First Look: 2017 Rocky Mountain Slayer

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It's back! Introducing the all-new, full carbon 2017 Rocky Mountain Slayer.

Whether it's an enduro race, bike park laps with the crew, or getting your freeride on, the 165mm travel Slayer takes no prisoners. Thomas Vanderham and Florian Nicolaï lead the charge.

Tweaked geometry and 27.5 wheels combine to keep things agile and fun.

The new suspension design strikes a good balance of support and suppleness in areas it counts.

You've always got to get to the top. Increased anti-squat values help the Slayer pedal well.

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No surprises here...

Boost button! Thomas Vanderham and other Rocky athletes played a big role in helping develop this bike, and their efforts show.

Each size receives its own special shock tune to ensure the best performance.

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Rocky tailored things for the average size rider of each size of bike.

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The upper shock mount contains one max type bearing on each side of the shock for improved sensitivity without sacrificing durability.

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Longer reach measurements across the board bring this bad boy up to speed.

Slacker and lower than before, with shorter stays to round things out.

Ride-4 lets you choose from four different geometry settings, adjusting the head angle up to 1.1-degree and bottom bracket height up to 15mm.

Blind pivots are a very unique touch, and they serve a purpose on the Boost equipped bike.

As clean as can be.

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Going to a 1X only design allowed Rocky to widen the lower pivot a substantial amount.

Not to worry. A new chainguide keeps things in place and accommodates 30-36 tooth chainrings.

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When you're smashing through rocks like these, a bash guard is essential equipment.

The Slayer features full-length internal dropper post and lockout routing, internal brake routing in the front triangle, and internal tube-in-tube shift routing.

A large port on the downtube makes the sometimes painful process of routing much easier.

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Electronics are here to stay, and this rig comes prepared.

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Rocky always has an eye toward the future.

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It's ready for tires up to 27.5x2.5 or 26x3.0-inches.

26+ is an ongoing project with Maxxis, and you can expect them to drop soon.

Choose from four builds ranging from $4,199 to $6,999 USD, or go frame only to spec your dream ride.

Visit www.bikes.com for more details, and be sure to catch the launch video with Vanderham and Nicolaï high in the Rocky Mountains.

It's back! Following a short hiatus, Rocky Mountain is thrilled to show off the all-new Slayer. With a nod to the fundamentals, the new breed sports a full carbon frame, 165mm of rear travel, ultra-slack geometry, unique blind pivots, and looks that could kill. This bike will have you cranking the volume as you realize it's unforgiving ability to thrash turns, embrace chaos, and melt faces.

Slayer Highlights

Intended Use: Enduro and All-Mountain
Rear Travel: 165mm / Front Travel: 170mm
Wheel Size: 27.5-inches
Full Smoothwall carbon frame
Ride-4 adjustability chip for precise geometry adjustments
All sizes fit one water bottle inside the front triangle
Future-proofed to run Di2 and a dropper post concurrently
Max type Enduro cartridge bearing pivots with simplified hardware, Pipelock rocker link pivot
Shock-eyelet bearings for small-bump sensitivity
Single-sided chainstay and seatstay pivots for a narrower rear triangle to eliminates heel rub, even with Boost spacing
Metric shock, 230x65mm
1x specific
Clearance for up to 27.5x2.5-inch "wide trail" tires, and compatible with 26+ tires (26x3.0-inches)
Full-length internal dropper post and lockout routing, internal brake routing in front triangle, internal tube-in-tube shift routing
Oversized downtube ports for ease of cable routing
New derailleur hanger design reduces hardware complexity
Lightweight bolt-on axle saves 35g compared to a traditional Boost axle
PressFit BB92 bottom bracket, ZS44/ZS56 headset
Post-mount 180mm rear brake
Max chainring size is 36 teeth
Sizing: S, M, L, and XL

Geometry

Longer, lower, slacker. The new Slayer is all the things you've come to expect of a modern big mountain trail weapon. It features the RIDE-4 geometry adjustment system, which uses a flip chip in the lower shock mount to adjust the bottom bracket height and head angle between four positions. Numbers in the slackest and steepest positions are noted, below:

In Action

Join Thomas Vanderham and Florian Nicolaï as the Slayer moves mountains way up in Fernie, British Columbia:

"Rocky Mountain Bicycles’ namesake mountain range holds a special place in our heart. The iconic peaks of the Rocky Mountains embody a particular wildness, a disdain for the manicured and curated experiences of the modern world. We knew this year that we were overdue for a return to our roots—our bedrock."

Build Kits, Pricing, and Availability

Choose from four builds kits in two colors, or go frame only to spec your dream ride. The Slayer will be available in December, 2016. Visit www.bikes.com for more details.