. Totally different to my friends 5 I tried which seemed to want to go very, very fast before it got interested. I’m not that brave 😉

Rocket is long and low, definitely worth getting suspension spot on at 17mm as said above. Mine is built with rev 150s, xt 2×10 and stan’s arch rims / decent tyres and it’s just under 30lb. Climbs great, hardly use the pro pedal unless it’s a massive road climb, descends like nothing I’d ridden before (came from an ST4), proper confidence building, but not in a ‘where’s all the lumps in the trail gone?’

Defo worth a demo, I knew it was for me the second I popped off the first rock. Couple of gratuitous pics for you

Tenerife MTB with Lavatrax by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

Rocket in the rocks by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

My Rocket is XT drive train and shifting. Haven risers, Everything else is Hope. The wheels are Stans Flow on Pro 2’s. Running it with Fox 34 floats with CTD which actually works! Got the CTD shock too which is good.

No photo as I hate flickr etc.

Re the sag. Sort it properly and tweak it and this thing flies!!!

bullroar: There were parts of where I rode it and it felt really sluggish, wallowed around and generally needed more work compared to other bikes I’ve ridden down the same sections (Orange 5 and various hardtails).

Thanks bullroar. It sounds as though the suspension stiffens under pedalling (hence the good climbing performance) but softens a fair bit when you coast. The Five does that a bit too, but maybe not to the same extent.

Interesting comparison with the Five Alex. So, the Rocket is a better choice for cowards then. Sounds ideal 🙂 Anyone know where I could test a large one near Aberdeen ?

Cheers,

Andy

ps. Alex, is that a Garmin 800 on the top tube? I’ve never thought of mounting mine there, but it looks a lot more sensible than perched up on the bars/stem.

Well for this coward yes 🙂 The 5 felt superb downhill, really stable and planted but I just felt a bit of a passenger. It wasn’t a huge amount of fun uphill compared to the Rocket either. But I’m not knocking it at all, just didn’t work for me in terms of what I’m looking for.

The GPS works well there. Short stumpy stem meant no way to fit the mount there. Tried it on the top tube and it’s fine. been down all sorts of stuff, never got in the way even while ‘comedy dismounts’ were taking place. Bit harder to see, but otherwise all good.

great feedback guys! It sounds pretty damn good, easy to climb and good on the descents…i’m going to demo one in a few weeks so shall report back. In the meantime, keep the comments coming! 😀

Well, did you demo a rocket?

When does yours arrive nobeer ?

2 weeks hopefully, although I have decided at the last minute to get some wheel juggling done! I was gonna just use the wheels from the heckler, but I’ve decided to let big Al build some stans flows onto my existing pro2s, and put the Mavics onto my soul wheels. If that makes sense!.

And yes, I did fall for the big fellas ‘black spokes are shite’ sales line. White rims, silver spokes and gun smoke hubs. Lurvly!. When you getting your soul? You’ll love it, just a freekin awesome bike.

Al’s wheels will be great, if ghastly ! But he does hate black spokes ! I think the guys at Sprockets will have the Soul ready in about a week. I also had last minute wheel change and went from crests to 719’s as I like tubes. I think they are building them next week. Cannae wait 🙂

Superb, gimme a shout when your going to pick it up, I’ll nick up on the road bike and grab a coffee and a blether.

Will do 🙂

Surprisingly versatile as well. Just had to use it for a flat bridleway ride today as other bike isn’t built up yet. 30 miles total and other than a sore arse because I can’t get the saddle right, it was quite stress free.
Saying that I much preferred using it on the red trail at QE Park yesterday 🙂

I also went from ex8 to rocket. I also ride dh. The rocket is much more fun than the ex8. I wish i had got a longer travel bike sooner. Its really good at descending and climbs well. Its heavy duty, not a xc race bike, a fun bike. My riding has improved a lot, so much more confidence now.