Worth buying?
Rockrider AM 100 S: Worth buying?

Rockrider AM 100 S – Can Decathlon pull this off?

Many bikers are looking for a good fully for less than €2000. But are inexpensive fullys fun at all, or do they only bring trouble? We subjected the Rockrider AM 100 S, the king of this price range, to an extensive practical test.
Rockrider AM 100 s - a cheap fully MTB under €2000
The lavish selection of bikes extends into the smallest niches. The best example: If you want to spend more than €10,000 on a mountain bike, you can choose your desired object from over 150 models. The situation at the other end of the price range is very different. If you are looking for a full-suspension mountain bike for less than €2000, you will have a much smaller selection. The market has just 32 fullys in this price range. In this article we explain the reasons why there are so few cheap fullys. So much in advance: For many manufacturers it is simply impossible, to put good fullys on the wheels at a competitive price under 2000 €. The French sports goods discounter Decathlon is known for its competitive prices. So it’s no surprise that the Rockrider Fullys under €2000 caught our eye in our market analysis. It’s reason enough to take a closer look at the Rockrider AM 100 s.

What was the Rockrider AM 100 s designed for

With its 150 millimeters of travel on the fork, the well-profiled tires and the telescopic support, the Rockrider AM 100 is a classic all mountain bike. (In this article we will tell you what an All Mountain is and what other types of mountain bikes there are.) So the bike was developed to convey riding fun even on rough trails. Alpine terrain or the occasional trip to the bike park are definitely in the specifications of the French bike. The Rockrider fully also claims to be able to conquer high mountains with pure human muscle power. The suitability for touring is the strong suit of the All Mountain category, compared to the downhill-oriented enduro bikes. By the way, we also have an article that only deals with the All Mountain category. The question that naturally arises now, is: Does the Rockrider AM 100 s meet these requirements?

You have to accept compromises

We can already reveal that much at the beginning of this section. You have to accept certain compromises in this price range. But first things first. We have been on the bike for several days on a wide variety of trails and long tours. And we always had a good time with it. But with a complete weight of 15.8 kilos, the bike simply demands strong calves on the climb. Even if the damper in the rear can be immobilised using the lockout lever, the rider is challenged more when climbing. More expensive bikes score with a lower overall weight. The seating position is pleasantly upright and the gears also have a small climbing gear. The bike tackles every climb if you’re willing to put up with a few beads of sweat. There is no other way in this price range.
Rockrider AM 100 s review
Dectahlon does exactly what many manufacturers don’t even try with the Rockrider AM 100 s. The French put a cheap fully on wheels for some proper trail enjoyment.
All Mountain MTB in Action
And the test clearly shows that this concept works. Even if you have to live with certain price-related compromises, the bike leaves a good impression.

This is how the Rockrider AM 100 s drives on the single trail

But the crucial question for an All Mountain is of course: how does the bike fare on the technical single trail going downhill? Anyone who buys a bike with 150 millimeters of travel primarily wants tohave fun going downhill. Already on the first few meters it becomes unmistakably clear that the Rockrider doesn’t want to hide its character. Because unlike most current bikes, the handling is not absolutely smooth. Less experienced riders in particular can intuitively change direction on the trails with the balanced handling. The chunky tires do their job and provide enough grip even on loose surfaces. The fork works sensitively. However, the bike does not come without criticism on the descent either. The brakes could decelerate significantly better. Larger brake discs or a caliper with 4 pistons in the rear could provide a cheap remedy here. In addition, the rear end (damper) releases the suspension travel a little quickly. Sporty drivers in particular would like a little more counter pressure here. But we also have to be honest here. This still ain’t no dealbreaker.

Details & Rockrider AM 100 s

standards Worthy of praise: Despite the competitive price, the Rockrider designers have succeeded in giving the AM 100 s an individual look. You can clearly see this on the damper mount in particular, but also on the front end. The cables are laid continuously on the outside of the down tube. Visually, this is not next level, but it is quite practical in the case of a check-up trip to the shop. Details such as the tension clamps or the bearing screws leave a valuable impression. The frame also has a press-fit bottom bracket and offers mounting options for a bottle cage. The manufacturer specifies the frame weight as 2.7 kilos, which is acceptable, given the price.
  • Bottom bracket: Pressfit (screwed)
  • Line routing: continuous outside
  • Seatpost: 31.6mm
  • Headset: integrated, tapered 1.125 to 1.5 inches
  • Wheel size: 29 inches
  • Wheel Axles: Boost; 110x15mm (front); 148×12 mm (rear)
  • Bottle cage positions: 1
  • Rear triangle: supported single pivot
  • Spring travel: 140 millimeters
The independent design features are particularly evident in the shock mount and the front part of the bike.
Cable routing on the Rockrider bike
The cables for the gears, seat post and brakes are all routed to the outside. This makes the service easier.

The fiercest competitors among fullys under €2000

One of the toughest competitors is definitely the Radon Skeen AL 8.0. In addition, you should always take a look at trail hardtails in this price range. Because our extensive test of the Rose Bonero showed that if you don’t have a shock absorber in the rear, you make fewer compromises in terms of parts. Here you can compare the three bikes directly with each other. The direct comparison: Radon Radon Skeen AL 8.0 VS Rockrioder AM 100 s VS Rose Bonero

The Rockrider AM 50 s – the little brother of the AM 100 s

In addition to the AM 100 s, there is also the AM 50 s, which is slightly cheaper. The bike is not only cheaper, but also “slim”. The tires are narrower and the fork has 10 millimeters less travel. On the descents, it exudes significantly less self-confidence than the AM 100 s. You can see both bikes here. An overview of the Rockrider AM Fullys
Bold Unplugged All Mountain
What happens when you spend more than twice as much money on a mountain bike? With the Bold Unplugged Volume 2, just the carbon frame by itself already costs more than the whole Decathlon or Rockrider bike. But for that, you get a few nice gadgets. The shock of the fully is hidden inside the frame, as are the cables. Handlebars, rims, brake levers and cranks are made of carbon. The 1×12 circuit has a higher bandwidth. It all drives the weight down and raises the price to well above 4000€.
Rose Bonero 3 - RIDE BETTER BIKES Editors Choice
Another exciting alternative: The Rose Bonero 3 trail hardtail has even earned our “Editors Choice” award with first-class value for money, a successful geometry and clever details. Click here for the full article on the bike.

Conclusion on the Rockrider AM 100 s

With a fully for less than €2000, Rockrider wants to do what most manufacturers don’t even attempt. Riding fun on tough trails is usually only possible when you are ready to dig a little deeper into your pocket. If you look at the price tag of the bike, you can certainly speak of a successful bike by the French. During the test, however, it also became clear: With fullys in this price range, you cannot do without compromises. The high weight and the somewhat hesitant brakes are points of criticism that can be corrected with a little love and some tuning. Less experienced riders in particular will probably judge our slight criticism of the rear end differently. If the descent is of great importance to your MTB tours, and you don’t want to spend more than €2000, you will make a very good purchase with the Rockrider.
In this article, the author Ludwig Döhl has incorporated his experience from more than 100,000 kilometers in the mountain bike saddle.

About the author

Ludwig

... has spent more than 100,000 kilometers in the saddle of over 1000 different mountain bikes. The essence of many hours on the trail: Mountain bikes are awesome when they match your personal preferences! With this realization, he founded bike-test.com to assist cyclists in finding their very own dream bike.

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