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Santa Cruz Bicycles
Tallboy 2 R XC Complete Mountain Bike

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Designed for speed.

When it came time for Santa Cruz to update its venerable Tallboy, change came in the form of a revised suspension platform and a reduction in weight. But, it's worth noting that carbon didn't receive all of the attention. Instead, Santa Cruz's Tallboy 2 R XC Complete Mountain Bike sees the same updates as its carbon sibling, and tops it off with a Shimano drivetrain, Avid brakes, and hand built wheels. As a result, Santa Cruz built a trusty companion that covers its end of the bargain, no matter where the trail takes you.


When revising the Tallboy, Santa Cruz made sure that any improvements were exactly that, an improvement. After all, why mess with a good thing? So, rather than make changes to the geometry on its best-selling model, Santa Cruz instead looked at ways to shave weight and improve stiffness. The resulting frame takes roughly 150 grams off of the previous aluminum version by making some changes to the tubing. But, saving weight isn't everything, which is why Santa Cruz managed to also make the Tallboy 2 stiffer. You'll also find that Santa Cruz incorporated the same collet-style pivot hardware that's become standard for Santa Cruz's suspension bikes. This means that your pivots will stay tight, while also making service a breeze.


Santa Cruz's spirit of improvement is furthered with some of the Tallboy 2's more subtle details. The first improvement that you'll notice in the saddle is the modified suspension rate. Specifically, the progressivity at the end of the stroke has been reduced in comparison to the original Tallboy. In translation, modern shocks are more capable of resisting bottoming-out than they were during the genesis of the Tallboy. So, this revised suspension layout provides full travel with the current generation of suspension dampers. More specifically, it's tuned for the FOX Racing Shox FLOAT CTD shock, which features FOX's CTD adjustment scheme for simplified suspension tuning. And, piggy-backing off of improved suspension action, the overall efficiency receives a boost as well.


The suspension is a refinement of Santa Cruz's dual-link, counter-rotating VPP suspension design. When compressing the suspension from the beginning of the stroke, most of the rotation happens in the stiff aluminum top link, which pulls the wheel closer to the bottom bracket. That keeps the Tallboy soft off of the top, making for a supremely smooth ride. And, once you pass the sag point and get deeper into the travel, the forged aluminum lower link handles most of the rotation. This means that the rear wheel is traveling away from the bottom bracket, so it's better equipped to handle larger, square-edged impacts. VPP is also incredibly effective at neutralizing braking forces, which prevents either stiffening or extending under hard braking. But, the main benefit that you'll notice with this suspension platform is that it isolates pedaling forces in order to keep the bike from bobbing.The lower link has easily accessible grease ports, once again increasing the ease of service.


Perhaps the biggest change is that Santa Cruz is providing the Tallboy 2 in a size Small. Previous iterations of the Tallboy weren't available in sizes smaller than Medium, because the suspension platform provided a limited stand-over. Stand-over is of particular importance to riders, especially on bikes with 29-inch wheels. However, the updated suspension layout lowered the shock mount enough to provide plenty of stand-over for a Small size to be added. Not surprisingly, this provides the same fit that you'd expect from Santa Cruz's other models.


The R XC build gets a set of Shimano SLX shifters, an SLX front derailleur, and an SLX Shadow Plus rear derailleur. And, not only do you receive the precise shifting that Shimano is known for, but the Shadow Plus technology includes a clutch in the lower cage that minimizes chain slap. This equates to fewer dropped chains and a near-silent ride. Avid Elixir 5 brakes handle stopping duties, while Race Face gets the nod for the handlebars, stem, and seatpost. Rounding out the package is a set of WTB i29 TCS rims that have been laced to Shimano hubs. This wheelset is not only light and stiff, but it makes for an easy tubeless conversion if you decide to go that route. Additionally, the wheels have been wrapped in Maxxis Crossmark tires in order to provide a dependable grip and a low rolling-resistance.


Those with considerable saddle time on the Tallboy platform know that despite its modest 100mm wheel travel, this is a bike that begs to be pushed hard. This has been further enhanced through the the VPP's pairing with a trail-worthy FOX 32 FLOAT 29 CTD Evolution 120 fork. Additionally, the Tallboy 2 receives stealth routing for dropper seatposts. So, you have several options if you're looking for more control on descents and technical sections. For compatibility with tapered forks, the mixed-tapered 44/56mm head tube carries over, as does the 142x12mm thru-axle rear end. Both traits not only boost the stiffness of the frame, but of the bike as a whole. This equates to a precise level of tracking, which is particularly noticeable on rough lines and off-camber sections.


The Santa Cruz Tallboy 2 R XC Complete Mountain Bike is available in four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the colors Gloss Green/black and Gloss Grey/orange.


Frame Material
aluminum
Suspension
VPP
Rear Shock
FOX FLOAT CTD Evolution
Rear Travel
100 mm
Fork
FOX 32 FLOAT 29 CTD Evolution Series
Front Travel
120 mm
Headset
Cane Creek 10 Mixed Tapered
Shifters
Shimano M670 SLX (10-speed)
Front Derailleur
Shimano M780 XT
Rear Derailleur
Shimano M675 SLX Shadow Plus
Crankset
[triple chainring] 24/32/42 t Shimano M552
Bottom Bracket
Shimano
Pedals
not included
Cassette
11-36 t Shimano HG81
Chain
Shimano HG 74
Brake Set
Avid Elixir 5
Rotors
160 mm
Handlebar
Race Face Ride
Handlebar Width
685 mm
Handlebar Rise
low
Grips
Lizard Skin "494"
Stem
Race Face Ride
Saddle
WTB Volt Race
Seatpost
Race Face Ride
Seat Collar
34.9 mm Santa Cruz QR
Hubs
[front] Shimano M758, [rear] Shimano M678
Rims
WTB i19 TCS
Spokes
DT Swiss (14g)
Axles
[front] 15mm thru-axle, [rear] 12x142mm thru-axle
Tires
Maxxis CrossMark
Tire Size
29 x 2.1 in
Recommended Use
cross country and trail riding
Manufacturer Warranty
5 years on frame

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