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2013 Santa Cruz Nomad carbon frame

denjen

Certified Lift Whore
Sep 16, 2001
1,691
36
Richmond VA
Found a brand new 2013 Nomad frame that I am thinking about getting. I know its not the newest and greatest, but the price is to good not to jump on. Anyone have any long term opinions on the frame? Good, bad or ugly any info helps since there is no way to do a test ride. Looking to replace my 2012 Stumpjumper EVO with something I can take anywhere and enjoy.

Thanks for any help.
 

Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,208
581
Durham, NC
I had one of those Nomads and while the construction and quality is great, the geo is a bit wonky. Unless you have an extremely short reach then going up a frame size is a necessity. I'd recommend seeking out something like a Yeti SB66 if you're looking for a deal on a frame with great geo.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
I miss my 2013 stumpy that I built up to copy an evo. I am now looking to find a stumpy or santa Cruz 5010 to get back to a full suspension trail bike.

I don't think I'd go from the stumpy to the nomad.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,628
12,928
Cackalacka du Nord
they are durable as hell. i have a friend who's beat the piss outta one. sc's do tend to be a bit short if you have a long torso. i'm sold on vpp tho.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
they are durable as hell. i have a friend who's beat the piss outta one. sc's do tend to be a bit short if you have a long torso. i'm sold on vpp tho.

That's about the only thing the nomad has going for it. Spec carbon trail frames tend to be a little breaky.

I'd still rather ride one than a nomad2. That's probably like top 5 of weirdest riding bikes around. Weird as in "didn't these guys ride this before producing it?"
 

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
They can't figure out leverage curves on any of their shorter travel (read: non-v10) bikes either.

SC are pretty incompetent at linkages and the Nomad (even the 2015) is unfortunately no exception. For a laugh, I've come up with better leverage curves than their short travel bikes using one pivot (no linkages whatsoever), and not surprisingly so has ironhorse - presumably under dw. If anyone has a copy of linkage it's worth pulling up the old Yakuza Kumicho and noting the lack of initial stroke digression compared to a modern high-dollar VPP bike. I'd avoid the Nomad, and for reference Intense (again, for non-DH bikes) is just as bad.

If you don't care about suspension performance that much and the price is great then sure, they seem to be structurally great and reasonably light, but generally it's not hard to do better than VPP.

Under the right designer, one pivot can do many things - and under the wrong one, many pivots can do... well, not much.

/vpprealitycheck
 
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denjen

Certified Lift Whore
Sep 16, 2001
1,691
36
Richmond VA
Wow, not much love for the Nomad. Thanks for all of the honest answers.

I like the stumpjumper evos better.

A lot better. Why can't you take it anywhere? They're pretty much the same travel and better geo on the stumpy.
I can and have taken the Evo everywhere. From XC on my home trails to weekends at Snowshoe it has done everything I have asked it to do. I got it 3 years ago and was looking for a change, was hoping the Nomad would fit the bill. I may have to keep looking.
 

Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,208
581
Durham, NC
They've been making the nomad for what, ten years? And they still can't figure out the geo? Christ the bike industry is pathetic.
The geo on the new one is pretty dialed IMHO.

I just wasn't crazy about the short front end, high BB, and slack seat angle on the old one. It wasn't as unrideable as some here would have you believe.
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
The geo on the new one is pretty dialed IMHO.

I just wasn't crazy about the short front end, high BB, and slack seat angle on the old one. It wasn't as unrideable as some here would have you believe.
I was going to say while it isnt my cup of tea one of the fastest dudes I know rides one...he destroys rough stuff on it..
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,884
448
Get a new(er) enduro- whatever wheel size you like. Climbs as well as an evo (which is what I came off of) and feels less flexy and monster trucks stuff better.

I've already snapped five I beam saddles on it from seated take-offs and lanndings, and haven't heard a whimper out of the frame ;)
 

dan-o

Turbo Monkey
Jun 30, 2004
6,499
2,805
I had one of those Nomads and while the construction and quality is great, the geo is a bit wonky. Unless you have an extremely short reach then going up a frame size is a necessity.
^this.
I'd save up for a new nomad though, I'm loving mine, geek leverage curve haters/DW knobs slobbers be damned. Pedals great when not e-riding, slays the downs and they finally got the geo/fit dialed (xl fits me @ 6'4 perfectly.

Then again I like my Schwalbe tires and trust my enve bar more than a rebranded Taiwan catalog alu bar so take my comments with a grain of salt.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
They've been making the nomad for what, ten years? And they still can't figure out the geo? Christ the bike industry is pathetic.
No that's the nomad2 with all that long chainstay, short front end, stiff top end, blow through the midstroke crap that some of their bikes had.

The geo on the new one is the shit. It's got a bit of a wallowy midstroke that makes pumping transitions kind of pointless but the geometry is pretty awesome. I rode one almost every day for a month between tahoe and whistler (because I was going to buy it) and the frame layout is about as good as it gets.







..........on the internet..............I mean I rode it on the internet
 
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kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI

What they say is pretty much in line with my two friends who rides it.

Not sure where you are riding but its not all of use who needs more travel. Lighter shorter travel bike has its advantages too.
With out looking at any numbers I feel like they are describing what I liked about my stumpjumper FSR. Low slung, slack ish, playful, fun.

As for where I will ride this, pretty much everywhere I wouldn't ride my road bike, or my DH bike.

Definitely one to consider.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,864
4,164
Copenhagen, Denmark
I ride a 2014 GT Sensor Carbon 140mm front and 130 rear travel. Its not the bike that is holding me back and I am happy I did not go for the Force with 150mm travel.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
but generally it's not hard to do better than VPP.

Under the right designer, one pivot can do many things - and under the wrong one, many pivots can do... well, not much.

/vpprealitycheck
I demoed a 951 Evo a few months ago and couldn't believe how much I hated it. Suspension just wallowed like crazy through the mid stroke, then hit a wall. It was the loudest, creakiest POS I'd ridden in forever too, though it's hard to know how much of that to chalk up the the bike being clapped out and how much it was just inherently shitty.
 
Dec 3, 2007
75
33
I demoed a 951 Evo a few months ago and couldn't believe how much I hated it. Suspension just wallowed like crazy through the mid stroke, then hit a wall. It was the loudest, creakiest POS I'd ridden in forever too, though it's hard to know how much of that to chalk up the the bike being clapped out and how much it was just inherently shitty.
Sounds like just about every Intense VPP frame I've ever ridden, new or otherwise.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,628
12,928
Cackalacka du Nord
funny, doesn't sound a thing like my uzzi, which does not wallow and which i've beat the piss out of on every trail i can find for the past five years, including plenty of rocky, choppy, blown out stuff.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,628
12,928
Cackalacka du Nord
I was referring more to:
"Sounds like just about every Intense VPP frame I've ever ridden, new or otherwise." than HAB's comments about the 951 evo.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
I got a little bit of riding in on a solo. I liked it better but not really for what denjen is looking for.

Just ride that stumpjumper evo till it breaks man. Them's good bikes.
I think for me it would work as I don't always need the 140-160mm travel range.

I wish I had never sold my stumpjumper looking back on it. I may just buy another one used.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
I was referring more to:
"Sounds like just about every Intense VPP frame I've ever ridden, new or otherwise." than HAB's comments about the 951 evo.
They've all got that weird hammock leverage rate (except for the 951 which just has half of it). Some of them are more shallow than others. Those tend to be the better riding ones. I haven't ridden them all but I've ridden a few of them. They don't all suck.

Some of them REALLY suck. I mean "are plush bro".
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
They've all got that weird hammock leverage rate (except for the 951 which just has half of it). Some of them are more shallow than others. Those tend to be the better riding ones. I haven't ridden them all but I've ridden a few of them. They don't all suck.

Some of them REALLY suck. I mean "are plush bro".
3 seconds of googling turned this up. It's... not good.