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New Blur LT Carbon!

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Introducing the all-new carbon fiber Blur LT:

-140mm travel (proven geometry, and the high performance, low maintenance assurance of VPP2 suspension)
-5.6 pound frame and shock weight (1 pound lighter than existing LT, almost as light as the old XC)
-The stiffest chassis Santa Cruz have ever built, bar none. In any material…
-The strongest frame they have ever built, in every test they threw at it. (It beat Jackals… V10s…)

OK, wind up the marketing!

Grease ports!
Metal chain slap thingie
Full carbon goodness, and a direct mount front derailleur
Replaceable derailleur hanger, integrated chainstay protector

It’s just like the Blur LT that everyone loves. Except it’s lighter, stiffer, way stronger, faster, and more responsive, and stronger. Did we already say strong? Yes, but it is worth mentioning again. You could build a lightweight trail flyer out of it, or you could build it to the hilt and never ever have to ask if the frame can handle whatever travel fork you want to put on it, or if there are rider weight limits, or if it is burly enough to handle a six-foot drop to flat, or any of those niggling little concerns that people are always asking about with carbon fiber bikes. We’ve got one catch all answer to any “is it tough enough?” question.

Hell yes.

Tapered (1 1/8″ semi integrated upper race, 1.5″ lower race) head tube
Low profile cable stops, included routing for adjustable seatposts

This isn’t some long travel lightweight XC experiment. Think of the Blur LTc as a hairy chested all-mountain ass kicker. In a hockey mask. Holding a chainsaw.
In-molded carbon fiber brake mount
Carbon fibre upper link, angular contact bearings top to bottom

We’re still waiting for the UK price – the US is going to be $2399, Carbon fibre frame with Rock Shox Monarch shock
5.6 pound medium frame with Monarch shock.
Available early June, 2009

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Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)

More posts from Chipps

Comments (38)

    cymohndeecymohndee April 14, 2009 at 8:41 am

    Oh my. Thats just gorgeous. Time to round up any living relatives and get on the blower to the Devil, I’m gonna need some cash.

    flamejobflamejob April 14, 2009 at 8:44 am

    Please let them do a raw one.

    alal April 14, 2009 at 9:06 am

    So its stronger, they say that alot. I can only assume the aluminium one was therefore weak.

    Militant_bikerMilitant_biker April 14, 2009 at 10:41 am

    It’s been a while since I’ve looked at a bike and gone “ooh!”

    Want. A lot.

    auricgoldfingerauricgoldfinger April 14, 2009 at 11:10 am

    “Burly enough to land a 6 INCH drop to flat”

    I’m sold.

    SandwichSandwich April 14, 2009 at 11:12 am

    I have 2 teenagers available for medical experiments/slavery. Will that be enough?
    Gunmetal frame and full XTR will look lovely. Must get job!

    rOcKeTdOgrOcKeTdOg April 14, 2009 at 11:12 am

    now that is pretty

    jamesjames April 14, 2009 at 11:27 am

    Yet another long travel santa cruz where fitting a bash ring and colliding with a rock risks grinding the grease nipples off then?

    matthew_hmatthew_h April 14, 2009 at 11:34 am

    James, you have no idea do you. My 6 month old Nomad is still showing absolutely no signs of any damage to the grease nipples at all.

    That Blur is lovely.

    IWHIWH April 14, 2009 at 11:46 am

    James you’ve obviously not ridden the VPP2 system. What you’re saying doesn’t happen. I’ve tried the new Nomad in all sorts of rocky nastiness with no clearance issues. When it’s settle into the riding position those nipples aren’t anywhere near as exposed as you seem to think they are.

    And back on topic: WANT.

    KeithGKeithG April 14, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    My Nomad nipples are also untouched!
    Another winner from Santa Cruz

    cymohndeecymohndee April 14, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    All this talk about exposed nipples, gentlemen please, looking at the bike is bad enough

    doof_doofdoof_doof April 14, 2009 at 12:39 pm

    Why didn’t they just make it lighter? Seems pointless having a trail bike that’s “stronger” than a DH frame (or were V10’s just that sh!t?)

    harry tooharry too April 14, 2009 at 1:48 pm

    “Burly enough to land a 6 INCH drop to flat”

    Wow, I really didn’t realise I was so ‘core, yesterday I dropped off a 9″ kerb, so probably not the bike for me.

    Gorgeous Looking pice of kit mind.

    jim the saintjim the saint April 14, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    Anybody else also notice a proper new style Revelation fork, with Blackbox damping and bulged lowers, etc.

    Better than this years ‘new’ Rev which is the same as it has been for the last 3 years except there’s a thru-axle version and new stickers.

    Anyhow, back to the frame, bloody gorgeous!

    myheadsashedmyheadsashed April 14, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Leave poor James alone, everbody knows Santa Cruz riders don’t leave the car park.

    rhayterrhayter April 14, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    Yum.

    CountCount April 14, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    definitely an easy bike on the eyes. Lots of press about this bike so I figure SC must be buying plent of advertising – expect this to get rave reviews.

    matt_outandaboutmatt_outandabout April 14, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    lumme. Thats nice.

    snapper036snapper036 April 14, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    Good God
    that’s a real thing of beauty

    kiwijohnkiwijohn April 14, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    Hmm? I’d still prefer the Ibis.

    SimSim April 14, 2009 at 4:48 pm

    “Lots of press about this bike so I figure SC must be buying plent of advertising – expect this to get rave reviews.”

    Eh?

    sq225917sq225917 April 14, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    The Blur LT aint anything like an all-mountian bike, top tube is way too long and the front end dives too low.

    Great for tackling any type of terrain until it hits a 45 degree slope then it’s a death trap.

    Ben_HaworthBen_Haworth April 14, 2009 at 5:22 pm

    All-Mountain bikes should have long top tubes IME. And while I personally would prefer a slightly slacker head angle, any “front end dive” is a fork setup issue.

    chakapingchakaping April 14, 2009 at 5:35 pm

    They shouldn’t show the cut open sections, it just looks like a drainpipe. Like the third pic though.

    What’s the betting the £ price will be higher than the $ one?

    fauxbyfourfauxbyfour April 14, 2009 at 8:59 pm

    Nice cable routing NOT!!!

    banjowhackerbanjowhacker April 14, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    I agree with Ben_Haworth. In fact, i thought SCs were known for having shorter toptubes than many… I’m not a fan of the brand though (particularly since i met a fat bloke with a bad knee and a V10 that seemed to only get used along canal towpaths). However, that really is a lovely piece of burnt plastic fibres and glue (hmmm… maybe when this damn recession’s over…).

    skidsareforkidsskidsareforkids April 14, 2009 at 11:22 pm

    May have to sell my yeti… *rse…

    jamesjames April 15, 2009 at 12:01 am

    “those nipples aren’t anywhere near as exposed as you seem to think they are.”

    But is it still possible for them to come into contact with something?
    Like if you were unweighting/lifting to mount a rock or other obstacle?

    If you fitted a hammerschmidt, then would at least the top nipple not be exposed when the riders weight swings the lower one back and upward out of harms way?

    chippschipps April 15, 2009 at 4:11 am

    Santa Cruz say they haven’t ever had a customer come back to them with a grazed (ahem) nipple…

    jimbobrightonjimbobrighton April 15, 2009 at 7:16 am

    Love it, I want one. nicest looking bike i’ve seen in ages

    AdmanmattAdmanmatt April 15, 2009 at 1:44 pm

    The Blur LT aint anything like an all-mountian bike, top tube is way too long and the front end dives too low.
    Great for tackling any type of terrain until it hits a 45 degree slope then it’s a death trap.

    What a load of tosh I’ve tested that bike, if anything the top tube could be longer (especially the medium) And the front doesn’t dive unless as Ben says you haven’t set the fork up properly . (Matt, ad-manager with no advertising from Santa Cruz this year! ;])

    druidhdruidh April 15, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    A carbon Superlight would have been better…..

    foureyesfoureyes April 15, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    “A carbon Superlight would have been better…..”

    i did a little sex wee

    narchnarch April 15, 2009 at 10:33 pm

    hell’s teeth that’s an attractive ride

    1968steve1968steve April 15, 2009 at 11:46 pm

    All i can say is i’m a fan, get me one of those bikes now!!! umm credit crunch

    Mike_TMike_T April 16, 2009 at 9:16 am

    V nice

    what about a carbon Nomad

    D0NKD0NK April 17, 2009 at 3:35 pm

    Ooh now thats nice. Pity I will never, ever be able to justify a frame costing that much (justify to myself let alone anyone else)

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