This frame has sulked away in it’s box for years, doing nothing, other than the occasional bit of nagging away at me – so when a set of Surly ECR forks followed me home from my LBS over the weekend (and, given that I’m no stranger to sticking 29er forks on 26ers) – a happy coincidence occurred, and out he came.

In addition to having the wrong forks, he’s also now sporting a fashionable 1 x n transmission (albeit with rubbish ratios), and large volume tyres.

Ignoring the [otherwise entirely] fixable gearing ratio / horrible tyre thing, this build has turned out really really well, the ride & handling is great for what & where I ride.

Feel free to pick holes (Titec H-Bars, too many spacers, big rotors etc). I should mention there’ll be a rack going on the front soon too.

😉

Looks very nice….I have an old inbred that I put 29r forks on and it feels about the same as riding with a 130/140mm suspension, and with some 2.3’s on there the bumps don’t feel too bad! Rides really fast too!

Nice.

I run my 26″ On One 456 Evo carbon with the Lurcher carbon tapered steerer carbon forks, and really like it. I think it’s 470 AC, same as your ECR ones. They do a straight steerer version of yours is like that. They seem to absorb alot of vibration and have alot of tyre clearance too.

How does 853 frame material feel to you?

I always wish I’d kept my 853 Altitude (it was the lurid green one before the beautiful red colour came along).

Had both an 853 steel Altitude and a Ti one to follow it. Fair to say that they were the best 26″ HT’s I’ve owned, and I put some big milage in on both those bikes. Tempted to find and build up another as a bit of a pub bike/skills sharpener considering that I’m now riding big travel 29ers pretty much exclusively!

I’m still riding my 853 lurid green Altitude 6 years on! I’m loathed to part with it as I love the frame. In the last year or two it’s had a new fork and some new hope wheels so there is life in the old dog yet……..

I’ve got an 853 latitude that’s lovely. Needs wider bars now I think and still sporting a 3xn transmission which dates it a bit.

Never had an altitude, how did they compare?

Shame genesis seem to have moved away from 853 more recently. They’re making some nice niche bikes but would be great to get them in a nicer steel ( as if I’d notice the difference…!).