Back Issue | Group Test: Rocky Mountain Instinct 950 MSL Review
The bright green Rocky Mountain Instinct 950 MSL didn’t just stand out amongst the other black and silver test bikes because of its colour: the high quality finish and beautiful shapes also contribute to the stylish-looking machine.
This review is part of a Group Test. View the main article here. Cube Stereo 120 HPC Race 29 | Scott Genius 910 | Rocky Mountain Instinct 950 MSL | Trek Fuel EX 9 29 | Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Elite 29 | Giant Trance Advanced | Mondraker Factor XR
It’s not just the frame of the Instinct 950 MSL which is the deciding factor. For a price of € 3.599 the potential owner gets a solid and cleverly-specced build made up of a SRAM X9/X7 2×10 drivetrain, Elixir 7 brakes, and a stylish Race Face cockpit.
The only thing missing was a dropper post. This can be elegantly routed from below thanks to the stealth-ready frame design, just like on our test bike.
The real heart of the Instinct 950 MSL is Rocky’s RIDE-9
system. This is an adjustment system that allows the rider to adapt both the geometry and the rear suspension characteristics. The head and seat tube angle can be varied by
1.6° (HT: flat 67.7° / steep 69.3°) and the bottom bracket height adjusted by almost 19 mm (bottom bracket drop 20.7–39.6 mm). To do this, however, you need to
unscrew the rear shock and turn two rectangular frame inserts, a job which you certainly won’t be doing on the side of the trail.
We choose a slacker setting with a 68.1° head tube and 74.1° seat tube angle along with a bottom bracket drop of 34.67 mm; all of our observations on handling were made in this setting.
Even with the adjustments set slack, the position on the Rocky Mountain Instinct is sportily stretched, and thanks to the very effective Fox CTD system, climbing is very efficient. In the ‘open’ mode you can feel some suspension bob, but this is almost eliminated in climb-mode.
As our test bike was fitted with a RockShox Reverb Stealth (not fitted stock), you could swiftly drop the saddle. In rough sections the Rocky Mountain felt especially confident and rode as if on rails. However, the rear of the bike wasn’t particularly plush and had a strong end-progression. Set up with 25 % sag, the rear shock didn’t make full use of the stroke. At the front things were different: the fork, unfortunately, was clearly lacking compression damping and quickly dropped deep into its travel.
The result is that the handling feels imprecise. However, as a whole the bike is still balanced; there’s never the dreaded ‘over-the-bars’ sensation thanks to the slack geometry, and the handling is a great balance of stability and agility. Even at high speeds nothing can upset the bike, and tight trail sections are also dealt with swiftly and easily.
Ride-9 – Thanks to the Rocky Mountain RIDE-9 system, riders can adjust both geometry and suspension characteristics to their personal preferences.
If you want to know more click on: www.ride9.bike.com.
Tres chic – The great looks of the Rocky Mountain Instinct are helped with the internally routed cables. Any unused openings can be closed off with rubber fittings, making the whole look even cleaner.
Brave colours – The bright green finish makes the Instinct 950 MSL a real eye-catcher. The maple leaf signifies the origins of the ‘cult’ brand Rocky Mountain – Canada is the place to be!
Appropriately dressed – What would a Rocky Mountain be without stylish Race Face parts? The Canadians have kept loyal and specced the Instinct with the legendary, high-end parts such as the Turbine cranks.
Must have – A dropper post is a real must-have for a trail bike of this class. When retrofitting it’s important to know beforehand where you can integrate the controls on the bars for an ergonomic fit (as on our test bike).
Conclusion:
even though the chassis doesn’t feel totally harmonious, the Rocky Mountain Instinct 950 MSL still won us over with its balanced overall ride. When planning a purchase of the € 3,599 ‘cult’ bike, make sure you plan your budget to allow for a dropper post upgrade.
Price: € 5,599
Weight: 13.35 kg
Specifications
- Fork: Fox 32 Float CTD
- Rear Shock: Fox Float CTD
- Drivetrain: SRAM X9/X7
- Brakes: Avid Elixir 7
- Handlebars: Race Face Evolve, 750 mm
- Stem: Race Face Evolve, 70 mm
- Tires: Continental Mountain King, 2.2″
- Wheels: SunRingle Inferno 25
- Seatpost: Race Face
Geometry
Size: S / M / L (tested) / XL / XXL | Top Tube Horizontal:600mm | Seat Tube Angle: 73.5°- 75.3°| Chainstay Length:452mm | Head Tube Angle: 67.7° – 69.3°| Wheelbase: 1158mm Reach: 420 – 437mm | Stack:612 – 624mm | Wheelsize: 29″
This review is part of a Group Test. View the main article here. Cube Stereo 120 HPC Race 29 | Scott Genius 910 | Rocky Mountain Instinct 950 MSL | Trek Fuel EX 9 29 | Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Elite 29 | Giant Trance Advanced | Mondraker Factor XR