Rocky Mountain RMX: a dinosaur?

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This guy is asking about a particular DH frame, but his question has universal application.

hey lee, i just recently found your site, its my first year out here in boulder, from southern california. I have a moto x back ground and ride DH, but my giant faith got stolen last october and now im looking to pick up a new dh/fr rig for the season. I’m a little short on cheddar so i’ve been looking at rmx frames which are on close out for 1200 or so. This is the 07 special edition with the 1.5 inch head tube, and single pivot. My question is do you think that the rmx is being discontinued due to old technology, i realize its a beastly bike weighing in at 13 pounds, but the single pivot and all? At the same time i am really considering the intense socom, specialized demo 8 or other bikes with featured suspensions. Do you think these featured suspension bikes offer anything more significant over the rmx? Thanks i really appreciate it, im on the fence about decided whether to fork out more money on a more ‘feature full’ frame.

Also i read through your california section, santa barbara has some wicked turns, if your back down there again let me know and i can show you some gnarly runs at home by san fernando valley (about an hour north west of LA)

Take it easy,
Dan

Hey Dan,

– The new Rocky Mountain Flatline is a lot like the RMX it replaces. The Flatline’s shock is lower, the links are situated differently and the whole bike looks more refined, but the Flatline is still a single pivot design.

– A whole lot of people ride very well with single pivots. Steve Peat on his Orange, Thomas Vanderham on his Rocky Mountain, the list goes on.

– The RMX is a fine bike that you will never outride, but buying that frame seems silly.

– If you’re “short on cheddar,” do not buy the frame and parts separately. Even at dealer cost you’d be in the thousands of dollars (not to mention that silly 1.5″ head tube). If you want to preserve cheese, buy a complete bike.

– A VPP or Horst Link suspension has advantages over a single pivot. An in-tune rider will notice the subtleties, but you have to ask yourself: 1) Will you notice the difference? 2) Will it hold you back? For most riders, those answers are No and No. Or Maybe and No. If you were in tune with your Glory, your answers might be Yes and No. Example: I love my Demo 8, and I appreciate what the Horst Link is doing for me. But I could be stoked with any modern DH bike that’s dialed in — and that I actually have time to ride.

– Yes: The best downhill bike is the one you get to ride. If all you can afford is an old Foes Weasel or Santa Cruz Bullit, I say get one and rock it.

– Find a complete bike at a price point you can handle. (Complete new DH bikes start around $2,000 and reach infinity.) Buy an RMX, Flatline, BigHit, Demo, Glory, V-10, Socom or whatever.

Ride it!

— Lee

4 replies
  1. Bobby says:

    Interested in what you mean by “… silly 1.5″ head tube” – do you mean on a DH bike that is silly (as in all dual-crown forks a 1 1/8″) or just plain old silly in general?

  2. leelikesbikes says:

    Yeah, I should have been more clear.

    – Most DH forks have 1 1/8″ steerer tubes.

    – That 1.5″ head tube limits your fork choices or requires a reducer.

    – Who can take advantage of a 1.5″ head tube on a DH/freeride bike? No mortal who pays for his own frames …

  3. Nick says:

    Who needs a 1.5? head tube? Nobody who actually pays for his own frames …

    I would disagree a bit with this. I think the 1.5 standard is pretty awesome. I am building my new slopestyle bike based upon this premise as I bent a steerer on my 1-1/8 inch 66 last year. I think it important to note the type of fork you want, the kind of riding, and that sort of thing. I think a 1.5 single crown is the perfect bike park fork and think only downhillers need a dual crown. But different strokes for different folks. One of the fastest guys in Boulder rides single crowns on everything, hes been featured on here, Mr. Elliott Hoover. But the dual crown DH fork isn’t going anywhere.

    I think it is important to know the kind of suspension that suits your style best. Over the last few years I have owned a Glory, V10, and several other bikes, but the bike that suited me best was my Bullit. I decided to take it to Whistler after my first trip there and enjoyed it way more than I did the first time on my full on DH bike. I like the characteristics of a single pivot like the Bullit, Transition Blindside, Turner DHR, and all of those. They feel a bit livlier to me. I feel like a VPP bike has a dead feeling to it. A good rider can ride anything fast, its not the Sunday that makes Sam Hill fast. Remember Peaty ran an Orange for like a decade before moving to Santa Cruz and the V10 and he was super fast on that. To each his own.

    I will definitely agree that buying a complete is the way to go if you are short on cash. You may not get the blingingest parts but it will be solid and at a good price. And as I am sure you know, we DHers are a fickle bunch so you can always upgrade down the road

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