Suntour Raidon 34 with 130mm of travel at the front and a SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed group. We got our hands on the $1899 option called the Growler 50. This build-out featured a wide WTB ST i30 wheelset and a 140mm fork instead of the 130mm seen on the Growler 20 and 40 versions. Don’t worry; more details on how the front suspension performed later.

Rocky Mountain adds their very own handlebars and stems to their builds. We found the unique handlebar rise and sweep comfortable throughout testing.

The drivetrain is a mix of NX, GX and SX components from SRAM. For brakes, Rocky got clever! They used Shimano four-piston brakes at the front and a two-piston caliper at the rear with hefty 180mm rotors. The Growler 50 came with a great tire combo. We ran a WTB Vigilante TCS Light/High Grip 29 × 2.6-inch front and a WTB TrailBoss G2 TCS Light/Fast Rolling 29 × 2.6 inches at the rear. To test weight savings, we ran a carbon wheelset during our testing as well. The Growler’s handling is achieved with Rocky’s very own 35mm stem clamped to 780mm handlebars. Priced well and decently equipped, the beast’s total weight comes in at a robust 34 pounds.

SUSPENSION

SUSPENSION
140mm front

We were able to take advantage of the RockShox 35 Gold RL with 140mm of travel on our Growler 50 test rig. The newer 35mm chassis of the fork design adds stiffness while providing confident steering. The Gold RL features a low-speed compression adjustment to lock out and an external rebound adjustment. The suspension was easy to dial in with SRAM’s handy online manual. We set out on the trails aboard the slackest hardtail we’ve ridden yet.

The Growler 50’s enduro-style geometry really gave us the stability to bomb into rock gardens as if we were riding a full-suspension bike.

DOWN AND DIRTY

The Growler 50 is for a rider looking for an affordable bike that can push….

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