Box fresh. Arrived yesterday!

I’ve ridden a Santa Cruz since the early 2000s, a used 1999 Heckler is my oldest one. Since then the Heckler has been a favourite bike and the latest one I have is a 2011. Over the last few years I’ve been fruitlessly searching for the last generation of a 26in Heckler with the tapered headtube. I’m going to be 50 soon, that’s half a century, and decided it’s time to treat myself to a brand new bike. I tried to find a new 650b Heckler but they’ve stopped making them so no luck. I looked at used ones but really couldn’t justify a large lump of cash in one go – 0% finance deals being so good on new bikes!

I thought about a new Orange Five, I like single pivot bikes, but couldn’t bring myself to change brands really.

So, I look at Stif cycles website, mmmmm, 10% off 2016 carbon 5010s, interesting!

I met somone on a trip to Mongolia this year who said he had a 5010, best bike he’s ever ridden! Couldn’t prise it enough. Read reviews. Sounds just like the sort of thing that will do for riding my local trails.

So, ordered and it turned up yesterday.

Love the colour. Before delivery they called me to say they had discounted the bike by another 10%, would I like an upgrade to a 150mm KS LEV Integra – yes please!

So these are now discounted by 20% at Stif Cycles. They’re not my local shop but they were great to deal with, throughly recommend them.

It’s the Carbon C ‘R’ build, I’m happy with that, I need the 2x drivetrain to get up some of the hills near me, and the finance is easily managble. First carbon bike too.

My next bike will probably be an e-bike, maybe 10 years time when I’ll need it

Nice sunny day here too, so first ride today 😀

Enjoy new bike day!

Win!

Lovely. Enjoy, Dude

Very very pretty that!

Ffs man! Logos! Valves!

Lush!! Love the candy blue!!!!! Enjoy mate!

Yeah, I noticed the logo/valves … set up tubeless by the shop, what can I do 😐

I was up at 6.30am this morning, like a 6 year old on Christmas Day 😀

I still don’t like the whole 650b thing, the wheels/tyres don’t look that different to me compared to my 26in Heckler (that’s in another room so not compared side by side) but there’s no choice on a new bike now. I wonder if I’ll notice, I definately notice the difference on my 29er Superlight.

Sweet looking bike. Love the colour.

The big question is: what colour pedals?

tomhoward – Member
Ffs man! Logos! Valves!

My thoughts exactly. 🙂

Great vibrant colour. Enjoy. I think @deadkenny has one he’ll be along to rave about them in due course

BTW I am 53 and no intention of going e-bike. As you get older you lose strength and speed but stamina less so. Look at all the retirees grinding up mountains on their road bikes.

Kojaklollipop – Member
Yeah, I noticed the logo/valves … set up tubeless by the shop, what can I do

They’ll match (sort of) on the driveside, which, as everyone knows, is the side you should photograph your bike from.

Edit: Nice bike.

They’ll match (sort of) on the driveside

Ah, yes they do, sort of. Another picture just to make sure …

Just walked the dog, a few chores to do in the garden then out on it this afternoon 😀

Two of my friends just got these in that colour. They are indeed awesome things. Start Fitness website has 30% off these but XL only

You’ll love it 🙂

Lovely jubbly!

New bike day is a good day.

Stif are also a great bunch. 😀

That’s an enormous gap between your skirting boards and the floor.

That’s an enormous gap between your skirting boards and the floor

😆

Original floor and skirtings, most of the house is the same, 1950s bungalow so guess they expected people to fit carpets. We did wonder about putting some beading along the bottom but not sure if that would look worse and it’d mean painting etc, just used to the gap now.

Well how was it!!

A fiver says he won’t say it’s shit.

Last year colours are so much better than this year. I went for blue too.

Lovely, I know there’s plenty of Santa Cruz haters on here but the 5010 is one of the best bikes I’ve ridden, very very capable.

Bregante – Member
A fiver says he won’t say it’s shit.

POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

True!! And I hope not!!

Is that a serving hatch?
That’s even more 1970’s than our 1970’s gas fire…

Yes that’s a serving hatch, we like it for some reason. We’ve also got a 70s gas fire, modern retro or something like that.

Yes, it’s a great bike. Only managed a quick 14 mile ride on it at the end of the day yesterday. Bars felt a bit high and shocks needed a bit of fettling.

Can’t say there’s a big difference of feel from my 26in wheels until you get up a bit more speed where you get a bit more of the 29er effect of a larger wheel.

What I did notice was it’s eagerness to accelerate. On a few short sharp climbs where I’d normally drop down a gear by padelling hard, taking the pressure off the chain, drop a gear then settle down to carry on spinning with the 5010 the quick pedal hard bit just resulted in the bike going quicker up the hill and I just carryed on rather than drop down a gear (hope that makes sense?)

It’s also easy to get off the ground. I might do the odd little hop here and there but nothing big, there’s a little lip I normally just push off a bit and this thing flew* with very little effort.(*for me flew is probably 6in off the ground)

Also corners very well. An off camber, 90 degree right, loose gravelly turn usually sees me drift a bit to the left of the next track. The 5010 just went through the middle, no drifting, no worries, peddle off down the track. Very stable at speed too.

Made some adjustments this morning, lowered the bars a bit, more air in rear shock. Just got back from a local 15 mile loop and got 9 PRs and 2 2nd fastest times on Strava, some on climbs some on descents. I’m even the fastest on some of those for today – so far. So not bad for and overweight nearly 50 year old. Well, maybe it’s the bike? 😀

Lush! Glad it’s a blast fella!

Just ordered mine today in black so looking forward to delivery on Thursday / Friday

Lovely bike. The perfect flat pedal colour match is reviewed here

Bet you can’t wait woody, enjoy when you get it and tell us what you think.

I’ve been wondering about pedals, I’ve just put some MG1s I’ve got on it at the moment but it does deserve some new ones. I’m wondering if anodized red would go?

That’s a cracking bike. Luuuuurvely colour, too. Enjoy!

I held up some admittedly powder coated red v12s near mine and instantly bought new pedals – shame the blue colour comes off the pins on vaults as they looked awesome when new.