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No lift ticket needed – Rotwild announces the R.G+ FS electric downhill bike

Rotwild E-DH bike, feature img
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Rotwild R.G+ FS E-DH bike, side

What’s the most fun thing about ebikes? The arguments, of course! Haters probably cringed when they saw the first e-bike, then again when the first full-suspension models came around, and once more when electric downhill bikes became a reality. But while some of us are lamenting ‘is nothing sacred?’ others are thinking ‘that looks awesome’!

With several models already in their lineup Germany’s Rotwild is no stranger to electric bikes, and they’ve just announced an e-downhill bike that will surely fuel many debates over trail access, the competing goals of fitness vs. fun and whether the easy ride up is worth the sneers and jeers from the pedal-power purists.

Rotwild says their newest E-MTB will make it easier for people to enjoy the fun experience of downhill riding without the hassle of organizing shuttle trucks or paying big bucks for lift tickets at the bike park. The 2017 R.G+ FS will be debuting to the public with two different models on display at the Eurobike tradeshow, which begins August 31st…

Rotwild R.G+ FS E-DH bike, motor

At this time no details of the R.G+ FS have made it to their website yet, but here’s all the info Rotwild has provided: The R.G+ FS’ 500Wh motor is made entirely from carbon fiber. The bike uses the same Brose drive unit as Rotwild’s other e-bikes, and it fully decouples so there’s zero drag when the motor isn’t assisting. The assist level can be adjusted, but so far we don’t have info on how many increments or power levels you can choose.

Rotwild R.G+ FS E-DH bike, shock

Rotwild’s new XLS chassis provides 200mm of rear travel, and is specifically designed to work with the Fox X2 Air shock. The XLS linkage aims to provide good small bump sensitivity and a progressive high-end spring curve. The bike’s anti-squat has also been optimized for the added chain tension produced by the motor.

The R.G+ FS rolls on 27.5” wheels, and offers ample clearance for up to 2.6” widths. One thoughtful addition is the stealth dropper post routing- It’s clearly something only an electric DH bike would need, but this thing is going to be climbing too!

Rotwild R.G+ FS E-DH bike, front angle

The head tube angle is fixed at a slack 63.5°, but the headset allows for adjustment of +/- 1.5°. The chain stays can be positioned to either 450mm or 465mm (that’s the medium frame- the size large measures 462.5mm in its shorter mode). Frames come in Medium and Large sizes, check out the chart below for the complete geometry.

Rotwild R.G+ FS E-DH bike, geo chart

Some components are shared between the two bikes but you can see in the chart below what they’ve done to shave the price down on the Pro version- Most notably it comes with a 180mm single crown fork, which seems like a major compromise for such a pricey machine that’s intended for full-on DH riding. They’ve also gone with a 1×10 drivetrain vs. the 11 speed setup on the Evo model.

Rotwild R.G+ FS E-DH bike, specs
*Photos courtesy of Rotwild
Keep an eye on Rotwild’s website for updated info on the R.G+ FS, or check it out in person if you’re attending Eurobike 2016.

rotwild.com

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silverlining
silverlining
7 years ago

Odd. The second best thing about DH is enjoying the lift ride back up. Most parks do have steep access roads from the base to the top. You would likely waste the battery life very quickly trying to ride up more than a few times. It would also be a lot slower than the lift, cutting in to how many DH runs you could get as well. I don’t get it?

Fred
Fred
7 years ago
Reply to  silverlining

This bike is for the offseason when the weather is still good to ride but the lifts are no longer running. Like you said it wouldn’t make sense to use one when the lifts are working, short of saving money on your liftpass.

Michael Wagner
Michael Wagner
7 years ago

Okay, gotta say it. REALLY nice moped!

Erik
Erik
7 years ago
Reply to  Michael Wagner

Mopeds have a throttle, this does not.

Jeb
Jeb
7 years ago

I think I figured out how to kill this stupid trend. Had a guy ride by me the other night on one of the new TREK ones and I yelled “nice moped” he slowed down, looked back to say something then just dropped his head in shame, it was beautiful. I think people buy them thinking you can’t tell they are mopeds, wrong.

AlanM
AlanM
7 years ago
Reply to  Jeb

Excellent. Way to shame someone because you don’t like what they chose to purchase and are out trying to enjoy. You know what that makes you? A jerk. I wanted to go with a few different words, but I’m pretty sure the post would be deleted then. Seriously though, if you honestly did this I’m just blown away that someone would choose to be so arrogant, pompous, and proud of it.

Yerma
Yerma
7 years ago
Reply to  AlanM

Well said Alan.

Dan
Dan
7 years ago
Reply to  AlanM

Just because it’s 2016 doesn’t mean everyone has to live in your little politically correct world where everyone has to except everything/body. I don’t like E-Bikes on the trail either, would you say something to a dirt bike pouching MTB trails? For many of use E-Bikes are no different the dirt bikes, so they get the same greeting. And if you don’t like it which I can tell you didn’t, you can always resort to name calling. Oh wait you did so it makes you no better then him.

AlanM
AlanM
7 years ago
Reply to  Dan

Dan, what does being politically correct have to do with this? Was the guy riding the Trek doing something illegal? An e-bike is totally different than a dirt bike. Argue all you want that they’re the same, but they’re not. I’m not saying I want e-bikes allowed everywhere, but shaming people who aren’t doing anything wrong isn’t the solution. It’s petty and low.

alex
alex
7 years ago
Reply to  AlanM

I would like to know if he was on a motor legal trail. Can’t get around it. It has a motor and needs to stay off non-motorized trails.

bergsteiger
bergsteiger
7 years ago
Reply to  AlanM

this^ local DNR trails are starting to post no e-bike signs as they fall under motorized vehicles and are banned from the trails.

Mike
Mike
7 years ago
Reply to  Jeb

This was the only appropriate response:

“You don’t need an Uber,
you don’t need a cab
f-bomb a bus pass,
you got a moped man!”

~Macklemore

pTymnWolfe
pTymnWolfe
7 years ago
Reply to  Jeb

The problem you’re actually having is coping with your own fragile ego. It’ll be ok if someone passes you. They probably didn’t even realize that you’ve convinced yourself the two of you were racing each other. Then, to think you are single handedly going to “kill this stupid trend” ? Get over yourself and grow up.

Flatbiller
Flatbiller
7 years ago
Reply to  Jeb

Have been riding a Specialized Levo FSR in places where they shouldn’t be ridden. Not a soul has noticed.

Because not ugly like all other e-bikes currently on the market. “Let’s take a regular bike…and bolt the battery on right here!”

alex
alex
7 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

Awesome! Good job man! (very very sarcastic FYI)! Lets just risk the trail access even more. When landowners can’t tell the difference between a motor bike and a bicycle anymore they will just ban everything with wheels. I don’t care if people want to spend money on a motor bike or if they want to have a regular bicycle that is 100% human powered, but ride it where you are supposed to ride it. If it has a motor, keep it off non-motorized trails! PLEASE!

Allan
Allan
7 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

Thank you for accelerating the demise of backcountry MTB access! Can you please do me a favor and tell all of your flatbiller bros to also break the rules, I’d really love to hasten the demise of mountain biking? kthxbai.

mateo
mateo
7 years ago

ebike debates aside, I’m fairly comfortable saying this part is completely inaccurate.

“The R.G+ FS’ 500Wh motor is made entirely from carbon fiber.”

David
David
7 years ago
Reply to  mateo

That’s what I was thinking. Plus, kind of confused with “will be debuting to the public with two different models on display at the Eurobike tradeshow, which begins August 31st” That was two weeks ago…

myke2241
myke2241
7 years ago
Reply to  mateo

That’s impossible as you need a magnet and conductor. Those are certainly not carbon

mateo
mateo
7 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

It would be a lot more newsworthy if they were! Maybe the housing is carbon, but I highly doubt it goes beyond that.

motarded
motarded
7 years ago

The standover looks pretty tall, how will Schley straddle that beast?

Mike
Mike
7 years ago

I’m generally an ebike hater, but if downhillers want to use it to shuttle up to the top again, I’m all for it. As someone noted, I can’t imagine the battery will last too long, but I think this is an entirely appropriate use of ebike technology. I think for most people the issue is trail access, but not the mere existence of ebikes. So, yeah, I say e-downhill to your heart’s content folks.

That One Guy
That One Guy
7 years ago

You guys do realize that the lift ticket fees are what make that mountain available to ride, correct? That pays for the people working there to do their (deleted) job. You know….things like grooming the trail so you can go shred the gnar, or whatever. Gotta pay to play, guys.

i
i
7 years ago
Reply to  That One Guy

Are you really too slow to understand this is for places that don’t have a lift? Have you ever been to a park that had a lift that was ok with people riding the trails but just getting to the top on their own? No; but I suspect you’ve never been downhilling (or skiing) either.

I’m not going to lay down $8k for one of these anytime soon, but the nearest park with a lift is 3 hours away, but there are a few places I could do a couple laps after work and shuttle up a road; except organizing that is next to impossible. An e-bike auto-shuttle would be pretty nice.

Tyler B
Tyler B
7 years ago

In my mind this isn’t for use during lift season. This would be perfect for riding winter DH laps though. There are plenty of weekends during the winter where I ride shuttle access DH trails. This would cut out the truck. I’m not talking about trails that are possible to ride up either. So no worries about other trail users.

henrik
henrik
7 years ago

Any way you look at it, it’s back to 40lbs+ DH bikes! It’s like the 90’s all over again!

Jon W
Jon W
7 years ago

I don’t get the argument of trail access and whether a bike has an electric motor of not. It’s not like this things are producing so much torque that they are ripping up trails, e.g like a motorbike. How do they act any different than a standard mountain bike. You can’t just sit back and throttle up so why do people care if they are on the trails or not.

Wuffles
Wuffles
7 years ago
Reply to  Jon W

How do you not get that putting a motor on something makes it a motorized vehicle? Toddlers can understand that concept. A non-motorized trail is closed to motorized vehicles.

As far as “How do they act any different than a standard mountain bike?” The whole point of an e-bike is to go further and faster than pedal power alone. And yes, they can and do produce more than enough torque to rip up a trail, electric motors are very good at producing torque. Even unaided legs can do that if you’re fit- a motor just makes it easier.

Allan
Allan
7 years ago

Comment thread did not disappoint.

I don’t have a problem with an e-DH-bike, so long as it’s used in a proper setting, such as a designated park. But we all know that’s not the only place e-MTB’s are used. e-bike technology should be limited to on-road bikes, such as commuter rigs. Putting one in a racing road bike is stupid, and so is putting them in MTB’s. Though if the goal is to eliminate/limit off-road access in the future, by all means, please continue. I will be proven right.

bearcol
bearcol
7 years ago

Motors on mountain bikes? Nothing is sacred to the bike industry, not even the sport of mountain biking itself.

Luster
Luster
7 years ago

This argument that it’s not an e-moped because it “doesn’t have a throttle” is ridiculous. If it helps, look at it this way: it’s a two part throttle.

thesteve4761
thesteve4761
7 years ago
WNH
WNH
7 years ago

Luddites, nailed it!!

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