Wade Simmons’ nostalgic Pipedream

Rocky Mountain goes all out on this one-off throwback build

Terry McKall December 8, 2017

True to it’s given name, the Pipedream is entirely unavailable. Rocky Mountain only made one, and it’s in Simmons’ hands. Sorry. We’re just as shattered as you. But being the Godfather comes with certain privileges. Earned with decades of blood, sweat and countless hours in the saddle, no one is more deserving of the Pipedream.

Wade Simmons has been in the freeride game since the beginning. He’s left his mark on our sport through an extensive catalogue of images and video segments, showcasing his creative ability to conquer any line with unmistakable style. Simply put, Simmons’ career has been driven by his desire to do something different. While watching the old footage of himself riding in The Moment, he couldn’t help but get nostalgic about the bikes that helped shape his career.

Bikes like the Pipeline, Switch, RMX, RM7, and RM9 were the tools of Simmons’ trade. To him, these were the bikes that had soul. The Thrust Link, NE 3, and 3D Link were some of the iconic technologies that made these bikes special.

Simmons is what we call an “ideas man.” Fuelled by the rider’s creativity, Rocky Mountain Bicycles decided to build a very special bike, founded on nostalgia and designed to modern day standards. Tapping into some of his old favourite lines, this is a story of Wade Simmons’ Pipedream.

Gussets and linkage plates were an iconic look of the early 2000s. Riders such as Simmons were beginning to push mountain biking in a new direction, and the frame designs were changing to meet their demands. From 49-mm straight head tubes to adding extra gussets for flair, the Pipedream embodies the classic spirit of freeride.

Many of the early Rocky Mountain freeride bikes had a feature that allowed you to mount the rear shock in three locations. This was known as NE 3, and required plates on either side of the shock with a cross-brace to stiffen everything torsionally. While having a bit of fun with cross-bracing designs, the NE 3 Man was born.

The 3D Link was a CNC-milled feature on the full-suspension bikes of the late 90s and early 2000s. Platforms such as the Element, Edge, and Slayer all had versions of the 3D Link, which made it a natural addition to Simmons’ Pipedream.