Yes, the XTR pads did make a racket at first, but some strategically placed mastic tape took care of that. It's nearly silent, too, free of any annoying cable rattle or chainslap. Even in the longer chainstay position I haven't had any issues navigating tighter trails, and on rougher straightaways the Fox 38 / Float X2 combo creates a satisfyingly smooth ride. The bike has a really fun blend of quickness and plowability. I'll try some different positions as testing progresses, but at the moment I don't really have any reason to want to deviate from that configuration. My first handful of rides have all been with the Altitude set up in the slackest geometry setting with the chainstays in the long position. Jesse Melamed approaches warp speed on the Altitude. I have a hard time imagining many riders will ever run this bike in the steep position, which gives it a 65.5-degree head angle – why not shift everything over so that there's the option of giving the Altitude a DH-bike worthy head angle? Personally, if I'm on a bike with adjustable geometry I'd rather have the ability to make it too slack versus too steep. Remember, this is a 160 /170mm bike – I'd hope that most riders considering a bike like this are planning on taking it into steep, technical terrain, areas where a slack head tube angle has very few downsides. However, I'm not sure why they didn't make it so the Altitude's slackest position was extra slack. Rocky has long been a proponent of adjustable geometry, and I don't think it's just because 'Ride 9' is a catchy term. I'm going to step up on my soapbox here for a paragraph or two, so skip ahead if you'd rather not hear my thoughts on adjustable frame geometry. On the Altitude the head angle can be changed from 64.4-degrees all the way up to 65.5 degrees in a matter of minutes. Rocky's Ride 9 geometry adjustment system is still in place, which allows riders to quickly tweak the bike's geometry by removing two bolts and changing the orientation of the two interlocking chips at the rear shock mount. Go with the short setting for a quicker, snappier rider, or the longer position for more stability at speed. It's a welcome feature, and one that will allow taller riders to achieve a more balanced ride, or for others to choose their preferred handling characteristics. It's also possible to change the rear center length by 10mm by flipping the chips in the seatstays and switching the orientation of the brake adaptor. Not surprisingly, the Altitude has grown longer and slacker – the reach on a size large now measures 480mm, with a 65-degree head angle in the neutral setting, compared to 458mm and 65.6-degrees on the previous version.
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