Santa Cruz Bicycles

Nomad Carbon CC X01 Eagle Complete Mountain Bike - 2017

We're guessing you've spotted the Nomad on your local trails with its aggressive geometry, slackened front end, and candy-colored paint job practically begging for attention as it screams down the trail, obliterating every line in sight. But before you pigeonhole it as a one-trick pony destined for only the burliest of downhills and gnarliest rock gardens, listen up. Although the Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon CC XO1 Eagle Complete Mountain Bike leads its respective class when the going gets rough, ragged, and scary-fast, it's a surprisingly balanced rig that does away with the notion that a 6.5-inch enduro bike has to be an unwieldy beast that doesn't climb well or is "too much bike" for those without legit downhill racing skills.

Its surprisingly versatility and refined trail manners come in part from its 165 millimeters of Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) Suspension, which is incredibly plush and forgiving on blistering-fast downhills, yet pleasingly efficient when you're pedaling uphill to do it all again. To be frank, the VPP Suspension allows the Nomad to flat out rip, even across stretches of notoriously technical terrain that would normally pitch you over the bars or leave you to dismount in shame. And although we won't tell you that the Nomad will beat Lycra-clad XC riders on the way up, it will hang with bikes packing an inch or so less travel without the wallowing rear end of other enduro sleds. To help stiffen the rear on climbs, the Rockshox Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair shock gives you the ability to firm things up a bit in a trail setting or nearly lock it out when you're hammering up smooth fire roads.

This Nomad enjoys significant weight savings with its exceptional Carbon CC frame, which shaves approximately 280 grams (that's 9.8 ounces for those of us not metric-savvy) from the lower spec'd carbon. You'll be pleasantly surprised to know it's every bit as strong and stiff as the heavier carbon lay-up when you're rallying across jagged rocks and questioning your sanity at speeds usually reserved for highway vehicles. Not only is it stiff and strong, but its relaxed geometry with a 65 degree head tube angle, slightly longer 170-millimeter fork (increase of 10 millimeters from last year), and low-slung 13.4 inch bottom bracket keeps you glued to the trail and confidently crushing over anything in sight.

As a purebred enduro rig, outfitting the Nomad with anything but a one-by drivetrain would be pure blasphemy. Realizing this, Santa Cruz upgraded the Nomad with the newest XO1 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain with a massive 10-50 tooth cassette helping you get uphill without the need for a pesky front derailleur. And even though modern one-by drivetrains no longer require a chainguide to keep the thing from falling off, it's nice to see Santa Cruz included an E13 TRS+ 1X Guide for extra peace of mind on jarring descents. Other notable upgrades for this Eagle XO1 Build include a longer Lyrik RCT3 170-millimeter fork that rakes out the front end for high-speed composure, as well as excellent SRAM Guide RSC brakes for stopping rapidly when downhill bravery exceeds your handling limits.