Had an email from Stif saying Santacruz have released a new mid level cheaper carbon nomad frame. I’m not bothered that its a bit heavier but I’m wondering how much cheaper this economad frame will be compared to the £2850 the top one costs. That’s if they release it as a frame only.
Any guesses?

Haven’t they done this with the Bronson – there’s a “C” and a “CC” frame or sommat?

I would expect they wont release it as a frame only tbh, they haven’t done with the Bronson cheaper carbon version

I’d love a Highball that was a bit more affordable. Will keep an eye out for that.

Iirc it’s the same frame as all the others, just mid range kit hung off it? X1/SLX and the like

Edit, just re read the mail, different carbon apparently

Hmm.. Santa Cruz Highball only showing as Aluminium or Carbon CC, where is the Carbon C ?

Edit: is C more expensive or is that the CC?

I’d love a Highball that was a bit more affordable. Will keep an eye out for that.

Why? The expensive one isn’t particularly light considering the price, not sure I’d bother with a heavier one, plenty of other XC hardtails out there.

Hmm.. Santa Cruz Highball only showing as Aluminium or Carbon CC, where is the Carbon C ?

CC is more expensive, Highball is only alu or carbon, no 3rd option.

As njee20 said they did the same with the Bronson, it’s still carbon, but less *something* so it’s a bit heavier, or flexible, or maybe both or neither – vague as you like – anyway for the most part they put less nice colours on them to set them apart.

I only realised the other day they now make an Alloy Bronson too – ugly sumbitch to my eyes, maybe they’ll do that with the Nomad too.

Yup, I’m thinking of getting a 5010 even more now..

I’d love a Highball that was a bit more affordable. Will keep an eye out for that.

Why? The expensive one isn’t particularly light considering the price, not sure I’d bother with a heavier one, plenty of other XC hardtails out there.[/quote]

I read it as different carbon or carbon process but I only half skimmed the article.
I quite fancied an aluminium nomad rather than carbon but they don’t make them any more. I’m not going to get into a debate about carbon vs aluminium but I just couldn’t justify an extra £1000 for a carbon version.

I suspect this is Santa Cruz responding to bikes like the Capra which offer a lot of what a Nomad offers but at a fraction of the price.

When they released the Nomad they said they won’t make an aluminium one. There is always the Heckler instead. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s the same geometry as a Nomad just single pivot.

The US website only has details for the CC frame only and the C is a lower spec build. $1000 difference on a complete bike:

http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en/us/nomad

I spent about an hour or so in Stif just before Xmas talking about these bikes. I was told it’s a slightly less “high end” carbon used for the frame then some cheeper kit hung off em’ to bring the price down.
The bikes they had in looked bloody lovely to me, colours looked the same but with a base black carbon matt finish then some lairy colours for the graphics.

To my eyes they looked great, a great deal of bike for a lot less than a high end bike and little difference in looks.

Ahh SLX, cheaper forks n’stuff.. yup thats about it and cheaper wheels.

They also had some 14′ bikes in on sale and blimey the Tallboy in white was sodding gorgeous 😀

smatkins1 I am afraid you are wrong the Heckler is the same geometry as the bronson

Having chatted to the fellas at 18 Bikes, I gather the new ‘budget’ carbon framed bikes have exactly the same geomerry, strength & stiffness as the top end carbon frames, but they’re just heavier by around 300g (depending on size obviously) because the grade of carbon fibre is cheaper – so more of it has to be used.

I guess the competition from the likes of YT & the like has forced SC to react(?)

Yup, I’m thinking of getting a 5010 even more now..

Haven’t you been agonising over it since the demo at stainburn 18 months ago? Get it got!

Still nearly 5 grand for the ‘cheap’ one and it’s “complete only”.

http://www.santacruzbikes.co.uk/NomadCarbonC/

Is it me, or is that still pretty much double the equivalent Capra? I just don’t understand where the extra cost comes from.

I’ll keep saving for a Capra with an eye out for some discount ’14 bikes.

Is it me, or is that still pretty much double the equivalent Capra? I just don’t understand where the extra cost comes from.

Cost of the frame, dealer margin, distributor margin, all the other stuff we argue about when the cost of SC compared to direct sales manufacturers comes up. 🙄

On the bright side though it’s pretty much half the cost of the really nice spec ones 😉

Im with you P-jay

Purrrrrr

Saw a Capra at BPW today. It looked ok, not as stunning as I expected. The yeti SB6C on the other hand 😯
Dude was riding with another bloke on a new bronson, or it might have been a nomad. I barely noticed it (and I’m a SC rider).
That yeti is a niiiiiiiiiice bike.

In in a dilemma (all be it not a bad one). I have had insurance pay out on my Bronson Carbon and have 2 routes to take.

1. Wait for the new Capras to be released and order what will probably be an undersized bike (I am non on 6 ft and my last Bronson was an XL and fitted well). It will
However be more playful. My mate has a 2014 so I will be able to demo. This route will leave me with £2500 change to make the wife happy or buy some carbon wheels and a trip to the alps.

2. Buy an XO1 spec Nomad which I love (or the Economad) and have a lesser speced bike and zero change.

What do I do…

Nomad! In blue.

Grobin I think you are underestimating the come-up-shortness of Santa cruz

Large Capra reach = 445 mm

XL Bronson reach = 447.9mm

Xl nomad reach = 460 mm

I doubt you’d notice 2.9mm less reach on the large capra, but you will notice a trip to the Alps !

And fwiw seat stay length is a better indication of playfulness than TT length/ reach IMHO

That said I luuurve my Prices 153 the extra reach over the Bronson or the nomad helps make it a much better bike ;-). (Though ive not ridden a new nomad)

I don’t think SC need to ‘respond’ to cheaper bikes like the capra – they sell everything they make regardless of the relatively steep prices.

How can you tell the difference between the cheap nomad frame and the proper one?

^^^^ that should say Process 153

How can you tell the difference between the cheap nomad frame and the proper one?

Cheaper one will be marginally heavier. Think that’s about it.

njee20

Why? The expensive one isn’t particularly light considering the price, not sure I’d bother with a heavier one, plenty of other XC hardtails out there.

Because the Expensive Nomad could well be a little Stronger perhaps .. SC tend to build for strength than going down the lets build it as light as possible, just a thought.

yeah i know that but, does it say on it what it is? I have the proper one but if i was to sell it how would a buyer know it wasn’t the paupers one?

Grobin – Have a look at the Canyon Strive “Race” geometry bikes (alu or carbon).

Longer frames than the YT, very competitive on spec.

grobin13 –

I’ve just gone from a 150mm both ends Bronson to a new build 160 RC2’s on the front with CCDB air CS rear & it’s a totally different feel very planted & you can hit pretty much anything & it takes it, might be worth considering a Bronson Build with 160’s… plus I think SC might just be doing a re design on the Bronson with revised lower link lifted ala nomad, no more clattering it on rocks.

droppinneutron

Because the cheaper versions are not the same colours, check the C against the CC Bronson.

just looked on SC website – look to be the same colours to me

Kimbers thanks for the info on sizing. I was steering towards Nomad because of the increased reach over the Bronson.

Yorkycsl – specced my bronson myself with the 160 pikes and a ccdb air cs from the start. It was amazing but I did feel on steep terrain (alps etc) it needed to be slacker and have more rear end travel. I also always felt I was riding on the bike. For me a slightly lower bb and geometry of the Capra or nomad would be ideal. To be honest I would not even be questioning this and would be happy with the Bronson but as some low life knicked it and I have to replace, it has got me thinking.

Lots to ponder. Going to try my mates capra in hamsterley tomorrow (I’ll be on the hardtail – should be fun) and then have another demo of the Nomad with Stif..

grobin13,

Ahh ok I agree with you there, a mate is popping a angle head set to slacken & lower the bb on his Bronson, if your doing the alps a lot then a Nomad makes sense but as a every weekend bike & thinking about where you ride most of the time the choice is a difficult one, this bloody enduro malarkey has a lot to answer for, I did school boy & adult moto cross & to me Enduro was a multi lap real endurance event on a detuned version of motocross bikes, flywheel weights added to calm them down etc

Do you mind if I ask who you were insured with ? did you get a full pay out?

Cheers
Mark

Insured it through Protect your Bubble. Insured for £5500 before I added the ccdb and got a pay out of £5450. Not bad all in all. Technically lost the cost of the ccdb but had a year in it. Massive ball ache to deal with as a company though. Tried to wrestle out of paying but had every box ticked in terms of proof and security measures.

The Nomad, although a step in the right direction, still isn’t a big bike at all. Much like the Capra.

The size comparison is a moot point anyway, as the biggest Capra isn’t very big, whilst you can still go up to an XL on the Nomad, without having a stupid long ST.

For me, the Capra’s too small, nor does it have any bottle cage mounts. I’d have thought with an aluminium one coming out they might have made an XL for anyone over 5’10”.

That kind of budget it’s hard to look past the new Canyon Strive’s in the race geometry. Hopefully they will be durable too, as the Capra’s seem to have a few issues.

Colours are the same for Carbon C and Carbon CC.

Nowt to do with YT probably

Lots of large companies sell 2 versions of carbon, Giant, Cannondale

That kind of budget it’s hard to look past the new Canyon Strive’s in the race geometry.

Also, the alu version is still a decent weight and would perhaps offer more peace of mind than carbon to some riders.

And if feeling snobbish they could get some funky-coloured Santa Cruz stickers made up with the money saved.