Rockrider Feel 900 S Review

Decathlon has long been trying to shed its discount store image, and the Rockrider Feel 900 S is a bold statement aimed at the high-end competition with its carbon wheels, top-tier suspension, and a completely unique frame – all for 4000 €. The question remains, does it merely talk the talk, or can it walk the walk on the trails?

Rockrider is the house brand of sporting goods discounter Decathlon. And the fact that they want to lift the brand out of the budget image is further evidenced by their recent engagement with a large factory team in the Mountain Bike World Cup. Despite significant success on the race circuit, Rockrider’s high-end mission is not a runaway victory.

The proof: Each time we head out with several testers for major test rides, the Rockrider Feel 900s remains in the garage for the first tests. So, the “must-have” effect has not yet taken hold.

While top models from Santa Cruz, Specialized, or Trek get a lot of media attention, most riders don’t spend more than €5000 on a non-motorized mountain bike. Those scouting the trails will notice a prevalence of bikes from Cube, Canyon, or Radon – brands typically known for their solid value for money.

A glance at the specs of the Feel 900 S reveals that Rockrider is looking to snatch market shares from these established brands in the price range. At €4000, the bike sports an Ultimate suspension from Rock Shox, which is the best suspension Rock Shox offers in this travel category. Crossmax Carbon wheels from Mavic round out the high-end profile. The mechanical Sram GX Eagle drivetrain requires a bit more precision in tuning compared to the latest transmission versions, but it performs flawlessly.

And yet, the Rockrider has left us somewhat disappointed in one aspect. With such an impressive spec list, we expected a significantly lighter overall weight. We weighed the bike at 14 kilograms without pedals in size L.

For comparison, the Cube Stereo One44 Race also retails for €4000. With the same 140 millimeters of travel, it tips the scales at 1.3 kilograms less. Similarly, Canyon’s Neuron CF 9 is significantly lighter at 13.25 kilograms for the same price. And the biggest issue is that the weight is also distributed in all the wrong places.

We didn’t just weigh the complete bike, but also the wheels individually. This gives us a factual value for the rotating mass in addition to the subjective ride feel. At nearly 5 kilograms, the wheelset is too heavy for a trail bike with 140mm of travel.

The beefy tires and heavy tubes negate the weight advantage of the Mavic carbon wheels. For reference: Good figures for bikes with 140mm of travel are around 4.5 kilograms. Therefore, it can be inferred that a significant amount of the extra weight compared to models from Canyon or Cube is in the wheelset.

Due to the heavy tires, the acceleration is more sluggish than the competition. The handling on tight singletracks also requires a bit more rider input than a bike with lighter wheels would.

The rear suspension of the Rockrider Feel 900 S performs very well. The harsh bottoming out that we criticized in the budget Rockrider AM 100 s during our test is not an issue with the new Feel 900 S.

When the trail gets rough, the rear suspension with its 130mm of travel tends to pack up more than the Rock Shox Pike Ultimate fork which offers 10mm more travel. The fact that the shock has no reservoir is not a concern in this travel category.

SRAM’s G2 brakes might not be synonymous with raw power, but thanks to the large 200mm brake rotors at both the front and rear, they perform very well.

Internally routed cables often lead to rattling noises in many bikes, including those from the Rockrider portfolio, as noted in our tests. Rockrider has taken this lesson to heart and now preemptively addresses noise by incorporating foam sleeves at the factory.

The no-brand dropper post also works well. The branded handlebar offers good ergonomics, seamlessly blending into an overall comfortable and not overly aggressive riding position.

While the Rockrider Feel 900 S might not have been the top pick during our lunchride test sessions, it did not disappoint on the trails. The suspension mops up obstacles without throwing the rider off course. Both brakes and drivetrain perform their duties inconspicuously.

The 475 mm reach in size L and the large 29er wheels lend the Rockrider confident handling at high speeds. Combined with the slightly heavy wheels, it can be said that the Feel 900 S favors fast trails over twisty singletracks through dense underbrush.

The rear suspension works without pedal-induced bobbing and the seated position is not too sporty but instead comfortably suitable for touring riders. In short: Decathlon doesn’t show any weakness on the trail.

The Rockrider Feel 900 S is better than many bikes in this price range, but lacks a unique selling point. While Canyon scores with a well-engineered rear suspension on its Neuron, Cube leverages weight advantages. Radon provides a cost-aggressive option with the Slide Trail AL under €3000. Crossworx plays the “Made in Germany” card. And Santa Cruz infuses more fun into its 5010 than any other brand.

This list clearly shows how fiercely competitive the MTB market is right now. To keep you from losing track of all these options, we’ve compiled a comprehensive market overview with all available models in the All Mountain sector for you.