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Santa Cruz Bicycles
Hightower Carbon CC 27.5+ XX1 Eagle Mountain Bike - 2017

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Take flight.

With a long, low, aggressive geometry and a unique flip chip shock mount that lets you easily swap between 29-inch and 27.5+ tires, Santa Cruz's 2017 Hightower Carbon CC 27.5+ XX1 Eagle Complete Mountain Bike is built to get rowdy. Boost axles give it the stiffness to climb like a trail bike and blast burly terrain like an all-mountain tank. While the flip chip does add the versatility for 29er conversion with minimal impact to geometry, the 27.5+ build's combination of plush, grippy 2.8in tires, Boost axles, stubby chainstays, a long reach, and a decidedly slack head tube constitutes a versatile platform that you may never be tempted to change.


This build sits firmly in the eye-catching dream bike category with SRAM's groundbreaking, top-tier XX1 Eagle one-by 12-speed drivetrain, lightweight yet powerful Guide Ultimate hydraulic brakes, and Race Face ARC rims laced to Industry Nine's venerable Torch hubs.


As 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 the more moderate 5010 or the Tallboy LT, Santa Cruz instead encourages us to "think of it as the Bronson's taller brother." Yep, that Bronson. 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 stop in its tracks.


Santa Cruz is so intent on proving the Hightower's outsized merit over rock gardens that it 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 both a bottle cage and a piggyback shock—yet another indication that it thrives on XC hardpack and enduro shuttle loops.


The Hightower's two triangles are joined by the latest generation of VPP suspension. Santa Cruz refers to it in-house as third generation VPP, 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.


The Hightower features the same Carbon CC frame construction that's ruined our taste by giving us unrealistic expectations for how carbon should feel. For the top-tier CC frame, Santa Cruz 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 climbing and pure speed both benefit when there's less mass for your engine to propel.


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 even more weight savings.


Finally—and 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 total wheel/tire radii between 27.5+ and 29in setups, keeping the geometry as static as possible across wheel sizes. There's definitely a trend in the industry towards slacked-out, four-inch 29ers, but the Hightower's optional 29er incarnation pushes that trend into the proper all-mountain realm.


Details

  • Santa Cruz's ultimate 27.5+ trail bike
  • Responsive pedaling platform with 5.3in of VPP travel
  • Spacious geometry for sending bigger lines
  • Flip chip allows compatibility with both 27.5+ and 29in wheels
  • Carbon CC construction reduces weight and increases stiffness
  • Santa Cruz Bicycles continues to lead the industry with innovative design
  • Item #SNZ00BR
Frame Material
Carbon CC
Suspension
VPP
Rear Shock
Rock Shox Monarch RT3
Rear Travel
135 mm
Fork
Rock Shox Pike RCT3
Front Travel
150 mm
Headset
Cane Creek 110
Shifters
SRAM XX1 Eagle
Front Derailleur
n/a
Rear Derailleur
SRAM XX1 Eagle
ISCG Tabs
yes, ISCG 05
Crankset
30 t SRAM XX1 Eagle
Bottom Bracket
threaded
Cassette
10 - 50 t SRAM XG 1295
Chain
SRAM XX1 Eagle Powerlock
Brakeset
SRAM Guide Ultimate
Brake Type
hydraulic disc
Rotors
180 / 180 mm Avid Centerline
Handlebar
Santa Cruz Carbon flat bar
Handlebar Width
780 mm
Grips
Santa Cruz Palmdale lock-on
Stem
Easton Haven aluminum
Saddle
WTB Silverado SLT
Seatpost
[sizes medium, large] RockShox Reverb Stealth 150mm, [size x-large] RockShox Reverb Stealth 170mm
Wheelset
Race Face ARC 40
Hubs
I9 Torch
Front Axle
15 x 110mm Boost
Rear Axle
12 x 148mm Boost
Tires
[front] Maxxis Rekon EXO 3C, [rear] Maxxis Rekon EXO
Tire Size
[front] 27.5 x 2.8 in, [rear] 27.5 x 2.8 in
Pedals
not included
Recommended Use
trail, all-mountain, enduro
Manufacturer Warranty
lifetime on frame

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