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Go Foot Out, Flat Out On New Rocky Mountain Altitude Rally Editions

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Rocky Mountain Altitude 770 MSL Rally edition 2

Rally. A word that conjures images of specially tuned, high horsepower beasts power sliding through corners in order to be the first to finish the stage. On the flip side, rallying can also mean just getting together with your friends and blasting trails as fast as you can, while having the most fun possible. In a mountain biking world where Enduro is the buzz word du jour, Rocky Mountain has used the term Rally to describe their latest specially equipped fun machine. Built on the 650b Altitude 770 MSL and 750 platforms, the Rally editions are ready for your next rally session right out of the box.

Whether you’re racing Enduro or just riding aggressively, the beefed up specs of the Rally editions are sure to get you to the bottom of the mountain.

Rocky Mountain Altitude 770 MSL Rally edition Dre and Wade 3
Rider: Wade Simmons. Photographer: Margus Riga

If you haven’t experienced an enduro race, the concept of a specifically equipped bike may be a bit foreign. Essentially, Enduro bikes have to withstand much of what a downhill bike would endure while still able to be pedaled up the mountain to the next stage. Since only the downhill sections are timed in an Enduro (though there is still a lot of pedaling, and even climbing) bikes for the discipline need stronger wheels and tires, stout suspension, and wider bars and shorter stems. All of this and the weight of the bike still plays a critical role – lighter means easier climbing between stages, saving precious energy.

Rocky Mountain Altitude 770 MSL Rally edition

Speaking of light, the carbon Altitude 770 MSL Rally Edition would certainly qualify with the medium clocking in a 29.1 pounds. That might sound like a lot, until you realize it’s a 160/150mm travel bike with downhill rims and beefy 27.5×2.4″ tires and parts that favor durability. Suspension wise, the MSL Rally Edition is very similar to the set up of Saris’ Altitude from the Fox camp – a 160mm Fox Float 34 Kashima FIT CTD fork up front, matched to the new Fox Float X Remote Kashima CTD shock out back. What a mouthful.

Rocky Mountain Altitude 770 MSL Rally edition Dre and Wade 2
Riders: Wade Simmons & Andreas Hestler. Photographer: Margus Riga

To ensure the wheels are up to the task, SRAM X9 hubs are laced to Stan’s ZTR Flox EX rims with brass nipples for lightweight strength that is also tubeless ready. The wheels are wrapped in meaty 2.4″ Mountain King rubber from Continental with ProTection sidewalls. While the bike is equipped with a SRAM X9 shifter and Type 2 rear derailleur, chain and cassette come by way of Shimano with an E*thirteen TRS+ guide keeping things in place. The Race Face Turbine crank is fitted with a 34T ring, which mates with the 11-36 cassette for Enduro oriented gearing. Of course, no Enduro bike is complete with out dropper post – in this case a RockShox Rerverb Stealth.

The cockpit has also been changed to accommodate getting loose with a 785mm wide Race Face Turbine bar clamped in place with a 50-60mm Turbine Stem.  Avid’s Elixer 9 Trail brakes slow things down with 180mm rotors front and rear.

altitude 750 rally edition Rocky Mountain

If carbon is out of your budget or comfort zone, the Altitude 750 will also be available in a Rally Edition with a slightly lower spec. Instead of the pricey Fox Kashima bits, the 750 is equipped with a full X-Fusion suspension packaged with a 160mm Sweep RL2 Air 34 fork and an O2 RL remote rear shock. Sun Ringle Inferno rims are laced to SRAM X.7 hubs with standard Continental Mountain King 2.4″ tires. X-Fusion also gets the nod on the dropper post, with a HILO 30.9 moving the saddle up and down.

Rocky Mountain Altitude 770 MSL Rally edition Dre and Wade
Riders: Wade Simmons & Andreas Hestler. Photographer: Margus Riga

The 750 receives an entire X7 drivetrain and Elixir 7 trail brake set up, this time with SRAM PG-1030 and PC-1031 cassette and chain. The 750 gets the same gearing as the 770 MSL with a 34×11-36 that sees chain keeping duty performed by an E*thirteen LG1 guide combined with the X7 Type 2 rear derailleur. Handlebar and stem are the same as the 770 with the exception of an Evolve bar replacing the Turbine.

Rocky Mountain Altitude Rally Geometry

Both models are available in stores now, in XS-XL.

Retail:

Altitude 770 MSL RE : MSRP $5599

Altitude 750 RE : MSRP $3299

 

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Yetiman
Yetiman
10 years ago

I’m waiting for the Colin McRae (RIP) edition 🙂

LMStuff
LMStuff
10 years ago

Hmmm…. Everytime I read about another awesome bike. Hmmmmm…….

I am so close at getting my next bike. Any other rear contenders out there than these guys for what I want?

Riding style. Enduro/freeride, Trail, Cross country, Big Downhill when I can get it!
Under 30lbs total weight.
MAX 6K!!!! Sounds way to much for a single bike
Can withstand a serious for years to come and keeps coming back for more without breaking. (My current 2003 Yeti ASX is bullet proof it you as me, minus the normal stuff that goes)

So far my top options now are are:

1. Rocky MTN 770 MSL Rally edition – Not ridden yet.
2. Rocky MTN 770 MSL – Wow this bike rides like no other, my bro bought one right after his long demo of it he liked it so much. It is truly all that and rides / handles like a dream.
3. Specialized 29″ Enduro Carbon Expert ( I want to demo this so bad to finalize my decision, WHAT UP SPECIALIZED? You didn’t have one to ride at Sea Otter and now It’s July where are these bikes. You are holding my purchase. Can’t move on until I demo it and decide.
4. Yeti SB95C 29″ carbon (less travel than the top 3 127MM) Demo’d for 2 hrs, It fit like a glove and I was very surprised on how well it took a beating and handled everything I hit the jumps and rally hard through.
5. Specialized 29″ Camber Carbon. I know its a shorter travel 29″, but I took one of these baby’s out at Sea Otter this and boy it rode and handled like a dream. They set it up perfectly for me. I took it for almost 2 hrs – (2 separate rides right after each other, didn’t want to be greedy but no one was waiting for it) and it just took everything I could put it through, big drops, very fast downhill single tracks, uphill, crazy aggressive ridding and for final measure the dual slalom course with a couple good doubles in there. I was really impressed on how light and fast it was but am worried it would not hold up to the long term abuse I would give it and it would limit my DH/FR riding. (Could just rent when I go to the big parks or use my old bike for that).

Rode the Santa Cruz Bronson C, It was very good but it felt heavy and did ride nearly as well as the Rocky Mountain MSL.

Demoed the IBIS Ripley 29″ I believe (same day as the Yeti SB95) The Yeti killed it. Don’t get me wrong it was a great bike but I just didn’t feel at home on it even after a couple hours of demo and turning it.

Any more ideas guy before I Pony up a tiny fortune for my next do it all MTB?

Thanks guys!

Tom
Tom
10 years ago

Lapierre Spicy Team bike for 2014…nuff said! GT Force Team bike also to throw in the mix!

Andrew
Andrew
10 years ago

Three words: Buy the Altitude.

David1
David1
10 years ago

The 770 MSL looks and sounds awesome, but I could save some money by buying the 750. Oh what to buy what to buy? Rocky Mountain why do you make decisions so hard for me?

LMStuff
LMStuff
10 years ago

Thanks for the comments guys! Sorry for the grammar on my original post, lack of sleep and hurrying to make it to work on time (PST) = rushing and no editing.

I am still heavily leaning towards the Altitude, but still need to get the 29 Enduro carbon out of my head by riding it on a full demo ride.

I am spending big $$$$ here I need to be 100% sure I buy the right bike for me. This will most likely be my next 10+ year do all mountain bike.

The Spicy Team and GT Force Carbon Team are sweet looking bikes too. So many choices these days.

My main criteria in order:

Performance
Handling
Feel/Fit – Has to fit and Feel like the one for me.
Durability – I want this bike to take the severe beating I am going to give it, it has to last and be the energizer bunny of bikes for year after year. I don’t want to have to worry about breaking it or having to keep maintenancing it excessively. My life depends on the bikes durability, I don’t want an unnessary failure at high speeds or under extreme duress while downhilling with it.
Weight – has to be under 30lbs total
Remote shock controls
Remote seat controls
Looks
Internal cable routing (come on bike manufacturers Rocky Mountain gets it, NO EXCUSE not to do internal routing / very clean looking cabling for the price everyone is now charging).
Cool color scheme / black / gun metal color scheme of some type.

slcpunk
slcpunk
10 years ago

Seems like the Intense Spider 29 comp should be in your list, and/or maybe the Intense Carbine 275 … lots of choices in this area, I like your focus on Durability, but that’s probably the hardest to measure. I’m sure you’ll find one person with each bike that had it blow up … but since they are all pretty new, its hard to gauge long term durability. keep us posted.

Captainsnappy
Captainsnappy
10 years ago

There are far too many maple leaves on the bike. Can I have one with a screaming eagle firing an AR15? The eagle must be diving… and with flames on the tips of it’s wings.

80
80
10 years ago

@Captainsnappy – did you mean “maple leafs?”

Shane
Shane
10 years ago

Mikes Bikes has a 29″ Enduro to demo. Check them out

Captainsnappy
Captainsnappy
10 years ago

@80,

No, the Maple Leafs are a NHL hockey team because it’s a proper name like Trek. The plural form of a ‘maple leaf’, as in the tree, is ‘maple leaves’.

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