Rocky Mountain has taken a big, ballsy step, into the EMTB category, launching their first, power-assisted bike with a carbon frame housing a proprietary system and integrated battery. What you are looking at is a bike from a Canadien company that was designed in Vancouver, assembled in Quebec, and will initially only available in Europe.
Rocky was keen to point out that the Altitude Powerplay is still an Altitude through and through, not just a bike with a bolt-on power unit. The majority of the bike's features, construction methods, materials, and geometry are shared with the 2018 non-powered bike. To get all the details on the purely human-powered Altitude, you can read
Mike Levy's recent piece here, for this article, we focus on the added Powerplay system.
Altitude Powerplay Details• Intended use: EMTB / all-mountain / enduro
• Proprietary Powerplay system
• 500 or 632-Watt/Hr battery
• Limited to EU regulations - 25 km/h power cutoff
• Wheel travel: 150mm rear / 160mm front
• Ride-9 suspension/geo adjustment
• Smoothlink suspension
• Weight: 22.21 kgs (Carbon 70, size large, actual)
• Availability: June, European markets only
• MSRP: €5700 - €9700 (slight variations between terrritories)
• www.bikes.com Carbon, Aluminum and Battery OptionsThere will be three models of Powerplay to choose from, starting at €5700 and heading skywards to €9700. For the commenters, I am going to beat you to this one–yes, you can easily buy a motocross bike for less, and nearly afford an electric KTM MX bike for a few hundy more.
The top of the range Carbon 90 is the only model with a full carbon frame. The 70 and 50 models feature the same carbon mainframe but use an alloy chainstay and seat stay. The higher end 90/70 models will come with a whopping 632-Watt/Hr battery, the 50 will have a smaller–but equal to its competitors–500-Watt/Hr unit. The Powerplay drive unit, geometry, wheel size and travel numbers are consistent throughout the range.
Rocky have gone with a 48v system, which allows quicker charging times than with lower voltages. You can't remove the integrated battery to charge it, but you should be able to get 80% of power topped up in two hours.
Powerplay DriveHoused behind the gloss plastic cover is Rocky's Powerplay system, which was developed, and is assembled, in-house. Instead of using an off-the-shelf system, they developed their own unit that gave them the characteristics they wanted: super fast engagement, a short, 425mm chainstay, chain line adjusted for added power transfer and the possibility to use a standard PF92 bottom bracket and crankset.
The Powerplay doesn't use a computer screen display on the bars. Rocky decided to keep things simple with a thumb button remote on the left side of the handlebar. Here, riders can turn the bike on and off, change power modes and see battery life displayed by LED's. Three power modes are set as standard: Eco, Trail and Ludacris, which deliver 40, 60 or 100% of available power. Outputs for each mode can be adjusted with Rocky's mobile app.
The Powerplay drives from an axle in front of the chainring, with a torque sensor between the two. As the cranks are pressured, the tension on the lever will tell the motor how much power is needed – harder pedal strokes mean more power assist. This is said to give a much quicker motor response than anything else on the market. Other systems use torque sensors that only read once per pedal stroke. Rocky say that this quick response should help to make the ride more intuitive and
learning to ride the bike won't be necessary.
A standard RaceFace crankset is used with a PF92 bottom bracket. The only difference being the Spragg clutch bearing in the chainring spider, which allows back pedaling without turning against the drive of the motor. Rocky say that this will help with ease of maintenance as you won't be forced to open the motor casing in order to change bottom bracket bearings.
The Powerplay is also backed by a mobile app that works with Android and iPhone systems. Currently, in a beta version, the full program will allow riders to change the power modes as a percentage of complete output, use GPS maps to plan rides and know how far they can ride judging by current power use, and lots more. You can even plug your device into the USB port to keep it charged from the main battery.
BuildThe Powerplay is sensibly built. The 150/160mm chassis seems to be in the preferred travel range that many tester's favorite EMTB's are settling at. The 160mm Fox fork is the e-Bike optimized version, which has a bulked-up crown, steerer and stanchions to take the extra beating that results from the bike's extra weight. The thicker-gauge stanchions do mean, however, that a 36 damper is too big to fit; a smaller Fox 34 unit is used instead.
27.5 Wide Trail. Is this another wheel size? Not quite, but Rocky have chosen to use 2.5-inch WT tires from Maxxis on a 40mm rim. Many would say that a 40mm rim is too wide for a 2.5-inch tire, but the WT version rounds the profile, the wide stance gives the extra support needed for the heavier bike, and also gives the option to install tougher tires. Even though RM was the first brand to release a production plus bike, they believe that the plus tires aren't accurate enough for the aggressive way the Powerplay can be ridden, and the availability of heavy duty tires in 2.8-inch sizes (and larger) is not good enough yet.
I still think derailleurs are a silly idea for a mountain bike, but SRAM's EX1 8-speed, EMTB-specific drivetrain is turning out to be head and shoulders above the rest when used in conjunction with added motor power. The Guide RE stoppers use an older-style Code caliper for added power and 200mm rotors. The tougher drivetrain and beefed-up brakes are a must on EMTBs's and it's nice to see the inclusion of these parts on every bike in the range.
Altitude Powerplay Questions With Rocky's Brian ParkPaul Aston - How did Rocky consider the environment when moving into the Powerplay project. A carbon fiber frame combined with a lithium-based battery probably isn't welcome news for people who want to minimize their impact on the waste stream, but is the way this bike can be used (cutting down on lift and shuttle use) likely to offset any environmental downsides?Brian Park - We’re mindful of the environmental impact of all our bikes, the Altitude Powerplay included. We chose to use high-quality Samsung cells and an advanced charging system to make sure our batteries are able to recharge as many times as possible. Lithium ion batteries have many opportunities for effective recycling, and the growth of electric cars is driving rapid improvements in recycling systems. Cutting down on shuttles helps, as does bringing in new riders from more environmentally-impactful sports. For example, during our launch in Valberg, one of our guides mentioned that one of his largest demographics is former moto riders.Aston - Which kind of rider do you think the Powerplay is for? Is it for any mountain biker?Park - We designed the Altitude Powerplay for trail riders, same as our regular Altitude—the very first line in our design brief states that we set out to build an aggressive trail bike. Knowing we were free of the constraints that other manufacturers face with bolt-on, 3rd-party motor systems, our North Vancouver development centre built many test-mules with a wide variety of geometries and suspension numbers. Ultimately, we concluded that for an aggressive trail bike what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Geometry and suspension remain a function of intended use, electric assist or otherwise.Aston - You created a proprietary system to gain the ride qualities you desired. What are the downsides of your own system, in terms of compatibility and parts replacement?Park - The Powerplay drive system uses a bottom bracket that’s part of the front triangle rather than incorporated into the drive like other systems. This allows our system to use a conventional bottom bracket for easy service by any trained bike mechanic, rather than needing to ship a motor unit away when you need a new BB. It also allows us to use normal, high-performance cranks, using the Race Face Cinch interface to house our clutch-bearing. Other wear items like the drive pinion are easily serviceable with common shop tools.
Service support will always be a concern on a new, disruptive system, so we put a ton of effort into building a robust back end of diagnostic tools to make troubleshooting easier at the authorized dealer level. Currently, we are introducing the bike into European markets only, so we’re opening a European parts and service centre and have been busy training support technicians across Europe.Aston - How does Rocky consider the impacts on trail access? Here in Europe, EMTB's are taking off. It seems that the bikes are being welcomed and promoted and we have already started to see trails being built thanks to them. Are we likely to see more trails for all bikes globally, horse and cart drivers thought cars would destroy their roads, but now we have roads all over the world?Park - I get your point with the cart-vs-car analogy, but I do want to say that we built this bike to ride proper trails, not paved, sanitized flow trails. The Altitude Powerplay is a mountain bike to ride mountain bike trails.
There are some very real issues surrounding EMTBs and trail access, and we understand the concerns some people have—although as you point out, EMTBs can have a positive impact on trail access as well. There's a particularly thorny situation in the USA, which is one reason we’re introducing our bike in Europe first, despite strong demand for it in the US market.
More people on bikes is a great thing, and it’s awesome that EMTBs widen mountain biking’s appeal to more potential riders. It’s hard not to have a shit-eating grin on your face after riding an Altitude Powerplay, which, outside of some internet forums, is why we all started riding in the first place.
And finally, the genie is out of the bottle and never going back in. Electric-assist bikes are here to stay. We support more dialogue with trail access groups, legislators, riders, builders, and manufacturers; it’s all of our business to figure this out so we can grow our sport, protect our trails, and keep having fun on our bikes.On the TrailAs you may have noticed, this is our first EMTB feature on Pinkbike, with my limited riding experience on these machines I don't want to spit hyperbole on the ride characteristics. We currently have a range of bikes with various systems on test in Europe and will be rolling out content over the following months.
The first thing to notice, is that even though the motor is extremely quiet compared to other EMTB's I have been riding (Shimano and Bosch systems) the added jockey wheels and rollers create some noise akin to a downhill chain device from 2003, that's badly aligned and needs a service, OK, maybe not that bad, but it does rumble along when pedalling. The flipside of this, and mostly thanks to the integrated battery, is that the Powerplay is super quiet off the power and on the trail and feels solid throughout. One downside is that this battery can only be charged on the bike. Removing the battery requires the motor to be taken off too. While that may not prove an issue for every rider, my garage has no power point, so hauling a dirty, 22kg bike up the stairs into my small apartment in order to charge it isn't ideal. Also, a proprietary system takes you out of the running for a quick battery swap at the rumored 'battery stations' that could be popping up around Europe for other systems.
Like all the EMTB's I have tested to date, the added weight gives a planted feeling on the trail that is out of reach of a conventional bike, along with improved suspension action and massive grip levels. I don't think the weight is a real issue on the trail, after a few E-rides, strength builds and I find myself doing nearly everything the same as when I'm on a normal bike when changing line, hopping and even nose wheelies into switchbacks. Weight is a non-issue going back up, as the effort needed to climb these bikes is less that of an 8kg XC race whippet. I find myself repeating sections over and over that I would never bother to pedal back up to normally.
One of the best things about an EMTB? Climbing is much easier so you challenge yourself to ride up the steepest things you can see. Climbing trail that you would on a normal bike is a breeze on the Powerplay, but heading up the vert, a huge amount of body language is needed to keep the front end down; super-short 425mm chainstays, a not-super-steep 74º seat angle and an extra 300 watts of tireless power does mean you are riding a wheelie machine. Changing into a lower power mode did calm this down, but the limiting factor seems to be the geometry over the power - maybe I am just too lanky and my seat gets too high?
Overall, Rocky seem to have built a solid, well thought out machine. Time will be it's judge as we take the Altitude Powerplay for back-to-back testing against other systems and bikes on the market. We'll be watching as this quickly evolving market move forwards.
About the Reviewer Stats: Age: 31 • Height: 6'1” • Ape Index: +4" • Weight: 75kg • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None • Instagram:
astonatorPaul Aston is a racer and dirt-jumper at heart. Previously adding to the list of non-qualifiers at World Cup DH events, now he attacked enduro before it was fashionable. Based in the UK, but often found residing between mainland Europe and New Zealand allows him to experience a huge variety of terrains and trails.
I also saw a guy without helmet, on a 160mm fs ebike, with vertical bar ends, Lycra, pedaling up with a lowered dropperpost...
Excellent, balanced, ** OPEN MINDED** review, Paul.
Oh, bollocks.
But.. I'm a married guy with 2 small kids and I really don't have much time to go out and ride my f@#&$ bike. So, when I have 15 min of spare time, I come here. Sites like Vital and Pinkbike are my escape from daily routine. My sanctuary (if you want me to be melodramatic ).
And i don't want to read here about e-bikes! Or Kardashians family. Or similar bullshit.
I know this cause I too am a married man with small kids..
The trick, is not to live in an apartment.. one door, and you need to be able to get outside.
tough shit, maybe i do want to read it?
The lines are going blur in the coming years. No real option but to ban anything with a form of motor. If not we'll end up loosing trail access.
Just an expat trying to serve justice to the swiss privilaged..
I can complain with the best of them, but getting tired of lack of time excuses.
Other e-folks? Hmmm... not so sure... And I bet someone will do something very stupid and they'll ban all MTB riding in certain places. Shame...
You can bet on that
Officer! There's been an E-bike 29er with air suspension and clipless pedals, riding down at me at 50Mph I've never been more scared in my life! I threw my children behind me and threw my wife to the ground as I was running away - at first I thought it was a Grizzly! And then they rode back up! Combustion engines on motorcycles - you can at least hear them coming! Ban these things!
Nah, I know, it's just Australians, they never slow down and drink beer in Whistler
I'm 52. If and when I will be really OLD I'd like to count on the help of a clever, well thought, fun to ride e-bike like this one.
That's how an e-bike should be designed, and I hope this approach will prevail over the awful panzer monsters we have seen so far.
To all the whiners: do you really feel so alpha-maley and self righteous? Seriously?
As a purist, I admit that no, I am not particularly interested in the idea of eMTBs, nor in trying them myself. I think the mechanical simplicity of the bicycle is what makes it beautiful, but I don't seek to impose on anyone else's right to ride e-bikes responsibly. I don't feel insecure when a fitter rider blows by me on a climb; how much less emasculated will I be by someone who bought his watts?
As an American, however, I am concerned by the rise of eMTBs, not because I am "alpha-maley and self righteous", but because our trail access is tenuous as it is. Already, my local MTB community has encountered inexperienced eMTBers who do not follow proper trail etiquette, speak abrasively and dismissively to trail users of all kinds, and ride restricted trails illegally. We can't expect hikers and equestrians to successfully distinguish between motorized and unmotorized mountain bikes when they complain and lobby. Most of them would be more than happy to have an excuse to keep the trails to themselves, and who can blame them? Wouldn't we if we had the chance?
If I lived in another country, with less restrictions and fewer lobbying threats, I would have nothing to say on the subject. More riders? All the better! But I do live in the United States, and so I feel duty-bound to voice a perspective of caution and temperance. The physical and technical challenges of mountain biking traditionally ensure that, while we are the fastest trail users, we also develop the skill and responsibility to keep other trail users safe before we're fast enough to threaten them. E-bikes remove that barrier, and that makes them a threat, and that's why we grumble.
Glad you're digging the bike itself!
Luckily the local ebike riders don´t ride after lunch, but I have had to can morning rides as I was coming across huge groups of them.
BTW I'm not advocating anything: I just feel free to make my choices without giving a rat s%&t about what talibans think.
Guess what?
THEY'RE BOTH A BLAST.
The fact that I own an e-bike tells you NOTHING about me or my abilities. It just tells you that I've got an open mind, and that I've actually RIDDEN an e-bike.
And as is regularly the case, once you try an e-bike, you want an e-bike.
Again - OPEN MIND.
"but don't expect me to ever be caught on a bike like this Rocky as long as I'm able to make that decision."
Frankly I don't give a f*ck what you do or think. Stop being a tool and return the favour, maybe?
Not in the civilised world, thankfully...
just to clear things up - focused on Austria
in general it is forbidden to ride a mountain road/road in the woods at all. the reason are legal restrictions that are there in theory, but nearly nobody cares about it. In case of an accident my insurace does care about it.
E-bikes are forbidden on any kind of wood/mountain road at all due to law. They are motor vehicles and are therefore not allowed to use these roads because it is illegal with motor vehicle.
So trail access is an issue and this topic is discussed by interest groups behind closed doors. This also is a problem for non e-bike mountain bikers as the number of "illegal" bikers rises.
So an e-bike is not an bicycle and therefore your statement is nonsense. Look up the laws that are relevant and you will see. I agree that the 2 meter rule is nothing of relevance in Austria. The whole topic is not that straight forward at all and in discussions like that it is easy to forget - e-bikes are motor vehicles - at least in Austria according to the laws in play.
I don´t feel bad about e-bikes or hate them. I make a living of repairing bike/e-bikes so the more the better. I´ve also seen what it does to people who were not cycling/e-biking before. The result speaks for itself and anybody who does not like e-bikes is not forced to buy one.
Who had more fun in? Me, puffed and knackered, on my normal bike, or them who smashed 4 full top to bottom runs and were still looking for a 5th run?
Like them or not, they kind of make sense.
And e-bikes get you more of both,
Besides, if they're of no interest to you, why worry about them? Let E-Bikers E-Bike and you, me and everyone else can ride our normal bikes.
A good downhill run is supposed to be a reward, not an entitlement. You're not entitled to have fun if you don't deserve it.
I'm sick of the modern society full of lazy degenerates who are convinced that every minute of their life must be fun and that they're entitled to everything they want without making any effort.
Having fun isn't the reason why sports were invented. The main aim of any sport is to utilize and improve your fitness and either challenge yourself or compete with others.
Riding an e-bike instead of a normal one neither improves your fitness, nor presents a challenge.
You're welcome
2. the technical approach on this eBike is promising, but the bike is still way too heavy
Last week I spent a week at Lake Garda, and eBikes are the rage there. Lots and lots of more or less unexperienced riders in big guided groups.
As I was pedaling up the Ponale up to Rocchetta, I got tangled in such a group of eBikers; none of those folks seemed to have any experience riding on two wheels except for maybe a commuter for work. After about 1000 meters up at Malga Palaer, their batteries ran out (because going up full power) and they returned rolling down the road.
Anyway they would never have made it up to Rocchetta on the 422, because how would they lift their 22kg - monsters up the steep steps and roots on this part of the trail?
I got estranged looks from them, because I pedaled my 16kg superenduro all the way up. I am 58.
OF COURSE it effing is! Even UK law explicitly acknowledges this.
if cranks are needed in order to be allowed to hit the trails
Long travel E-bikes mean every dh trail centre in U.K. becomes an uplift.
Short travel e-bikes allow older or less able folk to get out and enjoy a ride.
Oh, f*ck OFF. It's not about "fit" it's about "fun".
www.ktm.com/e-ride/freeride-e-xc-1
Firstly - mountain biking is badass. You do ridiculous shit in the woods, that most people wouldn't even be able to get to, let alone touch. It's being at one with nature, it's seeing bits of the world that others don't, and it's doing badass shit and feeling good about yourself. The unadultered biggest issue with E-MTBs is that a bunch of unskilled, unfit normies will parade around their fat faces as "mountain bikers" and give proper riders a bad name. It's meant to be a hard sport. STAHP CHEATING.
In addition...
If you're not fit enough to get into the wilderness under your own power, how the f*ck are you gonna get back out of it if shit goes wrong? It's all very well being inclusive but I think there's a very real issue with mechanicals 20 miles into uninhabited woods when you're incapable of returning to the start under your own steam...
And lastly, is this system seen in any of the Evox brand bikes with the jocky wheel implementation?
shall we ban all DH bikes from pinkbike as well, cause mainly the use lift access / shuttles to get to the top of the trail and not pedal uphill?
of course ebikes bring more people to the trails, meaning more problems...
and if you are fool on a normal bike, you will be a fool on an ebike and vice versa
I think the biggest issue with ebikes is the speeds that they can climb. We're already dealing with speed conflicts on downhill trails, now we'll have to deal with speed conflicts on uphill trails? If the uphill speed was limited to what the average person can climb, less the 10km/hr, you could address this potential conflict.
Bike companies should definitely start increasing chainstay lengths on the larger sizes. If 425mm chainstays work for the size small, they should be closer to 445mm - or maybe even more - for the XL.
Things like the new Santa Cruz Chameleon having 415-430mm stays and 73 degree seat angle, even on the XL? Madness
@RockyMountainBicycles I'd be really curious where that demand is. Locally in New England, I have into 3 people who are in favor. One person was claiming it was so he could ride with his son. He seemed significantly upset he couldn't keep up with someone who is 30 years younger than him, so he got a near top of line e-bike to level the playing field.
Are you guys seeing people that are willing to spend more money than the average trail user for a new experience? Because by the participation numbers, I can't see a majority of users wanting electronic assist bikes on trail.
We also use more conventional high performance parts than other eMTBs (bottom brackets, cranks, etc.), so wear items are less of a pain to work on, and there's no need to ship a motor away to service a BB. Our top guide roller aligns the chain with the drive pinion directly—dramatically reducing wear. And, once it does need service, the drive pinion is easily removable with a standard cassette tool.
We didn't go down this road because it's easy to make our own system. We did it because we weren't willing to accept the geometry and suspension compromises with the existing systems out there.
Cheers!
Four weeks ago I was in Switzerland for a week (Meiringen, quite some decent hills in the area). Because I needed a new water bladder for my backpack, I dropped by the local bikeshop and was greeted by a wide array of emtbs. The shop employee was friendly to help me with the bladder and obviously I was curious about riding here. He said I was free to ride an mtb wherever I wanted, but I couldn't take the cable car. Stuff is steep there (this is the area of the Eiger, Jungfrau etc) and if people could use the cable car, pretty sure they would. Now if people bring their emtb, they can just ride and don't put such a burden on the infrastructure. The comparison to ski tourism might be apt. Back in the day, people used to hike op all day to enjoy a single run down the hill. Nowadays it has become quite acceptable to take the uplift and ski or snowboard back down and enjoy several runs a day. This became the big thing for these areas. But it meant that they had too much capacity in the off season (with many gondolas running empty or near emtpy) and ques in high season. Neither is desirable. Now that snowfall is dwindling in recent years, these areas are looking for alternatives and a summer gravity sport like (downhill or enduro or whatever you want to call it) mountainbiking is an excellent addition. And then, riders who take care of their own uplift (by means of pedal assist or just Nino like fitness) take away some of the burden on the infrastructure. It is only a good thing for these areas. If I'd live in one of these areas, pretty sure I'd save up for one of these bikes. I'd mean I could ride regularly and focus on the stuff I like to ride. As it is now, no I don't need one.
As for the bike, the concept is definitely interesting. It means you can keep riding regular cranks etc. But from a business point of view, it is tough. First of all, I believe the market for true electric mountainbikes in Europe is small. PB mixed stuff up. Yes loads of bikes with electric pedal assist are being sold. But nearly all of them are for commuting, for people to get to work, to the shops etc. A small portion is for sports and recreation. It may be different to the North American market where most bikes are for sports and recreation. Now for these emtbs sold in Europe, there are already quite some big guys like Giant, Cube and Haibike (from Accell) who already have their sales and service network sorted. I think the ones from Trek are even designed in Europe. Even if you want something more artisian which, to be fair, goes for Rocky Mountain their facing tough competition. Nicolai and Orange will make you a proper European made e-mtb too.
TL;DR: Good article. Product makes sense. Rocky Mountain is facing tough competition in a small market.
No, they also make sense for anyone not 100% bell-end.
Sure, they're expensive, not for everyone etc etc but for a fun days riding that opens up the 'ups' to be enjoyed as much as the 'downs' they are a revalation!
You *know* that, do you?
Or you just spouting whatever ignorant and uninformed opinion that springs to mind?
Obidog is clearly speaking FROM EXPERIENCE. Actual KNOWLEDGE, y'know?
I still ride MX and Moto Enduro but injury has curbed that for me a bit. EMTBs give me bike release and really do make MTB better.
Try one before you hate...
GFY
Have read read some of your other comments, you are a prick...
Serious question. As you had the change, why not integrate a gearbox with drive belt? I understand it would have added weight, but the mentioned noise would have disappeared and make it look slimmer. It would have been a chance to test it, no?
"Yeah you hate them, you have used the every lame and pointless argument under the sun, yeah we dont care."
[Reply]
(but I'm sure the editors already anticipated this...)
So I now own an eMTB - Lapierre SX800 and it has made me ride MTB again as I can do multiple laps at Innerleithen without the slog of the uphills. Until you try, you have no idea how good they are.
Also, as an MX/Enduro rider I much prefer the feel of the bile, it's heavier and tracks better.
They are not going away, in 5 years time most MTBs sold will be eBikes. Why would you not want to have more fun?