Rocky Mountain Reviews

NSMB.com ride the new Rocky Mountain Altitude

From: NSMB.com

This is a bike that I'll admit I wanted to like, but after having heard about the thinking behind it first hand from Jonny Rockall at Rocky and then seeing it in action the next day on a trip to the Chilcotins earlier this summer without swinging a leg over it, and then reading some of the hype online, it did not let me down when I finally got to drop feet onto pedals and spin 'em around. Sporting a whopping 76 degree seat angle, the Altitude is designed to settle into an optimum pedaling position after suspension squat is accounted for, rather than before. It's funny, but not many bikes are designed this way, in fact, none that I know of are designed that way. Enter this year's winner of the hit-yourself-in-the-head-'cuz-you-didn't-think-of-it-first sweepstakes that is the mtb suspension frame design game: the Rocky Mountain Altitude. I don't know what my 50 level Altitude weighed (the 50 is an aluminum frame - 7000 series I think - whereas the 70 and 90 are carbon fiber) and really I didn't care for the purposes of the short ride I had with it - although the weight was competitive with other 5 inch AM trailbikes. The thing is that this bike is F-U-N to ride - both up and down - and I think I want one. I don't even care if it's a bit light duty for shore riding, it tackled technical uphill sections like a trailbike should (effort = results) and on the way down, if you point and shoot while holding it all together, it rewards you with what I can only describe as full tilt boogie, baby.

Cam, Fergs and I all saddled up different Altitudes and were joined by Wade, who grabbed a Hammer 29er (that was a sight to see), and set out to climb up and down (a trail called) Girl Scout. I refuse to speculate on the origins of the trail name, but it is a flow fest in both directions. Flattish grinding sections begged you to pop it in the big ring and risk going anaerobic, while steeper, rocky sections with a few dashes of techie goodness were no worries (mate!) in the middle ring - it was all puppy dogs and rainbows on the way up despite the 35 degree heat and armada of riders coming down the other way. I'd love to check it out in the granny ring on the shore and see how it handles itself there, but on this day it really felt like the ultimate combo: the right bike, right setup, right trail.

We got to the top and chilled out for a while with Hoots Jay and Catherine Pendrell who is coming off an awesome year racing XC for the Luna Chix. Then we pointed it down and it was game on - this was swoopy singletrack at it best, and despite wishing for a bit more fork and rubber through a few of the rocky sections, the Altitude was a star and begged to be pinned over whoops, through berms and around blind corners. You know those drivers who accelerate until it's time to stomp on the brakes? That was me on the Altitude - sprinting towards corners I knew I'd have to brake hard for, but not caring about letting it get squirrelly on the way in, as long as it was pointed in the right place on the way out...and it usually was. The geometry just felt 'right' and the Fox RP 23 and 32 up front behaved well as always. The Altitude felt a bit active while climbing but not in a bad way - you could still feel power being transmitted down to the dirt rather than getting wasted as you bounced up and down like the stock markets this week...

Did I mention I liked this bike? Stay tuned for more about it when we have a chance to put in some more trail time, but expect to hear more about the new Rocky Mountain Altitude from a bunch of sources, that is one rowdy trail bike.

Go to NSMB.com to read the full article.

Published Thursday 25 September 2008