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Santa Cruz Bicycles
Hightower Carbon CC 27.5+ X01 Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

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Tower power.

It may not feature SRAM's top-end one-by drivetrain, but the Hightower Carbon CC 27.5+ X01 Complete Mountain Bike still has the same long, low geometry and peculiar flip chip shock mount system as its more expensive XX1-equipped stablemate. It's also got the added stiffness of Boost axles, which means it climbs like a trail bike but tracks through terrain like an all-mountain shredder. The frame can be converted to run as a 29er with minimal impact to the geometry, but the combination of Boost axles, clearance for 2.8in tires, aggressively stubby chainstays, a long reach, and a decidedly slack head tube means that you may never be tempted by wagon wheels.


In addition to the drivetrain changes, this version of the Hightower features SRAM Guide RSC brakes and DT Swiss hubs. Of course, anyone who's compared the stopping power of the Guide brakes to the Elixirs that they've essentially replaced knows that this is hardly a downgrade, and we've never actually heard anyone complain about DT Swiss 350 hubs. So yeah, the bike's kit isn't as expensive as it could be, but we suggest that's a good thing — especially since it's still more than capable of handling abuse from all-day bikepacking to race-day berm roosting.

Like with the ability to swap wheel sizes, the Hightower's mid-range, 5.3in travel belies its true nature. Though its travel and wheel clearance may initially inspire comparisons with Mr. Moderate (the 5010) or SC's equivalent of a center in basketball (the Tallboy LT), Santa Cruz instead encourages us to "think of it as the Bronson's taller brother." Yep, that Bronson. Given the implied big-hit aggression of this comparison, we're compelled to dip into the lore of North American ball sports again for another analogy: the Hightower isn't a gangly hoopster so much as the two-wheeled version of a predatory linebacker. The 27.5+ Hightower's 66.8-degree head tube angle, generous tire clearance, and reworked Virtual Pivot Point suspension all mean that it's capable of cleaning lines that would make the steep-angled Tallboy soil its long-legged pants.


SC is so intent on proving the Hightower's outsized merit over rock gardens that it actually bypassed the Bronson and went straight to the 6.5in Nomad for suspension inspiration. Besides the obvious big-hit benefits, one result of this is that the link stays out of the way, which may be why the Hightower can accommodate a piggyback shock and a bottle cage — yet one more indication that the Hightower isn't just for XC hardpack or enduro shuttle loops. Instead, it's designed to be the engine on the way up and the sled on the way down.


The Hightower's two triangles are joined by the latest generation of VPP suspension. SC refers to it in-house as VPP3, but it's essentially the same VPP we know and love with the Nomad-inspired updates mentioned above. A repositioned lower link now shelters above the bottom bracket, increasing ground clearance to decrease the chance of rock strikes while indulging the Hightower's desire to masticate scree fields and dice through the rooty, rocky, techy stuff. The upper link has also wandered up and forward, which makes for a more accommodating standover height for smaller riders wanting a huge ride, and it also stiffens the back end.


The latest VPP's changes aren't limited to wandering links, though; the system's tuning has also been tweaked. 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 arc. The results are that, during the initial and mid stroke, it boasts increased bump compliance to keep the tires glued to the trail for more traction across lumpy trails and root latticed climbs. It also maintains its predecessor's firm feel during accelerations while jockeying for position in a mass start or a finishing sprint. The RockShox Monarch's 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 Boost axle's path turns rearward to absorb big hits deep in its travel.


In the end, the Hightower is still a Santa Cruz, so it features the same Carbon CC frame construction that's ruined our tastes by giving us unrealistic expectations for how carbon should feel. For the top-tier CC frame, the engineers use a higher modulus carbon than the Carbon C model, so less material is required to hit the same strength and stiffness numbers. Less material equates to less weight, and, well, you can see where we're going with this. Climbing and pure speed both benefit when there's less mass for your engine to propel, a stiffer chassis tracks truer across the kind of terrain the Hightower will tempt you into.


The frame's two carbon triangles are built as whole pieces rather than glued together from disparate bits, a method that saves weight and increases structural integrity by allowing Santa Cruz to wrap carbon continuously through and around key junctures. This process reinforces the frame with less material while eliminating the artificial stress points that result from bonded construction methods. Finally, the carbon is also compacted from the inside and the outside for a more even finish that avoids any structural defects, excess material build-up, and resin pooling for — you guessed it — even more weight savings.


Despite the appeal of 27.5+, the little flip chip niblet that sits in the upper link and allows the shock mount to migrate is pretty damn cool, and definitely warrants some attention. Being able to reposition the shock attachment point effectively accounts for the 9mm difference in radii between 27.5+ and 29in tires, keeping the geometry as static as possible across wheel sizes. There's definitely a trend in the industry towards four-inch 29ers slacked out for trail riding, but the Hightower's optional 29er incarnation pushes that trend into the all-mountain realm.


Frame Material
Carbon CC
Suspension
VPP
Rear Shock
RockShox Monarch RT3
Rear Travel
135 mm
Fork
RockShox Pike RCT3
Front Travel
150 mm
Headset
Cane Creek 110 IS
Shifters
SRAM X01 Trigger (right only)
Front Derailleur
n/a
Rear Derailleur
SRAM X01 Carbon
ISCG Tabs
yes, ISCG 05
Crankset
30 t Race Face Turbine
Crank Arm Length
175 mm
Cassette
10 - 42 t SRAM XG-1180
Brakeset
SRAM Guide RSC
Brake Type
hydraulic disc
Rotors
180 mm Avid Centerline
Handlebar
SCB 16 AM carbon flat bar
Handlebar Width
780 mm
Grips
Santa Cruz Palmdale lock-on
Stem
Race Face Turbine Basic
Stem Length
50 mm
Saddle
WTB Silverado Team
Seatpost
RockShox Reverb Stealth 150mm
Wheelset
[rims] Easton ARC 40
Hubs
Dt Swiss 350
Front Axle
15 x 110mm Boost
Rear Axle
12 x 148mm Boost
Tires
[front] Maxxis Rekon EXO 3C, [rear] Maxxis Ikon EXO
Tire Size
27.5 x 2.8 in
Pedals
not included
Claimed Weight
27.96 lbs
Recommended Use
all-mountain, enduro, trail
Manufacturer Warranty
lifetime on frame

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