Santa Cruz Bicycles

Megatower Carbon CC Mountain Bike Frame

For those of us lucky enough to have fast, technical trails in our backyard, the Santa Cruz Megatower makes for a top-notch enduro race bike or a capable bike park sender. Now in its second generation, the Megatower V2 sees increased suspension travel, updated geometry, and a host of other refinements that make it a premier option in the long-travel 29er category. We love the new Glovebox integrated frame storage, which gives us room to store a tube, tools, and some snacks right in the downtube of the bike. Integrated frame storage is not new to mountain biking, but Santa Cruz does the job right by using a spring-loaded latch that's easy to open, yet remains very secure when it's closed.

The first-generation Megatower could now be considered conservative when compared to the latest crop of enduro bikes, but thankfully Version Two increases the travel to 165mm in the rear and 170mm up front. The head tube angle is more than a degree slacker in both the high and low flip-chip settings, and the bike has a longer front-center as well as longer chainstays. This puts the Megatower V2 right at the forefront of modern enduro race bikes, ideal for plowing through absolute carnage at wide-open race speeds. That being said, Santa Cruz steepened the seat tube angle significantly, giving us a more comfortable pedaling position for knocking out the tough climbs that often precede our favorite downhill trails. And for those who are wondering whether they should buy a Nomad or a Megatower, the best answer we can give is that the Megatower is more speed-oriented with its 29-inch wheels, whereas the Nomad is freeride-focused with 27.5-inch wheels that respond quickly to rider input and make it a bit easier to pivot the bike between our legs.