Santa Cruz bikes: latest reviews, news and buying advice
What happens when a legendary skateboard pioneer takes up mountain biking? The answer: Santa Cruz Bicycles. Founded by skateboarders Rob Roskopp and Rich Novak in 1993, the company focuses on producing high-end full suspension mountain bikes.
The company's first production bike was the Tazmon, a single pivot dual suspension model with three inches of travel. In 1999 the company purchased the rights to Outland's VPP (virtual pivot point) suspension design. This suspension design has become a hallmark of the company's bicycles and has been adapted for use on everything from cross-country to downhill bikes.
If you’re considering buyi a Santa Cruz bike, this is where you’ll find all the latest reviews and buying advice.
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Santa Cruz bikes
Santa Cruz has spent nearly three decades perfecting their range of mountain bikes, so you can be sure that not only is the lineup vast enough to suit most needs, it’ll be of excellent quality as well. In terms of budget, they’re certainly at the higher end of the spectrum, but they deliver serious bikes as a result.
Santa Cruz 2019 mountain bikes
Trail-riders have a plethora of choice. From the confidence-inspiring 29er Hightower to the Nomad with 170mm front and rear travel, the ‘skeleton key’ Bronson that will unlock many an unfamiliar trail, to Danny MacAskill’s bike of choice, the 5010.
If you’re more XC-focused, the Blur is Santa Cruz’s ride-fast-ride-far offering, with 100mm front and rear travel and a frame weighing just over 2kg. Undecided between XC and trail bikes? The Tallboy gives the best of both worlds, pairing a short-travel chassis with 29er wheels.
If Enduro is more your thing, the Hightower LT was born to meet the demands of the Santa Cruz Enduro World Series race team, and is designed for maximum speed on big terrain. Want to go one step further? The V10 is a downhiller’s dream, with 216mm travel, it eats up whatever obstacles you throw at it.
Not ready for all this yet? No worries. Santa Cruz has two hardtail bikes on offer as well. The Highball is its flagship carbon hardtail XC machine, while the Chameleon is as versatile as its name implies. Whether you want 29in wheels or 27.5, geared or single-speed, aggro trail charger or bikepacking mule, it will be whatever you want it to be.
More Santa Cruz 2019 bikes
While Santa Cruz are predominately all about mountain bikes, they do have one carbon drop-bar bike in their lineup: the Stigmata. It’s an all-road carbon CX and gravel bike that’s super versatile. Want to go on an adventure and get a bit muddy? It’ll take up to 41mm wide tyres and features hydraulic disc brakes for superior stopping power. Putting in some base miles over the winter? Throw on some skinny tyres and it’ll still handle nicely.
Where can you buy Santa Cruz bikes?
Santa Cruz bikes are sold through dealers all over the world, so you’re sure to be able to pick one up through a bike shop near you. Use the website to find your local dealer.
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