Pirelli once put it so well: "Power is nothing without control." Rocky's Dyname motor has a whopping 108 Newton meters of power. If you pedal with gusto, the motor packs a punch like Rocky Balboa.

Ride wanted to know from the Swiss importer what else characterizes the Altitude Powerplay Alu 70 besides its sheer power:

"With efficient power management, 1800 to 2000 meters of altitude can be climbed (based on a rider weight of 102 kg). Our 48-volt fast-charging battery reaches 80 percent capacity up to 66 percent faster than the competition. As soon as you start pedaling, the Dyname 3.0 drive starts immediately. With competitor systems, there are often delays, an overly abrupt power supply (causing the tires to spin or the rider to lose control) and a generally strange riding experience. With the Powerplay, starting on a slope is easier than ever before - it's really easy to get going."

Corinne Iten, Marketing Chris Sports AG

Equipment

The battery has a capacity of 672 watt hours. Enough power for long tours. It is barely noticeably integrated into the down tube. In return, the Rock Shox suspension absorbs energy. The Lyrik and the "Deluxe Sel-ect+" suspension strut are perfectly matched. Otherwise, Rocky uses tried and tested parts from Shimano's Deo-re-XT groupset as well as Race Face components and DT Swiss wheels. Robust and reliable components across the board.

Each frame size comes with its own shock tuning ex works. With the "i-Woc Trio" remote control reduced to a minimum, the various support modes are displayed with different light colors. Three buttons are available for basic operation; everything else is controlled and displayed via an app on the smartphone. There is no display.

Motor / battery

Dyname 3.0 / Samsung Li-Ion
Power: 250 watts
Torque: 108 Newton meters
Battery capacity: 672 watt hours

Processing & details

The "RIDE-9™" system has been tried and tested for years. It allows riders to individually adjust the geometry to their preferences in nine setups. The aluminum frame has beautiful, pronounced weld seams and a solid finish. The black metallic paintwork features metal flakes of different sizes and colors and glistens attractively in the sunlight.

In the plane

E-bikes often feel sluggish even on flat terrain, but not the Rocky. Apart from the motor, it rides almost like a regular bike. The riding position is upright and comfortable. With the Powerplay, the name says it all. The motor provides plenty of thrust and the bike is playful to steer.

Up the mountain

Power - thanks to the well-tuned suspension, the bike climbs even very rough trails with ease. In trail mode, the engine has moderate traction, but if you switch to the most powerful setting, "Ludicrous", you will quickly lose your grin. This requires maximum concentration, as the drive now releases a lot of power. But it is well dosed so that traction is high and the rear wheel does not spin. Once at the top, the laughter is quickly back.

Down the mountain

Play - the bike is screaming for "full throttle"! This doesn't mean the engine, but the riding style. The Altitude Powerplay is a "gulper". Initially, it offers little suspension travel, but the rougher the terrain and the higher the speed, the more it is used. The suspension is soft and only gives minimal feedback from the ground, but has good end progression. The handling is somewhere between agile and directional. It is a lot of fun.

Conclusion

Power and Play really gets to the heart of this series. The motor is as powerful as a pumped-up bodybuilder. And riding uphill is just as much fun as the playful and gulping downhill handling. The Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Alu 70 belongs to that rare breed of e-bikes where you forget you're on a motorized vehicle on the downhill.

Recommendation

Data junkies who want to be able to read off their display at any time how fast they are, how much longer they can ride and so on are not well served by this bike. Those who don't care or who take the information from their smartphone will get a powerhouse with no frills and a big grin off-road, except when going full throttle uphill.

Specifications

Manufacturer/distributor

www.bikes.com / www.chrissports.ch

Test report published in issue 04/2020 of Ride magazine