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Santa Cruz Tallboy C XT

Santa Cruz Tallboy C XT
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Details

If ever there was a gravity riders' XC bike, the Tallboy is it.

The new 120mm Tallboy takes a leap further into what short-travel bikes really are capable of. With kick-ass lower-link VPP suspension, a streamlined design, the typical Santa Cruz refinement, and rather radical geometry, the Tallboy is back to being a genre-bending folk hero.

Sure, 10mm more travel might only seem like one small step—but coupled with a lower link-driven VPP suspension design, this is one giant leap for the Tallboy.

It's the kind of bike that makes you sprint while going up, along, over, or down due to the maximum efficiency of the VPP design and responsive, lightweight chassis. But, because it shares the same engineering principles as our longest travel bikes, the progressive lower link-mounted shock feels equally at home doing cross-country as it does in extreme-country. Paired with a 130mm fork, the new Tallboy becomes ever more appealing to riders who like to open it up.

And, the geometry, that's a big part of what's going on...

Established theory suggests shorter travel bikes get ridden slower, therefore require steeper and more conservative geometries. In reality though, when was the last time you ever throttled back on a fun trail because you weren't on a bigger bike? Knowing your answer, we mimicked our longer travel geometry to create a bike with a 65.5-degree head-angle, generous front center, and short-offset fork, something rarely seen on a bike of this ilk.

And, the radical thinking doesn't stop there. The Tallboy's short-short 430mm chainstays have +/- 10mm of rear axle adjustment to ensure riders of all sizes and styles feel equally at home. Match that to a relatively low BB (335mm and 37.5mm drop), and you've got a combo that's ready to haul into every pocket turn and launch out the other side.

- Carbon C frame
- FOX 34 Performance Elite, Grip2, 130mm fork
- FOX Float Performance Elite DPS rear shock
- Shimano XT M8100 drivetrain
- RaceFace ARC Offset 27 29-inch rims
- Shimano XT 8120 brakes w/Shimano XT RT-86, Ice Tech 180mm rotor

Dropper posts

A dropper seatpost allows you to quickly lower and raise your seat to give you an ideal riding position. Dropping your seat creates a lower center of gravity for better control and maneuverability on steep descents, while raising it puts you at normal riding height for efficient pedaling.

Construction can include either hydraulic- or cable-actuated systems and the post’s travel can either be infinitely adjustable or stopped at set intervals, depending on the model.

Dropper seatposts come in standard lengths and diameters and vary by the amount of travel.

Specs

Frame Carbon C 29" 120mm Travel VPP
Fork FOX 34 Performance Elite, Grip2, 130mm, 29"
Headset Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated
Rear Shock FOX Float Performance Elite DPS
Rims/Wheels RaceFace ARC Offset 27 29"
Hubs Front: DT Swiss 350, 15x110, 28h
Rear: DT 350, 12x148, MicroSpline, 28h
Spokes Sapim Race
Tires Front: Maxxis Minion DHF, 29 x 2.3", 3C EXO TR
Rear: Maxxis Minion DHR II 29 x 2.3" EXO TR
Crankset Shimano XT M8100
Chainrings 32T
Bottom Bracket Shimano XT 68/73mm
Chain Shimano XT, 12spd
Rear Derailleur Shimano XT M8100, 12spd
Cassette/Rear Cogs Shimano XT M8100, 12spd, 10-51T
Shifters Shimano XT M8100, 12spd
Handlebars Santa Cruz Bicycles Carbon Riser
Tape/Grips Santa Cruz Palmdale
Stem Burgtec Enduro MK3
Brakes Shimano XT 8120 w/Shimano XT RT-86, Ice Tech, 180mm rotors
Saddle WTB Silverado Team
Seat Post RockShox Reverb Stealth

* Subject to change without notice.

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