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Santa Cruz Bicycles
Tallboy Carbon CC XTR Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

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Be your own chairlift.

As we watch enduro bikes slide further and further into recliner-chair geometries and absurdly squishy travel, Santa Cruz's willingness to let the Tallboy Carbon CC XTR Complete Mountain Bike exist as an almost perfect ideal XC/trail machine is refreshing. The combination of a consistent pedaling platform and the aggression of 29in wheels mean the Tallboy makes enduro sleds look like sluggish toys on climbs, and the surprisingly eager Virtual Pivot Point suspension pulls all-mountain capabilities out of a four-inch rear end that the chairlift crowd might mistake for mole-hill riding. For cyclists who insist on being the engine both up and down, the Tallboy and Shimano's climb-friendly XTR double drivetrain are the only lift pass needed.


Unlike much of its other frames, Santa Cruz didn't fiddle with the Tallboy's geometry across model years. Instead, the California-based manufacturer looked at ways to shave weight and improve stiffness. The resulting frame is significantly lighter than comparable designs on the market. These gains are owed primarily to Santa Cruz's inimitable Carbon CC frame construction, which features a higher modulus carbon than the Carbon C model, so less material is required to hit the same strength and stiffness numbers. The chassis is lighter, so fewer watts are required to propel it, and the increased stiffness means those watts are transferred more efficiently.


The frame's two carbon triangles are built as whole pieces rather than glued together from disparate bits. This saves weight and increases structural integrity by allowing Santa Cruz to wrap carbon continuously through and around key junctures, eliminating the artificial stress points that result from bonded construction methods while saving weight by requiring less material. 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.


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. Once you pass the sag point and get deeper into the travel, the forged aluminum lower link handles most of the rotation. In this stage, the rear wheel travels away from the bottom bracket, so it's better equipped to handle larger, square-edged impacts. VPP is also incredibly effective at neutralizing brake dive and g-outs, and it maintains a solid, consistent pedaling platform to reduce bob.


Like with previous Tallboy models, the 2016 version is keen to keep the tires on the trail, providing the same traction while standing to hammer up climbs that made it the benchmark 29er so many years ago. The full Shimano XTR drivetrain take advantage of this aggression with a range of gears focused on establishing gaps before the summit, and the simple, stiff collet-style pivot hardware and oversized, 142mm rear axle ensure that fewer watts are lost to rear end flex. FOX's Factory series finish the frame with just enough squish to bomb steps without wallowing in brake dives, g-outs, and bob, and the DT Swiss hubs provide nearly instantaneous responsiveness for popping the Tallboy's wagon wheels over rocky cruxes without losing momentum.


Frame Material
Carbon CC
Suspension
Virtual Pivot Point
Rear Shock
FOX Float Factory
Rear Travel
100 mm
Fork
FOX 32 Float Factory
Front Travel
120 mm
Headset
Cane Creek 110 Mixed Tapered
Shifters
Shimano XTR M9000
Front Derailleur
Shimano XTR M9025
Rear Derailleur
Shimano XTR M9000 GS
ISCG Tabs
yes, ISCG 05
Crankset
26 / 36 t Shimano XTR M9020
Bottom Bracket
73mm BSA threaded
Cassette
11 - 40 t Shimano XTR M9000
Chain
Shimano HG900
Brakeset
Shimano XTR M9000
Brake Type
hydraulic disc
Rotors
160 / 160 mm Shimano RT86 Ice-Tech
Handlebar
Santa Cruz Carbon Rise
Handlebar Width
720 mm
Grips
ESI Racer's Edge
Stem
Syntace F109
Saddle
WTB Silverado SLT
Seatpost
Thomson Masterpiece
Wheelset
[rims] Easton ARC 24
Hubs
DT Swiss 240s
Front Axle
15 x 100mm
Rear Axle
12 x 142mm
Tires
Maxxis Ikon tubeless
Tire Size
29 x 2.2 in
Pedals
not included
Recommended Use
cross country
Manufacturer Warranty
lifetime on frame

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