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Rocky Mountain Switch
"As you'd expect from Rocky Mountain, the Switch is a first-rate freeride bike." Mountain Bike Magazine, March 2002
THE FRAME Cool seat trick; not a true four-bar. The frame tells the whole story of this bike. The front triangle consists of an Easton RAD tubeset with large rectangular cross sections joined to the head tube. The rear triangle is made up of large diameter stays; thick, machined linkage plates, extra-thick dropouts, and beefy yokes. The linkage pivots run on cartridge bearings, the main pivot is equipped with needle bearings, and the dropout pivots (which don't rotate much) utilize bushings. Rocky calls the Switch's suspension design a four-bar, but it isn't; the dropout pivot is above the rear axle. That makes the rear wheel directly connected to the main pivot, so, functionally, it's a single-pivot suspension design. Because the pivot point is low, the suspension is most neutral in the small ring. As you shift away from it, pedaling forces start to compress the suspension to a greater degree. The interrupted seat tube design yields a seat angle of 68 degrees. This makes the seat push forward more dramatically as it is lowered than if the seat angle were steeper. As the seat moves up, cockpit length grows, stretching the rider out more for climbs. The seat tube is slightly forward of the bottom bracket shell, which keeps the seat from moving too far behind the BB as the seat goes up, and keeps the rider on top of the pedals instead of pushing forward on them. Actual seat angle, measured from the center of the BB through the center of the seat clamp, is more like 73 degrees. On many other bikes, this trick is over exaggerated, which is hard on seatposts and positions the rider too far behind the pedals. Not so on the Switch. When it comes to leverage ratios, things don't go so smoothly. Rocky specs a 1.5-inch-stroke shock, which puts the leverage ratio at about 3.34 to 1. Because the leverage ratio is on the high side, a stiffer spring is needed, in this case an 800 pound - about twice as stiff as the springs found on the other bikes in this test. Higher leverage ratios are harder on shocks, offer less precise damping, and sacrifice small bump performance because of the required higher spring rates. Rocky says its design is stiffer for better pedaling and is more progressive, while conceding a loss of some small bump performance. For its part, Fox points to its OE shock catalog, which states, "Maximum recommended leverage ratio is 3 to 1. [In red letters] Do not exceed this leverage ratio." It's hard to pick a side here. On one hand, the Rocky's suspension works perfectly for its intended use. On the other, if the leverage ratio dropped, the Switch would suck up small bumps better. Also, dropping the leverage ratio would keep the lockout blow-off from opening so easily.
THE PARTS A Canadian freeride bike without a Marzocchi? There are a few interesting choices here. One is the Manitou Black Elite 100/120 fork. The Black is a very stiff fork, and the ride-height adjust makes climbing easier, but the forks run on the soft side. Rocky hopes to solve this problem by changing the current medium spring to firm. Another spec that might cause a second look are the Maxxis Mobster DH tires. The heavy-duty two-ply casing and butyl insert allow lower pressures with less chance of pinch flatting, and the aggressive tread pattern hooks up in the steeps. But they're very heavy - there are more than five pounds of tire here. Factor in the Sun Rhyno Lite rims, 2.0mm spokes and brass nipples, and you know climbs are going to hurt. The 24-inch-wide ProTaper bar is a surprise. Answer offers a 26-inch riser, which would be a better choice for this type of bike. If the rider wanted a narrower bar, it's easy enough to cut it down.
THE RIDE Not a climber; biased toward big hits Of all the bikes here, the Switch is the least fun to use on climbs. The suspension compresses with each pedal stroke, the tires and wheels are heavy, there's a bit of pedal feedback, and the fires don't roll very smooth. To minimize the problems on sustained climbs, you can lock out the rear end and reduce front end travel. The 14 3/16" BB height is on the high side; any higher and it would start to affect the bike's stability. As it is, the weight, best-in-test stiffness and beefy fires keep the bike stable and calm despite a somewhat steep (for this kind of bike) 70.5-degree head angle. For less-extreme riding conditions, the head angle keeps the bike from being too ponderous, but in steeper conditions, the rider would want it a bit slacker. Thankfully, the combination of the burly front triangle and stiff fork allows the rider to keep good control of the front end. The bike goes where it's pointed without fail. However, the weight comes back to haunt it in twisty trails where it has to be muscled through turns. The rear end feels more biased toward big hits. On small, square-edged hits, the back feels a bit choppy, like it's hanging up on each bump. Medium hits are capably sucked up. On big hits and drops, the suspension is excellent, with a dramatic progression at the end of the travel to help control bottoming. The Black fork was stiff and super plush, but it blows through its travel on bigger hits and dives a great deal under braking. Compared to the stiff, quite-progressive rear end, it creates a suspension imbalance.
VERDICT Built for the Shore As you'd expect from Rocky Mountain, the Switch is a first-rate freeride bike. It’s heavy, a bad climber, and not very nimble. However, for aggressive, abusive, technical riding, it's a great choice.
This page was last edited on 07/17/2004
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