Santa Cruz Bicycles

5010 Carbon 27.5 S Mountain Bike

Building on what made the original such a smashing success while still innovating for the future, for the 2019 model year, Santa Cruz pushes the 5010 Carbon 27.5 S Complete Mountain Bike into slacker and longer realms for increased competency at higher speeds demanded by modern trail bikes, yet made sure to retain the original bike's agile handling and pedaling efficiency. The features that cemented it as a highly versatile rig for all-day epics in the mountains and spirited rides winding across the local forest network.

Slacker than ever, this version of the 5010 drops to a 66.5-degree head tube angle in its high setting and a more gravity-friendly 66.1-degree head tube angle in the lowest setting. The addition of a flip-chip makes this all possible, meaning you'll have the ability to adapt the bike's geometry for different terrain and riding styles, whether you're seeking a bit more balanced feel with greater efficiency and climbing competency or you'd like it to flat out rip on steep descents with imposing rocks and roots threatening to derail your balance.

Santa Cruz outfits this particular 5010 with their 2.3-inch tires, which deliver all the traction and bump-smoothing benefits of a traditional tire, but without feeling overly vague or excessively heavy. This 2.3-inch tire really gives you confidence to monster truck your way across the rockiest stretches of trail, but without worrying about the tire squirming under hard breaking and cornering like a larger tire. Another major update to the design of the third generation 5010 lies in a slightly longer reach that's grown by 15 millimeters for a bit roomier feel in the cockpit, as well as increased composure at those higher speeds you'll be pushing this bike to. The seat tube is a full degree steeper to keep you in an optimal pedaling position when you're climbing for thousands of vertical feet or simply muscling up a short, punchy climbs with rocks and roots standing in your way.

As you'd expect with the 5010, it retains the high degree of pedaling efficiency and bottom-out resistance of the previous version. This VPP configuration neatly tucks the lower link above the bottom bracket to prevent rock strikes and damage from flinging trail debris. The upper portion remains attached to the top tube with a stiffer box-section upper link. While others in the Santa Cruz line have moved to a lower-link mounted shock, the 5010 retains its upper link-mounted shock, seeing it's not as gravity-oriented as the Bronson or Nomad. However, it's spec'd with a FOX DPX2 Float Performance shock for a more supple feel with heightened traction while pedaling over bumpy trail sections, as well as greater resistance to heating up excessively on those long descents.

Luckily one thing that hasn't changed is Santa Cruz's carbon, which is a good thing if you enjoy the exceptional stiffness and high degree of strength imparted by Santa Cruz's Carbon C lay-up. You'll find the added stiffness over alloy translates to holding your line better across chunky terrain and swifter acceleration the minute you stomp on the gas. In case you're wondering, the Carbon C layup is exceptionally strong, as backed by Santa Cruz's lifetime warranty for added peace of mind on those technical trails. Additionally, you'll find it's lighter than alloy frames for energy conservation over long mileage.