Santa Cruz Blur TR / TRc

has anyone got one still? or all sacked them off for the next greatest thing 😉

are there any offers around at all on them? really wanting to know how they climb, any one using one in the peak district?

always fancied a SC and this way i wouldnt have to buy new forks/wheels, the more i think about the whole 27.5 thing the less bothered i actually am about wheel size, so i’d gladly take a punt on a SC blur

I’ve got my TRc still… still the best bike in the world, I fail to see how spending a boat load of money to make the wheels slightly larger would make a difference commensurate to the outlay.

Facts:

1. My bike is awesome.
2. Another similar bike exists with bigger wheels, but that doesn’t make my bike any less awesome.
3. Bacon is awesome.

Dave

pics would be nice too folks

exactly alfa – thats what ive come to realise, wheelsize will NOT make it any better, it may in your head with all the jargon they throw out at you, but in real terms a good bike is a good bike, its not suddenly shit because a new wheel size has taken over

how does it climb dave? oh and did i mention pics please 😉

One of these would be the only thing I’d change my Five for. Loved my old Blur 4X…

Climbs incredibly and lets you get away with murder.

I have a few benchmark sections that I’m used to riding and failing/succeeding depending on fitness/conditions/bike. I clear them all better on the Truck than I do on other bikes or did on previous bikes.

Pic as requested, from when I first built it – same setup now with varying tyres, plus an MRP 2x chain device and taco bash for full on hooliganism 🙂

Dave

I was 5 minutes away from ordering one until I realised the Lt was lighter with more travel, then I got an offer I couldn’t refuse on the LTc.

I was going for the black and gold with gold Hope finishing kit for a proper John Player Special look from the 70’s F1 cars

DaveyBoyWonder – Member
One of these would be the only thing I’d change my Five for. Loved my old Blur 4X…

same here, ive been reading into it and its certainly the only 26er id swap the five for anyways

it looks like a fun bike, that would be pretty light build swapping my bits across, would get the pikes lowered to 140mm and bung the x01 kit on too, guessing it would come in at around 25lbs mark with crossmax’s etc maybe even a touch lighter

is that the carbon version alfa?

Love mine 🙂

is that the carbon version alfa?

yep, it’s a 2013 carbon with 150mm black box revelations (air u-turn that mostly get left at full length), full xt, pro2/crest wheels, reverb, thomson stem and havoc carbon bars

26.2 lbs

bit less with smaller tyres (those hans dampfs are huuuuge)

I’ve had mine for a little under a year, owned an Enduro, Covert and Sovereign before, it’s my first VPP and carbon bike.

The immediate impression when I first took a pedal stroke was ‘Frigg me this is stiff’, which was nice.

It climbs fantastically, it feels very firm and fast, there is a bit of pedal bob if you look down at the shock, but it is way less perceivable than on any other bike I’ve ridden, the suspension really works well to offer loads of grip. I’m a very average rider but I’m pretty sure that when sitting and spinning (on 1×10) at a decent lick you can easily monster up loose climbs, the rear wheel sticks to the ground with a similar sort of forgetability(sp?) that I had with the CCDB on my Covert.

Despite it being a ‘little bike’ I have never felt under biked, it’s quite alarming how it feels like it has just the same if not more travel than a Covert (even with the coil shock and BOS Deville). The geo of the TRc (long and very low) makes it feel very stable in rough trails.

I am as weak as the next fella when it comes to wanting the next best thing, and to be honest there was nothing wrong with my Covert. But there have been no bikes out recently that (for me personally) I would see any point in changing for. I ride in West Yorkshire & the peaks, have done Wales trips (snowdon a couple of times), Scotland etc it hasn’t felt out of place anywhere.

However, there is an issue with an insert in the rear triangle becoming unbonded with the carbon, which comes lose over time and is an RMA situation I’m afraid. Check the Santa Cruz forum on mtbr for a big thread in there. Original owners are getting warranty replacements, and some people have never experienced the problem. Unfortunately I had it on my first frame and I think my new one is showing the same signs, it’s not a problem at the moment but I will be getting it replaced eventually. They have changed the manufacturing process on the Bronson and Solo so the inserts aren’t bonded (glued in) any more. If I were buying one second hand I would have to be extremely confident that the existing owner would warranty it for me. This would be an important consideration for me.

Crap picture sorry. It now has a narrow/wide ring, Type 2 mech and some Specialized tyres.

I’m not replacing it any time soon, the next upgrade will be a 34mm stanchion fork which will if anything make it more versatile.

I’m on my 2nd TRc – 1st one cracked on swingarm around VVP pivot. This being an original black/red & white Mk1 frame. I am now on the MKII frame with bolt through back end in white.

Had a yeti ASR5 before.

I mainly ride in Surrey Hills, so short travel, slack angle, low BB and minimal weight is my preference.

The bike is awesome. Climbs really well with the VPP link putting tension back into the drive chain. The shock comes, as standard, with a fox volume air spacer reducer so the shock ramps up nicely making the 125mm travel feel pretty bottomless.

I run a dropper, 1×10, with Easton haven wheels and weight is around 25.5lbs.

It feels like a bmx (I am 5ft 11 and ride a medium with a 70mm stem), jumps well, is an amazing 4x bike when visiting chicksands.
Think it my fav bike ever – until the next one comes along.

I also ride a 29er, but prefer the flickable nature of the TRc its the easiest bike to manual and its so light you can just bunny hop at will while riding.

I absolutely love mine. I was days away from ordering the alu version before I pick up Carbon second hand from the classifieds (thanks Jeffus). To be honest if I’d been aware of the bonding issue Stevelol talks about I probably wouldn’t have gone through with it, the thread he’s on about wasn’t about when I got it.

However, now I have it, it makes me smile every time i ride it and I ride it as hard as I can. It climbs well (in the Peak) and descends fantastically. I don’t think you could ask for a better do it all bike, I don’t intend on replacing mine anytime soon.

Not sure on weight, about the same as my Soul, running 1×10, Reverb, 140mm Revs and Pro II/Arch Ex’s.

I ride in the Peak as often as I can and if I’m about your quite welcome to sling a leg over it (size large).

Pics at the top of the climb out the back of the car park between the A57 and Fairholmes on Saturday.

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Top of Snake Road Climb[/url] by SamDexter[/url], on Flickr

and post ride at the Forest of Dean a couple of weeks ago.

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Needing a Clean[/url] by SamDexter[/url], on Flickr

nice fathomer! very nice!

out of interest how tall are you on your large?

it does look like a great do it all bike, im confident my build on a carbon would be around 25~ on the alloy one it would still be lighter than my five im sure

positive news on the climbing abilities, im growing a bit tired of single pivot, i fancy a change and the VPP sounds spot on, i like the thought of VPP with its climbing abilities especially as i love to climb steep stuff!

it does just sound spot on, plus im finding myself more and more at cannock etc, so i guess it would feel a bit more nimbler there than a five too

What forks you running Dave?

One Planet Llandegla had a cracking deal on an alu TR recently, I was tron between buying the TR or my Yeti. Give them a call, they may still have it.

SOAP, they are 140mm revelations. They are sport on :).

Only had her for 3 weeks
I can see it getting out of depth on black runs but it’s not made for that.
Climbs and pedals way better than my old Pitch.
Just added slants at 130mm so it’s 515mm A2C

positive news on the climbing abilities, im growing a bit tired of single pivot, i fancy a change and the VPP sounds spot on, i like the thought of VPP with its climbing abilities especially as i love to climb steep stuff!

The phrase night and day is a little over used but apt in the difference here, my CTD damping went for a holiday, it took me a month to really notice. If that had happened with the heckler it would have been obvious in seconds.

mine is a large, I’m 5’11″… feels perfect to me. Big enough to be efficient and stable, but still very chuckable.

I’ve got a medium Covert built up burly with 160mm coils, so the large truck with air forks is a very good compliment.

Unless the going gets big or rough, the Truck is my fastest bike.

Dave

Had one, loved it – it got nicked last week – so yeah somebody will be offering a TRc for a decent price 🙂

The TRc in my opinion was a fantastic bike for what I wanted – build was XO1, Mavic ST’s Fox 32 140mm – the perfect bike for where I live and ride the bike generally – South Wales.

I never had any issues with the bike – apart from it being nicked. Only a few occasions did I have pedal strike because of the low BB – mainly because I was not concentrating!

When I come to replace it will be a TRc again or a 5010(Solo) – only because I will have the funds to do so.

My personal biased opinion – excellent bike – the TR I tested for a few weeks and got a cracking deal on the TRc so got that instead.

Oscillate Wildly – Member
nice fathomer! very nice!

out of interest how tall are you on your large?

Thanks, I’m 6′ and running a 70mm stem, 750mm bars. Fits about perfect.

matt23 just looked at your history, scummy bastards!!!!!!!!!! such a nice bike that too, that would pretty much be the spec id have, what was the weight of that build?

fathomer sounds like me then 6ft currently on a 70mm stem too, hopefully would just need the frame only, can have the pikes spaced down to 140mm if need be

Weight probably around the 25 lbs mark – had a reverb and big hans dampfts on it. Never got round to weighing it once the XO1 and XO trail brakes replaced the old XO and Hope M4 brakes.

yeh id have thought it would come in around 25lbs TBH

wish i could see a carbon one on offer somewhere in large ….. 🙁

Lovely looking bikes!

I eventually fell out of love with my Blur 4X after changing the bearings for the nth time – are these less of a maintenance issue?

No issues with bearings on my TRC after many hours of hard riding. Just changed the lower shock bushing for a RWC needle bearing; big improvement, let´s see how long it holds up .

Was super tempted to get one and I’m now looking at a Solo if I let the marketing take hold and change the Evil….

TR wise, Don Skene Cycles (Cardiff) have a TR complete on offer, spotted it yesterday can’t remember the price but it was a deal.

Probably strip it for the frame if you asked nicely.

And of course it comes with Manual ability as standard!

Went for a Bronson C 🙂 what the hell

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image[/url] by luke.greenwood[/url], on Flickr

Older pic of mine- now has 150mm Pikes and rides even better!

Older pic of mine when it were new..absolute hoot to ride, low, slack and fun! i went for the JPS look as someone previously commented 😉

^That looks bloody awesome, good work 🙂

Would any of you TrC guys like a lower linkage bb protector.
I purchased this for my TrA but it will not fit.
Cost $52

One Planet Llandegla had a cracking deal on an alu TR recently, I was tron between buying the TR or my Yeti. Give them a call, they may still have it.

Not any more. I bought it a month ago and can say I completely agree with all the above. Very stiff, very capable and above all, very fun. I changed the spec a little (1×10, Reverb, lock on grips), but otherwise it’s stock.

For reference, I’m 6′ tall and the Large is perfect fit.

If you’re in the market for a 5″ travel do-it-all bike, I would recommend one.