[Closed] RANTETTE: Nomad Carbon- can anyone else see the point?

If someone will buy it, and someone will, then why not?

Who cares dude?
Life's too short.

Who cares dude?
Life's too short.

You obviously haven't had a cafetiere of coffee this morning 😉

appeals to all the rich middle class mountain bikers and serial bike swappers

expect to see them at a trail centre near you soon

serial bike swappers

Makes me look like a pauper or at best a very low level serial bikeswapper 😆

backhander:

Who cares dude?
Life's too short.

Is this your first visit to STW towers?

Thing of beauty, if I had the coffers I'd buy one. Sadly I don't and am unlikely to

If it's anything like a Blur LTc it'll also be about increased stiffness rather than just losing a little weight. With the LTc at least, you can definitely feel the increased stiffness over the alu version, though of course whether it's worth the outlay is a personal thing.

How good a rider do you have to be to feel the difference between the two though?

Hmm, Mojo HD or Nomad?

It's apparently 1.25 pounds lighter (about 600g), not 100g. 😕 Like pedalnut says, it's probably easier to stiffen the frame up, especially in the areas where SC want it to be. Not much different to using Ti, or Scandium, or one of the flasher steels.
Personally, I'd rather fork out the cash on carbon than on cosmetics like custom frame or rim colours.
Bit surprised by the 2 year warranty though. Maybe they think consumers now accept the reliability of carbon.

the point is there are other long travel carbon bikes. for santa cruz to maintain a position in that market they need to have an offering.

expect to see the same from all the other players in the next year or so.

How good a rider do you have to be to feel the difference between the two though?

You seem pretty sensitive to the handling and setup of bikes, so probably as good as you? 🙂

i have an idea then hora- don't buy one. i'm not going to. so the existence of it doesn't bother me at all.

I would swap out my mrk1 nomad for the carbon version today if I could, lighter, supposedly stiffer, and with the mrk2's improvements to vpp, 1.5ht and bearing maintenance(pita on mk1)

if only dealers did some sort of part exchange.....or I won the lottery

- I'm not a serial bike swapper either, more of a collector 🙂

i have an idea then hora- don't buy one. i'm not going to. so the existence of it doesn't bother me at all.

I know but its like offering Salma Hayek with three breasts. Stunning but questionable if it handles better in certain positions.. 😉

I guess it's about incremental product development; there might not be much demand for a product like this, but what you learn from making it can be used to further improve the rest of your range.

Personally I love the idea of a well sorted six inch travel bike that weighs less than 30lbs; I subscribe to the view that if you can have the extra travel at no weight penalty and if the bike rides and pedals well also, then what's there not to love?

geetee1972 aye but then you enter the likes of 2010 Fox's territory? (i.e. finer detail, lighter etc needing more and regular services and tlc?

I'd rather have a robust mountain bike product with 90% of the performance.

2 year warranty is proper lame though!

Whats the warranty on the alu Nomad?

Hora - For someone who doesn't see the point in it you seem to be very interested in it, or are you just bored 😉

Time for some more coffee 😛

I'm not riding today. Just waiting for the little nipper to comedown 🙂

Limited Frame Warranty
Santa Cruz Bicycles will repair or replace at its option any frame it determines to be defective. The warranty will be in effect for two years from the date of sale and applies to the original owner. This warranty does not cover custom finishes.
Limited No-Fault Replacement
Santa Cruz Bicycles will make replacement parts available to the original owner at a minimal charge in the event of a crash or other non-warranty situation.

(apparently you're looking in the region of £550 for a crash replacement frame sans shock)

I'd rather have a robust mountain bike product with 90% of the performance.

You mean like this?
[img] [/img]

Couldn't agree with you more Hora. But eventually light does also become reliable, it's just progress. What you're identifying with I think is that you prefer to take up the technology once it's proven itself rather than being a test mule for everyone else.

Hora when the LTc blur came out you were having babies over the prospect of a carbon chameleon. Not really a surprise that after all the investment of carbon tooling they wouldn't start doing other models. The nomad is one of their headline models, seems a logical step to me

Just waiting for the little nipper to comedown

I hope you've not been feeding him disco biscuits to stop tiny tears!!!

You mean like this?

Would you mind if I spank one out over that? 🙂

why surprised at the 2 year warranty?
All Santacruz frames (including proper metal ones) have a 2 year warranty

Would you mind if I spank one out over that?

Be my guest:

[img] [/img]

How good a rider do you have to be to feel the difference between the two though?

Not very. I can 😀

"why surprised at the 2 year warranty?"
Probably because a lot of other carbon frames are longer, like 5 or lifetime

I don't think its pointless, but the (UK) uptake probably won't be massive
1.25lbs is a fair bit in terms of mostly otherwise identical frames, and if you're speccing it pretty high then at some point the extra cost, eg £600* for 600g isn't the worst weight saving you could make
Plus if its stiffer where SC want it to be, then it should ride better
Plus how many people buying a Nomad won't think they'll be able to 'make do' with the alu. version now, and go for the carbon one, just because its more expensive?

*I don't know how much it costs over the alu. one, just that the Blur LTc is that much more than the Blur LT

I have to say having had my Blur LT go back under warranty twice that Jungle are really helpful with warranty issues. Much better than my mates experences with Silverfish 😯

A BLT2 would be my next frame in a year or two 🙂

There is a point to it being made from carbon - I've just bought a Blur LTC (gone from a mojo sl) and once built up its actually a little heavier than my GF's alu LT2 (due to frame size and tyre choice).

Weight saving isnt the point - its about the increased stiffness and extra strength that using carbon has allowed - and yes even a mincer like me has been able to tell the difference.

The carbon blur XC was nearly as strong as the V-10 hence why they built a LT version - which is the strongest frame santa cruz have built (including direct impact)

So I imagine that the carbon Nomad will be even stronger.

I'm rebuilding my Blur4x this morning and a thought struck me. Its covered in helicopter tape and STILL has various cable rub/heel rub etc.

A Blurc or NomadC is surely a frame for fair weather riding only or for people who who are kind/un-hamfisted to their bikes.

I imagine Santa Cruz didnt think of Peaks, grit or winter weather when they designed their frame? 😉

There's a market for premium top end bikes, just like cars, hi-fi etc. If the market's there, the manufacturers will supply it providing they can make a profit. In some markets, like cars, manufacturers will do a premium model not for profit but for "halo effect" on the rest of the brand products.

Just be glad it exists as development on high end models trickles down to other models over time.

Oh, and if you won the lottery, I bet you would be straight down to your SC dealer for a carbon Blur or Nomad

That Nomad looks lovely and people will buy it because it exists - just like people climb very very tall mountains - because they are there!

Oh, and if you won the lottery, I bet you would be straight down to your SC dealer for a carbon Blur or Nomad

Porsche, estate agents then planning a mountain bike european roadtrip with the Porsche/rack.

I like my bike.. 😈 however I don't like my car.

hora - however I don't like my car.

1 million taxi drivers cant be wrong

Oh, and if you won the lottery, I bet you would be straight down to your SC dealer for a carbon Blur or Nomad

not me (selling a mk1 nomad though) - personally, I never think "oh I wish my zesty frame was stiffer" (apart from when a bearing\bush needs replacing)
does a stiffer frame make you ride harder\faster\better? If so, by how much?
or does owning a circa £4K carbon frame make your willy waving more impressive?
where red sports cars were previously seen as pen1s extensions for middle aged men, now its expensive mountain bikes.
It does mean you can wear one of these though:
[img] [/img]

thepodge - Member
hora - however I don't like my car.
1 million taxi drivers cant be wrong

😆 err 😳 ... 😆

I never wished my Fivespot frame was stiffer, but it didn't stop me noticing the improvement on my LTc. Yes, I am definitely quicker, and more crucially having more fun and I'm not just trying to justify an expensive purchase. I wouldn't have bought it in the first place otherwise. Doesn't stop the Fivespot from being an awesome frame...I still love it...but I've learned that I enjoy a particularly stiff frame on a fs bike (not everybody does).

There is always a market for something lighter at the same strength, and for one I'm happy that the suppliers aim for it - otherwise its Trabants for all.

And my 06 S-Works Enduro would have been far better, with 2-3lbs lost from it.

As for the warranty, who cares - never claimed on one in my life, and not claimed on any kind off insurance for 25+ years. In fact the only time I've even thought of a warranty was in buying a wide-screen TV, and went to John Lewis - same price as the rest, but 5 year cover.

As for the warranty, who cares

great sentiment, the bike manufacturers would love you.

Personally I think warranty is a good thing, as evidenced by the new front triangle on my 18 month old zesty, which developed a crack most probably due to a manufacturing error.

so you would rather not have the ability to get a brand new frame\part in this circumstance? 🙄

If I were spending that much on a frame, a watertight warranty would be foremost in my mind. I'd spend less and buy a bike with "Specialized", "Trek" or "Marin" on the downtube knowing that the warranty would be reassuring.

That said, it is a lovely looking bike, much nicer than the Nomads of old.