Mountain Bike Rider — March 2018

MARCH 2018 mbr 31

solution than bearings, offering superior
stiffness and durability. But they bring
greater friction, unless frequently
serviced, and who wants to strip a
suspension frame apart every time they
go for a ride? Not us. Which means that
stiction and a lack of sensitivity quickly
growstodominatetheridesensation.

Well, great news! Rocky has finally

made a wholesale move away from

bushings to bearings, mirroring almost

every other bike brand on the planet.

And better still, it’s even gone so far

as to spec a shock with a lower eyelet

bearing, to remove the final potential

source of any binding. The result is a

frame that, to all intents and purposes,

is completely devoid of friction, and

free to move unhindered at the slightest

trail imperfection. That means a

smoother ride, and, more importantly,

better grip.

That’s not all that’s changed. The

Pipeline’s travel has been boosted

by 10mm at the rear and the carbon

The Pipeline’s

travel has been

boosted by 10mm

Deep lower headset cup

and taller head tube

offset shorter-travel fork

SRAM Eagle 32T chainring

with chain device

The Froriders’ steed

of choice is back in

the Rocky stable