Santa Cruz Bicycles

Nomad Carbon CC X01 Reserve RCT Air Mountain Bike - 2018

Designed for ripping the steepest and gnarliest lines on the mountain, the fourth-gen Nomad instills unflappable confidence for dropping into raucous downhills, sending A-line jumps, and conquering technical freeride terrain. The fourth-gen Nomad gets a rowdy redesign with a V10-inspired chassis mated to an elongated wheelbase and super-slack geometry that screams of aggression. You'll find thoughtful details protecting the Nomad's sensitive regions—from a cleanly integrated shuttle guard to the mud-blocking shock fender and aluminum ear cover that protects the swingarm from dropped chains.

While the previous generation Nomad was aimed squarely at enduro racing, the newest version is less of a dedicated race bike and more of a gravity/freeride rig that you can pedal uphill without struggling like other long-travel sleds. Think of it as a freeride bike for riders seeking one that's versatile enough to destroy lift-accessed downhills and park laps, then pedal along backcountry epics the next day. The 65-degree head tube angle (high setting) and longer reach keep things calm and comfortable on wicked descents, yet the steeper 75-degree seat tube angle puts you in an optimal pedaling position, so you're never struggling to shift your weight forward on climbs.

The flip-chip integrated into the swingarm gives you the ability to fine-tune its geometry to your exact riding preferences and local terrain. Keep it in the stock high setting for a more efficient pedaling platform or switch it to the low setting for an even slacker geometry (64.6 degrees) that's purely focused on gravity disciplines. Ultimately, its adjustable geometry lends the ability to push the bike to the absolute limit on downhills or retain more balance for earning your turns across imposing alpine terrain.

Delving into the revised shock placement, the engineers at Santa Cruz sought to achieve a more linear shock rate with the fourth-gen Nomad, much like you'd find with the V10. The VPP suspension is driven by a lower-link mounted coil shock, marking a radical departure from the likes of Bronson and Hightower. This revised shock placement eliminates the Nomad's previous tendencies to settle in the middle of its travel, meaning it feels more active and tracks to the ground noticeably better across steep descents and rugged terrain. Even though its shock rate is more linear, it doesn't sacrifice support deep into the travel, so it never feels harsh on bigger hits and steep trails requiring most of its travel.

This build achieves its lightweight disposition from an X01 drivetrain alongside the Carbon CC frame, making it more lively and efficient than many long-travel bruisers. We don't have any definitive figures on hand for its weight savings, but a typical Carbon CC frame weighs about eight to nine ounces lighter than Carbon C versions. It's running SRAM's crisp-shifting XX1 drivetrain with a massive 10 to 50-tooth cassette giving you the largest range of usable gears from a 1x configuration.

Another detail to note, this Nomad Carbon CC comes with a RockShox Super Deluxe Air RCT shock, versus the coil shock available on other Carbon CC builds. This air shock not only shaves significant weight for efficiency, but it's also a great choice for rider seeking greater tunability from their rear shock with a bit more end-stroke progression to prevent harshness on bigger hits. We think the air shock is best for the majority of riders pedaling up before descending, versus those using the Nomad strictly as a mini downhill bike.