2011 Summer Buyer's Guide
Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Spot Brand Bicycles Rocker SS

By: Category: Summer Buyer's Guide, Mountain Biking, Men's, Mountain Bikes
Sport Rocker SS
Photo: Courtesy of Spot Brand Bicycles

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GUIDES

Find the Best

THE SELL: The smoothest, most reliable single-speed available. THE TEST: Single-speeding is about simplicity, and belt drives—which replace the chain and chainrings with a clean, quiet belt-and-pulley system—are austerity incarnate. Testers loved how the Rocker SS's new CenterTrack belt, with a center channel and shaped fin design, locked the belt on its track for uninterrupted power transfer. The new system, combined with the steel frame's fluid feel, provided a ride that one tester called "beautifully, eerily silent." However, though WTB's new tubeless wheels gave an admirable ride, for the price we'd have preferred lighter, top-of-the-line hoops. THE VERDICT: Our favorite single-speed this year—plenty stiff for railing hard but comfier than most hardtails. 23 lbs
Climbing: 4
Descending: 3.5

Brand: Spot Brand Bicycles

$3,000

Brand Name Description Price Date Keywords
Niner Bikes Rip 9 RDO Extremely well balanced and stable but also nimble and quick. $6,869 2013 Summer Buyer’s Guide Summer Buyer's Guide, Mountain Bikes
Norco Range Killer B2 A phenomenal deal, with a Fox Talas 34 fork and a Float CTD shock. $3,838 2013 Summer Buyer’s Guide Summer Buyer's Guide, Mountain Bikes
GT Zaskar 9R Elite Best bike for the money. $1,870 2013 Summer Buyer’s Guide Summer Buyer's Guide, Mountain Bikes
Surly Krampus A simple bike that's super grabby but still fast on moderate climbs. $1,950 2013 Summer Buyer’s Guide Summer Buyer's Guide, Mountain Bikes

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