Keep the bars wide and stem short, and this bike performs just like a 5-6 inch travel AM Trailbike. Unfortunately, the heavy, burly frame seriously hinders the Rumblefish's ability to climb like an XC race bike. I had this bike for a full year, before realizing the 2012 Trek Superfly 100 Pro with 120mm Rockshox SID XX fork and Easton carbon wheels is essentially a raceable, Marathon XC version of the Rumblefish.
Pros ~ Very plush, for 120mm/F and 110mm/R travel
~ Rolls over anything FAST
~ Great neutral handling, with slight forward bias
~ Seat dropper works as described
~ ABP rear suspension with 142x12 axle is super-stiff, without a trace of brake jack
~ G2 fork never feels twitchy
~ Bontrager 29-3 Team Issue tires(29x2.25") rolls like a 1.95" wide tire....yet corners and grips like 2.35" rubber
~ Short, asymmetrical chainstays makes this bike a good climber and switchback handler too
I love this bike. That being said it is the only FS bike I have ridden coming from hard tails. I am really surprised at how well this bike climbs. It weighs a ton more than my XC HT, but really tracks the climbs well and no need to slide all over the saddle trying to keep it on the ground. DH is a dream, coming from a 80mm HT, and it's really easy to get going really fast, but still super stable and plush. Bought as demo on year end clearance so it was already set up for tubeless, which was a plus, and the stock duster rims and bontranger tires work just fine for this.
Pros Fox shocks are plush!
SLX brakes are great
Climbs surprisingly well
Beefy and Beautiful
I have had many bikes over the years and I love this one. Geometry is set up for epic and comfort. Heavy duty bike that does not need you to give it a good line.
Pros Mostly everything. Makes mountain biking easy and I feel like I am cheating the trails. Upgraded to Haven wheels. Flowy and coushie.
Cons Trek handlebars. Tossed that sucker in the trash the first day. Maybe weight?
I demo'ed one of these at Mt Falcon in Colorado as my first ever 29'er ride. It climbs well, and on downhill you pretty much can point it wherever, no line choice required.
On technical uphill, the point that the rear wheel engages an obstacle takes getting used to if you're coming from a 26'er.
I was incredibly surprised at how well it handles tight switchbacks. It was at least as good as my short-wheelbase Giant Trance. (size small)
Overall it was a very intriguing ride. It probably won't be the 29'er that I purchase, but it definitely opened my eyes to the possibility.
Pros Good geometry, even for a shorter rider. (no toe rub on front tire)
Tight, stiff frame.
Pedals and shifts well.
Awesome on downhill.
Surprisingly nimble in tight switchbacks.
Climbs very well.
Decent weight
Cons OEM tires are crap.
Suspension can be a little tricky to get dialed in.
Love it, uphills are easier, downhills are smoother. Makes me want to ride more.
Pros I'm 6'5" and 240lbs, I needed a big heavy duty bike, and the rumlefish delivered. Frame feels stiff as a tank, awesome for climbing technical sections.
Great trail bike. It rolls fast and handles great It climes almost as well as my 29er hardtail
Pros
Stable
Fast
Responsive
Cons
| ThankTick heavy
Stock saddle is not comfortable
Keep the bars wide and stem short, and this bike performs just like a 5-6 inch travel AM Trailbike. Unfortunately, the heavy, burly frame seriously hinders the Rumblefish's ability to climb like an XC race bike. I had this bike for a full year, before realizing the 2012 Trek Superfly 100 Pro with 120mm Rockshox SID XX fork and Easton carbon wheels is essentially a raceable, Marathon XC version of the Rumblefish.
Pros
~ Very plush, for 120mm/F and 110mm/R travel
~ Rolls over anything FAST
~ Great neutral handling, with slight forward bias
~ Seat dropper works as described
~ ABP rear suspension with 142x12 axle is super-stiff, without a trace of brake jack
~ G2 fork never feels twitchy
~ Bontrager 29-3 Team Issue tires(29x2.25") rolls like a 1.95" wide tire....yet corners and grips like 2.35" rubber
~ Short, asymmetrical chainstays makes this bike a good climber and switchback handler too
Cons
| Thank~ Heavy aluminum frame weight
I love this bike. That being said it is the only FS bike I have ridden coming from hard tails. I am really surprised at how well this bike climbs. It weighs a ton more than my XC HT, but really tracks the climbs well and no need to slide all over the saddle trying to keep it on the ground. DH is a dream, coming from a 80mm HT, and it's really easy to get going really fast, but still super stable and plush. Bought as demo on year end clearance so it was already set up for tubeless, which was a plus, and the stock duster rims and bontranger tires work just fine for this.
Pros
Fox shocks are plush!
SLX brakes are great
Climbs surprisingly well
Beefy and Beautiful
Cons
| ThankHeavy
No internal cabling
Great bike for the money.
Pros
Lightweight, good travel, well balanced and comfortable.
Cons
| ThankThe factory tires are more suited for downhill than XC or general trail use.
This bike is amazing going up and down burly mountain terrain. Mine is 28.1 pounds in size large(mostly stock except wheels).
Pros
Awesome burly cross country bike! light weight, DCRV shock, Active Braking Pivot, great geometry
Cons
| Thanknothing.
I have had many bikes over the years and I love this one. Geometry is set up for epic and comfort. Heavy duty bike that does not need you to give it a good line.
Pros
Mostly everything. Makes mountain biking easy and I feel like I am cheating the trails. Upgraded to Haven wheels. Flowy and coushie.
Cons
| ThankTrek handlebars. Tossed that sucker in the trash the first day. Maybe weight?
My first 29er ride and it felt ok if a little odd, but improved through the ride. Still not convinced on the 29er debate yet.
Pros
Sweet equipment list.
Mix of shimano and sram
Cons
| ThankExpensive compared to 26" competition.
I demo'ed one of these at Mt Falcon in Colorado as my first ever 29'er ride. It climbs well, and on downhill you pretty much can point it wherever, no line choice required.
On technical uphill, the point that the rear wheel engages an obstacle takes getting used to if you're coming from a 26'er.
I was incredibly surprised at how well it handles tight switchbacks. It was at least as good as my short-wheelbase Giant Trance. (size small)
Overall it was a very intriguing ride. It probably won't be the 29'er that I purchase, but it definitely opened my eyes to the possibility.
Pros
Good geometry, even for a shorter rider. (no toe rub on front tire)
Tight, stiff frame.
Pedals and shifts well.
Awesome on downhill.
Surprisingly nimble in tight switchbacks.
Climbs very well.
Decent weight
Cons
| ThankOEM tires are crap.
Suspension can be a little tricky to get dialed in.
Love it, uphills are easier, downhills are smoother. Makes me want to ride more.
Pros
I'm 6'5" and 240lbs, I needed a big heavy duty bike, and the rumlefish delivered. Frame feels stiff as a tank, awesome for climbing technical sections.
Cons
| ThankFactory stem didn't fit me well.