Curious as to what people are riding within the Rocky Mountain line up? Talking trails like Wentworth, Fitzies, Fight Trail. Riding, not racing. Do people lean towards the trail category or enduro?
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My 2016 altitude feels it’s best at fitz.
So much fun I day dream about it, lol.
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If you’re not racing or going big on the features, then I would say something in the 140-150mm travel range would be ideal for climbing and descending (Altitude or Instinct).
Just my opinion tho.
Cheers 
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I’ve got a 2020 Rocky Mountain Element C70, i ride it at Mac Run, Whooper, Bowater and everything in between. Also 2020 Rocky Mountain Blizzard 50, Whooper, Bowater, NoraWarren/ West Pine, Railyard.
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Enduro for sure. I have never heard anyone in WW complain about having to much bike.
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Surprised you would be asking but I think the main question you have to ask yourself is do you want to be underbiked or overbiked. Lots of people are riding the same trails on everything from XC to Enduro bikes, if you don’t want to race it and aren’t planning to huck off big drops and ramps at Keppoch, something with 120 to 130mm would be the happy medium I would think.
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I ride an Instinct that’s basically a BC Edition after a few component and suspension changes. Lots of folks run them at EWS races, but they can easily be setup for trail and xc riding. If I lived out West I’d likely be on an Altitude, though. The Ride9 system on both is also fun to play with.
I don’t understand the surprise. I’m just asking what people are running and how they find it. FS platforms have improved a lot over the years. My current xc FS bike (26") is 120mm or something like that so a 140mm 29er seems fantasy to me.
Just trying to make sense of it all with local knowledge.
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My Commencal Meta AM is probably too much bike for most things around here, with 160/170mm, but I have found it to be a great platform. It climbs decently and just absolutely screams downhill. Loves to be thrown into a rock garden at speed. Can handle every drop I’ve hit, it’s fun to jump it too.
My next bike will likely be a 130/150mm 29er trail bike, but I’ll be keeping the Meta for trips to Sugarloaf and to have some options in the quiver. I’m considering the Norco Optic and Forbidden Druid right now.
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Shared my thoughts but felt a bit silly doing so considering you have been in the scene around here so much longer than myself and likely a lot of the others commenting. Surprised because just seems a bit reversed I guess, figured you would be one of the folks that could say what is needed and what isn’t on the trails around here.
I am riding a 2018 Rocky Mountain Instinct A70(140/140mm). Before this bike I was on the Giant Anthem (Full Suspension XC race bike). It can handle any of the descents with ease in the Maritimes. It’s not a fast climber compared to my XC bike obviously, but it still climbs just fine while riding. I’d shy away from full on Enduro in the Maritimes, as it’s just more bike than needed. For me anyway.
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Understood. Reality is that I haven’t really kept up with biking trends over the past few years. Other than a 29er xc hardtail four years ago (maybe five, it has a front derailleur) my last bike was from 2008. Not counting gravel/cross I guess. I trust people who are riding now to give me an honest opinion of their rides.
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I have a YT Capra with 160mm front and rear. I love to crush bike parks regardless if I have to pedal to the top or get a chairlift. I also do roof drops, 35ft gap jumps etc etc… If I didn’t enjoy the freeride aspect I’d be looking at something with 130mm front and rear, that way I’d be more efficient on the climbs and still not hold back much on the downs…
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That Druid is beyond. I’m digging the new Norco Sight. Norco is building some bangers now (again).
I was running a 160 front and rear giant reign 27.5 and then when I switched to 29 I went with the Santacruz hightower that was 140 front 135 rear as my riding doesn’t require an enduro race rig. I then realized I missed the forgivingness of a 160mm front end and bumped my fork up to 160mm. So now I’m 160/ 135 and don’t hate it. If I was buying now I’d be going for the current hightower for the 160/150 mix. I definitely don’t need all of the travel but I like having it in my back pocket.
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Thanks for the feedback folks, keep em coming. The reality is that I don’t really have a new bike in my future but this is the first time in probably a decade that I have been interested in shopping for a new one so I figured why not play with it.
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Also on a 160/27.5 bike (2015 Giant Reign), love the bike. I’d like to try something a little smaller next time but feel like I will end up on the enduro side anyway (probably on 29” though).
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You may find the more travel you get the bike is not as playful or it’s more difficult to climb with . With that. I came back from out West with my 170mm travel bike. My experienced biker friends claimed it would be way too much bike for back East. I’ll claim I have had a ton of fun with it here on it. Plus travel does give some safety. Technical climbs get can get more challenging with a lot of travel. I think you would be fine with anything from 130mm to150mm. 150mm being absolutely enough for the more technical features here or the bike parks (Keppoch/Sugarloaf).
My vote - 140mm-150mm.
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I noticed some smaller sizes come in 27.5 instead of 29er.
Is this a big deal?
Nope. And some like the Instinct come with 29 but can be setup with 27.5+. I think the Pipeline is the same frame with a different size wheel.
Those that go 29 don’t go back! haha
I noticed that on some bikes such as the Rocky Mountain Vertex the small frame sizes have a longer wheelbase to fit the small rider between the wheels more. I would guess this is what they are avoiding with having smaller sizes use 27.5 instead of 29.