[Closed] Santa Cruz Nomad - How good?

It better be the best seeing as I just ordered one! I couldn't test ride one for love nor money so have ordered one blind. I was advised to go for a large and I'm 5'11. I'm working on the basis that I loved my mates 26" mk2 and the new ones meant to be better. I also have a large chameleon for size comparison which is perfect. Fingers crossed as I hated almost every minute I spent test riding a carbon bronson.

I test rode a bronson on the same day and it felt a little harsh in comparison, a different beast to the nomad. One thing I can say for sure the quality of the Nomad was second to none, paint in particular.

They come up small, I'm 5'8 and would want a large so try and at least get a sit on a large and xl and see how they feel. Tested a bronson about the same time and for me the bronson is a bit lost, you either want a solo or a nomad.
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I know someone who got one having had a few santa cruz's and he absolutely loves it. I've test ridden it when he wanted to compare it to my bronson and it did feel fantastic. If I could justify needing the longer travel I'd have one in a heartbeat but Im biased in my love of santa cruz bikes.

It's a pretty good bike. It was almost the perfect bike for me.

My main issue was despite the "we've made it much bigger" chatter, it's gone from being tiny, to about normal, but still short compared to the more adventurous brands. I had a large, when it first came out, and at just over 6ft, it wasn't big enough.

The suspension was a real pain in the arse to set up, mostly due to the funky leverage ratio. I never tried it, but I expect it would be awesome with a good coil shock. I was never able to get it feeling how I would expect it to.

Lastly , the lower VPP link is an absolute haven for collecting mud.

I should have bought an XL, and had a coil on it. But then it becomes even more of a one trick pony...

My wife benefitted from my mistake though, and she thinks it's great!

I'm out on mine for its third outing in the morning.
I built it over 5 months and it cost 6.2k !!
It's got XX1, pikes, monarch debonair, XTR trail and Crossmax Enduros.

Things I've found so far:
It feels a lot better than my heckler.
It goes uphill like my heckler.
It feels like it can attack everything.
The wheels feel better than a 26 but not bigger.
The bottom bracket is really low.
I've had to change my style to consider pedal striking everything in sight.
It seems to ride very deep into the rear shock(trying 210 in it tomoz).
Everyone wants to touch it.
One guy told me he would trade his girlfriend for it, she was there and confirmed this.If my mates weren't there I'd have gone for the swap.

I had one a couple of years ago, 6' 3" on an XL.

I thought this too:

I was never able to get it feeling how I would expect it to

I tried those nylon spacer things in the air can, but still....

If it was carbon, 142 x 12mm back end, 650b & a coil sprung, I might have kept it.

Interestign reading, thank guys
Hob Nob can I ask why you considered it to be a one trick pony? Isn't it much of a climber?

You made reference to it in your first post, it's a race bike, I could just about get away with it for the (majority) other riding I do, but putting a coil shock on it, just pushes it even further away from that every day usability.

I do often wonder if a 140mm bike with the same sort of geometry would be quicker 99% of the time.

6k for a bike that climbs like a single pivot sounds a bit odd tbh.

Had mine since last summer and absolutely love it, climbs well enough for me but descends and jumps amazingly, very happy with it.

I'm looking to hopefully compliment it with a short travel full suss or hardtail later on for trail duties keeping this for dh the occasional trail centre and 'enduro' racing.

I'm 6ft, maybe a tad under so looks like a large will suit.

I'm the same height and a large is perfect, the vivid is a very good option in my view.

I do often wonder if a 140mm bike with the same sort of geometry would be quicker 99% of the time.

I think it depends on the trails - if you're thundering through the rough and trying to find maximum grip through long turns and are mostly gravity driven then more travel is better. If you're pumping, popping and pedalling more then less is better.

Riding a bike with 140mm out back but a 160mm fork I've never had a moment when it feels like the rear can't keep up with the front - so I do wonder how beneficial another 20-25mm of rear travel would be?

The VPP leverage rate is a bit strange with that stiffness early in the stroke, right when an air shock is also too stiff - all the common rotating short-link 4-bar variants just ramp up as they get deeper into the travel, which does leave me puzzled as to the point of the patented VPP approach...

Gracia chose his dvo'd Bronson over Nomad at ews rotura this weekend,
That means nothing I know
The review in dirt said it'd be better with a 36 than a pike

Go and try a Yeti SB5C or SB6C first, they are as good as everyone says.

Who cares if any bikes quicker 99% of the time. I just pick whichever bike is more fun. I have a giant anthem that is probably quicker for most stuff I do but I never ride it because it's mind numbing my boring and absolutely no fun. Unless people are seriously racing I don't know why they care so much.
Before ordering my nomad a few people said that I'll be over biked etc. I came to the conclusion that I don't care as long as I enjoy it.

I never ride it because it's mind numbing my boring and absolutely no fun.

Sounds like you're doing it wrong. Perhpas it's time to take up golf again?

Nope I'm not doing it wrong. By choice I either pick my chameleon, trance, stiffee, badboy, bmx ot hopefully when I get it the nomad. I never pick the anthem for anything other than canal towpath commutes. It literally bores the life out of me.

Why would anyone have a chameleon and a Stiffee?

Had mine nearly a year now and I love it. I'm 6'1" and ride a large (whoever told you, op, to try a medium is a brain dead halfwit) with a 50mm stem and the vivid air rear shock, so it's more of a gravity based bike rather than an uphill and down dale kind of a thing. Not to say it won't climb, just that it's something it does rather than something it excels at. Descending? It'd say you'd have to have some enormous cojones to find it out of its depth, save for wc dh runs

I'd also echo comments about the low BB. It's. Never been *that* much of an issue for me but crank boots and a skid plate are your friend!

Out of interest op, what do you think the best of the best would be? As an endure race bike, I'm not sure I could think of anything current that's markedly better for the job at hand?

Why would anyone have a chameleon and a Stiffee?

Well, they are lovely looking things....

Tom raises a good question. Is it the best Enduro race bike out there?

Looking at race wins, I would suggest the newest iteration of the Specialized Enduro has a fairly strong pedigee. As does the Cannondale Jekyll. Canyon Strive an Trek Remedy also seem popular.

Personally for Nomad money I would have an Sworks Enduro 29r but I would suggest you won't gondar wrong with a Nomad, it's an amazing bike.

I'm a bit of a brand whore, so have you looked at the HD3 from ibis ?

Is it the best Enduro race bike out there?

The HD3 Mojo that Anne-Caroline was riding this weekend at the Rotarua EWS was gorgeous.

Go and try a Yeti SB5C or SB6C first, they are as good as everyone says.

I don't think he wants a bike to win the fastest to crack/snap/fall apart contest.

As for what's the best/fastest race bike, well one man's meat is another man's poison - so it's hard to make comparison in reality.

One other small detail is the Nomad is very well put together - the pivot hardware etc, is great - sensibly placed, easy to work with.

I'd be looking at the Canyon Strive or Giant Reign if I wanted a 650b enduro race bike.

Or maybe the Bird Aeris if it's not too heavy (I've no idea).

I'd also consider whether I was likely to start wanting a B-plus bike shortly after I'd spunked my wad on a Nomad or whatever.

I've done the "buy my perfect bike" thing before so I know that my "needs" would change soon enough.

Santa Cruz Nomad - How good?

Well all I know if that the top Enduro riders don't have one.

Jonathan Tompkins - Member
Go and try a Yeti SB5C or SB6C first, they are as good as everyone says.

Everyone says they fall apart. Pinkbike's review frame broke, and Bike magazine in the Us broke two test frames.

Yeti went for the old "pre production" excuse.

jmatlock - Member
The HD3 Mojo that Anne-Caroline was riding this weekend at the Rotarua EWS was gorgeous.

You think? I think the lines of the new Mojo are awful, it's a really ugly frame, lines and curves all over the shop with no coherence

[img] [/img]

Her one from the EWS was green with yellow mavic wheels and BOS forks. It looked like a John Deere tractor. It was bad ass.

Sling a leg over a Pivot Mach 6 too. Awesome bike.

No mention of a Capra yet ?

Could buy a top spec Capra and Tues for the price of nomad

Jus sayin......

I demod lots of bikes last year, nomad, alpine, whyte g150, Scott genius, Jekyll, and sb6c.
All rode very well and it was down to the nomad and the yeti really.
I bought the yeti, it ticked all the boxes I was looking for. Light, climbs well, fun to ride and mentally fast went pointed down!

Reading above, I can't belive someone is thinking of dropping that sort of money onto a bike they've never riden!!

Yeti is another option as is the Capra, My brother rides a capra so I'm waiting to get some decent miles on it to see if the large is big enough

The VPP leverage rate is a bit strange with that stiffness early in the stroke, right when an air shock is also too stiff - all the common rotating short-link 4-bar variants just ramp up as they get deeper into the travel, which does leave me puzzled as to the point of the patented VPP approach...

The bit that matter is the sag point, that's where the Nomad is at it's most supple.

The regressive-progressive leverage ratio just means that it feels a little bit less plush to potential buyers in the showroom.

From what Ive gathered as well, Santa Cruz have made the negative spring on the supplied Monarch/Vivid even stronger than the standard Debonair model to compensate.

No mention of a Capra yet ?

Could buy a top spec Capra and Tues for the price of nomad

Jus sayin......

Enjoy the read, lots of lovely cracked bikes.

I friggin love my new Norco Range Carbon 7.1. Got a really good deal on it which made it very similar cost to a Capra but with slightly better spec + no long wait and interest free credit! I don't really care what wins Enduro races but I can say it feels better uphill than my old XC bike and bloody amazing downhill.

Yeah but while your Capra's getting warrantied you could be doing uplifts on the Tues...

And in 20 pages of the link tom there 2 pics of cracking, and 4 or 5 mention of cracking around the since redesigned dropoutut/hanger, kinda like those Santa Cruz pivots and BBS that used to come unbonded....

Considering that the redesign wasn't that long ago it's pretty good going on YT's part.

Not seen any Nomads crack around the head tube yet, like I haven't seen any 21 page threads dedicated to cracking Nomad MK3's. Nor does it seem that Santa Cruz have had to redesign the drop outs of the Nomad, maybe because their engineers are better.

engineers better..... because theyve just had more experience with cracked frames 🙂
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cracked-sc-trc-tallboy-carbon-frames

id happily assume that a nomad is less likely to crack than a capra, im just not convinced that a handful of cracked capra frames (all warrantied as i understand) is worth several thousand pounds, when both bikes are otherwise very similar

I wouldn't spend the money, Santa Cruz's are expensive but there are other brands at half decent prices about these days with better UK support. Unless you absolutely have to have your bike shod in BOS suspension.

So...how come time and time again I'm reading that the Bronson just isn't great? As was said earlier in the thread, CG rode one this weekend presumably in preference to the Nomad.

Which other brands at half decent prices are there that will warranty a Frame at 4 years old AND because it cant be replaced with Alu they upgrade you with Carbon?

Then because the old wheel size is now defunct they help out towards a bigger wheel size?

Not only that, you can drive straight to the importers door and tell them how pissed you are with their customer care, i doubt you can beat that, only a fool would want better customer care than face to face with the importer. Mine's got no BOS suspension on it. But then again i was given it by their shoddy customer care.

As a comparison my mate recieved a yellow swing arm on his specialized that was Silver when it snapped and it never ligned up properly again. another comparison with Spesh at just over 2 years and NO warranty on a cracked frame due to mis use.

You get what you for.

CG rode one this weekend presumably [s]in preference to the Nomad[/s] because Santa Cruz told him to, just like they told him to ride and rave about their 29'er a while back.

Snorkelsucker, CG is paid to ride the brand dont forget that, he has done SC a great service on the NOMAD in the EWS and the BRONSON has kind of took a back seat, they will be trying to shift more units. Maybe.

I've found that the NOMAD is pretty long in the wheelbase and sen that Rotorua is tight and switchbacky, maybe he wanted something shorter and flicky. who knows, but of the 8 or 10 people i ride with they all have grat things to say about the BRONSON.

If you are unsure i'd go ride one. You will be best placed to make the call yourself then.

Very happy Bronson owner, been impressed by Santa Cruz quality and robust design.

So...how come time and time again I'm reading that the Bronson just isn't great? As was said earlier in the thread, CG rode one this weekend presumably in preference to the Nomad.

I've found that the NOMAD is pretty long in the wheelbase and sen that Rotorua is tight and switchbacky,

Bike Culture in Roto had 6 Nomad builds on and about another 10 in the pipeline waiting for another delivery of frames last time i was in.

On CG riding what he's told to I think he seems to just travel with choices, was he not on a tallboy LT at tweedlove?

As with anything just ride it.

So...how come time and time again I'm reading that the Bronson just isn't great?

So...how come time and time again I'm reading that the Bronson just isn't great?

their expecting a magic carpet.

If you want to ride fast and hard then its a great bike. In one year mines been to Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Italy Apennines, India and UK Enduros and it hasn’t put a foot wrong. Next stop BC Canada Trans Rockies in July then on to another couple weeks in the Rockies. Right wrong bike? Dont know but it suits my current style and ability to hit stuff without being deflected 😉

Demo one, if you like it great go ride, if not move on theirs lots of good bikes out there. Nomad looks a great bike too, havent tried one yet but who knows .....

So...how come time and time again I'm reading that the Bronson just isn't great?

my LBS has a bronson demo in at the moment that is apparently a world apart from the one they had last year. I rode the previous one and it was a a bit meh. I haven't ridden this one but it has a completely different shock tune etc and it's transformed the ride.

Mike, PLEASE wear ear defense whilst watching the footage, the commentators are BAD< think CARS the Movie, the two that commentate on the race...........

I watched a tad, some flicky left handers over roots with riders slowing, stopping, before, mid corner and after the switchy stuff. granted that there probably isn't a deal of switchy stuff as some looked super fast.

Have you ridden there?

Only about 20 days, want to get back more though

Wouldn't change mine for anything

I was thinking Canada August "Maybe" but not sure now i've seen this.

Alps in July though as its already bought & paid for.
That place looks absolutely fantastic though.

Maybe I am being a bit naive / underestimating people's radness. But for UK riding (including peaks/lakes/Wales) 150mm seems like the perfect useable amount.

Wouldn't most people be faster on a Bronson than a Nomad?

My perfect SC would be a Brolo ( Solo with a 140mm fork)

I'd rather have 160mm on my only bike than 140mm, Ideally i'd love a NOMAD & BRONSON.

Some people venture further afield than Peaks/Lakes/Wales, if i had to have a bike to take the Alps then i'd might as well buy Chalet there as well so i dont have to pay when i'm out there but as i cant afford a second bike i doubt i'd have a house to keep it in out there.

If i rode UK stuff only i probably have a Heckler.

Absolutely. If you are hitting the Alps/Whislter/BC or and big mountain stuff a Nomad is probably the right bike.

The Heckler is a classic UK bike.

I loved the original Tonka yellow TBLTC too.

Exactly, single pivot bike with a decent pair of forks and adorned with HOPE jewelery 😆

Most of the negative comments about the Bronson i could find when I did a search were mostly people saying "I've heard/ read that it gets bad reviews online" couldnt actually find any bad reviews though!! it's like one of those self perpetuating myths!