Otherwise you cant expect longevity or lasting performance, nor can you expect lasting riding pleasure! A 48V system will run cooler than a 36V system (great in Australian summers). A couple of rides in, I removed the single volume spacer out of the Float X2 shock. With the new Smart System, customers have the option of modifying some riding modes. Thanks to a 672-watt-hour battery and a compact, low-mounted motor, it rips uphill for easy self-shuttling. But dont look now because things are starting to change. With availability limited and eMTBs a big investment for many, its especially important to know about the latest technologies and the huge differences between models before buying one. 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? There are opposing schools of thought when it comes to which is preferable, but in the end it all comes down to weight distribution and what's more comfortable for the rider. On the one hand, it convinces with its chic and customisable paint job, good climbing characteristics on technical uphills and great suspension. 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. 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. However, Ive listed the results for the second experiment here, as I feel thats a closer indication of how it compares to the other e-MTBs Ive done this test with, which all had their motor settings maxed out. Based on this information, we let you decide whether the bike suits you and your requirements. The motor is called Dyname 4.0, and like the frame its had a significant update for 2022. You can certainly climb with ease, you just wont access all of the Dyname 4.0s gut-churning torque unless you put in a bit of effort. Many other brands could do well to take note. Their ever popular line of E-Bikes, the Rocky Mountain Powerplay, feature spec upgrades on many models along with an expanded Instinct BC line. Shifting is taken care of by a 12-speed Shimano XT drivetrain while SRAM CODE RSC four-piston brakes with 220/200 mm rotors do stopping duties. Full Sealed Cartridge Bearings. 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. Great dampers and high-performance components make it a fully capable whip thats functional on a wide variety of trails. The YETI 160E T1 is the deserved Best in Test and thus the best eMTB of 2022. If youre an experienced rider looking for more juice, the Powerplay is your play. YETI have combined all their geometry and suspension know-how in a great overall package powered by a Shimano EP8 motor and 630 Wh battery, creating a bike that is the new benchmark in trail performance, for everyone from beginners to pros. 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. The slightly rearward axle path eats up square edges nicely, and keeps the rear wheel decidedly connected to terra firma. Our aim is to work out the individual character of each bike and tell you for whom and to what it is best suited and what its not intended for! It is unbeaten in technical uphill terrain and also feels most comfortable downhill on challenging and fast trails. And while the big 38 is a great match, providing a solid and secure platform up front, it isnt as supple or as well supported compared to the higher-end versions that feature the more complex GRIP2 damper. No matter which you choose, the conversion is simple and the connectivity options remain unchanged. Every bike from size L upwards should have space for at least 170 mm. The Orbea Rise M-Team is a master of all disciplines and secures our coveted Best Buy. Compare. In other words: the best overall package of handling, uphill, downhill and touring performance, design, motor, specs, battery concept and detailed solutions. The suspension consists of a FOX 38 Factory GRIP2 fork and FOX FLOAT X2 Factory shock, controlling 170/160 mm travel at the front and rear. 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. It is also not the right choice for beginners due to its demanding handling. 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. You shouldnt buy an eMTB just because youve heard that a wireless SRAM AXS drivetrain is great. Like every person, every bike has its own character that inevitably embodies both strengths and weaknesses. For each bike, we have explored the extremes for you and present the real range of use they are suited to. They're here to stay and getting better every day. No bike manages to combine almost irreconcilable opposites as well as the YETI 160E T1. However, the poor reliability of the battery system, as well as the poor integration have room for improvement. The Altitude Powerplay and Instinct Powerplay will be available this winter from Rocky Mountain dealers. Called the Jumbotron, this screen displays speed, cadence, battery status, and your current assistance mode. The first consideration for many uninformed ebike buyers is a bikes range. EMTB fullys arent just at the spearhead of eMTB development, offering more fun and safety than hardtails, they are also most in demand. We dont just want to test the bikes that interest you the most. At the beginning of the new season we test the flagship bikes of the year and price plays a subordinate role. - Masses of torque on tap Specialized Kenevo SL vs. Orbea Wild vs. Mondraker Chaser - YouTube Mal Wieder eine Sonntagstour mit der Bande.Lacher sind wie immer. The chainstay length can be adjusted however, with a dual position flip chip and a reversible brake mount that allows riders to easily extend the rear centre by 10mm. However, were very fortunate that we get to work where others go on holiday, i.e. RIDE-9 Adjustable Geometry + Suspension Rate. For this, eMTBs should have four-piston brakes with discs of at least 200 mm. By becoming a supporter of E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality cycling journalism. Preventing the front from lifting on technical climbs requires a lot of physical effort as you have to shift . Cable management is nice and tight, though the external wiring at the handlebar and along the non-driveside chainstay isnt as tidy as some other bikes on the market. Our reader survey showed that three brands are particularly interesting and important to you: Specialized, Haibike and CUBE. Once with the factory tune, and a second time with the Boost level turned up to +2. A steeper seat tube angle would no doubt improve the seated climbing position, but it would affect the riding position and likely compromise comfort elsewhere. However, it reveals weaknesses in steep terrain and at high speed. If you think, Cool!, we have to disappoint you. Unfortunately, far too many people are still blinded by individual components that look good on the shop floor. Yet today, bikes with batteries are the fastest growing category in the sport. The bikes with 700+ Wh batteries in this group test all have the same problem: the longer and heavier batteries have a negative impact on handling. Does it suit you or not? For increased sensitivity, the lower shock pivot rolls on dual bearings rather than a conventional bushing. We rode on doubletrack and woodland paths with obstacles of all kinds going both up- and downhill. Compare. Nothing is more annoying than the wrong purchase or a bike that bucks, protests or simply doesnt want to fit your requirements. Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 70. Which routes and trails did we ride? 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. Purpose-built and race-proven, it's the ultimate enduro weapon for demolishing steep trails and making every session faster. Front wheel lift was a problem on steep pinch climbs, and it also felt somewhat skittish on rowdier descents. Even still, the Altitude Powerplay doesnt ride like a chopper, with a fairly moderate 625mm stack height. In those circumstances, it actually makes the Altitude Powerplay easier to control. Bosch bring up the rear in this respect. the 3C MaxxTerra rubber compound from MAXXIS or ADDIX Soft (orange) from Schwalbe. We emptied 17 bottles of Vino Rosso at the joint dinners, namely the, 12 bottles of Vino Bianco were also included, namely. Rocky Mountain carbon 70 vs specialized enduro comp. Until my scheduled shin transplant pans out, its difficult for me to say. The quality and type of pads also play a decisive role when it comes to powerful braking. Even though almost all motors have a rated power of 250 W, huge differences become apparent on the trail. This is the best way to find out which battery concept suits you. Software also has a huge influence on the riding experience and on the differences between the motors. The bike has an aggressive geometry best for more advanced riders, which allows it to stay nimble despite weighing 51 pounds. There are five options in total in the 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay lineup, three of which feature carbon frames and two that use alloy frames. 5% OFF. Theres nothing but thumbs up for the tyre spec, especially the choice of a 3C MaxxGrip compound up front. Yes, you can steepen the angle by flipping the Ride-4 chip, but I dont want to steepen the head angle and lift the BB at the same time. Copyright 2023 E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine. Rocky Mountain completely redesigned the system for 2020 with version 4.0, and it powers the electric-assist Powerplay line. Indeed, frame sizes cant always be compared between manufacturers. 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude Carbon 90 Rally Edition Bike. With one exception (Orbea), the bike manufacturers in this test see it the same way. If your favourite brand isnt included, thats no reason to throw in the towel. The only major downside is a very loud motor that calls to mind a coffee grinder. The perceived noise depends strongly on the resonance of the frame and varies from bike to bike. If you are prepared to work harder uphill, you will find a bike that really delivers on the way down. The Altitude Powerplay Alloy 30 Coil has a better fork and more travel, while the Turbo Levo Alloy has 29 / 27.5 aluminum wheels and better components. If there is one bike that will convert diehard enduro riders into e-bike junkies, the Levo SL is it. Also neat is that the frame will accept a SRAM UDH when the dropout is set in the longest position a useful feature for folks who like to travel with their bike. The conditions were just as varied, ranging from wet and slick to dry and grippy. Those results are listed a bit further down in this review. The Norco Sight VLT C1 offers an enormous range with its 900 Wh battery and Shimano EP8 motor. In general, there are big differences in the character of the models we tested, so you should be realistic about your own needs in terms of riding style and area of use when buying and be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the respective models. Here you have to be in the right cadence range for the motor, to minimise the noise. In my experience however, Ive found the geometry and handling on this bike to be nothing short of brilliant. However, you dont have a free choice with every manufacturer. What makes a good eMTB and what should I look for in an eMTB? Thats exactly why you need to know not just what you need to pay attention to, but also what is less important. As a result, the same motor can feel quite different in two different bikes: this can be due to the suspension kinematics, the geometry, the spec and the integration into the bike, amongst other things. Then again, Mick found the novelty of all those features quickly wore off during his long-term test of the Levo. We gathered the most interesting facts from the test field for you and compared them with last years test. Become a supporter now! The most important factors to consider when investing in an electric mountain bike are battery power, charging times, and hub drives versus mid-drives. Orbea shows how its done with the battery and motor concept of the Rise. There is huge power under the hood, but because of the progressive delivery, you have to pedal with some meaning in order to access it. Remember the summer your little brother grew six inches and, for the first time, forced you to yell uncle when wrestling in the basement? Who are the people behind the testing and what do they look for in their perfect bike? Trek attempts to prevent the battery from rattling with foam padding in the down tube. To get some more concrete numbers though, I subjected the Altitude Powerplay to our standardised shuttle range test. Find out everything you need to know in our motor group test. Great deal on 2023 SPECIALIZED Stumpjumper Evo Comp: Other - New - S3 frame size. 2019. The bigger the disc, the better the control, the better the modulation on long descents and the better the resistance to fade. - Impressive total range, - High pivot design requires longer chain Although you dont necessarily need the biggest disc rotors as a 70 kg flyweight, you will still benefit from them. It is the right bike for sporty downhill junkies who dont want to lose any time on the forest tracks on the way to the start of the toughest trails. Compared to the previous model, the new Altitude Powerplay updates to a trendy mid-high pivot suspension design, with the main pivot sitting 100mm north of the BB. In fact, the 437mm rear centre length is identical between the two bikes, and should be noted as being incredibly short for an e-MTB with 29in wheels and 160mm of rear travel. In this group test, our aim is not to find the best bike with a certain technical feature or component i.e. How long are your longest rides and how much ascending do you realistically do? It was also much more planted on the climbs, allowing me to make better use of the massive motor power. RIDE-9 Adjustable Geometry + Suspension Rate. All bikes in this test: That said, lots of power isnt necessarily better, as you will read further on. The cockpit itself shows great attention to detail. For 2022, numerous manufacturers present bikes with enormous battery capacities of up to 1,034 Wh and celebrate their increased range. - Controller buttons are too light and vague in use But if you compare them in a meaningful way, they provide exciting insights into trends and developments. Usability is poor, because too many buttons have to be operated with only one finger. While Ive found the long chainstay setting to work beautifully for my height and riding style, I do wonder how taller riders on the Large and XL frame sizes will find the rear centre length. The Norco Sight VLT C1 and Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay C70 have some catching up to do. But its not just kinematics, components and suspension travel that are decisive. 10 people spent 9 days in Tuscany, including sun, sea, awesome trails, arm pump and dolce vita. However, there is still some mechanical noise and vibration thats caused by the idler and lower chainguide. However, if you adhere to the maximum payload of some bikes, we are almost all too heavy to ride them! 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. Our test field only featured tires from Schwalbe or MAXXIS. A practical side effect is that these bikes can be placed upside down, which is particularly important for models where the battery is removed from the down tube. Spread over 270 pages of high-quality print, we offer you a comprehensive buyers guide, reviews and details of 27 bikes. One other important note on noise the Dyname 4.0 motor suffers none of the annoying rattle found in the current Shimano and Bosch motors. Lokal. Youll also need to replace the chainring more frequently than usual, as its made from alloy. Who are the people lucky enough to test the hottest eMTBs of 2022? This differs to my experience of riding other e-MTBs, where Ill typically only ride in the Eco or Trail modes on technical ascents. They have a maximum load of just 94 kg and 95 kg respectively. If you put the specs and marketing slogans aside and examine the characters of each of the bikes, you will find a model for almost every riding style and terrain in this test. There was more than one occasion where I accidentally changed the assistance level, or double-tapped a button. Here well be diving into our experience of testing the second-from-the-top model; the Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay C70. With smaller frame sizes or frames with a kink in the seat tube, insertion depth can often be a limiting factor. 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. How long are your longest rides and how much ascending do you realistically do? 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. After all, its rarely the average rated power that is decisive for real riding but the maximum power and torque in the respective support levels that the motors can release during peak loads. 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 70, - Superb handling is up for anything Personally, Ive not found the reduced overrun to be an issue for the majority of trails Ive ridden, and both motors are easy to adapt to after a few rides. First ride review of the new FOCUS Jam 6.9 and SAM 6.9 2023 with Bosch Smart System motor a love that lasts? In general, availability still poses major challenges for the industry in 2022. Shimano provide the most options here. As for rebound damping, I set both the adjusters on fork and shock a click or two slower than halfway. During the first few rides, the Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay didnt quite feel as stable as I was expecting for a big travel e-MTB. As you can see, we didnt make the win quite as easy to determine as it would be in a world championship. Theres a heap of adjustability on offer, and once I found my sweet spot I was rewarded with a comfortable riding position and exceptional weight distribution that made the Altitude Powerplay both agile and predictable across a wide range of conditions. From here the next step was to investigate the dropout flip chip. Loose terrain is more approachable. First of all: you cant have whichever remote you want. Do you run out of juice? Specialized Levo Carbon E-Bike 2023 SAVE 25 %. Rocky Mountain 2022 Slayer Alloy 30 27.5" MTB Gold/Green. With most motors, using the full-powered Boost/Turbo mode tends to be overwhelming, dominating the ride and making the bike difficult to control. We start with the FOCUS JAM2 7.0 for 7,799. I had the pleasure of riding the original model at the European launch way back in 2017, but weve admittedly not had a heap of experience with Rocky Mountain bikes since then. Pedal strikes also became an issue, as the BB ends up being quite low in that slack setting. Noise is also comparable to Bosch, and is significantly less whiney than a Shimano EP8 motor. In addition to the options that you expressed an interest for, our know-how and expertise also played a role in the selection, with many exciting new models on the market that contribute to making this test so interesting. A 630 watt-hour battery, Shimano motor and quality components round out this jack of all trails. 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. What is important here is what is possible, not just what is stated on paper. Lithium-ion batteries slowly lose capacity over time, so expect this additional cost down the line. Of course as youd expect for a big travel e-MTB, the Altitude is a terrifically competent descender. An eMTB is more than the sum of its parts and the arms race for metrics like battery size, motor power or suspension travel rarely produces better bikes. Every product is carefully selected by our editors. Some modern eMTBs, such as the Norco, Rocky Mountain and Specialized Levo, rely on low seat tubes that make it possible to choose between several sizes, provided that a correspondingly long dropper post fits the bike. At higher speeds and on flatter terrain however, the short back end felt unwieldy for such a heavy and powerful e-MTB. TCS velocorner.ch offers 15'000+ bikes from 300+ bike stores and individuals.. 15 Dec 2022 First rides on the Trek Rail 9.9 XTR with Bosch Smart System However, in technical terrain and at high speeds it is severely limited by its spec. Rocky Mountain have opted for a 48V platform for their batteries (most manufacturers run 36V) This is especially important for Australia. Tero X kommer med en Turbo Full Power 2.2-motor fra Specialized, og batteri p hele 710 watt-timer (den rimeligste utgaven har 530Wh), og dreiemoment opp mot 90 newtonmeter. However, we did not like the integration of the new Bosch Smart system and its 750 Wh battery. As you can see, we have invited many different bikes. Motor manufacturers determine these specifications and compatibility. Tires are elementary. Speaking of climbing, the Dyname 4.0 motor doesnt produce a lot of overrun. My only other concern is with the rear end length. The E-MOUNTAINBIKE Print Edition 2022 is our fifth annual edition and the ultimate guide in your search for the perfect eMTB. There is no such shuttle mode on the Altitude Powerplay, which requires a more collaborative performance between your legs and the motor. The Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Alloy 50, Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy, and Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay Alloy 50 are all aluminum frame full suspension mountain e-bikes. Other bikes are capable of covering an equally wide range of applications while also outperforming the MERIDA in individual specialisations. Ride stats from RM Altitude from Strava, Garmin and Ebikemotion app: Moving time 1h 9m, distance 10.4 miles, elevation gain 2,091 ft., estimated average power 155w, energy output 647 kJ. By reading changes in the chain tension, this sensor gives a direct line of communication with the motor output, delivering a near-instantaneous response. Note, that the ratings can only be compared between bikes in this group test. In some ways it fulfilled those expectations, but in other ways it totally surprised me. There is of course huge torque on tap, which becomes apparent the harder you pedal.