Test: The Rocky Mountain Slayer is back! One of the most well-known bikes from the cult forge from Vancouver. Among the developers are old hands like Thomas Vanderham, who design the bikes according to the motto "love the ride". The Slayer has always stood for rough trails, lots of airtime and pure MTB spirit - nothing will change in 2017 either. With the new edition made of carbon, the driver only asks the question "off to the park or rather a day tour?". With the 730MSL, we tested the €4.600 entry-level variant.
Rocky Mountain Slayer 2017: frame
The highlight of the trail killer is undoubtedly its frame. This is made of Smoothwall Carbon and comes with sealed roller bearings. To our delight, these were covered from the outside - not only a visual benefit, but also protects against moisture, mud and sand. Another positive thing to mention is the overall pleasantly narrow rear end, which accommodates Boost hubs, but which you don't bump into all the time.
Also new for the Slayer is the Ride 4 adjustment system - this is a flip chip on the damper mount, which allows the geometry to be locked in four different positions. We'll get to the changes in a moment, but it's definitely worth mentioning that the characteristic curve of the rear triangle remains more or less the same in all four settings.
The seat and steering angle can be varied by up to 1°, the bottom bracket height up to 7,5 millimeters up or down. A suitable setup can be found for every trail and every riding style. There is also a generously dimensioned opening on the down tube, which makes it easier to route the cables in the frame and should make every mechanic's heart beat faster. There is also space under this cover to store any Di2 technology.
You are also future-proof with the chassis or rather with the damper. The frame gets 230mm of spring travel from the 165mm long damper. You get a rather moderate transmission ratio, which should provide a lot of sensitivity, especially in connection with a large air chamber. The Slayer will disappoint fans of front derailleurs and two chainrings - the frame is designed exclusively for 1x drives. The integrated chain guide is nice and can handle chain rings with up to 36 teeth.
Overall, the frame is incredibly well made and a real pleasure to hold - the notorious fly in the ointment, however, is the factory-fitted chain stay protection, which in our case came loose after a short time.
Rocky Mountain Slayer: Geometry
The Slayer is a bike for the rough stuff, no doubt - it always has been. But a lot has happened in the field of bicycle geometry in recent years. Of course, these developments also left their mark on the tradition-conscious Canadians from Rocky Mountain. At first glance, the slack steering angle is particularly noticeable. In the most extreme setting of the Ride 4 system, with 64,7° you almost get into realms that are otherwise more likely to be found in the downhill area. The seat angle is pretty steep at around 74°, which should ensure an efficient pedaling position even on steep ramps.
Otherwise, the frame is pretty compact with a moderately long top tube and short chainstays and promises a lot of agility, especially on narrow trails and in fast corners.
Geometry table Rocky Mountain Slayer
| S | M | L | XL | |
| seat tube (in mm) | 394 | 432 | 471 | 509 |
| Top tube horizontal (in mm) | 574-577 | 599-602 | 624-627 | 654-657 |
| head tube (in mm) | 110 | 125 | 140 | 155 |
| chainstay (in mm) | 425-430 | 425-430 | 425-430 | 425-430 |
| Wheelbase (in mm) | 1153-1157 | 1181-1185 | 1208-1212 | 1240-1245 |
| Steering angle (in °) | 65.85-64.75 | 65.85-64.75 | 65.85-64.75 | 65.85-64.75 |
| Seat angle (in °) | 74.85-73.75 | 74.85-73.75 | 74.85-73.75 | 74.85-73.75 |
| Reach (mm) | 413-401 | 434-422 | 455-444 | 482-470 |
| Stacks (in mm) | 596-604 | 609-617 | 623-631 | 636-645 |
Rocky Mountain Slayer: Features
As already mentioned, the Rocky Mountain Slayer 730 MSL that we tested is the entry-level model, which is a bit noticeable with the attachments. A Sram NX is used as the groupset. Which is otherwise more likely to be found on cheap bikes and cannot quite keep up with the other 1x drives from the US manufacturer in terms of workmanship and bandwidth. The chassis and brakes are also rather reduced. The fork and damper come from Rock Shox and the SRAM Guide R brake should decelerate properly thanks to the 203 and 180mm disc. In times of highly complex chassis and countless setting options, beginners in particular should be happy about a simple setup. We also liked the simple cockpit, only the lever of the seat post was a bit too clumsy.
Let's stay in the driver's field of vision for a moment. In addition to the chic details such as the "Slayer mask" on the top tube, the beefy fork in particular stands out. The Rock Shox Yari RC offers a full 170mm of travel and thus already hoists the carbon bike in the direction of the freeride category and fits in very well with the concept. The RockShox Deluxe damper seems a bit undersized in view of this alignment and quickly gets sweaty on long descents. In contrast, the grip with the Maxxis Minion with a width of 2.5 inches was terrific.
Sure, it has to be said that the equipment is poor considering the price of €4.600. But: The frame kit alone costs more than €3.500 and it is clear that the Canadians then didn't have much leeway for the add-on parts.
Rocky Mountain Slayer: Ride impression
But as is often the case, equipment and technical data are smoke and mirrors - the truth is on the trail and that's where the new Slayer convinces. In my opinion, the concept works and no matter what terrain, the Rocky has put a big grin on my face even in the hairiest moments. At high speeds, the bike is extremely smooth running and provides security, while the short rear triangle and low seat tube offer plenty of scope and agility on steep and blocked terrain.
Over the long period in which the Slayer had to prove itself to us, the noble carbon bullet was also used in the park and on longer tours with a high proportion of trails.
The focus of the bike is clearly on the descent, but that definitely doesn't mean that you have to struggle on the climbs, on the contrary: Here the Slayer shows undreamt-of strength and willingly climbs up. On longer and steeper ascents, however, a larger range of gear ratios would have been desirable - the 11-42 cassette does not offer the usual latitude here. Once at the top, it then goes down the valley and, as expected, the bike shows its true colors and plays its trump cards. The developers did not exaggerate when they said: "All killers, no fillers."
Good-natured, predictable, always controllable, at the same time lively, agile and a real corner killer. In addition, it is stable and well balanced in the air. The complete package!
