Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • Santa Cruz Nomad – thoughts?
  • dirtbiker100
    Free Member

    Looking around for lighter frames than my Last Herb FR and the Nomad C has caught my attention. I don’t hear that much about them though and this probably isn’t a good thing? Would love to hear peoples thoughts on nomads and VPP.
    I like the toughness about them and happy to try carbon as long as I stick on a rock guard or something. My frames tend to attract rocks on lake district trips and uplift days…

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Had a demo incredible bike goes up well decends better. Very capable stiff and fun. Try and get a demo bike treks in Ambleside host sc ones a fair bit.

    nodrog2
    Free Member

    Owned an Alu Nomad for 4 years. Just sold it and bought a Cotic Rocket. Nomad is very good. Excellent on big rocky terrain, really excels at square edged hits. Found it a bit cumbersome at times on more normal trails though. The Cotic in comparison is so much more lively and fun. The Cotic is not as composed as the vpp in the rough stuff but generally I think its a better bike most of the time. If you regularly ride rocky stuff then the Nomad is a great choice. The carbon version is just going to be better in terms if weight and stiffness.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    I’ve tried the Nomad C a few times. It’s incredibly stiff, even when coming to it from my Nicolai Helius AM, which was always bullet stiff. I think if you like the robustness of the Herb then the Nomad C will definitely impress.

    Yes it’s very light for what it can do, but actually that’s not the most compelling feature; it’s how stiff it is.

    bjj.andy.w
    Free Member

    Got an v2 Alu nomad and ride in the lakes with it and its a very capable bike for riding there. The only bike I’d change it for would be a carbon version.

    Hob-Nob
    Free Member

    Having had one, I think there are many better bikes out there now.

    It’s due a fairly major update soon, as it was based on a bike that’s 5 years old now & things have moved on since then.

    twohats
    Free Member

    I’ve just gone from the original mk1 Nomad to a carbon one and by christ is it stiff! You point it goes, nothing seems to knock it off line. Climbs so much better than the old Nomad too. Bloody ace fun riding it so far. Transferring all my parts from the old frame with coil shock to the carbon with an air shock also shaved over a kilo in weight too.

    cubemeup
    Free Member

    i must say i bought a Nomad last year and compared to my Cube Fritzz it transformed my riding. can only say good things about the about the bike

    bwaarp
    Free Member

    Outdated geometry, my old mans Nomad feels to high and short (despite being the same size as my Mega)

    Have a look at a Spesh Enduro Carbon or Lapierre Spicy Carbon.

    The positive aspect of the Nomad though is that the Aluminum version really does give a lot of trail feel, definitely a bit more than my Mega.

    cubemeup
    Free Member

    Spicy??? would be last on my list, everyone i know who owns a crapeirre has had problems

    robhughes
    Free Member

    I must be lucky because iv,e thrashed my spicy within an inch of it’s life and it’s never winged once.. 😉

    cubemeup
    Free Member

    2 mates bought the 514 last year both had new frames within 6 months due to the mold being wrong on the head tube and a few others have snapped their 514’s 2011. one of them is on his 3rd frame!! going from that i would have a lappy, lovely looking bikes dont get me wrong

    maxtorque
    Full Member

    5 year frame warranty on Carbon Lappys.

    So you get a new frame every year. Everyones a winner 😉

    Holyzeus
    Free Member

    5 year frame warranty on Carbon Lappys.
    So you get a new frame every year. Everyones a winner

    Until the last year….

    droppinneutron
    Free Member

    I have a Nomad mark 2 Alu and it is really nice and all that but with the benefit of hind legs I wouldn’t have had it I would have gone for a BlurLT. And if I were buying now I agree it’s a bit old school in terms of geometry (you have to get used to being perched up on it a bit). That said if I could only have one bike it would be a great choice because they are really tough, light for what they can do and easy to upgrade (they have iscg, big head tube) and can take lots of shock and fork options. Mate has a carbon one and its not that much lighter either

    goatster
    Free Member

    Owned 2 nomad c’s now, build and sold prob 15 in the last year. They are an awesome bike, climb well descend brilliantly. Geometry and fit perfect for me – just under 67 degrees with 170 lyriks, and I’m 5’6″ on a medium with a 50mm stem.
    No comparison to lappiere which are pants, or the mega – which is a good bike at the price. Sb66c would be worth looking at if the sc doesn’t fit. But as ever try them out, the best bike is the one you like the most…

    CaptainMainwaring
    Free Member

    Not sure I understand the comments about the outdated geometry of the Nomad. 66 deg HA with a 160 fork and an average wheelbase for that sort of bike. Now has bolt through rear end, ISCG etc. It’s also a decent 3/4lb lighter than the alu version

    I have a BLT2 but rode my mate’s Nomad C a few weeks ago. Couldn’t believe how light, stiff and responsive it felt. As said above it just went over everything you pointed it at with no hassle at all.

    My next bike will be either a Nomad C or the new LTc when it arrives sometime in the next few months

    honourablegeorge
    Full Member

    robhughes – Member
    I must be lucky because iv,e thrashed my spicy within an inch of it’s life and it’s never winged once..

    +1 on that, Spicy’s been the best bike I’ve ever owned. Recently hanged the bushings in the rear after two years of hammering, nothing else has needed doing yet.

    mrlebowski
    Free Member

    Not sure I understand the comments about the outdated geometry of the Nomad. 66 deg HA with a 160 fork and an average wheelbase for that sort of bike. Now has bolt through rear end, ISCG etc. It’s also a decent 3/4lb lighter than the alu version

    If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…

    I too am puzzled as to why folk think VPP & SC geometry are outdated…

    If you want outdated, check out Orange…but they still sell..

    My 2c avoid the bandwagons & the latest trend & test ride a few before making your mind up.

    Hob-Nob
    Free Member

    Not sure I understand the comments about the outdated geometry of the Nomad. 66 deg HA with a 160 fork and an average wheelbase for that sort of bike. Now has bolt through rear end, ISCG etc. It’s also a decent 3/4lb lighter than the alu version

    It’s not a 66 degree HA, we’ll unless you stuck a 180mm Totem on the front.

    I ran mine with various forks, all 160/170mm and a big, thick CK lower headset cup it it was never under 67 degrees.

    The comments about it being outdated relate to it being quite tall now in the BB, short TT & steeper than average HA.

    If you want one, try it first. The large I had for a while had a shorter TT than a lot of current medium frames. Ended up riding it a bit hunched up & it used to give me backache.

    As a bike it rode alright though, frame was light for what it was, paint was hilariously crap. VPP can feel a bit odd with an air shock on choppy ground at speed, no other odd characteristics from memory though.

    18bikes
    Full Member

    Try one – there’s much more to the SC Carbon than saving weight – as geetee says. We’ve got a demo day end of April and onwards from there, or can borrow from SC UK in the meantime.

    I’d also suggest trying a Blur LTc (we’ve had several people build these with up to a 160 fork) and/or TRc if you’re fairly open minded!

    Si

Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)

The topic ‘Santa Cruz Nomad – thoughts?’ is closed to new replies.