Rocky Mountain Altitude 90 Ride Impression
See all the latest 2009 Bikes and Products from Rocky Mountain Here!
At the Interbike Outdoor Demo this year, I got the chance to ride Rocky Mountain’s latest all mountain bike, the Altitude. My buddy Thane, is a Rocky Mountain rep and he set me up on the top-the-line Altitude 90. With a carbon fiber frame, XTR drivetrain, Formula’s new R1 disc brakes, and Mavic Crossmax SLR wheels it weighs in at just over 25 pounds. That’s ridiculously light for me - my “little” bike weighs about 31 pounds. The Altitude 90 has 140mm of travel, front and back and is replacing the ETSX line. Rocky has traded the adjustable rear suspension linkage of the ETSX for a steep 76-degree seat tube angle and 69-degree head tube angle.
I tested the Altitude 90 on one of my favorite trails anywhere - Girl Scout. This is one of Brent Thompson’s earliest trails at Bootleg Canyon. It’s not long, but it packs in a bit of everything - especially if you ride it as an out and back. It’s my standard test run on Outdoor Demo tests and I’ve ridden it on everything from my singlespeed to full DH bikes. It’s fun no matter what kind of bike your on.
The first thing I noticed about the Altitude is how comfortable it is to pedal. My light bike (Bionicon Golden Willow) weighs 5 or 6 pounds more, so the Altitude 90 felt like it was made of anti-gravity material. But more important than the weight is the 76-degree seat tube angle. The steep set tube angle makes this bike super comfortable to pedal and wonderful for climbing. For all but the steepest bits, you really can just sit and spin. It requires minimal body english or leaning forward to keep the front down. The rear stays planted and the front wheel stays on the ground without any extra effort. This is nice for my back and helps save energy for the steep technical bits where you do need to exert some extra effort.
On the downhill, the bike felt stable and the custom-valved Fox Float RP32 in the back and Float RLC fork kept it stuck to the ground. The 69-degree head tube angle is a little steep for my taste, so I didn’t totally let it rip. If it were my own bike, I’d probably put a longer fork on it than the 140mm Fox 32 Float RLC. That would rake it out a little and make it better for downhill attacks. Of course, it would also mean trading some of that 76-degree seat tube climbing comfort. Unfortunately, it would probably also void the warranty.
I’m not used to riding carbon fiber frame bikes and every time I heard a rock hit the down tube I cringed a little. I mentioned that to Thane when I returned the bike and he pointed out that the down tube is specially shaped to deflect rocks. It has a bladed shape so there’s no flat spot for rocks to really whack it. The blade shape probably also provides added stiffness.
Overall, I think the Altitude is a pretty sweet bike - especially the all carbon and XTR model 90 I rode. Out of the box, I think it would make a great bike for a cross-country racer who wants a longer-travel weekend, epic-ride bike. People who like slacker geometry might not be as happy with it and might be better off looking at the Rocky Mountain Slayer line. On the other hand, if you can get away with putting a longer fork on it without voiding the warranty, it would make a super climbable and fun all mountain railer. I wouldn’t mind trying the Altitude 90 with a Fox 36 Talas fork. That could be really fun.
If you like this review, you might also like the Digital Camera Pro Reviews on Photo-John’s site, PhotographyREVIEW.com.
See all the latest 2009 Bikes and Products from Rocky Mountain Here!
