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2003
Rocky Mountain Switch After the honeymoon - a closer look Stefan "speed" Merchant Photos Cam McRae |
| The first time I saw a Rocky Mountain Switch, it was underneath Wade Simmons at Whistler so immediately I thought the bike was pretty cool. The 2003 model has substantial changes over last year's and it is a far better bike for it. Then again, this is the first bike I have ridden back on the Shore after a one-year absence due to injury. It felt so good to be riding on Fromme with my buddies that a CCM would have been awesome. After a month of testing I can objectively say that this is a great bike, but you should know that this is Rocky's 'freeride lite' bike. It is not designed for big hits nor is it designed to win downhill races. What it offers instead is solid (for a freeride bike) climbing and incredible handling in the tight stuff. |
 Tester Stefan Merhcant riding Semi-Retarded |
The bike combines a front triangle that is similar to a RM6 or RM7 with a four bar suspension in the rear. There is six inches of travel at both ends. The rear shock is your standard Fox Vanilla R and the front fork is a Manitou Sherman Breakout six-inch single crown with a standard axle and a 1.5 inch steerer tube. The steerer looks massive and beefy. I think a larger headtube makes a lot of sense. Not only are larger diameter tubes stronger and stiffer but they offer more weld area in an area of the frame that is subject to incredible stress.
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The brakes are Hayes hydraulics with an 8 inch front rotor and a 6 inch rear rotor. The cockpit is liberally doused with FSA components including a 1.5 inch FSA Pig headset and a burly-looking FSA bar and stem combo. The rims are Alex 32 downhill rims that are handbuilt on Shimano Deore hubs to the usual high Rocky Mountain standard. Decent handbuilt wheels are definitely one of the advantages of buying Rocky Mountain. These ones stayed true and tensioned throughout our time with the bike. |
 Stefan on one of Digger's new Roller Coasters |
The drivetrain is mostly Shimano Deore with an LX rear derailleur. Cranks are Race Face Prodigy DH with two chainrings and a bashguard mounted on a splined bottom bracket. The pedals that came with the bike are big, flat and grip like a sumbitch. The bearings were starting to go by the end of the test, but for a cheap pedal they work great. A Titec seatpost and saddle are provided for the climb up and laziness on the way down. The way this bike is spec'ed you don't need to change a thing before you leave the bike shop. I even liked the grips! Rocky offers a higher level model called the Limited that specs higher-end components and a through-axle version of the Sherman. To be honest I thought the lower-end model worked so well I can't see myself paying the premium for the Limited.
| Freeride bikes consist of a frame, suspension and brakes. Everything else is secondary in importance, so let's concentrate on these parts of the bike. The Hayes brakes worked perfectly, and the 8 inch front with 6 inch rear provided powerful, easily modulated and balanced braking. The frame is made of Easton RAD tubing and looks sturdy, especially with the huge headtube. I thought the yellow and black paint job on the test bike was a big improvement over the old silver and black (and I like it better than the Limited paint job). My experience with Rocky is that their frame build quality is fantastic. |
 Stefan cleaning up Lower Ladies. |
This frame, like all the Rocky frames I have used, has nice welds, excellent finish and tracks straight and true. All suspension joints have cartridge bearings in them to make suspension action smoother and to provide longer service life. The head angle on this bike felt steeper than most freeride bikes and it's something of a trade-off. I immediately liked the quicker handling and better climbing, and the precision on log rides and skinnies was mint. You will rip through the tight stuff and leave your buddies in the mud (not much dust on the Shore this time of year). As payback, they will blow by you on the steeps. I never felt the head angle was so steep it was going to pitch me over the bars, but if you currently ride a downhill bike it will take a few rides to get used to.
The rear suspension is a typical four bar suspension and works fine. The spring rate and shock damping felt great right away so I didn't adjust them. The fork felt slightly undersprung (I could bottom it out by standing on the pedals and pushing down hard) and I was never able to dial in as much rebound damping as I wanted. A change to higher viscosity oil and a slightly higher oil level would help alleviate both complaints. Before riding the bike, I was wary of a six-inch single crown fork with a standard axle. The backwards arch is said to make the fork stiffer, but there is still a lot of stanchion to flex - you can feel it on the trail, but it never made me feel insecure or detracted from my riding. If you are a go-fast, downhill kind of person, keep your Boxxer. If you pick and choose your lines, this fork will work great for you. The rear suspension felt more like five inches of travel than six, but performance was fine, as you would expect from such a tried and tested suspension design.
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On the trail, I had a great time with this bike. The handling characteristics make it ideal for trails that have lots of stunts and are not too steep, like Upper Oil Can. As soon as I got on the bike I felt comfortable and confident. Because I had not ridden for so long I was definitely into picking and choosing my lines carefully and this bike is ideal for that style of riding. You do not run over boulders and large roots at high speed, instead you use line, skill and body English to work your way down the trail. Even though the bike includes some of the latest innovations in mountain bike components, it feels old school. I mean this in a good way, you need to actively ride this bike - you can't be a passenger. |
 A tough day at the office |
Who should buy this bike? I would say that if your riding does not include lots of huge drops or ugly steeps, the Switch is a perfect candidate. If you only shuttle Cypress or you know the secret location of every one of Digger's big drops don't even look at this thing. If you climb up Fromme or the Woodlot to ride tight and twisty trails this bike should definitely be on your list and it would be a blast for some urban and dirt jumping if you are so inclined. This bike could be great for beginners as well. It has enough suspension to get you out of trouble but you will never outgrow it. The Switch requires you to maintain and hone actual riding skills rather than rely on massive suspension to get you to the bottom.
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Photos: Cam McRae
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