Rocky Mountain make an aluminium hardtail with a modest specification. Yes, it came as a surprise to me too. Departing from the image of their mid to high end performance bikes, the Trailhead seeks to bring the Rocky Mountain brand to a wider market.
The bike
The Rocky Mountain Trailhead 940 is build around a sturdy aluminium hardtail frame equipped with a well thought out component selection. The royal red colour scheme and maple leaf decals gives the bike a classy look.
With head angle a smidgen over 70 and chainstays measuring in at 447 mm, the Trailhead’s geometry leans more towards comfortable distance covering rather than single track rowdiness.
The components
So what can we expect from a R13,999 hardtail these days? Quite a lot actually.
Drivetrain: The Trailhead features a Shimano 2×10 drivetrain. The crankset and shifters are Shimano’s workhorse Deore range while the derailleur is the more upmarket SLX level.
Rocky Mountain took no short cuts with the Shimano gearing. They worked flawlessly without missing a shift throughout testing. The Deore range may be heavier than Shimano’s pricier tiers but out on the trails the difference in performance is nearly unnoticeable.
Brakes: Stopping is controlled by Shimano’s M446 hydraulic disc brakes. Shimano have a reputation for making good stoppers and this carries through to their non-series brakes. Although the brakes felt a bit crude under hard braking, they stopped the bike well and consistently.
Fork: The fork is a RockShox Recon Silver with a coil spring featuring a TurnKey lockout and rebound adjustment. The RockShox coil fork, although lacking the small bump sensitivity and adjustment of more expensive forks, did a good job of soaking up the knocks with a confidence inspiring sturdy feel.
Wheels: All too often manufacturers skimp on the wheelset to make savings in the lower end of the bike market. The Trailhead makes an attempt to avoid this trap with a reliable feeling set of WTB SX19 rims on Shimano hubs.
Tyres: The spindly Schwalbe Rapid Rob tyres let the rest of the Trailhead build down. Tyres thankfully are a relatively easy fix. More on this in the ‘On the Trail’ section below.
Controls: The Rocky Mountain branded cockpit has some modern inspiration with a shortish stem (considering the 100mm plus stems usually applied in this price range) and a decent length handlebar. The saddle is a comfortable WTB Volt.
On the trail
Out on the trails, the Rocky Mountain Trailhead impressed me with its no nonsense performance.
I found the extra large Rocky Mountain to be a good fit for me at 193 cm tall. All it took was a quick seatpost height adjustment and I was ready to ride. The frame is a rather standard for a entry level hardtail with a sloping toptube for a more compact feel. The widish handlebar and restrained stem meant that handling felt up to date.
The Trailhead ate up kilometres on open sections like jeep tracks or smoother single track. Morning Table Mountain King’s Blockhouse attacks and commutes through the Constantia Greenbelts were the ideal type of riding for the Trailhead. For this type of riding, I thought the Trailhead matched the performance of bikes twice its price. The Trailhead would be well suited to fun rides and moderately technical marathon type events.
Climbing on the Trailhead was efficient, even with our extra large bike tipping the scales at 13.7 kilograms. The 2×10 gearing has excellent range and versatility, making even the steeper climbs and more remote parts of the mountain accessible to less fit riders.
The Trailhead is composed on technical single track (both up and down) and will get you through most intermediate trails. But should you really want to push hard on the climbs and descents, you will need to replace the Schwalbe Rapid Rob for a tyre with more grip and strength, as they simply gave up when speeds increased and turns became tight.
Rocky Mountain Trailhead 950
If you wish the Trailhead 940 had just a few more luxuries, then Rocky Mountain also have a Trailhead 950. The 950 model features a
Manitou Marvel air fork, Shimano XT rear derailleur and shifters, and Shimano Deore brakes. This model retails for R16 700.
In the end
The Rocky Mountain Trailhead shows that trickle down technology is improving the offering of new bikes in the lower end of the market. If you’re in the market for a new mountain in the R14 000 range, it may be worth considering the Rocky Mountain Trailhead.
Full specification:
- FrameROCKY MOUNTAIN 6061 SL SERIES CUSTOM HYDROFORMED ALLOY. THREADED BB. TAPERED ZEROSTACK HEADTUBE
- ForkROCKSHOX RECON SILVER TK 29. 100MM (XS: 80MM). TURNKEY LOCKOUT / REBOUND
- HeadsetFSA #57 INTERNAL: ZS44 | ZS56MM
- StemROCKY MOUNTAIN L7 7° X 60-90MM
- HandlebarROCKY MOUNTAIN ZERO9 FLAT 31.8MM X 720MM X 9° SWEEP
- GripsROCKY MOUNTAIN XC KRATON
- BrakesSHIMANO M446 HYDRAULIC DISC 160MM
- Brake LeversSHIMANO M446
- ShiftersSHIMANO DEORE RAPID FIRE 10SPD
- Front DerailleurSHIMANO DEORE 31.8MM 10SPD
- Rear DerailleurSHIMANO SLX SHADOW 10SPD
- CranksetSHIMANO M615 170-175MM 38/24T 2X10SPD
- Bottom BracketSHIMANO SM-BB52 2 PIECE
- CassetteSHIMANO HG50 11-36T 10SPD
- ChainSHIMANO HG54 10SPD
- HubsSHIMANO RM33 / CENTERLOCK / 32H
- Spokes STAINLESS
- RimsWHEELTECH SX19 BY WTB RIMS
- TyresSCHWALBE RAPID ROB 29″ X 2.1″
- SeatpostROCKY MOUNTAIN L2B 27.2MM X 400MM
- SaddleWTB VOLT
- SizesXS – S – M – L – XL
