Editor's Note: Mtbr was so impressed with this new bike from Turner that we've published two First Ride Reviews. You can read the initial impression from Saris Mercanti here. We're also excited to welcome longtime forum member Kent Robertson to the front page of the website. Kent (or KRob) has been riding - and evaluating - bikes for almost two decades, and his insightful analysis will be a welcome addition to the Mtbr editorial team. Welcome, Kent!

I've been a fan of Turner bikes for a while and have had the chance to ride several of their bikes in the past including the previous generation RFX some seven years ago. So when the all new carbon RFX was announced I knew I had to ride one.

The all carbon RFX 4.0 is made of high modulus Toray carbon and designed following the successful lines of the carbon Czar, while still staying true to classic Turner design cues like the seat tube/top tube taco "brace." It has 160mm of dw link-controlled rear travel, a 66-degree head angle, 13.4″ bottom bracket height, space for up to 2.4″ tires, and room for an adjustable FSA headset that allows for +/- 1 degree head angle changes.

Turner was able to keep development of the latest RFX under wraps until just recently. Apparently he's been working on it for three years. The time and effort he's put into this frame shows in its clean, well-proportioned lines, dialed geometry, and class leading strength and stiffness.

Turner didn't mess around with a bunch of namby pamby neon enduro tones with the RFX. You can get any color you want, as long as it's black. If you want something else you can add some sparkly bits or get some custom decals.

One-piece welded upper link is beautiful to behold and looks super strong.

One-piece welded upper link is beautiful to behold and looks super strong (click to enlarge).​

We had an appointment with the new RFX at Interbike's Dirt Demo held annually at Boulder City, Nevada's Bootleg Canyon. We arrived at the Turner tent early to find Dave Turner himself setting up the bike. Because of a shipping mix up, the photo bike was in San Francisco and was being driven down that day but wouldn't arrive until later. The bike we rode was one of the two preproduction models that Turner employees/testers had been thrashing for the better part of a year. Despite that, the carbon still appeared unscathed and all the links and pivots were still tight and creak-free.

According to Turner, all measurements and geometry numbers were identical to the production version soon to be released.

Speaking of geometry, some, including this reviewer, were hoping for numbers that fell a little deeper into the new school, long front, short rear, low, slack genre, but after seeing the bike and throwing a leg over it, I'm satisfied with Turner's decision to update in that direction without going extreme. Though the top tube measurement is a fairly generous 24.4″ in the size large we tested, the reach is a middle-of-the-road 17.3″, the chainstays are only moderately short at 17.2″, and the head angle is a momma bear 66 degrees with option to go 67 or 65 degrees with the aforementioned optional adjustable headset.

After riding the bike, I'd say there's nothing really wrong with any of those numbers as it feels very comfortable and balanced both seated and standing in attack position, and it tackles both steep technical climbs and fast, blown out descents without favoring one over the other. It felt nice and low and slack like the enduro ripper it was intended to be without feeling like a one-trick pony.

Looking down the double spar chainstay supports. Plenty of stiffness. Plenty of clearance at least for this worn Michelin Wild Grip R Gum X Adavanced 2.35″ tire.

Looking down the double spar chainstay supports. Plenty of stiffness. Plenty of clearance at least for this worn Michelin Wild Grip R Gum X Adavanced 2.35″ tire (click to enlarge).​

On paper the stack looked a little high but with inset cups on top and bottom of the head tube and only one thin spacer under the bars we were well-positioned for both railing and climbing. So how did it ride?

Climbing

We started climbing right out of the gate, ascending to the top of the shuttle drop off point while following trails that started fairly smooth and not too steep with a few rocky tech sections to keep you honest, and then progressing to some fairly steep, ledgy and loose, switchbacky sections that challenge even better riders. That included a little 200-yard out and back I always try and clean to test a bike's tech climbing chops. The RFX handled both the smoother climbing sections and the truly difficult tech sections as well as any bike I've ridden at Bootleg.

It even cleaned the super tricky 4′ step up move at the entrance to Caldera that is my litmus test for climbing awesomeness. The combination of well-tuned dw-link suspension, light weight, and good moderate geo numbers make the RFX a truly great climber. Notice I didn't say, "for a six inch all-mountain rig." I mean a truly great climbing mountain bike period.

Continue to page 2 to find out how the Turner RFX 4.0 descended and our bottom line analysis »

This Fox 36 was not nearly as plush as the Pike we compared it to on back-to-back test rides. After a bunch of fiddling and getting it professionally set up at the Fox booth it felt decent but still ramped up too abruptly for my liking and was more reluctant to initiate movement on small bumps.

This Fox 36 was not nearly as plush as the Pike we compared it to on back-to-back test rides. After a bunch of fiddling and getting it professionally set up at the Fox booth it felt decent but still ramped up too abruptly for my liking and was more reluctant to initiate movement on small bumps (click to enlarge).​

Descending

The climb up had given me some hints that the suspension, especially the fork, was set up too stiff for my liking. So before taking off from the top I let a quick squirt of pressure out of the fork and slowed the rebound on both the shock and fork by one click. This trail is very rocky, ledgy, fast (if you're brave), with a few abrupt, tricky, short steep grade reversals that you can roll up if you keep your momentum but have to take a few strokes near the top if you lose it. To top it off, it's perched on the side of a very steep sidehill littered with skin flaying rocks and cactus. You don't want to make a mistake and go off the trail.

As soon as I left the gate (Innovative Timing Systems was doing the enduro stage timing on this section again this year), I realized the suspension was still too stiff and I was feeling the hits and getting jarred more than I'd like, but was still able to maintain control and keep an accurate line. This is a testament to the RFX's ability to track straight and accurate even when the suspension isn't dialed and to the overall stiffness of the frame, linkage, and wheels.

I suspect a faster, more aggressive rider would've loved this set up and by pushing a bit harder I would've been able to just skip over much of the chunder and square edges. But as it was I stalled and almost uphill endoed on two of the short ups due to lack of momentum and too stiff of a fork setting. Write that off to rider error and poor fork settings. I also got just a hint of pedal stall as I was trying to save those muffs by mashing out the last two strokes in too tall of gear. Once finished with the short timed stage, I stopped and fiddled with the air pressure and rebound a couple times on both the fork and shock during the remainder of the descent and got it to feel quite a bit better. I finally stopped at the Fox suspension set up tent and had them set up the fork then re-rode a short section of trail near the bottom with much better results.

We're fans of the clean, external cable routing and industrial strength one piece links.

We're fans of the clean, external cable routing and industrial strength one piece links (click to enlarge).​

Handling and Cornering

As I got my flow on a little better on the lower part of the trail I was able to appreciate the balanced feel and accurate steering of the RFX. It felt light and nimble and sprinted up short, smoother grade changes with kid-like enthusiasm. The rear wheel did brake loose a little too easily on these short standing sprints partly due to a worn Michelin Wild Grip R rear tire, dry, loose conditions, firmer anti-squat characteristics than I'm used to, and a way over the bars riding style that I don't think dw-link responds well to inherently.

Side-to-side maneuvering did not require heavy handed muscling, but it responded well to more subtle body English. The tires gripped in the corners and the turn in was brisk enough, though with the long, low and slack geometry much of the steering could be initiated with the hips. The RFX is a very light, nimble feeling bike, which is shocking for an 160mm travel enduro/all-mountain slayer. I liked the handling a lot.

Wide, 800mm bars and short, 50mm stem. I liked the feel of this cockpit. My initial fears of the RFX feeling too short turned out to be unfounded… for my 5'11.5″ frame, at least.

Wide, 800mm bars and short, 50mm stem. I liked the feel of this cockpit. My initial fears of the RFX feeling too short turned out to be unfounded… for my 5'11.5″ frame, at least (click to enlarge).​

Overall

If I had to use one word to describe the RFX it would be balanced. Turner seemed to be shooting for a fast, strong, laterally stiff bike that would climb as well as it descends and I think for the most part he achieved that. The riding position was very centered and the bike responded almost intuitively to subtle commands.

For me though, the descending over rough terrain was still a little harsh but I believe this to be a suspension set up issue and if the RFX had a Pike fork and a little more set up time spent on the Monarch Plus shock (or perhaps with the Cane Creek DB Air or new Fox 2x?) I would've rated the overall suspension action much higher. The frame was not holding it back from an A++ descending rating, the components were.

As it was though, I'd have to say I was more impressed with its climbing ability than its descending (but remember, I was very impressed with its climbing ability). Give climbing an A+ and descending an A pending more suspension dialing. I hate to mark a bike down based on a faulty set up, but in a short 2-hour, first ride impression that's what you get sometimes.

Beefy down tube with a bolt on protector.

Beefy down tube with a bolt on protector (click to enlarge).​

I believe the RFX is a winner and well worth the wait. It has everything it takes to compete with and beat the other top dogs in this class including a strong stiff chassis, proven suspension design, excellent, balanced geometry, and an unquestioned race heritage.

For more information visit www.turnerbikes.com.