Santa Cruz Bicycles

Stigmata Carbon CC Ultegra Cyclocross Bike - 2019

The Bay Area has always been a hotbed for cyclocross racing in the States. What began as a way for European road pros to stay fit in the winter was quickly adopted by the cyclists in the area and organized races quickly popped up with many of the top racers hailing from this region. This tradition continuing to this day and the racing in the area still enjoys popularity. More recently, riders have also been discovering the endless miles of logging roads that provide a vast network of gravel adventures allowing for some excellent drop bar riding while avoiding the crowded tarmac. Even the mountain bike fanatics at Santa Cruz weren't immune to the slightly narrower tires and curly bar fun and it added its own version of a cross bike over a decade ago that had a four year run with the v1 Stigmata, complete with an alloy tubeset and cantilever brakes. We were a bit miffed when it disappeared from its lineup but figured with many of its mountain bikes utilizing carbon construction and disc brakes gaining traction in CX circles, a new version was on the horizon. Four long years later we were treated to the v2 Stigmata and with its release we got just what we expected in a new 700c bike from Santa Cruz and with the Stigmata Carbon CC Ultegra Complete Cyclocross Bike we finally get carbon fiber construction, disc brakes, and geometry versatile enough to tackle roads, mud and sand, and any other mixed terrain surface we might come across making up some of our favorite type of riding.

We often think of the Stigmata as the mountain biker's road bike. It's plenty capable of hanging with the shaved leg set when pedaling perfect circles and racking up base miles, but if the idea of linking up endless forest service roads, or pinning a number to a skinsuit in the fall tickles your fancy, all you need is a simple tire swap and the Stigmata is happy to oblige. And even though most of the road bikes kicking around here in the office sport rim brakes, we certainly see the benefits of disc brakes on the road and we can't fathom riding 'cross or gravel without discs. The fork's 15mm thru-axle and 12 x 142mm rear dropouts keep the hubs' axles anchored in the dropouts whether we're blurry-eyed bouncing through the braking bumps or hoping to be the first person to turn one off the start line. The more miles you put on this rig, the more you'll recognize its versatility and realize that its right at home on hot, summer Tuesday group rides, riding from the house to singletrack trails, or hopping barriers under gray skies on an autumn day.

Santa Cruz builds up this bike with a smattering of components that complement the Stigmata quite well. A full Shimano Ultegra drivetrain handles the shifting and braking duties and the way it balances shifting precision, powerful braking, and durability while building up such a lightweight bike continues to baffle us. The group is elegant and beautiful enough for road use but not afraid to kick up a little dust or get covered in mud. Internal routing, carbon dropouts and disc mounts, a tapered headtube, and electronic drivetrain compatibility help futureproof the frame while the frame's Carbon CC construction drop grams while boosting stiffness. One feature that's new on this Stigmata is its PressFit 30, a first for Santa Cruz, which usually doesn't hide its favoritism for threaded bottom bracket shells, however in an effort to get the frame to be compatible with road bike cranks and its ability to increase the diameter of the downtube and the real estate with the seattube and chainstays, thus a PressFit shell was chosen. The frame and fork have clearance for tires up to 41mm making the Stigmata perfect for racing and off-season riding.