# Fuji SST or ALTAMIRA?



## birds1969

Hi everyone,
I wanted to get opinions on either purchasing a 2013 Fuji SST 2.1 or waiting for a new 2014 Altamira either the 2.3 or 2.5. Any suggestions on the three bikes and thoughts about the differences between the three?
Thanks


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## Mr645

The SST is stiff and has features like internal cabling for low drag performance. Designed for sprints and higher speed riding.

Altamira is lighter, a little smoother riding, a great climbing and over all bike that can cover longer distances more comfortably as well. 

The Fuji sponsored race teams seem to use a mix of both frames


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## Alleywishes

Altamira for the climbs 

SST for the sprints or short crits


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## xjbaylor

I wouldn't recommend the SST to anyone not intending to race crits. It is a great bike, but very stiff. The Altamira is probably the better all around bike for most people.


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## birds1969

Thanks for the feedback. I actually went to the store to order a new Altamira and walked out with a great deal on a SL1 PRO with full Ultegra. Must say after a few rides I'm very pleased with the bike. Its light, shifts great and looks pretty sweet too. Now got to go back and get a few more things & I'll be set.
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## Mambac

I am deciding between these two bikes myself. I like what I am reading about the SST being super stiff, but the Altamira is more for climbing, which I will be doing lots of as I live near the mountains. From anyone who has ridden the SST, why is the Altamira a better climbing bike when it is not as stiff as the SST?


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## Oldlegs

I just purchased an SST, my riding impressions are yes it's stiff but not uncomfortably stiff. When you stomp on the pedals it just plain goes. The Altimera is a fine bike also, not as stiff as the SST. I have no problems comfort so far and I have both a bad neck and back. As for climbing I can't speak to that living in flat South Florida. The overpasses that I have stomped up have been easy to get up in excess of 20mph.


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## beeballman

I just purchased the SST and yes it is stiff and goes, but I have had no issues with comfort at all. Very pleased with the bike


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## SirKronan

Mambac said:


> I am deciding between these two bikes myself. I like what I am reading about the SST being super stiff, but the Altamira is more for climbing, which I will be doing lots of as I live near the mountains. From anyone who has ridden the SST, why is the Altamira a better climbing bike when it is not as stiff as the SST?





Oldlegs said:


> I just purchased an SST, my riding impressions are yes it's stiff but not uncomfortably stiff. When you stomp on the pedals it just plain goes. The Altimera is a fine bike also, not as stiff as the SST. I have no problems comfort so far and I have both a bad neck and back. As for climbing I can't speak to that living in flat South Florida. The overpasses that I have stomped up have been easy to get up in excess of 20mph.





beeballman said:


> I just purchased the SST and yes it is stiff and goes, but I have had no issues with comfort at all. Very pleased with the bike



I don't know about other SST owners, but I've ridden the Altimara and the SST as well as some competing Trek, GT, Specialized, Raleigh, and Giant bikes. I specifically tested the GT (forget which model), Altimara, and SST on hills and rough and chip sealed pavement. The GT w/ultegra components and the Altimara were both lighter than the SST, and not quite as stiff or responsive. I tested in the same gear (they all had 50/34 compact cranks with 2x10 configurations) up a specific grade hill. It was small, but I felt like the SST had the best punch out of the three for climbing. The geometry of that frame just puts my upper body in the right spot to pull in conjunction with my legs and a huge amount of power instantly pulls me up the hill. I was exceedingly impressed.


And even though it's still a very still frame, remember it's carbon. I don't feel beat up at all by it, even taking it on chip-sealed county roads with cracks and cattle guards. Of course anything is better than the aluminum w/carbon fork that it is replacing. There are even seat and tire inflation adjustments you can make to smooth out that ride a considerable amount. But then when the need arises, fill those tires up all the way and you get speed and responsiveness in spades. 


Since I bought my SST, I have had the chance to take it on a very hilly ride, with a pretty serious 11% grade climb. It was fantastic. Climbed like a champ and felt great. Standing up I felt perfectly stable and in control, something I don't feel on every bike I ride, for sure! Keep in mind I am mostly a runner, and am only recently getting into biking, but other than the expected need to work out my climbing legs more, the bike literally ate those hills for lunch. I am excited to take it over into the mountainous Teton area when it worms up again, and I got myself a trainer to work on my conditioning when it's too snowy or windy to ride outside. 


I don't think the Altimara climbs any better than the SST, at least for me. They both climb great, but I prefer the racier and snappier feel of the SST. You can buy the SST and smooth it out with different tires, or less air in them. You can even get a cushier seat and some nice bar gel. But how do you buy the Altimara (both the Altimara and the GT, and especially the Raleigh felt more supple and subdued than the SST) and make it as stiff and responsive as the SST?


To each his own, but there is just something "right" about the SST's feel and geometry, at least for all the hill riding I do where I live. The course I rode over the weekend was pure hills, and it was an absolute blast. I did a similar course on the Giant OCR3 that I ended up selling, and I did not enjoy it nearly as much. I know the "motor" is the main key, but I haven't gotten in that much better of shape, as not much time has passed since my ride on the OCR3, and I can say the bike can still make a world of difference.


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## Mambac

Great read. Thanks for the reply, Kronan. I will probably be getting a 2012 SST 1.0 or Champion Systems Team framesets off of 3point5 for super cheap, and then build it up myself. They are the ISP frames so the stiffness will be slightly greater and the weight will be reduced by a bit. I will just have to decide on all the different variables of the build.


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## vino21

Great reviews folks. I just picked up my new SST2.1 bike. I test rode the Gran Fondo, Altimera, and the SST2.1. I am not sure why people say that the Altimera is lighter. The SST2.1 has 17 pounds which is pretty light. Perhaps those people rode the SST 3.0? Makes a difference. 
 

In any event, I have been riding the SL Pro (Superlight bike) from Fuji for a number of years and it is still a great bike in comparison to these two. There are just a few years difference and much of its characteristics went into the SST and Altimera. For me the biggest feature was that the SST just simply responses immediately to the power you put it. Who wouldn’t want that in a bike? It gets you started with an enormous response and it feels so very light and yet very much in control. I felt that this was a true upgrade from the SL Pro bike over the Altimera. I also don’t understand that many people say Altimera = climbing and SST = sprints. Where is the logic? A stiff bike accelerates faster and transforms the leg power also when climbing hills. The Altimera feels softer and perhaps it allows for smoother and longer rides… but even so, the SST2.1 was used during Tour the France… who wouldn’t call that long distance. Yes, it is true the saddle is harder but you can change that. 
 

So, my summary is that if you like fast and responsive bikes in all conditions than the SST is right. 
 

The only part I got confused by is the sizing. According to my size (5’11”) I should be in between the 56 and 58. But honestly I felt just as good on the 54 frame. But I ended up buying the 56. My seam size is 33” or 82.5cm and I weight 168 pounds. 
 

So, guys, go and get yourself a new bike no matter what you pick and have fun! Try it out yourself and don’t get hung up what other people think.


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## Vanquiz

Just took my first ride with SST 1.0, less than 20 miles, so much different than my previous SL1, much faster, stiff, and agile, I really didn't feel any harsh, it feels pretty good actually, and somehow I had less fatigue than the old bike maybe there's less power loss? 

Please note that my saddle is a hard cheapo Chinese carbon with no flex, and I feel pretty good with no harsh vibration, of course with chamois bibs, so I think for me, the SST is perfect, super perfect. But again, I never ride the Altamira, I can only compare it with my old SL1.

2012 Fuji SST 1.0: 2012 Fuji SST 1.0 - YouTube


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## laurido92

*Altamira 2.3*

Hi all. I took my friend to look at road bikes and he ended up buying mine and bought a 2013 Altamira 2.3 with full Ultegra for what I think was a very good price. The owner and I ride on Sundays and he gave me an awesome deal. I haven't had a chance to ride it yet since I have to go back and get fitted for it since the mechanic had to leave early today. I was about to pull the trigger on a 2014 Gran Fondo 2.5 with 105 all around but just happen to see the Altamira and for a $100 price difference I got all around Ultegra and a great overall bike. This is an upgrade from a Roubaix 1.5 with Tiagra components. I will post a follow up once I put a few miles on it.


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