If you want to chase over trails at high speed, it wont be. With the new Smart System, customers have the option of modifying some riding modes. Here you have to be in the right cadence range for the motor, to minimise the noise. With 170mm of travel, 630-watt hours of power, and Shimanos top-of-the-line EP8 motor, you can blast down the mountain and still stop on a moss-covered dime. Rocky Mountain 2022 Instinct Alloy 30 29" MTB Gold/Red. With the Shimano EP8 motor, you can even save two different profiles so that you can quickly switch between your configurations. If I was being really picky, Id suggest the seat tube angle could be steeper. Many manufacturers are already working on increasing these limits but there is still a lot to be done in terms of maximum permissible weight and more clarity is urgently needed. Gear Patrol participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The Altitudes kinematic is indeed very progressive, which provides a heap of big-hit support that will no doubt suit the freeriding Vanderhams and Simmons out there. With so many different tire manufacturers and special models on the market, its hard for even well-versed tech nerds to keep track of everything. We have a clear goal: to help you find the right bike for you and your needs. As part of our annual reader survey, more than 16,520 E-MOUNTAINBIKERS answered around 90 questions, helping us to make this test as relevant as possible! The pursuit of maximum battery capacity Is the bike industry moving in the wrong direction? One of the most. After all, before anything else, forces are transmitted through your tires. Then again, Mick found the novelty of all those features quickly wore off during his long-term test of the Levo. And the changes are significant enough to make it a feature worth having something thats not always the case with flip chips found on other full suspension bikes. And while the overall integration is neat and the controls on the Altitude Powerplay are a vast improvement over the previous model, the main buttons on the remote switch are too light and a bit vague. Together with the high level of comfort, it is a great bike for touring riders. RIDE-9 Adjustable Geometry + Suspension Rate. This is because the guts of the Dyname 4.0 are spinning at a lower RPM, producing a lower pitch and generally less volume overall. Become a supporter now! Therefore, we cannot make a general statement about the suspension travel. 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 . Thats why you should also consider the maintenance costs for service parts and consumables. All in all, its all about the right balance and set-up. But FOCUS, MERIDA and Orbea also offer a considerable margin with 124 kg and 117 kg respectively. The suspension of a full suspension eMTB is only good if it suits your own riding style. Further geometry adjustment can be found in the Ride-4 flip chip at the lower shock mount. Inevitably, that also includes the battery and motor concept. Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 70 Bike 2023 Compare. - Mid-high pivot Smoothlink rear suspension design Altitude Carbon 90 Rally Edition New Colour 2019. The most powerful motors delivers 108 Nm of torque, the weakest just 35 Nm. With one exception (Orbea), the bike manufacturers in this test see it the same way. The Orbea Rise M-Team is a master of all disciplines and secures our coveted Best Buy. However, its important not to confuse price with the real value i.e. The result is a surprisingly intuitive and controllable feel, which is especially noticeable when soft pedalling around tight uphill hairpins. However, due to current production and delivery difficulties, some manufacturers, including Haibike, CUBE and BULLS were unable to provide a bike. Specialized Levo Carbon E-Bike 2023 SAVE 25 %. There are sliding scales at the end of each review, giving you a visual representation of the bikes handling. Like every car, every bike has a maximum permissible weight, which is specified by the manufacturer to ensure that the bike and all its components can withstand loads up to this rating. After some experimentation, I settled back on the neutral position. This can be a good thing for cornering on really tight trails and for super-steep descending, where you want to get as much weight rearwards as possible. 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. Power is nothing without control. Braaaaaap: this time the test field includes a bike that unrelentingly pulls away from any Bosch or Shimano motor uphill, but also engenders its own pitfalls! During one of my range tests, the Altitude Powerplay had no trouble ticking over 22km/h while going up a 12% gradient. Whats the best eMTB of 2022? Despite its small 375 Wh battery, the ROTWILD R.E375 ULTRA has a Shimano motor with plenty of power. For years, pedal-assists were forbidden from trails, non-existent in shops, shunned from mainstream media and magnets for vitriol. Price: $10229.00. Unlock your ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWERPLAY engine today! On the one hand, it convinces with its chic and customisable paint job, good climbing characteristics on technical uphills and great suspension. Five years ago, we explained that that laboratory range measurements arent representative of the real world and that the bike industry is yet to find a useful and realistic solution to this. Weve summarised what this can cost per year and what you need to bear in mind. It still provides experienced bikers with good reserves, satisfies beginners with its intuitive handling and is also a comfortable touring bike, but ultimately cannot keep up with the stronger competition as an all-rounder. Whether on flow trails, technical singletrails, in the bike park or on a tour, the Orbea Rise M-Team is a true all-rounder that inspires in every discipline. We planned the test route based on your preferred riding style and terrain as indicated in our reader survey of over 16,000 participants. Whats the best eMTB of 2021? The powerful and adaptable Dyname 4.0 motor is ready to go when you are, surging forward with 108 Nm of torque the. Best for steep and technical terrain, the Shuttle survives on the uphill and thrives on the down. Then you should pay close attention now! And is range really that important to you, or would you rather have good handling on the trail? What is important here is what is possible, not just what is stated on paper. For the front we recommend a tire up to 2.6 wide with puncture-proof MAXXIS Doubledown or Schwalbe Super Gravity casing and 3C MaxxGrip or ADDIX Ultra Soft (purple) respectively. the 3C MaxxTerra rubber compound from MAXXIS or ADDIX Soft (orange) from Schwalbe. Just because you have the range doesnt mean youll have fun riding! For example, ROTWILD use an EightPins dropper with a stroke of up to 180 mm. The Altitude Powerplay Alloy 70 has a better fork and more travel, while the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy has 29 / 27.5 aluminum wheels and better components. Our Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay C70 test bike has delivered near faultless performance during our time with it, which is hardly a surprise given its such a well specd bike. the best Bosch bike, the best bike with a 750 Wh battery or the best bike with 150 mm travel and 29 wheels. Specialized e-MTBs tend to be very good at converting uneven pedalling inputs into a very smooth and linear motor output. There are huge differences not only in motor power, but also in battery capacity for bikes that are aimed at similar applications: models like the Specialized Kenevo SL Light eMTB with a 360 Wh battery and 35 Nm torque output, take a different approach with less battery capacity and sometimes less motor power, while manufacturers like Norco, packing 900 Wh, exhaust all possibilities to integrate as much juice into the down tube as possible. I found it easy to adjust the Ride-4 and dropout flip chips, and pulling the shock out to alter the spring volume showed just how cleanly everything fits together. As such, I was able to run pressures as low as 22psi in the front and 24psi in the rear. Full Sealed Cartridge Bearings. Along with a lighter weight build kit, the Instinct Powerplay is targeted at longer distance riding on less extreme terrain. A clever modular concept can be a sensible alternative to a standard system with a 630 Wh battery. Where you can usually win with the fastest time or the most goals, there are many factors that contribute to deciding which bike to buy, and everyone weighs them differently. Other bikes are capable of covering an equally wide range of applications while also outperforming the MERIDA in individual specialisations. Some bikes have been previously featured in our group tests due to multi-year development cycles, but how much sense does it make to test a bike like the Cannondale Moterra Neo for the umpteenth time if nothing has changed except for small details in the spec with a successor likely due to replace it soon anyway? We are convinced that more than 700 Wh in the tank isnt necessary for a trail all-rounder like the one we are looking for in this test. However, there is still some mechanical noise and vibration thats caused by the idler and lower chainguide. If you mostly ride on gravel, forest and meadow trails, a less heavily treaded tire with a thinner casing is sufficient. As such, we try to judge the bikes according to their respective strengths and weaknesses in the right context. Given its weight, the stocky wheels, dual-ply tyres and sticky-compound Assegai up front, that amount of elevation gain is impressive. Only the Specialized Levo is truly quiet downhill. And the flip side of the Dyname 4.0 motor is that it rarely pushes you unintentionally, say on a tight switchback climb. Even still, the Altitude Powerplay doesnt ride like a chopper, with a fairly moderate 625mm stack height. Usability is poor, because too many buttons have to be operated with only one finger. Compare. When it comes to trail fun, eMTBs with large batteries quickly fall behind. 2023 Thok TK01 R Review | A surprising package from an Italian e-MTB specialist, Trek Rail Review | A plush, powerful & frustratingly near-perfect electric mountain bike, 9 tuning tips to get the most out of your Bosch electric mountain bike | Bosch Smart System Review, 4 upgrades & 7 updates on our Fuel EXe long-term test bike | Trek Fuel EXe Review, This website requires Javascript for optimum viewing purposes. The highly responsive torque sensor means that while power comes on with minimal lag, it drops off just as quickly when you stop pedalling, which can occasionally be a problem on awkward technical climbs. For us, stone-baked pizza, a fresh ocean breeze and good espresso are just as much part of a successful day on the bike as flow on varied singletrack, the occasional adrenaline spike and high-fives at the end of the trail. And arm pump after a long run is also reduced (click here for an explanation of the term With the previous Bosch system, which is still used on the SCOTT Ransom eRIDE, you have no possibility to customise the motor. Every bike from size L upwards should have space for at least 170 mm. And that has serious consequences for how much youll enjoy the ride! But its not just kinematics, components and suspension travel that are decisive. You can also remove the Kiox 300 display on the new Bosch Smart System, depending on your mood, and rely exclusively on the LED remote. : /. Class 2 e-bikes are throttle-assisted and are equipped with a motor that can move the bike forward without pedaling. Front wheel lift was a problem on steep pinch climbs, and it also felt somewhat skittish on rowdier descents. This is indeed a bloody good e-MTB. Youll get the most out of the Dyname 4.0 drive unit when spinning at a cadence of 85-120 RPM, and theres actually a dedicated page on the Jumbotron display that shows a big tick when youre in that zone. Of course as youd expect for a big travel e-MTB, the Altitude is a terrifically competent descender. However, you dont have a free choice with every manufacturer. The Norco Sight VLT C1 offers an enormous range with its 900 Wh battery and Shimano EP8 motor. Called the Jumbotron, this screen displays speed, cadence, battery status, and your current assistance mode. Wir haben das Powerplay Alloy 70 ausprobiert. Cycleworld - Concord West Enquire Now Enquire Now And again, the all important battery life. Price plays a subordinate role because, understandably, manufacturers debut the most exciting technologies and concepts in their flagship models. The carbon frame is also nicely crafted. The super varied route included steep climbs and descents, winding, straight, technical and easy sections. Indeed, frame sizes cant always be compared between manufacturers. Impossible? ** without range extender Software topics such as connectivity or motor customisation/tuning also played an important role. Orbea shows how its done with the battery and motor concept of the Rise. Did you enjoy this article? In general, availability still poses major challenges for the industry in 2022. Words: Jonas Mssig, Rudolf Fischer, Julian Schwede Photos: Julian Lemme, Robin Schmitt, Peter Walke. Personally, Im not sure Id want to give up the travel though, especially when the Altitude Powerplay handles as well as it does. They're here to stay and getting better every day. All bikes in this test: The two most expensive bikes in the test field, the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo and Specialized S-Works Turbo Kenevo SL, cost 15,000 each. Pretty damn good at just about everything climbing, descending, cornering and going strong all day the new Spectral: ON CF 7 is for those who will ride nearly anything. We dont just want to test the bikes that interest you the most. While it has a specific use in mind with its unique character, it does what it is aimed at well. Its actually great encouragement, and if you go for it, its possible to ride this bike very fast uphill. Rocking a mullet design 29-inch wheel up front and 27.5-er in back Marins first foray into eMTBs is a lovable joyride. 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. Rotwild could tease out much more trail performance with different choices. However, the poor reliability of the battery system, as well as the poor integration have room for improvement. Allow me to jog your memory. You can find out how to figure it out here. Specialized Turbo Tero X 6.0 . The perceived noise depends strongly on the resonance of the frame and varies from bike to bike. Rocky is offering the frame in sizes SM-XL. The group test in figures: Background to the test field, the most exciting facts and interesting trends. How do you ride your eMTB or how do you want to ride it? The reach is spot-on, the seat angle is on the relaxed side, and its never felt like Ive had too much weight pushed onto the grips. An inexpensive bike with cheaper components but a coherent overall concept can perform much better than many expensive bling-bling bikes. One thing to note is that our test bike features the extended lower headset cup, which should only come on the Instinct frames. Even the biggest battery isnt worth much without clever positioning and balanced weight distribution. The DoubleDown casings are most certainly a must-have, and while you could improve the overall range by fitting lighter and faster-rolling rubber, it would be a total waste of this bikes capabilities. Thats on the heavy side even for a big travel e-MTB, though theres certainly nothing dainty about this bike. The low and central centre of mass is one of the main reasons for the outstanding handling of the Orbea Rise. Last years test winner i.e. - Brilliant cornering performance Most brands choose motors from either Bosch or Shimano, with Specialized being another exception because of their use of the Brose motor. Thanks to the compact motor, the geometry of the Altitude Powerplay closely follows that of the non-motorised version. TESTED: Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 70 Rocky Mountain's Powerplay platform is now in its fourth iteration and sees some major changes to geometry, kinematics, and overall user experience.