Hey there Julian.
It looks like the reach of your 2018 Altitude is 452mm, the 2021 hovering in the 480 range. Overall, I think you'll find the geometry is much more aggressive on the 2021 Altitude - longer, lower BB.
I haven't had a chance to throw a leg over the XL. After riding a bike with a 490 reach, I'm actually more comfortable on something in the the 480 range. I'm also running a 30mm stem. Personally, I'd be cautious to ride a bike which is too long in the reach dept - there's a fine line of being a passenger vs. a pilot. TLDR: I prefer the large size.
The Shore is my local riding 'hood, and I too value the slow tech ability of the bike. I've been running the Altitude in the long position on the adjustable dropout, but am about to flip it to short - presumably making the bike that much more flickable.
Oct. 27, 2020, 12:51 p.m. - Graham Driedger
Hey there Julian. It looks like the reach of your 2018 Altitude is 452mm, the 2021 hovering in the 480 range. Overall, I think you'll find the geometry is much more aggressive on the 2021 Altitude - longer, lower BB. I haven't had a chance to throw a leg over the XL. After riding a bike with a 490 reach, I'm actually more comfortable on something in the the 480 range. I'm also running a 30mm stem. Personally, I'd be cautious to ride a bike which is too long in the reach dept - there's a fine line of being a passenger vs. a pilot. TLDR: I prefer the large size. The Shore is my local riding 'hood, and I too value the slow tech ability of the bike. I've been running the Altitude in the long position on the adjustable dropout, but am about to flip it to short - presumably making the bike that much more flickable.