{"id":41224,"date":"2022-09-20T09:01:06","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T07:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=697245"},"modified":"2022-09-20T09:25:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T07:25:17","slug":"santa-cruzs-2023-tallboy-gets-integrated-down-tube-sandwich-storage-and-updated-geometry","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/santa-cruzs-2023-tallboy-gets-integrated-down-tube-sandwich-storage-and-updated-geometry\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa Cruz\u2019s 2023 Tallboy gets integrated down tube sandwich storage and updated geometry\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Oscar Huckle\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 20 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Santa Cruz has updated its Tallboy trail mountain bike<\/a> with revised geometry and suspension kinematics, as well as inheriting the brand\u2019s Glovebox down tube storage system.<\/p>\n

Suspension travel<\/a> remains the same, with a 130mm fork up front and 120mm of travel<\/a> out back.<\/p>\n

Unlike its predecessor launched in 2020<\/a>, there will be no aluminium options and the Tallboy will only be available in Santa Cruz\u2019s C and CC carbon.<\/p>\n

Santa Cruz has confirmed there will also be a simultaneous update to the Joplin \u2013 the women\u2019s-specific version of the Tallboy from sister brand, Juliana.<\/p>\n

Santa Cruz is offering six builds for the Tallboy. The range starts at \u00a35,299 for the C R model, rising to \u00a39,599 for the CC XO1 AXS RSV. Availability and international pricing are to be confirmed.<\/p>\n

The bikes will be available in two colourways \u2013 \u2018Gloss Ultra Blue\u2019 or \u2018Matte Taupe\u2019.<\/p>\n

The downhiller\u2019s XC bike<\/h2>\n
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The Tallboy is now in its fifth generation.<\/span><\/figcaption> Santa Cruz<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Santa Cruz says the Tallboy is for \u201criders who like to squeeze the life out of every ride\u201d and for \u201clong days in the saddle harvesting the trails\u201d.<\/p>\n

Compared to the recently updated 5010<\/a>, which sees a mixed-wheel setup, and 140mm of travel up-front and 130mm at the back, Santa Cruz says the Tallboy is \u201ca bit more efficient, a bit more energetic, with a bigger bias towards speed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Compared to the 29er<\/a> longer-travel Hightower<\/a>, the brand notes \u201cit\u2019s again more efficient but less forgiving\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Why change a winning suspension recipe?<\/span><\/figcaption> Santa Cruz<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Like its predecessor, the Tallboy uses Santa Cruz\u2019s low-slung virtual pivot point (VPP) suspension design<\/a>. This sees the lower of two counter-rotating links driving the shock, with a mudguard to help keep debris away from the shock.<\/p>\n

Although the Tallboy comes stock with 130mm suspension up-front, the brand says it can accept a 140mm fork.<\/p>\n

The Tallboy has less peak anti-squat than the previous generation, with the brand saying this is \u201cto improve small-bump sensitivity and square-edge compliance\u201d.<\/p>\n

As anti-squat values trend with anti-rise, the Tallboy\u2019s anti-rise has also been reduced \u201cto improve braking sensitivity\u201d, according to the brand.<\/p>\n

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Fox is on shock duty for all models.<\/span><\/figcaption> Santa Cruz<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Santa Cruz adds it wanted to give the Tallboy a more progressive and straight leverage curve and the result \u201cimprove[s] sensitivity further in the travel and help[s] the bike ride higher in its stroke, producing a more responsive, snappy feel\u201d.<\/p>\n

Unlike the new 5010, there isn\u2019t a cut-out in the carbon of the non-driveside face of the seat tube, which Santa Cruz dubs the \u2018sag set-up window\u2019 to ease suspension setup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All-in on carbon<\/h2>\n
\""Santa\"<\/picture><\/div>
The Tallboy inherits Santa Cruz\u2019s cavernous Glovebox down tube storage solution. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Santa Cruz <\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Santa\"<\/picture><\/div>
A \u2018trap door\u2019 hides your essentials. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Santa Cruz<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Santa\"<\/picture><\/div>
A bottle and cage then sit on top. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Santa Cruz<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

The Tallboy is available in the brand\u2019s C and CC carbon. No alloy build will be offered for the new Tallboy. Both carbon layups are said to offer identical riding characteristics and stiffness properties, only the more expensive CC layup drops weight.<\/p>\n

It inherits Santa Cruz\u2019s Glovebox storage system, located in the down tube. Santa Cruz says the Tallboy comes with a Tool Wallet and Tube Purse to keep spares organised.<\/p>\n

The maximum mountain bike tyre<\/a> clearance is rated to 29\u00d72.5in.<\/p>\n

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As on other Santa Cruz bikes, the cables are routed internally through guided sleeves, so there\u2019s no \u2018fishing\u2019 required.<\/span><\/figcaption> Santa Cruz <\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The frame features ISCG05 chain guide mounts and Santa Cruz\u2019s universal derailleur hanger, which is functionally the same as SRAM\u2019s UDH<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Tallboy continues Santa Cruz\u2019s tradition of speccing a threaded bottom bracket<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Evolutionary geometry updates<\/h2>\n
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The chainstay lengths vary across different sizes.<\/span><\/figcaption> Santa Cruz <\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Like its predecessor, the Tallboy is available in sizes XS to XXL.<\/p>\n

The geometry sees evolutionary rather than revolutionary updates, with the Tallboy a little longer in reach and with varying rear centre lengths.<\/p>\n

Santa Cruz acknowledges the Tallboy 4 was already \u201cwell-loved\u201d and didn\u2019t want to change the geometry too drastically.<\/p>\n

The flip chip on the rear-most shock mount is retained, which adjusts the geometry slightly.<\/p>\n

The head tube angles remain 65.5 degrees in the low setting and 65.7 in the high setting. Seat tube angles vary across different sizes.<\/p>\n

Reach measurements have increased generally by 5mm on every size, though, varying from 403mm to 520mm across the range.<\/p>\n

Like its other models, the Tallboy also moves to size-specific chainstays. The outgoing model used a 436mm rear centre length across every size.<\/p>\n

In the high setting, the chainstays are between 430 and 443mm and in the low, they are 431mm to 444mm.<\/p>\n

<\/colgroup>
\ufeffFrame<\/th>XS (high\/low)<\/th>S (high\/low)<\/th>M (high \/ low)<\/th>L (high\/low)<\/th>XL (high \/ low)<\/th>XXL (high \/ low)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Head tube angle <\/b> (degrees)<\/td>65.7 \/ 65.5<\/td>65.7 \/ 65.5<\/td>65.7 \/ 65.5<\/td>65.7 \/ 65.5<\/td>65.7 \/ 65.5<\/td>65.7 \/ 65.5<\/td> <\/tr>
Seat tube angle <\/b>(degrees)<\/td>76 \/ 75.7<\/td>76.3 \/ 76<\/td>76.7 \/ 76.4<\/td>76.8 \/ 76.6<\/td>77 \/ 76.8<\/td>77.1 \/ 76.8<\/td> <\/tr>
Top tube length <\/b>(mm)<\/td>555 \/ 556<\/td>579 \/ 580<\/td>602 \/ 603<\/td>622 \/ 623<\/td>644 \/ 645<\/td>671<\/td> <\/tr>
Head tube length <\/b> (mm)<\/td>95<\/td>105<\/td>115<\/td>125<\/td>145<\/td>155<\/td> <\/tr>
Seat tube length <\/b> (mm)<\/td>370<\/td>380<\/td>405<\/td>430<\/td>460<\/td>500<\/td> <\/tr>
Rear Centre <\/b> (mm)<\/td>430 \/ 431<\/td>430 \/ 431<\/td>433 \/ 434<\/td>437 \/ 438<\/td>439 \/ 440<\/td>443 \/ 444<\/td> <\/tr>
Wheelbase <\/b> (mm)<\/td>1,138<\/td>1,167<\/td>1,199<\/td>1,227<\/td>1,257 \/ 1,258<\/td>1,290 \/ 1,291<\/td> <\/tr>
Reach <\/b>(mm)<\/td>405 \/ 403<\/td>430 \/ 428<\/td>455 \/ 453<\/td>475 \/ 473<\/td>495 \/ 493<\/td>520 \/ 518<\/td> <\/tr>
Stack <\/b>(mm)<\/td>601 \/ 603<\/td>610 \/ 612<\/td>619 \/ 621<\/td>628 \/ 630<\/td>646 \/ 648<\/td>656 \/ 658<\/td> <\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>