Rocky Mountain's development department is not located in a dreary industrial area in the Far East, but on Vancouver's North Shore, just a few kilometres south of the legendary trails. Exactly where hard-working hands with pickaxes and chainsaws have created a paradise for bikers. You need to know that to understand what makes the product managers tick. Traction is more important than low rolling resistance. Stability is more important than weight. And control over the bike helps more up there than an aerodynamic riding position.
Curtain up for the Instinct: the model in the Rocky range that can do more than the marathon weapon Element and rides more sportily than the Altitude. In any case, it is a classy toy. The full carbon chassis weighs just 2.6 kilos and impresses with its enormous stiffness. 80 Nm/degree means: There is almost no flex between the handlebar and saddle contact points, and even heavy riders can take a seat. What surprises us, however: Compared to last year, the bike is 700 grams heavier. Part of this seems to be due to the wheels (Maxxis instead of Conti tyres) - we've already said it: traction comes before weight. The heart of the bike is the Ride 9 geometry adjustment. The Ride 9 app helps you select the parameters that suit your riding style. There is also a cross-country orientated option within the nine different positions, but you can't do without the remote control. The rear end dips uphill, the right thumb alternately flicks the gear lever and damper remote. Those who prefer to let it fly downhill will criticise the lower guidance of the 32 mm fork. But Rocky also has the right toy for these customers: it bears the model suffix "BC" and steers with a 34 mm fork.
Conclusion The Instinct Carbon is a powerful singletrack machine. A mountain bike by definition, it feels more comfortable on rooty forest paths than on forest tracks. Not one of the light ones.
PLUS Lightweight chassis, chassis adjustment, high rigidity, five frame sizes
MINUS High weight (wheels), drive influences (rockers)
