I just opened the newest Dirt Rag Magazine and on the second or third page it has a new Santa Cruz ad. "And now for something completely different" "April 1st 2013." Does anyone know what this is referring to? i have an order in for a TBLTc, but if something new is coming out... Maybe a 650b?
Yes, I have ridden 29ers. I could not perceive any advantage in rolling ability. I could perceive a disadvantage in weight and agility. I'm not alone here.
For 650B, I would bet that if you took some 26" and some 650B, stripped off decals and painted over the tires, and disallowed test riders to inspect them closely, people would be unable to reliably detect which bikes were which. 5% diameter is hardly a factor.
I have had an order in for the TBLTc for over a month. I guess the silver lining is, I will see the new bike on April 1, before the TBLTc ever gets here!!!
So dustman, or anyone else with an opinion, I have one more question. I'm about to order a tall boy ltc. Debating between xtr with three up front, two up front, or the SRAM with xx1. Ride around ma but will do west trips. Older, fatter and slower than I was years ago so slightly afraid the xx1 will beat the crap out of me when I have to do several thousand feet of climbing on west trips... Suggestions?
On the great rock facebook page there is a on one prototype compatible with à 160 MM. fork Maybe 160 29er fork are in the pipeline.
A LLTc Tallboy would be great!
I've been bugging SC over the past couple years for a VP Free type replacement to fill the void between the Nomad and V10. Their response has repeatedly been that the Freeride segment has seen decreasing demand...
"No new freeride oriented models to announce at this time, sorry!"
This is too bad, I was hopeful that they would make a carbon 7" to 8" travel frame in carbon, like say a Nomad LTc. I hope that's what we will see in April.
As for the picture, unless there is a higher res image then the one attached, I think it is pretty hard to tell what the wheel size is. Due to the full-face helmet, my guess is that it is not likely to be a 29er. Despite the claims from 9er weenies, the big wheels are not well suited for fast DH/enduro riding. See the comparison test on PB: Opinion: 26 vs 27.5 vs 29-inch Wheels - Pinkbike
Perhaps 650b may fit the bill, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for my Nomad LTc
^^ Good link, hadn't seen it. And if I may quote a small piece:
Ultimately, the differences between the wheel sizes were more or less what you would expect. The 29-inch bike could barrel through sections wide-open, but it was harder to carry speed through tight corners. 26-inch wheels tended to lose speed more readily, but you could play with the bike more easily. It's here I take issue with 27.5-inch wheels. The traditional logic states that they roll-over things better than a 26-inch bike, but handle more nimbly than a 29-inch bike. However, if you flip that logic on its head, they don't roll-through as well as a 29er and don't handle as well as a 26-inch wheeled bike. For me, at least, 26-inch bikes are the most fun to play with and, at the end of the day, that's what mountain biking is supposed to be about. If you start looking at the new generation of fast-handling 29-inch bikes coming through, like the Specialized Stumpjumper 29er, the Santa Cruz Tallboy or the Orange Five 29, the inevitable question for me is "What's the point of 27.5?" The sacrifices for running a bigger wheel size are becoming fewer, so why lose that extra roll-over? The in-between size starts to look like an unnecessary compromise.
While I would be interested in a 650b/27.5 Santa Cruz, now that I have my TBLTc the only thing that would improve it for me would be a carbon wheel set. The carbon wheel set would still be cheaper than selling and buying a new bike
While I would be interested in a 650b/27.5 Santa Cruz, now that I have my TBLTc the only thing that would improve it for me would be a carbon wheel set. The carbon wheel set would still be cheaper than selling and buying a new bike
People: let's stop the bickering over which wheel size is better, and get back on track by engaging in all sorts of crazy pointless e-speculation about what this new bike will be.
150mm travel 29er FS, like a Niner WFO. lower link clearance will be an issue, just like the Niner, but people want more travel and SC has the engineering and technology to serve it up.
Did anyone notice that the rider is a girl? SHE's riding either a 26" or 27.5" but def not a 29" And since they are sponsoring the ENDURO, good bet it's an Enduro bike...Maybe a new Blur LTc 27.5 or a Nomad, or something completely new. I'd love a Blur LTc 27.5" In the market for a new bike and have rode the Tallboys and Tb LT's and loved them but think I want a little more fun and agile than pure speed.
Spoke too soon, wrong pic...this one is what I was looking at..
Still the rest I'm sticking with...Enduro, BLT 27.5 or Nomad is my guess. Either way, I'm probably holding out til then to replace my beloved 10y.o Superlight.
I'm expecting VPP3 on a bike that is similar to the Nomad in a lot of ways, but maybe with 150 travel, a little lighter, a little slacker up front, and a little less slack at the ST. TRc on steroids. I'm not bothered if it's 650, but I would like to see a slight tweaking of the VPP on such a bike in the 150-170 range - something a bit closer to VPP1. I suppose this would be VPP1.5, and not VPP3.
Everyone keeps speculating on a new full suspension design, but what if it isn't? Hardtail 29ers with more "trail" or "all mountain" geometry are beginning to pop up. Bikes like the Diamondback Mason and Trek Stache are changing it up with slacker angles and beefy components. With Santa Cruz's success in the 29er market, it would be a winner.
With all the hype they're creating, it better be good!
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