Rocky Mountain Fusion Powerplay 10 (2023)

Rocky Mountain Fusion Powerplay 10 (2023)

The Rocky Mountain Fusion Powerplay is one of our best hardtail electric mountain bikes (EMTB).

It's a really interesting E-MTB from the premium Canadian mountain bike brand.

Because not only is it designed for recreational riders, it's also a far more capable off-road bike than the Giant Talon E+.

This preview will help explain what the Fusion Powerplay is and key components.

• Torque: 108Nm
• Battery Size: 480Wh
• Motor: Dyname 4.0
• Suspension Travel: [F] 120mm
  

What is the Fusion Powerplay?

First:

Anytime you read or hear Powerplay, think electric.

Rocky designed the Fusion to be an E-MTB for recreational riders who are riding for general fitness on suburban bike paths, unsealed rail trails, easy single track and mountain bike trails.

It's a recreational electric mountain bike that can be used by almost anyone.

The core reasons why you would consider the Fusion PP are that it's:

• A really calm handling e-bike.
• Got very high torque (pulling power) and will get you up steep hills easily.
• Designed around a low center of gravity that delivers lots of stability.

Unlike a lot of hardtail (front suspension only) E-MTBs, the Fusion Powerplay does things…better.

What makes the Fusion Powerplay unique?

It's geometry.

Think angles and lengths.

These little numbers are what make or break ergonomics.

Compared to the Giant Talon E+, Fusion Powerplay riders sit up a little higher on the front. It's more relaxed.

Now, we're heading into technical territory but stay with us:

The steering angle on the Fusion Powerplay is also slacker. Imagine the front wheel being pushed further out in front of the bike.

This calms the steering, making it less twitchy.

For riders who are more adventurous and will attempt mountain bike trails where the terrain is so uneven; you will love this aspect of the Fusion Powerplay.

Next is the short back end.

It enhances the Fusion's agility and responsiveness. Somewhat compensating for the extra weight of an electric bike.

And it's also power delivery.

The Dyname 4.0 is very unique in the way it delivers power.

Power is delivered gently and instantly.

More pressure applied at the pedals will deliver more power. It's important to note that the Dyname drive unit doesn't dump all the power instantly.

In other words, riding the Fusion Powerplay is exactly how you would ride a non-electric bike.

The Fusion Powerplay Alloy 10 build.

Rocky uses a better-than-average aluminium alloy for their frames.

Every tube shape is designed so that there's no excess material used anywhere. Material is added to high-stress areas that need it. And tubes are thinned out where forces aren't as high.

Suspension.

It uses an air-spring and not a cheap elastomer spring.

This means we can tune the suspension for every rider. We increase/decrease air pressure in the suspension depending on how much you weigh.

This is very different to the typical suspension fork that has no adjustment besides a lockout.

Also worth noting is the Fusion has more suspension at 120mm. It feels plusher than an E-MTB with less suspension. Most other E-MTBs use 100mm travel suspension.

Gears.

Shimano positions Deore in their range as the affordable-performance option that's designed for serious enthusiasts or those who want above-average quality gears.

Deore components are designed for rugged terrain. As such, the construction of these parts is robust and reliable.

A single front chainring is paired to 10 rear gears with a very usable gear range (11-tooth to 46-tooth).