![]() Where do we begin? The Fox Float 36 is an incredibly capable, confidence inspiring fork. Our bike came setup with tubes, and tubeless ready wheels/tires, so were we to keep it, we’d pull the tubes out and save a touch over a pound or rolling weight that would liven up the bike a bit as well. We can’t expect to see $3,000 carbon wheels spec’d on a $6800 bike. While the wheels were a bit uninspiring, they did a great job and stayed true and rolling smooth after more than a few mishaps and poorly calculated landings. ![]() The grips and saddle were nothing special, but those are bits that most people swap out anyway. The 35mm setups seem to stiffen up an enduro bike’s front end nicely and we felt the upsweep/backsweep combo of the bar was super comfortable. We really liked the Race Face bar and stem. We have become fans of MRP’s AMG simply because in addition to some added security, it guards your chain and ring at a small 130 gram penalty…It would be a good add on to protect your investment. It would be nice to see a chainguide of sorts on the bike, but that’s an, easy upgrade and throughout our time testing the bike we never lost a chain once so we can’t complain. We’d have to dig deep to find anything to complain about. As mentioned before, the brakes and drivetrain are well beyond proven, and we’re huge fans of the fork. While we aren’t completely raving about it’s incredible value, they definitely didn’t cut corners and there isn’t much that would need upgrading in the future. Rocky Mountain did a great job selecting solid, reliable parts that bring the bike in at a reasonable price. ![]() However, it is worth pointing out that this is not of the same vein as the latest crop of long, low, and slack enduro bikes such as a Nomad or a Reign. ![]() While our size large test bike came in a touch on the smaller side, it felt nimble and playful and we never felt cramped. We were really really stoked on the short 428mm(16.85”) chainstays. On a more positive note, the Altitude felt really balanced in terms of climbing/descending. That said, the bike was still surprisingly capable, and like most elements of design – it’s all about trade offs. With the “Ride-9″ chip in a neutral position, the bike sat at about 67 degrees. We’re not talking half a degree steeper than most bikes in this category…we’re talking 1.5 – 2 degrees steeper. The one aspect that we struggle slightly with was the relatively steep head angle. On paper most of the geometry numbers check out as pretty strong for an enduro bike – especially given how much range the “Ride-9” system offers in terms of adjusting head angle, seatpost angle, and bottom bracket height. All in all, no corners cut and a great spec. A Reverb dropper post and WTB Saddle round out the cockpit while Stan’s wheels rolling on Maxxis minions are a good, utilitarian choice. Rocky kept it Canadian and threw in Race Face Turbine cranks and their 6ixC bar/stem as well for good measure. The mix of X01 and XX1 is obviously great choice for drivetrain bits, while the Shimano XT brakes are also tried and true. Again, not a big deal, but it left us a bit confused as the lock out proved to be a bit obtrusive and wasn’t all that necessary. One nuance we found rather unconventional is that Rocky utilizes a bar mounted lock out for the rear end, but the front end doesn’t feature any sort of lock out or travel adjustment. Nothing wrong with that though, there are plenty of proven bikes on the market which use bushings. ![]() With 150mm of travel, and a rather narrow tube set, the Altitude’s rear end rolls on bushings rather than bearings. Out back, the bike seemed a bit feathered out and lean in contrast. After recently spending the last few months testing it, we knew already knew this was a wise choice on their part. Up front, Rocky spec’d a 160mm Fox Float 36. The Rally Edition tips the scales at 29.5 pounds. Below you’ll see a culmination of their findings as we discuss how they got along on the bike. Then we passed it along to a different rider who was fully aware of it’s ins and outs. Rather than getting hung up on our preconceived notions, we decided to first put the bike under a tester who was unaware of the stock geometry numbers right to see how he fared. On paper, the 67 degree head angle seemed a bit steep compared to many of the household enduro options these days. The “Ride-9” adjustable rear end offers up multiple geometry options and shock rates all with a simple yet genius 2 in 1 flip chip that houses the upper shock eyelet. Boasting a carbon fiber frame, a burly front end mated to a 150mm rear end with bar mounted lockout and an impressive spec, it definitely caught our eye. When we first inquired about setting up a test, they were eager to put us onto the “Rally Edition” of the Altitude. With the new Altitude line, Rocky Mountain has come into the mid travel market with guns blazing. ![]()
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