Rocky Mountain Instinct C90 Carbon (2022)

The Rocky Mountain Instinct Carbon 90 is a carbon trail bike with 140mm of rear travel and a 150mm Fox 36 Factory fork on 29" wheels.

It's the top Instinct build, with Fox Factory suspension, Shimano XTR 12-speed and XTR 4-piston brakes, Race Face ARC carbon wheels and Race Face Next R carbon cranks and handlebar.

What kind of riding is the Instinct built for?

The Instinct is Rocky Mountain's all-round trail bike: efficient enough to climb all day, capable enough for rock gardens and steep, technical descents. It sits between short-travel cross-country bikes and long-travel enduro bikes, which makes it a good choice if you ride a bit of everything and want one bike to do it.

• 140mm rear, 150mm front: enough travel for rough trails, without the weight and sluggish climbing of a long-travel bike.
• Adjustable geometry: RIDE-9 lets you set the bike up steeper for climbing and tight trails, or slacker for faster descents.
• Room to push it: 2-bolt ISCG05 tabs take a chain guide (Rocky Mountain only), and the Fox 36 fork and Float X shock are also used on many longer-travel bikes.

The Carbon 90 build

• Fox Factory suspension: a Fox 36 Float EVOL FIT4 Factory fork and a Fox Float X Factory shock, both Factory Series with adjustable compression and rebound.
• Shimano XTR 12-speed: Shimano's top mountain bike groupset, with a 10-51T cassette and 32T chainring for a wide gear range.
• Shimano XTR Trail 4-piston brakes: with IceTec metal pads and 180mm rotors front and rear, for strong, consistent braking on long descents.
• Race Face ARC Carbon 31 wheels: carbon rims with a 31mm internal width on a DT Swiss 350 rear hub, tubeless ready with tape and valves included.
• Race Face Next R carbon: carbon cranks and a 780mm carbon handlebar to keep weight down.
• Maxxis tyres: Minion DHF 2.5 front and Minion DHR II 2.4 rear, with EXO+ casings for extra cut protection.
• Fox Transfer Factory dropper: 125mm to 200mm of drop, depending on frame size.

RIDE-9 adjustable geometry

RIDE-9 uses two interlocking chips in the shock mount to give nine geometry and suspension settings.

Each setting changes the head angle, seat angle and bottom bracket height, and adjusts how progressive the suspension feels.

A two-position rear axle also changes the chainstay length. Together, you can tune the Instinct to your local trails and riding style.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Rocky Mountain Instinct a trail bike or an enduro bike?

A trail bike. With 140mm of rear travel and a 150mm fork, it climbs efficiently but is capable on technical descents. Rocky Mountain's Altitude is its longer-travel enduro bike.

How much travel does the Instinct Carbon 90 have?

140mm of rear travel and a 150mm Fox 36 fork.

What wheel size is the Instinct Carbon 90?

29" in sizes S to XL.

What groupset does the Instinct Carbon 90 have?

Shimano XTR 12-speed with a 10-51T cassette, and Shimano XTR Trail 4-piston brakes.

What is RIDE-9?

Rocky Mountain's adjustable geometry system. Two chips in the shock mount give nine settings that change the head angle, seat angle, bottom bracket height and suspension feel.

Does it come with pedals?

No. Pedals are sold separately.