Test: Cylan Rock Fly - a "little fatty" that packs a punch
First of all, the people behind Cylan are not newcomers to the bike industry. The company behind it is Lizard Sports, which produced the specialist retail brand Canyon.swiss until August 2019. The dominance of the German brand Canyon and other reasons have prompted the family business to relaunch.
At first glance, the Rock Fly doesn't look quite "state of the art". Visually, the bike lags behind the current top dogs in terms of design. The frame shape and details such as the rocker look like models that came onto the market five to six years ago. The workmanship, on the other hand, is very high quality and the bike has a robust design. The downside and therefore the only real disadvantage of the Cylan: It is brutally heavy. The scales read exactly 27 kilos. Fortunately, you notice this more when loading it onto the train or into the car and not so much on the trail. There it provides a lot of riding fun!We wanted to know from Cylan what the positive features of the Rock Fly are:
- Unbeatable price-performance ratio
- E-MTB-optimized, progressive rear triangle
- Integrated cable routing with steering stop
- E-MTB-optimized geometry of the frame
- Mixed wheels: 29'' front / 27.5+'' rear
Statement from: Kilian Schoch, Head of Engineering, Lizard Sports AG
Special features
- Very low top tube for more legroom
- Saddle post clamp with quick release
- Mounting device for side stand
- Headset with integrated cable routing
- E-MTB-specific saddle and tire
On the flat
You sit upright and centrally on the bike and feel comfortable straight away. The suspension is sensitive and absorbs the slightest bumps. On moderate terrain, it is very agile and playful to ride. As you would expect from the Bosch CX, you quickly get up to speed
.Up the mountain
Mullet bikes are usually not such good climbers because the front wheel climbs quickly. Not so with the Rock Fly. It scrambles up even technically demanding trails with the best traction. Not least because of the well-chosen Eddy Current tires from Schwalbe. Although the bike is a heavyweight, it is easy to get up through tight bends and winding trails.
Downhill
You quickly forget how hard it was to lift the "fat bike" onto the train. Downhill, the Cylan comes up trumps with a very forgiving rear end and late end progression. The suspension feels like it has more than the specified 150 and 160 millimeters of travel. The fork and shock are perfectly matched to each other and to the kinematics of the Rock Fly.
The high weight somewhat inhibits the playful character of the bike and jumps are not mastered as easily as usual. On the other hand, it really sticks to the ground and it's easy to ride a little too fast. If you lose control briefly at the limit, you can quickly get the good-natured Rock Fly back under control.
On the rough trails in Ticino, however, the Rock Fly causes trouble. Three young bikers feel offended when a greying e-biker overtakes them on the descent. They don't put up with it and give chase. But that doesn't do their pride any good: if you let go of the brakes on this e-MTB and concentrate fully on the trail, you quickly make up ground. Bye bye guys, there's nothing like a few years of experience and a potent chassis.
Conclusion
The Cylan Rock Fly leaves a mixed impression. The handling is impressive and provides a lot of fun, whether uphill or downhill. However, the high weight literally slows you down. On the other hand, you benefit from a good price-performance ratio. This raises the question of what is more important to you.
Recommendation
The bike is aimed at the franc-conscious buyer who doesn't necessarily need the latest design bells and whistles and is willing to put up with the excess weight. The bike is better suited to heavier riders than lighter ones
Specifications
| Frame material: | Aluminum |
| Price: | CHF 5499.00 |
| Weight: | 27 kg (frame size 44, with pedals) |
| Suspension travel: | 160 mm front / 50 mm rear |
| Engine: | Bosch Performance CX Gen4, 250 W, 85 Nm |
| Battery: | Bosch Power Tube, 625 Wh |
| Suspension fork: | Fox 38 Performance, e-bike |
| Suspension strut: | Fox DPX2 Performance Elite |
| Circuit: | Shimano Deore XT/Deore |
| Brakes: | Shimano SLX, 4-piston, 200 mm |
| Crankset: | FSA CK-762, 165 mm |
| Wheels: | Alex EM30/EM35 rims, Shimano Deore hubs |
| Tires: | Front: Schwalbe Eddy Current, 29 x 2.4 Rear: Schwalbe Eddy Current, 27.5 x 2.8 |
| Saddle: | Ergon SM10 |
| Saddle post: | X-Fusion MTB Manic, 150 mm |
| Fusion stem: | Satori Ursa, 50 mm |
| handlebars: | Zoom MTB-AL-3720BT, 800 mm, 20 mm rise |
Geometry
Not available online
Manufacturer/distributor
Test report published in issue 04/2021 of Ride Magazine.
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Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.