The BEST All Around MTB: Santa Cruz Tallboy
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ย. 2022
- One mountain bike to rule them all! Is that a possibility? Is my Santa Cruz Tallboy CC Reserve the true "quiver killer"? Come out and ride with me in Las Vegas where we'll see how many Mtb Categories the Tallboy can fit: XC, Down Country, Trail, All Mountain, Enduro, DH, and even Bike Park!
What's your "quiver killer" mountain bike? Please Comment Below! - บันเทิง
I just bought my 2023 Tallboy C set up with Code brakes and a XT drive train. I’m pretty excited about it! Presently, I am not a very strong descender (I’m a converted roadie) but the Tallboy is going to help me get there. So far this bike is way more capable than I am.
Thanks for commenting Kyle! You’ll love it. Such a fun and capable all around bike. You’ll start craving the trails and completely forget about road riding soon! H ha. Cheers!
Same here. Between my carbon gravel bike, my sport bike motorcycle and my MTB it’s hard to miss pure road riding.
Maybe if I did more roadie rides, but these days I associate more with mixed riding.
Nice touch with that FOX36. I agree that many of the newer 120 rear travel offerings from Yeti,Ibis,Pivot,Transition,Evil and of SC and great options that can be better at the DH than expected. Probably makes it possible to ride most anywhere. Yes I liked and subbed
Yes, it’s crazy how far along the upgrades in suspension and geo make the “xc” bikes. Can basically ride them anywhere now. Just don’t need 150+ travel anymore. Sure, maybe if you drop 7 footers on the daily, but for 95% of riders, these super bikes do it all! Thx for liking and subscribing Ride4life! 💯😄
I have a 20' CC XO1 and absolutely love the bike. It is so well rounded, forgiving, efficient on technical climbs, and very burly. Small to medium size bump sensitivity is amazing. It has beautiful lines and is just a blast to thrash and work in the turns. If I had any negative characteristics to think of in this bike, I would have to say it's weight is waaay too heavy for a short travel XC bike and I just wish it had a little quicker geometry. Otherwise, it is the best all around mtn. bike in my opinion. Plus, I can personally attest to the fact that Santa Cruz's warranty and customer service is second to none. I also got to visit their factory showroom in Santa Cruz this past March and loved it. Great company and great bikes!
Agreed on all accounts Gregory! I too wish it was a bit lighter given it’s category and/or a little more rear suspension. I’m actually considering buying the cascade link to up susp from 120 to 128. But we’ll see! Overall, love love love my SC Tallboy. Thx for commenting and get out there and shred!
I put a cascade link and SDU in the back of my TB4 and it transformed the bike. Made it better in every aspect IMO.
I would agree on a lot here with you. I’ve had the same model Tallboy an regret selling it. I took that bike with stock suspension in some proper enduro trails and it handled it all very well. I also feel like a Hightower is very close. It pedals very well and takes a beating without blinking. At the moment I have a 2022 Bronson Mx, while it’s not as agile going up it compensates going down.
I guess can’t have it all in one bike haha. Either way, I would definitely have a Tallboy as an only bike if I had to choose on one bike, slap a cascade link, fox DPX2 shock and 140 36 fox fork and you have yourself a true all arounder. Cheers.
Perfectly said Outdoor Traditions! Couldn’t agree more!
Just got the 2022 tallboy cc frame can't wait to put it together
I have this bike in army green, and I love it. I do everything on this bike, I ride on the streets/paths, xc trails, and mountain trails around Phx/Sedona, AZ, and I have never been disappointed. My biking pal owns a Pivot SwitchBlade, aside from the TallBoy, and all VPP link Santa Cruz's being the best looking bike on the market, its much whippier and more fun than the Pivot.
Hi Anh I! Thx for subscribing and for your comments. Couldn’t agree more! I’ve often been drawn to the Switchblade but kept thinking it may just be a little too much for what (and how) I ride. Cheers!
I have both a 2023 Pivot Trail 429 (trail version) and a 2023 Tallboy V5, both are amazing bikes. I would say that the 429 has an edge on the Tallboy in climbing while the Tallboy has a slight edge on the downhill. Pivot does offer the 429 in an enduro version (Fox 36 / 140mm) that would probably compare to your build. I too am planning to upgrade my Tallboy to a Fox 36 140mm and cascade component link to make it essentially a “Highboy.”
I think you're exactly right. If you want the best bike for one aspect of MTN biking, the Tallboy isn't for you. If you want to have one really nice bike that you take care of and use for everything, it's one of the best choices. Personally, I'd rather have one 9k bike than two 4.5k bikes. I like not having to choose which will be better for the trail I'll ride that day, and not having to pick which to bring on trips.
This is coming from someone with 7 snowboards, but those take up a lot less room in a truck!
Ha ha. Love it! Couldn’t agree more. 7 snowboards, eh? How do you choose from that many?!? 🤷🏼♂️🤔🤗
Love the Burbs maybe I'll see you out there.
It's a great place to shred! Just requires more lung capacity vs Bear's or SW ridge. What's your sled Scot?
Glad you mentioned the Yeti... I was going to ask how it compared. Have you tested the Norco? It comes up a lot.
Norco’s are solid mtb! If you’re talking best all around Norco, I’d pick the Optic. 140 fork, 125 suspension and 65 HTA. Shimano XT build for $5,600 USD. Very solid components, suspension and geometry!
Best bike was definitely my 75$ Huffy with no suspension that almost made me quit 🤪. That and the Specialized full suspension that catapulted you when the going got rough. With that spring behind the saddle. That bike was great 😮
Owning a sub $100 Huffy has always been my dream. I’ll try to live vicariously through you Victor! Thx for sharing! 😄😜
@@pedalpoonces I went from that to the Specialized that almost killed me. Yet somehow I stuck with it 🤪.
I have a 22' Tallboy C S and it's such a fun ride. It feels like it has much more suspension than it really does.
Agreed!! Even without the upgraded fork, it’s got loads of suspension. Thx for commenting!
Just replaced my Tallboy 2021 with the Tallboy 2023. I Got a good deal. Agree 100%. The Tallboy is the best all-around bike I've ridden.
Noice!!! Notice a better ride with the 23 over the 21 yet? Thx for stopping by Santi! 😄
@@pedalpoonces Unfortunately, not yet; still too much snow here in Colorado.
@@Smino69 Ah right! Well, let us know what you think once you shred the new TB!
@@pedalpoonces Sure will. Great channel man! congrats!!
I have a Tallboy, upgraded to a 36 140 fork. I didn’t ride a lot of bikes, but it is my favorite so far.
Thx for sharing Jiabin. Just curious, why did you upgrade to the larger fork? I actually bought mine with it (previous owner upgraded the fork and a few other things) and love it!
@@pedalpoonces I bought the bike and later started to ride steep / rocky trail? I could sell it and buy a more capable bike. But I have a bike so why not make it more burly, I ended up upgraded the fork and shock ( with a cascade link as well). The tallboy is now capable AF and handle all the terrain I ride. Mode importantly I enjoyed riding up uphill
@@jiabinlan9113 Nice! Yes, I thought about doing the cascade link too just to give it a bit more on the back end. Did that move it from 120 mm to 130 mm? Cheers! 😀
@@pedalpoonces yes it increased the progression and added travel to 128mm.
Interesting.. I had a Hightower CC for a few years and that to me was an awesome all-around bike, but I did always want to check out the Tallboy. I know that's the bike B1ker rides a lot and he loves it. I ended up selling the Hightower so I could get a Megatower and then a Ripley. The Ripley is indeed a fantastic climber and general trail bike. I ride it a lot in Sedona where it really shines but it's also able to handle some enduro trails without much issue. I should check out a Tallboy though!
Thanks AZMTB for sharing your thoughts! I've always been fond of the Hightower too. Almost bought it when I was upgrading from my 27.5 Altitude but I couldn't find a decent deal on one (Hightower). Ended up finding a virtually perfect "used" Yeti SB150 on The Pro's Closet. Loved that bike too (for B.C. riding) but then we moved to Las Vegas and found the Yeti was just too much bike for 95% of the trails here. So I found a slightly customized V4 Tallboy CC on pinkbike and have been in love ever since. But! Exciting news...I have just finished adding another component to the Tallboy that may just make it an even better "all-arounder"! That vid coming soon! Cheers!
27 years on MTBs. Ive owned and ridden countless bikes. Had a V3 Tallboy a few years ago. Great bike but gets overwhelmed on harder trails. Got a V4 Tallboy 2.5 years ago and I agree its the best all around bike Ive ever owned. A little heavy but way more capable and fat on hard trails.
Bingo! Paul Muad! And I hear the V5 is even a tiny bit better than the 4! I’m in no hurry to sell my V4, but is a compelling argument to “upgrade” to new version at some point. For now..I’ll continue to love my TB! Thx for commenting!
Had a 2020 Tallboy CC. The 2023 Norco Optic is a better buy and performs just as good for thousands less (have a C1 build). But, the new 2023 Tallboy with the in frame storage and revised kinematics may make it a wash. Either way, awesome review!
Going Canadian are ya? Norco Optic is a very solid choice. Specs on that C1 are top notch and geo is bang on for a super magnifco all around’r. Curious, what’s the weight on that bad boy?
They have AL Tallboys. I’m about to buy one in Fox 34 myself.
I have a V1 Megatower no thats a brilliant bike UP AND DOWN , I bought a v4 Tallboy which left my mega garaged for 6 months unit it was warrantied and SC replace the v4 with a v5 cc . Im now so close to selling my Megatower . The v5 is like an ebike up without the motor and way more capable than me down !
Interesting! Now, just curious, why the jump between Mega and TB? Why not split the difference with a Hightower? I mean, all 3 bikes are brilliant in their own ways/categories..just piqued my curiosity! Thx for commenting Steve!
@@pedalpoonces Ive has the v1 mega since it first came to light 4 years ago , i was blown away with the fact its a do anything bike I have done some 50 milers on it and heavy bike park in the Alps . i always had a 2nd bike in a hardtail and thought why not get a more xc type full sus bike . the tallboy was that one , first world problem simply which to ride more .
Groovy Tuesday answer Steve! Great points! Also - a little jelly of you... : )
All about the skill set of the rider 😃 also it's ebike money 🤑
True...but...it can be tough to improve that rider skill set if they begin to ride above the ability of the bike. Once you get to a certain level (advanced or above), yes, the bike means less...but there's a fine balance where it's hard to improve if you're riding on a not so good bike. The best part, is nowadays, if you can afford a $3k+ bike, that bike will likely serve you very well (look at the Ripley AF or Ripmo AF - they're sub $3,500 bikes). The choices are almost endless! As for ebike money...ha ha - yes my Tallboy build is in that lower ebike money spot but it doesn't climb like an ebike! ha ha.
I recently demo'd a pivot switchblade. I found it pedaled as well as my salsa spearfish xc bike and it was super plush in chunk and it was wildly poppy. Have you been on a switchblade? Hows thag compare for you?
Thx for the comment! I too found it rode almost like an XC or trail bike but definitely didn’t find it plush. I loved the “rides like an analog bike” feel but found it not stable enough on the chunk. I’d buy it all day long at half the $12k price though. Never rode a Switchblade but it’s been on my “eventual” bikes I’d love to ride and own. Cheers!
I ride a Megatower V2 as my all around bike but if i had money for a second bike wouldn't mind a Tallboy!!
Thanks for commenting and the sub MoreToys… ! Yes! The Mega is a beaut! Love that bike! It’s a little too much bike for most of the riding I do here in Vegas but up in B.C. where I’m from, I would ride it all day long! In fact I have several friends up north that only ride the Megatower. Cheers!
@@pedalpoonces No problem, it's probably more than I need but like I said could only have one bike .Definitely have to try BC at some point. Either way I don't regret it as most of my riding is bike park and it's great there ! Cheers
I'll take the Spur, for tamer trails or sb130 LR for rougher stuff
Both are RAD bikes. I’d love having those 2 in my stable. But since I only have 1, I’ll stick with my slightly customized Tallboy. Thx for sharing!!
I’ll have my Spur over this bike for my needs it’s a lot lighter to, probably the best bike I have ever ridden for that do it all versatile bike. Just does everything extremely well…
I've heard nothing but GREAT things about the Spur. Been wanting to get my hands on trying/reviewing one but they are hard to come by! That's a solid choice!
@@pedalpoonces I bought this bike to replace my two ageing 26in bikes, one a light weight cross country hardtail and the other a fairly heavy mid travel full suss trail bike and as the price of bikes is now just getting ridiculous. I decided to go back to owning just the one. The Spur continues to surprise me of it’s ride quality and at how fast it is in all situations, it’s all day ride comfort and it’s down hill capabilities. It actually out shines my previous bikes easily in all situations. I would definitely try and get one to try out as I feel this is the one bike I have been waiting for for many years and I am really pleased that these types bikes are now being produced and hope this trend continues…
This will be my next bike I think.
You will not be disappointed! Unless you are looking for an ultra lightweight XC machine or a heavy duty enduro bike meant for smashing gnar! Great bike. Thx for commenting and subscribing!
I didn't know Kurt Russell was into MTB
my Ripmo v2 saved my life in Nam and does my taxes. just sayin'
ha ha ha - now THAT is a true all around mtb! Thankfully, so far anyways, I've yet to need my Tallboy to take a bullet for me...time will tell!
I just bought a 2023 Ripley X01 and now having buyer's remorse because I should have gone with the Tallboy v4 or v5.
Sir Vince - are you having remorse bc of my stellar video explaining how awesome my TB is? Or, bc you’ve ridden the Ripley and are a little disappointed in its riding? Ripley is supposed to be a great ride, especially climbing. Thx for stopping by!
@@pedalpoonces You review just reminded me that I should have looked a little deeper into the TB before pulling the trigger. I'm 220-lbs kitted up and definitely feel some flex under me. I've been a SC fanboy for a number of years and for some reason I allowed the 20% discount blur my vision.
@@sirvince7853 Well, on all accounts, the Ripley is a great ride. If you find it being a little too “sketchy” on the dh, look into beefing up the fork. That can help a lot of things. Good luck!
best all around bike is Trek top fuel and Santa Cruz blur
Both of those are great bikes. But, a little too steep of head tube angles and less suspension than I like for all around mtb. 66 on Top Fuel with 120/120 and 67 on Blur with 120/115 suspension. That’s a little too xc for me! But, I wouldn’t toss them aside if I had either! Cheers.
@@pedalpoonces my personal pic is Trak slash.
I’ll take two please
Ha ha. You already have 12 bikes, don’t you?!?
The X01 $10k build weighs 29lbs. It’s a small trail bike, nothing XC about it.
True, it is a bit heavy. But, with only 120 rear suspension, it is truly right on the edge of xc and down country. And, I wouldn’t want a full on xc bike anyways. Not for what I ride. But it sure is nice to handle gnarly Black Diamond techy trails and easy flowing xc trails. Thx for stopping by!
@@pedalpoonces Its not close to XC with that weight and geo that’s all. Great looking bike
The best bike is the one on your garage
Couldn’t agree more! Thanks for stopping by Diego!
I just step upon this video because I’m interest in an bike and I heard the price I was like what da F***.
Yes. Santa Cruz bikes are one of the most expensive brands out there. That being said, they are arguable one of the best brands out there. 🤷🏼♂️🥲😝
@@pedalpoonces good to know. Thanks
Everyone hates that they fear Santa Cruz
Hey Hunter! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Can you clarify what you mean by that? I'm not sure if that's a compliment to Santa Cruz or a diss or something in between! I often say, I'm daft. Help a bruh'ther out wouldya? : )
An 8k do it all with only 140mm budget shocks? Come on man.
Hmmm. A 36 Fox Factory with Grip 2 and in root beer is budget? The rear is 120 Fox factory dps. Which isn’t super high end, but again, hardly budget. I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on what makes a budget suspension set. Thx for stopping by! 😄
@@pedalpoonces Oh I must have heard the rear shock specs and rushed to judgment thinking it’s the fork. 🤦♂️
Revel Ranger.
I've heard great things about the Revel Ranger too! I'd still keep my TB over that, if for no other reason than the TB is a more confident-inspiring downhiller. But the Ranger would likely whoop me on the way up to the downhill! Cheers!
Great bike, but it’s not even the best Tallboy; 2023 V5 is better than the 2020-2022 V4.
Curious, what’s better about the V5? I haven’t researched nor ridden the V5. Cheers!
@@pedalpoonces, SC made several improvements to the geometry and suspension kinematics, changed the pivot hardware, added downtube storage, etc, etc. I loved both my V4s, but the V5 is noticeably improved.
far from the best. it have exposed cables on frame. crap designed frame, mate.
Interesting. You are the first person I’ve ever read say that: “crap designed frame”. I know many many many more that love the Tallboy for its all-round abilities. But, to each his own! Thx for commenting.
@@pedalpoonces not hard to see exposed cables next to shock. look how speceliezed done on enduro - hiden. for santa cruz its too hard to do.
What!!? Highly debatable! You can't go and customize a stock bike that wasn't meant to run a 36 which changes the geo and say it's the best all around MTB. You haven't ridden a Ripley, a Following or a Spur and come to this conclusion. Very subjective! Click bait!!!! 🤣Personally, I've ridden a Tallboy and thought it was crap.. so there you go.
Thanks for commenting Manny! Obviously, it's a highly debatable subject and many times I said "in my opinion". I'm also basing my opinion and what many other's have said (watch Pinkbike's take on the tallboy or Biker's Edge or even The Pro's Closet). They all comment on what a great bike the Tallboy is and almost exclusively beats the other bikes in its category on the descending side of riding yet still handles beautifully on the climbs. No matter how you look at it, there are a plethora of amazing bikes out there today. I just happen to have the best all around one. 😉😄