Rocky Mountain 2011 Element 30 MSL

 I've owned numerous mountain bikes over the years, Cannondale; Norco; Haro; Intense. After purchasing this bike a few months ago and after going out for numerous rides I really felt compelled to write a brief commentary about this bike. Summed up- "wow!" Nice and light weight. Very fast bike. I'm amazed at how much speed I get out of this thing. The rear lock out on this model (30 MSL) is really good, about 90%- 95% full lock out, really makes it feel like a true hardtail. Frame is very solid and rigid and did I mention light! For climbing its- fantastic!, decending- even better! I highly recommend this bike to anyone looking for a truely exceptional XC bike. Also, my understanding is that the carbon fiber frame is the same throughout all the MSL versions- your just paying more for the upgraded parts with the higher versions. Either way, you won't be sorry about purchasing this bike if it's on your radar. Cheers and happy riding 5/5 stars!