Rockrider 6.3: Specs and First impressions

[Sreepathi Pai]

So I capitulated and bought a Rockrider 6.3 two weeks ago. It's my
second full-suspension MTB after the Ranger Swing. For obvious reasons
I'm not going to be comparing the Swing with this.

I've ridden about 30--40km on it, with very very little trail work --
Hessarghatta will be it's first trail ride. Also, I have no experience
of any other full suspension bike or even a decent front suspension
only bike.

So onward to the specs

Rockrider 6.3 2008 edition (the review on bikeradar was for 2007 --
there have been significant changes!) is an XC MTB.

Frame: Aluminium 6061 "S.I.X." (whatever)
Wheels: Double-wall Rockrider Sport (supposedly Rigida), 36, 3-cross spokes
Hubs: Quando QR, QR levers have an exposed cam mechanism :(
Tires: Kenda Kinetic 26x2.10" [not Michelin!]
Fork: Spinner 2008 OEM, 100mm travel with preload and lockout.
[preload is supposed to "click", but doesn't]
Rear Shock: Fox OEM, possibly Fox Vanilla R, preload and rebound
damping + "ProPedal", 120mm travel [rear axle]
Headset: Cane Creek Threadless
Stem and Handlebar: Rockrider
Brakes: Tektro IO Mechanical Disc Brakes (front and rear) 160mm discs
+ Tektro Levers
Shifters: SRAM X-5 (not X-7) [Plasticky, but work wonderfully, except
for the upshifting on the front, which seems to be problematic
tension]
FD: SRAM X-5 3-speed (42/34/22?)
RD: SRAM X-5 9-speed (11-32?)
Chain: KMC with Removable Link
Chainstay guard: Rockrider Neoprene
Crankset: Unknown, possibly Suntour
BB: Unknown, possibly Suntour, possibly sealed catridge, but don't know.
Pedals: Unknown + toeclips
Seat: Rockrider (Velo OEM)

BTwin throws in a front light and a rear light which are fairly good.

Decathlon doesn't really setup the MTB "properly", I had to set
preload and adjust my disc brakes myself. I never knew MTBs were so
darn technical to setup! I just started riding the bike yesterday!

I've ridden with this bike on the road, and while it does bob slightly
with pedalling motion, the bob is mostly imperceptible. The biggest
drain on the road are the really fat and knobby tires.

Suspension is amazingly rigid on hard mud trails, and from the tiny
jumps and bumps I've thrown at it, seems to allow pedalling even on
uneven terrain. I think I've setup the front fork to be slightly
stiffer, and I'm going to work on it.

Disc brakes, for now, are nothing like my V-brakes on the Thunder. But
they are getting better. There is a "bed-in" time for disc brake pads
[20--40 stops], and I don't quite know if I've adjusted it fully
correctly. Slightly disingenuous of Tektro to claim that both pads are
adjustable when you have to use the cable adjuster to push in the
outside pad (as compared to the Avid BB7, but those are $$$!).

So far, nothing really bad has caught my eye, so I guess I'm going to
be enjoying riding this bike and learning new MTB skills :D

P.S.: I've also learnt some new MTB repair skills :)

P.P.S.: I have to wash the bike after every ride, and since it has no
mudguards, it flings mud up like anything :(

--
Sreepathi Pai

[Poovaiah MP]

you bought it??!!!!???!!!??!!!!

[Sreepathi Pai]

On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 11:27 PM, Poovaiah MP <mp.po...@gmail.com> wrote:
> you bought it??!!!!???!!!??!!!!

Yes. Wait till you ride it.

--
Sreepathi Pai

[Abhijit Kshirsagar]

Congrats... :)

Abhijit K