Highball 29 D Complete Mountain Bike - 2017

The Highball 29 D Complete Mountain Bike represents Santa Cruz's commitment to the kind of riding that first put mountain bikes on our radar: pure fun. The industry is awash with models that feature killer apps and microgram weight savings, but the Highball 29's D build eschews all of that pomp in favor of the hardnose circumstance of trail riding. It's built-up with names that have long dominated the discipline, and the bike's high-speed capabilities are informed by a geometry that, to quote Santa Cruz, is a "race bike […] not a wheelie machine." This speed-centric mentality aligns neatly with our knobby-tire philosophy: riding is fun and riding fast is more fun.

In order to accommodate its wagon wheels, the Highball 29's chainstays register at a hair under 17 inches, but a steep head tube brings the wheelbase to over a half-inch shorter than the smaller-wheeled Highball 27. The Highball 29 is nimble enough to gently pick through trail furniture and it tracks through berms like a cat on carpet, but it still shines brightest when the throttle is fully open. The 12 x 142mm rear axle is the stiff rear triangle's best friend, ensuring that every possible watt goes straight into the trail, but the slimmed-down 27.2mm seatpost helps to alleviate chatter from the countless more miles of trail you'll be able to cover compared to the hulking six-inch bikes your buddies are on.