The elegant carbon frame and high-end equipment bring the weight down to just under 13 kilos. A chip in the front shock mount allows you to influence the characteristic curve of the Fox "Float X" shock and adjust the geometry. We opted for the flattest, most downhill-focussed position. When it comes to shifting, the Rocky stands out with its crisp 1x10 gearing (34 teeth front, 11-36 rear). Steep climbs and all-round use in the mountains are therefore out of the question. Instead, there is a remote control for the compression damping. The "Altitude" was quite short in the selected setting and only fitted our 1.70 tall tester really well.
On the climbs, the rear suspension bobs - but with maximum compression via a click on the handlebars, the ride is firm and direct. However, the slack seat angle means you have to pedal a little from behind. On the trail and downhill, the bike comes to life. It is easy to pull through tight and wide bends and responds directly to steering commands. In open mode, the rear suspension swallows really well and is stable with plenty of travel, but must always be hardened for sprints, otherwise the bike pumps noticeably. A stumbling block on rough terrain: The fork is less sensitive than the "Pike" and uses too much travel on medium bumps. If you ride less sag, it becomes insensitive. The balance is not ideal, which costs points.
ConclusionThe Rocky "Altitude" is consistently designed as a race bike. We think this is too consistent, because such a reduced gear selection unnecessarily restricts the range of use without offering any real advantages in races. The rear suspension works excellently downhill, unfortunately the fork was not ideally tuned and spoilt the otherwise great downhill characteristics.
Strengths: full rear, handling, workmanship
Weaknessesa little short, fork, transmission
Max Schumann (26): "The Geo on the Rocky is impressive. Unfortunately, the suspension and fork have certain weaknesses. It lacks safety, which costs time in the race."
Manufacturer information
Distribution Bike Action GmbH www.bikeaction.de
Material/sizes Aluminium/XS,S,M,L,XL
Price/weight without pedals 5499 Euro/12.9 kg
Measurement data
Front/rear suspension travel 160 mm/150 mm
Rear end System-supported single-joint
Reach 403 mm
Stack 608 mm
BB-Drop -11 mm
Equipment
Fork/damper Fox Float 34 FIT CTD /Fox Float X CTD
Cranks/gears Race Face SixC/SRAM X0
Brake system Avid Elixir 9 Trail
Impellers Stans Notubes ZTR Flow Ex, SRAM X9 hubs, Continental Trail King 2.4 tyres (standard)
