Rockrider 500

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

bozmandb9

Insert witty title here
Hi guys,

Is this a 'no-brainer' if it can be had at the reduced price of £150? I want a cheapish mountain bike, and I've managed to reserve one at my local store. I know it's not the best hardtail, but I'm primarily a road biker, and just want it for the odd trail ride and maybe pop into town etc.

cheers.
 

simon.r

Person
Location
Nottingham
As you say, it's never going to the best, but a quick glance at the spec and reviews suggests it's great value at £150.
 

albion

Guru
Location
South Tyneside
A quick review.

Collected one last night from their Team Valley store, riding it home up the long long hill felt awfully hard, plus the seat was of minimal comfort.
Anyway today I took it for a spin up the Bowes Railway track. I had swapped the seat for a more suited Selle Royal alpine.

The Bowes path has washed away again at the Angel OTN and the hard tail along with the basic front fork was almost as unsuitable as my old hybrid.
Anyway I arrived at the Causey Arch site cafe for a coffee stop in comfort very impressed by the Sram 3 x 24 gear system. The initial impression here is that it is better than the similar Shimano Acera Rapid fire stuff, especially with Shimano often using screw on freewheels with rapidfire!

Leaving the cafe I went road, first locking the shocks at maximum,and headed back via Beamish Hall, No Place, up into Stanley and down onto route 7 for my return home.
The bike handled great, the non hydraulic disc brakes were great and I arrived back from a 30 mile ride extremely impressed, apart from the shock, which I hoped for more from.

Next trip, I will harden the tyres more, but I am primarily a road biker, this taking me exactly where I would not risk damage on the road bike. Yes, it is fairly heavy, but not competing (you cant anyway with that shock!) it will be perfect for an occasional more adventurous ride. I might even be tempted to tour on it, it certainly adds options for me.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
B

bozmandb9

Insert witty title here
Hells bells! Useless bike. Got a puncture! And why did nobody tell me off road riding is only for the clinically insane! Oh, hang on, no, it's not actually! At least I'll have to give it more time.

And the Thames path! What the hell is that about? Lovely paths, followed by rough trail, followed by boggy marsh, followed by hacking through fallen trees, followed by 'sod this, get me to a road pronto!'.

But seriously, the Rockrider is great for what it is, a great value hardtail. Quite a lot of feeback through the front bars when on rough terrain, but maybe that's what masochistic off road riders get used to? I didn't use much of the gear range, since it was all pretty flat (including front tyre). Shifts were ok(ish), it was kind of missing one, but sure a little fettling will sort that.

But my recommendation is, if you're a road biker, and you buy a mountain bike, don't think breezily 'oh a ride home along the river will be a good way to get familiar with it'. Off road miles can be equivalent to 4-5 x road miles, oh, and I had no idea how many miles I'd be doing, due to the alarming tendency of the Thames to meander!

IF you want a mountain bike for the occasional trail, or trip into town without having to worry about the carbon steed, then if you can find one of these in your size, it is, indeed, a no-brainer!
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Your realistic expectations have been met, if not exceeded - always nice to hear of a bike purchase turning out well.

I was thinking about 'value', which is more than just the purchase price.

A pair of decent tyres would be worthwhile, and I expect you might want to upgrade the brakes.

Happily, your original spend was next to nothing, so even if you spend as much again on upgrades, you will still have a good value bike.
 
OP
OP
B

bozmandb9

Insert witty title here
Funnily enough I was just looking at tyres Pale Rider. I'm looking at Michelin Country Mud, which will cut 400 grams off the weight (must try to stop thinking like a roadie in this context), but also very well reviewed. They don't mention puncture protection, but reviews seem to mention low experience of punctures. Plus punctures would not usually bother me, I was just not prepared today, having picked up the bike, and stupidly thinking I'd be fine for one ride!

I think you're spot on, it seems the frame is better than the bike, so it's a great basis for rolling upgrades, which will make it gradually better! Not sure about the brakes, so far so good, but I wasn't going down any hills! Have to see how much I use it. At the moment a pair of Zonda wheels for my road bike is seeming more worthwhile!
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Mountain and trekking bike riders have been spoiled for brakes for a few years with excellent maintenance-free Shimano hydraulics available cheaply.

Makes the roadies marvelling over their 'new' - but cranky - cable operated discs look rather quaint.

Lots of tyre choice, Bike Discount in Germany are good for Schwalbe, and @Cubist spotted some Conti tyres going cheap in Halfords.

I would also put in a couple of branded tubes at the same time.
 
OP
OP
B

bozmandb9

Insert witty title here
Probably right, oh bugger, just order 5 non branded tubes from tubes online!

Anyway, my new fun project is to taunt fellow roadies by overtaking them whilst riding my Rockrider! Shouldn't need too much braking power for that!
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Probably right, oh bugger, just order 5 non branded tubes from tubes online!

Anyway, my new fun project is to taunt fellow roadies by overtaking them whilst riding my Rockrider! Shouldn't need too much braking power for that!

Much fun to be had taunting roadies if you have the fitness, because so many of them take the bait so readily.

Some want to take me on when I'm on my ebike - what does that prove to anyone?

No worries about the tubes, your new tyres will do more for puncture prevention, and there's probably not much wrong with the cheaper tubes anyway.
 
Top Bottom