It’s more like a Megatower Short Travel:
Can't quite see what's going on with the geometry. It seems to be shorter for a given stack than the old one?
Dadditude?! give me strength.
^^^ and when you account for steeper ST° and slacker HT° it will be shorter still?
I'm looking specifically at the XL/XXL here. I think I'd have been XXL on the old and XL on the 2020 model given big stack increase for XXL.
Sack the colours guy! Although at least it comes in Alu
Talking about the important stuff; the colours of the new range. Awful, just awful. The plum on the Nomad is ok but the rest are dull as f*ck. The all black Megatower is looking more and more appealing by the day (although I was aiming for a 27.5").
Are they just phoning it in these days?
Are they going to make a new tallboy this year?
Wow! Someone add some salt to that as that is bland.
Erm..
I like it 🤣🤯
August time apparently for the new tallboy if rumours are to be believed, and I’d believe them seeing as we knew the colours a week ago at least.
What the hell is going on in the SC cosmetic styling department. The colours are Ming! They also (somewhat overshadowed by Ht launch) released the 2020 Bronson colours....OMG absolutely awful. I can’t believe how a company who used to get that sort of thing so right, have fallen so far up their own arse to now get it so wrong
Obviously all in my opinion
Plus for a premium brand you've got orbea offering custom colours, might seem trivial but people are spend big money and want nice paintwork and graphics.
So the previous version had great reviews, but now this is out, its classed as a "dad bike" whatever that is?
the constant push from marketeers to tell you what "was" was crap and what's "new" is awesome is really tedious.
I like that colour and the bike looks really good. But i thought that about the previous version too.
HT looks great on paper.. As other thread colours totally uninspiring across the range
Weird they can get it so wrong as somebody else has said above they are usually aesthetically one of the nicest looking bikes out there, and mostly down to the nice paint jobs they have
Yeah, colours are pretty awful across the board, with the exception of the blue 5010 (although the decal colour is nasty).
Doesn't look like they are doing any frame only options any more, unless they haven't fully updated everything yet.
100% Sure they will do frame only I'd imagine a huge huge huge amount of their sales are frame only
I like that colour and the bike looks really good
You have definitely not seen the new Bronson colours then...goodness me
At Trans Provence 25 of the 95 participants were on megatowers. Common as muck I tell thee are Santa Cruz
Not outstanding reviews, really heavy for its class, low specification or really spendy. Then there’s the colours. Oops.
Bronson colours are the worst. There isn’t even a reasonable muted one.
You have definitely not seen the new Bronson colours then…goodness me
Taste is such a funny thing. i think the olive green bronson looks great.
Absolutely, I’m amazed how even a few lack some 😉
really heavy for its class
Not really at all, given the spec.
Taste is such a funny thing. i think the olive green bronson looks great.
Yep, me too.
Plus for a premium brand you’ve got orbea offering custom colours, might seem trivial but people are spend big money and want nice paintwork and graphics.
Sorry but are you trying to say Orbea is a premium brand? Because at £2.8k for their cheapest frame only option and their builds being very cheap and having seen one in the flesh I certainly wouldn't describe it as premium.
We should have another thread on what constitutes a premium brand.
I'm not sure I really believe in them personally, or at least I'd say the difference is mainly marketing.
Great point, what does constitute a premium brand. For me SC is not really premium anymore in anything other than price and customer service. Too common to be classed as anything other than run of the mill. Unless we class bike manufacturers as we do cars in which case they would be classed as such, but then So would Orbea likely be.
Dadditude
Someone got paid a lot of money to come up with that .
Disappointed tbh. I was hoping for more tyre clearance and steeper ST.
Ibis Ripley and Orbea Occam are more appealing ATM.
Sorry but are you trying to say Orbea is a premium brand?
No, I think Santa Cruz are despite being more common, yet that new occam gets custom paint at the top end and polished welds at the lower and you can swap components when specing it. When did SC get sold?
I’m looking forward to a 29 5010. 🤞🏼
I’m looking forward to a 29 5010
A tallboy? (Well, the new one)
So the previous version had great reviews, but now this is out, its classed as a “dad bike” whatever that is?
It's still a dad bike as dads are 99% of the target market. their kids certainly can't afford them. But these bike videos are a bit pointless really. These guys could shred a Raleigh Shopper down those trails. Nothing to do with the bike, everything to do with the rider. the last version of the HT was shredded just as well down those trails in the marketing videos released for that bike. If you really want a HT the smart money should be jumping on the outgoing HT as the prices drop to make way for the new one...its just as good for the majority of us normal weekend warriors who can't ride these bike within 50% of their capability let alone anywhere near the limits. But most of us make emotional choices not smart choices.
Premium brand is one that charges a premium for the brand...so you're buying a bike that is no better or worse than other cheaper brands but you're willing to stump put a bit of a premium (or a lot) just for the brand. No different to BMW or Meile or similar brands. So SC definitely sits squarely in that bracket. There are plenty of cheaper brands about making bikes that are every bit as good....but people still come flocking to the premium brands like SC. See comment about emotional choices. If it were not for emotional choices then marketing wouldn't exist.
Spot on Wobbliscott. Having been a stalwart SC owner and dad the last few years and had some great SC bikes I’ve just deserted and ordered a Canyon Spectral and will be selling my 5010 V2 frame (admittedly a recent warranty replacement) because the original 2016 kit is now ****ed and all needs replacing. The Canyon with carbon frame, full XO, carbon bars, cranks and wheels was cheaper than a SC frame on its own and frankly not much more than rebuilding the SC with the same standard kit from a well known online retailer let alone paying twice as much for a complete SC bike for a similar spec. Be interesting to see how they compare as will be very surprised if I get half as good bike for half the price.
There is nothing premium about sc anymore. They are mass produced is Asia and are part of one of the biggest brands in the industry. They chose to go mass market which is their choice and has probably made them lots of money do you cant blame them. But that does mean they are no longer premium
Expensive/extremely poor value for money =/= premium.
£3600 for an aluminium framed bike with Motion control Yari's? Are you kidding me?
I knew there was a reason I've only looked at the Santa Cruz website twice in about 2 years...
It looks like they almost copied the Pivot Firebird 29 colour (the only bike ever to look half decent in beige) but those look far nicer to me with the contrasting logos on the frame, forks and wheels all matching.
Whatever happened to the crazy blue and magenta or pink and neon yellow from a few years ago? I loved the look of those with the colour matched ENVEs!
SC are still premium in terms of quality, despite some Alf Garnettesque types opining about them being 'made in Asia' 😂
Probably about the most reliable frames around and a customer service that's supposedly brilliant too (Never had to use it!)
But haterz gotta moan about something....
My issue with SC isn’t the quality (it’s very good) or the price, (yes they’re expensive, but in the same ball park as other brands with less good reputations *cough* Yeti)
It’s as someone said above, they don’t really seem to be trying anymore*. There’s not been anything really new for ages, even this low mounted shock design can trace its roots to the V10 from a few years ago. Really small evolutions, rather than anything revolutionary.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my v1 5010 and will keep it forever, they just don’t seem to be doing much to move things on at the moment.
*excluding the reserve rims. They’re very good, half the price of enve and don’t seem to have as many ‘issues’, with great backup too.
It’s as someone said above, they don’t really seem to be trying anymore*. There’s not been anything really new for ages, even this low mounted shock design can trace its roots to the V10 from a few years ago. Really small evolutions, rather than anything revolutionary.
‘Evolution, not revolution...I evolve, but I don’t ‘revolve’...’
But seriously, you must hate most bike brands, the process of design for most is evolution. For SC they are evolving their updated design across the range. If it works well I see no problem with that. I’m struggling to think of a major bike brand which does not work in this way, especially when they have a good platform to work with.
Slightly off topic... The Orbea OMR level carbon mountain bike frames (anything full suspension) are equal to or higher than the CC Santa Cruz frames for carbon grade/layup technique. They are cheaper because A - Orbea a workers co-op and not legally required to line shareholders pockets B - everything except the bare frame layup is done in Spain, from painting to bike assembly. That's a lot of people cut out of the chain, and people need paying. Then they are dealer direct. Again, more people out of the chain. Not sure how you could look at a Rallon/Occam/Terra etc up close and work on them not seeing them as a premium product really, because they are.
The alu frames are welded in Portugal as well, so totally EU produced.
The Santa Cruz are lovely too, just built a Stigmata for someone and was really impressed with the frame, very clean and well thought out with all the extras supplied for Di2 routing etc that makes a change
But seriously, you must hate most bike brands, the process of design for most is evolution. For SC they are evolving their updated design across the range. If it works well I see no problem with that. I’m struggling to think of a major bike brand which does not work in this way, especially when they have a good platform to work with.
100% agree, I'd much rather see them sticking to their guns suspension wise. I just think they should be offering custom colours for the prices they charge or at least black.
everything except the bare frame layup is done in Spain
Asian made kit is high quality. The custom colours and build kits at Orbea are fantastic, can't wait to look at the new occam in the flesh. You have a shop Pigyn?
I was hoping that they'd do the long/low/slack/steep thing, but keep it rooted in what I'd consider average trail bike territory. The next Tallboy would hopefully fill the void, but I think I'm going to just go ahead and get an Ibis Ripley instead. It looks right on the money.
Ordered 5010 v3 to replace my Bronson. For me it’s the ride. Faster you go the more it sucks you into the trail. SC also IMHO has the best warranty back up. I like what they done to 5010 although I agree colours aren’t what I want. Gone for the black 5010 😆
SC also IMHO has the best warranty back up
You'll probably hear good and bad stories about any bike brand but based upon the experiences of 2x S.C. owning mates of mine, their warranty doesn't fill me with confidence.
Both bikes are Tallboys. One cracked the rear triangle (not via a rock strike or crash) and because he wasn't the original owner (so didn't expect anything for free) they wouldn't even sell him a replacement. The other has the latest model which spent a year in and out of the shop because of manufacturing defects. They should have replaced the frame straight away but insisted on trying every little fix in the book first. Left the owner pretty annoyed.
Also, this new shock design, it strikes me as something that's just going to get covered in crap from the back wheel. Apologies if that's already been mentioned and yeah the paint jobs are a bit rubbish. I'm no Santa Cruz hater but I can't see much to like here.
Anyone else notice that the new Santa Cruz colours no longer come with an XTR build (same with 5010)? I DON'T WANT SRAM!
Hightower, Bronson and Megatower come in an XTR Reserve build
XTR is a bit of a pain at the moment, the transition from 11 to 12 speed has been a mess.
Just got back from 2020 dealer day with the Santa Cruz guys, a great catch up and a chance to see new bikes/colours.
Had a quick car park spin on the Hightower- think 29 Bronson and you're not wrong.
The colours are better in the flesh. There's a couple I don't like, but in general the photos don't do them justice - as is often the case.
XTR is led mainly by demand - there's a lot of options for the various bikes/build kits, so they've trimmed back on a few low demand XTR specs. Shimano fans, chat to dealers about spec swaps/custom builds.
Ahh good to know as that’s actually what I’m after. Worried after watching Guys video where he mainly demod the Hightower that it was indicative of where it’s designed for and rides best but the place he recorded the Bronson video is far more what I prefer riding.
Well when my Bronson had a cross threaded bolt they S.C in California sent a complete new frame on the LBS say so. Told the LBS to dispose of my old frame. Two weeks later had latest frame. I was the original owner so no issues. We, LBS and me, thought they’d send a new rear. Nope whole frame and latest year
As for wouldn’t sell the non original owner anything when he rocked up with a busted frame? That’s not warranty. Original owners pay full price and crash replacement is part of the deal. Your friend bought a second hand bike and cracked the frame? Then expects a brand new frame at crash replacement cost? You don’t see a problem here?
Pawsy_bear Again happened to a friend his frame failed they just replaced it with the latest model inc shock upgrade in 10 days 🙂
Excellent warranty! 😊👍
How does their warranty work? If it's a manufacturer fault you get a new frame no quibbles sent to your local dealer. If you crash how much % do you pay? Are both alloy and carbon covered?
Tails - no experience of crash replacement but from a SRAM Roam wheel I think I paid about 60% of a new one? Don’t quote me 😉
Material has no bearing on warranty. I’ve come no where near smashing a S.C. frame 😂
Email S.C. UK I’m sure they’d give you a figure.
I recently discussed a crash replacement fork for my Canyon road bike. It’s not easy and they want the broken one first. No issues with Canyon. It’s their system.
Cheers will do
As for wouldn’t sell the non original owner anything when he rocked up with a busted frame? That’s not warranty. Original owners pay full price and crash replacement is part of the deal. Your friend bought a second hand bike and cracked the frame? Then expects a brand new frame at crash replacement cost? You don’t see a problem here?
No -he said that SC wouldn't even sell him a rear triangle, which is a bit off IMO.
Never been a fan of SC myself - they're definitely overpriced but also incredibly ubiquitous.
JP
No -he said that SC wouldn’t even sell him a rear triangle, which is a bit off IMO.
Never been a fan of SC myself – they’re definitely overpriced but also incredibly ubiquitous.
JP
I'd e interested to know the full details on this, it doesn't sound like them at all - unless of course it was due to no stock left on an older model.
it doesn’t sound like them at all
Can only assume this mate of JJ's is either a bullshitter or came across to SC as a jurassic bawbag.
I’d e interested to know the full details on this, it doesn’t sound like them at all – unless of course it was due to no stock left on an older model.
In a nutshell my understanding of it is that he noticed a crack in the frame and got in touch with Santa Cruz and/or the importers but neither wanted to know. He wasn't after a "free" or "crash replacement" discount, just wanted to repair the bike at his own cost but found it to be a massive headache. The bike in question was a current model at the time.
Looks and colours wise the new HT doesn’t do anything for me. Be interesting to ride one to see how it rides compared to similar offerings from other brands - but it’d have to ride a lot better than anything else out there to entice me. I certainly wouldn’t buy one for the ‘prestige’ image.
Always recommend a demo ride. Money well spent. We all ride differently and different size weight. A lot of these testers could make a Halfords Special look good
The colours look great- love the new blue; a little pricey and I’ve only ridden Santa Cruz until very recently; actually because the stack height was very low on the XL’s and XXL’s (bought a Whyte) Good to see that’s corrected.
premium brand, popular like a bmw / audi.. :0)
service, i needed a new shock bushing ordered it and stif recommend i replace bearings at the same time, filled in form, wed afternoon and bearing kit arrived friday am.. decent service.
i had problems with canyon brakes and it took 3-4 weeks to resolve. maybe it would be the same from a uk based Sc dealer, who knows.
every brand has horror stories, i wouldn't touch a premium yeti with a barge pole from local reviews..
interest free credit is allowing people to own the dream, same as luxury cars.
ignore the prices listed, things can always be haggled bought cheaper..
ps buy black frames they dont age so badly :0)
ps. also waiting the tallboy, I wasnt impressed by a low specced bronson i demo'd