Boo RS-M Mountain Bike
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Redefining the Hardtail
We all know what they say about hardtails–they’re harsh, unforgiving beasts that are difficult to ride for more than 60 minutes, right? The Boo RS-M will make you think again.
TEST REVIEWS: OUTSIDE MAGAZINE // DRUNK CYCLIST // MOUNTAIN FLYER
That description may be suitable for carbon hardtails on the market today but not the RS-M, a mountain bike that is engineered to be ridden fast and comfortably for many hours at a time.
How is this possible? Two words: dendrocalamus strictus. Our unique species of Iron Bamboo, one of the stiffest on the planet, is unique compared to other frame materials. It’s not carbon, it’s not Ti, it’s not Al, it’s not steel…and while it has certain traits in common with many of those materials, the special combination is our secret sauce.
This secret sauce of the RS-M delivers. Nick Frey, Boo founder and CEO, took 21st overall at the Leadville Trail 100 on his personal RS-M 29er—a stock frame, off the peg from the Boo shop. With a time of 7:19:17, he was one of just a handful of non-professional folks to crack the top 30.
RS-M: Telepathic handling
At the finish, one line said it all: “This bike’s handling is telepathic.” How does the Boo secret sauce feel? The short answer: stiff like carbon, supple like custom Ti, lively like handmade steel.
It’s not an accident that Boo’s bamboo feels like this. A bamboo forest must withstand typhoons and not break–it’s supple yet incredibly stiff. Our post-harvest treatment of the bamboo, often lasting over a year, ensures it will have the perfect balance of stiffness and suppleness.
The RS-M also demonstrates another unique characteristic of bamboo: it has incredible bending stiffness, on par with carbon fiber, and a slight amount of torsional compliance, meaning it can twist a bit.
This means the RS-M is extremely stiff when accelerating, thanks to the lateral bending stiffness of the lower half of the frame. It also means you get a front end that can be whipped quickly side-to-side through rough, rocky terrain, dive-bombing bermed descents, and shredding off-camber switchbacks.
Our only advice: be prepared to wear that smile plastered all over your face, during the ride and long after.
FRAME ONLY: $3895
COMPLETE BUILDS: $5,000-8,000+
James Neu –
I’ve owned by RS-M for nearly 3 years, it is incredible. If I could only own one bike, this would be it. I’ve raced two Leadville 100s on it as well as about 10 other long distance races and thousands of training miles.
I’ve ridden the Boo back-to-back with other bikes and they aren’t even close in handling, comfort, weight, climbing, descending, you name it, the Boo is better.
The bamboo is also way more durable than a full carbon bike, which is nice for a mountain bike and even better if you need to travel/fly with it often, which I do.
The bamboo creates the most amazing ride when compared to any other material. It feels like an extension of you body, truly.
I own a high-end carbon full suspension 29’er and the Boo is easier to ride, lighter, more fun, handles better and is way way less tiring to ride.
Unless you are ride extreme terrain and require 150mm+ of suspension, the RS-M is the bike to buy. It’s perfect for serious racing or just regular trail riding.
Talk to the guys at Boo, ride a demo bike, check it out.
Robert –
I received my Boo 29’er mountain bike about a year ago, and have waited to write this review, so without delay here it is:
First off, Boo was fantastic to work with on all accounts but especially on the initial setup planning and frame geometry. Their insight on where to correct or adjust according to changes I made to an existing frame geometry made all the difference and my Boo is the best fitting bike I have ever owned.
Ride, ah yes, how does one describe it? A buddy of mine said “it’s the most fun I have had on a bike since I can remember, just um WOW.” I tell people it rides kinda like steel, but also like carbon, but different. It’s fast, light but not harsh at all.
It’s a race frame that is comfortable to ride 100 miles on, I know because I have done it several times on this bike. It’s stiff but compliant enough to soften the ride and navigate the technical sections. The bike turns heads too, and initiates conversation and awe. Most people ask “is that a wood bike?” and I tell them no, it’s a grass bike (bamboo is technically a grass). That always gets a laugh or at least a smile.
I can’t say enough about the bike or Boo for that matter. I tend to buy and sell bikes regularly and I have a lot of bikes, but this one I will be keeping through the decades. If you want a fast, light, comfortable riding, nimble, fun bike that is custom-made for YOU and want a beautiful bike with a huge cool factor look at Boo Bicycles. I can’t imagine anyone would be disappointed. It does take a little getting used to riding a Boo for the first time, it’s not like those cookie cutter big brand bikes that ride dead, but once you get comfortable on your Boo you will be ripping all your favorite trails with a huge grin factor.
Talk to some Boo owners–I have not met one that does not rave about the ride quality and function of this bike, much less aesthetics.
Vijay –
There are a lot of features that the Boo has that make it an awesome rigid SS. One of the big things I noticed first about the Boo was how well the bike rode over roots and rocks. The bike felt very connected to the ground and was able to keep my lines through fast technical sections of trail – it almost reminded me of traction control on AWD cars.
With the Boo I didn’t have to worry about losing traction in the rear wheel, especially when climbing out of the saddle (which most of the time SS riders are doing. This was very important to me because I spend a large portion of time out of the saddle when climbing most grades, I needed a bike that would keep the rubber side down. Even when out of the saddle and all my weight forward the rear end kept its place on the ground.
Another huge benefit of riding the Boo rigid is the vibration dampening ability of the bamboo. I have ridden most of the popular frame materials, such as carbon, titanium, steel and aluminum. Bamboo is by far the best material in terms of absorption of small trail and road vibrations. Any vibrations coming from the rear end of the bike seemingly vanish. This is good especially when riding a rigid bike. The less trail vibrations that you feel through your hands and back, the better, longer and faster you will be able to ride.
For the fork of the bike, I suggest a Niner carbon fork. This fork does an awesome job at giving a certain amount of forgiveness, even for a rigid fork. It is also super light!
The Boo is also the lightest weight SS I have ever built up. Currently my setup is at 17.5 lbs with pedals. Even with the bike being lightweight, the frame has gone through some of the rockiest trails the East coast has to offer! If this was a full carbon frame I probably would have been through a couple of them by now.
So to sum of the benefits of the Boo, its a light, durable, super versatile trail-ripping machine. The bamboo helps rigid riders endure more harsh hours of riding compared to other materials such as carbon and steel. The ability for the bike to stay put on the ground during climbs and descents saves a large amount of energy and the rider will feel more confident on technical terrain.
Easily the best mountain bike I’ve ever ridden!