SRAM’s SX Eagle is a noticeable step down in terms of performance, from the mid-grade NX and GX-level drivetrains, but the simplicity of 1x and the wide range of gears from the 11-50 cassette were wonderful to have. Buy now, pay later with Klarna.

Better value. The Rockhopper Elite is one helluva lot of bike.

The Rockhopper and the Pitch were two sides of the same coin, essentially identical bikes with different wheel sizes: 29-inchers for the Rockhopper and 27.5-inch hoops for the Pitch. Shimano and MicroSHIFT team up for drivetrain duties with a robust 2x8 drivetrain that can handle everything you're throw down while confident braking from Radius CX7 mechanical disc brakes seals the deal of the century.

Discerning when it comes to your drivetrain? Shimano's 1x10 wide-range 10-speed Deore shifiting boasts both the pedigree and performance that legends are made of. It’s most at home on flow trails and moderately technical terrain, yet it has the chops to get you through the rugged stuff. Stack height also strikes a nice middle ground.

Cheap mountain bikes continue to get better and better. It’s designed around SRAM’s affordable SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, 29 x 2.3″ tires, and Shimano Acera-level hydraulic brakes. Better performance. At 640mm, our XL is a centimeter higher than the race-oriented Marlin 7 and 3mm lower than the Giant.

The new Rockhopper Expert is no exception, and it represents a quantum leap forward for this category. The Takeaway: The Specialized Rockhopper Expert, with its air spring fork, 1 x 12-speed drivetrain, and tubeless-ready wheels and tires is the new king of cheap mountain bikes. I also felt much more secure and confident in my own abilities while crawling over large rocks and hopping knee-high logs on the Rockhopper than on any other cheap mountain bike I’ve ridden.

The suppleness of the air-sprung RockShox Judy fork puts this bike in a class of its own when compared to the coil-sprung forks more commonly found, and the Ground Control tires are lightweight and versatile. Why stop there?

It’s just as great for new trail riders as it is for experienced shredders shopping on a budget.

We didn't, in order to allow you the pleasure of stopping yourself with Shimano's eager-to-please and oh-so-capable MT200 hydraulic disc brakes.

Brand: Specialized, Product: Rockhopper Elite 29. ', * Specifications are subject to change without notice, Specialized Bicycle Owner's Manual (All Languages), Trainer Usage Addendum to the Bicycle Owner's Manual, Specialized Bicycle Owner's Manual Addendum: Riding With Kids, Tire Pressure and Handlebar Grips Addendum, A1 premium butted alloy, zero-stack head tube, internal cable routing, 135x9mm forged dropouts, chainstay-mounted disc brake, replaceable alloy derailleur hanger, stealth rack mounts, dropper post compatible, RockShox Judy, Solo Air, Turnkey damper, 46mm offset, QR, 80/90/100mm travel (size-specific), steel steerer, Stout 3D-forged alloy, 31.8mm, 6-degree rise, Stout Mini Rise, alloy, 9-degree backsweep, 15mm rise, 31.8mm, Shimano Deore, Shadow Plus, GS cage, 10-speed, Shimano Deore, RapidFire Plus, 10-speed w/ Optical Gear Display, KMC, X10, EPT anti-corrosion coating, 10-speed w/ Missing Link™, Square-tapered, 73mm, internal bearings, 122.5mm spindle, Alloy, Offset Design, Tubeless Ready, 25mm internal width, 28h, Shimano HB-RM35, Center Lock™ disc, 9x100mm spacing, quick-release, 28h, Shimano FH-RM35, Center Lock™ disc, 9x135mm spacing, quick-release, 32h, Ground Control, Control casing, GRIPTON® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.3". Despite ditching the Pitch, Specialized didn’t entirely forgo 27.5-inch wheels. Better performance. Bobby is part of the Bicycling Test Team and brings with him over a decade of professional racing experience, including 3 Olympic Team berths. Although it can handle extremely rocky and technical trails, that kind of terrain isn’t the Rockhopper’s forté. Buy now, pay later with Klarna. As the fancy rides get even fancier, trickle down technology has been a boon for bikes at the lower end of the price spectrum. The Most Affordable Mountain Bikes That Shred, Meet the Experts Who Tested Your Next Bike, Redesigned frame with modern mountain bike geometry, Incredible value for this level of capability, SRAM SX Eagle doesn’t shift as crisply as higher-priced drivetrains. ... the Rockhopper features butted aluminum tubes in order to keep weight low and strength high, all while providing increased standover clearance, slick internal cable routing and dropper-post compatibility. Merging the two lines allowed the brand to cut unnecessary costs and pass those savings to riders in the form of a revamped frame design and superior components selection.

With the goal of making sure that the Rockhopper offers both the best fit and best performance for every person, no matter their measure, we’ve paired each Rockhopper frame size with the optimal wheel size. I’ve ridden a lot of mountain bikes in the $700-$1,000 range, and I can unequivocally say the Rockhopper Expert is one of the best cheap models you can buy. By tapping the fit and handling advantages of pairing each rider with their ideal wheel size and suspension that works its hardest for everyone thanks to our size-specific Rx Tune, we've baked in added performance to the all-new Rockhopper without dialing up the price. A 68.5 degree head angle is slack by XC standards but quickly becoming the norm as brands move away from the 69.5 degrees that used to be commonplace. The TurnKey damper deftly dishes out travel letting you focus on what’s ahead. The Rockhopper and the Pitch were two sides of the same coin, essentially identical bikes with different wheel sizes: 29-inchers for the Rockhopper and 27.5-inch hoops for the Pitch.

Let me introduce you to your new friend, Judy. If you’re shopping for a new mountain bike and $1,125 is within your budget, you’d be well-advised to give the Rockhopper Expert a long, hard look. Check it out! Sizes L, XL, and XXL, however, are only available with 29-inch wheels.

* Specifications are subject to change without notice, Specialized Bicycle Owner's Manual (All Languages), Trainer Usage Addendum to the Bicycle Owner's Manual, Specialized Bicycle Owner's Manual Addendum: Riding With Kids, Tire Pressure and Handlebar Grips Addendum, A1 premium butted alloy, zero-stack head tube, internal cable routing, 135x9mm forged dropouts, chainstay-mounted disc brake, replaceable alloy derailleur hanger, stealth rack mounts, dropper post compatible, SR Suntour XCE 29, 28mm stanchions, Rx Tune, coil spring, QR, 90/100mm travel (size-specific), 46mm offset, Stout 3D-forged alloy, 31.8mm, 6-degree rise, Stout Mini Rise, alloy, 9-degree backsweep, 15mm rise, 31.8mm, KMC X8 EPT, anti-rust coating, 8-speed w/ reusable Missing Link™, Square-tapered, 73mm, internal bearings, 122.5mm spindle, Specialized alloy, disc only, double-wall, 25mm inner width, 32h, Formula 6-Bolt, disc, 100x9mm spacing, quick-release, 32H, Formula 6-Bolt freehub, disc, 135x9mm spacing, quick-release, 32H. A durable Formula freehub and SunRace 8-speed cassette keep you rolling smoothly without putting up a fuss. The result is a Rockhopper to fit every rider and the assurance that every Rockhopper is rolling on the best-handling wheel for its frame size. You won’t find another bike at this price that has what the Rockhopper does without making serious sacrifices in other areas. It’s 1mm shorter than the long and aggressive Trek Marlin 7 but a full centimeter longer than the more relaxed Giant Talon 29 2. Discerning when it comes to your drivetrain? The brand conducted research with renowned bike fit specialist Retül. Why stop there? Better value. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Each is impressive in their own right, but the magic really lies in how they all come together into a Rockhopper that serves up singletrack with a nice big side of ' Whoah, so that's what a real bike feels like.

Technical Specifications. Curious about what a bike weighs, maybe a little obsessive on the subject? The SRAM SX Eagle 1 x 12-speed offers a wide range of gears and simplified shifting. This list is a collection of bikes for which we have personally documented the weight.

Size XXS rolls on 26-inch wheels, bridging the gap between kids bikes with 24-inch wheels and adult bikes with 27.5-inch wheels. Specialized pulled off this minor miracle by merging the Rockhopper and Pitch models into one line of bikes, with the goal of simplifying frame and wheel size choices and producing a higher-quality machine.