More often than not I end up riding and reviewing really expensive bikes. My personal bikes are all way more reasonable. I’d rather spend the extra money on gummy worms.
Great reviews! I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more bike checks. I am a videographer in the MTB space and this stuff it not only entertaining to watch, but also helps me learn and get better with what I do weekly.
This is the first bike check I didn't think was lame, but rather enjoyed. Great insights. Commentary is candid and authentic without hamming it up or being vulgar. 5 stars out of 5.
Awesome bike, I’m same…I get super bored with those groomed, bermed with giant rollers and table tops, gradual sloped machine made “trails”. I much prefer the janky natural single track trail is most fun and scenic to me. I prefer functional and durable over fashionable and brittle. Aluminum rimmed, mechanical shifting…bomb proof DT swiss 350 Hubs with 56 teeth works fine for any type of riding I do. SRAM Maven ultimate brakes.
XT brakes, Solid suspensions, nothing with tourism cables, seems at RM they listen us :) ....tried last month and this bike IS THE BEAST! #mynextbike100%
A couple years older and couldn't agree more on happy trails. Pull some ferns....maybe a little rake....let the trail develop. Really enjoy all your stuff.
10 minutes of pure bias confirmation 🤌🏻🤌🏻 cabled drivetrains, stock suspension, heavy alloy wheels with inserts, and big beefy brakes all speak to me on a deep level.
How would you compare the altitude to the megatower? I have a 2020 rallon with a coil shock and feel the downhill suspension performance is still too harsh on rocky Colorado trails. I love how it climbs but am willing to give up a little bit of efficiency for something that doesn’t beat me up trying to bomb the rocky downhills. Wondering which one you would recommend
Great video. Completely agree with you on this build. I'm going back to mechanical after the last 6 months on SRAM AXS T-Type. My biggest complaint is it just shifts too slow. Completely agree with you on your favorite trail type too. Hope to see more videos like this!
When you change the reach adjust does that also change the wheelbase / front center? You mentioned going to the -5 mm setting to shorten the wheelbase but I wasn't sure if that was a mistake or not. Thanks!
Love your Bike setup. I’m pretty much the same type of rider as you are. Been riding mtb way before front suspension was a thing and before that, bmx in my youths. At my age, it’s all about exploring the trails and still doing it as long my body let it. I leave the huge jump flow tracks, skinnies to your shredders.
The realness is great….. keep it up mane but also let the subpar blue flow riders continue to buy 14k bikes to ride at 1/5 of what the bikes full capability is ahahaha
Yeah. I’m at 65 psi, HSC 2 from open, LSC 5 from open, rebound is 8 from open. What works for me almost certainly won’t work for someone else. That’s stuff is very rider dependent.
It's been a while since I've ridden a Megatower so take this with a grain of salt. They're both pretty similar. Probably why I like them both quite a bit. I think the Altitude might feel a little bit deeper and plusher. It's hard to say though.
Thanks for your feedback. Just would love to hear your review any time you happen to ride a ransom. I'd looked on Scott's website and they're all sold out in all sizes. Also the reviews I've heard so far are great. Because of the review to date, the ransom would be the one for me so that I could have the best experience a bike can give. That's why I would appreciate your thoughts as you know a great deal, plus you've been doing this well on RU-vid. Awesome
Texas sized 10-4 on your reasoning behind the parts choices on the bike... and your TV viewing habits. :D There's an unquantifiable but reassuring value to parts that "just work". Electronic shifters and forks/shocks with all the adjustments and tech are neat, but for a rider of my quality (read: low), none of that has any appreciable effect on how much fun I have on my rides (LOTS). Not to poopoo those folks who run high-spec gear and can extract the most out of it, but for someone who is nearing 50, in okay shape, and isn't sending black trails all the time, my riding habits obviate the need for top-end gear. I have a blast with the stock suspension, shifter, and brakes on my Instinct, knowing that I'll likely never be in a situation where it's not enough bike. The only trailhead prep is checking tire pressure and chain lube if needed.
Pitter patter. I like the fancy electronic bits from time to time but I also really like having a derailleur that works because I can’t forget to charge a cable. Ha.
I demoed the 2024 Altitude C70, the two things that stuck out vs my 2023 Altitude C70. The back end is almost excessively long, it's roughly the same wheelbase as a Spire (about 20mm longer than my 2023 with mine in the long chainstay setting), but it feels like a longer bike than the Spire. It does pedal slightly better than my 2023. Both the 2024 and my 2023 Altitude ride noticeably smoother than the Spire does (every Transition I've ridden has felt a tad chattery, but they absolutely eat up big hits).
I’m pretty tall and most frames have a short rear for my height even in XL. I appreciate the stability from the long rear center. Most of our trails out here are pretty high speed and straight so the longer bike isn’t too detrimental.
One of my bikes doesn't have a single bit of carbon on it, including the frame. I love it. I feel the same way uphill riding is just a means for the downhill.
I don't have a lot of beach ball trails in my list of rideable places. A ton of newcomers to the sport idealize that type of trail as perfection because RU-vidrs told them so it's sad because that's not where all the fun is 😂
Love it! Always in the market for a new bike, but don't often have access to the ones that interest me so the more impressions I can gather them more informed I feel in making a decision. Keep up the good work!
Great idea and execution ! Kudos. I have been following your videos for a while and just recently revisited the Continental tires one since mine are up for a change soon. Noticed you don't have them on this bike ... any changes in your recommendations since that Continental video ?
Not sure if the previous reply went through. Looks like it might not have. Anyway, I'm running the stock tires until they die and then I'll likely swap for an Argotal and Kryptotal with DH casings.
Due to unfortunate circumstances and bike thieves, I have ridden the 2024 Altitude C70 coil and now am on a C50. I am curious to know which ride 4 setting you find suits tech trails the best. Also, how do you find the overall amount of progression? I feel like it has been a challenge to get full travel out of the rear. Should I remove some volume spacers, or try a different ride 4 setting? Any idea how the progression changes between position 3 and 2?
Bike thieves suck. I think there isn’t one best setting for tech. I think it depends on the rider more than anything. I like position two with the lower BB but not as slack as position one. I don’t know if I can tell too much of a difference in progression between the settings. I’m sure it varies slightly but not enough for me to notice. That said I haven’t ever done back to back laps with different settings.
@@bikersedge are you consistently getting full travel? What sag % have you settled on? At 30% in position 3 I’m leaving probably 10mm of stroke unused on the shock…
@@shredwithscott yeah I get full travel. I’ll bottom out a couple of times a ride. You could probably get away with a bit more sag, or look at removing a spacer.
Come on…Light weight IS not overrated, just over priced A lighter bike will help. You’ll be Less fatigued. Hence more riding time Carry a Garmin computer or watch. It will tell you when your AXS batteries are running low
Pedaling performance is the one of the lowest things on my priority list in a bike. I’ll pay the pedaling penalty in favor of better descending performance and durability. I 100% think “light” is overrated. Light tires don’t hold up, light wheels are too flexy, light chains can snap easily, light brakes aren’t powerful enough, light rotors get too hot too quickly. Lots of light things compromise descending capability.
@@bikersedgePlus a little extra weight carries through the chunk better. I’m with you on the heavier builds for the big bikes being better in a lot of scenarios. Also if I have a heavier bike I just get fitter. Evens out in the end.
Totally agree. If I rode XC, or my priorities involved uphill speed and efficiency, then maybe I’d spring for some lighter parts. But that stuff just doesn’t excite me.
Nice bike check! I've been looking at one of these for my new "big boy" build. Between this, SB160, HD6 or Megatower. Speaking with people who have ridden all, it seems like the HD6 and Altitude are on top (and also the are the newest of the bunch) - Unfortunately the importer for Rocky Mountain where I live filed for bankruptcy a few months ago, so having a hard time sourcing one... You think any of the others are on par with this?
I think this and the Megatower are the most similar. They both align with how I like to ride a bike better. The SB160 pedals well and is pretty quick, but less forgiving. The HD6 takes that one step further and toes the line between enduro and all mountain.
@@bikersedge Thank you for the response! Yeah, your answers almost exactly resonate with the info i've found myself through forums and reviews. The altitude is probably the one I want the most. But since there is no dealer currently, and dont want to take any warranty issues with an abroad retail dealer etc. I might go for the Megatower. I'll be buying a framset, and want RS suspension. And the Megatower is the only one you can get with something other than an X2, I can get it with a SDU Coil. And they are also some deals on it here, about $1k~ less than a Altitude framset. So that migth be the ticket.
It is an enduro bike. Why are going on about weight? Lol. I have a 2023 Instinct C30 and it is the best bike I have owned after 25+ years of Stumpjumper and Enduros. I have a heavy Deore group set and OEM parts, but they are durable and reliable. The frame is prime for upgrades over time. That is the enduro bike I would buy, if my terrain demanded it. Great bike! I am glad they separated the Instinct and Altitude with frame design. My Main pivot loosened after about a month on it. It wasn't super loose, but It creaked like mad. I pulled the bolt and put lock tight on the treads before greasing it up and tightening. Now it is butter. It is the quietest bike I have personally ridden now. The main pivot should be a regular check for Rocky owners, according to my bro who owned a bike shop and sold/maintenanced them. Mine has stayed tight, but I check it after most every ride.
@@bikersedge I agreed w you in my comment???? Want a light bike? Buy a trail bike. Your main pivot maintenance is more involved than mine w the suspension design on the new Altitude.
Oh yeah. Exactly. Think I just misunderstood you over the interwebs. Yeah the lower link takes a little to get to on this one. Not terrible and luckily I only had to do it once.
@@bikersedge I did have typo in the original comment so I can understand the confusion. I meant to type "Why are we going on about weight"... not "you" in the vid. I prefer heavier durable parts if on a light frame. Happy trails and great, smart build.
@@xhead86 it all depends on your size, riding style, trails and how tough you are on tires and wheels. I break a handful of wheels every year so I try to prevent that with slightly higher pressures and thick tire casings.
Dude, I’m sorry but a lot of this is just you complaining and justifying your purchase. Why don’t you talk about why this is a smart decision for certain people instead of justifying why you don’t have something
Not complaining about anything other than the wheels that broke the first ride and the dropper that never worked. The whole video talks about why I think the build is smart for me. It’s a bike check that explains why I have what I have and how I like to run my bike - Not a review.
