Velopedia Bicycle Archive

Compare Bicycles

Compare published geometry, gearing and specifications for up to three bicycles.

1 of 2 bicycles

At a glance

Key differences

Supported differences are shown below. Data limitations are labeled separately.

  1. Handling

    2000 Rocky Mountain Thin Air has a 0.5° slacker head-tube angle than 1998 Rocky Mountain Thin Air in the archived geometry. Frame size is not identified for 1998 Rocky Mountain Thin Air and 2000 Rocky Mountain Thin Air.

    Fork offset, tire size and wheelbase also affect steering; head angle alone is not a handling verdict.

  2. Gearing

    2000 Rocky Mountain Thin Air has a 12% lower climbing ratio than 1998 Rocky Mountain Thin Air.

    A lower ratio gives more mechanical advantage; rear-wheel rollout determines distance per crank turn.

  3. Identity & price

    2000 Rocky Mountain Thin Air had an original MSRP $362 lower than 1998 Rocky Mountain Thin Air.

    Original MSRP is the published list price when new, not today’s used-bike value.

Gearing comparison

Lower gears help on climbs. Higher gears suit higher speeds.

RPM

RPM = pedal turns per minute.

1998 Rocky Mountain Thin AirSize Legacy reference · 44/32/22T · 11–30T · 8-speed
Lowest0.73:1Highest4.00:1Total range545%
Estimated speed at 90 RPMLowest gear5.1 mphHighest gear27.8 mph

Uses front tire 26×1.95; rear size isn’t listed.

2000 Rocky Mountain Thin AirSize Legacy reference · 42/32/22T · 11–34T · 9-speed
Lowest0.65:1Highest3.82:1Total range590%
Estimated speed at 90 RPMLowest gear4.5 mphHighest gear26.4 mph

Uses front tire 26×1.9; rear size isn’t listed.

How it works

Ratio = front teeth ÷ rear teeth. Hub gears also include the hub’s internal ratio. A 400% range means the highest ratio is four times the lowest.

Speeds are estimates from tire size and pedal cadence. Actual speeds vary.

Try other gearing

Complete specification tableShows different published values and gaps where a bicycle lacks data. Different wording reflects source language, not necessarily different components. Swipe for more columns.
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Specification
1998 Rocky Mountain Thin Air
2000 Rocky Mountain Thin Air
Overview
Model Year
1998
2000
Brand
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Model
Thin Air
Thin Air
Bicycle Type
Mountain bike, front suspension
Mountain bike, front suspension
Original MSRP
$1,939.00
$1,577.00
Colors
Red
Lava Red
Sizes
16", 17.5", 18.5", 19.5", 21"
14.5", 16", 17.5", 18.5", 19.5", 21"
Weight
24.4 lb
—
Frameset
Frame Construction
Welded
TIG-welded
Frame Material
Easton Custom HBO aluminum
Easton Elite
Fork
Marzocchi Bomber Z-2
Marzocchi Bomber Z-2 Atom Bomb, 3.15" travel
Fork Material
Aluminum, triple-clamp crown
Aluminum, triple-clamp crown
Drivetrain
Component Group
Grip Shift ESP 9.0SL/Shimano Deore XT
Mountain Mix
Shifters
Grip Shift ESP 9.0SL
Shimano Deore XT RapidFire SL
Front Derailleur
Shimano Deore XT top-swing, top-pull/clamp-on 31.8mm
Shimano Deore LX, top-pull/clamp-on 31.8mm
Rear Derailleur
Grip Shift ESP 9.0SL
Shimano Deore XT SGS
Crankset
Race Face Turbine LP, 22/32/44 teeth
Race Face Prodigy, 22/32/42 teeth
Bottom Bracket
Shimano BB-UN72
Shimano BB-UN52, 113mm spindle
BB Shell Width
—
73mm English
Rear Cogs
8-speed, 11 - 30 teeth
9-speed, 11 - 34 teeth
Chain
Taya TB-700, 1/2 x 3/32"
SRAM, 1/2 x 3/32"
Pedals
Ritchey Expert
Shimano PD-M545 SPD
Brakes
Brakes
Shimano Deore XT V-Brake brakes, Grip Shift ESP 9.0 levers
Shimano Deore XT V-Brake brakes, SRAM 9.0 levers
Cockpit & Contact Points
Headset
1 1/8" threadless Ritchey Fuzzy Logic
1 1/8" threadless Ritchey Logic
Handlebar
Syncros
Race Face Prodigy Riser
Handlebar Extensions
Not included
Not included
Stem
Syncros
Race Face Prodigy
Saddle
Selle Italia Future Race
Selle Italia XO
Seatpost
Syncros
Rocky Mountain #1 cold forged, 26.8mm diameter
Wheels & Tires
Hubs
Shimano Deore XT
Rocky Mountain o/s sealed
Rims
Sun Rims CR17A
Mavic X221, 32-hole
Spokes
DT stainless steel, 2.0mm double-butted
DT stainless steel, 1.8mm straight gauge
Spoke Nipples
—
Brass nipples
Front Tire
26 x 1.95" WTB VelociRaptor 44/50 kevlar
26 x 1.90" Geax Beaumont
Wheel Size
26" wheels
26" wheels
Geometry · choose a size for each bicycle
Geometry size
Head-tube angle
71°
70.5°
Seat-tube angle
73.5°
73°
Chainstay / rear center
—
430 mm
Wheelbase
—
1056 mm
Fork offset / rake
40.6 mm
—

Historical specifications are presented as an archival reference. Components may have varied by market, size, or production run. Legacy reference geometry is model-level historical data whose corresponding frame size is not identified; compare those dimensions as reference values rather than size-normalized fit data.

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