Santa cruz hightower v3 update#

It brushes off deep compressions very well and keeps you upright and ready to keep charging. On one-off hits – be it bigger drops or gaps – the support you get from the bike feels fantastic. In some ways, this is what I’ve really liked about riding the Hightower: it’s a bike that encourages you to pump more, hop root mats and rock gardens as opposed to pushing through them, and generally keeps riding fun and lively. By no means is the bike a slouch in these conditions, you just won’t mistake it for a speed-focused plow bike in that context. When the going gets rough, that support comes at a bit of a price, as the back-end can feel a bit chopped up when pushing in successive big hits. That supportive suspension makes for a back end that pumps better than any bike I’ve ridden recently the Hightower can manufacture speed in rolly, pumptrack sections of trail remarkably well. When climbing looser, trickier singletrack sections, you still reap the benefits of that body position, though the sporty rear suspension feel can be a little short on traction compared to bikes with lower anti-squat. I’ve found that anytime you’re ripping up a forest service road, the scenery goes by pretty quickly – the pedaling is smooth and putting down power is easy thanks to the upright body position of the geometry. On trail, the bike reminds you of that fact with a peppy climbing feel, thanks in part to the low weight of the high-end build kit, as well as the relatively high anti-squat the linkage delivers. Despite Santa Cruz referring to the Hightower strictly as a mountain bike, I’m willing to call it a modern trail bike, with a 50/50 split in its desire to go up and down. That was just a first taste, though, and I’ve been putting the V3 Hightower through its paces on my home trails here in Bellingham, Washington, where the flavor is distinctly spicier than Central Oregon’s offerings. The experience itself was amazing, and spending time getting to know the bike was icing on the cake. With smooth and fast singletrack and lots of fun little side hits to keep things interesting, the new Santa Cruz Hightower proved to be fully in its element.

I don’t know if there was much intent behind the decision, but the trails in and around the press camp trails in Oakridge, Oregon proved to be the perfect use case for the bike. I was privileged to ride the highest-end option, which carries a price tag that makes me a bit nervous when thinking about what sort of abuse I’ve been throwing at this bike. The Translucent Purple paint job on my frame is gorgeous – maybe my favorite in the game right now – and the alternative Matte Evergreen option ain’t too shabby either.

The fit and finish of the frame is classic Santa Cruz Hightower, with a simple and high quality look and feel. I suspect this was done for weight savings, but those smaller pivot axles have been known to bend under extreme loads, so I’m curious to see how things shake out long term. One odd tweak to the frame is the switch to smaller pivot hardware, which is now the same size as the Tallboy. Without getting too caught up in the charts and math, they’re looking to maximize the all-around nature of this bike without biasing it too strongly in any direction – all good things. The VPP linkage of the Santa Cruz MTB Hightower has been tweaked for the 3rd iteration of the frame, with a focus on pedaling dynamics, early-travel shock sensitivity, and consistent support.

Santa cruz hightower v3 update#

One update I was very happy to see is a more balanced geometry chart across sizes, thanks in part to the size-specific rear triangle that sees chainstay lengths grow to match the reach. For the 2022 model year, the Santa Cruz Hightower received a few refinements and tweaks, but its core character remains the same on paper. I was lucky enough to be invited to my first press camp, hosted by Santa Cruz Bicycles in the misty hills of Oakridge, Oregon, to put the new Hightower through its paces, and have been riding the bike for the few weeks following the event to figure out whether or not they’ve hit their mark.