The Quebec brand Rocky Mountain is launching two new high-performance electric mountain bikes this spring that have already won a race… the one that leads to a design prize.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
The Altitude Powerplay and Instinct Powerplay bikes feature a raised pivot rear suspension pivot and a new electric motor entirely designed by its engineering team – a unique case in an industry where almost all manufacturers use Bosch systems. and Shimano.
The technology of the new Dyname 4.0 motor has just earned the Altitude Powerplay Carbon 70 model the grand prize in the Electric Mountain Bike category at the Design & Innovation Award 2022 competition – the Oscars of cycling, boast its organizers.
“It’s the heart of the intellectual property, the heart of the system,” says Alex Cogger, product manager at Rocky Mountain.
The Dyname 4.0 engine stands out from its competitors with its high torque, he argues.
“The majority of competitors are between 85 and 95 newton meters. We’re at 108. So it’s a very powerful engine that allows for much greater acceleration and much steeper climbs. »
A raised pivot rear suspension arm requires a roller to guide the chain above the chainring, so it doesn’t impede travel. Rocky Mountain has replaced this roller with a pinion on which the electric motor exerts its action.
“Nobody else works like us. Everyone uses internal planetary gear systems to activate the chainring. »
By acting directly on the chain, the motor constitutes a simple, robust, lightweight system that runs at low revs and is quiet, he explains. “All the competitors make a hell of a noise when the engine pushes at high revs. Looks like a blender in the wood! »
It is because the engine was entirely designed in-house that this strategy could be adopted.
“We are the only idiots to do it, he says. It’s David and Goliath. We are fighting against the whole market. »
Two teams
Rocky Mountain has about ten engineers divided between its head office in Saint-Georges, in Beauce, and its office in North Vancouver, the birthplace of the company founded in 1981. “We have videoconferences three times a week,” says Alex Cogger.
He estimates that Rocky Mountain experts spent more than 56,000 hours improving the Dyname engine. “It’s the only project in the company where 100% of the engineering team is involved. »
The design and prototyping are entirely done in Canada, but the manufacturing is done in Asia.
Alex Cogger won’t give specific production numbers, but he says that when the first generation launched in 2017, the company only expected to sell between 200 and 500 electric mountain bikes globally.
“At the end of the first year, the top model, at around $10,000, was our second biggest seller, by volume! It was dazzling! »
The rise continued in plateaus, year after year.
“Our challenge is that we have no idea where the ceiling is. We sell everything we produce! »
The fragmentation of the markets adds to the uncertainty. As soon as the electric craze takes hold in a region, sales explode. This was the case first in Europe. In Canada, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia have followed suit.
“What we don’t know is when the tide will turn in the United States,” says Alex Cogger.
The west coast has begun its electric conflagration, but the flame is slow to appear in the east of the country, where mountain bike associations are refractory. “They are still opposed to the electric bike, and it is a real obstacle. »
Raymond Dutil, founder of Procycle, acquired Rocky Mountain in 1997 and his company adopted the name in 2018. The company has more than 100 employees nationwide.
While electric mountain bikes represent only a dozen of the company’s 80 models, they provide 40% of its turnover, estimates Alex Cogger. “Hence the investment in our research and development team. »
Communauto orders 1,300 new vehicles
PHOTO PROVIDED BY COMMUNAUTO
Marco Viviani, vice-president of Communauto, Sophie Mauzerolle, responsible for transportation and mobility on the executive committee of the City of Montreal, and Benoît Robert, president and founder of Communauto, in front of one of the company’s electric vehicles
A salesperson has to be happy somewhere. Communauto has placed an order for 1,300 new vehicles with car manufacturers, for entry into service before the summer. The largest car-sharing service in Canada, and the oldest in America, is thus responding to the 30% increase in the number of its subscribers and the rate of use of the services that it experienced in 2021. Of these 1,300 new 800 vehicles are intended for the Montreal fleet, which will then have more than 3,000. They are distributed at the rate of 200 in stations and 600 for the FLEX service, which allows vehicles to be used directly and without prior reservation. Some 45 new vehicles will swell the Quebec fleet, which will exceed 300 units. Toronto is expecting a reinforcement of 250 cars. The company predicts that the recent spike in gasoline prices could further boost demand for carsharing. Founded in Quebec in 1994 by its president Benoit Robert, Communauto is present in 15 Canadian cities and in Paris, France.
A sprint to attract future employees
Branded employers, get set, go! The “Employers de Marque” project is an original initiative by PME MTL Centre-Est to help local businesses deal with the labor shortage. During eight events, the 40 participating companies will embark on a five-minute sprint to convince some 400 potential candidates to lend a hand, by promoting their mission, their values and their organizational culture. In short, it is the company rather than the candidate who is interviewed. By creating instant bridges between employers and candidates, the formula aims to speed up the hiring process and generate spontaneous applications. The first edition, held on March 24, was devoted to the social economy, with the participation of TOHU, BIXI Montréal, Cyclochrome, the Radish Cooperative, YAM, Renaissance and the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi du Centre-Nord. The initiative was successfully tested last November with a pilot project involving five companies. “Employers de marque” is benefiting from a contribution of $111,200 from the Quebec government. After the sprint, the marathon will be to retain the loyalty of new employees.
Hardbacon acquires Simplerate.ca
Debt, hole in your budget? Personal finance app Hardbacon has acquired Simplerate.ca, a comparison site for credit cards, rewards programs and other financial services. With this transaction, Hardbacon says it is consolidating its number 1 position in the country in online credit card comparison destinations. Simplerate receives 20,000 unique visitors per month. With this new contingent, Hardbacon now reaches over 200,000 Canadians per month with its mobile apps and websites. The company intends to continue to invest in Simplerate.ca, in particular by feeding it with budget and financial advice articles. Hardbacon had “long been looking for a strong competitor in the rewards points and credit card space,” Hardbacon President Julien Brault said in a statement. Hardbacon, which allows its users to compare different financial services, had recently acquired calculator site FindMyTotal and rewards points specialist GratteCenne.
100 million
It is the population of the new Vietnamese market which has just opened up to the natural pain relief cream Awaye, from Lumiera Health. This breakthrough is the result of a distribution agreement with Fideschem International Ltd., a company based in Singapore.