This review is difficult to write as I don’t know where to start with the paradigm shift we are seeing with this bike. Five years ago, the idea of riding a carbon fiber frame off-road seemed crazy. It’s fine for the road, but not hard enough for the trail. Now that idea has been thrown on its head. For 2012, many companies are offering full-suspension hardtail carbon fiber mountain bikes with 26″ and 29″ wheels. The first of these wonderful new bikes that I have been able to test is the Rocky Mountain 29″ Vertex 970 RSL. Full carbon 29″er with new geometry and sexy styling.
The engineering that went into this frame is pretty impressive. They combine a tapered head tube with a 15mm front thru-axle to stiffen up the front end. The bottom bracket is a pressfit BB86 to improve power transfer at the crank and the rear is laced to a 142mm rear hub with a 12mm thru-axle. Set up tubeless tires and the lack of quick releases won’t be a problem as punctures will be almost non-existent.
Aside from the tech in the frame, the other big story is the new 29er geometry that Rocky Mountain has introduced. The complaint about the 29ers is that they’re slow to drive on tight, twisty trails. With the changes made to Vertex, this is a thing of the past. To mimic the handling of a 26″ wheel, they raised the bottom bracket, shortened the chainstays and used a more offset fork for a balanced package that’s fast on tight trails but still has the stability we’ve come to expect from road wheels. 29″. I’ve been on 29″ers since 2001 and this is the best handling big wheel bike I’ve ever ridden.
The test track was in the Albion Hills Conservation Area, which hosts the 24-hour races here in Ontario. If you’ve traveled there, you’ll be familiar with the rolling hills and winding single tracks. The Vertex 970 was like a two-way road bike. Drop the hammer and go. All that power goes to the rear wheel. Once you hit the single track, just dance. I’ve been on 29er wheels for so long that I don’t realize the little extra body English needed to get through the singletrack until it’s over. Felt like I was slicing and dicing through the woods. One of my first good bikes it was a Rocky Mountain Blizzard 20 years ago. This reminds me of the feeling I had riding it. Definitely a step above the current batch of 29er hardtails on the market. By 2012 Rocky has taken off his glove and gone out to fight.
The 970 comes with SRAM X9 and Formula brakes. The drivetrain is a 2X10 system that you will see a lot more of in 2012. Lighter weight, better shifting and a cleaner chainline are all benefits of this system. The drivetrain worked flawlessly, but I’m not entirely sure how well the front end shifts, since I did my entire ride in the big ring. Since I drive single speed most of the time when I ran out of gears in the rear, I just stood up instead of thinking about shifting down.
As anyone who reads my reviews knows, I am honest in my reviews and try to present the good with the bad so that you get a true picture of a bike and can make an informed decision when choosing your new ride. With the Vertex it’s hard not to sound like a fanatic, but trust me, if it was driving like a bus, I’d tell you. My only complaints I’ve had are the ones I have with pretty much every bike because nothing comes with my favorite saddle and grips out of the box. In terms of handling, ride quality, weight, and stiffness, it’s the closest thing to magic I’ve ever ridden. Light and stiff. Smooth and excellent handling. The only drawback is the price, but there is no such thing as a free lunch.
