Santa Cruz Bicycles

5010 Carbon CC XTR Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

Bombarded monthly with hyperbolic claims about the latest bike to deliver new levels of versatility, we can’t help but look back with nostalgia on one of the original pioneers of on-trail adaptability. Santa Cruz Bicycles' 5010 has never tried to masquerade as an enduro beast that can still give weight weenies a run for their money on a day with 3,000 feet of climbing. Rather, the 5010 slid easily into a previously underserved category between XC and enduro. Now surrounded by plenty of good company, the 5010 has only gotten better with time. The 2016 5010 Carbon CC XTR Complete Mountain Bike continues that legacy, offering up an enviable build kit on a more aggressive frame prepared to hold its own in the category it helped to build.

To take the 5010 into its second generation, Santa Cruz steepened the seat tube and slackened the head tube angles, bringing the head tube to a decidedly all-mountain 67 degrees. You’ll notice the change when you hit your first rock garden just beyond the trailhead and blast through in the blink of an eye, marveling at how Santa Cruz managed to give the 5010 such confidence in the bumps without making you feel like Santa at the helm of an unwieldy enduro sleigh. One answer: that steepened seat tube angle. It orients you directly above the bottom bracket to usher power directly where you need it as you grind it out on long fire road climbs. 5mm more travel, increased dropper range, stubbier chainstays, and a wider rear axle also don’t hurt its cause, giving it greater confidence in the constantly changing conditions trail riders must adapt to in an afternoon.

Though it’s difficult to find fault in Santa Cruz’s VPP suspension platform, the firm decided it could do better. It retuned the suspension curve to resemble a flattened check mark instead of a deep “U” shape, resulting in less dramatic ramping on either end of the travel arc. You’ll notice your rear wheel jumping around less as you take successive hits in lengthy rock gardens, instead remaining glued to the trail for a more consistent ride. 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 unsettling wallowing, bobbing, and bottom-outs when you’re barreling into big hits.

One area that didn’t need changing: Santa Cruz’s always impressive Carbon CC construction. The top-end carbon layup gives engineers the ability to use less material to hit stiffness targets while achieving weight savings that hover just under the 300g mark compared to Santa Cruz’s standard C grade carbon. Greater fine-tuning in the engineering process allows Santa Cruz to eliminate artificial weak points along the frame, as well as remove any excess material and resin pooling from the inside, resulting in more structural integrity and additional weight savings. Pair that with an 11-speed XTR drivetrain and Shimano’s beloved hydraulic disc brakes, and you’ll be having a hell of a time on the trails this season.