It always depends on the overall system. But, what the relatively small Rocky Mountain has accomplished by making its own power unit, might actually put them ahead of where the billion-dollar behemoth, Trek, is right now with its e-bike platform. In other words: the best overall package of handling, uphill, downhill and touring performance, design, motor, specs, battery concept and detailed solutions. With this group test, we provide answers to the most important questions when buying and help you invest your hard-earned money in the right place and prevent you from making the wrong purchase. To answer this question, we pitted 13 exciting models against each other. The prices shown here are as they were at the time of our testing. Here you have to be in the right cadence range for the motor, to minimise the noise. You can find out how to figure it out here. Even though many eMTBers love to discuss the latest trends and isolated parameters such as wheel size or torque, individual factors are only of limited help in the search for the best eMTB and should be treated with caution. Thats on the heavy side even for a big travel e-MTB, though theres certainly nothing dainty about this bike. To manage that sensitivity, the new motor features a revamped torque curve that gradually applies power up to a maximum output of 770W. My only complaint is that the 150mm dropper post felt on the short side, limiting how much I could move around the bike when jumping or bombing down much steeper sections of trail. Smartphone apps that can do this are available from (almost) all motor manufacturers. Some now even use large 220 mm discs. This is the best way to find out which battery concept suits you. Exceptions are last years test winners and best buys. With this in mind: forget about the numbers! - Seat angle could be steeper
And that has serious consequences for how much youll enjoy the ride! In the same way that Giant has collaborated with Yamaha, and Specialized has partnered with Brose and Mahle, Rocky Mountain has employed the services of fellow Canadian brand Propulsion Powercycle to help engineer the motor for the Instinct and Altitude Powerplay models. Price: $5,299 List Pros: Smooth and consistent power output, modern geometry, Cons: No digital display, wimpy tires and fork, center of gravity feels high. By becoming a supporter of E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality cycling journalism. Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay FIRST RIDE - YouTube 0:00 / 21:30 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay FIRST RIDE 14,469 views Premiered Jan 4, 2021 352 Dislike Share Save Pinned TV 20.5K. One of the bikes uses the old Bosch 2021 system. What is important here is what is possible, not just what is stated on paper. Unfortunately, just because an eMTB is expensive doesnt mean it will last longer if you dont take care of it. The SCOR 4060 Z ST XT impresses with its touring capabilities, the customisable paint protection films and the fun ride on flow trails. Rocky Mountain altitude or specialized enduro? . Its no doubt a much better looking bike, and it presents an appealing package with a different approach to the Specialized Levos, Merida eOne-Sixtys and Trek Rails that typically dominate our local trail centres. And importantly, downhill riding feels surprisingly similar to your old mountain bike. The trail network around Monte Arsenti provides the ideal test conditions, allowing us to work out both the big and small differences that separate the 13 eMTBs on test. Together with the high level of comfort, it is a great bike for touring riders. The Dyname 4.0 motor on the Rocky Mountain does not have an app, but here too you can fine-tune the support levels via the display. Complementing the new drive unit are two completely redesigned modelsthe trail-focused, 140mm-travel Instinct Powerplay and the 160mm-travel, e nduro-oriented Altitude Powerplay. YT have the highest payload in the test field at 127 kg. - Impressive total range, - High pivot design requires longer chain
Sadly, on the Rocky Mountain, the battery rattles. If I was being really picky, Id suggest the seat tube angle could be steeper. A 48V system will run cooler than a 36V system (great in Australian summers). Spread over 270 pages of high-quality print, we offer you a comprehensive buyers guide, reviews and details of 27 bikes. It is also the only bike in the test field that is truly quiet downhill. As you can see, we have invited many different bikes. There are some very natural and easy to control motors like the Shimano EP8, and there are some that require attention, care and the right cadence, like the Dyname 4.0. We rode on doubletrack and woodland paths with obstacles of all kinds going both up- and downhill. Even while out of the saddle, with my chest hanging over the bars to keep the front wheel weighted, the power feels easy to modulate, allowing you to make the most of the high-traction suspension and grippy rubber. So, grab a beer or a cappuccino and enjoy the next pages filled with information, background knowledge, (tech) know-how, tops & flops and the most important tips for newcomers and experts alike. The Altitude Powerplay and Instinct Powerplay will be available this winter from Rocky Mountain dealers. In this group test, there are considerable differences in terms of grip, steering precision, traction and puncture protection, which also influence the handling, riding experience and feeling of safety. There are some clear recommendations for a trail all-rounder, which needs to work well for every rider and on every trail. It tips over effortlessly, dropping quickly into turns with minimal hesitation and, providing you commit and stay off the brakes, a distinct lack of understeer. Its a heavy bike after all, and the deceleration is noticeable when the motor isnt engaged. Belying its 24kg weight, the Altitude Powerplay is remarkably adept at flip-flopping through repeat chicanes and high-speed berms, with a lovely mix of agility and unflappable predictability. Shifting has also been crisp and ever-so reliable even under high pedalling loads. Read this chapter for the answers as well as a summary of our test philosophy and our opinion on school grades for bike tests. The dropper should have as much travel as possible. - 8-way adjustable geometry The all new Altitude is now rolling on 29" wheels and is sure to be one of the best Enduro bikes on the market. First of all, a big thank you! Fork RockShox Yari RC 160mm 37mm Offset Shock To make the differences as clear as possible, we use the whole scale. Click here for more information or order it directly in our shop! Riding your bike to the park rather than throwing it on a rack is actually feasible. The Jumbotron does allow you to personalise the motors assistance levels and Boost character though, which well touch on in a bit. But is more always better? Larger sizes available here. While the Dyname 4.0 motor packs a ridiculous amount of power with near-instantaneous response, the progressive delivery makes it highly controllable. While many manufacturers rely on standard systems from Bosch and Shimano, our test also includes models that want to convince as Light e-MTBs with lower motor power and a modular battery concept i.e. Usability is poor, because too many buttons have to be operated with only one finger. Thanks to integrated batteries, top-end eMTBs can even be hard to differentiate from traditional gravel or mountain bikes. Our test crew munched on 300+ pieces of pizza. In this group test, were not just looking for the best eMTB of 2022. 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 70, - Superb handling is up for anything PAGE 1 of 2. Regardless of price or material, all models are equipped with the same Dyname 4.0 motor and 720Wh battery, and feature the same 8-way adjustable geometry. The Altitude Powerplay Alloy 50 has a better fork and more travel, while the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy has 29 / 27.5 aluminum wheels and better components. After tweaking the air volume in the fork and shock to improve traction and high-speed control, I decided to try out a variety of the Ride-4 geometry settings. How did the individual eMTB in this group test fare? Specialized even has a special Shuttle mode that further reduces the required leg input, with the idea being that you can climb uphill with the minimum of effort required, so you save all your energy for the descents. It rolls on 29in wheels, and it's equipped with a 170mm travel fork and 160mm of rear travel. Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Review Home Reviews Brands Rocky Mountain Reviews . Full Sealed Cartridge Bearings. time stamps 0:00 intro 2:48 mid travel full power e bikes 3:27 mondraker crafty 4:08 rocky mountain altitude powerplay 5:06 trek . And the flip side of the Dyname 4.0 motor is that it rarely pushes you unintentionally, say on a tight switchback climb. Bikes come shipped from the factory in position three (also known as neutral), and these are the key numbers it delivers; Adjusting the Ride-4 geometry chip is even quicker than the dropouts, with only a single 5mm hex key required. However, if you adhere to the maximum payload of some bikes, we are almost all too heavy to ride them! Its possible to reduce the leg effort required to bring on the motors power via the Boost setting. The insertion depth of the frame doesnt match the seat post, which means that it cannot be completely lowered into the seat tube. The carbon frame is also nicely crafted. According to Rocky Mountain, the new kinematic offers increased anti-squat in the early portion of the travel, and a more supportive leverage rate throughout. This allows riders to tweak the BB height by up to 10mm, and adjust the angles by 0.8. - Brilliantly grippy & durable tyre spec This change was obviously made to accommodate the motor, and it doesn't give the Altitude Powerplay a vastly different ride than RMB's other trail/enduro bikes. Here well be diving into our experience of testing the second-from-the-top model; the Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay C70. Thanks to a 672-watt-hour battery and a compact, low-mounted motor, it rips uphill for easy self-shuttling. So, if you want to choose your bike not just according to body size but also on the basis of the handling youre after, you should take a closer look at these bikes. Digital & free: by Jonas Mssig, Rudolf Fischer, Julian Schwede. Instead of blindly buying the bike with the highest battery capacity, you should ask yourself a few questions: Our group test clearly shows that when it comes to battery capacity, a crucial rule of thumb applies: as little as possible and as much as necessary! The problem: if you exceed the maximum permissible weight, this can have consequences for warranty and guarantee claims. Specialized realized many riders dont need massive batteries and would rather save weight. They incorporate new technologies, new motors and in some cases huge batteries that will make the 2022 bike season more exciting than ever. Nothing is more annoying than the wrong purchase or a bike that bucks, protests or simply doesnt want to fit your requirements. Thats why in our group tests we look at the value of the overall package and focus on the overall performance, not individual components. Specialized e-MTBs tend to be very good at converting uneven pedalling inputs into a very smooth and linear motor output. Personally, Im not sure Id want to give up the travel though, especially when the Altitude Powerplay handles as well as it does. )! The Dyname 4.0 motor is one of, if not the most distinctive element of the Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay, so lets start there. In fact, I was able to clean one bastard of a climb on my local test circuit that I have never cleaned before.