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Fuji Outland RC 29'er
June 9, 2009
Let's get to it, because this bike means business. I have been a big 29'er fan for the last few years, but I was not sure if the aspects I liked about them would translate well into a full suspension bike. Heck I had been riding a 29'er with no front suspension up until this Spring. The Fuji OUtland RC 29'er is one big bike. At 6'1 I fit the medium frame just perfect and looking at it from a far I feel like it is a monster truck, this thing is set to roll over some big terrain.
The folks at Fuji have specked this bike out to the nines. A full SRAM XO drivetrain, Avid Elixir Brakes, Mavic Cross Max wheels.... yeah you get the idea. As a person who is not used to the whole full squish scene I went about setting up the sag for myself and opted to set it a bit on the stiff side. My first day riding it I took it out to some pretty good descents and had a blast but nearly got bucked off a few times, I had the rear shock set up too stiff for the terrain and lets face it this bike is in it's element in straight up cross country riding.
After a whole multitude of rides on this thing I can say I honestly love it for cross country riding and it would make a great bike for adventure racing. The SRAM XO shifts like a dream and I cannot imagine a better set of brakes than the Elixir's. The large wheels just roll over bumps and this bike obviously accelerates in the flats and on climbs. When the lock out is working (see below) it is an easy switch to use and makes climbing a breeze.
People seem to love or hate 29'ers in general but they have some great advantages, that at the very least balance out what can be seen as disadvantages. I may fall behind the pack in technical riding, but on the straights and climbs I am looking to pass people. I found out that with the sag, on the Rock Shox Monarch 3.3, set up where I like it, I was able to recover from mistakes a little easier. It gave a much more forgiving ride. But with the firmness that I like it at, which provides a good pedalling platform, it cannot handle too rough of terrain.
Sizes S, M, L
Color(s) Charcoal Gray/Black
Main frame A-6 Quaternary phase alloy, custom butted, integrated head tube, curved top and down tube, CNC'D hollow box section BB, water bottle mount
Rear triangle A-6 Quaternary phase alloy, custom butted w/ Four Bar linkage system 90mm travel, Cold forged dropout with CNC'D disc mount and replaceable hanger, Sealed bearing pivots
Fork Rock Shox Reba Team 29GR, Alloy steerer 100mm travel w/ Motion Control and PopLoc remote
Rear Shock Rock Shox Monarch 3.3 w/Motion Control and 3 position Switch Floodgate
Crankset TruVativ Stylo 3.3 w/Integrated spindle, 22/32/44T
Bottom bracket TruVativ GXP Exterior Bearing System
Pedals Nil
Front derailleur SRAM X.9, 34.9mm
Rear derailleur Shimano XT Shadow Top normal
Shifters SRAM X.O Carbon trigger, 27-speed
Cassette SRAM PG-990, 11-34T 9-speed
Chain SRAM PC-971
Wheelset Mavic Crossmax Disc 29'r Tubeless
Tires Schwalbe Racing Ralph, 29 x 2.25"
Tube Nil
Brake set NEW Avid Elixir CR, 185 F/160mm R Rotor
Brake levers NEW Avid Elixir CR w/Carbon lever
Headset Ritchey Logic Zero Pro 1 1/8" Press Fit Integrated, 30mm spacers
Handlebar Ritchey WCS Alloy Low Riser
Stem Ritchey WCS 4Axis, 1 1/8"X 31.8mm
Tape/grip Fuji Lock-On Kraton rubber
Saddle Ritchey WCS Stream w/ Ca-NiTi rails
Seat post Ritchey WCS Alloy, 350mm
Seat clamp Fuji Superlite Alloy, 34.9mm Laser Etched
Weight, lb./kg. 27.11/12.30
This bike does have it's downsides though. The lockout on the Rock Shox Reba Team 29GR was easy to switch on, but the housing would often pop out of place and prevent it from being accuated. I even went and tried out another bike with the 26" version of this fork and same thing. This can be solved with some glue, but really this is a design flaw, and a major downer when riding. Like most 29'ers this bike also corners very slowly, and it is especially noticable while cornering on downhill sections. Although this is over come with practice and by the end it was not that noticable. The big wheels also have a lot of rotational force, and trying to slow a big wheel down is a chore, and I locked the brakes up a few time, even went over the bars.
Overall this bike is great, but very specific in function. It is not a great general purpose bike but for those wanting to endurace race or those who love cross country racing on terrain that does not have huge decents then this bike is amazing. I really grew to love it. A bike that more than makes up for it's flaws with it's attributes.
Price: $4750 USD
Details: A full suspension monster of a cross country bike
Pros: light weight, fast rolling, smooth shifting
Cons: slow steering, poor lockout on fork
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Fuji Bikes
Reviewed by: Ryan