From mud and slop-fests in Scotland to never-ending Alpine descents via some beastly jumps on home trails, our long-term test bikes haven’t had it easy! They’ve stockpiled a ton of kilometres and even more vertical metres on some gnarly trails and lung-burningly tough races. Now that the new season has crept up on us, it’s time for the testers to slam down the lawful fist of justice on these bikes and reveal how their test bike fared, and whether it’s convinced them of its value.

Andi’s Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition

Testrider Andi and his Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition

I was stoked after I’d got the first few test kilometres on this bike in the bag. Now, even after more than 2,000 kilometres, nothing has changed my opinion. In my eyes, the Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition is the ultimate trail bike – agile, playful, but mega-stable and great at high speeds. Home trails, big rides, the Alps: it succeeded on it all without complaint. The only real limit is its travel: 120 mm at the rear, and 130 mm in front.

Riding the Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition in Latsch.

Robust and mercilessly primed for trail riding, the spec couldn’t have been chosen better, and the Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition has put away many downhill metres without a grumble. I’ve also put the Thunderbolt through much gnarlier landscapes that it has really been designed for, so I have fitted it with more aggressive tyres and a new saddle and grips of my liking.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition action shot

The frame has some durable bearings that have needed pretty regular greasing, but don’t show any wear and tear. The only real criticism (which doesn’t even impact on the bike’s durability or performance) was more of an annoyance, as the rubber coverings on the frame’s ports (such as the seals on the bearings) kept coming loose and getting lost.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition action shot 2

Like on most Rocky Mountains, the rear shock can be set in multiple geometry positions thanks to the Ride9 system, which enables a super-slack-for-a-trail-bike head angle of 66.5° that I kept true to. Along with the short, snappy 422 mm chainstays, the Thunderbolt BC is basically a whirlwind on trails, and it descends so damn well that you forget how little travel the bike actually has. Thanks to its decent weight of just over 12 kg and the climbing platform on the suspension, it’s not a bad climber either.

The Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition on the trails

Price: € 6,500
Weight: 12.2 kg
Travel: 130/120 mm
More info: Rocky Mountain Website
KMs ridden: 2,368 km
Downhill metres: 77,857 m
Issues: none

Would I buy the Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition?

Even right until the end, I couldn’t decide whether the Thunderbolt BC Edition was worth its price tag of € 6,500… but I’ve now concluded that yes, it was! The spec has been painstakingly chosen, it’s mega-versatile, and the BC provides a fun ride in every situation. In terms of durability it has really impressed me. The Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition is definitely a good investment if you’re willing to put some TLC time in there too, because it’ll surely provide a lot of long-term fun.

Here you can find Andi’s First Look and the complete review of the Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt BC Edition.

If you want to follow our long-term test crew, check the long-term test timeline.

Words: Andreas Maschke Photos: Klaus Kneist, Christoph Bayer


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