Like its other models, the Tallboy also moves to size-specific chainstays. Plus, save 30% off the shop price! Bigger bearings and a bigger shock for your big bones. I like that they have a decent length head tube in the larger sizes, too many brands don't go much longer than 100mm which means loads of stem spacers and a reduced reach. 5010 130mm | MX Tallboy 120mm | 29" Blur XC 100mm | TR 115mm | 29" Highball Hardtail | 29" Chameleon Hardtail | MX | 29" Stigmata Gravel | 650b | 700c Jackal Dirtjump | 26" View All Bikes. Its a promise we stand behind: If you find a lower price on a bike elsewhere, we will sell it to you for 10% less. You have to spring for the NX build to get a decent dropper. We search for prices on over 120 bike retailers to guarantee that we find the lowest prices to save you time and money. Availability and international pricing are to be confirmed. I guess your comment wasn't really about that though- it was actually about feeling slighted by a "new and improved" product being released, right? They forgot the Fazua/TQ engine, this is s 2020, once upon a time, frame weights use to be mentioned, now seemingly avoided. With the latest Blur filling the role as the short travel XC race bike, the Santa Cruz Tallboy has reaffirmed its position as a muscly short travel trail bike. Its not as if they wouldn't have stopped producing the old version of this bike, each of which would have the same environmental impact. It used to be GX and SLX. Santa Cruz Tallboy 95/100 BikeRide Score ? I'm not saying it's the most useful adjustment but it is noticeable. Looks like Santa Cruz' biggest adjustment on the bike was the pricing. Santa Cruz has updated its Tallboy trail mountain bike with revised geometry and suspension kinematics, as well as inheriting the brands Glovebox down tube storage system. The firmer setting does improve efficiency and helps the bike ride a little higher in the rear for a steeper dynamic seat tube angle, but also comes at the expense of some traction and comfort; the open position still pedals pretty well, but I found myself preferring the extra support and liveliness of the suspension on the way down in the middle setting, so the middle Goldilocks option worked really well for me in most circumstances. Reminder from Pon Holdings: "Our objective has consistently been to create value for our shareholders." That is the point I was trying to make to the OP, not have a trigonometry battle with you. Build a hightower to be as "XC" as possible, pike 150mm, XT/ XTR mix, carbon wheels trail tires and still 31 lbs. Its all about availability and price by the OEM guys. But Santa Cruz hasnt made major changes because they didnt need to the Tallboy still looks like a downhillers XC bike, as Santa Cruz puts it. Mountain bikes with the highest BikeRide Scores, Santa Cruz Tallboy in comparison to averages. Just a barrage of new, shiny, same-old-but-more-expensive, plastic junk, which is Inline with their new modus operandi. Erin Jamieson Mountain Biking Enthusiast at MTB Insider Erin Jamieson has always loved staying active. Honestly, the C1 reverb is a MASSIVE improvement in feel and reliability. Free shipping on all Bikes through 7/5. remember when you had the same YT TUES CF as aaron gwin for 5000usd$ ? I have less time on the Ripley than Id like, but my early impression is that its a little sharper handling and not quite as stable at speed as the Tallboy, and generally feels a touch more XC-oriented while the Tallboy is the more aggressive option of the two. Last year I was trying to decide between a tallboy and hightower. Tallboy AL R. 3. $8,549.00. It's not like they share any spare components that you would take on a ride or anything like that. While she fondly remembers biking with her family growing up, she came to truly appreciate it unconventionally. Centerline rotors should be completely eliminated from EOM builds. It also doesnt help that reverbs are completely uneconomical to service/repair. The Phantom also sounds like it favors a more neutral, centered stance than the Tallboy, which doesnt feel especially forward-biased but does work best with a little effort to keep the front wheel weighted. With kick-ass lower-link VPP suspension, a streamlined design, the typical Santa Cruz refinement, and rather radical geometry, the Tallboy is back to being a genre bending folk hero. Just have to know where the deals are. BikeRide works hard to help you find the lowest prices and information on each bike from the widest possible range of sources. Santa Cruz Tallboy C GX AXS in Gloss Ultra Blue. And while the shortest-travel bike of the bunch hasnt seen any wheelsize changes or a dramatic overhaul of its geometry, Santa Cruz has found some details to refine. Specifically, the rear suspension on the new Tallboy feels smoother and more consistent through medium-sized chatter. Carbon everything, 27.5 lbs for $6k. Available in six sizes, the Tallboy fits a wide range of riders. A 17-year-old girl was charged after she shared fentanyl with two friends, not three. Experts found the bike stable to ride with gear and additional weight. There are still options. Of course, you dont have to be doing massive rides to have a good time on the Tallboy and in particular, its a great bike for making tighter, more rolling trails a lot of fun. It's okay! But it's carbon. David Golay (6', 170 lb / 183cm, 77.1 kg): Santa Cruz sent over a Tallboy shortly before its launch today, and while I need to get a lot more time on the bike before the full review is ready to go, my early impressions are really positive. The softer and wetter things got, the more I was interested in running more aggressive tires, so I tried a whole spectrum of options up to a 2.5 MaxxGrip / DoubleDown Minion DHF front / 2.4 MaxxTerra / DoubleDown Minion DHR II rear package, with a few intermediate configurations in the mix as well. The Santa Cruz Tallboy isnt perfect at any single discipline but its a great bike nonetheless. The outgoing model used a 436mm rear centre length across every size. [And if all of that suspension talk didnt make much sense, check out the Suspension Kinematics section of our Mountain Bike Buyers Guide.]. Product Name: Santa Cruz TALLBOY 5 C R - 29" Carbon Mountain Bike - 2023 - matte taupe. Every size of the bike has room for a water bottle in the frame. The Tallboy isnt trying to be a mini-Enduro bike or anything like that, and its more versatile for it. Any plans to test a Reeb SST in the future? Read our article on why the new 2023 Santa Cruz Hightower v3 is better than ever as we break down all the new features and builds. hands up, who can feel the difference between 65,5 and 65,7of HA. When does the new V10 with a glove box come out? We've got 11,000+ bikes in the comparison database. Santa Cruz release a new bike - time to get triggered. But rather than being a short-travel bike that wants to punch well above its travel class and winds up as a super-niche option that isnt especially engaging on mellower trails and needs to be ridden ultra-precisely on more challenging ones, the Tallboy is content to stay in its lane and be a regular short-travel Trail bike and its a really good one. And its rides incredibly! So I sold the frame after a year and my bike park bike (nomad V4) got a Megatower, build some 29" EX511 wheels with DD tires for the park and just swap wheels. An evolutionary rather than revolutionary update for the short-travel 29er. The model was categorized as a short travel bike. The bike is very versatile. In summary, this is what cyclists think. But as weve said many, many times here at Blister, were all for leaving a good thing alone rather than making change for changes sake, and Santa Cruz has done a nice job of refining some of the little details of the Tallboy without ruining what made the old one great. You know youre on a short-travel bike, but for all the good reasons. @adamszymkowicz: so what? Experts found it stable riding through technical, slow terrain and down rocky descents. are they really gonna be spec-ing a bike with carbon wheels and a wireless drivetrain but mid-range suspension. With the stock setup and the stem set as high as I could get it, I was fairly happy with the fit; bumping the fork up to 140 mm of travel and dropping the stem back down by 5 mm to compensate (more on that in a minute) got it better dialed for me. *offer only valid in U.S; excludes HI & AK $6,599.00 SaleOrig: $8,199.00 Add to Cart Estimated ship date: 7/1 Learn More Shop all Santa Cruz Bicycles (1) The tweaks that Santa Cruz has made to the Tallboy dont look terribly dramatic on paper, but how will they shake out on the trail? While its composed, it still feels light and poppy so its really easy to boost off of every little thing on the trail. Tallboy The Downhiller's XC Bike The Tallboy has earned a loyal following amongst those who seek a go-to bike that will hold up to the relentless hammering of "power hour" hot laps or long days in the saddle harvesting the best trails. New ones are better, but OneUp is even better and cheaper. Check out the Tallboy; Key Features: Available in: Carbon C and Carbon CC: Wheel Size: 29" Front Travel: 100mm or 120mm: Rear Travel: 100mm or 115mm . Tallboy AL D. 2. Mostly, though, the Tallboy feels really nicely sorted out as a bike thats meant to encourage you to go fast on the kinds of trails where a 120mm-travel bike is most at home. If you had randomly asked me to name the most boring possible color, that might have been my response. Item Code: The Tallboy 4 was pretty much sorted as-is. Santa Cruz has had quite a year, launching new versions of the Megatower, Hightower, Nomad, 5010, and now the Tallboy. Santa Cruz has the worst build kits for the price. Borrowing inspiration from its gravity line-up, the 2020 Santa Cruz Tallboy now gets the Lower Link VPP suspension system with 120mm of travel to improve big-hit performance, as well as. Curios how the suspension curve has changed. Those numbers are all stated in the low geometry position; switching to the high one steepens the headtube to 65.7, adds a few millimeters to the reach, and reduces the bottom bracket drop from 41 mm to 38 mm. After measuring your height, use the size chart below to find the typical Santa Cruz TALLBOY GX AXS / Carbon C / 29 size for your height. I also clarified, "where your hands end up." Santa Cruz Tallboy C GX AXS RSV in Gloss Ultra Blue. Lets dig in: The prior-generation Tallboy V4 was offered in both aluminum and carbon fiber versions, but the new Tallboy V5 comes in carbon fiber, only. you know when you are just randomly sat around.doing nothing then you get that weird feeling you either dreamed this or its happened before, Haha what were you expecting? Skip to main content Current turnaround times for shipping: 1-3 daysFree shipping for parts and accessories on orders over $99 within the contiguous USA Toggle navigation Search bikes + gear Heavier weight and reduced suspension kick wont suit previous Tallboy die hards but that brings the Blur TR into the limelight. A 3lb lighter frame with a lot sportier pedalling platform basically. My spire flip chip is .5 degree HTA and 7mm bb difference and it's a very minor change at best. Both of those bikes (especially the Element, at the slacker end of its geometry settings) are substantially more progressive in their leverage curve than the Tallboy, and I think the resulting firmer initial part of the stroke and better support in the first part of the travel do a lot to make the Tallboy feel more lively, and make better use of its limited travel. Santa Cruzs take is that doing so has resulted in greater sensitivity in the middle of the stroke, by helping the bike ride higher in its travel. For example, if you find a bike for $480 that we have listed at $500, we will offer you to buy it for $432 through BikeRide. A former varsity cross country runner, an injury sidelined her and she started cross-training. But for a bike like the Tallboy, Im more inclined to keep the sizing more moderate to make the bike more nimble and easy to throw around, and with that goal in mind, the Large Tallboy felt like clearly the right size for me. I couldn't find anything on the base fork..What's the difference between pike base and pike select ? The suspension rarely bottoms out during rough descents on the bike, according to experts. SANTA CRUZ Tallboy 2020 - 2023 LIMITED OFFER R 1,999.00 R 2,499.00 Shipping calculated on checkout Size Color Frame Quantity Add to Cart The ARMOUR-RIDE FULL CUSTOM KIT is custom designed to frame specifics and covers all aspects of your bike frame ensuring that you cover your MTB, gravel,e-bike or road bike to nearly invisible. Experts agree the sag setting was hard to determine due to the low position of the suspension in the frame. With just 120 mm of travel on tap, that makes some sense; keeping suspension riding higher, with more remaining travel left to deal with a given impact, you can wind up with a more sensitive setup without needing to rely on a ton of progression to stop from bottoming out all the time. never had any issues in 3 seasons of riding with the C1 Reverb that has the vent valve. $10,399 for a bike with a reverb, no thanks Gx model is $6200 usd. The one that does not have the lower link. Unlike its predecessor launched in 2020, there will be no aluminium options and the Tallboy will only be available in Santa Cruzs C and CC carbon. That's some serious coin to drop and not even have the nice frame! Buy. The Tallboy pedals more efficiently, is a little quicker handling, and feels sharper and more lively, both in terms of handling and suspension performance. Already have an account with us? The Tallboy inherits Santa Cruzs cavernous Glovebox down tube storage solution. Compared to the 29er longer-travel Hightower, the brand notes its again more efficient but less forgiving. Santa Cruz acknowledges the Tallboy 4 was already well-loved and didnt want to change the geometry too drastically. Handlebars-Stem e.13 Base. The chainstay adjustment feature has been replaced by size-specific chainstay lengths. Definitely not. X1 cranks on the top end build, also Reverb seatpost are completely worthless trash. VPP Suspension; The Tallboy also gets a UDH derailleur hanger, Santa Cruzs typical geometry adjusting flip chip, and ISCG-05 tabs for a chainguide. If you find a lower price, email us at [emailprotected] with documentation of the price. Ooooo SC I love you and your collection of special looking frames with fancy prices than your gaping a*sholes of your mother's. Yes, you can. Gloss Ultra Blue and Matte Taupe are the two color options for the fifth generation of the Tallboy. Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only). Complaining about complainers is complaining! The 76.4 head tube angle places riders in a position on climbs that keeps the front end of the bike down and allows riders to stay in line. With kick-ass lower-link VPP suspension, a streamlined design, the typical Santa Cruz refinement, and rather radical geometry, the Tallboy is back to being a genre bending folk hero. The most substantial update is the change to size-specific chainstays, which now range from 431 to 444 mm based on size; the prior-generation bike got 436 mm stays across the board. Eliot Jackson for president! The reach has grown by just 5 mm per size (473 mm on our size Large test bike), the headtube angle is still 65.5, and the seat tube has been steepened by just a few tenths of a degree (around 76.5, getting slightly steeper in the larger sizes). Lame. Well hopefully my v4 doesn't snap anytime soon took away all the best features for a measly glovebox. That was enough to make me happy on the sorts of trails that Id call the Tallboys true wheelhouse; if I started to push the boundaries a little and take it into some steeper, longer descents than its strictly intended for, the brakes started to feel like something of a limiting factor again. Some of it could The Tallboy is supposed to be more versatile and more engaging in rolling, varied terrain than a bike like the Megatower. Totally. Both carbon layups are said to offer identical riding characteristics and stiffness properties, only the more expensive CC layup drops weight. Oscar prefers lightweight road and gravel frames with simple tube shapes, rather than the latest trend for aerodynamics and full integration. Any comparisons to Pivot Trail 429 or Trek Top Fuel? should have stayed with the lighter linkage layout in that case. Santa Cruzs 2023 Tallboy gets integrated down tube sandwich storage and updated geometry. You could buy a frame (even though I'm sure those are stupidly priced) and build it up better for less yourself. The class of ~120mm-travel Trail bikes is an interesting one, with bikes that feel very XC-derived and efficient all the way to burly mini-Enduro bikes that take a lot of speed and aggression to come alive, but roll that into a more compact, lively package than the true big bikes that theyre based on. The new Tallboy V5 is offered in the same six sizes as the outgoing bike, XS through XXL, and the geometry hasnt changed too dramatically, either. Save 30% + Nukeproof Sam Hill Enduro Saddle Oil Slick (worth 79.99) when you subscribe to MBUK magazine. The last generation of Hightower AL frames even had a safety recall in 2020 due to concerns about structural integrity. Its f*cking absurd. Base version is OEM only crap that only has adjustable rebound? X01 Shifter/Derailleur Reserve Carbon Rims DT 350 hubs Rockshox Pike Ultimate Fork 130mm Travel Fox Factory DPS Rear Shock But while Ive been tempted to size up on some of Santa Cruzs bigger, burlier bikes (most notably the new V2 Megatower), that wasnt the case with the Tallboy I really like the fit of the Large. Santa Cruz Tallboy 2023 Main Specs Frame: Carbon C or CC Wheel size: 29 Tires: Maxxis Dissector 2.4 / Rekon 2.4 3C, EXO, MaxxTerra Front and rear travel: 130mm, 120mm Drivetrain: 12-speed Brake rotors: 180mm Where was this urge to not ruin a good thing when you were updating the 5010? Its a great time of the year to buy something used or build up a frame. Kudos for not sneaking in a GX cassette and KMC chain, then calling it an X01 build! . Santa Cruz. The gap between them isnt huge theyre definitely worth cross-shopping against each other, rather than feeling like theyre some sort of categorical mismatch but the decision one way or the other should essentially come down to whether youd prioritize especially quick handling (Ripley) or a bit more composure and stability at speed and on steeper trails (Tallboy). The bikes geometry and grippy Maxxis Minion tires allow riders to tackle almost any climb. I love when these updates come. Why ride a heavy short travel bike? @adamszymkowicz: which is probably a plus, since this means less chance of a creaking CSU or wrong levels of oil and other lubricants. Making a bikes leverage curve relatively progressive can often be a good way to help improve small-bump sensitivity and initial traction without making the suspension soft and wallowy throughout, or prone to bottoming easily, but Im increasingly sold on the idea that it makes sense to moderate the amount of progression for shorter-travel bikes, and Santa Cruz has done just that with the Tallboy. He has been an avid cyclist since his teenage years, initially catching the road cycling bug and riding for a local club. Ridiculous, huge price entry point+ terrible spec for they money, Im sorry frame bearings for free isnt worth this. A fast bike with little travel and flat steering angle, generous reach and a fork with low offset is the result - an aggressive geometry, which is still rarely seen in this travel class. Aggressive short travel bikes are very much a "if you know, you know" kind of deal. Really? Glad I found an Epic Evo meanwhile, as I'd be pissed to receiveing a the older verison of the bike, for which an update was just announced Nice bike, but the specs are suspect. It seems like specs are just getting weirder and worse.. It pedals well, does a great job of building speed by pumping and riding dynamically when given the opportunity, and hits a nice middle ground of being nimble in tighter spots without feeling twitchy and unstable until you start really pushing it beyond its comfort zone. Kids will find other sports. The Tallboy allows riders to climb with stability and minimal pedal bob. Thus far it seems all new players in bike MFG's haven't wanted to upset the apple cart in terms of pricing. The Tallboy still pedals quite well, but its more compliant and comfortable than some of the racier-feeling options out there (e.g. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All the builds get Maxxis Dissector front / Rekon rear tires in MaxxTerra / Exo guise, which is a nice combo for a very fast rolling setup thats still got enough grip up front to ride hard in a lot of conditions. Another geo update. It was super fun on trail riding situations. Technically, the Tallboy fits neatly in the short-travel 29er classthose in the 120-millimeter travel range, give or take a centimetera niche thats alive and well, albeit a little directionally challenged. The more Im looking for a bike to inspire confidence going really fast down steep, technical trails, the more Im inclined to size up (within reason) to both increase the bikes stability and to give myself more room to move around on the bike in those scenarios. Suspension travel remains the same, with a 130mm fork up front and 120mm of travel out back. Handlebars Santa Cruz Carbon Flat Bar, 31.8x760, 7mm Rise. Santa Cruz Tallboy 5 CC X01 Reserve ridden a handful of times. Santa Cruz Tallboy 5 C GX AXS Complete Mountain Bike 2023 sku# 234932 Select Color: Select Size: M XL Size Chart Limited time! It really changes how easy it is to lift the front of the bike (higher is easier). The flip chip on the rear-most shock mount is retained, which adjusts the geometry slightly. Seems to be playing out super for the customer. Santa Cruz Tallboy C GX AXS in Matte Taupe. Still lots of production delays for a lot of companies. NX and Deore on the base models is way too common now. The Tallboy lands in the middle of that spectrum and feels best suited to folks who want a bike thats efficient and engaging on more rolling, varied trails first and foremost, but is more compliant, composed, and stable than the most ultra-snappy XC-oriented bikes in the class. Which one makes the most sense is going to come down to your priorities and how you intend to use the bike. Regular price Sale price Save 15% Megatower CC X0 AXS Coil. International shipping available. Have to agree. The frame has ample space for a bag, allowing riders to take the Tallboy on backcountry bikepacking adventures. All I ever see is complaining, if you guys really dont like the prices of bikes or how they work, the spec etc. The Santa Cruz Tallboy is a cross-country oriented bike that excels on the descents. I'm okay with SC basically admitting they have nothing new to bring to the Tallboy. The Tallboy pedals more efficiently and its suspension feels more composed in rougher sections (in much the same way that the Element cant keep up with the Tallboy on that front) but the longer wheelbase and calmer steering of the Spectral 125 still make it the harder-charging bike if you can ride it precisely and hang on through the rougher bits. Why does the flip chip do almost nothing? They get them dirt cheap s part of the deal from sram. Having ridden all of the trail and enduro bikes in the American brands portfolio, it turns out their diminutive 120 mm travel 29er is our favourite. Stem Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm. Would never trade that bike for this overpriced NX crap. The Tallboy feels agile and light on its feet without being unstable or twitchy, and I think the suspension tuning and frame ride quality have a lot to do with it. Learn more Bike Size Charts BikeRide finds and shows you the best prices of the bikes you want to buy. Like its predecessor, the Tallboy is available in sizes XS to XXL. Interested to see how it compares. It is expected to arrive by the end of the year, if all the stars are well aligned. Especially for the price. Remember that these sizes are a general guide and bike sizes can vary between riders and bikes. The cascade link transformed my tallboy 4. *SAVE 50%* Get a year's subscription for just 42.99 - pay just 3.30 an issue! Ive complained about SRAMs 52-tooth cassettes having too large a jump in gear ratios between first and second gears before (apart from the largest cog, the 50- and 52-tooth cassettes are identical) but that gap was especially irritating on the Tallboy, a bike that encourages you to climb quickly and really put power down when possible. If I was really grinding up a steep fire road Id occasionally flip the Fox Float DPS shock into the firmest climb mode, but for the most part, I preferred to leave it in the middle setting both going up and down and not touch it. A ribbed chainstay protector prevents chain slap and damage to the chainstay from trail debris. Skip to content Menu Reviews GEAR 101 Skiing 101 Mountain Biking 101 Trail Running 101 Outerwear 101 Boot Fitting 101 Climbing 101 Paddle Sports 101 Snowboarding 101 Skiing Flash Reviews - Skiing The frame features ISCG05 chain guide mounts and Santa Cruzs universal derailleur hanger, which is functionally the same as SRAMs UDH. The cluster of locally acquired malaria cases around Sarasotaas well as an unrelated case in Texasmarks the first time the parasite is known to have spread in the US since 2003, when there . I havent seen them specd on a new bike for 3-4 years! (of the UCI? The only aluminum SC you can get now is a high tower. If they dont send a Reverb they send you a cheap OneUp. As discussed above, the new RockShox Pike fork was a particular standout, the Reserve 30|SL wheels rode great, and so on its a really nice build (and is priced accordingly). If you fall into that category, then youll love the Tallboy. SC bikes have certainly become price leaders, and not in a good way. The Element is a little more stable at speed (at least in terms of its geometry and handling) and pedals slightly more efficiently, but the Tallboys better suspension makes it the more forgiving, composed option. Less suspension and tighter HTA make this a better option than Enduros I guess? And Im happy to see Santa Cruz specing an 800 mm wide handlebar here most folks (myself included) will probably want to trim it down a little for this sort of bike, but thats a whole lot easier than replacing the stock bar to go wider, and its nice to have the option. Thanks! They also downgraded from adjustable chainstay length to the trendy size specific chainstay garbage marketing. I've built a bike back in 2021 because bike availability but I think I got a much better deal getting the parts I wanted instead of buying a bike and then upgrading to those parts. Ive seen one in Cathros bike and not sure what amonunt of hacking yo need to do. 2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy 5 key features The 2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy 5 in Gloss Ultra Blue. The Rocky Mountain Element is probably the best comparison here after the prior-generation Tallboy, but there are still some real differences primarily the suspension performance. This apparently hasn't changed with the new generation. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? Santa Cruz used to release new bikes when there was something to change on it, didn't have to be a set release date. I was wondering why my dental work was much more this year. I guess the next bike is gonna be a custom built one! no piggy back shock compatibility is a non starter. It climbed wonderfully. It has similar (on paper) specs to the new Tallboy. More pedal strikes for 7mm drop though for sure. Santa Cruz offers the Tallboy in six builds that closely mirror those offered on the new 5010 (albeit without the aluminum frame option). Shop all Santa Cruz Mountain Bikes for sale. Even though aggressive short travel bikes are amazing, the Tallboy was always just an inconsequent execution of that formula - especially compared to the Norco Optic. The only way to reduce the impact of mountain bikes is to stop building new ones. Similar story as the Trail Pistol. 29" wheels 120mm lower link-driven VPP suspension 130mm fork 65.5 head angle C and CC frame options XS-XXL frame size options Revised suspension kinematics Size-specific seat angles and chain stay length Glovebox down tube storage compartment Santa Cruz has updated its Tallboy trail mountain bike with revised geometry and susp Impeccably damped and focused suspension character mean it wont suit riders who like the lumps taken out of their trail or their hands held if they overstep their skill/speed ratio either. I remember when $13,850 CAN would get you an upgraded headset @adamszymkowicz: a 1800$ hardtail sounds more like xt level to me. And especially with the Element set to the slacker end of its adjustment range (which also alters the suspension kinematics), the rear suspension of the Element feels much more progressive and somewhat less supportive and lively than that of the Tallboy. V10 215mm | 27.5" | MX . No need to upgrade this year. haha. 1. Much better than it needing to be serviced. A small mud flap protects the shock from trail debris on the Tallboy. The bikes will be available in two colourways Gloss Ultra Blue or Matte Taupe. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. I also did a bunch of experimenting with different tires on the Tallboy. All I ever hear is that you're paying extra for the customer service and warranty. Santa Cruz provides riders with a lifetime warranty on the frame of the Tallboy. I often found myself in second gear and looking to go one lower, only to shift into first and feel like I had spun to a halt. The weight of a bigger bike, just without the added capability. ENGINEERING. Imagine saying that every time Ferrari or Porsche releases a NEW model! For some riders this just enough, less is more approach will be appealing, in the same way that riding a hardtail can be liberating; less suspension travel equals more rider involvement and a more direct connection with the ground beneath your wheels.