Santa Cruz Bicycles

V10 Carbon CC X01 Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

Ridden by the Syndicate to more podium finishes than any other downhill bike in history, the Santa Cruz V10 Carbon CC X01 Complete Mountain Bike is back for another year of dominating the competition. Steeped in a boundary-breaking heritage that silenced the purist cries that nothing could usurp the durability and maneuverability of the 26in wheel, the V10 brings gravity into the 27.5in future. Kitted out with SRAM X01 DH componentry and burly E13 LG1+ hoops wrapped in Maxxis High Roller tires, this bike is ready to hit the lifts.

Based on feedback from Syndicate riders, this version of the V10 features adjustable geometry to accommodate varying rider preferences. The high setting sets the headtube angle at 64 degrees and the bottom bracket height at 360mm, which is perfectly low and slack for most riders needs. For those looking to go super slack and extra rowdy, the V10's low setting drops the headtube angle to a reclining 63.5 degrees and the bottom bracket to a trail-skimming 353mm height.

With 8.5in of VPP-managed travel, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything the V10 can't take on. In addition to softening the hits, VPP manages both brake inputs and pedaling inputs to keep the wheel movement independent of both of those forces, so if you brake hard into a corner, or sprint across a flat, you'll feel supported and maintain traction, which ultimately makes you faster.

As with Santa Cruz's other Carbon CC frames, the V10 uses high-grade CC carbon fiber which requires less material to hit Santa Cruz's stiffness targets without sacrificing any of the responsiveness of the less expensive, heavier Carbon C models. Less material equals less weight—and, well, you can see where we're going with this. Designed with downhills in mind, the V10 was given a carbon layup analysis to ensure that the fibers are in the areas where they're most needed, making it even stronger than the original iteration.

Both triangles are constructed as whole, monocoque pieces, which also contributes to keeping weight low because the carbon can be wrapped through junctures and around joints. This eliminates the artificial weak points of bonded frames and actually requires less material in the process. While it's being cured, the frame is compacted from inside and out. This final step eliminates excess material and resin pooling, resulting in more structural integrity and, of course, additional weight savings.