The South African bike brand Silverback is still barely known in Switzerland. However, this is likely to change now that Nicola Rohrbach has been exporting their mountain bikes to race tracks around the world. Silverback has also relocated its headquarters to Germany and is now represented in almost 50 countries around the world. So the move to Switzerland should no longer be far away.

Innovative and eye-catching

Their latest bike, the full-suspension cross-country bike "Stratos", is also impressive - both visually and technically. However, Nicola Rohrbach's bike is a near-production prototype that is only still being worked out in detail.

The first thing that stands out is the striking triangle in the main frame. Depending on which side the bike is viewed from, the look changes thanks to its asymmetrical design - it takes some getting used to but is definitely cool, as you don't see something like this every day.

This design is not for looks, however, but for better power distribution without excessive use of material. Rohrbach's bike weighs 10.3 kilograms in this version - ready to race.

Another highlight of the frame is the pivot point of the rear triangle. Silverback uses headset bearings here, as they have a larger diameter and the headset system is therefore very stiff but also very easy to maintain.
The rear triangle consists of one piece, so it does not have pivot points but flexible struts.

Overall, the rear triangle is relatively delicate and yet the combination is stiff enough. Not least because of the large bearings.
In terms of geometry, however, the Stratos is not very noticeable: the head angle of 69 degrees and the seat angle of 74.5 degrees correspond to the usual angles.

The Stratos offers 110 millimetres of travel, while Rohrbach's version "only" offers 100 millimetres. The travel is managed by an X313 remote shock from DT-Swiss. This is also where the Swiss race fork "OPM O.D.L 100 RACE" comes from.

Electronic as well as mechanical

When it comes to components, Rohrbach relies on the new Eagle AXS shifting system (pronounced "access") from Sram. The wireless shifting group had already proven itself in the late prototype stage on the racetracks and is even slightly lighter than its mechanical counterpart.

Rohrbach does not use electronics for the dropper seatpost, even though the Rock-Shox Reverb AXS or Magura Vyron would be available. It is easy to save some weight here. In contrast to electronic shifting, the E-seatposts are a lot heavier. Nicola Rohrbach's post from Bike Yoke weighs around 385 grams with a stroke of 80 millimetres and a diameter of 30.9 millimetres.

However, it is not operated with the original lever, but with the Light Action Remote, mounted directly on the brake lever, from its sponsor Wolf Tooth. The direct mount chainring with 36 teeth, the largest possible chainring dimension currently available for Rohrbach's Stratos frame, also comes from Wolf Tooth. The final version should enable chainrings with up to 38 teeth.

A "round" thing

Rohrbach is not only supplied with suspension by DT Swiss. Of course, the rolling stock also comes from the Biel-based wheel specialists, and it's not of the delicate variety. The "XMC 1200 SPLINE" wheels have 30 millimeter carbon rims that are actually designed for all-mountain use, but are now often ridden in cross country.

This also makes sense for his body mass, because at 184 centimeters tall and weighing 73 kilograms, Nicola Rohrbach puts a little more strain on his equipment than his colleagues.
The 32-year-old doesn't skimp on tires either. To reduce the risk of punctures, he uses rubber with Chaoyang's thicker SPS carcasses. Depending on the surface, Rohrbach configures his rolling stock with thinner-walled tires and puncture protection.

For the brakes, Rohrbach relies on Magura's MT8 brakes with single-finger carbon levers. Interesting detail: At the rear, the long-lasting Comfort brake pads, which are usually used in the entry-level segment, slow the bike down. At the front, a pair of performance pads take over.

Nicola Rohrbach's Silverback Stratos can be described without exaggeration as one of the most interesting bikes on the race course - primarily because of the frame, but also because of the colorful variety of components.

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