More travel and improved geometry ensure the Hightower is ready for everything
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Santa Cruz was keen to build upon the success of its well-established and incredibly popular do-it-all Hightower mountain bike, in a bid to create the one bike it believes everyone needs.
To do this, the Californian brand has increased rear-wheel travel, updated the geometry to boost high-speed handling and climbing comfort, and reworked the suspension so it better balances bump absorption and pedalling prowess.
The Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV – the second priciest bike in the Hightower line-up – boasts an impressive spec sheet that you’d struggle to pick holes in. While it might not have quite the same quality of gearing or hubs as the top-flight model, it’s almost identical everywhere else.
And it was the top-spec model that I spent three days riding during the Hightower launch out in the Italian Alps, bombing down trails I’d previously raced as part of the Stone King Rally.
As soon as I hit the first uphill section, it was apparent the Hightower still climbs with relative ease. But it was when going downhill that it impressed most, handling trails I’d previously ridden on a longer-travel enduro bike with composure and poise, never getting flustered or buffeted off-line.
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV frame and suspension
Santa Cruz only offers the Hightower in its ‘C’ or ‘CC’ carbon fibre, with 29in wheels.
Both carbon frames have internal routing, but the ‘CC’ only caters for wireless drivetrains (there’s routing for a dropper post and rear brake hose, but that’s it). If you want to run cables, you’ll need the slightly cheaper ‘C’ frame.
Travel has been upped to 150mm (from 145mm) at the rear, but is still delivered by Santa Cruz’s Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) suspension platform, which uses two, short, counter-rotating links to attach the front and rear triangles together.
The changes are more than a few extra millimeters of travel, though. The shock now nestles down lower in the frame and thanks to the triangulated section above the bottom-bracket junction, you can see more of it, which should help with setup.
Santa Cruz has also reduced anti-squat (how much the suspension design resists bobbing as you pedal) to enable the back end of the bike to move more freely while you pedal your way up or along chunky terrain, where traction is at a premium.
Not only this, but the reduction in anti-squat should help reduce unwanted pedal kickback, making things feel a little smoother when you’re really whacking into the bumps.
If air shocks aren’t your thing, thanks to a broader shock tunnel through the seat tube, the Hightower will comfortably work with coil-sprung shocks.
Santa Cruz has updated its internal down tube storage system (dubbed the ‘Glovebox’) and says its new latch design offers more security and better sealing than before.
Like most other carbon bikes, the Hightower isn’t cheap. But what is nice here is that Santa Cruz offers a lifetime warranty on its carbon frames and bearings (as well as the carbon Reserve rims, which are included on this Hightower build), which is a plus for peace of mind.
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV geometry
Santa Cruz offers small through to double-extra-large frame sizes, all of which take 29in wheels only.
Just as there are changes to the Hightower’s suspension, Santa Cruz has tweaked the geometry, too, in a bid to up the bike’s capabilities and better its all-round performance.
That means the head angle is now slacker at 63.9 degrees (in the low setting), while the seat tube angle is steeper, at close to 78 degrees across the size range (the medium bike I rode is claimed to be 77.6 degrees in low).
The all-important reach measurement, which gives you some idea as to how roomy (or not) a bike will feel when you’re stood up on the pedals, is 457mm (medium, low setting), while the bottom bracket sits quite close to the ground at 341mm.
At the back, the rear-centre (otherwise known as the effective chainstay length) grows across the frame-size range to try to ensure all riders, no matter their height, get the same ride experience and feel on the trail.
The medium bike I rode had a rear-centre of 436mm.
And, if you’d not guessed yet, there’s some geometry adjustment that comes in the form of a flip chip down at the lower shock mount.
This gives you the choice of the high or low position, altering the head and seat tube angle by 0.3 degrees, and changes the bottom bracket height and reach by 3mm, and the rear-centre by 1mm.
| | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High / Low | High / Low | High / Low | High / Low | High / Low | |
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 77.6 / 77.3 | 77.9 / 77.6 | 78.2 / 77.9 | 78.3 / 78 | 78.4 / 78.1 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 64.2 / 63.9 | 64.2 / 63.9 | 64.2 / 63.9 | 64.2 / 63.9 | 64.2 / 63.9 |
| Rear centre (mm) | 434 / 435 | 436 / 436 | 439 / 439 | 442 / 443 | 445 / 446 |
| Front centre (mm) | 742 / 742 | 801 / 801 | 825 / 825 | 854 / 854 | 883 / 883 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 380 / 380 | 405 / 405 | 430 / 430 | 460 / 460 | 500 / 500 |
| Top tube (mm) | 573 / 573 | 596 / 596 | 614 / 615 | 637 / 628 | 663 / 664 |
| Head tube (mm) | 110 / 110 | 120 / 120 | 130 / 130 | 150 / 150 | 160 / 160 |
| Bottom bracket drop (mm) | 29 / 32 | 29 / 32 | 29 / 32 | 29 / 32 | 29 / 32 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 344 / 341 | 344 / 341 | 344 / 341 | 344 / 341 | 344 / 341 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1176 / 1206 | 1237 / 1238 | 1265 / 1265 | 1296 / 1297 | 1329 / 1329 |
| Standover (mm) | 722 / 714 | 723 / 719 | 726 / 722 | 727 / 723 | 731 / 727 |
| Stack (mm) | 623 / 625 | 632 / 634 | 641 / 643 | 659 / 661 | 668 / 670 |
| Reach (mm) | 435 / 432 | 460 / 458 | 480 / 478 | 500 / 498 | 525 / 523 |
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV specifications
It doesn’t take a code breaker to work out some of the spec highlights featured on the Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV.
For a start, the gearing comes in the form of SRAM’s X0 AXS Transmission. That includes a massive 10-52t cassette, which is paired to a 32t chainring up-front.
There’s more carbon in the shape of the Reserve (‘RSV’) 30HD rims, which are laced to Industry Nine 1/1 hubs.
These are wrapped with Maxxis tyres. At the front, there’s a Minion DHF MaxxGrip, while the rear gets a Minion DHR II in the MaxxTerra compound.
While on the launch, Santa Cruz made the wise decision to switch from the EXO and EXO+ casings to DoubleDown, to up durability while riding such demanding terrain.
A Fox 36 Factory fork with 160mm of travel is bolted to the front of the bike. This uses the new GRIP X2 damper, which offers high- and low-speed compression and rebound-damping adjustment.
The 150mm of rear-wheel bounce is controlled by a Fox Float X Factory rear shock.
Bringing the Hightower to a stop are the SRAM Maven brakes, which come with 180mm rotors as standard.
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 RSV AXS ride impressions
I tested the new, fourth-generation Hightower in Italy, on trails surrounding Marmora, which sits within the Piedmont region. This mountainous area is home to trails that have featured in the Stone King Rally, an event I raced in 2022.
Over the course of three days, I was treated to long, loamy trails featuring corner after corner and old, rocky walking paths that were rough and technical, requiring a lot of thought to ride with any kind of flow. I also tackled high-speed Alpine descents that left my arms, legs and brakes burning by the time I reached the bottom.
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV setup
Although the guys at Santa Cruz had done their best to dial in settings on my behalf – I’d shared my 68kg weight before I arrived – once I’d set my tyre pressures and ridden for a couple of hours, I made some more changes.
I ended up opening all damping adjusters up on the fork and shock, as well as reducing the shock pressure to 155psi and the fork pressure to 75psi.
During the second day, I ditched the 0.1in volume spacer from the rear shock (more on that later) and upped the disc rotors to 200mm either end to make the impact on my hands a little easier when tackling the really long descents.
This is likely not something you’ll need to do unless you’re taking on lengthy Alpine-esque descents, though.
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV climbing performance
Despite the reduction in anti-squat, I found the Hightower remained impeccably calm when being pedalled, sat down.
Start applying pressure to the pedals and the back end of the bike does a decent job of resisting pedal bob, meaning there’s no real need to even consider using the low-speed compression lever on the shock – when you’re riding off-road, at least.
Around the sag point, the rear suspension remains fairly active, though, meaning the rear wheel is free enough to move and track the trail.
On the trails we rode during the launch, this was particularly important on one nasty climb, which was riddled with roots, ruts and embedded rocks, some of which were still damp from a rain shower earlier in the day.
Here, I was able to pick and choose my lines, knowing if I could keep the cranks turning, I should be able to ride up and over the obstacles in my path without slipping out or spinning the rear tyre.
It was also on this climb that the steep seat tube angle played its part. Sitting me far enough forward on the bike, it was only on the most severe pitches that I felt I needed to shift my weight further forward. Otherwise, I could confidently stay seated and concentrate on keeping my legs turning.
But what’s important here is that all of the above traits translate onto flatter trails, too, where the Hightower manages to feel comfortable when cruising, balancing efficiency and traction nicely.
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV descending performance
With a more relaxed head angle and lengthened wheelbase, the Hightower is at home going fast downhill from the get-go.
There are no quirks or oddities to get accustomed to when it comes to the suspension – set the sag and just get stuck into the trails.
You may need to alter the damper adjustments and spring pressures to suit, but there’s nothing complex to get your head around here.
The proportions feel spot-on, and I felt nicely positioned between the two wheels when stood up on the pedals.
This helped to keep things really predictable when it came to cornering, where I felt I could ride to the limits of traction, pushing into the shoulder of the tyres with subtle weight shifts rather than needing exaggerated body movements to stay on my desired line.
On the jagged, rock-strewn former walking paths, the fork felt a little harsh at times. After letting a little air out and backing off all the damping dials, comfort improved, but it still felt as though there was some bedding-in required to really soften things up.
It was on one of these rough trails that I clipped a rock, which impacted the down tube protector, breaking a chunk off. Admittedly, it did its job of saving the frame, but it’s not ideal.
That said, Santa Cruz was already aware of the issue and has made a running change to production bikes, so it shouldn’t be an issue by the time you read this.
At the rear, the 150mm of travel feels well-measured and controlled. There’s enough sensitivity to keep the rear tyre in contact through loose, steppy turns, and more than enough cushioning when you start to tire and end up stoving it into bigger unplanned impacts.
However, on repeated mid-to-big hits, there was a little more feedback than I’d have liked.
This is where removing the 0.1in volume spacer made a difference, winning back some of that comfort without relinquishing that much-needed bottom-out control. Heavier riders may not have this issue and may want to keep the spacer installed.
This enabled me to tackle trails I’d only ever ridden on an enduro bike with confidence.
Switching to 200mm disc rotors also helped to reduce hand fatigue on longer tracks, where I felt fresher for longer.
The overall ride was smoother and my hands felt less fatigued later into the trail, highlighting just how capable the new Hightower is when pointed downhill.
Despite its clear penchant for descending and enduro-like capability in testing terrain, the Hightower still covers flatter, undulating terrain in an efficient, momentum-preserving way, and will skip along at pace without you having to work too hard to maintain speed.
Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV early verdict
My three days aboard the latest Hightower have proven it to be seriously capable – certainly more capable than I expected it to be.
Having ridden some of the same Italian trails on a big-travel rig, I was sceptical as to whether the Hightower would be enough bike, or would leave me pottering down sections I’d previously been able to hammer.
Fortunately, while the new bike retains some of the same, efficient feel as its predecessor, pedalling and climbing in a fairly energetic fashion, the downhill performance, confident geometry and predictable nature all add up to give it way more of an enduro-bike feel than I expected.
Sure, I had to do a bit of tweaking to get the most out of the suspension, but once I did, I had a bike I’d happily take back to the region and ride over an enduro bike, given the choice.
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Product
| Brand | santa_cruz |
| Price | 8799.00 GBP,8999.00 USD |
Features
| Fork | Fox 36 Factory GRIP X2, 160mm travel |
| br_stem | Burgtec Enduro, 42mm |
| br_chain | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS T-Type |
| br_frame | CC Carbon, 150mm travel |
| Tyres | Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxGrip EXO 29x2.5in (fr) / Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ 29x2.4in (r) |
| br_brakes | SRAM Maven Silver Stealth (180mm rotors) |
| br_cranks | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS T-Type |
| br_saddle | WTB Silverado Medium Fusion CroMo |
| br_wheels | Reserve 30 HD Carbon rims on Industry Nine 1/1 hubs |
| br_shifter | SRAM AXS |
| br_cassette | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS T-Type |
| br_seatpost | OneUp Components, 150mm (M) |
| br_handlebar | Santa Cruz 35 Carbon, 800mm |
| br_rearShock | Fox Float X Factory |
| br_availableSizes | S, M, L, XL, XXL |
| br_rearDerailleur | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS T-Type |