I went from a Scott spark with a Fox 34 Fork (down countried). The Element is not only faster in almost all trails, but I don’t feel like I’m going to die on big tech features or drops. The bike is a unicorn.
A couple of folks have asked about Element vs. Trail 429. I'll preface what I'm about to say with the caveat I'm a shit rider compared to BE, but I've got time on both, soooo... Trail 429 feels sportier under power, and the suspension platform doesn't give up as quickly as the Element's does when you stop spinning and start mashing. The Pivot gets into a corner a little snappier, the Rocky feels more stable through the corner. Both bikes allow you to adjust your line as needed. I ride Mediums in both bikes, and unlike the XL, I felt the cockpit for the Element was more compact than the 429's in the saddle, and they felt pretty similar, reach-wise, out of the saddle. BE's thing about endurance riding was what juuuust tipped me to choose the Element over the 429, as it has more stable geo, as well as the ability to run two full-size bottles in the frame. And because I'm so mediocre on the downhills, I appreciate the Element's geo is more aggressive, keeping me calmer when I drop into rough sections of the trail.
Thanks for posting this. Really informative, and highlights the pros and cons of both, depending on your local terrain. Luckily, as many have said, there's no bad answer between the two.
@@Gothenburg85 you're welcome! Like you said, a lot of it is terrain-dependent. I wish the RM had a little more platform under pedal load, but for me its upside completely outweighs that criticism on balance.
Which bike is better: Ibis Exie (non-usa deore build $5k) vs. Rocky Mountain Element (C50 build $5k)??? No xc racing, but will be doing marathons and 100 milers. Ride mostly 'blue' trails, fair amount of green as well, just a touch of black. My weight is 120lbs.
Coming from a V2 Ripmo, I agree that the Element is almost as good as the Ripmo going down, but it climbs WAY better. However, I disagree with the playfulness comment. My Element feels even more lively than my Ripmo, especially on flattish trails where the Ripmo felt dead. Burlier tires went a long way in making the Element a more confident descender too. Best bike ever.
The Element feels livelier than the Ripmo on flattish stuff because of the pedal efficiency, but as far as popping off stuff, feels a lot like the Ripmo. The Ripmo is not particularly poppy nor is it super planted, it kinda sits right in the middle. Most Rocky Mountain bikes are way poppier than the RIpmo
Spot on Review! I would agree with most everything that was said and add my experience with my Element. My one word review would be "Zippy". It just responds so well to pumping corners and berms! I sold my Ripley because the Rocky did everything better, in just about every way, with exception of jumps. Element is very firm, but has so much traction on the Steep loose climbs and corners. I felt the Element was more active on the really steep climbs than the Ripley. I am running mine in the position 3 (neutral) which gives it a 65.5 degree HTA. When things get really steep on the climbs, I feel the length but also feel it provides incredible traction. This bike likes to jump, but as a 200 pound rider, my Rallon is a far better tool for that. I have a C50 in a size large. Stock weight prior to pedals or any changes was 28.04 pounds. I added wheels, XT 2 pots, Wolftooth Dropper, XR4 front tire and a Handlebar. Not sure what the weight is now, as I am not a weight weenie. The bike is a good choice for Endurance races. It did better on the El Doce course than I did. Spot on review Connor and Zach, love your Shop and Channel!
@@frienduro24 My Ripley was an AF. Yes, my Element climbs a bit better in every situation I have been in. The traction on the Element is really good. I usually leave it in the "open" position all the time.
I have a ‘20 Whyte S-120 with very similar geometry and suspension setup but with a 120 Fox 34 SC. Whyte was only in US for one year, so I never see them. Makes it hard to know how it would compare to the Element. May have to throw my leg over one to find out. Thanks for the review.
The mountain bike trends have lead many people into purchasing bikes that are clearly over-biked for the vast majority of local trails - I jumped on the big travel boat myself thinking the big bike has me covered for everything, later realizing it really worked best for small sections (15%) of most trails - Continuing to be the perfect trend follower (thank you RU-vid) I’m riding the Revel Ranger w/130mm Pike and now have the perfect bike for 85% of the trail with a bike that’s lighter and faster (thank you Strava) all the way around - I’m guessing the Rocky Mountain Element has nailed the perfect bike for the next several years - excellent review as always
Thanks for the review. I'm loving the trend of tweener bikes that hold their own uphill and down, they're good for us old fat guys that still want to play. I think you meant to compare the Element to the Trance 29 as that bike is way closer in travel numbers to the Element? The Trance X 29 is 150/135 with almost identical wheelbase and almost as slack steering. I ride a Trance X 29 because of your review and love it, it would be interesting to see you put this Element up head to head against the Trance X 29, Occam, and Ripmo (and Esker Rowl too, but I know you guys don't sell them), just to see hard numbers uphill and down. Cheers!
No I meant the Trance X. In my mind I was thinking of driving descending capability and the element it closer to the Trance X than it is the Trance 29.
does it make sense to take an "enduro" bike geometry, in a short travel option with lightweight components? Yep I think especially with the way UIC races are becoming much more technical and chundary with more elevation, the difference between XC and Trail I think now is just $$$ associated to more carbon and more titatium lol
I'd love to see you compare the Element with Banshee Phantom V3/V3. 2 and maybe even throw in a Pivot Trail 429 (even though that one is carbon frame only)
Great timing for this video so thanks for posting. I love my 2022 C70 but have been trying to decide where it belongs since my enduro is being repaired suddenly. Our trails in Texas are punchy both up and down and this bike seems to work perfectly for that but definitely won't find it in a bike park.
I have a C70 on the way and a Ripmo AF that I just got a month ago. Will be interesting how similar (or not) they feel from a the perspective of rider technique and input. Hopefully with these two bikes in the stable I'll have a bike to cover pretty much any terrain! Great review!
That's my stable currently...they feel super similar. I don't have a period of adjustment swapping between the bikes at all like I did with my old XC bike. As expected the Ripmo plows much better but the Element is so much more snappy and nimble.
@@SkiRidesMTB Nah, the Pivot Trail 429 did. The Element is too slack and long, not agile or maneuverable enough, and the suspension is nothing special. The proof is that less than a year later, people aren't really talking about it much anymore. Like the Spur, if your trails are straight up and down and not windy with a lot of turns and switchbacks, sure go for it. But most of the best trails aren't like that.
@@REB4444 Agree to disagree. People stop talking about bikes all the time when they aren't constantly being refreshed and reviewed on youtube. It's an absolutely amazing bike that can do anything from XC to light bike park days with the right tires. I'm super happy every day I get to ride my element.
This year I,'m going full suspension ,riding mtb since late 80s.Ordered a Rocky Mountain alloy 30...I hope it shares the same ride qualities...I know Alloy 30 is a heavier bike more travel..Anyway good videos you guys make very informative...You should review Alloy 30...
This was one of the bikes I was looking at when shopping for a new bike last year, great bike and perfect for my location. Ended up with a similar bike in the Optic with a bit more travel and setup a bit poppier with the SDDH than the Element. Great review yet again.
@@bikersedge Oh no doubt, the Optic was lower on my list but it was the only bike I could get my hands on early 2021. Loving it on the downs but slower on the ups. Looking at 99spoke the geo's between the 2 bikes are pretty much the same which is interesting, 65 HA and 76 STA. Great reviews.
@@NoBrakes23 The Super Deluxe is a great shock I don't have a lot of experiences with others to compare. I was also looking at a Ripmo that was in stock but had the Rocky and Ripley on my list as well. I think the Optic and Ripley are very similar bikes from what I read. You really can't go wrong with most new bikes now a days, they're all pretty great.
They’re similar. The Ripleys wheelbase is quite a bit shorter despite having a similar reach and HTA. I think that makes it a bit less stable. I think the element pedals much more XC than the Ripley. That one feels more like a trail bike on the climbs.
Great reviews on here as always! I'm very curious about RM bikes! I been on a V1 Ripmo for a few years now and would love to get a backup bike. RM might be it! Element goes uphill faster than the Ripmo? Is that correct? That's a bold statement! The Ripmo is a Rocket ship uphill! Maybe that's due to less travel/weight? Although the Ripmo is something else! Is this Element the Alloy or Carbon version in the review? How would the Element compare to the Instinct? Thanks!
I picked up this bike to turn into a XC race bike, I'm hoping to get it around 26lbs. I live and race in Denver Co, we can get a wide range of XC courses. I've been racing a XL Lynskey Live Wire Ti bike. Being 6'6" tall this frame was long enough to fit me, also turning 60 this year and wanted a full suspension bike to take the edge off.
I mean XC bikes by nature aren’t plush. They’re made to be efficient so they are fast uphill. I’d get a trail bike of if I wanted what your talking about. Something like the Tallboy, Spur or Occam SL come to mind.
@@kevinmanzo862 fast uphill? No the tallboy isn’t the fastest climber. You’re always going to make compromises with bikes. The tallboy is a confident descender for a small bike. It’s not the fastest climber though.
I'm well aware of the Ripley. It's been a long time since I've ridden one so I don't think I can make a fair comparison. Plus, their geometry is pretty different. The only thing they really have in common is travel numbers.
I would be OK with the Element being even slacker---say 77* STA and 64* HTA. I want a lightweight, efficient pedaling and climbing , fast rolling, almost XC-ish bike, but I also want a fast stable descender. While I love the climbs, I love the descents also. The Element and Canyon Spectral 125, which also has very slack geo for a short travel bike, are some of the best bikes currently made. I've been hoping that Ibis will update the carbon Ripley soon with slacker geo. One of my biggest complaints about the current crop of Downcountry bikes is that they just aren't long and slack enough. A size large mountain bike needs at least a 1230mm wheelbase and an even longer 1240+mm wheelbase would be just fine with me.
There is something to be said about a slightly steeper bike on mellower terrain though. The handling is just way more responsive and fun. And this is coming from a guy who rides a 63.8 degree HTA on the daily.
@@bikersedge Is that bike attached to heavy aggressive slow rolling tires and gooey squishy long travel suspension? I suspect that is stealing the fun from mellower terrain, not the geo.
I just mean I’m a guy who likes slack bikes but I can appreciate the ride quality that comes from a steeper bike. The handling is different regardless of tires or suspension.
The 2022 Trail 429 is the one for you. I'm a huge fan of Santa Cruz & Ibis, but when I went short-travel and wanted fast, maneuverable, great climber but also able to handle 95% of downhill trails I chose the 429 over the Ripley because its a little more planted (not as twitchy), as capable as the Transition Spur downhill (this Element sounds like it's similar to the Spur), but way more maneuverable in fast, windy, flowy trail.
This bike sounds like my bike from 2019. Whyte 120C RS V3. Even though this new bike has 0.5 slacker HA and 1 degree steeper STA the rest of the bike sounds extremely similar. Living with the bike for 3 years I can tell that it's a great bike for most things. It's a downhillers XC bike so to say. If you live in a flatter pedally place but want to be able to do the bigger features and more demanding trails with confidence this bike is great.
So it rides like how you would ride a super slack super long hardtail. This is why it's hardtail riders love hardtails but you are exchanging rear grip for more fun and being able to pump better and being able to jump way better but it's just as capable but you need to be on your A game.
I just bought two of these, one for the GF and myself...a big part of my rational was that the Element can be had in aluminum/Deore spec, meaning I got both our bikes (AL 30, on sale) for the same price as what I was going to spend on a single entry level carbon bike for myself. ***I'd actually love if reviewers could mention whether the lower end specs on these bikes have any serious compromises that would change their perception of the bike relative to its similarly priced competitors...or does this rig make a ton of sense at 25lbs in full carbon but way less sense at 32lbs with an entry level fork?? My other thinking about the element was that it has almost all of the positive sides of an xc bike - lighter weight, increased efficiency, better match for the trails we ride (not being over biked) - but while also giving some extra confidence/capability on the rough downhills and in the occasional "oh shit where are we" moments...I'm hard pressed to really call the extra downhill capability much of a "tradeoff" but maybe that just means its a good fit for what we're looking for.
Rad! The Element is easily one of our favorites. As far as addressing lower quality builds, I've always thought that the vast majority of what makes a bike ride the way it does is the geometry, frame design and suspension design. The components bolted onto it make up such a small piece of the ride quality, especially in the big picture. Thats' why I don't talk about exact builds or components in my reviews, I focus on the bike itself. Buy the one that best fits your budget.
Dang! I wish I hadn’t watched this. Now I feel like I need to demo it, which usually leads to a purchase. Anyone interested in a large Evil Following V2?
Your comparison with the ripmo prompted a question for me. With the enduro bikes you just reviewed that feature better climbing and these slacker, more capable short travel bikes out there(spur, element), do you think the all mountain trail category is becoming redundant?
I think the all-mountain category is probably the most relevant one out of the bunch. It's the best for people who want to ride a wide variety of terrain and trails. Its the jack of all trades group.
Good Review. I built up a new element this year. After being on Pivot's and Revel's for the last several years, it felt a little different to be back on horst link. How would you compare this bike against the Trance you reviewed in the spring?
Element vs Instinct for my 16yr old son, he’s 6’2-6’3 and currently running cross country so pretty fit. Live outside Durango, 3hrs or so from Moab. Thanks for any info
Just depends on how he likes to ride. If he wants more of an XC bike go element. If he wants a more well rounded bike that pays a bigger penalty on the climbs go instinct.
@@bikersedge thanks 🙏 we watched the Instinct video too. Love that Bobsled run, I need to get back up there and ride it! I’m just leaving the decision up to him but i think he’s leaning towards the Element.
I don’t find this category to be all that poppy. They place more of an emphasis on speed and climbing in my experience. If you consider the Tallboy in the same category then that would have to be my recommendation.
Man, great video, I really like your channel, quick silly question, if you HAVE to take either the element or the Spur to a bike park which would be ??
I’m 6’2” and also rode an XL mega. I think I this bike is designed to be long. Downsizing would negate a lot of the benefits you get from this bike being long.
Comparison to the ripmo is super interesting. The ripmo is my first long travel bike after years on shorter travel bikes. The plushness is addicting but weight means I don't really want to ride the bike unless I'm seeking out super rough trails. I've always found the suspension to be the limit of these shorter travel bikes. I really like the tunability of the x2 and fox 38. I'm putting some faster rolling tires on the ripmo and listen it up a bit and see how it fares
Yeah there’s a little. I don’t think I’ve had a single bike not develop a creak at some point. Too many exposed and moving parts for it to not happen. I don’t have any data but I don’t think a PF BB is any more prone to creaking than a threaded. They just require more expensive tools to install and replace.
@@bikersedge My gf and I demoed the Element at Outerbike Moab and both of our bottom brackets creaked. They were the only bikes we demo'd that creaked and also the only bikes with PF bottom brackets. Really hope Rocky considers going threaded in the future because this is a deal breaker for me.
What the heck happened between BE guys & the Ripley? You compare this bike to the Ripmo with no mention. And you say the new 5010 climbs better than Ripley on technical! A 27.5 rear! Head scratching!!
I do agree with you, the Element feels a LOT like a Ripmo in terms of riding position. My main bike is a Ripmo and I demoed an Element, the Element's riding position felt almost identical to the Ripmo, and on that same note so did the Altitude. As for riding, once I realized that you can't lean on a Rekon front like you can an Assegai haha it basically ride like a really nice trail bike, that pedals incredibly efficiently. Very stable and confident on the downhill, though strangely was not poppy as you said, it also resembles the Ripmo in that aspect of not being super poppy. Which struck me as odd since its big brother the Altitude is extremely poppy and playful.
Is owning a ripmo and the Element too much overlap? I have the 2022 Element and a ripmo frame new in the box. The Element is not poppy in the first part of the travel because it has a relatively linear leverage ratio in the first half of the travel.
@@hotdealwire If you were going to run a 2 bike quiver with a Ripmo as the big bike I think the Element would make a good small bike. Though I would probably run an Altitude as the big brother to an Element if I didn't already have a Ripmo. The Ripmo is also very linear out back in stock form, as compared to the Altitude which is VERY progressive (maybe not Knolly level progressive, but definitely more progressive than Ibis or Transition).
Thanks for the review. The Rocky seems a lot like the Alchemy Arktos ST (which is sort of a small brand Ibis - I understand ex-Ibis guys started Alchemy). The Arktos would be a great review. Maybe you could review it in all of its iterations (with the conversion kits) to see if it actually works. Cheers.
Personally I think swapping shocks doesn’t make as big of a difference as people give it credit for. The rear suspension is largely determined by the frame/kinematics and not so much by the damper you decide to use. It’s still going to be an Element regardless of the shock you put on it.
Great review. Very Accurate description. You didn’t mention the Ride-4 which is a sweet feature. Had mine since Dec 2021. I also have a V2 Rimpo. The Element has much faster Strava times than the Rimpo on most of my green, blue and black trails here in PA. That said, the Rimpo is a way easier, safer and a faster bike if you ride mostly gnar on the downs and hit big drops. Rocky Mountain lists the Element as a Cross County bike. Curious. If you put a Fox 34 120mm fork on the Element, how do you think it would compare to traditional XC Race Bikes? Lux, Oiz, Spark..ect.
True. I spent the majority of my time in the slackest setting. I personally don’t think I’d run it otherwise. The beauty of the bike for me is in how slack and long it is for the category. I don’t think it would hang against the true XC race bikes when it comes down to it. Unless it’s a race like BC bike race or True Grit.
I see this and the Spur as pretty close to being interchangeable. Very similar bikes. I’d take whichever one you can get your hands on at the moment. Tough to say what I’d do if my daily trails were different. I always think the Spur and Element would be a good compliment to a long travel bike.
There's an argument to be made that these short travel bikes don't need to be so slack, as the geometry ends up being more capable than the suspension. You also lose that nimble feeling which makes these bikes more fun climbing or on twisty, slower terrain. I'll always find the bottom of the suspension on my Ranger long before the geometry makes me feel unstable. It's also good to have that different geo feel to remind me that I'm not on my 170mm bike and probably should use the brakes a bit more while descending.
Agreed. That's why the Spur and Element, with the longer wheel base aren't the best short-travel trail bikes. They need to be agile & maneuverable and not just fly straight up and plow straight down. The Element & the Spur are just all-mountain bikes with lighter components and less burly frames. They are too long & slack to be agile & maneuverable. There are other bikes with better, more sophisticated suspension that are more balanced like the Ripley or Trail 429.
It’s not something I would want to ride. The beauty of that bike is how capable it is. If you want super light and more XC there are better bikes - Exie, BC40, Blur
@@bikersedge how would you rate the element on climbing compared to the bikes you mentioned?I’m looking for a bike to train on climbs but, coming from trail/enduro bikes I tend to appreciate a lot the fun part going downhill, I tested the bike and I found it amazing, the set up was on the steepest position but it was difficult to understand if it was performing in line with my expectations uphill, it has to be said that the bike was on good alloy wheels and ardent tires
@@bikersedge thanks a lot for your help, I think I will go for the fox 34 normal version and eventually I will play around with tires to have it lighter, the Ardent I had were a fantastic set up but maybe a bit too much..I agree, having tested the Blur that it is faster uphill but Element is in a completely different league DH and as handling in the rough stuff..do you have a suggestion for a tire combo light enough but not too sketchy to ride? Thanks again for your time and your competence!
Connor, does the Element's existence creep enough into Rocky Mountain Instinct territory as to make Instinct redundant? Does Element "provide enough bike for enough riders" to make a bike between itself and Altitude unnecessary? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Instinct, but your comments about Element punching way above its weight makes for an interesting discussion.
I am wondering this as well. I have a 2014 instinct that I love but am looking to buy something with newer geometry to try. The instinct has gotten bigger then my 130/130 instinct. The element is just a bit smaller. I have been going back and forth the last few days. I am getting older but still ride some tough terrain but the instinct feels like it might be too much bike in the new version, while the element I am worried might not be enough. I am not the fastest rider either. Which do you think matches a more cautious speed technical rider, instinct or element?
There’s two ways to look at it. You’re going to feel more comfortable and confident on the instinct even if it’s overkill part of the time. On the other hand, the Element may be more suited to your terrain but you’ll need your A game to ride difficult trails.
@@jeremiemiller9165 I haven't ridden Element at all, so no opinion there, but being a very similar rider to you, I can say that the Instinct (mine is a '20) is brilliant on everything. From what I've seen and heard, the later Instincts are even better with 150mm front (vs 140 on mine) and more contemporary geo. I ride everything from flow, to lift (VERY poorly I might add, through no fault of the bike), to Moab and Southern Utah mesas (Gooseberry, Guacamole, Wire). Instinct has never disappointed me, it only makes me giggle. One caveat - it's not the best climber. My brother's Rascal is far superior on that front. Another tremendous bike in the Trail category.
I picked up an Element this year and was gonna get an Instinct as well. I met someone at the Trail who had one and we traded bikes for a 2 mile lap. To me the Element climbs much better than the Instinct. The Instinct jumps better, goes downhill better, and is less firm. But the two felt too similar for me to own both. The Element's suspension is interesting. It is quite firm but has a lot of traction when you want it going uphill in loose and semi-bumpy sections.
Not sure. This was a custom build. I answered the weight in the comments earlier. Don’t remember off the top of my head. Somewhere around mid twenties.
Ah ok. I just saw the factory suspension and instantly thought C90. I would like to stay Santa Cruz but I don’t think the new Tallboy is going to get any lighter. In my opinion I think SC has a hole in their line up that could be filled by a variant of the Blur (I don’t think the current TR compares to this) but that is at least a generation away. The Tallboy is just too heavy, at most it would be 1.5 lbs lighter than my Megatower. That’s the reason I sold my 5010, the MT was actually faster as a trail bike.
Santa Cruz tends to put more emphasis on traction and control rather than efficiency and lightweight. It makes for great overall climbers. Weight and efficiency aren’t everything, but it would be nice for SC to have something similar to the Element.
It's definitely NOT an xc bike, it kinda pedals like trash. Maybe my expectations were too high but I would rather pedal my ripley af against a c70 build all day. It doesn't have the pep I expect from a bike of this travel. I will say, the geo is legitimately amazing though. Reach, and body position are incredibly well sorted, and descending is a blast! I would rather ride an altitude though haha. Oh regarding pedaling position, I slammed the hell out of the saddle and it was a great climbing position traction wise.
I might not he the best guy to comment on the ripmo comparison but I ride my Ripley af everywhere from Squamish to bike park to xc single track in my home town, it's built up with a 140 fork and beefier tires but I honestly think it's a more well rounded bike than the element. The element's strength is definitely in it's aggressive geo, but that's also the weakness when it comes to climbing, slower single track and xc stuff. I honestly don't know who its for, but it's not for me.
It’s close to a degree slacker and quite a bit longer than the Spur and Tallboy. When you compare how quickly it climbs and how efficient the suspension is to those bikes it’s a pretty unique/radical combination.
@@bikersedge almost identical to Tallboy except for .7 degrees slacker head tube angle, and identical to the Optic except for 6mm longer chainstays. Slightly longer but radically different?
