Photo: Margus Riga – Location: Pemberton, BC
The new Rocky Mountain Suzi Q is a step in the trail riding direction from the Canadian bike company and uses the 27.5” FAT wheel size. The Suzi Q is based on a lightweight carbon or aluminum frame and sports a 68-degree headtube and a short, 434mm, chainstay that should help the bike feel more nimble on the trail. Plus, Rocky Mountain has narrowed the Q-Factor to make pedaling, for some, more comfortable. You’ll also find the cockpit a bit longer than expedition fat-bikes for a stable and balanced ride that still feels agile.
MTB legend Andreas Hestler says:
This is a seriously nimble whip—not what you’re used to from traditional fat-bikes. The narrow q-factor is a dream to pedal for big racing efforts, and its short chainstays and extended reach make for balanced, natural handling on singletrack.
During the bike’s design and testing phases Rocky Mountain evaluated a wide variety of geometry and offset combinations to hone the Suzi Q’s steering dynamics. The claim the result is a bike without any of the “autosteer” instability that can plague some other fat-bikes. The proof will be in the riding when we get our hands on one.
Rider: Andreas Hestler – Photo: Margus Riga – Location: Pemberton, BC
Details from Rocky Mountain
- Full carbon and aluminum models
- 192mm Q-factor
- 27.5×3.8 tires
- Fits up to 27.5×4.2 tires (when the become available, with safe clearance for 770mm x 104mm).
- Next generation fat-bike geometry is longer, slacker, and more agile.
- Integrated chainstay protector and downtube protector.
- Di2 electronics-compatible with internal stealth battery port.
- Full carbon monocoque fork on -90°, -70°, and -50° models.
- Lightweight bolt-on axles save 100g per bike compared to a Maxle.
- Suspension compatible. A 100mm Bluto at 20% sag maintains stock geometry.
- Two bottle cages on the fork, plus two in the front triangle.
- Front triangle Rivnuts for custom, bolt-on frame bags (not included).
- 1x drivetrain specific.
- Stealth dropper post compatible.
- Internal cable housing.
- PressFit BB107 bottom bracket, ZS44|56 headset, 177mm rear axle spacing.
- Sizing: S, M, L, XL.
Geometry
Wheels
For the Wheel package, Rocky Mountain worked with Maxxis to design a high-performance 27.5×3.8 tire and wheel system. Pair those Maxxis tires up with SUNringlé Düroc 65 Tubeless Ready rims and you’ve got a competitive wheel package. Compared to a traditional 26×4 ”race fat” system, 27.5×3.8 tires have a larger outer diameter. This can mean better rollover performance and plenty of traction, without the added weight and rolling resistance of 26×5 systems.
Frames
- Smoothwall Carbon
Smoothwall™ carbon uses one of the world’s most sophisticated carbon processes to build frames with industry leading stiffness-to-weight ratio, ride quality, and durability. By using rigid internal molds, the team at Rocky Mountain are able to perfect the shape of the internal features and eliminate excess materials. The use of different types of carbon in specific frame areas maximizes stiffness and impact resistance while minimizing overall weight. - RMB 6061 Alloy
RMB™ 6061 SL alloy tubesets are triple butted for lighter weight and better ride quality.
Rider: Andreas Hestler – Photo: Margus Riga – Location: Pemberton, BC
Of course the proof of the concept will be in the riding and we plan to throw a leg over one of these beauties soon!
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