Price: £2495 complete, £1295 frame and shock kit.
Frame: 7020 T6 Aluminium
Fork: Rock Shox SID 100
Shock: Rock Shox SID XC
Stop: Hope Enduro 4
Go: Middleburn, SRAM ESP9.0, XT
Wheels: DT Onyx hubs, DT spokes, X517 rims, IRC BackCountry tyres
Trim: Pace stem, Easton Monkey bars, Roox seatpost, Giro Nisene saddle
Total weight: 28.3lb complete
From: Iddon Racing 01663 742844, [email protected]

Thrash round the local test trails. Hard and dry so lots of high speed root and rut action, plus plenty of steps, dives and technical verts both up and down. We’ve also swapped around on the same bike buit in different spec on long days out in the Peak District.

The Rotwild uses the same well established Rotwild interrupted seat tube design as the RCC and previous RFR’s. It’s immeadiately obvious this is a heavier dutier offering though, from the big downtube that extends beyond the top tube junction to wrap round the entire head tube. As well as handmade construction and custom butting which you can’t see, there’s a neat horizontal pipe insert through the head of the down tube to protect against triple clamp crush should you land at full lock. Inset headset cups and internal cable routing make for smooth purposeful lines and potection of delicate wires and bearings.
The rear shock (ours was running a SID) sits in a cradle that bolts into a multi position slide shoe halfway up the downtube. This allows anything between 5 and a 140mm inches of travel (more with a long stroke coil shock fitted). The mainpivot sits in a neat CNC section just above the bottom bracket, while the rear subframe also uses a big rounded CNC piece to connect the tubular chainstays and stub ‘seat tube’ that carries the front mech. This whole assembly gets straddled by the two legs which run from the shortened ‘real’ seat tube to the down tube. The rear swingarm uses slightly assymetric kinked chainstays to reduce chain suck, as well as crsiply finished loop dropouts with disc brake mount, hose guides and replaceable gear hanger all present and correct.
Like we said it’s a layout that Rotwild (and others like Cannondale) have been using for a while but this years model gets revised geometry to cope with a 125mm fork. Careful tweaking of the 7020 T6 aluminium has also shaved 300g from the frameset since it’s last incarnation.

With a big single pivot cartridge bearing set-up sat low above the bottom bracket suspension action is smooth and constant, hurrying into undulations or up and over lumps to keep the rear wheel unnerringly in contact once we’d dialled in the right rebound and pressure in the SID shock. Stamp up and down out of the saddle and it’ll bob and wallow but keep sat and smooth and it’ll wind itself upwards at a suprising rate of knots thanks to the traction and it’s impressively low 28lb mass.
Once you’re up, the real fun starts on the down where the fully active travel reveals an insatiable appetite for big cobble sections or washboard ruts, even when you’re cranking hard. Even the SID shock felt remarkably coil like thanks to the flattering suspension action (though a Rock Shox Pro Deluxe coil over shock can be fitted if you want as part of the custom tune up offered to buyers). The back end tracking is equally impressive and combines with the constant tyre contact to keep the bike in line as far as the IRC treads would allow.
Unlike many very stunted bikes, the RFR is long enough to sit on all day without feeling cramped. It’s certainly not stetched but it’s ok even with a short stem. Our test bike was fitted with a long travel SID fork which keeps the front end light and supple but doesn’t let the front end show as much accuracy as RFR’s we’ve ridden with beefier forks, but then you can choose your weapon when you buy. May we recommend something like a Psylo, Black or one of the new Fox’s?

Our Rotwild was built up with an assortment of kit – Sid’s, Hope discs, IRC Back Country’s, but it comes from Rotwild either as frame and shock or as a complete bike with XT groupset, Magura Louise discs and assorted Roox finishing kit. The choice is yours.

Verdict:
Considering it’s strength and stiffness this is a very light frameset with big day ride capabilities. The low pivot action makes it more suited to spinners rather than stand and stomp riders, but it’ll handle days out in the peaks or tight technical sections in the woods with equal aplomb.
Altogether an excellent frame match for the new range of adjustable forks that are appearing.

Performance: 4.5/5
Value: 3.5/5

For more details on this and the rest of the range head for the Rotwild Website or read the review of the lightweight RCC07 in our review archive