There's something special about how the Altitude's rides. Whether I'm on familiar trails or new ones, the handling and the overall feel of the bike have continued to impress and surprise me in the two years I've ridden this generation of Altitude. My first ride was on a fairly rowdy trail that I'm very familiar with, and compared to other bikes I had ridden down the trail, the Altitude gave me a sense of poise and control that I didn't know was quite achievable. Not to mention the fact that every hole and speed-sapping feature on the trail seemed to disappear under the Altitude, and I've now adjusted to riding faster (and smoother!) than ever before because the bike casually generates speed and fluidity where there used to be none. It may be a bit much for your average trail ride or long-distance excursion on blue trails, but it's fun nonetheless because of its mild handling characteristics and comfortable geometry. I couldn't be happier and more impressed with what Rocky Mountain have done with the Altitude over the years, and I can't wait to see what they come up with in the future because this bike is going to be very hard to top.