Juliana

Furtado 2.0 Carbon CC XT Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

For 2016, Juliana went back to the drawing board with its renowned Furtado to push the envelope and redefine what a trail bike is capable of. The result is the 2016 Furtado 2.0 Carbon CC XT Complete Mountain Bike. It starts from scratch with all new geometry—longer, lower, and slacker, yet with a more aggressive pedaling platform and nimbler back end—and kits it out with a Fox Float Factory rear shock, a RockShox Pike fork, a smattering of Shimano's XT componentry and hydraulic disc brakes to create a race-ready whip that's up for shredding some serious terrain.

The key geometry changes accounting for the 2.0 designation lie in the head and seat tubes. They're slacker and steeper, respectively, with the head tube losing a whole degree, from 68 to 67, bringing it in line with the previous Bronson model. As you can imagine, the change is noticeable when the tires hit dirt, completely blowing up our own expectations for how much crunch a "trail" bike is equipped to handle.

The steepened seat tube is equally impressive, though in a different way. The forward-oriented position of the saddle makes for better leverage on the pedals while grinding out climbs or burning diesel on long stretches of fast singletrack. The Furtado 2.0 also has a longer reach, lower bottom bracket, 5mm more travel, increased dropper range, stubbier chainstays, and a wider rear axle. That pile of alterations means that it pedals harder, takes bigger bites out of terrain, and provides a wider dropper range for aggressively tackling double-digit grades on either side of zero.

The latest VPP suspension also sees some changes. The most immediately obvious is the extra 5mm of travel, but the tuning has also been revised. Where the old suspension curve described a deep "U," the new VPP's curve resembles a flattened check mark, with less dramatic ramping on either end of the travel arc. The results are that, during the initial stroke, VPP now boasts increased small bump compliance to keep the tires glued to the trail for more traction across lumpy trails and root lattices. It also maintains its predecessor's firm feel during accelerations while jockeying for position in a mass start or clearing a shelf at the crux of a climb. When paired with FOX's Evol air can, the ramp-up arc doesn't dramatically alter as the shock compresses, so the pedaling platform stays consistent across travel with less wallowing, bob, and bottom-outs—even while the axle's path turns rearward as travel increases to absorb big hits.

Despite these tweaks, Santa Cruz opts for the same top-end Carbon CC construction method and materials featured throughout its 2015 line. Beginning with superior materials allows the engineers to use less carbon in order to hit stiffness targets while claiming weight savings that hover just under the 300g mark. Both triangles are constructed as whole, monocoque pieces, which contributes to keeping weight low by allowing the carbon to wrap continuously through junctures and around joints. This eliminates the artificial weak points of bonded frames and actually less overall material in the process. While it's being cured, the frame is compacted from inside and out, a final step that virtually eliminates any excess material and resin pooling, resulting in more structural integrity and, of course, additional weight savings.