Santa Cruz Bicycles

5010 R Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

For all the latest industry trends of enduro-style sleds, one-by drivetrains, and high-priced carbon widgets, there's something about Santa Cruz's 5010 R Complete Mountain Bike that appeals to us. Maybe it’s the decades-long record of the hydroformed alloy the frame is made from. Maybe it's the no-nonsense versatility of its double drivetrain. Maybe it's the eminently capable platform of five inches of Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) suspension mated with the 5010's BOTY award winning geometry. Maybe it's all of these things, but whatever the case, the 5010 R is an ever-capable reminder that bikes don't need six inches of travel and a five digit price tag.

There are a few reasons that the 5010 has earned such a devoted following, and they return largely unchanged in this unaltered 2016 model. First, 27.5in wheels are the sweet spot between the rolling speed of 29ers and the responsive nimbleness of 26ers. Second, 125mm of rear wheel travel lands right between short-travel race rigs and big-hit trail-crushers. Third, the perfectly neutral 68-degree head tube and 17.1in chainstays mean the 5010 isn't the absolute best at climbing, enduro-style DH, or XC racing, but it transitions through all three disciplines better than almost any other bike we've thrown a leg over — the true all-mountain machine.

The two counter-rotating links that anchor the 5010's VPP suspension platform are largely responsible for the 5010's adaptability. The upper link provides most of the rotation as the bike compresses into the sag point for a vertical wheel path that manifests as a firm platform for acceleration and eager small-bump compliance. As the bike compresses deeper, the lower link activates, moving the axle path rearward to lengthen the wheelbase and increase stability while carrying momentum across trail furniture. The result is a travel path that encourages all the aggression you can milk out of the stiff alloy frame and curated Shimano/SRAM drivetrain.