Having sold my mountain bikes last year (including my beloved Jones) to fund a house renovation, I was recently given the go ahead by Mrs Solarider to get back off road.

I loved my Transition Scout, but always hankered after a carbon Santa Cruz, and since ongoing house maintenance and a never ending list of house projects now seems likely into the future, my days of serial bike swapping are over. So I thought I should just get it right first time. So, thanks to Al at Stif I was able to pick up last year’s colour with this year’s kit. Stif have been brilliant throughout. Highly recommended.

And here it is. Santa Cruz 5010 with XO Eagle and the new Mavic XA Pro Carbon wheels (which as far as I can tell are ENVE rims at a fraction of the price).

First ride today, and as expected, it was a blast. My last Santa Cruz was an aluminium Heckler back in 1997 and things have moved on. Most modern bikes at this level are all rather good these days, but this just does everything it should in all the right ways. Stiff where it should be, comfortable suspension, great shifting, nice wheels. All in all, a lovely introduction back off road after a winter on the road with no alternative. I once again feel legitimate in logging on to STW (if indeed anybody still actually rides off road on here!!).

Above and beyond the bike, and at the risk of getting all mushy, being back on the trails on a beautiful spring day was a fantastic tonic after what has seemed like a long old winter this year. I really had forgotten just how happy it makes you feel. So whatever your’e riding, get out there and enjoy the Spring!

Great stuff. I feel the same about my nomad.

I do.

Nice bike BTW. The Santa Cruz itch is one I have yet to scratch. 😆

Looks lovely. Great bike to get back into riding.

Dont think the Mavics are like Enves as the Mavics have vosible spoke nipples. Still look like awesome wheels though, and i think Enve are overpriced anyway.

Definitely the best coloured 5010 – not that I’m biassed at all 😆

Very nice! I really wanted one, in that colour, to replace my TRC but couldn’t justify it over the Scout I’m riding now. Which is also bloody ace, you have good taste in bicycles

I”ve been watching a couple on Pinkbike in that colour for ages now,cant quite justify it yet but it`s coming I think !
It`s unusual to see one with Fox forks as they mainly seem to be Rockshox.Is that much of an upgrade cost-wise ?

Stunning bike, would love one of those… you ask, worth the hype ? I guess they probably are, but what would a bike like that retail at, north of £5k I’m guessing ?

When there are great offerings from Whyte, Cotic, Giant and the like with probably similar performance and not dissimilar specs for closer to £3500, I’m not sure.

£7k bike in ‘it’s good’ shocker.

That looks stonking.

Enjoy.

Ha ha, yes, I would have been really disappointed if it had been rubbish!

It was reassuringly expensive and of course the law of diminishing returns applies here. Is it worth more than a Whyte, Giant or similar? To me yes. Is it worth that much more? Hmmm. Suffice to say, if you want a Santa Cruz CC, it’s never going to be cheap, but it’s never going to disappoint either. There’s always the C version which is a bit cheaper and not much heavier and arguably a bit more resilient. And if you are lucky there’s always last season’s which differs from this season’s only in colour which you happen to prefer anyway. Happy days!

I have always been a Fox fan over Rock Show, and the new F34 Factory forks are lovely. The price of forks generally is admittedly crazy though. One thing I can’t understand is why the Kashima coating on Fox forks (and seat posts seemingly) is a different colour to the shox. Any ideas?

Love the colour. I really wanted the blue and Stif only had the black, but when they asked Jungle fortunately they had a blue left in XL, which by the way is on the small size of XL, but fits me just right.

Im feeling the love for the 5010 demoed both this and the Bronson today th Roman lakes. I must admit the drive home was worrying to say the least to my bank account , I was very impressed on the way it just climbed

c or cc now ?

Looks great, enjoy it.

Santa Cruz make the best looking bikes hands down.

that really is lovely, nice build spec too 8)

didn’t know there was any 2016 colours still knocking around tbh although I do like the black/yellow solo too

Just some XLs remaining. Sometimes it pays to be at either end of the sizing bell curve!