Rubber Side Down (RSD) was established in 2012 and is based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company has been known for building trail-ripping hardtails and
snow-trekking fat bikes until just recently when it released
the Wildcat—a plus sized, full-suspension trailbike. Building
a bike that is fun to ride is no easy feat and, when that bike
is a full-suspension mountain bike, the difficulties multiply.
Thankfully, RSD wasn’t afraid to take on a new challenge, and
thus the Wildcat was born. Considering that the Wildcat is
RSD’s first-ever full-suspension mountain bike, our test riders
didn’t quite know what to expect, so they opened their minds
and tossed a leg over this new machine to see for themselves
what the Wildcat was all about.
;WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
RSD sells its bikes directly to consumers; however, unlike
other consumer-direct brands, its bikes come 50 percent
assembled. This means a rider won’t need special tools to
build his RSD, since the bottom bracket and cranks come
pre-installed, the headset cups are pressed in and the fork’s
steer tube is cut to length, but some mechanical know-how
will be required. The builder should have a good pair of Allens,
a T25 wrench and about 30 minutes of time to completely
assemble the Wildcat. Riders unfamiliar with building bikes
may want to bring theirs to a local shop.
The Wildcat is designed for aggressive trail riders searching
for modern features that allow them to push harder on the
descents. This RSD has Boost hub spacing, which provides
ample clearance for plus-sized tires, and is equipped with 150
millimeters of travel up front and 120 millimeters in the rear.
The Wildcat is also designed with a modern, long, slack and
low geometry, giving riders the ability to attack trails at full
speed.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
There are numerous suspension designs on the market
today, but RSD decided to use the proven Horst Link design for
its first full-suspension bike. RSD paired the rear suspension
with a RockShox Monarch RT shock and spec’d a RockShox
RSD
WILDCAT
Trail Cat with Big Paws
Droppin’ in: The Wildcat came alive when
the trails pointed down. This bike is far
from a lightweight superbike, but it’s more
than willing to send it off all of our test
riders’ favorite jumps and drops.
