TESTED: Santa Cruz Hightower C-S

Words: Adam Macbeth

Photos: Robert Conroy

Santa Cruz Bicycles is a brand that needs no introduction. Having been responsible for some of the industry changing bikes of our time, like the Nomad and the amazingly good Blur series, they are known for looking ahead and pushing the envelope a little. Just look at what’s going on in World Cup downhill at the moment. Replacing their long standing and very popular Tallboy LT and helping forge a new path for the 29er trail and enduro scene to follow comes the Santa Cruz Hightower. Here we take a look at the S build of their more budget friendly Hightower C. Let’s find out if the new bicycle is as awesome as that name.

Initial Impressions

Instantly noticeable is the amount of very modern detail rolled into the Hightower, most of which is designed and marketed around 29ers riding better. There’s Boost hub spacing front and rear allowing for some slightly stiffer wheels and tonnes of tyre clearance, so much so that the Hightower C is also available in 27.5+ and you have the option of switching out later if you choose. The lack of allowances for a front derailleur keeps chainstay length to a nice 435mm and the Hightower features a rear triangle unified on both sides (a trait only shared by their rough’n’tumble Nomad). This not only gives the Hightower an aesthetic of ruggedness and durability, but one would assume the rear end should track pretty straight in the rough. There’s a flip-chip in the lower shock mount for adjusting bottom brackey height and angles slightly when switching wheels sizes and a short seat tube that easily allows the use of a 150mm drop post on all frame sizes.

My large test bike featured a 623mm toptube with a 67 degree headangle, and much more upright 74.3 degree seatangle. It’s worth noting that when changing wheel sizes (which Santa Cruz suggest is best done with an extra 10mm of fork travel and switching the flip-chip in the lower shock mount to the High setting) the angles all slacken about a quarter of a degree.

Spec wise, it’s a super solid RockShox and SRAM show. While it lacks some of the finite adjustability of it’s RCT brother, you know the Pike RC is going to be stellar up front and is matched with a Monarch RT out back. SRAM GX throughout takes care of changing gears and it’s all driven by RaceFace’s entry level but bombproof Aeffect crank. My test bike was an early sample and initially shipped with Shimano SLX brakes, as pictured, while production models will come with SRAM Guide R. Novatec hubs are laced to the 27mm internal Raceface AR27 rims with the ever reliable Maxxis Minion rubber mounted. The new, revised, Rockshox Reverb Stealth lets you make the saddle go up and down without getting off and annoying your friends every five minutes.

On The Trail

I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been a huge fan of the 29er trail bike, especially once the travel got out beyond 120mm. The traction and rolling momentum has always been awesome, but I always felt like they were a little too stuck to the ground for my liking and required way to much effort to perform the simplest tasks like manualling off a drop or hopping trail obstacles. For this reason I was never really into the old Tallboy LT that preceded the Hightower. If the differences on paper were stark, the difference on the trail is amazing. The combination of slacker, lower geometry than it’s forebears coupled with what can only be described as a massive leap forward in stiffness and responsiveness make the Hightower another animal all together.

The ability to maintain speed through rough terrain, and the traction gains that we’ve all come to expect from big wheeled bikes is definitely still there but there’s also a much enhanced element of agility and a weird feeling of the Hightower being a lot lighter than it’s 13.2kg. With it’s revised main pivot location (similar to the current Nomad and Bronson models) the rear end of the Hightower feels like it can handle just about anything. Big, dirty squared edged hit and braking bumps were gobbled up and I definitely got myself into trouble more than once coming into things WAY to fast as the bike just ate up terrain that would usually slow me down.

I did feel though, that the standard 140mm Pike was a little undergunned for how capable the Hightower rear end was, and my weight was maybe the tiniest bit too far over the front on some steeper, rockier sections. Fortunately, an air shaft change in a Pike is a pretty quick and easy thing to do and pulling it out to 150mm made an instant and rewarding difference. Immediately the overall ride felt more balanced and the agility that was already first class got even better to the point where if you weren’t looking down you would never have really known you were on a 29er. If you’re looking at Hightower with some Enduro racing in mind or you live somewhere with some steep, rocky gnar it’s a change worth making.

But sure, everyone expects a bike with big wheels and 135mm of travel to descend pretty well, so how does it pedal? Surprisingly for me, not bad at all. Position on the bike is comfortable and manageable even on the steepest climbs thanks to the upright seat tube and not ridiculously short stays. Even with the fork out to 150mm I had no issues with the front end lifting. Traction is plentiful with the Minion DHR out back, though some less aggressive riders may appreciate something a little faster rolling. Out of the box, I don’t think the Monarch RT is a total winner with the Hightower for flat out climbing, and you definitely need to flick the switch and firm it up so as to not lose too many watts to suspension movement. There are a lot of places around now that can inexpensively custom tune the hell out of rear suspension, and if a Hightower were mine I would definitely look into it and get the Monarch playing performing at one hundred percent for the bike, and for my weight and style.

Our Take

I thought I was going to dislike this bike, but that’s definitely not the case. The industry as a whole has gotten much better at making big wheeled trail bikes and the Hightower is right there at the pointy end of the field. There are a lot of options at this price point, but very few offer you the versatility, through wheel size and geometry changes, to really fine tune the way the bike rides for you as an individual. Santa Cruz’ reputation for indestructability coupled with lifetime warranty on frame and bearings should see you through many seasons of trail fun, or full blown enduro racing too. In short, don’t overlook the Hightower and it’s big wheels if you’re after a playful and capable trail machine.

Santa Cruz Hightower C – S

Fork: RockShox Pike RC 140mm

Shock: RockShox Monarch RT

Shifter: SRAM GX

Derailleur: SRAM GX 1×11

Crank: RaceFace Aeffect AL w/30t ring

Bottom Bracket: RaceFace

Chain: SRAM PC1130

Cassette: SRAM XG1150 10-42t

Hubs: Novatec D541/542 Boost

Spokes: DT Swiss Champion

Rims: RaceFace AR27

Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR 29×2.3"

Brakes: SRAM Guide R (SLX pictured)

Stem: RaceFace Turbine Basic 35mm

Handlebar: RaceFace Ride Lo-Rise 760mm

Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth 150mm drop

Saddle: WTB Volt Race

RRP $7749

Weight: 13.2kg

From: lustyindustries.com