Description

2017 Santa Cruz Bicycles Tallboy Carbon 27.5+ S Complete Mountain Bike

 

The Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon 27.5+ S complete mountain bike adds a significant degree of surefootedness to one of the world’s most beloved trail bikes. Whether you’re new to the sport and looking for a confidence boost, or an experienced rider who appreciates the benefits of Plus rubber, this notoriously fun trail bike will gladly take you on big rides in control and comfort.

Many of you will remember the commotion that the original Tallboy caused, what with its lively handling that immediately dispelled a mountain of preconceived notions about how 29-inch wheels were supposed to handle. The latest iteration of the Tallboy retains its praiseworthy handling with an added dash of versatility and a pinch of aggressive intent that takes the Tallboy into uncharted territory.

Part of the story of the Tallboy’s success is due to its ability to blur the lines between cross-country rocket and surefooted trail bike. To that end, the Tallboy was built to accommodate 27.5+ wheels as well as 29-inch wheels, as it’s presented here. This split personality is enabled by the reversible “flip chip” at the upper link. Setting the flip chip to the “low” mode relaxes the head angle by roughly half a degree and lowers the bottom bracket, which makes for an ideal setup when paired with the slightly larger diameter of 29-inch wheels. The slightly smaller 27.5+ wheels pair with the “high” setting, allowing for similar clearance between the bottom bracket and the ground. The upshot is headache-free swaps between wheel sizes, which gives you more options than ever when you hit the trail.

The Tallboy generates 110mm of travel through the latest version of Santa Cruz’s VPP technology. As with all VPP bikes, the Tallboy’s counter-rotating links are carefully arranged to resist activation by pedaling forces, all but eliminating unwanted bobbing under power. This being the latest iteration of VPP, it’s tuned to provide more midstroke support than previous generations of the VPP platform, giving the rider a better feel for the terrain, and a livelier ride feel.

While the excellent suspension plays a large role, a key part of the Tallboy’s secret sauce is its carefully tuned geometry. At 68 degrees, the head angle is sufficiently nimble for whipping through tight chicanes, while remaining relaxed enough to stay composed at high speed. The 17-inch chainstays enhance the ability to change directions quickly, while retaining enough length to provide ample traction when the trail points skyward. And the way the moderately roomy cockpit positions the rider between the wheels makes for reflexive handling with a minimum of effort.

This frame used in this particular build uses Santa Cruz’s Carbon C construction, which although slightly less svelte than the premium Carbon CC construction (by roughly 240g), lays claim to an equivalent degree of strength and stiffness. Using this Carbon C construction results in a more modest asking price, at the expense of a weight penalty that is noticeable on a correctly calibrated scale, but will almost certainly go unnoticed on the trail.

 

This build of the Tallboy includes an assortment of carefully chosen components that offer exceptional value for the discerning rider. It starts with a worthy suspension package from Fox: a 34 FLOAT FIT4 Performance Elite fork paired with a FLOAT DPS Performance Elite air shock. This setup offers a supple stroke, on-the-fly adjustments at the flip of a lever, and easy tuning. SRAM’s new GX Eagle groupset provides the gear range necessary to venture into uncharted territory, while the Level TL brakes keep speeds in check. The Rockshox Reverb dropper post enables the necessary on-the-fly saddle height adjustment, while the Race Face cockpit ensures control, no matter what the trail throws your way. And it rolls on a handbuilt wheelset comprised of Novatec hubs laced to Race Face AR 40 wheels, wrapped in Maxxis Rekon Plus tires for incredible traction in uneven terrain.

 

2017 Santa Cruz Bicycles Tallboy Carbon 27.5+ S Complete Mountain Bike

Short travel trail bike with a wild side

5in of highly efficient VPP travel

Flip-chip enables compatibility with 29in and 27.5+ wheels

74-degree seat tube angle optimizes pedaling efficiency

Longer reach shifts weight forward for better traction

Carbon C frame is durable and lightweight

GX Eagle drivetrain provides massive gearing range

Plus tires for maximum traction

 

Frame Material:

C Carbon Fiber

Suspension:

VPP

Rear Shock:

FOX FLOAT DPS Performance Elite

Rear Travel:

110mm

Fork:

FOX FLOAT 34 FIT4 Performance Elite

Front Travel:

130mm

Headset:

Cane Creek 40

Shifters:

SRAM GX Eagle

Rear Derailleur:

SRAM GX Eagle

Crankset:

SRAM GX Eagle

Bottom Bracket:

SRAM GXP

Cassette:

SRAM GX Eagle 10-50t

Chain:

SRAM GX Eagle

Brakeset:

SRAM Level TL

Rotors:

SRAM Centerline

Handlebar:

Race Face Evolve Flat Bar

Handlebar Rise:

0mm

Handlebar Width:

760mm

Grips:

Santa Cruz Palmdale

Stem:

Race Face Aeffect R

Saddle:

WTB Volt Race

Seatpost:

Rockshox Reverb Stealth

Seat Collar:

Santa Cruz

Wheelset:

Race Face AR 40

Hubs:

Novatec

Tires:

Maxxis Rekon Plu

Tire Size:

27.5 x 2.8

Recommended Use:

Trail

Manufacturer Warranty:

Lifetime (frame)

 

2017 Santa Cruz Bicycles Tallboy Carbon 27.5+ S Complete Mountain Bike

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