![]() ![]() Not just some token ‘We’ve fudged a flap into the down tube just because Specialized did, but good luck actually getting anything in there and out again.’ There’s a really generous amount of room inside the frame for proper sized inner tubes and pumps etc. The zipped and pocketed Tool and Tube purses that organise your spares are boutique quality and sweetly detailed. However, my jaded anticappointment quickly switched to unexpected levels of justification and addiction.Įven before I get onto the ride, the clean ‘clunk’ and ‘click’ of the flip-over latch on Santa Cruz’s ‘Glovebox’ hatch feels indulgently well engineered like no other I’ve used. In other words, while you should never pre-prejudice a review, I rolled into this one thinking "meh, I'm out". Then there's spec niggles like the under-spec shifter, the EXO carcass rear tire and the fact that Canyon, Specialized and others are making brilliant same category bikes for half the price. ![]() I came into this test looking at the fact that the V3 costs £1000 more (and weighs 660g more) than the still available and excellent Hightower V2. I’m obviously going to go into detail about the ride specifics and how the Hightower achieves it’s vibe but one thing needs making clear straight away. ![]() The EXO carcass rear tire is a potential weak link in a hard riding spec but it boosts responsiveness (Image credit: GuyKesTV) Performance At £9599 the fact that Santa Cruz has sneaked in a GX AXS trigger shift rather than going full X01 is a potential “really?”, eyebrow raise and sigh-provoker too, even if it’s functionally identical. On a bike where so much care has otherwise been spent on minimising/simplifying maintenance and increasing longevity/reliability, the hydraulically operated RockShox Reverb post might feel like the person nobody invited to the party. The choice of lightweight EXO rather than at least EXO+ carcass for the Maxxis DHR rear tire is a constant nerve jangler on pointier trails, though, while the MaxxGrip compound up front is no friend of easy rolling speed. While the HD (Heavy Duty) version of the Reserve rims might seem overkill, they’re only 100g heavier a set than the SL wheels. And you do get the cheaper 1/1 Industry Nine hubs with their rapid 4º engagement, rather than the Hydra hubs with their essentially instant 0.5º engagement. You also get Santa Cruz’s lifetime warrantied Reserve HD30 carbon rims (which you won’t get as standard on any other bike) along with the impossible-to-describe-how-good-they-are Filmore valves as standard. That includes SRAM X01 gears and crank, Fox Factory 36 fork and SRAM Code RSC brakes on a carbon bar with Burgtec stem. On some brands that price would get you close to the spec of the bike I tested. Santa Cruz now fit their game-changing Filmore valves as standard on Reserve wheel bikes (Image credit: GuyKesTV) Specificationsįull bike pricing starts at £5399 which only gets you the Carbon C frame with SRAM NX, Base model Lyrik and Fox Float inline shock. The only slight outlier on static geometry is the relatively high 345mm BB height, but more sag from the new shock curve makes that a non-issue on the trail. Effective chain stay length grows by 3mm on every size from small to XXL (it’s 437/438mm on a large) too. The 76.6º/ 76.9º seat angle is only 0.1º steeper, though, and the 475/472mm reach on the large is only 2mm longer. With a head tube angle of 64.5º or 64.8º depending on the position of the lower linkage chip it’s also 0.5º slacker than the previous bike. It’s superbly engineered, too, with a proper locking clip and really satisfyingly snug, gasket sealed fit. After the latest Megatower got a ‘Glovebox’ internal storage feature it’s no surprise that there’s a down tube door on the new Hightower either. Even the Hightower Glovebox hatch is the best engineered we've used (Image credit: GuyKesTV) Design and geometryĪpart from the racing extremes of the V10 and the Blur, all Santa Cruz full suspension bikes basically look the same, and the new Hightower is no different. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |