Description

2018 Santa Cruz Bicycles Tallboy 29 D Complete Mountain Bike

 

The Santa Cruz Tallboy D complete mountain bike is built to get you out on the trails without any drama. Built to maximize fun on both big rides and technical sections of trail, this value-oriented build offers serious capability at a modest asking price.

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 version of the Tallboy is built from aluminum, which is both impervious to rust and highly resistant to impact damage. This choice of materials also results in a fairly modest asking price, making the Tallboy D a fitting partner for both new riders and seasoned cyclists.

The D build of the tallboy begins with a trail-ready suspension packagecomprised of a RockShox Recon RL fork, and FOX’s new FLOAT Performance DPS rear shock. This combination offers on-the-fly adjustments, simple setup, and a smooth, controlled feel. It gets better with SRAM’s NX drivetrain and Level brakset, and is capped off with a cockpit from Race Face, and a hand-built wheelset with WTB ST i23 TCS rims laced to Novatech hubs.

Short travel trail bike with a wild side

4.5in 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

Aluminum construction is durable and lightweight

SRAM NX drivetrain provides a wide gear range

Hand built wheelset ensures long term durability

 

2018 Santa Cruz Bicycles Tallboy 29 D Complete Mountain Bike

Frame Material:

Aluminum

Suspension:

VPP

Rear Shock:

FOX FLOAT DPS Performance

Rear Travel:

110mm

Fork:

RockShox Recon RL

Front Travel:

120mm

Headset:

Cane Creek 10

Shifters:

SRAM NX

Rear Derailleur:

SRAM NX

Crankset:

Race Face Aeffect

Bottom Bracket:

Race Face

Cassette:

SRAM PG1130 11-42T

Chain:

SRAM PC1110

Brakeset:

SRAM Level

Rotors:

SRAM Centerline

Handlebar:

Race Face Ride 35

Handlebar Rise:

0mm

Handlebar Width:

760mm

Grips:

Santa Cruz Palmdale

Stem:

Race Face Ride

Saddle:

WTB Volt Race

Seatpost:

Race Face Ride

Seat Collar:

Santa Cruz

Wheelset:

WTB i23 TCS

Hubs:

Novatech

Tires:

Maxxis Minion DHF/Crossmark

Tire Size:

29 x 2.3

Recommended Use:

Trail, Cross Country

Manufacturer Warranty:

Lifetime (frame)

 

2018 Santa Cruz Bicycles Tallboy 29 D Complete Mountain Bike

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