No bike was as eagerly awaited as the "Flatline" with its unusual look and wavy down tube. We even overlooked the fact that we were inadvertently sent the "Flatline 2", which was € 400 too expensive for our price range. The "Flatline" replaces the "RMX", but wants to be a freerider or, if desired, a World Cup-ready downhiller - based on a similar principle to the Scott "Gambler". However, the Rocky weighs just under a kilo less. To say it up front: The Rocky flagship couldn't quite fulfil our high expectations for outstanding downhill performance. Strange really, because the central riding position is appealing, as is the low front end. It's also quite long - and as you know: length matters! We had expected the Rocky to win the DH speed classification by a wide margin. But surprisingly, the Rocky rear suspension can't keep up with that of the Specialized or Fusion. Apart from the fact that the wrong tyres prevented longer full throttle sections. We had hoped for a better bike, with its slightly tippy steering behaviour, sluggish handling and labour-intensive cornering. Nevertheless, the Rocky is a high-quality bike with solid performance - but not the revelation we had hoped for.
CONCLUSIONAs a freerider, the "Flatline" was not fully convincing. But perhaps a big-bike heart beats in the Rocky. We are looking forward to further tests.
RemarkWade Simmons' service vehicle was not playful enough for a freerider.
