Rocky Mountain introduces 130mm Instinct 29er
Originally posted on August 29, 2012 at 14:50 pm
Hot on the heels of Rocky Mountain’s launch of the new 650b Altitude comes the new-for-2013 Instinct, a 130mm-travel 29er with the same Ride-9 adjustable geometry and progressive (read: slack) geometry numbers.
Thanks to the adjustable chip, the head tube angle can range from 67.7 to 69.3 degrees, far more slack than most 29ers. It also raises or lowers the bottom bracket. Having been developed in Rocky Mountain’s British Columbia territory, it’s likely it will be more than capable of shredding trail going down.
If you’re not familair with it, the Ride 9 chip works like this:
The dual rotating inserts allow for nine different positions. By moving the shock forward, the geometry slackens and the suspension rate becomes more progressive, giving greater bottom out resistance for aggressive downhill trail riding. When you move the shock backwards, the geometry becomes quicker and the suspension more supple, for ripping around on technical singletrack and better climbing traction.
When you move the shock upwards, it requires a higher air pressure to support the rider at sag. This is beneficial to lighter riders, allowing them to run “in the sweet spot” of the shock, and not wind up with an under pressurized shock, which feels overly harsh. Conversely, when you move the shock downwards, a heavier rider won’t need as much air pressure, increasing shock and seal durability, and keeps the damping range usable.
Other key features of the Instinct include a 142mm E-type thru-axle, internal cable routing, stealth dropper seatpost routing, ISCG-O5 chainguides, BB92 bottom bracket, and Shimano direct mount rear derailleur hanger.
There are two spec levels to begin: the 970 (black) and 950 (white), both with Fox’s CTD fork and shock system. The 970 gets a Shimano kit, while the 950 is SRAM.
No word yet on prices or availability, but we’ll let you know when we find out.