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Santa Cruz Bicycles
Highball Carbon S Complete Mountain Bike 27.5in - 2015

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The longer, lower Highball.

Since Santa Cruz is renowned for obsessive R&D that continually pushes the industry standard into the future, it may seem strange that the 2015 "innovation" that many of us are most excited about is something of a step back. For the 27.5-inch Highball Carbon S Complete Mountain Bike, Santa Cruz lays-up the frame with a lower modulus of carbon than that used in the "pro" models.


This requires more material to achieve the same stiffness and durability, which brings the weight up by a claimed 280 grams while bringing the price down to a self-sponsored level — a balancing act that immediately catapulted the Highball Carbon S up the charts at Competitive. It may not be the future of the World Cup champions, but it's certainly the future for those of us more interested in the ride than the scale.


The California manufacturer still brings its meticulous construction practices to bear on the slightly heavier chassis, using a single layup instead of a jigsaw puzzle of individually-cured carbon tubes. This allows Santa Cruz to wrap the fibers continuously around structurally important junctures like the head tube and bottom bracket, strengthening the frame, dissipating the force from impacts, and more efficiently channeling pedal input.


Translated into trail talk, this means it hits the bricks when you stomp the pedals, dampens high-speed chatter, and holds lines like a cat on carpet — all with a low-weight that makes any full-suspension bike look like a bloated gravity machine that only sees inclines from the chair lift. The Highball 27.5 does somewhat address the lack of rear suspension with a diminished seatpost, slimmed down to 27.2 millimeters. While this doesn't quite equate to the square-edge hit capabilities of the Nomad or Bronson, it does help to eat up chatter that will otherwise accumulate over the course of a long ride.


Santa Cruz justifies the choice of a 69° head tube angle by citing the all-mountain benefits of a trail-friendly rake combined with mid-sized wheels. Compared to the original 29er Highball, the 27.5-inch model has a lower, longer geometry, so it's tethered to lines both on the way up and the way down. Despite its long wheelbase, the Highball 27.5 has shorter chainstays then the 29er, so it capitalizes on the stiff, carbon hardtail and 12 x 142mm rear axle for efficient power transfer that lends itself to pushing through grades and carrying speed out of switchbacks.


The drivetrain's blend of Shimano's XT and SLX components ensure that the frame's power transfer isn't hampered or interrupted altogether by sloppy operation or dropped chains, and the FOX 32 Float fork's 100mm of travel and Climb, Trail, Descend settings mean you'll be optimally poised to handle the varying terrain of trial riding and cross-country racing. The included WTB rims are also tubeless-ready, so you can save weight and ride with impunity through the goat head patches of late summer.


Frame Material
carbon fiber
Fork
FOX 32 Float CTD Performance Fit
Front Travel
100 mm
Headset
Cane Creek 40 tapered
Shifters
Shimano SLX M670
Front Derailleur
Shimano XT
Rear Derailleur
Shimano XT M786 Shadow+
ISCG Tabs
no
Crankset
24 / 38 t Shimano SLX M675
Bottom Bracket
BSA threaded
Cassette
11 - 36 t Shimano SLX HG81
Chain
Shimano SLX HG75
Brakeset
Shimano SLX M675
Brake Type
hydraulic disc
Rotors
160 mm Shimano RT66
Handlebar
Rece Face Evolve Flat
Handlebar Width
720 mm
Grips
Santa Cruz Palmdale Lock-on
Stem
Race Face Turbine
Saddle
WTB Volt Race
Seatpost
Race Face Ride
Wheelset
[rims] WTB STi19 TCS, [spokes] DT Swiss Competition
Hubs
SRAM MTH 716/746
Front Axle
15x100mm thru-axle
Rear Axle
12x142mm thru-axle
Tires
Maxxis Ikon
Tire Size
27.5 x 2.2 in
Pedals
not included
Recommended Use
cross-country
Manufacturer Warranty
5 years on frame

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