Rocky Mountain Instinct C70 2024 in Review

Rocky Mountain, one of the pioneers and cultural assets in terms of mountain biking, has updated the Instinct, a trail bike and all-rounder, for 2024 with an update. The 150 mm travel at the front and 140 mm at the rear remain unchanged. What has changed compared to the predecessor has already been covered in technical detail here.
Now you'll find out how both the preserved and the modified features feel on the trail and perform in practice. The Canadians were kind enough to provide us with one of the new carbon Instincts in the C70 configuration, costing 7,900 euros, for a few late-summer test weeks.

With the RIDE-4 system, the seat and steering angles do not change significantly, but at least they can be adjusted by just under a degree from the flattest position 1 (76.5º/63.5º) to the steepest position 4 (77.3º/64.3º).
In direct comparison, these variations have a surprisingly large impact on the riding behavior. However, I wouldn't go so far as to claim that this completely changes the character of the bike.
This means: with the flatter seat and steering angles of positions 1&2, you can still climb well; conversely, you don't have to be afraid of technical and steep descents in positions 3&4.
Basically, the Instinct was developed around position 3, making it the most versatile and the best starting point to work out your individual setup.

Geometry Pos.3

For long day tours, position 4 in the review was the best fit. The resulting steeper seat angle, increased ground clearance, and more pressure on the front wheel helped to master technical uphill sections the best.
In positions 1-3, the crank often made unwanted ground contact. And in positions 1&2, it was difficult to put enough weight on the front wheel in very steep uphill sections.

The inherently sensitive rear suspension worked even more sensitively in position 4, giving the bike unexpectedly good traction uphill. Rough root sections could therefore be easily managed. Unfortunately, this also caused slight bobbing, which was noticeable even with the platform on the shock activated in some situations. I wouldn't call this a major drawback, but many bikes these days handle this noticeably better.

For fast and steep descents, positions 1&2 with their flatter angles offered the most fun.
The Instinct felt even more stable on the trail, and with the "short" chainstays, it remained agile and easy to maneuver.
If you want even more stability on descents, you can switch to the long position of the chainstays. Although the conversion doesn’t happen as quickly as with the RIDE-4, it works perfectly and is doable even for less experienced tinkerers.
However, the Rocky Mountain loses a bit of its playfulness as a result, which is why I always rode with the short setting during the test period.
For a full-fledged 29er full-suspension, the Rocky still rode very playfully and nimbly in this setting, forgiving mistakes in line choice and providing security when it mattered.

However, there were situations where full confidence in the front wheel was lacking. It felt like you quickly lost grip, especially when cruising downhill at a leisurely pace. On the other hand, when you let it run properly, the confidence quickly returned.
Unfortunately, due to the many adjustment options combined with the short test period, it wasn’t easy to determine whether there was an (avoidable) cause for this or if it simply corresponds to the nature of the bike.
My tip would be to keep the sag at about 25%. This way, the bike doesn’t rush through the mid-travel too quickly, and you automatically have more grip on the front wheel.
Important: When it gets technical and blocked, the Rocky remains calm and composed, providing the security you expect.

The 780 mm wide cockpit precisely transmitted all steering commands and did not give any feeling of lack of control in difficult terrain.
The rear suspension gave the impression of having more than just 140 mm of travel available. The end progression was not too pronounced, and the travel could be well utilized. However, this also resulted in the occasional bottom-out on jumps and steep drops. Nevertheless, the bike remained calm and composed even in these situations.
It became really fun when you let the Instinct drift into fast corners. This was clearly one of the Rocky's great strengths: attacking fast, flowy trails. A big grin after such a descent was inevitable.

The shock and fork of the Fox Performance Elite Series made a good impression on the C70 and convinced with good damping and responsiveness.
The fork, in particular, offered more than enough adjustment options to get even more performance out of the Rocky. Those who enjoy tinkering with their setup will have a lot of fun with the numerous options the bike offers for this purpose.

The equipment of the not exactly inexpensive Rocky, or more precisely, the wheelset with its 30 mm wide offset aluminum rims, unfortunately left a bittersweet aftertaste. There was basically nothing to criticize about its function. However, for the price, one expects a little more.
On one hand, the Star Ratchet freehub with 18 teeth of the DT Swiss 370 series is noticeably inferior in acceleration out of fast corners to that of the 350 series with its 36 teeth. On the other hand, a wheelset with two different hub brands somehow seems peculiar, as a Rocky Mountain labeled hub is used on the front wheel.
Apart from that, the setup seems very well thought out and does not immediately give rise to any upgrade desires.

Tech Specs

The solid 4-piston Shimano XT brake impressed with very good braking power and controllability. The Race Face Turbine Cinch crank was complemented by a complete Shimano Deore XT drivetrain. In the drivetrain area, everything performs reliably and worry-free on the Instinct C70. In the current price range of just under 8,000 euros, it is now a rarity not to have to constantly charge some batteries - I like it, others might take issue with that. In the seating area, a Race Face Turbine R (Fox) seat post is used, with a proud 200 mm of travel in size L. Unfortunately, the function of the post did not convince. It always snagged when retracting and extending, which became noticeably negative during riding and slightly dampened the riding fun. Initially, the seat post cable also rattled in the frame. A small piece of tape quickly remedied this. Apart from that, the Rocky was a quiet bike. Rattling or clattering: none.

The Affogato among All Mountain bikes: always fits, always tastes good, and overall presents similarly bittersweet. And just as the taste of the Italian dessert can be influenced in nuances through beans, roasting, plus ice ingredients, the numerous adjustment options of the Rocky allow for an individual adaptation of the geometry.
Thus, Rocky Mountain ultimately delivers a jack-of-all-trades with a very large range of use, which will especially appeal to those who like to tweak the setup.

Very good uphill, even a bit better downhill, with the Instinct, nothing stands in the way of great adventures.
One must be aware that an all-rounder cannot fully score in all disciplines. But overall, the C70 does its job very well and provides a lot of fun in terms of suspension.
A solid setup, with little to criticize, completes the relatively lightweight at 14.2 kg but unfortunately not very affordable bike.