On my local singletrack it felt quicker and more agile that the PA. On a couple of sections i had to rein it in as i felt like i was going a bit too quick. Climbs well and on the flats you can skip along at a quick pace too and feel very comfy.
The 853 Altitude/Latitude is very much a frame well designed to make the real benefits of having been built out of steel for definite. The PA is one tough beast, capable of a whole lot of abuse, the Genesis is by contrast a more subtle trail weapon, a bit more lively and a bit lighter (4.8lb plays about 5.5lb iirc). I really liked mine, the only thing I would have wished for it was it was even lighter… Which is OK, cos I’ve now got the Ti version!
It has even more of that lovely steel “twang” i have felt in other frames i have had, but with something extra which just feels right. On one decent it was like i was on a full susser. Obviously tyres etc have alot to do with that feeling also, but didn’t feel beaten-up at all.
It’s springier than many frames, though not as springy as most old school steel bikes, but then with 120mm travel forks and disc brakes, thank god for that! Your huge tyres will be playing a large part in the comfort stakes though, cos I can tell you if you swap them out for some 2″ Bonty Mud X’s, pumped up to 50psi or so, and it’s quite unforgiving I can assure you!
Would post up a pic of mine, but don’t have any decent/recent ones to hand. Only hald decent pic I’ve got of it was 12 months ago, with quite a different spec to what it is now. In fact, it’s been a real “Triggers Broom” bike for me since I got the original steel version back in 2008, as I think on the bike as it is now, only the headset spacers remain from the very original build! I’ll take a pic tomorrow if it’s sunny, and post it up…