While my Switch was being detailed, tweaked and tuned, I had the pleasure of going out with the all new Flatline. Unfortunately due to the weather I didn’t have the chance to go out on a downhill trip. Just local trail-rides. But since Rocky cancelled the Switch, it thought it would be more then justifiable to see if the Flatline holds on that terrain. The Flatline was setup in short-travel mode for this review. Continue to read for a mini review
IRL it looks so much better then in the pictures
The Flatline is quite weighty, but all Rocky riders will say: “What else is new? Just tell us how it rides!“. From the first pedal-strokes it surprised me how well it pedals, even uphill. Despite of weight and disadvantaged geometry. My friends thought I was on steroids, because with a few pedal-strokes I broke loose and away I was (uh, going downhill). The Continental Digga 2.5 mounted on the Flatline may also have played a big part in these fast sprints.
Warning!
I had some trouble setting up the rear suspension (Fox DHX 3.0) the way I like it and this sticker explains why. It’s a pre-production model and the linkage on this model is different from the models (= improved) that are being distributed soon. That would explain why I thought the Flatline descended like a poorly setup single-pivot. It wasn’t finished! Even-though going downhill was a bit of a bumpy ride… it was a FAST bumpy ride!
Based in BC perhaps?
We have a secret passage in one of our regular tracks and we might call it “maduro-BC”. And after my visit with the Flatline I am now certain the name is deserving (albeit very “maduro”). It was like unleashing the beast. It was almost a complete different bike, with a whole new promise. Regretfully my test-period with the Flatline ended with this experience as I had to trade it back for my own trusty steed.
To be continued
I might ask for another Flatline to test this summer on a true downhill-track. Just to satisfy my curiously. As a trail-bike, the Flatline is a bit handicapped by it’s weight, but it’s making up for it on the descents and flow-parts. A better name could have been Flow btw, because my heart-rate was far from Flatlined.
Maduro-BC
Linkage of sample-model
Lumpy bit in lower tube is actually a build-in fender!
Even when the flatline was built for bigger trails than our flowrides, it spread its cheers among us on our ride T! It will be interesting to see what it’d feel like on our faves like Willingen, WB and Chaudfontaine.