Rocky Mountain showed a prototype 29" cross-country full-suspension bike at this year's Sea Otter Classic. Come this fall, it'll be officially known as the Element 29.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rocky Mountain will use press-fit bottom bracket cups in its new Element 29.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The hydroformed seat tube is offset forward to help tuck in the rear wheel. Also, note the more classic angle in contrast to the StraightUp geometry of some of Rocky Mountain's longer-travel offerings.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
A sag guide is marked on the upper link for easier setup.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rocky Mountain uses its proven Smoothlink rear suspension design for the new Element 29.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The direct-mount front derailleur gave Rocky Mountain frame designers more freedom in shaping the seat tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The tapered head tube offers up lots of surface area for the adjoining top tube and down tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The 142x12mm thru-axle rear end features a sturdy-looking derailleur hanger.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The forged aluminum dropouts are heavily sculpted for stiffness and relieved on the backside to shave weight.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rocky Mountain's Andreas Hestler says the internal cable routing configuration is one detail that still needs to be further refined.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The press-fit bottom bracket shell allows for a wider and stiffer down tube plus more widely set main pivot bearings.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rocky Mountain still refers to this bike as a prototype but the hydroformed tubing and carbon fiber upper link suggest it's closer to a preproduction machine since all of the major tooling is clearly already completed.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rocky Mountain's aluminum full-suspension 29" cross-country bike was still officially in prototype form at this year's Sea Otter Classic but come this fall, it'll officially be offered as the 2012 Element 29.
As we're noticing increasingly often on newer chassis, Rocky Mountain has placed a strong emphasis on frame stiffness for the Element 29. The broad, squared-off down tube takes up nearly the entire height of the tapered head tube up front and then terminates down below at the extra-wide, Shimano-standard, press-fit bottom bracket shell. That wider shell lets Rocky Mountain push the main pivot bearings further apart, too.
A swingarm-mounted front derailleur tracks the chain throughout the travel range for better shift performance but also loosen design constraints for the heavily sculpted seat tube, which is flared down below for additional drivetrain rigidity and offset forward at the bottom bracket to help tuck in the rear wheel.
The direct-mount front derailleur gave Rocky Mountain's frame designers more freedom in shaping the seat tube. Photo: James Huang
Even the top tube is notably large in diameter to keep torsional flex at bay for more precise handling while the forged rear dropouts are set up around a 142x12mm RockShox Maxle thru-axle skewer to more solidly tie the stays together.
100mm of rear wheel travel comes courtesy of Rocky Mountain's proven SmoothLink four-bar suspension design, a carbon fiber upper link, conventional cartridge bearings at the main pivot, and the company's slick lightweight angular contact bushings elsewhere - all controlled by a RockShox Monarch rear shock.
Front and rear derailleur cables are routed through the down tube for a cleaner look and better protection from contamination but factory team rider Andreas Hestler tells us the layout will be further refined by the time we see production versions later this year. Though the prototype was shown in raw brushed aluminum, Hestler says each of the three complete bikes to be offered will ultimately be covered in glossy paint.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Rocky Mountain still refer to this bike as a prototype but the hydroformed tubing and carbon fiber upper link suggest it's closer to a pre-production machine since all of the major tooling is clearly already completed. Photo: James Huang
