Rot wild brought out a couple new built-in-Germany aluminum mountain bikes to cover the gamut of trail riding above and below their 140mm alloy R.X1 & carbon R.X2. The new R.C1 was built to be a fast all-rounder, and while Rotwild calls it a cross country bike, they mean that in the classic marathon and trail riding sense that most mountain bikers really ride. A bit less of a race bike, the R.C1 is still relatively short travel compared to the current crop of trail bikes, but at 120mm they think it will suit most riders who take in varied terrain. On the other end of the spectrum the new R.E1 is really designed as a competitive enduro bike. With light hydroformed tubes and 160mm of travel, the R.E1 takes the best progress of modern trail geometry and adds in a set of short chainstays that can even be adjusted for quicker handling or more stable descending, depending on track style. Check out both bikes after the jump…
R.C1 FS
With its broad focus the bike actually comes in two wheel sizes depending on frame size, which maybe makes for two different characters. The smaller S & M get 27.5″ wheels, while the larger M, L & XL go 29er. They manage to keep the same angles across all sizes and the chainstays are even the same at 422.4mm for both wheel sizes, but the differing wheelbases and different rollover character of the two wheel diameters means the bike will suit quite different riding styles depending on which fits.
The bike gets heavily hydroformed alloy tubes that is said to keep weight in check while delivering a torsionally stiff bike that can stand up to a good bit of abuse. The classic Horst-link 4-bar suspension gives a progressive 120mm of travel, that Rotwild has finished off with a design offering end-of-stroke bottom-out protection.
The bike’s big shaped headtube also hides a 3-position MSH I headset, which lets you tune the headtube angle to your riding style, offering -1.5°, 0° & +1.5° to the stock 69° head angle. The bike also gets fully internal routing both in the main triangle and the rear end, complete with rattle-free liners.
The two top spec complete bikes get stealth routed dropper posts for more trail versatility. The R.C1 FS sells as a frameset for 2000€, while completes range from the Comp 3400€ SLX build up to the 5500€ Evo with XT.
R.E1 FS
Like the cross country bike the R.E1 gets a lot of lateral stiffness from its wide, shaped tubeset. That also lets Rotwild build in some protection against impacts in the thicker wall of the bottom of the downtube, while keeping the weight down elsewhere. The enduro bike also gets the adjustable MSH I headset, and its +/- 1.5° head angle will likely get more use in this platform as riders can tailor the stock 66° head angle to the type of track they are racing on.
Even with a lot of travel the classic Horst-link 4-bar suspension does a good job of balancing the ability to pedal up the hill with descending plushness. The R.E1 also gets full internal routing, is compatible with sideswing front derailleurs, and comes with ISCG05 mounts.
The standout feature of the bike’s rear end are the Multiple Dropout Inlay (MDI III) dropout inserts that let you chose between 421 & 433.5mm long chainstays at the quick change of the flip chips. Want the bike to climb and rail turns faster or descend through the rough stuff with more stability. Its up to you. That rear end also gets Boost 148 spacing for a stronger rear wheel and room for up to 27.5 x 2.6″ tires.
The R.E1 FS Evo tops out at 5300€ with an XT 1x, but a more affordable 4300€ Pro spec is also available with an SLX 1x, or just as the frameset only for 2500€
