Growler 40 Upgrades
2023 Rocky Mountain
Growler 40
Rider Profile
Weight: 185 lbs
Height: 5’7”
This Growler build is a mountain cruiser focused on climbing efficiency and mixed-terrain versatility. From 10-mile grinds to chunky descents, it exceeded my expectations for what a hardtail can handle when tuned correctly.
Bike Build
Berm Party Build Name: Growler DC 80
Frame:
2023 Rocky Mountain Growler – Size M
Fork:
RockShox Lyrik Select
150mm travel
42mm offset
Wheelset (XC Focused Setup):
Hunt Carbon XC Wide 29
Tires:
Maxxis Forekaster 2.4 EXO - 21psi
Cockpit:
Deity Highside Bars – 50mm rise
Deity Cavity Stem – 35mm length
30mm stack spacers
Problem Statement
The Growler was very capable out of the box with its Suntour air fork, 2.6” Maxxis tires, and Shimano brakes.
However, the 2.6 tires added noticeable rotational mass that felt unnecessary for a hardtail focused on pavement, gravel roads, and flow trails.
This bike was built to be my go-to ride for:
Gravel
Pavement connectors
Flow trails
Rolling mixed terrain days with my wife
My goal was simple:
Maximize climbing enjoyment and descending fun within a reasonable budget.
Experiment Plan
1. Improve Climbing Efficiency
Reduce rotational mass
Lower rolling resistance
Maintain predictable cornering
2. Improve Comfort on Long Climbs
Create a more upright riding position
Reduce stretched cockpit feel
Wheel & Tire Testing
After reviewing tire weight, wattage testing, and cornering characteristics, I decided to test the following:
Hunt XC Wide Carbon
Forekaster 2.4 max Terra Exo casing + Tannus Tubeless
Upgrades & Adjustments
Deity Highside Bars – 50mm rise
35mm stem (shorter reach, quicker steering feel)
Hunt XC Wide Carbon wheels
Forekaster 2.4 tires
RockShox Lyrik OEM D1 fork - Rush RC Damper
Results
Before
The stock bike was capable, but pedaling the 2.6 DHF/DHR tires required noticeable effort.
The 620mm top tube (compared to my other bike at ~600mm) combined with a 45mm stem made the cockpit feel stretched.
Switching to a 35mm stem and 50mm rise bars created a more upright position and quicker steering response.
After adding the Hunt wheels and Forekasters, pedaling performance improved dramatically. The bike felt lively and efficient — I’ve put nearly as many climbing hours on this hardtail as I have on my eBike.
Fork Observations – RockShox Lyrik (Rush RC)
I picked up the Lyrik BASE D1 on clearance for $270 — which made it an easy upgrade to try.
https://www.sram.com/en/rockshox/models/fs-lyrk-bse-d1
Compared to the stock 140mm Suntour fork, the Lyrik’s 35mm chassis felt noticeably stiffer and more confidence-inspiring in technical sections. Steering precision improved, especially when pushing into berms or off small features.
This version of the Lyrik uses the Rush RC damper with a DebonAir+ air spring. It’s designed as a solid trail-oriented platform — simple, reliable, and easy to set up.
However, I struggled to find a setup that felt balanced in the mid-stroke.
The fork tune either, felt under-supported on chunky terrain when setup with the compression wide open at 30% sag.
-And when adding more pressure to compensate or dialing up the damper the ride became fairly harsh or would loose its smoothness through the first 20mm of travel.
For my riding style, I could not find that supple yet supported feeling…
For me I think of supple as = That ride quality that feels like a magic cloud over roots and rocks.
-And a supported fork does not dive or blow through its travel.
To address this, I installed the DSD Runt, which adds a secondary air chamber and allows better control over the fork’s progression curve.
The difference was significant.
The fork felt smoother off the top while maintaining better mid-stroke support under load. It transformed the Lyrik from “good for the price” into something that felt far more controlled and confidence-inspiring then my Fox 38 with a Grip 2 damper.
That experience is part of what pushed me deeper into tuning and testing different setups across multiple forks.
What I Love
XC carbon wheels + Forekaster tires create an extremely efficient pedaling platform
The bike feels energetic and responsive
Climbing performance feels close to my eBike in Trail mode
DSD Runt transformed the bike into truly a trail weapon easily taking on steep black diamond chunk
What I Would Change
Forekaster tires lack grip on wet roots and rocks
Overall Take
This build transformed the Growler from a capable hardtail into a fast, efficient, upright climbing machine that still handles flow and light technical terrain confidently.
It’s not a gravel bike.
It’s not a downhill sled.
It’s a “ride more often” mountain cruiser.
Upgrade Challenge Videos
