Weekly meeting after weekly meeting, I’ve been promising to get this done, but this morning our esteemed web editor said that he’s “counting on me” to write a blog and submit it today. The blog post based on my experience with the “new” Santa Cruz Tallboy. What to do? I have a few words written down, but not much, and the deadline for the full print article is right around the corner as well. Doh!

Let’s keep it short and sweet. The kids over at Santa Cruz have been delving into the “latest and greatest” of materials, carbon fiber. I’ll get into it more in the upcoming print article, but Santa Cruz tells me that this 29 inch frame is 2 pounds lighter than if it were made of aluminum. So what do I say? You’d be stupid not to! No need to discuss the pluses and minuses right now, this is my first 29er test ride under 30 lbs.

Let me give you an idea of just how much I’ve been procrastinating on this. I picked up the bike after Interbike’s On-Dirt Demo back in September, rode her in Flagstaff on the way home, and this post has been due ever since. This amounts to my incredible squandering of the immediacy of the internet, and for this I am sorry.

The ride however, was not sorry. In Flag, riding up mount Elden was certainly the proof to this low-cal pudding, as I was able to keep up despite the past week’s long workdays and longer nights.

After the hill comes Lower Moto, a technical trail if there ever was one. Rocks, baby, rocks. Big wheels sticking to rocks for awesome traction, yet the lightness and stiffness abounding as I carve the tiny spaces between the derailleur infringing rocks on the sides of the narrow trail.

Yea, I like this bike, it’s no wonder it’s the receiver of much hype. Let’s finish with this Justin Steiner shot of me stunting…

Mine is flat black, the best color, and has a XPX 29 kit. That’s mostly Shimano XT, a Fox F29 RLC100 and a RP23 shock. MSRP is $4874 this way, but a complete is available for as little as $3599. Frame price is $2350 before shock upgrade. Company website: www.santacruzmtb.com.