Rocky Mountain Announces Less Expensive Instinct BC Edition

Aug 6, 2018
by Rocky Mountain  

PRESS RELEASE: Rocky Mountain

Our BC Edition bikes are how our staff in Vancouver build their personal bikes, and for the first time we're releasing an alloy version of our Instinct BC Edition.

Designed with an optimized single-position link, aggressive geometry, and a long stroke shock that provides 155mm of rear travel, we’ve kitted out the Instinct Alloy 50 BC Edition with wide bars, big tires, ultra-stiff wheels, and more capable suspension. It smashes all-mountain lines, rails corners, and plows over everything in sight, while displaying all the climbing efficiency that makes the regular Instinct a crowd favourite.

Instinct Alloy 50 BC Edition

• Intended use: trail / enduro
• Wheel size: 29” Wide Trail and 27.5+ compatible
• Travel: 160mm front, 155mm rear
• FORM™ alloy frame
• Size: S - XL
• Weight: 32.3lbs (size Medium)
• Price: $3,699 USD / $4,999 CAD

Specs


Geometry



Details

• Max tire clearance is 29 x 2.6", and 27.5 x 2.8" (3.0" with low profile knobs)
• Bearings at all pivots, including at lower shock mount (compatible with aftermarket shocks as well)
• Blind pivots maximize heel clearance
• Light, tooled rear axle
• Ships with FSA extend-O-matic headset for swapping to 27.5+ wheels without negatively affecting handling
• Large headtube ports, full shift housing, large downtube access port, and internal shift and brake housing within the front triangle
• Accommodates longer dropper posts
• Chainstay and downtube protectors
• Integrated “Spirit Guide” chainguide, with 2-bolt ISCG05
• Dedicated link delivering 155mm of travel and fixed geometry
• 1x optimized design with wider main pivot
• Modern parts compatibility (boost spacing, metric shock lengths, post-mount 180mm brakes, etc.)
• All sizes fit a water bottle in the front triangle, even with a reservoir shock

More info on bikes.com.

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Press Releases Rocky Mountain Instinct


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94 Comments

  • 33 5
 Ya'll all suck... This is a beautiful bike, not a bad price, and by gosh I bet you'd ride it if someone handed it to you. Price being what it is, and how smashing that colorway is, I'd fly the leaf. Very nice!
  • 17 36
flag mollow (Aug 7, 2018 at 9:48) (Below Threshold)
 Fuck off. Im not paying 5 grand for bottom of the line suspension, guide RE, NX drivetrain and shitty wheels. Wtf is wrong with you
  • 10 2
 @mollow: GX
  • 1 20
flag mollow (Aug 7, 2018 at 10:45) (Below Threshold)
 @jeansebille: yeah sorry misread the chain
  • 23 1
 @mollow: It may be 5k for you but not for us down here! Razz The spec for the price seems about on par to most companies these days... Guide RE's have code calipers and are supposed to be really solid, the suspension is not bottom of the line it just doesn't have Kashima, the derailleur and shifter are GX not NX... your arguments are flawed sir... and take a chill pill while your at it!
  • 8 24
flag mollow (Aug 7, 2018 at 11:09) (Below Threshold)
 @millsr4: Guide's weakness are the lever not the calipers. Suspension IS bottom of the line, Performance Elite would be the same as the factory minus Kashima but this is PERFORMANCE which means the shitty grip damper nobody wants to buy at 500$ on the buy/sell section. I already apologized for the NX mix-up in the comment over yours. Sure, I might need a chill pill, but who's arguments are flawed, sir? As for being on par, they're not even close. I'd also like to add that this is a canadian company so taling advantage of the poor dollar value to f*ck over your local customers is seriously frustrating.

/rant over
  • 3 2
 I demod this bike in carbon back to back with the non-bc edition. I actually prefered the non BC bike.
  • 9 1
 @mollow: Sure guides CAN have problems with the lever but Shimano brakes are known to have their own issues and many people like myself have ridden guides for years at this point with no real issues to report. Fox only lists the Grip2 damper for 2019 which has HSC, LSC, HSR, and LSR adjustments... that isn't a low end fork if you ask me. How are they taking advantage of Canadians?! Your dollar is weak at the moment, that isn't Rocky Mountain's fault...
  • 5 18
flag mollow (Aug 7, 2018 at 11:20) (Below Threshold)
 @millsr4: lmao you're not the sharpest knife in the dishwasher are ya? Go read the spec sheet and come back. If you really think performance forks come with the Grip2 dampers you need to lay off whatever it is you're taking. Also, can you explain to me how the weak dollar is supposed to affect the prices of a bike handbuilt in Canada? Just curious
  • 12 0
 @mollow: Handbuilt in Canada.... nope. Made in Taiwan and bought in USD like pretty much everything else. Rocky hasn't made any frames in Canada in years.
  • 3 2
 @mollow: Well it would help if Fox listed the specs for their Performance forks and not just the Performance Elite line... that was my error... but from what I just read the "Performance" versions are still very solid forks especially for the $$. They are still better than forks on bikes from other companies at this price point.

Made in Canada?! As @gtrguy pointed out, these are maid in Taiwan, so your argument about the dollar makes no sense... Sounds like there is at least one knife in that drawer that is more dull than I am...
  • 6 2
 @mollow: The grip dampener is excellent. Review of it was posted today (same dampener in the Marz z1). It's glowing. There would be no need to upgrade, but if you wanted to, the Grip2 can be simply dropped in.
  • 6 13
flag mollow (Aug 7, 2018 at 12:30) (Below Threshold)
 Granted, it is still a good fork. But at that price point, give me the Elite on both the fork and shock. Just like Transition
  • 5 3
 @mollow: Transition cuts corners in other places in order to afford their better spec. I'm pretty sure their fabrication vendors just aren't as good as some others in Taiwan (made evident by their frame tolerance issues they had in the past) and they outsource all engineering so they don't have the cost of an engineer on staff full time.

There is always give and take when it comes to pricing and manufacturing it just depends on what the company values as to what decisions they make. I prefer well engineered frames combined with tight controls on manufacturing processes and ideally made close to home. Guerrilla Gravity is my top contender for a new rig at this point!
  • 7 10
 @Adamrideshisbike: Use a "dampener" to get your fork wet for cleaning. Use a "damper" to modulate your suspension movement.

Learn your tech if you are going to argue about it.
  • 11 7
 @jeansebille: NX chain and 615g boat anchor NX 11-50 cassette. Haven't ridden the new Instinct, it does look like an awesome ripper of a bike, but for $5k CAD I'd rather take a Jeffsy full carbon frame with 34/DPS Performance Elite, XTR/e13 9-46 drive train, Guide RSC brakes, carbon Race Face cranks/handle bar etc...

Really hard to wrap your head around the MSRP in Canada for Rocky, Norco, Transition, Evil and Santa Cruz these days. Specialized and Trek are doing a little better. Giant makes sense at least.

Edit: Totally forgot about Commencal, you could buy a Meta AM 29er race with Fox Factory for another $500 over this! LOL.
  • 6 3
 @gramboh: amen
  • 2 5
 @Poulsbojohnny: get a life.
  • 2 1
 @gramboh: Giant still has some decent value in their bikes; at times. Devinci too
  • 9 0
 I actually like the colours. Good looking bike.

What I still don't understand though are many of the dramatic price increases over the years. I had a somewhat similarly spec'ed aluminum 2014 Rocky Mountain Instinct 950 for which I paid $3,299 CAD. Full SLX, good wheels, not as nice fork, but solid bike.

Now, four years later that same bike is $4,999 CAD. An increase of $1,700!

What gives? I understand "inflation" but c'mon. What's really going on?
  • 2 0
 @gdharries Ummm, greed perhaps!
  • 28 16
 5k for what will likely be a 33 pound bike in large trim? Hard pass.
  • 17 2
 2018 Year of the fecal colored bikes!
  • 10 1
 Just sell me the damn AL frame only please.
  • 30 2
 The pricing/spec is right in line with the Commencal Race series, it will weigh less than the new AM29. Definitely much better spec than the new aluminum slash and it's the same price.

I'd say it's pretty reasonably priced, I'll definitely have to consider this bike. I don't care about Carbon or a couple lbs.
  • 5 1
 It's under 32 pounds fwiw - I swapped in the Fox 36 (160mm) and DPX2 (155mm) on my 2018 A70 already. Bike's a perfect all rounder for my tastes.
  • 2 14
flag scott-townes (Aug 7, 2018 at 5:52) (Below Threshold)
 BUT ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAID ALL THEIR ENDUROS RIDE THE SLAYER!
  • 9 0
 hard hitting alu 29er from a company that has never been cheap? Mh even tho I love moaning about bike prices, this one seems okayish for me
  • 8 2
 GG Smash is lighter and built in America, for less money.
  • 9 15
flag mollow (Aug 7, 2018 at 9:51) (Below Threshold)
 @bulletbassman: Are you guys completely retarded? Commencal offer their FACTORY models for 5,400$ while this joke of a build goes for 5000$... VERY FAR from similar specs...
  • 4 0
 @fecalmaster: slap some brown dvo diamonds on and your complete!
  • 5 0
 @PHeller: True, and I'm a big fan of GG, but that lower price comes with a Suntour fork, Sram Level brakes, and a NX drivetrain vs. the higher spec on this Rocky bike. For me US manufacturing outweighs the other differences though!
  • 8 1
 @mollow: Maybe in Canada. But the team model is 3899 USD in the US while the RM is 3699 USD. Only thing commencal arguably has on it is the wheelset, but either is just fine for practice and I'd want something more robust for race days anyways. However I can literally run on two feet to my local RM dealer, Rm has a pretty solid warranty on frame/parts/service. There is only one Commencal store in the whole US.
  • 2 14
flag mollow (Aug 7, 2018 at 11:15) (Below Threshold)
 @bulletbassman: Good points. However I find it frustrating that a canadian company would take advantage of our poor dollar to f*ck over their local customers... I struggle to understand how commencal can do it being from Europe and not RM... I might also be biased since the Commencal Canada warehouse is 30 mins away from me.
  • 4 0
 @mollow: You realize Rocky have to pay for all their frames and components in USD right?
  • 1 4
 @gtrguy: I do now but still don't understand why companies like transition can offer performance elite for the same price
  • 2 0
 @mollow: Commencal bring their bike directly from China to Canada, it doesn't change a thing. $CAD to $USD is irrelevant, what matters is the Yen value. Remember the bike you are buying now has been paid last year by the brand. Direct to customer brands have more flexibility to adjust the price in real time.
  • 1 0
 @max2max: How many yen does it cost for me to blast a 40' nac these days?
  • 1 0
 @bulletbassman: I wish is was the same price as the Alu Slash, unfortunately in Australia the new slash 8 is $4900 and the Rocky is like $6.5k. Hard to justify the extra cash...
  • 11 3
 Stop complaining. It doesn’t say „cheaper”. It says „less expensive”.
  • 7 0
 I like the suspension spec better that the new Trek Slash 8... The color might at least hide some dirt, depending on where you live...
  • 4 0
 The slash just looks so much cleaner and aesthetically pleasing... Nicer welds too!
  • 1 1
 @bohns1: I agree... I like the fade colorway on the new Slash models...
  • 11 5
 That is allot of bike for a good price!!! Will for sure be considering this as my next bike!
  • 7 1
 a lot
  • 3 1
 @COnovicerider: I down voted him for that one
  • 1 0
 @youknowitsus: haha it's all good.
  • 13 10
 Only gripe is I'd prefer a shimano drive train and brakes (cheaper to maintain, the GX is a mighty fine system), but I guess everything has to have a 12 speed these days.

Dear bike manufacturers, the granny gear is the last thing I look for in a bike spec.
  • 11 10
 New XTR looks good, but Shimano 11-speed is dogshit bad compared to Sram, and I'm riding Shimano on 2 of my bikes now, so it's not easy for me to admit. It's almost impossible to run wide range cassettes on Shimano without having awful shifting in the heavier gears. If you switch out the cage to something with more offset they are quite good.
  • 1 0
 Last thing you might look for is a big granny gear, but not a huge chunk of the customer base haha
  • 6 1
 Aluminum? I didn't know BC stood for Beer Can edition!
  • 4 3
 Kuch......YT......kuch.........propain........kuch.........radon.......kuch........canyon.........kuch.
Sorry, got something inmy throat after reading thisWink
  • 4 0
 + Commencal
  • 2 0
 @NotNamed: not German though
  • 1 1
 But you forgot Rose.. though admittedly they don´t gather so much attention and have many outdated bikes.. Smile

Of the others only one currently offers a 29er "enduro" bike (YT Capra).. from Radon I dont expect one this year as they´ve just released the Jab, Propain has the lower travel Hughene which maaybe will inspire them to make a bigger travel version, well Canyon will probably /should release their updated strive this year which in their current model policy would make perfect sense in 29".
  • 2 0
 @daweil: you are completely rightWink
  • 6 5
 My DH bike cost 2k more than the van I transport it in, and now tyres are costing more than on the van that I transport it in. WTF? Where's it all gonna end?
  • 8 0
 Get a better van. Something with a fridge to keep beers cool.
  • 1 0
 @onemind123: Lol, i'd then need to get a better job to earn more money, to buy a better van. I wouldn't mind so much, but I had to spend extra on me Demo to get a better spec. it's a cruel world lol;
  • 2 0
 Hey RM, this is not the first alloy Instinct BC Edition...

I know because I owned one (loved that bike). Razz
  • 2 0
 Do I need a reading glass for the spec?
  • 2 0
 Looks like they found some remaining paint from the 1995 rmb edge...
  • 2 0
 Less expensive? I'll wait for inexpensive BC
  • 1 0
 Ayyy you hossers! Lets call this color...DooDoo Brown , and have another 10 Labatts!!
  • 2 1
 That looks better than the carbon version
  • 1 0
 Their larger aluminum frames look hooorible though. I had considered an Altitude aluminum until I saw a pic of a XL. The top tube and downtube weren't even converging at the head tube, like an inch gap between them.
  • 2 1
 Guide RE? Aren't those for ebikes?
  • 5 0
 getting specced on a lot of non e-bikes also.

like a cheaper code (4-pot).

more power = good
  • 1 1
 I weighed a large Slash 8 at the bike shop, it was 31.05 lbs, so over a lb lighter.
  • 3 0
 Slash 8 has tires that are less than 800g. Add a DHF and DHR II and weights will be super close
  • 1 0
 damn that paint is cray all day
  • 3 5
 My Mom wielded it - LOL
  • 11 1
 She can wield me any day.
  • 2 2
 Gotta agree.. The welding just looks sloppy.
  • 1 3
 Sloppy is an understatement I’d say the welds for the rear shock mount look like shit @bohns1:
  • 1 3
 @jamieSaunders: Completely agree! A far cry from the Spec or Trek welds that are near seamless and almost resemble a carbon frame.
  • 10 2
 @bohns1: Yall have no idea what yall are talking about. Those "seamless welds" are done by doing a second pass over the weld without adding filler material. This is sometimes referred to as a double pass weld or flame dressing. The double pass weld is strictly for aesthetics, and actually makes for an inferior product. Adding extra heat to any welding process simply makes the HAZ (heat affected zone) larger. The one exception to this is air hardened steels like Reynolds 853, but even then you still don't want to purposely dump extra heat into it. Companies like Cannondale and others have done this for years as a marketing technique, because it looks smooth and pleasant to the eyes. It is also why Cannondales are known to crack around the welds.

The welds on this Rocky Mountain actually look really good. I'm sure you've heard the term stacking dimes. That's a good thing. If they were overheating the tubing the welds wouldn't have good defined edges to the ripples.

I've been lurking on Pinkbike since 2000, and created an account in 2007. This is my first post ever, because I had to tell yall that yall are a bunch of idiots. Source: Professional welder since 2005.
  • 2 0
 @georgiamtbiker: That's great y'all.. But the product still does not look aesthetically pleasing at all.. Yes that is important when dropping large sums of coin. Never had an issue on either of the so called inferior products I've owned as u say.... Either way, it doesn't matter to me.. I'm on plastic and love it!
  • 2 0
 Plastic girls and bikes all day!
  • 1 0
 @fecalmaster: Farken rights der bud! Whatever it takes!
  • 1 0
 Not saying the welds weren’t of a high strength as I’m no welder but as far as looks go they look ugly as hell. And when spending over 4K on a bike I would kinda prefer for the frame to look nice ya know. @georgiamtbiker:
  • 1 0
 @jamieSaunders: Ya I was reading about treks alpha aluminum and how they make it seamless with higher tencile strength... @georgiamtbiker says it's inferior but I don't see how to be honest..Been on two of those style frames and they held up easily to the daily rigors.. I hear Ya tho... If I'm dropping that kind of coin, shits gotta look tight!
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