Rocky Mountain

Rocky Mountain isn't a brand many riders would expect to develop its own cutting-edge e-bike technology. But back in 2009, they did just that, launching Propulsion Powercycle division under the same roof as their Quebec HQ. When they introduced their first model, the Altitude Powerplay, in 2017, the proprietary 108Nm Dyname 3.0 motor quietly took the top spot as the most powerful Class 1 e-bike motor. A title that was only recently relinquished to DJI's latest Avinox system. Seven years later, Rocky Mountain has once again pushed the limits of e-bikes with the 2025 Instinct Powerplay SL—their...

This is a first for Vital as we review a full-suspension e-MTB aimed at kids - the Rocky Mountain Reaper Powerplay 26. We won't be surprised if a bulk of your response to this bike is something along the lines of "Don't make kids soft by giving them a motor! Make them earn their laps." That's how we generally feel too, but we wanted to A) test this bike and B) see if our pint-sized punters would shun regular mountain bikes altogether after motorized assistance to the top of the hill. At the time of this review, Rocky Mountain has recently gone through corporate restructuring and their future...

In March, Rocky Mountain pulled back the veil on their latest Instinct trail bike. After a few years of sharing frames with its more capable big brother, the Altitude, the Instinct regained its independence with a dedicated and revised chassis. Complete with internal storage, a grip of geometry adjustments, and a proven suspension layout, Rocky aimed to give riders the do-it-all trail bike that could adapt to any terrain or rider preference. We spent the past four months finding out what's on offer with each Instinct adaptation and where this aggressive trail bike shines or leaves more to be...