Itโs been a busy year for Rocky Mountain, reinventing its Altitude enduro bike and, just a couple weeks later, releasing a refined and updated version of its Instinct trail bike.
After a good seven months on the Instinct, weโre checking back in to see if this do-it-all bike can actually do everything well, or at least come close enough.
And chanstay / seatstay protection, too
Rocky Mountain Instinct
The Instinct is new, but it retains a similar look and purpose in Rocky Mountainโs line of bikes. The 140-mm rear travel, 150-mm for, 29โณ wheel (S-XL. XS and S have 27.5โณ wheels)ย bike is still very much a do-it-all trail bike. Some updates to the frame, and some changes to geometry expand the range of riding that that โdo-it-allโ can cover.
The Instinct now boasts three frame adjustments. Ride-4 adjusts geometry as a whole as well as suspension kinematics. It makes the bike steeper and suspension more supportive at one end and, on the other extreme, slacker with more supple suspension. That gives, for head tube angle, a range from 64.3-degrees to 63.5. Thatโs reasonably slack for a trail bike. A reach-adjust headset and adjustable chainstays help reign in the Instinct a little, or really let it loose.
Rocky also adds an in-frame storage to the carbon fibre frame Instincts (but not the alloy frames) called Penalty Box 2.0, which comes with two dedicated stash bags to keep everything in check inside the frame. The lid to this box includes a compartment for an Apple AirTag to help keep tabs on your bike.
Adding tools to the Swiss army knife of bikes.
The changes in the Instinct reflect, arguably, a change in the way people are riding. Parts are more durable and suspension is more efficient. This makes a 140mm/150mm bike both more enjoyable to climb mountains on, even dressed in parts that are more capable on the way down. It also likely reflects the shift in the Altitude to a new, very enduro-focused design. That leaves room for the Instinct to push into the more aggressive side of trail riding without any crossover in the Rocky line-up.
But the Instinct doesnโt lose its identity as a do-it-all trail bike. It arguably has a broader range than the previous generation, with the help of the numerous frame adjustments. The newer additions (a 10mm rear axle flip-chip and +/- 5mm reach adjust headset) really complement the existing Ride-4 geometry chip. Youโre no longer just adjusting geometry (and suspension kinematics) in a general way with Ride-4 but, if you want, you can also shift the headset and axle to complement those shifts.
The reach adjust headset also works with the new, shorter seat mast on the Instinct to improve fit. It opens up longer dropper post options for more riders and helps give more reach options. Both help the Instinct better fit more riders that are typically on the edge of, or between sizes. And bikes that fit better are more fun to ride.
Shimano XT drivetrain isnโt wireless. But it is reliable
Rocky Mountain Instinct C70
Our test bike is the Instinct C70 Shimano build. Itโs a very solid build, based around Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain, four-piston XT trail brakes, Fox 36 Performance Elite fork and Float X Performance Elite shock. All are reliable, proven and effective without the price tag of XTR or Factory-level parts and have been flawless throughout the test period.
Race Face AR30 rims are anchored to a DT Swiss 370 hub out back and Rocky house brand hub up front. The 370 is, with its slow engagement, a miss for a bike thatโs intended for pedalling, especially in more technical terrain. I get that keeping prices low is hard but, for a bike clocking in at $8,300, this doesnโt feel up to par with the rest of the bike. Those wheels are wrapped in Maxxis Dissector tires, front and rear. These are fun as a fast tire in good conditions. But Iโm sure a lot of riders will be reaching for something burlier in rainier and in loose and dustier conditions.
Rocky Mountain Instinct still has a natural instinct for climbing
Review: Riding (every version of) the Rocky Mountain Instinct C70
Iโve been on an Instinct since February and, in the good half-year since, ridden it in a bunch of different places in as many different configurations as possible.
In its neutral or stock settings, the Instinct is a great trail bike for those that want to be able to ride, and enjoy, any trail in a riding area on any given day. Itโs still quick and efficient on the climbs, pedalling better than the last Instinct. Itโs reasonably light weight makes it nimble and playful on flow and jumps. And, as you might expect from a Rocky, itโs quite comfortable in any manner of tech and gnar. Itโs not as quick as the prior Instinct on flatter, twisty trails in these neutral settings, but weโll get into that below. If you have no interest in messing around with flip chips and headset cups, the Instinct C70 is still very much a do-it-all bike that will happily tackle anything between pure cross country and downhill tracks.
Beyond base settings
If, though, you want to really get into the weeds with the many options on the Instinct, you can push it to do even more. As someone who, in my non-work life, has never had the luxury of owning more than one mountain bike at a time, I really like this. I enjoy being OK all kinds of riding and having a bike that follow my whims with a few tweaks, or at least fake it well enough, makes this bike appealing to me personally.
The steepest Ride-4 setting may not be very steep, sure. But shortening the reach and chainstays makes the Instinctโs handling quick enough, and pedalling efficient enough and puts enough weight on the front tire to enjoy rolling, punch cross-country style riding. Itโs not going to out-perform a cross country bike, but it sure does make that kind of trail fun.
Performance Elite suspension from Fox is great. And, with more aggressive tires, the Instinct is ready to take on whatever you want.
At the other end, extending the reach and chainstays and putting the Ride-4 in the slackest setting makes the Instinct more comfortable really picking up speed on harder, more technical trails. The bike does lose a bit of efficiency climbing and this combo does put the front end pretty far out there if youโre not riding really aggressively. But, if you want to see how far you hard you can push a 140mm travel bike, the Instinct will be right there with you.
More and more brands are offering these kind of adjustments to the frame. Not all of them always work. Rocky does an impressive job of making the full range of possible settings work. (The middle settings of Ride-4 are, admittedly, quite close together. But at least they both feel good).
Final word?
Rocky Mountain Instinct has, for a long time, been a bike that is easy to enjoy. The latest version improves on that, even as its gets more aggressive slack/low geometry. It still climbs well and is still easy to enjoy on almost any trail, flowy and fast or rocky and janky. With a suite of possible frame adjustments, itโs possible to tune the Instinct to exactly what you want out of a bike. Or change it to suit your mood.
The post Long-term review: Rocky Mountain Instinct C70 appeared first on Canadian Cycling Magazine.
