2018 Santa Cruz Highball first ride review
The new Highball cuts a stunning silhouette against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean near Santa Cruz HQ. Photo by Gary Perkin
Hardtails don’t have to be harsh. At least not overly so. That was the thinking as the Santa Cruz design team went to work on revising the Highball 29er, which after 3 years was ready for a refresh. The result is the new Highball launched today, which sheds a half pound of frame weight, and sees the seatstay-seat tube junction drop by about 2 inches, now residing well below the top tube junction.
These low-angle stays are designed to work in tandem with a bridgeless seatstay to help absorb trail chatter. Photo by Gary Perkin
These low-angle stays are designed to work in tandem with a bridgeless seatstay to help absorb trail chatter. Combine that with a 27.2mm seat post and 100mm of front suspension, and you get a lightweight racer that won’t leave you feeling completely battered after a long day in the saddle.
Smooth singletrack (and steep hills) are the Highball’s happy place. Photo by Gary Perkin
Santa Cruz also ever-so-slightly slackened the headtube angle, moving from 70.5 degrees to 69.5, then compensated by steepening the seat tube angle a half degree to 73 degrees. Elsewhere, reach jumped from 429mm (size L) to 450mm, and wheelbase went from 1100mm to 1140mm. The goal of course was to make the bike a little more downhill friendly without sacrificing uphill efficiency. Indeed, a size medium with a top-end SRAM XX1 drivetrain and Santa Cruz Reserve carbon wheels weighs a KoM killing 19.1 pounds. Here’s the full geo chart.
Other notable features include internal dropper post compatibility, three bottle cage mounts, a bolt-on downtube protector, internal cable routing, a threaded bottom bracket, boost axle spacing, and four frame sizes – S, M, L, XL. All frames are 1x drivetrain only, and the new Highball comes in two colors, eggplant and fog (aka off-white).
The revised frame is claimed to be a half pound lighter than the outgoing Highball. Photo by Gary Perkin
Here’s the old Highball for comparison sake. Photo courtesy Santa Cruz
There are six builds plus a frame-shock option for $1899. At the upper end is the aforementioned Highball 3 CC XX1 Reserve with Fox Step-Cast 32 Factory fork for $7999. Racers on a budget can get the lower priced C carbon frame built up with SRAM NX, WTP STP i19 wheels, and a Fox Rhythm 32 fork for $2799. Whichever you choose, it’s backed by a lifetime frame and carbon wheel warranty.
The new Highball is made for going hard uphill. Photo by Gary Perkin
First Ride Impressions
Truth be told, our two-hour, 2400-feet-gained test ride along the Pacific Ocean was the first time I’d been on a hardtail in I can’t even remember how long. So it’d be disingenuous to make too many declarations about how the new Highball stacks up against this or that bike.
The seatstay finishes with a bend, while the rear derailleur housing peeks out from the well-protected chainstay. Photo by Gary Perkin
What I will say is that this visually stunning frame with its slightly more relaxed angles didn’t scare the shit out of me anytime I went down something steeper than a sidewalk curb. And that’s not the way I remember hardtails of years past. Instead, the new Highball has a touch of friskiness to go along with its hyper-aggressive climbing abilities. And while I can’t say I felt any flex from the seatpost of seatstays, I also didn’t have any kidney issues at the end of our ride, which included one extended teeth rattler that otherwise would have had my eyes rolling into the back of my head it was so bumpy.
The rear brake caliper tucks neatly between the chain and seatstays. Photo by Gary Perkin
Bottom line, while the revamped Highball is not among the new generation of super slack, plus-tired trail hardtails, it can still go downhill reasonably well. And with its well-dialed geo and lightweight frame, climbs will continue to be an exercise in ruthless efficiency.
To learn more, race over to www.santacruzbicycles.com.
The post 2018 Santa Cruz Highball first ride review appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.