The Loam Wolf takes the Rogue to its home trails in Queenstown, New Zealand
The Loam Wolf puts the Rogue through its paces in Queenstown, New Zealand
New Zealand had been on Robert Johnston's riding bucket list for years. When The Loam Wolf, one of the most recognised names in mountain bike reviews, sent him out to test the Velduro Rogue in Queenstown, he finally got the chance to tick it off.
"Oh, it's so good." That was Johnston's first reaction on camera, before he'd even got into the details.
Johnston didn't hold back on the terrain. Steep, technical climbs. Fast, rough descents. Mellow, flowy singletrack. The kind of varied riding that makes or breaks a bike's all-round character, and exactly what Queenstown, tucked in New Zealand's Southern Alps, is known for.
Finding the sweet spot
Getting the suspension dialled in took a bit of experimentation. Johnston started around 30 per cent sag on the shock, which gave plenty of support on smoother trails but left some harshness coming through on square edge hits. Moving to 35 per cent sag, paired with slightly reduced fork pressure, changed things. That's where he found the Rogue's sweet spot, striking a balance between comfort and support that suited the high pivot suspension design.
Once dialled in, the bike came alive. Johnston described feeling confident tackling some of the steepest trails he'd ridden in a long time, helped by the low bottom bracket and the stiffness of the carbon frame and wheelset working together through corners and off cambers.
Climbing with confidence
Climbing on the Rogue was, in Johnston's words, mostly enjoyable, with the Avinox drive unit's power described as undeniable. He found himself able to hold a strong, consistent pace up steep sustained climbs, with plenty of tuning options to dial the power delivery back for a more range focused ride when needed.
An enduro eMTB built for the rough stuff
The high pivot suspension and I-Track idler system were designed to give riders the kind of pedalling support they need at sag, while unlocking the rear end to move more freely as the bike works through its travel. Out on the trail, that translated to a bike that could soak up chunky terrain without losing its playful side on the mellower sections, exactly the kind of dual personality an enduro eMTB needs.
Read the full review
Johnston summed the Rogue up as "a stellar enduro eBike offering to come out of this new Kiwi brand." His full review covers the complete first ride impressions and a closer look at the Rogue R's build spec. Read it in full on The Loam Wolf, and follow Robert on Instagram.
