Great bike. First full suspension bike for my daughter
This is our 3rd Rocky Mountain, (Growler, Instinct, Element) and we love it. I spent considerable time deciding on a bike for my 9 year old daughter, and chose an XS Element. The bike has Rockys quality that is top notch, and an excellent build spec for the price. One thing we really liked is we could get a good tune and suspension setup on the shock and fork, even at her light weight of 85 lbs. There are a couple of things we found after purchasing, that are not deal breakers, but wish we knew before buying. We have solved each problem...
1- The XS frame cannot fit any cage or bottle inside the triangle, even though the bolts are there. We went with a cage under the frame on the second set of mounts, and a hydration pack for muddy days.
2- On the alloy frame, the dropper post cannot be slammed all the way to the frame clamp. It needed 1.5-2" to alloy proper function. I think this may be different on Carbon models
3- The XS frame, designed for riders 4,8"-5'2" ships with 175 mm cranks, which really hindered her ability to ride (we solved this with Goldix 140mm cranks, and a wolfltooth chainring)
We also installed narrower bars, grips and seat, similar to the 26" Reaper. (and to add pink)
She loves her Rocky and we are already planning the purchase of our next one!
