Following their Altitude 650B introduction at Crankworx, Rocky Mountain Bikes’ new Instinct 29er is a long travel trail bike that borrows the new Ride 9 adjustable geometry tech.
The Instinct takes the curvy tube shapes and updated suspension of the also-recently-introduced Element 29er RSL and essentially replaces the Altitude 29er, but grows suspension to 130mm front and rear.
The new Ride 9 linkage mounts let you stick the head angle in multiple spots between 67.67° to 69.3° and the seat angle from 73.3° to 75.3° without changing the wheelbase. This lets you dial the geometry and ride for your terrain and style with unprecedented detail. Check the 650B bike post for the full Ride 9 tech rundown.
They wanted a bike that could go up against rides like the Stumpjumper and Tallboy LT. It had to have long travel to handle the infamous BC trails yet still feel racy and fast. To do that, they combined the Ride 9 with their SmoothLink suspension design. We’ve ridden quite a few of their bikes and really like it…pedaling efficiency is good without limiting the suspension’s suppleness.
A slightly different angle and lighter color frame shows the hydroformed recess to accommodate the shock canister when it’s front mount is in the highest position.
Rear end uses a 142 E-thru axle with direct mount derailleur hanger. All main pivots use ABC (Angular Bushing Contact) pivots, which is an angular polymer bushing rotating on a tapered alloy pivot. RM says the benefit is extremely tight tolerances without any binding.
Frames use a direct mount front derailleur and have built in ISCG05 tabs around the BB92 bottom bracket. They get internal cable routing, including for the stealth/internal dropper posts, and routing for a rear shock remote. At the top of the seat tube, they use a molded rubber boot to keep the mud and water out of the frame.
The Instinct 970 (black) comes in at claimed 29.5 lbs with pedals and Reverb Stealth, Race Face Turbine bar, stem and cranks and Shimano XT group. The 950, bel0w, loses the direct mount derailleur hanger and Reverb and gets a SRAM X7/X9 mix with Avid brakes.
They’ll be available late winter, likely January or February.
