Bike Review - Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

It you are looking for a review that discusses the latest tech, uses words like rebound and dampening and in any way compares the latest to the greatest you are in the wrong place. You might want to go here.  http://m.bikemag.com/videos/rocky-mountain-thunderbolt-2015-bible-bike-tests-roundtable-reels/

However if you prefer the ramblings of someone who hasn't paid attention to technology for 12 years and still rides a bike with tubes and rim brakes then read on!

To set the scene you must Picture in your mind Motorless Mition Bicycles, one of Madison's local bike shops, as this is where it all begins.

Now I must be honest I’ve been a little bit grumpy about how much mountain bikes have changed in the last 12 years. shopping for a new bike seemed a little like just another task on my lengthy To-Do list. New bikes are like a whole different beast than my old bike – it’s like cassette tapes vs CDs (and yes I know that analogy ages me!).

 

As soon as I saw the bike at the shop I realized that the poor employees were going to have to explain a lot of things to me.  The handlebar had all kinds of things that did who knew what and the suspension systems were clearly a mystery to me. And that was before I knew that you could actually adjust the “radness” of the bike . . . or maybe the progression or really I have no idea what terminology I should even be throwing around these days (if you want the right lingo go back and click on the Bike Mag link).  Clearly I should have been reading Bike Magazine for more than the travel stories!

 

However, the poor put upon staff at Motorless Motion all rallied to my cause. They ensured that the bike was set up for me and that I at least had some vague idea of how to adjust it once out on the trail.  And they were truly put upon because I don’t even own a bike with disc brakes so you can see that I truly have been left behind the times. 

 

Now of all the many features on the bike the one that I still find the most amazing/intriguing/fascinating is the button on the handlebar that allows you to adjust the seat height. Yes, just push the button to lower or raise your saddle.  Wouldn’t that have been nice back in the 90s at races when you suddenly realized you were going slowly because your seat post had sunk! (What was it about 1990s seat posts that caused them to slip down so much!!!)  Now you can raise your seat on the fly for those longs climbs and lower it down when it comes time to huck off some crazy jump.  Back when I bought my first mountain bike (a 1989 fully rigid beauty) I would have laughed at the idea that would ever be possible. Of course, I also thought front suspension might be a fad up until about 1994.

 

Tech mysteries aside what did I think of the Rocky Mountain Thurnderbolt?

 

Just walking out of the shop with the Thunderbolt made me feel giddy and like I was still some sort of bad ass mountain biker. It also made me feel more in charity with the dudes that are always riding around in mountain bike trail parking lots doing wheelies and bunny hopping shit but who may or may not ever actually ride the trails.  I now realize they are just overcome by the pure coolness of their rigs. (Side note: I'm hoping that the use of rig makes this review have more cred not less).

 

Of course it is all good and fine to look cool in the parking lot but in the end it is the ride that matters.  The biggest complement I can give to the bike is that I felt comfortable on it immediately even though it is completely different from my current bike.  That’s a big deal to me as that has been one of the issues holding me back from rushing into a replacement bike. Some bikes have just felt awkward but the Thunderbolt always felt comfortable but in a good “I’m going to slay this trail” kind of way.  (Please note that no trails were actually slayed during this review). 

 

One of the big issues I’ve been getting my head around with the bikes I’ve been considering is that they are heavier than my current bike. Of course I bought my current bike for racing and my next bike is for adventures since I am a washed up has been racer.  The reality is that my adventures are usually with Dave who rides a Seven hardtail. I can't afford the liability of a heavy bike as I already can’t keep up with him on the climbs. 

I’m not going to lie the Thunderbolt is a bit heavier than the Juliana but it climbs so well that I didn't notice.  There are a few sections at Cam-Rock which sometimes I have trouble climbing when my legs are tired and my legs were very tired on my test ride.  Several times I came to sections where I thought I wouldn’t make the climb and once where I thought I couldn’t make the climb because of gear choice.  Guess what?!?! Each time I made it up the climb even though I had mentally prepared to not make it.  That was a shocker because if my mind says I won’t make it then I usually don’t.  My mental is always stellar!

 

Okay, so the bike climbs better than expected.  That’s good for someone who hates to climb like me.  But what about the fun stuff!  I’m just going to say that at one point I actually “woo hoo’d” out loud in one little bermy, flowy section of the trail.  The bike just rolled through that section like it was made for it (which I suppose it was). I felt like the bike just knew how to roll and flow. The only thing holding this bike back from flying through everything was me as the bike was more than capable. Certainly more capable than me!

 

Moving up from 26” to 27.5” wheels is also just enough to make logs and rocks just a little bit easier which I appreciate greatly. Those of you who rode with me long ago know that I used to be a bit of a risk taker but 20 years later I find that I prefer caution to scrapes, bruises and blood.  So a bike that makes anything easier is good for the ego!

 

I think the thing that really sold me on the Thunderbolt was that at the end of my initial ride I wanted to quit my job, steal the demo bike and just ride. The next morning when I saw it in my bike shed I wanted to call in sick and ride some more since I knew it had to be returned.  And if I had to describe the bike in one word it would be FUN and if I could have two words it would be ENDLESS SUMMER.

Or if you would indulge me I would say this is the kind of bike that shows those guys that are inching their way on the freeways in their metal coffins that the human sprit is still alive.  (Shut up I like that movie and I warned you that this wouldn't be that kind of bike review).