I have had reverse brand snobbery about them for a few years. But I was wrong. Who cares if they are bought for the "wrong" reasons?
I bought a lightly used Tallboy. I am impressed by the design of the cable routing and the relative simplicity of the suspension compared to my Revel.
But the frame build quality is perhaps what really stands out. I know it's China made but the frames are shipped split between front and rear and assembled in California, seemingly with high QC constraints.
The bike rides like a dream and is incredibly versatile with a 140mm Pike Ultimate.
Glad it's XL despite my 6ft which on paper is the wrong size.
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All the Santa Cruz owners have moved onto ebikes now, so they’re acceptable again 😉
What about Santa Cruz e-bike owners? 😀All the Santa Cruz owners have moved onto ebikes now, so they’re acceptable again 😉
I'm on my third SC, similar to the above: a lightly used Tallboy 5 with a 140 fork. I'm not fussed about brand, not that keen on the shock tunnel frame design, but they do everything else well. Good design appeals to me: bearings pressed into suspension links rather than frame so less of an issue if you cock up a bearing change, grease ports, full length channels for internal routing etc.
Most importantly the sizing works for me - 187cm on a XXL - and it rides how I like.
Merlin have been shifting heavily discounted Santa Cruz bikes for a while if anyone is on the look out.
https://www.merlincycles.com/mountain-bikes-75266/?brand=santa-cruz-bicycles
I would agree whole heartedly with the exception of the dropper cable routing. All I can say is never get into the position of having to reroute it from scratch.
Yes I didn't have an issue building the bike from scratch but I use a thin outer for the dropper so perhaps that helped.
Those Merlin prices are good if you want a full bike but if you already have your build kit you're forced into buying all the bits which might fetch £800 resale so that would have made the C frame £2,200 albeit 'ew and with a warranty of course. But I prefer to have paid £1,100 for a lightly used CC.
I would agree whole heartedly with the exception of the dropper cable routing. All I can say is never get into the position of having to reroute it from scratch.
what model? the solution to my GF's 2024 hightower dropper cabling woes was an AXS seatpost
Clearly SantaCruz have come a long way from the era of the shitting dog Heckler....
I would agree whole heartedly with the exception of the dropper cable routing. All I can say is never get into the position of having to reroute it from scratch.
what model? the solution to my GF's 2024 hightower dropper cabling woes was an AXS seatpost
Tallboy. There’s not a lot is space in the shock tunnel walls and some very tight bends. I did nearly have a big enough tantrum to buy a wireless one but my lbs managed to get it through.
Clearly SantaCruz have come a long way from the era of the shitting dog Heckler....
I thought it was shitting dog Nomad...?
Tallboy. There’s not a lot is space in the shock tunnel walls and some very tight bends. I did nearly have a big enough tantrum to buy a wireless one but my lbs managed to get it through.
Don't even look how you are supposed to route a cable on a Levo - I considered a cabled one when my AXS went faulty, then thought sod that...
It took me almost 10 seconds to thread the dropper outer, but then again it's a thin one. I could have spent loads on a wireless one though but that would have been a bit mental as I would have had to charge a battery too. For a dropper post 😂.
It took me almost 10 seconds to thread the dropper outer, but then again it's a thin one. I could have spent loads on a wireless one though but that would have been a bit mental as I would have had to charge a battery too. For a dropper post 😂.
If you amanged that on a Tallboy without an inner cable in place then your a better mechanic than I
It didn't require any skill at all and I don't understand why you would need an inner either, it's fully guided. I pushed it in the head tube and it came out of the seat tube, where else?
It actually probably took closer than 5 seconds.
There must have been a blockage or dirt in yours.
I did clean the inside with my long cable brush but there was no dirt. I genuinely don't understand.
Could it be a size-specific issue? I don't recall any problems replacing the inner and outer dropper cable on my XXL Tallboy 5. Was >12 months ago but if it was a particular PITA I'd have remembered!
could be. my L 2021 5010 was just as you described. push it in the head tube and it pops out the seat tube.
the M hightower, its such a tight bend, or there is somethnig in there somehow, but pushing anything down the hole, it won't make it round the corner.
I thought of the sizing thing but I don't think it would make much economical sense to have different size for this area. I bet there was/is a small blockage in there. So much for the QC that I was praising up thread. A thin (dropper specific) outer may help negotiating the bend.
Ahh a new Tallboy convert .,. Im on a v5 and ave been for 3 years .. Simply the best bike for the UK in my eyes . Mine keeps my Megatower under wraps %99 of the time . Id happliy take it to Golfie , the high lakes fells or Munro claiming . Makes me laugh ive been explaining to friends for years how versitile it is with (bigger forks ) and low and behold they have both over the last 6 weeks been converted to the church of the boy ..... << im sure that could be taken the wrong way... and that!
Either or Tallboys make rides fun all the time .
Yes agreed Steve, it's a class act. I would have liked a 140mm 36 SL ideally but they're big money and I got the Pike Ultimate 140mm for £351 from Bike Discount, even though I won't put a battery on them (they are Flight Attendant).
I was planning to take the Revel to the Dolomites this summer (it's on a set of 36) but now I am not even sure it will be any better!
The only mistake I made is the 35mm length stem as a bit twitchy when climbing for some reason, but not going down. 495mm reach was a bit long for my 6ft but now I am not even sure...
Aye, having to charge a battery for a dropper - 1 minute of effort (split into 2x30 seconds with a 30 minute gap between them as the charging is done) every 8 weeks or so...it is a real slog... 😉
Im not saying that its right but I run 150 Lyriks on mine with a float x in the low setting, brings the geo almost identical to my old v1 megatower. Im in the Slovenian Alps in the summer and also argued with myself over the benifits of taking my Mega over the Tallboy. Its a very very difficult decision .
Aye, having to charge a battery for a dropper - 1 minute of effort (split into 2x30 seconds with a 30 minute gap between them as the charging is done) every 8 weeks or so...it is a real slog... 😉
Yes sure that seems easy, but what's the benefit compared to a cable? Are they cheaper or something? 😉
Aye, having to charge a battery for a dropper - 1 minute of effort (split into 2x30 seconds with a 30 minute gap between them as the charging is done) every 8 weeks or so...it is a real slog... 😉
Yes sure that seems easy, but what's the benefit compared to a cable? Are they cheaper or something? 😉
Not having a cable is definitely a benefit when your crappy AXS post sags every few rides and you have to take it out to do an air bleed 😉
Those Merlin prices are good if you want a full bike but if you already have your build kit you're forced into buying all the bits which might fetch £800 resale so that would have made the C frame £2,200 albeit 'ew and with a warranty of course
That's a fair point but I'd add "or you have another bike to swap all the parts you want onto it" which is what I did with the v4.1 Bronson's on sale. I'm similar height to you @nickfrog (and I also had a Rascal, lovely bike but much prefer the SCs) and Merlin had both the L and XL on sale. After some dithering I went L as 495 is just too long reach for me.
My first SC was a 2001 Superlight. My second was a Stiff ex-demo 5010 bought on their closing down sale. I was also looking at a Tallboy but the 5010 was a great deal and I liked it so much I bought the Bronson! I'm really do like they way they ride, not sure if that's the MX thing as I've not ridden any other mullet bikes, but so far no obvious downsides.
They do seem to be pretty well put together. I really don't need them both but when did "need" every come into anyones bike buyign strategy 😉
Merlin have been shifting heavily discounted Santa Cruz bikes for a while if anyone is on the look out.
https://www.merlincycles.com/mountain-bikes-75266/?brand=santa-cruz-bicycles
OK Who bought the last Large Chameleon... 🤣
Been a SC tragic since getting the original blur back in 2002. My first full suspension bike and it was so much better than every other bike I tested at the time. Great warranty support, most of them great bikes to ride apart from an original blur LT) and really well made frames. I see the issues all my riding friends have had with their bikes over the years and compare it to my SC experiences. No contest. I do ride other makes of bikes now and again but none of them make me rush to buy them instead of a SC.
All good points. XL was a gamble but buying used beggars etc... My Mondraker L was 499mm so I did have a sort of benchmark. The L Rascal is my son's now so we can swap mid ride...
I just realised there is a grease port. What gun and grease do you guys use?
I just realised there is a grease port. What gun and grease do you guys use?
I use Mobil Mobilgrease XHP 222 Waterproof Grease. Unfortunately the grease gun I purchased has too big a nozzle to be able to connect to the grease nipple whilst the link is still attached to the bike.
i bought a cheap hilka one from screwfix for my bronson
It's like anything, pay more and you usually get a better product.
I have an sworks tarmac and a yeti, both are ridiculously overpriced, but they are undoubtedly better than something costing a 1/4 of the value.
How much better? Certainly not 4 times as good. Definitely not twice as good. My tarmac is maybe 10% better than my defy that cost a a 5th of the price.
Basically, if you want the very best you pay top dollar. Do you need the very best, probably not (I certainly don't!)
Ps..I use to love my old heckler!
So tonights escape on the Tallboy . 13miles 1700 foot of vert and 1h24m I still see no reason to buy a bike with a motor on yet ,, Oh and it manuals for fun 😉
It's like anything, pay more and you usually get a better product.
Sure and as you say the law of diminishing returns etc...
But, sometimes you have to pay a premium just to get stuff simply not available at lower price points and those things can be non-negotiable. For me SC is actually the cheapest brand simultaneously offering:
- a genuinely superior attention to detail, finish, QC and routing design. The alignment in particular seems very very good, even the brake bosses were spot on and the rotor was super easy to align as a consequence
- a genuinely superior weight and performance
- a genuinely superior maintenance regime at an affordable cost with all parts readily available.
- decent value retention compared to other brands even though I bought used.
But there may be others I don't know about. Transition?
genuinely superior weight
My mate's Nomad with AXS weighs ~500g less than my Raaw Madonna...... And he's tired in to using an electric derailleur thanks to the lack of holes in the frame (but that's good, coz it saves weight, right?)
I’ve bought nothing but wireless derailleurs (on non gearbox bikes) and seatposts for the last 7 years, and specced my last 3 frames without any cable routing at all.
It’s been a complete and utter… non-issue.