I mean it’s a nice bike but I feel like the bike should have gone more to the xc side cause people like the light race bikes that isn’t 100 100 like myself but I like that it’s more capable to be used it the more rough trails but it’s a all around good bike the price definitely went up when they put the new linkage in but that makes sense
@@cameronsmith1710 and not to mention the marathon scene is moving over to 110-120mm. if they can make an efficient pedaling 120mm xc race bike they'd be ahead of time for the marathon racing scene
BikeRadar accordin to SantaCruz webbsite on the FAQ section the biggest Tallboy in Aluminium is sadly XL, not XXL. Therefor it’s gone from my list. And compared to other brands you get better value for money. Base version uses SX Eagle as entry instead of NX Eagle. www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-US/tallboy
Got my TB4 in July and have been amazed at it's beautifully forgiving nature, incredible technical climbing prowess, and overall fun factor. I test rode a Pivot Trail 429 prior to this, which was a beautiful bike as well, and a bit more efficient pedaling bike than the Tallboy, but it was a bit skittish on the downhills and almost too stiff a frame. Every time I ride this bike, I'm amazed at how well poised and fun the bike it. Truly an awesome machine!
This bike is mighty intriguing to me, along with the Ripley. Not sure I understand some of the "SC ruined this bike" comments. It appears to slot in perfectly between the Blur and the HT. If someone wants more of a "capable" XC bike, then it seems like the Blur would be perfect, whereas this is intended to be pure Trail bike.
I’m trying to decide between a blur or tall boy. I mainly ride trail centres but fancy some xc and endurance racing next year. I don’t want to sacrifice competitiveness in the racing but likewise don’t want to not have fun when not racing. I already have a chameleon so maybe that stays and remains my fun bike.
That's because the entry level ones while still being expensive have componentry that is not that good and as a consequence the performance suffers. Santa Cruz bikes are ridiculously over priced, and no better that other brands especially for most riders that would not push the bike into the area where any differences may show. For this reason most people are better off to spend a whole lot less on an alternative brand.
Seems like a good bike for real natural terrain. My average outings are around 40/50 kms in the Pyrénées on very wild techy steep terrain. Proper day out with lots of pedalling up and gnarly descents. More travel is only good for real enduro racers or show offs who think 160 mm is the way to go and only use half of the travel !
I demoed it. It is awesome- a total mindf**k to conventional thinking in a good way. Will revolutionize how we think of short travel bikes. I am thinking of getting one to be the yin to my Bronson’s Yang.
Just rode this bike two days ago and loved it! The perfect geometry. The demo I used had the shock linkage in the low setting and the chainstay chip in the short wheelbase setting. Amazingly composed bike, not being too twitchy nor slow handling-it just felt right. A day before, I rode a Pivot Trail 429 which has a bit more responsive ride, which was twitchy at times. The Tallboy is not as efficient a peddler or climber as the Pivot, but wasn’t that bad either. Just a fun and stable bike, which had me smiling the whole ride. Still in between this bike and the 429, but I’m leaning towards the Tallboy because it’s just so much damn fun. After all, isn’t that why we ride?
I don't believe SC intent of the lower link was focused towards gravity but to address complaints of the old design. Old design received complaints of the rear suspension feeling firm off the top but then wallowed in the mid stroke. If you look at the leverage curve of the old designed vs new designed you will see they are quite the opposite of one another.
Ive had one of these for appx 9 months. I ride an XL. Its set up with a 140MM fork in high and long mode. I had a gen 3 before this. Its set low and as a 29er with 120mm fork. They are so different that I kept my gen 3 for more race orientated riding and the gen 4 for everything else. They are both insanely good bikes but the DNA is completely different now.
I rode with my TB4 twice and lined up for the 2021 Cape Epic - what a bike! That sounds like a silly thing to do. Maybe some background is needed. My weapon of choice before the TB4 was a TB1, bought in 2011. The only change to the 2011 set-up was a dropper post. The rest was all a decade-old technology: 2x10 groupset, 110mm travel fork, narrow rims, non-boost, and a relatively long stem. For 10 years the TB1 did an amazing job to keep my 110kg, 6'7" frame pedaling up and bombing down any terrain (the TRP brakes from 2011 still can't be bettered!). Santa Cruz replaced the pivots on the rear triangle, for free - twice. It is fair to say that I was sold on the TB a long time ago. Unfortunately, XXL frames never find their way into the test fleet of any brand - that is if there is an XXL in the lineup to start with. When I heard that there was an XXL frame available, I ordered it immediately and built the rest with the newest components available today, including the Reserve wheels. What I do not like about the bike: pedal strikes, even in the higher setting. I had to put 30 bar more pressure into the rear shock to lessen the issue (still prevalent) and adjust my riding style. In muddy conditions, the rear shock gets plastered with mud, even with the small mudguard in place. Why not design the frame for a full mudguard to fit in front of the back wheel to stop mud from falling onto the shock and drive train? What did I not expect? The way it climbs - in open mode! What do I like about the bike? Lifetime warranty - enough said. Room for big tires. The geometry strikes an amazing balance - the TB4 is a bike that climbs well AND is a monster going down. I do not get any pedal response in open mode. After >40 hours in the saddle over 8 days, I did not have any pressure points/fatigue on my hands, bum, neck or feet. I enjoyed the TB4 right out of the blocks and never looked back. The Cape Epic took us over very rough terrain, climbing >15,000 meters in 600km over 7 days plus a prologue. I replaced a bent chain (bad driving...) and a set of front brake pads - that's it. The Reseves was a revelation - I took the tire pressure down every day until I standardized on 20 psi back and 22 psi front. The ride quality of these soft tires was sublime. The TB4 really is "the downhillers XC bike!"
As someone who loves bombing up to bomb down, I definitely loathe the current industry and cultural push towards descending optimization with varying sacrifices in climbing. I know that I can slay my local trauls with an xc bike no problem, but there are destinations that really need more than xc only can give.
The bike journo industry is party of the problem. All they tell you is "put a bigger fork on it. Make it a more capable descender." They can't seem to comprehend that bikes with very slack head angles are pigs on tight technical climbs.
Marek Zmazur Totally agree with you! The TB3 was the perfect Swiss Army bike. I like flying up climbs as much as going down them and I’ve never had anyone stay on my wheel on descents no matter how much travel they had.
I'm surprised to see them go in this direction regarding shock placement with almost every bike in the lineup. My 2019 5010 is the only exception now and it's a hell of a bike after having increased the fork travel to 140mm. I can do XC, Trail, and even park (as long as I avoid super rocky tech). I'd be curious to test one of these out to see how they compare.
Yeah very true but there is a weight penalty. Depends on the trails you ride. My only complaints are that the Tallboy is too heavy by over two pounds and trying to reach the rear shock compression setting lever, is a long reach
I believe the more linear action of a coil best represents the smooth and natural feel of this style suspension. I own a megatower and have an x2 air and a coil for it. Coil on descents only is a a sled on snow. Garbage peddling though. With an air shock It feels closer to a normal bike but it’s needs a lot of low speed rebound and it still feels like an Schoenfeld just not as bad. Fun bike park bike in this setup. I could see having fun with a shorter travel version, more compact and lighter weight. I imagine it will still wallow somewhat when pedal mashing but also will probably be super safe and grippy. I’m seriously considering selling my mega to get this bike but I am worried about only 120 in the back as I do jump a bit. I’d consider the Hightower but same geo and similar weight as mega and just less travel.
I'm been watching reviews on this one. I think it feels the gap between blur and megatower. Just like specialized offers stumpjumper ST , trek have few options too. New top fuel and fuel EX. For how I ride and where I think is perfect for me. Closer thing to a do it all bike. And I think thats the purpose of these XC/ Trail capable bikes.
Great reviews & films man - I used to have a Santa Cruz Bullit a good few years back! - watched your review of the SC 5010 - am moving soon - & looking at places in in the Surrey Hills - the 5010 looks pretty cool
I like the fact that SC is making a XC bike that is more gravity focused.i was hoping that they would update to a 157mm drop out spacing for more stiffness and stability in both rear triangle and wheels. In 2020 I don’t see the need for i27mm rims since i30 with2.6” tires seem to be the standard. Just my thoughts
Thank you, that was A great review! I can mark this one off my list.. aggressive geo with short travel that wallows a bit.. Seems like a confused bike..
Michael Utley Not at all ! It’s the perfect trail geometry! It’s just heavy but does not feel that way when riding. I keep thinking about riding this bike more than the Pivot Trail 429 I’m comparing it too
I like the extra travel. Shock placement is horrible for this type of bike. Trying to work with that shock looks like an annoying experience. Its also gonna see tons if dust and dirt, thus requiring more maintenance.
I thought they would go after the new Ripley with the tallboy, instead they made a heavier, more aggressive trail bike. I think the Hightower already covers this area well, and now there is a gap in the lineup. The Blur is far on the xc side.
Just test ride one last week and loved it! Not as efficient as the Pivot Trail 429 in the pedaling dept. or as nervous handling in the rough stuff though. Much more forgiving and fun to ride though. The perfect geometry. Just not wild about a $7K bike having the frame made in China.
How's the longer reach and the slacker head angle in the turns? As someone who has shorter legs I wonder if a medium frame would be better suited for me with this bike.
Besides the fact that it was first introduced on the V10. What makes this lower link suspension DH oriented? It has 80mm less travel for heaven's sake.
Im in the market for a new bike im debating between the tallboy and trek fuel ex 8, i see the fuel ex has better components on the drive traing for the same price and im talking about the alloy edition on both bikes if it was you what would you choose based on your professional experience, please advise
Deciding between a Tallboy and a 5010. I live in the Wisconsin/Illinois area so I don’t ride anything like out west although I do go out there a few times a year. Anyone have any feedback or recommendations?
Looks like a fun bike for what it is but it is a disappointing replacement for the TB3. I was hoping to keep the TB3 XC attributes and add a 120 to the back. I think SC has left a big gap in the new 2020 lineup, i also feel Yeti did the same. :(
test rode it yesterday. i was surprised about the short reach, will want a longer stem on it. it wandered a bit up steep climbs, not sure it it was the head angle or short stem. i left it open the entire ride, didnt even consider firming it up. also surprised how heavy the bike is
Mike Rotchburns try sizing up. I’m just barely 6’1” and found myself absurdly comfortable on the XL’s from Santa Cruz. remember, new bikes have shorter seat tubes, steep seat angles, and short stems. all of which will confuse riders looking purely at the reach numbers.
Santa Cruz is stupid adding more travel to a bike that was insanely fun and capable as it was. If the goal of the tallboy is to be an XC/trail bike then 110/120 is perfect travel. If they just updated the geometry a little it would have been a near-perfect bike for what it is.
I think they were feeling that there was too much overlap w/ the Blur, and a significant void between 110 and 140. In my case personally, 110mm travel was the reason I DIDN'T get the new tallboy. I wanted slightly more travel and a geometry to match...I had an Intense Spider 29c but that was an absolute hog w/ the option to run 115 or 130. The Ripley LS hit the sweet spot, and filled the Santa Cruz void perfectly. Now they're right on target 100, 120, 140, 160. Can't wait to give one of these a ride!
Henry Oxburgh i think at the time Santa Cruz was planning on keeping all trail bikes with the upper link VVP, something which I think they’ve changed their mind on. I am betting the new 5010 update will have the lower link.
but yet its very different in the geo dep. for expample the seat tube lenght is ridiculous on the giant trance, the STA on giant is pretty slack as well 1 deggre HA does make a difference as well
tim tuckett thanks I found one for $2899 it would’ve been the same price as the 2020 version. Can’t wait to get it delivered I upgraded from a trek marlin 7
Sounds about right, had to bump the travel up to slot it better between the new Blur and the existing Hightower so it feels out of place bouncing between two purpose-built bikes. Seems like SC missed the mark on this model of the Tallboy. I'm sticking with my TB3.
I like my longer travel bikes and never been interested in this type but fuck me why do I want this so much idk it just seem so attracted to it, this has actually made me want a santa Cruz when previously I haven't they are just too expensive. I wanna try it and hope I hate it so I don't spend like 6k on a bike
Not in my opinion. Shorter travel bikes should err on the side of having better anti-squat/pedal bob and having a quicker geometry than trail bikes. Too many companies now, are trying to blur the lines between XC/Trail and Trail/Enduro. They should keep the geometries separate up to 130mm rear travel, then bend the geometries and rear linkage shock values more towards trail and Enduro. Sounds like Santa Cruz did what Pivot did, when they changed the beautiful geometry of old Mach 429 Trail into the new Trail 429. I rode both of those bikes and they ruined the Trail 429 with that “Low and Slack” geometry. Some of these short travel trail bikes are too heavy too!
I own a 2019 Tallboy CC. I think they should have LEFT IT ALONE! I’m dreading if the frame gets broken now! The bike climbs like a rocket and will blast through any nasty rocky terrain with ease! I really don’t care for bikes with a sub 68 degree head angle. That’s the sweet spot, especially if you have tight single track. Anyone who buys a $7k mountain bike should be a good rider or just has money to pi$$ away and doesn’t need more travel in a 29er. I live in middle TN and there’s no trail in Nashville or Chattanooga it doesn’t blast through. Two of the most technical are the ones I actually ride the most because they are closest to my house. I wish Santa Cruz would’ve left it alone and did this to the Hightower instead! So glad I got the TB3!
I ride in the Rocky Mountains where you have to be able to handle long steep technical climbs that are miles in length. There are lots of huge drops etc around but I'm not into riding the Downhill Designated Trails. The 2020 Tallboy CC was recommended to me by a few of my Riding Buddies. I'll let you know how it is in the Spring. All I've ever ridden was the 07 Reign I that I bought and learned to ride on last year. I did a 45 minute test of a Yeti last year and I was sold on Carbon Frames.
There is an additional low speed compression adjust knob that works in the "open" setting similar to the adjustment on a Factory or Performance Eite fork. You can see it at 5:20 -- it's the black dial with the numbered settings 1, 2, 3 below the rebound knob.
Rad bike but I’ll take more travel 8 days a week. I would bet that the Hightower climbs no worse than the Tallboy. Hard for any bike with a 76/77 degree seat angle to climb bad. Tallboy looks sweet but I prefer not knowing where my bikes limits are.
demoed both and tallboy was a MUCH better climber. i went in with my heart on the hightower now fully tall boy. climbed 85% as well as my true XC bike and ruins it on the downhills. Very suprised more eastcoasters dont like this bike
I have try this but for comparison i took Ibis Ripley v4 and it way better for me, suspension feel, goe everything is better than SC, they are nice bikes i had SC Hightower but now i went for ibis and yeti they really awsome bikes for my taste of riding which is more aggressive.
More than you of you consider that he makes a living off of what he's doing and he gets to ride almost any Bikes he wants just by asking the manufacturers to Test one. You on the other hand have to buy or rent any Bikes you ride and by the way how many different Bikes have you rode in the last year to make such a claim as you have? This guy has 658 thousand Subscribers to his site and you have "1", A TOTAL of ONE SUBSCRIBER to yours. Enough Said!
@@c-noclark8153 I've been racing and coaching XC long enough to be able to tell you that you will never see a tallboy at the start line of a competitive XC race. The blur is an XC bike, not the tallboy. If this bike reviewer doesn't know what criteria makes an XC bike he doesn't know what he's talking about.
Are you seriously saying the bike weights 66 pounds (30kg)!? That and your BMX comment clearly demonstrates that you do not in any way know what you are talking about.
Absolutely ruined the bike, no need for VPP on this type of bike... not only is this bike confused now, it’s no longer a blur between XC and trail. It’s the worst of both worlds.
Anyone mention the price yet? It's expensive!!!!!!! Super expensive!!! I'm very mad!!! People, Santa Cruz is expensive!! I'm very woke because I don't like expensive bikes!
Maybe not $500.00 but I sure as fuck can do it for 3k with better components. Another overpriced bike for people with too much money and not enough sense!😂
@@LuisManuelHdez Exactly right brother!!! I am so angry!! Literally stone anyone, who is a able to spend a premium for a hobby they like, because somehow that affects me!
Have Santa Cruz got it right with their new Tallboy? Let us know in the comments.
The 5010 seems to descend pretty well without the lower link suspension design
I mean it’s a nice bike but I feel like the bike should have gone more to the xc side cause people like the light race bikes that isn’t 100 100 like myself but I like that it’s more capable to be used it the more rough trails but it’s a all around good bike the price definitely went up when they put the new linkage in but that makes sense
@@cameronsmith1710 and not to mention the marathon scene is moving over to 110-120mm. if they can make an efficient pedaling 120mm xc race bike they'd be ahead of time for the marathon racing scene
everything nice till 4:34...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$anta Cruze... =(
BikeRadar accordin to SantaCruz webbsite on the FAQ section the biggest Tallboy in Aluminium is sadly XL, not XXL.
Therefor it’s gone from my list.
And compared to other brands you get better value for money. Base version uses SX Eagle as entry instead of NX Eagle.
www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-US/tallboy
Got my TB4 in July and have been amazed at it's beautifully forgiving nature, incredible technical climbing prowess, and overall fun factor. I test rode a Pivot Trail 429 prior to this, which was a beautiful bike as well, and a bit more efficient pedaling bike than the Tallboy, but it was a bit skittish on the downhills and almost too stiff a frame. Every time I ride this bike, I'm amazed at how well poised and fun the bike it. Truly an awesome machine!
This bike is mighty intriguing to me, along with the Ripley. Not sure I understand some of the "SC ruined this bike" comments. It appears to slot in perfectly between the Blur and the HT. If someone wants more of a "capable" XC bike, then it seems like the Blur would be perfect, whereas this is intended to be pure Trail bike.
27.5 29
Nomad. Mega tower (Enduro)
Bronson. Hightower. (Trail/all mtn)
5010. (Everything)
Tallboy. (Trail/xc)
Blur. (XC)
the 5010 is like the same as the new tallboy just with different wheel size
Thanks for the useful summary.👍🏻 For me, the new Tallboy would be too trail/DH for XC, but opinions vary.
I’m trying to decide between a blur or tall boy. I mainly ride trail centres but fancy some xc and endurance racing next year. I don’t want to sacrifice competitiveness in the racing but likewise don’t want to not have fun when not racing. I already have a chameleon so maybe that stays and remains my fun bike.
@@alexroberts6619 Are you telling me 10 mm makes that big of a difference ?
I hate how every bike channel always reviews the top tier model of a bike... Of course an $8,200 bike is going to be amazing...
That's because the entry level ones while still being expensive have componentry that is not that good and as a consequence the performance suffers. Santa Cruz bikes are ridiculously over priced, and no better that other brands especially for most riders that would not push the bike into the area where any differences may show. For this reason most people are better off to spend a whole lot less on an alternative brand.
Seems like a good bike for real natural terrain. My average outings are around 40/50 kms in the Pyrénées on very wild techy steep terrain. Proper day out with lots of pedalling up and gnarly descents. More travel is only good for real enduro racers or show offs who think 160 mm is the way to go and only use half of the travel !
I demoed it. It is awesome- a total mindf**k to conventional thinking in a good way. Will revolutionize how we think of short travel bikes. I am thinking of getting one to be the yin to my Bronson’s Yang.
Just rode this bike two days ago and loved it! The perfect geometry. The demo I used had the shock linkage in the low setting and the chainstay chip in the short wheelbase setting. Amazingly composed bike, not being too twitchy nor slow handling-it just felt right. A day before, I rode a Pivot Trail 429 which has a bit more responsive ride, which was twitchy at times. The Tallboy is not as efficient a peddler or climber as the Pivot, but wasn’t that bad either. Just a fun and stable bike, which had me smiling the whole ride. Still in between this bike and the 429, but I’m leaning towards the Tallboy because it’s just so much damn fun. After all, isn’t that why we ride?
I don't believe SC intent of the lower link was focused towards gravity but to address complaints of the old design. Old design received complaints of the rear suspension feeling firm off the top but then wallowed in the mid stroke. If you look at the leverage curve of the old designed vs new designed you will see they are quite the opposite of one another.
Love this bike. Super fun, agile and stable decending.... Good at all things.
Ive had one of these for appx 9 months. I ride an XL. Its set up with a 140MM fork in high and long mode. I had a gen 3 before this. Its set low and as a 29er with 120mm fork. They are so different that I kept my gen 3 for more race orientated riding and the gen 4 for everything else. They are both insanely good bikes but the DNA is completely different now.
I rode with my TB4 twice and lined up for the 2021 Cape Epic - what a bike! That sounds like a silly thing to do. Maybe some background is needed.
My weapon of choice before the TB4 was a TB1, bought in 2011. The only change to the 2011 set-up was a dropper post. The rest was all a decade-old technology: 2x10 groupset, 110mm travel fork, narrow rims, non-boost, and a relatively long stem. For 10 years the TB1 did an amazing job to keep my 110kg, 6'7" frame pedaling up and bombing down any terrain (the TRP brakes from 2011 still can't be bettered!). Santa Cruz replaced the pivots on the rear triangle, for free - twice. It is fair to say that I was sold on the TB a long time ago. Unfortunately, XXL frames never find their way into the test fleet of any brand - that is if there is an XXL in the lineup to start with. When I heard that there was an XXL frame available, I ordered it immediately and built the rest with the newest components available today, including the Reserve wheels.
What I do not like about the bike: pedal strikes, even in the higher setting. I had to put 30 bar more pressure into the rear shock to lessen the issue (still prevalent) and adjust my riding style. In muddy conditions, the rear shock gets plastered with mud, even with the small mudguard in place. Why not design the frame for a full mudguard to fit in front of the back wheel to stop mud from falling onto the shock and drive train?
What did I not expect? The way it climbs - in open mode!
What do I like about the bike? Lifetime warranty - enough said. Room for big tires. The geometry strikes an amazing balance - the TB4 is a bike that climbs well AND is a monster going down. I do not get any pedal response in open mode. After >40 hours in the saddle over 8 days, I did not have any pressure points/fatigue on my hands, bum, neck or feet.
I enjoyed the TB4 right out of the blocks and never looked back. The Cape Epic took us over very rough terrain, climbing >15,000 meters in 600km over 7 days plus a prologue. I replaced a bent chain (bad driving...) and a set of front brake pads - that's it. The Reseves was a revelation - I took the tire pressure down every day until I standardized on 20 psi back and 22 psi front. The ride quality of these soft tires was sublime.
The TB4 really is "the downhillers XC bike!"
As someone who loves bombing up to bomb down, I definitely loathe the current industry and cultural push towards descending optimization with varying sacrifices in climbing. I know that I can slay my local trauls with an xc bike no problem, but there are destinations that really need more than xc only can give.
The bike journo industry is party of the problem. All they tell you is "put a bigger fork on it. Make it a more capable descender." They can't seem to comprehend that bikes with very slack head angles are pigs on tight technical climbs.
Marek Zmazur Totally agree with you! The TB3 was the perfect Swiss Army bike. I like flying up climbs as much as going down them and I’ve never had anyone stay on my wheel on descents no matter how much travel they had.
Marek Zmazur l.
Travis Chapman Very true! Enough with these heavy sled, slow handling short travel trail bikes!
Travis Chapman .
I'm surprised to see them go in this direction regarding shock placement with almost every bike in the lineup. My 2019 5010 is the only exception now and it's a hell of a bike after having increased the fork travel to 140mm. I can do XC, Trail, and even park (as long as I avoid super rocky tech). I'd be curious to test one of these out to see how they compare.
Rode the 5010 at a demo. Amazing machine,climbing and descending. Every other santa Cruz seemed the same.
Tallboy 3 owner here. I ask my self if this bike doesn't make the Hightower more compelling?
Same boat, I was gonna upgrade to a new tallboy (just frame) but seems like getting the new hightower is a better option.
Yeah very true but there is a weight penalty. Depends on the trails you ride. My only complaints are that the Tallboy is too heavy by over two pounds and trying to reach the rear shock compression setting lever, is a long reach
I believe the more linear action of a coil best represents the smooth and natural feel of this style suspension. I own a megatower and have an x2 air and a coil for it. Coil on descents only is a a sled on snow. Garbage peddling though. With an air shock It feels closer to a normal bike but it’s needs a lot of low speed rebound and it still feels like an Schoenfeld just not as bad. Fun bike park bike in this setup. I could see having fun with a shorter travel version, more compact and lighter weight. I imagine it will still wallow somewhat when pedal mashing but also will probably be super safe and grippy. I’m seriously considering selling my mega to get this bike but I am worried about only 120 in the back as I do jump a bit. I’d consider the Hightower but same geo and similar weight as mega and just less travel.
I think they nailed it with this bike ! Would love to try one out
I'm been watching reviews on this one. I think it feels the gap between blur and megatower. Just like specialized offers stumpjumper ST , trek have few options too. New top fuel and fuel EX. For how I ride and where I think is perfect for me. Closer thing to a do it all bike. And I think thats the purpose of these XC/ Trail capable bikes.
Great reviews & films man - I used to have a Santa Cruz Bullit a good few years back! - watched your review of the SC 5010 - am moving soon - & looking at places in in the Surrey Hills - the 5010 looks pretty cool
i like the routing, but will this replace my daily yeti sb100?
no
So if you have money to spend this and the megatower should be in the garage if you can only get one then the Hightower should be the choice 🤙🏼
Why would you get this and a Hightower? its essentially the same bike just more/less travel.. Get a Hightower and a Blur
Manuel Rabelo my comment states if you can get two bikes then Megatower and tallboy if only one bike then Hightower
@@manuelrabelo6780 carnt u read dood
gravity suspension in xc bikes is the best idea humanity has ever come up with.
I like the fact that SC is making a XC bike that is more gravity focused.i was hoping that they would update to a 157mm drop out spacing for more stiffness and stability in both rear triangle and wheels. In 2020 I don’t see the need for i27mm rims since i30 with2.6” tires seem to be the standard. Just my thoughts
Looks a lovely bike big fan of the colour
Same, wish the Hightower was in that colour.
Thank you, that was A great review! I can mark this one off my list.. aggressive geo with short travel that wallows a bit.. Seems like a confused bike..
Michael Utley Not at all ! It’s the perfect trail geometry! It’s just heavy but does not feel that way when riding. I keep thinking about riding this bike more than the Pivot Trail 429 I’m comparing it too
No, it's designed to be an all day bike that can do park days and big steep descents but will still be fun.
I like the extra travel. Shock placement is horrible for this type of bike. Trying to work with that shock looks like an annoying experience. Its also gonna see tons if dust and dirt, thus requiring more maintenance.
I thought they would go after the new Ripley with the tallboy, instead they made a heavier, more aggressive trail bike. I think the Hightower already covers this area well, and now there is a gap in the lineup. The Blur is far on the xc side.
Just test ride one last week and loved it! Not as efficient as the Pivot Trail 429 in the pedaling dept. or as nervous handling in the rough stuff though. Much more forgiving and fun to ride though. The perfect geometry. Just not wild about a $7K bike having the frame made in China.
How's the longer reach and the slacker head angle in the turns? As someone who has shorter legs I wonder if a medium frame would be better suited for me with this bike.
Tom is on fire!
I see you are riding a Large. How tall are you? thanks!
Besides the fact that it was first introduced on the V10. What makes this lower link suspension DH oriented? It has 80mm less travel for heaven's sake.
Morgan Grant it pedals worse. And descends better
hello...im just fall in love with trial mtb like 3 days ago...im 5.4foot tall...is this new tallboy model suits me/my height?
Im in the market for a new bike im debating between the tallboy and trek fuel ex 8, i see the fuel ex has better components on the drive traing for the same price and im talking about the alloy edition on both bikes if it was you what would you choose based on your professional experience, please advise
Deciding between a Tallboy and a 5010. I live in the Wisconsin/Illinois area so I don’t ride anything like out west although I do go out there a few times a year. Anyone have any feedback or recommendations?
Looks like a fun bike for what it is but it is a disappointing replacement for the TB3. I was hoping to keep the TB3 XC attributes and add a 120 to the back. I think SC has left a big gap in the new 2020 lineup, i also feel Yeti did the same. :(
Which would you buy Tallboy or 5010?
test rode it yesterday. i was surprised about the short reach, will want a longer stem on it. it wandered a bit up steep climbs, not sure it it was the head angle or short stem. i left it open the entire ride, didnt even consider firming it up. also surprised how heavy the bike is
Mike Rotchburns try sizing up. I’m just barely 6’1” and found myself absurdly comfortable on the XL’s from Santa Cruz. remember, new bikes have shorter seat tubes, steep seat angles, and short stems. all of which will confuse riders looking purely at the reach numbers.
@@simonfarr8670 I'm 6'3 with short legs and i demoed the xl. i ended up buying a trek top fuel instead
Mike Rotchburns ah! well in that case you made a choice with more conventional sizing, I bet you’ll have a blast!
@@mikerotchburns1622 May i ask on why you went w the trek top fuel?
I'd like to demo this, on paper it sounds ideal for what i like to ride. I would however like to see a uk friendly internal routing.
anybody know what the posted weight of the new Tallboy 4 frame is?
Should be the nearely the same as the Megatower as they have identical front triangles.
I'm salty I just got the 2019 tallboy in the past year
Golden God I’m not. I’d much prefer the current one! I would’ve bought a Hightower if I thought more travel was ever needed!
Santa Cruz is stupid adding more travel to a bike that was insanely fun and capable as it was. If the goal of the tallboy is to be an XC/trail bike then 110/120 is perfect travel. If they just updated the geometry a little it would have been a near-perfect bike for what it is.
I think they were feeling that there was too much overlap w/ the Blur, and a significant void between 110 and 140.
In my case personally, 110mm travel was the reason I DIDN'T get the new tallboy. I wanted slightly more travel and a geometry to match...I had an Intense Spider 29c but that was an absolute hog w/ the option to run 115 or 130. The Ripley LS hit the sweet spot, and filled the Santa Cruz void perfectly.
Now they're right on target 100, 120, 140, 160. Can't wait to give one of these a ride!
Can u use 27.5 wheels? Personally I prefer my tallboy3 in mullet mode.
same here... santa cruz badboy as i like to call it.
Pedro Assunção I thought about it, and it would be silly to put a 27.5 on a tallboy 4 with the steeper head tube, IMO
I need to try muller style and I have 27.5 plus and 29 wheel sets... I keep holding off though because TB3 in 27.5+ is a riot
@@snowairland doesn't even fit 27.5+. for 27+ you can go bronson, 5010 or hightower
Why didn’t they do it to the 5010 ?
Henry Oxburgh i think at the time Santa Cruz was planning on keeping all trail bikes with the upper link VVP, something which I think they’ve changed their mind on. I am betting the new 5010 update will have the lower link.
Is the SC Tallboy looks like the Giant Trance 29 Advanced 1 Pro??
but yet its very different in the geo dep. for expample the seat tube lenght is ridiculous on the giant trance, the STA on giant is pretty slack as well 1 deggre HA does make a difference as well
Mega- enduro
Hightower- all mtn
Tallboy- trail
Blur- xc hardtail
Chameleon- trail hardtail
Jackal- fun
I'm more weirded out why Santa Cruz didn't update the 5010 with the same linkage?
they need something to unveil next year
What would be a better choice the 2019 aluminum Tallboy A R or 2020 Tallboy A D?
R! Better fork and a dropper post
tim tuckett thanks I found one for $2899 it would’ve been the same price as the 2020 version. Can’t wait to get it delivered I upgraded from a trek marlin 7
I love my tallboy
Sounds about right, had to bump the travel up to slot it better between the new Blur and the existing Hightower so it feels out of place bouncing between two purpose-built bikes. Seems like SC missed the mark on this model of the Tallboy. I'm sticking with my TB3.
I like my longer travel bikes and never been interested in this type but fuck me why do I want this so much idk it just seem so attracted to it, this has actually made me want a santa Cruz when previously I haven't they are just too expensive. I wanna try it and hope I hate it so I don't spend like 6k on a bike
Price isn't that bad, you get what you pay for.
What are you really getting for that price tho
Suspension tune does not look great...
All mtb brands going in to 2020 think that xc trial bikes have a better ride on trail if their geometry is similar to a downhill mtb.
Not in my opinion. Shorter travel bikes should err on the side of having better anti-squat/pedal bob and having a quicker geometry than trail bikes. Too many companies now, are trying to blur the lines between XC/Trail and Trail/Enduro. They should keep the geometries separate up to 130mm rear travel, then bend the geometries and rear linkage shock values more towards trail and Enduro. Sounds like Santa Cruz did what Pivot did, when they changed the beautiful geometry of old Mach 429 Trail into the new Trail 429. I rode both of those bikes and they ruined the Trail 429 with that “Low and Slack” geometry. Some of these short travel trail bikes are too heavy too!
Can you guys do a review on the 2019 yt Capra al base 👌
cool🎥👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
They turned it into a monster truck.
Want one soooo bad, would like to try the BMC Fourstroke first though as the geometry is very progressive looking...... :)
Eventually the tallboy will be another 140mm bike. Then Santa Cruz will just make the bike that takes the place of the original tallboy
We kind of see the same thing with small cars, every year they get more features and a bit bigger, until they've jumped over a category
they went to far with it
now it is just another trail bike...
A heavy one at that
What about GT Sensor 2020?
I own a 2019 Tallboy CC. I think they should have LEFT IT ALONE! I’m dreading if the frame gets broken now! The bike climbs like a rocket and will blast through any nasty rocky terrain with ease! I really don’t care for bikes with a sub 68 degree head angle. That’s the sweet spot, especially if you have tight single track. Anyone who buys a $7k mountain bike should be a good rider or just has money to pi$$ away and doesn’t need more travel in a 29er. I live in middle TN and there’s no trail in Nashville or Chattanooga it doesn’t blast through. Two of the most technical are the ones I actually ride the most because they are closest to my house. I wish Santa Cruz would’ve left it alone and did this to the Hightower instead! So glad I got the TB3!
I ride in the Rocky Mountains where you have to be able to handle long steep technical climbs
that are miles in length. There are lots of huge drops etc around but I'm not into riding the Downhill Designated Trails. The 2020 Tallboy CC was recommended to me by a few of my Riding Buddies. I'll let you know how it is in the Spring. All I've ever ridden was the 07 Reign I that I bought and learned to ride on last year. I did a 45 minute test of a Yeti last year and I was sold on Carbon Frames.
Please explain how the DPS Elite allows the open mode to be adjusted? My understanding is it is a 3 position shock: open, medium and firm
There is an additional low speed compression adjust knob that works in the "open" setting similar to the adjustment on a Factory or Performance Eite fork. You can see it at 5:20 -- it's the black dial with the numbered settings 1, 2, 3 below the rebound knob.
Good to see that sticker is made in china lol
The Real Santa Did it say China, not Taiwan?
Rad bike but I’ll take more travel 8 days a week. I would bet that the Hightower climbs no worse than the Tallboy. Hard for any bike with a 76/77 degree seat angle to climb bad. Tallboy looks sweet but I prefer not knowing where my bikes limits are.
demoed both and tallboy was a MUCH better climber. i went in with my heart on the hightower now fully tall boy. climbed 85% as well as my true XC bike and ruins it on the downhills. Very suprised more eastcoasters dont like this bike
If I get a Tallboy _without_ the 'Heaps of Radness,' will there be a $2000 discount?
It’s not bad but can only ride with my training wheels!!!???
Made in China...not in America?
I have try this but for comparison i took Ibis Ripley v4 and it way better for me, suspension feel, goe everything is better than SC, they are nice bikes i had SC Hightower but now i went for ibis and yeti they really awsome bikes for my taste of riding which is more aggressive.
This review is bs. The tallboy is not an xc race bike. This guy doesn't know anything about mountain bikes.
It's not XC at all lol
More than you of you consider that he makes a living off of what he's doing and he gets to ride almost any Bikes he wants just by asking the manufacturers to Test one. You on the other hand have to buy or rent any Bikes you ride and by the way how many different Bikes have you rode in the last year to make such a claim as you have?
This guy has 658 thousand Subscribers to his site and you have "1", A TOTAL of ONE SUBSCRIBER to yours. Enough Said!
@@c-noclark8153 I've been racing and coaching XC long enough to be able to tell you that you will never see a tallboy at the start line of a competitive XC race. The blur is an XC bike, not the tallboy. If this bike reviewer doesn't know what criteria makes an XC bike he doesn't know what he's talking about.
YT should make bike like this for half the price :)
With half the warranty
With a Squeaky BB too
Indemoed this bike it’s heavy 30kg with 120mm travel how is that a good idea , it’s fun but a bmx could beat it dh quite easy
Are you seriously saying the bike weights 66 pounds (30kg)!? That and your BMX comment clearly demonstrates that you do not in any way know what you are talking about.
john stroh haha no dude I got it wrong it’s about 15 KG 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Not far off then haha
Noooo, now its not a tallboy anymore, too much travel, and wrong linkage
One like = one free Santa Cruz
What does a heart get us?
BikeRadar What can I do for a shoutout?
We'll give you a heart and 1,000,000 BikeRadar gold stars!
BikeRadar bruh 😂
_Unfortunately,_ you got *more* than one like, therefore NO Santa Cruz. (Read the fine print)
Absolutely ruined the bike, no need for VPP on this type of bike... not only is this bike confused now, it’s no longer a blur between XC and trail. It’s the worst of both worlds.
Anyone mention the price yet? It's expensive!!!!!!! Super expensive!!! I'm very mad!!! People, Santa Cruz is expensive!! I'm very woke because I don't like expensive bikes!
Then why are you here if hate expensive bikes? Santa cruz are known for their price
A UnOriginal Guy he was being sarcastic...
@@iamverycoolyes4484 How dare you have a different taste! Obvious victim to modern marketing!! I can build a bike of the same quality for 500 bucks!!!
Maybe not $500.00 but I sure as fuck can do it for 3k with better components. Another overpriced bike for people with too much money and not enough sense!😂
@@LuisManuelHdez Exactly right brother!!! I am so angry!! Literally stone anyone, who is a able to spend a premium for a hobby they like, because somehow that affects me!
I hate santa Cruz they need to rethink their prices
No you need to rethink how you make your money and find a better paying job.