Stock - Review
The Rockrider XC50 is currently the cheapest XC model in the Rockrider range at a price of 850€.
It shares it's frame with the more expensive XC100 & XC500. The price difference comes from the different fork,brakes and transmission.
It has a triple butted 6013/6061 aluminium frame with a claimed weight of 1.5kg for a Small and 1.58kg for the Medium frame.
The cables run along the outside of the frame and are neatly concealed at the bottom of the down tube to hide them from view.
It's also compatible with Rockrider Switch&Ride, so you can install 27.5, 27.5+ and 29" wheels.
Sizing & Weight
I measure 1m73 with an inseam of 81cm and i bought the Medium frame. I do only have 2cm left on the seat post before reaching the limit, so i did consider buying the Large. But the Large frame has a 20mm longer Top Tube length at 630mm, which would make the frame too big for me.
I will put a list with the weights at the bottom of the page.
The bike has an advertised weight of 12.6kg without pedals, but in reality it's closer to the 13kg. I never weighted the bike when i bought it, but with my theoretical calculations, it is around the 13.2-13.3kg range with the included plastic pedals (287gr).
Components
For 850€ you get a well equipped bike, no fancy components but components that are durable enough to start with Cross Country riding a few hours a week. The bike comes with a Judy Silver fork and SX Eagle 1x12 transmission. The XC100 comes with a Manitou Markhor fork and NX Eagle 1x12 drivetrain, while the XC500 is equipped with a Reba and GX Eagle.
Many parts are from Rockrider's own brand, components like the saddle, handlebar and stem are decent quality lightweight parts. No fancy designs but nothing that will break after 2 rides.
Fork: Rockshox Judy Silver RL 29 Boost
The XC50 comes with the Rockshox Judy Silver RL 29 inch boost fork with 100mm of travel. It's great to see that Rockrider offers this fork on a 850€ bike, while other brands have it on bikes between 1000-1200€.
The Judy Silver is an entry level fork with 30mm straight wall steel stanchions and the basic Turnkey cartridge. The Turnkey damper is a basic damper with only a open and closed with blow-off setting and it has 5 clicks of adjustable rebound.
My experience with the Judy Silver isn't that great. It lacks a lot of 'small bump sensitivity', so it won't really soak up little tree roots.
Right after a 50h service the fork gains on small bump sensitivity, but after 1-2 rides it suffers from some stiction again. Not much, but enough to not filter out small imperfections in the woods... Maybe it also has to do with the fact that i'm a lighter rider at 65kg, i was running the fork around 7 bar.
The lockout is connected to Rockriders own remote switch, the Combolock V2. I prefer it over the thin thumb levers some brands use, this is a chunky lockout that feels good in the hand.
Brakes: Tektro TKD32
The Tektro TKD32 are Tektro brakes designed for Rockrider. The caliper is the same as on the HDM275. The 2 finger lever is custom made for Rockrider, and the specs are unknown.
It's my 2nd bike with these brakes, and yet again, they lack power. If you're new to hydraulic brakes, you will find them okay. But if you have ever tried Shimano Deore or better, you will miss the strong braking power and bite when using the Tektro's.
The pads are Tektro A10GS, these should be made from a 'metal ceramic' compound.
The XC50 is equipped with a 180mm rotor up front and a 160mm at the rear. They're decent entry-level discs, they do their job and not much else to say about them.
Transmission: SRAM SX Eagle 12S
The XC50 is equipped with a SRAM SX Eagle 1x12 drivetrain, except the chain which is a NX Eagle chain, simply because there is no chain in the SX Eagle line-up. The weights will be on the bottom of the page.
Let's start with the weakest part of the transmission, the SX derailleur. It's mostly made of plastic and the adjustment screws feature a coarse thread, so small adjustments are harder to do. But it's biggest problem is the lack of a clutch, in the smaller cogs the derailleur doesn't keep much tension on the chain and it slaps around. I never had the problem of the chain falling off, but sometimes i was worried it would.
The crankset is the X1 1000 DUB, which is exactly the same as the SX Eagle DUB cranks. A bit heavier than more expensive models, but well built and strong. I'm glad that Rockrider decided to install the 2-piece DUB cranks instead of the heavier and worse 3 piece SX cranks. It's connected to a 32T steel front chainring.
The cassette is the PG1210 11-50. This is a 12 speed full steel cassette, heavy but strong.
The SX shifter is completely made from plastic, but feels good. It is no XO1 shifter, but it doesn't feel like it will fail after 10 shifts. I really enjoy the possibility to shift back up to 5 gears in one movement, it's especially useful if a unexpected climb comes up after a blind corner.
