Darrvin's Full-Suspension Rove Is Packed to the Brim With Goodies: Could Be All We Need

Let's face it, whenever we aim o take a closer look at a bicycle, we first and foremost need to consider the sort of frame it's built around. In the case of the Rove, this puppy is built to be seen carrying you around unbeaten terrains, downhill, off a drop, and back to the top again. The latter is a breeze because this two-wheeler is electric, with a mid-mounted motor offering you energy-saving assistance. The aim of it all? Simply to ride longer, faster, and further than before.

Now, if Darrvin sounds familiar to you, it's because we've featured a few of their works on our site before. The driving factor behind their award-winning (granted by Bicycling Magazine) e-bikes? Nothing more than the fact that both founders, Gustav Erlank and Gert Stander, bring decades of cycling experience, some of which derived from Giant Bicycles, Stander's experience.

While most of their machines include a road, gravel, or urban design, the Rove is the only one with a full suspension layout. To yield the bicycle we see, Darrvin uses nothing more than an aluminum alloy frame, upon which a mid-mounted motor, removable integrated battery, and beefy suspension systems are then added. All that is then set onto a pair of 29-inch tires, so coasting over rocks, roots, and other debris is also part of the magic. More on the frame, Darrvin also designs this bugger with excellent top tube clearance, and it's even dropper-post ready; internal cable routing for the win.

While all that sounds great and all, it's the electronics that make an e-bike what it is, and for the Rove, the manufacturer chose to go with a mid-mounted Bafang M500 motor. This little powerhouse is able to spit out 95 Nm (70 ft-lb) of torque and will assist you up to a software-limited speed of 32 kph (20 mph). Worried about Bafang being the provider of the motor? Don't; this crew has been around for over a decade and is considered one of the godfathers of e-bike component systems, and they have managed to stay alive by offering a great bang-for-buck ratio.

Such a powerhouse, on the other hand, has got to be hungry. So, to ensure you have the juice needed for your adventures, a 560-watt-hour battery is mounted into the down tube of the Rove. I'm sure you'd love for me to tell you just how much range you can get out of this setup, but in truth, road conditions will be responsible for that number, not to mention battery use or how many charge cycles it's been through.

As for the rest of the bike, there's a very good reason why Darrvin is asking you to drop 86,495 ZAR (4,900 USD at current exchange rates) on this trinket; it presents gear found on bikes that are well into this price range and well beyond. For example, the drivetrain is an SRAM 1x11 setup with NX derailleur and 11-42T. As for the gimmicks responsible for plush landings after some airtime, a RockShox front fork brings 140 millimeters (5.5 inches) of travel, while the rear action is covered by yet another RockShox component, a Deluxe Select+ RL shock. Top that off with Tektro brakes with 180-millimeter (7.1-inch) rotors, Maxxis tires, and Darrvin may need to start shipping internationally.

Speaking of international shipping, that may be the only real downside to this bike – the extra cash you need to drop on your purchase of a Rove to ensure it makes it across to your homeland, wherever that may be. With enough hubbub, I'm sure we can push Darrvin to open up a shop in the U.S., possibly your hometown. Why not?