"A radical concept" - judges the EMTB to the ROTWILD R.X275
"To be or not to be" - with these three words from his "Hamlet", William Shakespeare set a standard when it comes to the question of opposites. The trade magazine EMTB poses one in its current issue. The testers have put our new ROTWILD R.X275 under the microscope. They ask: Is it "more pushbike or more e-mountain bike"?
The magazine approaches the answer from two perspectives. Peter Nilges takes one of them. He is responsible for the tests in the sister publication BIKE and rides organic bikes almost exclusively for this purpose. Christian Schleker comes from the other side. As the author of EMTB, he almost always pedals with motor assistance. Both open their joint test with the statement: "The concept of the R.X275 is radical." It should close the gap between the classic mountain bikes and the light eMTB. So it's not about a black-and-white pattern at all for both of them, but deciding where our light athlete really feels at home.
Agile handling with reduced engine assistance
The target group is quickly identified: It would be the sporty bikers who cope well with the reduced motor support of the HPR50 from TQ. This shoots a maximum of 200 watts in addition. About the "boost button" there is the maximum support of 300 watts and for a maximum of 30 seconds. The rider should use the R.X275 "more like a motorless bike," judge the two trade journalists. It is an "e-bike for people who don't actually want a real e-bike." The silhouette of the bike underscores the intention of reducing it to the essentials. It is probably "the slimmest [...] that an E-MTB-Fully has ever had." With the right individual set-up, in combination with one's own physical fitness, "you're whizzing over shallow trails".
The weight as a decisive factor
For Peter Nilges, the result on the scales is a decisive point. The R.X275 weighs "still significantly" more than a "normal mountain bike". "The concept still works," he says. Because even the 50 watts from support level 1 from the HPR50 push "so powerfully that you go faster than with a lightweight bike without a motor." Christian Schleker emphasizes the ability of the athlete on flowing trails, where speeds above the support limit and particularly light weight are required. Here, the "minimalism screw" and the "completely natural riding feeling on the flat" without motor support were convincing. With individually adapted eAssist had ridden on his home circuit "the Red Deer like a classic EMTB on coke".
It's a concept you need to get involved with.
The combination of 130 mm travel in the fork and 120 mm in the rear end places the bike in the down-country category. In slightly hilly terrain, the R.X275 rides "really well". Steeper climbs require the activation of the "red turbo button" or the correspondingly higher physical commitment. For Peter Nilges, longer rides are possible with the "decent support [...]". He also emphasizes the good handling of the bike in passages where it goes downhill. "Really well works the Rotwild concept to compensate for differences in performance," says Peter Nilges. Christian Schleker also makes it clear that "on moderate trail tours in the flatlands [...] the fast bike can score points over classic light concepts". The conclusion of the EMTB has something Salomon: "The R.X275 is pure niche." And, "If you get involved with the concept, the R.X275 is a very agile e-flitzer without the e-feeling."
You can read the complete test report from EMTB in the print issue 2 (April-May) 2023.
Comprehensive information on the R.X 275 ULTRA and the other equipment variants can be found at here.