LONG TERM REVIEW: ROCKY MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE – REACHING NEW ELEVATIONS IN ENDURO PERFORMANCE

Rocky Mountain and its Altitude platform have been synonymous with enduro racing since the format’s inception in 2013. Over the years, different versions of the bike have come and gone, but 2024 sees almost a complete redesign in the Altitude’s suspension layout and features that make the bike more capable than ever.

It still has 160mm of rear travel and a 170mm fork, but the shock is now located low in the frame and utilizes Rocky Mountain’s revitalized LC2R (Low Center Counter Rotating) suspension design, first introduced on the 2006 Slayer, and then later adapted for the Slayer SXC, Slayer SS and Flatline WC models. Multiple geometry adjustments, the ability to run a mixed-wheel setup, and integrated in-frame storage make the new Altitude a versatile enduro machine that isn’t afraid of all-day backcountry missions.

FRAME

The new iteration of the Altitude sees quite a major departure from the previous bike. As we mentioned, the shock now sits low in the frame and uses Rocky Mountain’s LC2R suspension layout, which we’ll detail later. Looking at the frame, it has been stiffened in several key places to increase support at higher speeds via oversized bearings, shorter links and a one-piece rear triangle. Like their other carbon frames, Rocky Mountain uses their trademarked Smoothwall carbon blend to also help tune the stiffness-to-weight ratio, ride quality and durability of the frame.

Rocky Mountain’s new Ride-4 adjustment system is located at the upper shock mount, which allows for fine-tuning of the bike’s geometry (mainly the head tube angle, seat tube angle and reach length) with a single Allen key and the four-position flip chip. At the lower shock mount, another flip chip lets the bike run either a 29-inch or mixed-wheel setup without affecting the geometry. The bike comes with an FSA Orbit Reach Adjust headset to additionally fine-tune the geometry. Neutral 0mm cups are installed out of the box, but it comes with a +/- 5mm option with the bike’s accessories.

Like the new Instinct that was released earlier this year, the Altitude integrates Rocky Mountain’s new PenaltyBox 2.0 in-frame storage system on all carbon models and comes with a custom zippered storage pouch or Velcro tool wrap. The updated system has a stronger and more secure hinged door design that includes an integrated AirTag/Tile compartment inside the lid and mounts for a bottle cage. Brake, derailleur and dropper post cables are routed through the side of the top tube via fully enclosed internal routing, and it is designed to easily accommodate both traditional and moto-style brake setups.

Looking at the geometry, the new Altitude gets the longer, lower and slacker treatment compared to the previous iteration. Depending on the Ride-4 flip chip setting, the head tube angle sits between 63 degrees and 63.7 degrees, and the effective seat tube angle is between 77 degrees and 77.7 degrees. Each frame size gets a size-specific rear triangle (except for the large and X-large), allowing the chainstay length to grow from 427mm to 450mm; our size medium had 440mm chainstays.

The wheelbase has grown over the previous version from 1217mm to 1242mm (size medium), and the standover height was lowered slightly from 816mm to 796mm. In contrast to the slacker head tube angle and longer wheelbase, the reach numbers remain the same across the four frame sizes as the earlier iteration, going from 430mm on the size small to 510mm on the X-large.

SUSPENSION

Back in 2006, Rocky Mountain first introduced their LC2R suspension design on the Slayer model and later the Flatline WC models, which is their unique take on a virtual pivot suspension design. Similar to other VPP layouts, the Altitude uses two counter-rotating links to drive the rear shock concentric with the bottom bracket, which sits much lower in the frame compared to the previous iteration of the bike.

Rocky Mountain claims that the switch to the LC2R system gives the bike better small-bump sensitivity before the sag zone, lower pedal kickback and more progressive bottom-out resistance, along with an overall lower center of gravity. The leverage-rate curve was tuned to be smoother and slightly more linear to help provide a supportive feel throughout the travel and eliminate any harshness as the shock is cycled.

As we briefly mentioned above, our C70 Altitude’s rear suspension was driven by a Fox DHX2 Factory coil shock that came installed with a 450-pound spring. Like other Factory options from Fox, our DHX2 shock had low- and high-speed compression adjustments, along with low- and high-speed rebound adjustments, as well as a climb switch to firm things up when needed.

Looking up front, there was a tried-and-tested 170mm Fox 38 Factory fork with low- and high-speed compression adjustments, in addition to low- and high-speed rebound adjustments. Size-small frames have dual 27.5-inch wheels with a 37mm fork offset, while medium through X-large frames come with 29-inch wheels with a 44mm offset.

COMPONENTS

We reviewed the Carbon 70 Coil build of the new Altitude, which is the middle-of-the-road spec for the lineup and is priced at $7199. There are two higher-tiered options, one with full Fox Factory suspension and XTR components (Carbon 90 Rally Edition) and the other with SRAM XO Transmission and RockShox Flight Attendant suspension (Carbon 99), retailing for $9999 and $10,999 respectively. There is another Carbon 70 build centered around a RockShox air shock and ZEB Select+ fork with the same components as our test bike priced at $6899, and the Carbon 50 model is the value-driven build at $5699. Rocky Mountain also has aluminum-framed versions of the Altitude in the Alloy 70 Coil and Alloy 50 builds, along with an introductory-level Alloy 30 spec.

As the name implies, our C70 test bike is made of Rocky Mountain’s Smoothwall carbon with a coil shock out back. Looking at the cockpit, Rocky Mountain specs their in-house AM (All-Mountain) stem that has a 40mm length and holds a pair of Race Face Turbine handlebars with a 35mm rise, wrapped in a set of ODI Elite Pro lock-on grips. We kept the AM stem on the bike throughout our testing period, but we experimented with a couple of different handlebars (carbon and alloy) to help dial in the fit and feel. We ended up spending much of the testing period with a set of Renthal alloy 30mm rise bars installed.

There was a 175mm Race Face Turbine R dropper post installed out of the box, which worked flawlessly, but we found it to be a bit short for our longer-legged test riders. Part of this was due to the dropper length, but the lower standover height of the frame was also a reason. A swap to a 213mm BikeYoke Revive dropper fixed this issue and allowed the saddle to be low and out of the way on the descents.

Our Carbon 70 Altitude was driven by a tried-and-true Shimano XT drivetrain paired with a 170mm Race Face Turbine Cinch crankset and 32T chainring. Out of the box and throughout our testing period, the drivetrain was crisp, precise and held up to abuse in a variety of trail conditions. Despite being accustomed to the wireless shifting found on a number of our test and personal bikes, there is something special and heartwarming about a perfectly tuned mechanical drivetrain. A set of Shimano XT M8120 brakes paired to their RT86 203mm rotors front and rear with Shimano IceTec metal pads gave us easy and continuous stopping power, even on long, steep descents.

Looking at the wheelset, there was a set of Race Face AR 30 rims laced to a DT Swiss 350 hub in the rear and a Rocky Mountain SL hub up front. The alloy Race Face rims were stiff, durable and remained true throughout our testing period, and the DT Swiss 350 hub was only but a whisper out on the trail. A notable feature with Rocky Mountain is their inclusion of CushCore inserts in both wheels out of the box. With the Altitude being an enduro bike, many riders would install some sort of insert anyway. The CushCore-equipped Race Face wheels were wrapped in a Maxxis Assegai/DHR II tire combo, which is always a reliable and grippy setup. The Assegai up front has an EXO+ casing, and the DHR II out back has a DoubleDown casing.

CLIMBING

For being a longer-travel bike, the new Altitude surprised us with its efficiency and poise while climbing. The re-engineered leverage curve and suspension layout allowed the rear shock to be supple and highly responsive through the beginning of the travel, yet it gave the rear end a progressive and supportive feeling once you hit the sag zone. This gave us loads of grip when climbing rutted fire roads and up more technical or slippery trails.

There wasn’t any significant pedal bob when the shock was unlocked, even when we were out of the saddle and putting down power. The only time we felt the need to engage the climb switch was when we were heading up fairly smooth and steep fire or access roads. Even with the coil shock, there wasn’t a time when we felt like the rear end was too soft while we were climbing. Like almost every other XT-equipped bike we’ve ridden, the drivetrain worked flawlessly and let us seamlessly shift and put down power when on the pedals.

The 77.4-degree seat tube angle paired with the 455mm reach (neutral Ride-4 position) put us in a comfortable and centered climbing position. We didn’t lose rear-wheel traction on steep or punchy sections, and we felt comfortable being in the saddle for extended periods of time on long, grinding climbs. We did install the +5mm headset cup to extend the reach slightly, but we didn’t feel like this negatively impacted the bike’s climbing performance or feel. On the rare occasion when we needed to flip the climb switch, it was easy to actuate without having to unclip or ruin your flow while heading up the trail.

DESCENDING

Our initial thoughts with the LC2R layout were that it would feel like other VPP-style frames: glued to the ground, hard-charging, and not overwhelmingly poppy or playful. Yet, we were pleasantly surprised on our first test ride with the new Altitude. The small-bump sensitivity and brake-bump-eating capabilities of the coil shock and linkage were apparent straightaway, but it didn’t shy away from popping off of rollers or taking optional gaps, either. It was a fine balance of sensitivity and rear-wheel grip with a smooth and progressive platform that could eat up big bumps and impacts without making the rear end feel muted.

The low-slung nature of the linkage and additional weight close to the bottom bracket also helped with this feeling and let us hang off the back and let the suspension do its thing on descents. Speaking of suspension, the Fox DHX2 coil shock worked flawlessly and gave us a wide window of adjustments to help dial things in, and the 450-pound spring that came with the bike hit the sweet spot between softness and progressivity.

The Fox 38 Factory fork also worked exactly as expected and is a personal favorite for many of our test riders. It’s sensitive off the top to absorb small bumps, yet it ramps up smoothly to a supportive and progressive platform that can handle just about anything you can throw at it. Like the rear shock, the Grip2 damper in the fork gave us a wide range of adjustments to dial in our compression and rebound settings.

The Altitude’s 455mm/460mm reach of our medium Altitudefelt like a perfect balance between stability and maneuverability while the 63.4-degree head tube angle also seemed very balanced with the rest of the bike. It lets us easily steer our way through technical and lower-speed trails while still giving us stability when speeds are picked up and when hitting jumps.

Initiating corners was quite easy, even at higher speeds, and the low-slung suspension layout helped the rear end feel grounded when pushing through berms without losing traction. Overall, it was a very balanced-feeling bike front to back. It handled rough technical descents with poise and race-like confidence, yet it could be a playful shorter-travel freeride platform to push the limits in the bike park.

WHAT DID WE LOVE?

At first we thought that the LC2R suspension layout would make the new Altitude feel glued to the ground and not as playful, but we were pleasantly surprised. The new suspension design paired with the Fox DHX2 coil shock gave the bike a stable yet agile feeling that adapted to different trails in a surprising way. If you wanted to hold a straight line and charge through with speed, it would do so without a second thought. However, if you wanted to pop off a roller in the trail or slap your way through a corner, it didn’t hesitate one bit, either. For a bike with 160mm of rear travel, it also climbed with efficiency and didn’t put up a fuss, even on steep and technical ascents.

WHAT DID WE HATE?

The short dropper post was just about the only drawback to the new Altitude out of the box, which was a relatively simple fix. Even with the reach adjustment range, some of our test riders felt like they fell in between sizing for the bike, according to the size and geometry charts, so we would like to see a medium/large size added like some other brands are starting to do.

BOTTOM LINE

From our first test ride, the new Altitude felt like a true race bike, but not one that was confined to the tape. It hammered through rough sections of trail and rock gardens without a second thought, yet carried speed through flow trails and jumps like a bike with less travel. The multiple points of adjustment allow the Altitude to adapt and mold itself to the individual rider and individual trail, making it an extremely versatile platform and one that can be used for many different riding styles.

We’d recommend the new Altitude to just about any type of enduro focused rider, from the seasoned and dedicated racer to the backcountry junky who wants a bike that can take a beating day after day but doesn’t hold them back on long missions in the saddle.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE

www.bikes.com

CATEGORY: Enduro

SUSPENSION: 170mm (front), 160mm (rear)

WHEEL SIZE: 29″

Price: $7199
Weight: 35.8 pounds (without pedals)
Sizes: SM, MD (tested), LG, XL
Frame tested: Smoothwall Carbon, 160mm (travel and material)
Shock: Fox DHX2 Factory (230x60mm)
Fork: Fox 38 Float EVOL Grip2 Factory
Wheelset: Race Face AR 30, DT Swiss 350/Rocky Mountain SL hubs
Tires: Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip EXO+ (29”x2.5″), Minion DHR II MaxxTerra DD (29″x2.4″)

Seatpost: Race Face Turbine R (175mm travel)
Saddle: WTB Volt Race 142
Handlebar: Race Face Turbine (780mm)
Stem: Rocky Mountain 35 AM
Grips: ODI Elite Pro Lock-On
Headset: FSA Orbit No. 85 Reach Adjust
Brakes: Shimano XT M8120
Rotors: Shimano RT86 203mm (f)/203mm (r)
Rear derailleur: Shimano XT
Shifters: Shimano XT
Crankset: Race Face Turbine Cinch
Bottom bracket: Race Face BSA 73mm
Cassette: Shimano XT 12-speed, 10-51T
Chain: Shimano M8100
Chainrings: Race Face Turbine 32-tooth

GEOMETRY SIZE MEDIUM

Head tube angle: 63.5°
Effective seat tube angle: 77.5°
Reach: 455mm (17.91″)
Stack: 630mm (24.8″)
Bottom bracket height: 325mm (12.79″)
Chainstay length: 440mm (17.32″)
Wheelbase: 1243mm (48.94″)