Today, we have the new 2024 Rocky Mountain Altitude, and oh boy, is it special. It’s a bit of a new look for Rocky with a reincarnated LC2R suspension design – Rocky’s version of a virtual pivot. It is easily the standout feature when it comes to ride quality. So stick around to see what it’s all about.

Let’s chat about a few features before we go ride. First up, we’ve got the new suspension design — LC2R or Low Center Counter Rotating design. It’s a virtual pivot design that Rocky used on some of their older models back in 2006. It’s back and refined for this year’s Altitude. It promises more small bump sensitivity, minimal chain interaction on the suspension, a predictable, linear-ish curve, and a low center of gravity. Whatever it is, it’s pretty damn special.

We also have a cool feature that Rocky also put on the new Instinct — adjustable reach headset cups. You have three options: 0, -5 or +5mm. I typically ride extra-large frames, but I’ve been wanting to play around with a slightly shorter wheelbase and the Altitude made that easy to do. So today, I’m on a large frame with the +5mm reach cup installed. With the adjustable reach, it effectively minimizes the gap between sizes and allows for more freedom to choose your frame size based on a certain ride quality characteristic. The difference in reach between the L and XL can be as small as 12mm, where most frames are in the 20-25mm range. And, of course, we still have Ride-4 for a lot of geometry versatility.

In what has been dubbed as “literally the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen” by one YouTube commenter, there’s an air tag holder in the frame storage cover. It’s a nice touch for an added level of security.

Now, let’s go ride.

Rocky Mountain Altitude Ride Review

uphill

I’m not going to beat around the bush — the Altitude isn’t winning the “most energetic” climber award. It’s big, heavy, and the suspension is clearly tuned for downhill performance. I’d honestly be a little upset if it weren’t that way — I’m not buying a 160mm bike for the way it climbs. 

I felt the previous Altitude toed that line between all-mountain and enduro bikes. The 2024 altitude does no such thing. It plants itself squarely in the enduro box. I don’t think it makes any compromises in the name of climbing performance. The suspension is active meaning there’s a bit of pedal bob and inefficiency. The best way to describe it is there’s very little encouragement from the bike to pedal harder and give it your all on the climbs. Instead, it’s trying to tell you that you should forget about Strava, sit back, chill, and make it to the top eventually. Which I’m not too upset about — that aligns closely with my fitness goals anyway.

There’s a positive hidden in here, though. The suspension provides a remarkable amount of traction. Essentially, there’s an endless amount of grip on offer, so you can stand up and mash at will. That certainly helps on really steep climbs when you need to get out of the saddle. It helps quite a bit in technical terrain as well, but the bike’s overall size is going to keep it from excelling on technical climbs. 

The bike’s overall weight becomes a bit of a factor, too. I wouldn’t have it another way, though. This thing is ready to ride out of the box and is built to last. Most notably, the tire selection is appropriate, with proper casings that will stand up to the bike’s capability. A lot of manufacturers will put paper-thin tires on big enduro bikes simply to make the weight look better on paper. And to their credit, a weight-weenie-dominated market demands that. When in reality, those tires will last all of 22 seconds before they’re replaced with a proper tire. Rocky doesn’t play games, and they’ve put a Double Down/EXO+ combo and cushcore front and back. Kudos.

Downhill

Now we get to the good part — and this part is really, really good. Listen, I’m not trying to fanboy, but I can’t really help it here. I don’t know if I’ve ever ridden a bike with suspension quite as nice as this. Close your eyes and picture a big enduro bike plowing through nasty terrain. The suspension is dialed, and the bike is eating every bump up — big and small. All you hear is the pitter-patter of tires smashing through roots and rocks. That’s exactly how the Altitude feels — just like you pictured.

The Altitude has a way of making terrain completely disappear. If the bump is smaller than head height, you probably won’t feel much. It’s the bike equivalent of the magic eraser. It not only minimizes terrain features, it erases mistakes, too. Line choice becomes far less important. Keep the bars mostly straight and that front wheel mostly pointed downhill, and you’re going to be just fine. The way the wheels stick to the ground and contour the terrain provides a ton of traction. That traction is especially noticeable on steeps, off-cambers, and flat corners. 

If you heard that and started cringing thinking the Altitude is boring and makes it too easy, it kind of does make things too easy. But that’s when you just get to go faster and do harder stuff. It also has a way of not feeling like too much bike when it comes to playing around. It jumps just fine whether you’ve got an actual jump or you’re just bunny-hopping over obstacles. Either way, it retains a certain degree of liveliness, even though it’s huge and ultra-forgiving. It reminds me quite a bit of the Megatower V2, only shifted up the burly scale a notch or two. I somehow ended up overshooting most jumps while on the Altitude. Turns out that’s ok — it eats up flat landings, too. 

One little caveat here. I’m on a 450lb. spring on this bike. Running the numbers on a spring calculator, I should be between 450 and 475lb. I might be a little on the soft side – but still within a normal range. That will contribute to the small bump and traction performance but could be impacting the mid stroke and end stroke. That said, I didn’t have any bottom-out issues, and I didn’t feel like I was too deep in the stroke when it wasn’t necessary. I will throw a 500lb. spring on this and see, but for now, I love the ride quality on the 450lb. spring. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I’m running a bit more sag than normal, but don’t think I’d change it.

The handling is basically what you’d expect from a big bike. Even with a slightly shorter wheelbase than I’m used to (remember I downsized and then increased the reach by 5mm), the handling leans more toward stability than it does maneuverability. It’s not a quick and zippy trail bike. It’s the happiest going mach chicken. That said, it corners fine, although it prefers wider radiuses. It doesn’t care too much if it’s bermed and smooth or flat and bumpy, though. I’d be curious to see what the XL feels like or even the XL and mullet setup — lots of options to explore. 

Rocky Mountain Altitude Comparisons

Who is the Rocky Mountain Altitude for?

There’s no hiding that the Altitude is a gravity lover’s bike. It’s big and burly, yet still surprisingly fun. The suspension feels like a memory foam mattress and makes terrain features completely disappear. It’s not a bike I’d recommend to anyone who lives for the climbs. If you have ever cared about a Strava time on a climb, I don’t think this will be your jam. If you live for the descents and are willing to put up with climbing to get to the good stuff, then I don’t think you could find a better option than the Altitude. 

If you spend a lot of time shuttling, chair lifting, or don’t mind a little extra effort on the ups to reward yourself with the best possible descender, then snag one of these. You won’t regret it. 

That’s going to wrap it up. See you next time.