New Rocky Mountain Instinct A50 Alloy (2022)

The Rocky Mountain Instinct Alloy 50 is a highly capable Trail mountain bike. It's built for riders who want a balance of climbing efficiency and descending stability.

It's one of the most versatile trail bikes in our range. It's the best build kit riders can buy in an alloy frame before going to carbon-fibre.

It's designed around Rocky Mountain’s premium FORM alloy frame and adjustable RIDE-9 geometry system. The Instinct Alloy 50 handles everything from flowing singletrack to technical descents.

It runs on 140mm of rear travel and pairs to a 150mm Fox fork.

This preview goes through the Instinct Alloy 50 build in more detail.

Who is the Instinct Alloy 50 for?

It's for riders who want a mountain bike they can use almost anywhere. Something versatile, that isn't going to limit where you ride.

However:

If you plan on riding Enduro on a regular basis (big jumps, drops, raw and steep terrain) then you're better with the Rocky Mountain Altitude.

But don't misunderstand:

The Instinct is still capable of handling big, technical features. You just need to be a slightly better rider to control the bike.

Otherwise, if the majority of what you want to do is

FORM™ Alloy Frame with RIDE-9™ Adjustable Geometry

At the heart of the Instinct Alloy 50 is Rocky Mountain’s premium FORM™ alloy frame. It's designed for strength and long-term reliability.

Full sealed cartridge bearings keep the suspension running smoothly by keep dirt and mud out. While internal cable routing protects hoses and housing from trail debris.

The standout feature is RIDE-9™ adjustable geometry though.

It essentially gives you 9 different ways to adjust the Instinct's geometry. The system allows riders to fine-tune the bike’s handling and suspension character.

The adjustments are fine but enough to feel a noticeable difference on the trails.

For example, the 3 key positions are:

In Position 1, the Instinct Alloy 50 is in 'downhill' mode. In this position, the bike is at it's lowest and longest. Making it extremely stable and composed on high-speed descents.

Position 5 is Neutral.

It's the position, the bike comes as standard. And it's the most balanced position; making it versatile for all trails.

Position 9 is designed for technical climbing or efficiency. It raises the bike higher off the ground and sharpens the steering angle.

The extra ground clearance and more responsive steering angle, makes this an ideal setup for trails that feature low-speed technical climbs.

Fox Suspension Built for Rough Trails

A premium Fox suspension package helps riders get the most out of the Instinct A50. There's enough adjustments with both the front and rear shock to get the

Up front, the Fox 36 Performance fork delivers 150mm of travel. It's paired to a Fox Float X rear shock that help the frame put out 140mm of rear wheel travel.

The 36 gives you 3 compression modes; soft, medium and firm. The Float X has 2 modes; firm and soft.

Both also use Rebound (the red dial) that tunes how fast the suspension returns after an impact. So for rocky trails, set the rebound a click or two faster. When you're trying a new jump or drop, or riding a smooth Flow trail, keep it a touch slower.

An air spring allows you to fine tune air pressure to get the right Sag which is super critical to how the Instinct feels.

Shimano 12-speed gears and brakes

The Instinct A50 build is made up of Shimano Deore, SLX and XT 12-speed gears. It's 4th, 3rd and 2nd tier components, respectively.

It's a combination of affordable performance and premium componentry.

The rear derailleur is XT, the shifters are SLX and the cassette is Deore. This combination keeps shifting smooth yet affordable for replacement parts like the cassette.

Rocky Mountain has paired the Shimano drivetrain with powerful Shimano 4-piston brakes. For extra stopping power, the pads are metallic and not resin.

The metallic pads are ideal for heavier riders, steep and fast terrrain or those that want extra stopping power.

Wheels and tyres

WTB ST Light i30 rims are a modern 30mm wide double-wall walloy rim. They are also pre-taped if you want to convert to tubeless. Tubeless valves come included with the bike too.

A Maxxis Minion DHF front tyre is paired to a Maxxis Minion DHR II rear tyre.

Both tyres use a reinforced sidewall called EXO+. This delivers better protection against pinch flats and better support through corners.

The tyre compound is also extra grippy, called 3C. The extra grippy compound has 3 differnet tpes of rubber.

A hard base layer supports the knobs across the tyre. The centre of the tyre has a medium rubber compound. And a softer rubber compound which kicks in when you're leaning the bike into corners.

The Instinct Alloy 50 rolls on Rocky Mountain front hub and a Shimano SLX rear hub. Both use good quality sealed bearings. The rear hub engages every 7 degrees delivering fast power transfer. Something that you'll appreciate on tough, technical climbs and accelerating through corners.