Product news: Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt 2018 – the perfect trail bike 2.0?

Product news / MTB: The Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt has always been an extremely versatile mountain bike. The name, which translates as "Blitz", could hardly be more appropriate, because you were always fast with the short-travel fully. Nevertheless, the naming does not come close to revealing the full potential. The traditional Canadian manufacturer has revised the Thunderbolt for this year.

The new Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt comes with a completely new carbon frame that now also has a few millimeters more travel available with 130mm or 140mm in the BC Edition. So far, fans of the bike had to be content with 120mm. In addition, the frame rigidity is said to have been further increased, but there was nothing to complain about in terms of weight or rigidity in the previous models either. The Thunderbolt has retained its playful geometry and wide range of settings, and it also continues to rely on agile 27,5-inch wheels. The Thunderbolt is at home on technical climbs, powerful on rough terrain and able to handle every situation on the trail.

Smoothlink is what Rocky Mountain calls the suspension technology used on the Thunderbolt. The developers have adjusted the suspension curve in such a way that the support in the critical middle area should have remained the same despite the increased spring travel. The full-bodied promise: More reserves, but without sagging and thus appearing sluggish. In the first millimeters, the guys at Rocky also speak of greater sensitivity and increased anti-squat values ​​should ultimately ensure better pedaling efficiency.

As with practically every bike, Rocky also gives the Thunderbolt's dampers a Size Specific Tune, which ensures that riders of all sizes can enjoy the right balance of fine shock sensitivity and progressive spring characteristics. The development team adjusts the dampers based on test rides and adapts each tune to the respective frame size.

The RIDE geometry adjustment is also on board again. This allows quick fine-tuning of the geometry and suspension with an Allen set. Nine configurations are possible with two interlocking chip inserts. The system has already proven itself on numerous other Canadian models in recent years and it manages the balancing act between robustness and flexibility. In the Thunderbolt, it has now moved from the frame to the rocker, which allows for a slimmer, more harmonious silhouette of the bike.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition

BC stands for British Columbia, for an area with tough and demanding trails. Accordingly, the BC Editions of the Rocky Mountain bikes are always designed to be a bit more robust and more trail-oriented than their counterparts without the suffix. The Canadians have given their Thunderbolt BC 10mm more spring travel, wider handlebars, thick tires, ultra-stiff wheels and a more powerful chassis. Rocky says: "With a wide range of RIDE-9 settings for whatever terrain you want to tackle, its more aggressive nature is perfect for all-day trail riding."

In terms of geometry, a lot has happened: to improve control and downhill capabilities, the reach has been increased, the head angle has been significantly flattened and the bottom bracket has been lowered. The chainstays have been lengthened slightly to improve climbing ability. The moderately steep seat angle should match this, which should also optimize climbing performance.

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Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt Carbon: models and prices

The new Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt Carbon is available in four configurations between €3.600 and €6.200. These each come in two colorways – either cool black/blue or hot-blooded red/dark grey. If you prefer to do the work yourself, you can also buy the frame set, which is only available for the BC Edition and costs €3.400. In addition to the frame itself, the scope of delivery also includes a Fox Float DPS EVOL Factory shock.

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