Santa Cruz (still) making metal bikes

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Just as we were being asked if Santa Cruz Bicycles was only making carbon bikes from here-on, we get word of the reintroduction of many of its popular alloy framesets.

SCB15_HT_01851
OK, so that’s a Hightower – no word on alloy versions of those yet.

Santa Cruz 5010

Base spec of the 5010 will start at £2599 for a complete bike (black, below). This includes a RockShox Sector fork, SRAM NX 1×11 setup, SRAM Level brakes and Race Face Aeffect cranks. The top end (of three bikes) 5010 alloy will cost £3799 and comes with a Fox 34, SRAM GX 1×11, SRAM Guide R brakes and Race Face Aeffect cranks.

MY17_5010_A_D_Black
A 5010 Alloy in stealth black
MY17_5010_A_S_Red
Now that’s a bike we could learn to love

In terms of other differences with the carbon models – there are no ISCG tabs and the alloy 5010 comes with an integrated headset to save weight. Price for the aluminium frame and Fox Float Performance will be £1599.

Santa Cruz Bronson

The enduro and big-mountain-friendly Bronson gets an alloy makeover (makeunder?) too. There are two build kits – an R1x build with a Fox Rhythm 150 Fork, SRAM NX mech, SRAM Level T brakes and that RaceFace Aeffect crank again. Price is £2999. The frame only (with Monarch RT shock) is all of £1599.

MY17_Bronson_A_R1_Black
R1 build in black. £2999
MY17_Bronson_A_R1_Blue
A Bronson R1 build in blue.

There’s an ‘S’ build too, which includes a Pike RC 150 Solo Air, SRAM GX 1×11 and Guide R brakes.

Santa Cruz Tallboy 3

The Tallboy 3 is Santa Cruz Bikes’ 110mm 29er (or 27.5+ if you fancy that too). 120mm forks as a 29er, or 130 if you’re going 27.5+. The ‘D’ spec goes for £2699 with a RockShox Recon 120, SRAM NX mech and Level brakes. There’s a D+ spec with the Plus wheels for the same money, or an R1x build at £2999.

MY17_TB3_A_D_27_Grey
Tallboy 3 in D+ spec
MY17_TB3_A_D_27_Yellow
Chunky…
MY17_TB3_A_D_29_Yellow
…not so chunky with 29in wheels. Frame price is £1599
SCB15_HT_01671
A parting ‘neee-ow’ shot

With this relaunch of alloy multi-pivot bikes, Santa Cruz has quietly started phasing out its single-pivot bikes like the Heckler as the price difference for all those extra pivots was minimal.

For more details see Jungle’s website. Bikes are shipping next month – and many of them will hopefully be on show at the ‘Ard Rock Enduro on August 6/7th

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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.)

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Comments (6)

    “With this relaunch of alloy multi-pivot bikes, Santa Cruz has quietly started phasing out its single-pivot bikes like the Heckler as the price difference for all those extra pivots was minimal.”
    About £500 difference between Superlight frame and Tallboy 3. Not masses but not minimal.

    Pah, who wants santa cruz these days. Plenty of great cheaper UK and EU bikes available 😀

    The Heckler et al would have gone up to £1400 this year if it was still going, so the price difference would only be £200, Clink.

    Does this mean the eventual death of the Heckler name?
    Ah what the hell?, my 2010 Heckler is still doing what it always did as well as ever even with its -GASP- 26″ wheels and triple chainset! Does that make me ‘retro’ already? Perhaps not as retro as my 1993 Zaskar which is also still kicking ass!!

    Gosh, i’m thinking my Tallboy 2 seems retro these days!!! 😉

    That makes sense then Chipps ^

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