The Rocky Mountain Slayer is back! Back at its initial launch in 2011, people were already impatiently wondering about a carbon-framed version and now the wait is finally over as Rocky Mountain launch a brand new Slayer capable of tearing down the hardest trails on Earth – and yes, it has a carbon frame! Keep reading to find out what else is new.
The frame of the Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL
The new Slayer MSL is built around a stylish carbon frame with 165 mm of travel. In true Rocky Mountain style, the Slayer also boasts geometry adjustment in the form of the RIDE4 system, which it has borrowed from the Maiden downhill bike.
Kitted out a 148 mm Boost rear hub standard, the Slayer employs a design with a one-sided fastening between the chainstays and seatstays to ensure bags of space for your heels. The frame uses high quality MAX Type Enduro ball bearings. Conceived for 2.5″ wide 27.5″ tires, the frame is also compatible with 26+. And yes, you read that correctly: 26+!
An overview of the frame:
- SMOOTHWALL full carbon frame
- RIDE-4 system permits geometry adjustment
- all frame sizes are capable of mounting a bottle cage mount
- Well thought-through: Di2 and dropper seatpost both compatible
- Bearings with ‘MAX Type Enduro’ sealed industrial bearings und simplified hardware, PIPELOCK bearings rocker link pivot
- one-sided fastening of the chainstays and seatstays allows a narrower rear end. Even with the Boost hubs, your heels have sufficient space.
- Rear shock with a metric length of 230 x 65
- 1x drivetrain only
- designed for a tire size of 27.5 x 2.5″ as well as 26+ tires (26 x 3.0)
- internally routed cables
- large opening on the downtube simplifies cable routing
- lightweight screw-in axles save 35 g of weight compared to the previous Boost axles
- PressFit BB92, ZS44 | ZS56 headset
- Post-mount disc mountings at the rear for 180 mm rotors
- max. chainring size: 36 tooth
The suspension on the Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL
When it came to designing the Slayer, Rocky Mountain settled on a four-pivot rear that is defiantly anti-squat and reputed to be exceptionally efficient. The 165 mm of rear travel comes courtesy of a metric rear shock measuring 230 x 65 mm. There’s an extra bearing in the top of the rear shock mount that is designed to guarantee more responsiveness.
The top-end Slayer 790MSL makes good use of a FOX X2 rear shock, while the other models rely on a RockShox Super Deluxe. Their suspension curves are purported to offer great sag support as well as stability in the mid-stroke and moderate end progression.
The geometry of the Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL
The Rocky Mountain Slayer makes use of the RIDE4 system to adjust the geometry. Here’s an overview of the various settings.
| Size | SM | MD | LG | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 394 mm | 432 mm | 471 mm | 509 mm |
| Top tube (flat / steep) | 577 / 574 mm | 602 / 599 mm | 627 / 624 mm | 657 / 654 mm |
| Head tube | 110 mm | 125 mm | 140 mm | 155 mm |
| Head angle (flat / steep) | 64.75 / 65.85 ° | 64.75 / 65.85 ° | 64.75 / 65.85 ° | 64.75 / 65.85 ° |
| Seat angle (flat / steep) | 73.75 / 74.85 ° | 73.75 / 74.85 ° | 73.75 / 74.85 ° | 73.75 / 74.85 ° |
| Chainstay (flat / steep) | 430 / 425 mm | 430 / 425 mm | 430 / 425 mm | 430 / 425 mm |
| BB drop (flat / steep) | 15 / 0 mm | 15 / 0 mm | 15 / 0 mm | 15 / 0 mm |
| Wheelbase (flat / steep) | 1157 / 1153 mm | 1185 / 1181 mm | 1212 / 1208 mm | 1245 / 1240 mm |
| Reach (flat/steep) | 401 / 413 mm | 422 / 434 mm | 444 / 455 mm | 470 / 482 mm |
| Stack (flat / steep) | 604 / 596 mm | 617 / 609 mm | 631 / 623 mm | 645 / 636 mm |
The spec of the Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL
The Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL will be available in four build specs, with each bike built around the same carbon frame. There are two colourways to choose from, and the only variation comes from the spec on each bike. Here’s a breakdown of the models:
Rocky Mountain Slayer 790 MSL
- Frame: SMOOTHWALL Carbon C13 Frame
- Rear shock: Fox Float X2 EVOL Factory
- Fork: Fox 36 Float RC2 Factory 170mm
- Brakes: Shimano Saint Ice-Tec 203/180mm
- Drive train: Shimano XTR mit XT 11-46T Kassette und Race Face Turbine Cinch 32T Kurbel
- Wheels: Stan’s ZTR Flow mit DT Swiss 350 Boost 148mm
- Tires: Maxxis DHF 27.5 x 2.5 3C TR
- Cockpit: Race Face SixC 800mm mit Rocky Mountain AM-Stem
- Grips: Rocky Mountain Lock On XC
- Seat: WTB Silverado
- Seat post: RockShox Reverb Stealth
Rocky Mountain Slayer 770 MSL
- Frame: SMOOTHWALL Carbon C13 Frame
- Rear shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Debonair RC3
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik RCT3
- Brakes: Shimano XT Ice-Tec 203/180mm
- Drive train: Shimano XT mit 11-46T Kassette und Race Face Turbine Cinch 32T Kurbel
- Wheels: Stan’s ZTR Flow mit Shimano XT Boost
- Tires: Maxxis DHF 27.5 x 2.5 3C TR
- Cockpit: Race Face Atlas 780mm mit Rocky Mountain AM-Stem
- Grips: Rocky Mountain Lock On XC
- Seat: WTB Silverado
- Seat post: RockShox Reverb Stealth
Rocky Mountain Slayer 750 MSL
- Frame: SMOOTHWALL Carbon C13 Frame
- Rear shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Debonair RC3
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik RC
- Brakes: Shimano SLX 203/180mm
- Drive train: Shimano XT/SLX mit XT 11-46T Kassette und Race Face Aeffect Cinch 32T Kurbel
- Wheels: Alex Volar 3.0 Tubeless Compatible mit Shimano M618
- Tires: Maxxis DHF 27.5 x 2.5 3C TR
- Cockpit: Race Face Chester 780mm mit Rocky Mountain AM-Stem
- Grips: Rocky Mountain Lock On XC
- Seat: WTB Volt
- Seat post: RaceFace Turbine Dropper
Rocky Mountain Slayer 730 MSL
- Frame: SMOOTHWALL Carbon C13 Frame
- Rear shock: RockShox Deluxe Debonair RC3
- Fork: RockShox Yari RC
- Brakes: SRAM Guide R 203/180mm
- Drive train: SRAM NX
- Wheels: Alex Volar 3.0 Tubeless Compatible mit Rocky Mountain Boost
- Tires: Maxxis DHF 27.5 x 2.5 3C TR
- Cockpit: Race Face Chester 780mm mit Rocky Mountain AM-Stem
- Grips: Rocky Mountain Lock On XC
- Seat: WTB Volt
- Seat post: RaceFace Turbine Dropper
Prices and availability of the Mountain Slayer MSL
Hitting the market come November, the Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL will retail between € 4,600 (Slayer MSL730) and € 8,000 (Slayer MSL790). The Slayer MSL750 has a price tag of € 5,400 while the Slayer MSL770 will set you back € 6,800.
Our first impression of the Rocky Mountain Slayer MSL
What a comeback! Even on paper, we were stoked to see just how rapid and potent the Rocky Mountain Slayer appeared! The narrow chainstays, extra ball bearings in the rear shock mount, integrated chainguide and the Wide Trail tires are concepts that are testament to good, well thought-out design from the Canadians. But the jury is still out on their decision to bring yet another wheelsize, the 26+, into the already pretty stacked equation. One thing is certain though: rolling on 27.5″ tires, the new Slayer is a hard-hitting rig to take on the world’s gnarliest trails. We’re biting at the teeth to get our hands on this bike for a proper test, as we’re already sold on the concept. It’s brilliant to see that all the models come in the same two colourways: after all, we think bikes should be defined more by their frame and less by their components.
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Words: Photos: Christoph Bayer, Rocky Mountain
