santa-cruz

Did Santa Cruz ever expect the Hightower, with its 135 mm of rear travel to become the darling of  hard-charging EWS riders? Did it expect consumers to start experimenting with longer-stroke shocks to bump up travel? Did anyone really expect 2017 to be the summer of 29 inch wheels in gravity events? I can’t really ...

    NOMAD! Those who pay attention to such things had figured the Nomad was next up for a revamp, as it was looking a little dated in the very competitive all-mountain/enduro category. Drawing from the V10 downhill bike, the new Nomad actuates the shock with the lower link. The rest of the Santa Cruz ...

There have been rumors about major teams and fast riders showing up for a World Cup downhill race on 29ers this year, but Santa Cruz is the first major team to confirm it with news of a 29-inch V10. I can already hear the comments; “but XXXX did it first!”. Yes, there have been a ...

Marin promised something truly new when the invite went out to attend a pre-Sea Otter media camp. The Wolf Ridge delivers on that. Using the NAILED R3ACT-2 PLAY suspension design, Marin claims to have created a 160 mm-travel 29er that pedals and handles well enough to be the “one bike” to ride anywhere and everywhere. ...

Words by Zach White, photos by Gary Perkin MSRP $2,000 (R Kit) Sizes S, M, L(tested), XL Available Now As the name suggests, Santa Cruz’s Chameleon has historically been a frame that’s adapted to various riding styles quite well. Over the years, I’ve seen them built up as dirt jumpers, singlespeed trail bikes, freeride hardtails, ...

Tester: Jon Pratt Age: 46 | Height: 5’10” | Weight: 190 lbs. | Inseam: 32” Price: $6,500 Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL, XXL More info: Santa Cruz Bicycles  The Tallboy from Santa Cruz Bicycles has always been a class favorite 29er. It was just getting a little long in the tooth. So with knowledge ...

The original Santa Cruz Tallboy is arguably the bike that signalled 29ers acceptance into the mainstream/cool kids’ cycling club. That’s not to say there wasn’t good 29er before the Tallboy or that it had the most revolutionary geometry. What is had was a certain something that was well loved and well used. Fast forward a few ...

Disclaimer: Junket- a free trip by a member of the press to a place where something (such as a new bike) is being promoted. Let’s get that out of the way first. The new Santa Cruz Hightower was introduced to select members of the media on a trip to Chile for the first running of ...

Last year, I reviewed the Ibis Ripley. I liked it well enough, but my tastes in mid-travel 29er leans towards low and slack, while the Ripley is more long-travel cross-country. I also got yelled at (via email) by for being too soft on the bike. Which was a valid complaint, as I had inadvertently cut ...

From Issue #186 Earlier this year, the Santa Cruz Highball 29er welcomed a 27.5 little brother to the family, and the siblings are like two peas in a pod. The 27.5 Highball is designed to mimic the cross-country-oriented trail manners of its 29er predecessor. Sure, 27.5 and 29 bikes inherently “feel” different. But that’s exactly ...

Roughly two and a half years after the initial release of the Bronson and 5010, both bikes have been updated with more progressive geometry and the third iteration of Santa Cruz’s VPP suspension design. The 5010 and Bronson have been hugely successful for Santa Cruz, so updating these popular models was a serious undertaking. Last ...

The final World Cup race of the year capped a very successful year for the Syndicate riders! Greg finished 4th overall and Josh 5th. Despite early-season injuries for both, consistent, solid results (including 3 wins out of 7 races) kept them both on the series podium for 2015. Only the Syndicate and Aaron Gwin won ...

After last weekend’s win in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Josh Bryceland and Greg Minnaar were looking to turn back to back World Cup weekends into a North American double for the Syndicate. Both looked strong in qualifying with Greg finishing 4th, and Josh 6th. In the finals, Josh’s front wheel got a little wild on the dusty fire ...

A healthy Rat is a fast Rat! After getting up close and personal with a tree in Ft. William, and dislocating his finger in Lenzerheide, Josh was on the hunt for his first World Cup win since WIndham, last year. Despite dry weather earlier in the week, the rain got turned on just before qualifiers, ...

The World Cup’s first trip to Lenzerheide, Switzerland, was a smashing success. Making it look easy on the Steve Peat-designed track, Greg Minnaar stepped to the top of the box once again, taking his record-setting 18th World Cup win! Greg’s won two of the four World Cups so far this season, and sits in third ...

Santa Cruz Bicycles, founded in 1993 and still led by Rob Roskopp, has been sold to a Dutch conglomerate that controls several major bike brands, including Focus, Cervelo, Gazelle and others. While the entire Santa Cruz management team will stay, as will its headquarters in Santa Cruz, the new venture will likely be able to streamline ...

Riding high after Greg Minnaar’s victory at the Ft. William World Cup, the Santa Cruz Syndicate heads to the second of back-to-back races in Leogang, Austria.   Rayboy’s race run What’s it like to go warp speed? Check out Josh Bryceland’s helmet cam from his race run.   Keep watching Catch up on all the ...

While Aaron Gwin is getting all the headlines this week about his jaw-dropping chainless win, the weekend prior there was some big news as well, as Greg Minnaar matched his Santa Cruz Syndicate teammate Steve Peat for the most all-time World Cup wins with number 17 coming at Fort William, Scotland. In the meantime, Peaty ...

As we reported in February 2015, Santa Cruz has added a 27.5 option to its 2015 Highball lineup. The original 29er model also received minor geometry tweaks, but in both wheel sizes, the hardtail remains true to its cross-country, racy roots. The CC designation denotes an upgraded carbon frame that, thanks to some nips and ...

Santa Cruz Bicycles commits to giving away $1 million to projects that increase access to trails Santa Cruz Bicycles is making a commitment to increasing access to quality trails. They are pledging to give $1 million over the next three years to trail development projects, local and national advocacy organizations, events, and programs geared toward ...

Photos by Sven Martin. After much speculation, Santa Cruz dropped a somewhat unexpected pair of bikes on the public, with a return of the Stigmata cyclocross bike and a refreshed Highball carbon hardtail with new geometry and a second wheelsize. The bikes were introduced on the South Island of New Zealand, perhaps the most picturesque place I’ve ...

Editor’s note: This is one of six bikes we’ve gathered together that fall between $1,900 and $2,600. Read our introduction to see the other five and watch for our long-term reviews of each in Dirt Rag #182, due on newsstands and in mailboxes in February. Subscribe now and you’ll never miss a bike review. Santa Cruz ...

Joe Cocker passed way December 22. Say what you will about his singing, but there is no denying that man put his heart and soul and body into his performances. It was against that backdrop that I unpacked boxes this Christmas Eve, the help from our friends to get the XTR and Deore groups we have ...

By Joh Rathbun. Photos courtesy of Jessica Klodnicki. Still in its infancy, the Girls Rock ride, organized by Jessica Klodnicki, general manager and executive vice president of Bell and Blackburn, hosted its monthly ride at Ibis Cycles last month. More than 70 women showed up to take advantage of the free Ibis demo fleet and to ride ...

We saw it make its debut under the Syndicate riders back in July, and now it can be yours — the sixth generation of what is likely the winningest downhill bike ever is now on sale. Now you can ride what Ratboy rode to a World Cup overall championship and bone-crunching second place at the World ...

With the hard-charging soul of Santa Cruz Bikes and the enlightened guidance of the legendary Juliana Frutado, Juliana Bikes is proud to have some of the most fun and fast ladies on earth on their team, including Anka Martin and Katrina Strand. If you think you’ve got what it takes to join them in 2015, ...

Photos by Justin Steiner and Emily Walley We’ve arrived at version 3.0 of the venerable Nomad, a bike that’s pushed the boundaries of pedal-friendly long-travel bikes from its inception. It comes as no surprise to see this new Nomad further redefining the capability and versatility of the all-mountain category, this time with 27.5-inch wheels. Perhaps ...

After a long season for Steve Peat and Co., it all came down to the final round out in Meribel. Could Rat take the overall or would nerves get the better? Could Peaty regain some end of season form and hit the podium? After all was said and done out in France, there was no rest ...

We’ve tested lots of bikes at Dirt Rag, but none have garnered even a fraction of the attention of the Miami Vice bike. This blue and magenta heartthrob instigates all sorts of comments from riding buddies and other trail users. Rightfully so, thus far in the test period it’s backed up those good looks with a ...

Last time on This is Peaty we watched as teammate and protege Josh Bryceland picked up his first ever World Cup victory. In Episode 4, the Syndicate spend the long gap between races testing some new bikes, including the 27.5 V-10 and an all new model, the V-16.

Photos by Justin Steiner and Gary Perkin/Santa Cruz Bicycles The April 1 announcement of Santa Cruz’s new Nomad brought with it much anticipation. Many of us were wondering; how will this retooled icon would translate to the real world? Fortunately, Santa Cruz invited us to Santiago, Chile, to sample what this aqua and magenta bomber has ...

Those of you who have been paying attention know Santa Cruz treats April Fool’s Day very seriously, with new or updated bikes released every year on this date. And the best part of a Santa Cruz new bike launch? They are for bikes that are actually in the warehouse and ready to ship! This year ...

I don’t know what’s in the water out there in Santa Cruz (or in the air…) but those dudes sure know how to have fun. Check out their latest video staring Josh Bryceland, Logan Peat and a 1949 GM Union Pacific Streamliner ripping around town on the Santa Cruz Jackal. Still using its original super-charged ...

What a season it’s been… It’s been a jam packed year full of laughs and good times with Peaty and co, but unfortunately this season has come to an end. With the up-coming release of Steve Peat’s life story ‘Won’t Back Down’, produced by Clay Porter and John Lawlor. We take a look into what went ...

On September 1, 2013, Greg Minnaar won his third World Championship title, on a stock Santa Cruz V10 downhill frame in front of his home crowd in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. To celebrate his back-to-back gold medals, Santa Cruz has created a limited edition Minnaar V10 replica of which only 25 will be made, with two ...

Folks, the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, along with partners Santa Cruz Bicycles and Yuba Expeditions, is proud to announce another “5 Bucks A Foot” campaign. Up for grabs this time is the winner’s choice of ANY Santa Cruz bicycle, along with ONE YEAR’s worth of free shuttles courtesy of Yuba Expeditions! Every purchased foot of ...

Editor’s note: Here at Dirt Rag we don’t really do “comparison tests” or “shootouts” or declare “winners”. Every bike we review has a story to tell, and they’re all interesting. That said, we rounded up six full-suspension trail bikes in the $2,500-ish range to see what’s really out there in the heart of the mountain ...

The latest and perhaps the most anticipated (at least on this side of the country) update to Santa Cruz’s line up is the Tallboy. The Tallboy entered the scene back in 2009 as the flagship cross-country bike for Santa Cruz. What began as a short travel 29er, the Tallboy has evolved over the last decade ...

By Scott Williams INTRO Ripping through singletrack on a singlespeed is where I find my ultimate happy place, but each year, the niche I connect with continues to sink further into the depths of a forgotten past. From a business perspective, I fully get it, but that doesn’t mean I like it. The weight difference ...

A few weeks ago Dirt Rag was lucky enough to check out the new Maverick from Juliana. You can read all about it here. Santa Cruz, Juliana’s parent (or maybe big brother) company, also released a new bike: the 2nd generation Hightower. Both bikes are made for that grey space between cross country and gravity ...

Juliana Maverick $43oo-$8300 depending on build A few weeks ago, Dirt Rag had the opportunity to check out the new Maverick from Juliana on the trails of Buena Vista, Colorado (a post about the town and trails is coming soon). It had been a while since I rode out West, with those long, steep rock ...

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in issue 206 of Dirt Rag Magazine in our Stuff section. Like what you see? Subscribe now at dirtragmag.com/subscribe Santa Cruz Reserve Wheelset – $1,600 santacruzbicycles.com By Scott Williams “We (Santa Cruz) believe in building quality bicycles and components (hence the tagline ‘Quality Bicycles Since 1994’), and quality, to ...

A few years back a good friend and I took a trip down Highway 1. Our trip started in the Bay Area, and we beelined it for the coast on our first proper morning of the journey. With our backpacks and camping gear stuffed in the back of a cherry red Chevy Cruze (RIP) we ...

Words and Bike Photos: Brett Rothmeyer Action Photos: Ian Collins Santa Cruz Bicycles has released the latest version of the Stigmata out into the wild. Along with the Stigmata, sister company Juliana has released the all-new Quincy to their line up. Building upon where the 2015 revamped Stigmata left off there are some great new ...

Santa Cruz Highball XX1 Price: $7,999 Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL Online: santacruzbicycles.com Tester: Scott Williams Age: 32 Weight: 170 lbs. Height: 5’ 11” Inseam: 32.5” Reach: 17.7” Stack: 24.2” Top Tube: 25.1” Head Tube: 69.5° Seat Tube: 73° BB Height: 12.4” Chainstays: 16.8” Weight: 20 lbs. (with dropper) Long known as a trail ...

New to the Santa Cruz line-up is the Megatower. A bike built seemingly for an all-out assault on the most unruly terrain you’re willing to subject yourself to. Where the Hightower LT was once the king of the Santa Cruz big bad bike squad the Megatower looks to take it a step further with 29-inch ...

There is just something about a hardtail, it’s like that old ax hanging in the garage that your grandfather handed down to you. You know no matter how big the job or how long the ride it’s going to get it done. We here at Dirt Rag are exceptionally excited to see the revamp of the Santa ...

Time to get stoked for the next season of downhill. Santa Cruz has just released the latest version of their V10 model and the new Reserve wheels for DH.  The latest version was a project two years in the making, the newest V10 has arrived—but wait, there are two! As Santa Cruz developed the 29er race ...

Editor’s note: This review originally appeared in issue 206 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now at dirtragmag.com/subscribe to catch issue 208, coming real soon.  Name: Eric McKeegan Age: 44 Weight: 165 lbs. Height: 5’ 11” Inseam: 32” Price: $6,799, $7,999 with carbon wheels Sizes: XS, S, M, L, (tested) XL Online: ...

We loaded the van a few weeks ago, and headed down to Brevard, NC to meet up with a couple of blokes from Santa Cruz and ride a pair of new bikes, the Bronson and 5010. The Bike Farm was our base camp and guide, with support from the Hub bike shop. We rode in the ...

While at Santa Cruz headquarters this spring for the company’s new Blur and Highball launch, a few attendees were offered a tour of the Santa Cruz factory led by Santa Cruz CEO Joe Graney. The company operates closer to a boutique brand than the powerhouse that it is. Unlike many large bike brands, Santa Cruz ...

Many mountain bike cross-country courses are becoming increasingly gnarlier, demanding a fine balance between trail capable and lightweight race sleds. The recent Stellenbosch World Cup course is a perfect example. Riders are often choosing full-suspension cross-country race rigs over their hardtails for increased control, power delivery and taking on all that chunk at mach speeds. ...

Ed. Note: The full version of this piece appears in Dirt Rag 202. Grab your copy today to read the full story and much more.  In some ways, it seems that plus tires have always been with us. It was the summer of 2012 when Surly released the Krampus and the Instigator, the first production ...

Santa Cruz launched its Reserve Carbon Wheels as an upgrade on the brand’s CC-level bikes back in June. As of this week, they are available for aftermarket purchase in 29 and 27.5 sizes. Danny MacAskill put the Reserve wheels to the test on the streets of Glasgow in this video: See more about the Santa ...

Tester: Zach White Age: 42 Weight: 200 lbs. Height: 6’ 2” Inseam: 32” As the name suggests, Santa Cruz’s Chameleon has historically been a frame that’s adapted to various riding styles quite well. Over the years, I’ve seen them built up as dirt jumpers, singlespeed trail bikes, freeride hardtails, townies, and even straightforward trail bikes ...