Funny and disconcerting at the same time: we want to start cycling and first have to press the start button. LEDs light up and we grin. Half embarrassed, half mischievous, as if we were doing something forbidden. "Do you think our readers will give us a hard time about this test?" asks Laurin. "Maybe," I say, "probably, but they have to go through with it!" According to the survey, 63 per cent of you actually don't like e-bikes. Why is that? I only have one explanation: because you've never ridden a really cool e-enduro bike. I know: Critics call them "rollators" and believe that e-bikes are the complete "de-education" of a biker. Nonsense! We say: If it's fun, bring it on! Why close yourself off to innovation? If it were possible in the future to load the skills of Aaron Gwin or Brandon Semenuk into your brain via a software update, we wouldn't hesitate for a moment. More skills, more fun! For e-bikes: more power, more fun. To convince you, we have two of the most modern e-enduro bikes currently available: the Specialized Levo and Rocky Mountains Powerplay. At first glance, they would be almost indistinguishable from a classic enduro bike if it weren't for the inflated down tubes and thick bottom bracket, where the batteries and electric motors are hidden. No clunky displays on the handlebars, no bulky batteries on the frame.
We tested these two E-Enduros:
- Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 90
- Specialised Turbo Levo Carbon FSR Expert
Admittedly, the carts are not light. They weigh over 20 kilos, but the engine conceals the chubby weight. And please remember: The first Specialized Demo weighed a whopping 23 kilos.
First, we chase the E-Enduros over our home trail on the Isar. Here, on our undulating home trail, the comparison is particularly easy. We push the bikes through berms, speed over root carpets and accelerate up climbs as if we had fallen into a magic potion. Inevitably, we start to hoot. Where we are usually 80 per cent occupied with generating propulsion and often lack the breath for gimmicks, we can now let off steam. The result: more momentum, more fun! The first obstacles appear: sloping tree trunks. We fly over them in a bunny hop. Yes, the weight requires a strong arm pull - but that's all. Anything goes: drops, off-road jumps, steep descents. The weight is both a blessing and a curse: on the one hand, it stabilises the bike in conjunction with the very low centre of gravity, especially in bumpy passages and root fields.
On the other hand, the excess weight pushes and requires strong brakes and caution when steering on steep descents.
The fun potential explodes as we conquer new terrain - where gravity mercilessly slows down classic bikes. We experience this on Freiburg's freeride trail "The Canadian", for example. Instead of just riding down, we ride in the opposite direction: up! We experience the much-vaunted uphill flow. The E-Enduros rush through berms and steep bends towards the summit and make the impossible possible. What's more, the view of the terrain changes. Suddenly, rideable lines appear everywhere that you would never have considered as a classic biker. There is a narrow path, for example. It climbs over roots and rock steps to the Neuenfels castle ruins. It's tricky to ride down here, but up? No way!
"I'm going up there now!" Laurin announces. He takes a running start and dashes over the first roots. He swings to the left, tilts to the right, lifts the front wheel onto the stone step and swings his chest over the handlebars. He hangs there for a moment. The rear wheel tries to dig into the dirt, but hits nothing. Horse and rider slide backwards down the slope. That's it! I take a run-up myself. I fail too. Now we're both laughing. At ourselves and at the fun we're having. The world now consists of just two bikers, this climb to the ruins - and the mission: we have to make it up there! After four attempts, Laurin is actually at the top. WTF? I need three more attempts. We feel like children playing in the forest. If that's not freeriding, then what is?
We're not tech nerds. We limit ourselves to switching the engine on and off. In between, we watch the LEDs fade until the battery is empty. Of course, the bikes offer many more options with customised programming via smartphone and Bluetooth stuff. But we don't, because we want to know how the bikes ride and not study computer science. It quickly becomes clear that the Rocky is more geared towards freeriding. It has more travel from the high-end Fox suspension. The in-house motor enables very short chainstays. Super! This increases the playfulness and manoeuvrability. As the drive axle of the Rocky does not run through the bottom bracket, the chain deflection needs guide rollers; they rattle audibly. Clever: the Rocky's special e-gear system. It allows only one gear change at a time at the touch of a thumb. This happens precisely and without the chain cracking.
The Specialized whizzes through the forest as quiet as a mouse and impresses with its direct trail bike handling - the suspension is a little firmer. The thick 2.8 mm tyres provide enormous grip. The long rear end is only a hindrance when you want to pull the bike up to the manual. The Brose motor doesn't fire as powerfully as the more powerful Rocky drive. However, the lower performance didn't bother us. In short, we couldn't find a clear winner in this battle.
Conclusion: Both bikes are great and a hell of a lot of fun! The Rocky is more powerful, louder, easy to pull onto the rear wheel and has more suspension travel. The Specialized rides more directly, is very quiet, but has slightly less motor thrust.
We don't want to keep it a secret: Both bikes had engine faults during the test. The Rocky motor suddenly wouldn't start and needed a reset procedure. The Specialized overheated; the motor reacted with misfires. The manufacturer had installed the wrong battery. After replacing it, everything worked perfectly.
TECHNICAL DATA
Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 90
Manufacturer information
Distribution Rocky Mountain | www.bikeaction.de
Material/sizes Carbon/S, M, L,XL
Price/weight without pedals 9700 Euro/21.4 kg
Measurement data
Front/rear suspension travel 160 mm/155 mm
Rear suspension system Four-bar linkage
Equipment
Fork/damper Fox 36 Float Factory EVOL Fox Float Factory DPS EVOL
Engine Powerplay/ 632 Wh
Brake system Sram Guide RE
Impellers Rocky M. Boost/ Rocky M. 30 AM Carbon
Tyres Maxxis Minion DHF Exo Protec. TR 2.5 WT
Reach 433 mm
Stack 605 mm
BB-Drop -12 mm
PLUS Handling, powerful motor, very free-riding
MINUS Switch console looks cheap, louder due to rattling
Specialised Turbo Levo Carbon FSR Expert
Manufacturer information
Distribution Specialised | www.specialized.com
Material/sizes Carbon/S, M, L,XL
Price/weight without pedals 9 999 Euro/21.6 kg
Measurement data
Front/rear suspension travel 150 mm/150 mm
Rear suspension system Four-bar linkage
Equipment
Fork/damper Öhlins RXF 36/RS Monarch Plus RT3 RX Trail Tune
Engine Brose Drive S Turbo 1.3 / 504 Wh
Brake system Sram Code R
Impellers Specialised hub, Roval Traverse carbon rim
Tyres Specialised Butcher Grid 2.8
Reach 411 mm
Stack 606 mm
BB-Drop -26 mm
PLUS Handling, quiet, direct with a lot of pop
MINUS long rear end, weaker engine, gear change crashes
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
