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New Santa Cruz Bikes

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,884
450
Here's what I want to know: Can you beat the s*** out of the nickel, or is a lighter tubeset than the butcher?
Also, I wonder if you can run a 150/160 mm fork on it.
I like that they have chainguide mounts!
 

bogusbill

Chimp
Oct 16, 2009
52
0
That seems to be the case. I am quite excited about these bikes, because its where the industry needs to head. Cheaper, high quality bikes are the future to get the sport rolling. $3k DH frames can FO.
Just too bad they have be made in Taiwan to hit hose price points. Another one joins the masses.
 

WBC

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
578
1
PNW
I dont see how these bikes are any cheaper to produce than the VPP bikes.
am I missing something?
One big thing is that each pivot location between the front end and the axle affects frame alignment. This is especially true for something with short links that move over large angles. VPP also can sometimes bind in the links if it is even slightly off.

I'm sure there's a lot more, but that is definitely part of it.

Bikes look good! It would be awesome if they sold another version of the Nickel with a slightly shorter shock! Low 13" BB with 67 HA would make me drop the cash immediately.
 

dropmachine

Turbo Monkey
Sep 7, 2001
2,922
10
Your face.
Just too bad they have be made in Taiwan to hit hose price points. Another one joins the masses.
They could make it in a Taiwanese Lunatic asylum at arts and crafts time for all I care. Long as its made RIGHT, I don't care where its done.

This "buy local" BS doesnt' work anymore when the guys making it overseas are doing it cheaper, AND just as good or better.
 

Demomonkey

Monkey
Apr 27, 2005
857
0
Auckland New Zealand
I dont see how these bikes are any cheaper to produce than the VPP bikes.
am I missing something?
Exactly. A +50% premium for one extra link and a mighty increase in maintenance is taking the p*ss.

Having said that, the Nickel is one sweet looking bike. Why no ISCG05 though? I'll be looking hard at one to replace the Meta.
 
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I.van

Monkey
Apr 15, 2007
188
0
Australia
Exactly. A +50% premium for one extra link and a mighty increase in maintenance is taking the p*ss.

Having said that, the Nickel is one sweet looking bike. Why no ISCG05 though? I'll be looking hard at one to replace the Meta.
Maybe you could slightly shorten the shock on the Butcher? The frame weights don't appear to be much different.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,369
1,605
Warsaw :/
Exactly. A +50% premium for one extra link and a mighty increase in maintenance is taking the p*ss.

Having said that, the Nickel is one sweet looking bike. Why no ISCG05 though? I'll be looking hard at one to replace the Meta.
the extra 50% extra you don't pay for is santa's vpp marketing bs ;)
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Giant's factorys in Taiwan have been building SC frames for a couple years now. V-10 is still made here.
Yeah and Giant's mini-link framesets cost less than these single pivot frames with the same options.

Anthem X with headset and Float RP23 - $1250
Giant Reign X with headset and DHX 5 Air - $1450
 

SuboptimusPrime

Turbo Monkey
Aug 18, 2005
1,659
1,636
NorCack
Those could be awesome if they were lower. BB height is pretty high for my taste.
Agreed. Stoked at the price point and all that. Wishing at least one of them was really low-slung a la blur 4X or spitfire. Curious how the geo on a short-shocked butcher would sort out. Regardless, SC will sell a lot of these.
 

AlmostHeaven

Turbo Monkey
Jun 8, 2005
1,164
0
VIRGINIA
Enough of this armchair BS; let's discuss something else.



Am I the only one who still can't over the fact that Cedric looks really weird riding an SC? Cool, but taking a while to get used to seeing...
 

davec113

Monkey
May 24, 2009
419
0
interesting, I thought the shock rate was a compromise made by vpp, and not a benefit??? :shocked:
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
Seems like a lot of people have been drinking Haterade lately. I enjoy seeing new products from companies and 99% of the time they help the sport grow. Nothing wrong with 2 more frame options.
 

AzN_devil

Monkey
Jun 18, 2009
101
0
Hong Kong
how come no one makes a trail bike with 5~6 inches of travel and 63-65 degree head angle? i think that'd be the best thing for people to get into the world of dh but dont want a downhill bike to begin with

front end stability without the need of dc fork and pretty much a dh oriented all around bike
 

Banshee Rider

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2003
1,452
10
how come no one makes a trail bike with 5~6 inches of travel and 63-65 degree head angle? i think that'd be the best thing for people to get into the world of dh but dont want a downhill bike to begin with

front end stability without the need of dc fork and pretty much a dh oriented all around bike
Because they would ride like a mule.
 
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Fleek3000

Chimp
Feb 9, 2010
7
0
6" trail bike with 65 degree HA - Orange Alpine or 2010 Specialized Enduro (note these aren't the angles quoted on their website but a UK magazine measured them, and I have an Alpine which is 65 measured)
 
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norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,369
1,605
Warsaw :/
how come no one makes a trail bike with 5~6 inches of travel and 63-65 degree head angle? i think that'd be the best thing for people to get into the world of dh but dont want a downhill bike to begin with

front end stability without the need of dc fork and pretty much a dh oriented all around bike
offset headtube cups and you are sorted but for begginers 65-66 is really better than 63-65 as at the begining you don't need crazy stability anyway. Just get a pitch, spitfire or something along the lines.
 

Demomonkey

Monkey
Apr 27, 2005
857
0
Auckland New Zealand
I woke this morning dreaming I was riding a red Nickel, Pikes and a bb mounted Gamut.

It must be fate - my first full suspension bike was a mark 1 SC Heckler.

RRP in NZ is expected to be $2500 for the Nickel. Available in June/July.
 

bogusbill

Chimp
Oct 16, 2009
52
0
They could make it in a Taiwanese Lunatic asylum at arts and crafts time for all I care. Long as its made RIGHT, I don't care where its done.

This "buy local" BS doesnt' work anymore when the guys making it overseas are doing it cheaper, AND just as good or better.
I see your point, I would much rather spend my money to help keep unemployment rates down and increase the GNP of a country other than my own and in the mean time help to rid this country of any of the skilled labor required to make said product just as good or better, or any other product for that matter, but be sure to support your LBS since all that will be left will be service jobs.

Don't get me wrong I'm well aware of the quality that comes from Taiwan and that most brands have been made there for a long time now. Hydroforming was not invented there but they seem to be the leaders in that technology for the bike industry. I am also aware that alot of the frames are produced by Giant. I try to buy what I can from North America when it makes sense. I have Taiwaines, Canadian and U.S. made bikes all of somewhat equal quality I just feel better thinking that I might be helping a blue collar workers job stay here by buying what I can instead of feeding the never rising tide of outsourcing.

Seems I have seen alot more complaints about Rockshox and Marzocchi on here than Fox. I think I'll wait a few more years before considering one of those brands.
 

biking_2003

Chimp
Jan 6, 2010
1
0
Looks pretty cool, but I hope they don't dump the Heckler before I can snatch one.

In reference to another post here, I also thought the shock rate of vpp was a downside:confused: While you don't want to blow through travel, ramp up at the end of the travel isn't necessarily good.

I don't really see the benefit of this bike on paper like SC does. Still has brake jack and still has a forward axle path (as opposed to vpp). I'll take the Heckler and lose the extra links and bearings over these I think.

I guess we'll have to wait to see how it rides though, to be sure.
 

bdamschen

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2005
3,377
156
Spreckels, CA
I see your point, I would much rather spend my money to help keep unemployment rates down and increase the GNP of a country other than my own and in the mean time help to rid this country of any of the skilled labor required to make said product just as good or better, or any other product for that matter, but be sure to support your LBS since all that will be left will be service jobs.
If the only thing that's keeping the US economy competitive with the rest of the world is our sheer patriotism, the US is screwed anyways.
 

BmxConvert

Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
715
0
Longview, Washington
how come no one makes a trail bike with 5~6 inches of travel and 63-65 degree head angle? i think that'd be the best thing for people to get into the world of dh but dont want a downhill bike to begin with

front end stability without the need of dc fork and pretty much a dh oriented all around bike
At that point they would be "slopestyle/mini DH bikes" not trail bikes.
Have you climbed with anything slacker than a 65deg. head angle?
It's really not so much fun. To me, my trail bike has to be able to get me to the top in order to be able to blast the downhills in the trail. Further more, if someone is going to market a bike as a "trail" or "all-mountain" bike, people will expect it to climb well. A slack head angle on climbs is quite awkward and the wheel loves to flop. In addition not everyone wants to have to flip a lever to raise there seat and twist a knob to lower their fork everytime a hill arises(poor pun intended). Finding a happy medium, that allows me to hop on, pedal to the top and blast down without worry appeals to me. Less is more, and I want more; more fun, more time on my bike, and more stories about how much fun it is to ride a bike.

Maybe I'm the only one that doesn't want to make my trail bike into a short travel bike wishing it were downhill bike.
 
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WhiteVten

Chimp
Apr 15, 2004
31
0
Atl
They could make it in a Taiwanese Lunatic asylum at arts and crafts time for all I care. Long as its made RIGHT, I don't care where its done.

This "buy local" BS doesnt' work anymore when the guys making it overseas are doing it cheaper, AND just as good or better.
nice to not know you
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,654
1,129
NORCAL is the hizzle
I guess we'll have to wait to see how it rides though, to be sure.
I was worried about your post until this part. :D Ride the bikes and then form an opinion. If you like single pivots these bikes are pretty killer. The extra bearings and links don't add much in terms of cost, weight, or complexity but they do have a significant impact on the ride - for the better, in my opinion (and I've owned - and loved - two different generations of hecklers).

And FWIW, the VPP shock rates are not a negative result or a compromise as suggested in this thread. It's an intentional result after years of making bikes. Some people like it and some don't (go figure!), but SC likes it enough to replicate it with the new APP bikes.

Just my two (somewhat biased) pennies.
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
I was worried about your post until this part. :D Ride the bikes and then form an opinion. If you like single pivots these bikes are pretty killer. The extra bearings and links don't add much in terms of cost, weight, or complexity but they do have a significant impact on the ride - for the better, in my opinion (and I've owned - and loved - two different generations of hecklers).

And FWIW, the VPP shock rates are not a negative result or a compromise as suggested in this thread. It's an intentional result after years of making bikes. Some people like it and some don't (go figure!), but SC likes it enough to replicate it with the new APP bikes.

Just my two (somewhat biased) pennies.
You have one of the new APP bikes already?
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
I don't own one but I've been able to get out on a few solid rides on them.
Cool. Aside from it being an improvement, does it actually do what they say it does, feel like a VPP (not wheel path obviously)? Or is it more of a standard progressive linkage? It does look like it would be a fun bike.