Rocky Mountain Growler 50 Review
- Price: $2,299
- Frame: Aluminum
- Tires: 29″Aluminum
- Gear: 1×12
What we like about it: With a powerful ride and a sturdy frame, the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 is a great hardtail bike that can’t be beat.
What we don’t like about it: There’s only one water bottle hole position, making it impossible to carry more riding gear with the bike.
Rating: (4.8/5)
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50 has classic hardtail bike geometry, nimble enough on the trails with 29×2.6 tires for excellent grip.
It also has aggressive riding characteristics with surprisingly confident ability on descents or tough trails.
Below, we analyze the riding experience, key features, components and specifications of the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 as well as other versions.
At the end of the REVIEW, we also compare several best bike models. If you want to know more about bike reviews, you can follow us.
Cycling Experience
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50 is a well balanced bike in all aspects of riding ability. For me, it’s a bike that I can’t go wrong with and allows me to have all my needs somewhat met.
To that end I planned to ride through Wayne National Forest (Ohio) using the Rocky Mountain Growler 50. I booked a neighboring hotels on IHG, packed my bike and headed out.
The route is a mix of steep climbs and loose dirt forest trails and intense, bumpy, fast descents.
Climb Uphill
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50’s climbing ability was very strong, and the excellent state of the geometry and the hardtail frame construction made my climbs more efficient.
The power transfer of pedaling was dry and crisp, without the feeling of letdown and heaviness in pedaling that is associated with the full-suspension type of mountain bikes.
Then when the gradient got steep, the richness of the 1×12 speeds and the 30T discs gave me endless confidence to climb over any angle of incline. It brought me endless confidence to climb over any angle of uphill.
Finally, the excellent geometry kept my center of gravity stable.
My weight could be distributed on both ends of the bike, and the Maxxis Minion DHF’s 2.6-inch, large-grain outer tires kept the bike dead center on the ground, ensuring that I didn’t experience any slippage in my pedaling.
Riding upwards was also much more efficient, allowing me to maintain a good climbing riding rhythm and keep riding faster.
Go Down
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50’s performance on the descents is what I like best about it.
The slack geometry and longer bodywork made for a smoother, faster ride on these rough and intense high-speed descents.
Besides, the RockShox 35 Gold RL shock fork with 150mm of damping travel absorbed all the jittery road shocks, keeping the bike’s body stable and not overly bumpy.
However, with the hardtail construction, the bike’s rear wheel could still be too jumpy during intense riding, which requires a certain amount of bike control skills.
Then once on the trails, the Maxxis Minion DHF’s 2.6-inch large-grain outer tires gripped well enough to keep from slipping even on loose dirt surfaces.
The shorter fork reach has a nimble handling that ensured a quick enough descent on the trails.
Finally, the hydraulic brakes of the Shimano MT4120 were coupled with the front and rear 180mm discs, and the braking ability was also strong and reliable enough to reduce the speed of the bike in a very short period of time, ensuring the safety of the ride.
All in all, the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 is a hardtail enduro bike that brought a lot of fun to ride and kept me entertained.
Specification
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50 is available in a total of (S-XL) 4 sizes of internally cabling lightweight aluminum frames for a cleaner, neater look and easier daily cleaning.
The 4 sizes of frames are suitable for riders from 5’2″-6’6″ in height to meet almost any rider’s choice.
Great geometry, coupled with a 29×2.6-inch wheelset, gives the bike great drop balance and passing power, while a shorter rear dropout ensures handling agility for trail riding.
The design of the dropper allows the rider to adjust their center of gravity at any time between climbs and descents for more stability, keeping the ride continuous.
Video
Other Version
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50 is an excellent hardtail enduro bike with a strong and durable frame section and excellent geometry that ensures a strong performance.
For this reason we offer a hardtail enduro bike with the exact same lightweight aluminum frame, but using base components to make it a more affordable option for everyone.
Rocky Mountain Growler 20
The Rocky Mountain Growler 20 features the exact same internally cabling lightweight aluminum frame, a strong, geometrically excellent frame that gives this bike a trustworthy, reliable performance.
First of all, the Suntour XCM34 damping fork used has 130mm of damping travel. It can be adapted to riding on almost all complex surfaces.
In terms of drivetrain components, it uses MicroShift Advent X 10spd drivetrain, which is a reliable drivetrain, and with 1×10 speeds, it’s good enough for daily riding.
Finally, on the braking components, the Shimano MT4100’s hydraulic disc brakes, coupled with 180mm discs front and rear, are powerful enough to be trusted.
So if you’re on a limited budget, then the Rocky Mountain Growler 20 would be a much better fit with excellent frame carrying some potential for later modification and upgrades.
What we like about it
- Excellent geometry greatly improves the bike’s ride.
- Designed with internal cable routing for a cleaner look, easier to clean on a daily basis.
- 29-inch wheelset coupled with a 2.6-inch outer tire has great downhill ride stability and passing power.
- Reliable Shimano hydraulic disc brakes provide smooth, consistent braking and remain reliable no matter how harsh the environment.
- The dropper is designed to stabilize the center of gravity between climbs and descents, ensuring ride continuity.
- Shimano’s 1×12-speed components enjoy excellent transmission efficiency to bring you smooth shifting experience.
What we don’t like about it
- Only one water bottle hole space to carry more riding gear with the bike.
FAQs
- Where is this bike made?
From powder coating and wheel building to graphics customization and assembly, Rocky Mountain’s bikes are locally brewed and handcrafted in Rochester, NY by industry professionals.
- Is this bike good quality?
It manufactures high quality mountain bikes that tackle the roughest trails! That’s why the quality is reliable and trustworthy.
- How do I choose the right size?
Here we have provided you with a sizing chart, but of course you don’t necessarily have to follow this standard. The best way to find the best fit is to test ride.
| Rider height | SIZE |
| 5’2″ – 5’7″ | S |
| 5’5″ – 5’10” | M |
| 5’8″ – 6’3″ | L |
| 6’1″ – 6’6″ | XL |
Rocky Mountain Growler 50 Specs
Build
| Frame | Rocky Mountain 6061 Alloy | Threaded BB | Boost 148mm | Tapered Zerostack Headtube | Dropper Post Compatible. Rear TriangleBB Standard: BSA, 73mm, ThreadedColor: Brown / Grey |
| Fork | RockShox 35 Gold RL 150mm 44mm Offset |
| Bottom Bracket | Rocky Mountain Sealed – Shimano Compatible |
| Headset | Rocky Mountain | Sealed 36°x45° Bearings | 30.2mm x 41mm x 7.1mm Upper | 40mm x 51.8mm x 7.5mm Lower | 1.5″ Crown Race |
| Stem | Rocky Mountain 35 AM | 5° Rise | All Sizes = 40m |
| Handlebar | Rocky Mountain AM | 800mm Width | 25mm Rise | 9° Backsweep | 5° Upsweep | 35 Clamp |
| Saddle | Rocky Mountain 148 Cromo |
| Seatpost | Rocky Mountain Toonie Drop Alloy 30.9mm | XS – SM = 125mm | MD = 150mm | LG – XL = 170mm |
| Grips | Ergon GE10 EVO Lock On |
Groupset
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano XT |
| Crank | Rocky Mountain Microdrive 2PC | 30T |Direct Mount| 24mm Spindle | Crank Length: XS-SM-MD = 170-mm | LG – XL = 175mm |
| Shifters | Shimano SLX |
| Cassette | SunRace CSMZ800 WA10 11-51T |
| Chain | Shimano M6100 |
| Brakes | Shimano MT4120 4 Piston | Resin Pads | F:Shimano RT30 180mm | R:Shimano RT30 180mm |
Wheels
| Rims | WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 Tubeless | 32H | Tubeless Ready – Tape / Valves Incl |
| Spokes | 2.0 Stainless |
| Front Hub | Rocky Mountain Sealed Boost 15mm |
| Rear Hub | Rocky Mountain Sealed Boost 148mm |
| Tires | F: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.6 EXO Tubeless Ready // R: Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.6 EXO Tubeless Ready |
Comparison Table
| Bike | Price | Travel | Frame | Brake | Drivetrain |
| Canyon Stoic 4 | Click View | 140mm front | Aluminum | SRAM Guide T | 1 × 12 |
| Trek Roscoe 7 | Click View | 140mm front | Aluminum | Shimano MT200 | 1 × 12 |
| Marin El Roy | Click View | 140mm front | Steel | Shimano BL-M4100 | 1 × 12 |
| Merida BIG TRAIL 600 | Click View | 140mm front | Aluminum | Shimano M4100 | 1 × 12 |
Rocky Mountain Growler 50 vs Canyon Stoic 4
Both the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 and the Canyon Stoic 4 use the RockShox line of damped forks and both have excellent initial sensitivity for rough and bumpy trails, but the former has longer damping travel.
In terms of drivetrain components, the former’s Shimano components are smoother to the touch, and the shifting is more dense.
The latter’s SRAM components are drier and crisper. However, the former’s counterpart is of a higher level and has a better drivetrain efficiency.
When it comes to the braking components, the Shimano MT4120 brakes on the former and SRAM Guide T brakes on the latter have strong and reliable braking performance and are trustworthy braking components.
At the end of the day, when comparing these two bikes, the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 would be slightly more trustworthy and a better choice.
Learn More: Is Canyon Stoic 4 Worth Buying? [Canyon Stoic 4 Review 2023]
Rocky Mountain Growler 50 vs Trek Roscoe 7
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50 and Trek Roscoe 7 both share the same excellent frame geometry and carefully selected components.
For starters, they both feature RockShox damped forks, but the former has longer damping travel and better support on the ground for more aggressive descents.
In terms of drivetrain components, the former uses a mix of Shimano SLX and Shimano XT components at a higher level than the latter’s Shimano Deore M6100, for better shifting feel and higher efficiency.
As for the braking components, the former’s Shimano MT4120 brakes have a higher level of braking than the latter’s Shimano MT200 and have two more pistons on the clamps, so they are more capable of braking.
In the end, between these two bikes, the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 has more advanced components, making it the better choice.
Learn More: Is Trek Roscoe 7 Worth Buying? [Trek Roscoe 7 Review]
Rocky Mountain Growler 50 vs. Marin El Roy
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50 and the Marin El Roy are two hardtail mountain bikes with their own areas of expertise.
As you can see in the geometry, the former has a better all-round ride and more agile handling, while the latter’s exaggerated headtube angle gives it a more stable and smooth descending ride.
On the forks, the former’s RockShox, more suited to continuous bumpy sections, is more responsive to filtering out small vibrations, while the latter’s Marzocchi Z1 has more support and adapts to more intense descending rides.
As for the choice of drive components and brakes, although both bikes have Shimano components, the former has a higher level of components and has better performance.
In the end, between these two mountain bikes, the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 is a better fit if better all-round performance is needed, and conversely the Marin El Roy is for riders looking for extreme downhill riding.
Rocky Mountain Growler 50 vs Merida BIG TRAIL 600
The Rocky Mountain Growler 50 is an excellent hardtail mountain bike compared to the Merida BIG TRAIL 600.
With similar damping travel, the former’s RockShox fork has better initial sensitivity and handles continuous bumps more comfortably. The latter’s Marzocchi fork is more supportive for big drops.
On the drivetrain components, both bikes use Shimano drivetrain components, but the former will have a higher level of components. The shifting feel is better and the drivetrain efficiency will be more excellent.
As for the braking components, they both use Shimano brakes of the same level, but the former’s clamp is 4-piston than the latter’s 2-piston, which has a stronger braking capacity.
Overall, the Rocky Mountain Growler 50 would have a slight edge in overall performance and I would like it more.
Learn More: Is Merida BIG.TRAIL 500 a good Choice? – [Merida BIG.TRAIL 500 Review]
Summary
Above is my ride review of the Rocky Mountain Growler 50. In our opinion, it’s a great all-round performance hardtail enduro bike that performs well on both climbs and descents. That’s why we gave it a 4.8 rating.
Of course, if you’re looking for other hardtail enduro bikes, we also review a lot of interesting bikes at all price points, so feel free to take a look at our tests on that as well.
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