Mountain Frames

Wide open, dawn to dusk. The Highball is our race-bred XC hardtail. When the trail (or the competition) calls for the direct drive efficiency that only a hardtail can offer, the Highball is the choice. It looks straightforward but that belies the high-tech features and design hidden within. This is a modern take on the simple machine that many still choose to put battery acid in their thighs and fire in their lungs in order to conquer something. Whether you’re chasing medals, personal demons, or just some riding buddies, this is a hardtail you’ll be happy to log long hours upon. Hard on the throttle, soft on the body Hardtails are about as subtle as bikes come, and in the case of the Highball, simplistic refinement belies engineering effort. We’ve learned from our road biking pals that a great deal of a hardtail’s compliance comes from the seatpost: the smaller the diameter, the softer the feel, and with more seat post exposed to daylight, more compliance is had— which is the reason the Highball features low slung top tube and the smaller, 27.2mm diameter post. But you need not be sitting to recognize the ‘soft’ feel of the Highball— the dropped seat stays are made of custom laminate, finely tuned here in Santa Cruz for vertical compliance— and they’re oriented to isolate the top tube from high speed trail chatter, reducing feedback to the, uh, engine. SRAM Eagle Transmission - stronger, better shifting, wirelessly The next generation SRAM Eagle Transmission specced on our CC-carbon models is a radically robust, fully integrated and interdependent wireless transmission. Built around the universal constant of the wheel axle itself, the Full Mount hangerless attachment creates a far stronger connection to the frame and the super strong derailleur provides unprecedented strength. Shifting under load is made possible due to a combination of X-SYNC technology and cassette mapping, creating seamless shifts even during your hardest power output. The new AXS Pods are extremely ergonomic and highly customizable, so shifting gears is light and intuitive. It's simply the most advanced transmission and nearly as tough as the mountain itself.

When you can only have one bike, and your mission is to ride it into oblivion, this is the one. From manicured bike parks to blown-out loamy berms, alpine lines to backyard trails, the Bronson feels just as at home in the air as it does in the dirt. For the rider with a Peter Pan disposition or anyone looking to get into a pan-flat tabletop position, the Bronson encourages bad behavior.

Big on wheels, short on fuss, this is the pinnacle of go-anywhere-anytime bikes. A balance of travel, wheel size and attitude makes this a true MTB for modern mountain biking. Whether that includes the rarefied air of the alpine or just local trailheads, built and burly trails or sublime natural singletrack, the Hightower is an all-terrain thriller.

The Downhiller's XC Bike The Tallboy has earned a loyal following amongst those who seek a go-to bike that will hold up to the relentless hammering of power hour rides or riding for all-the-hours. The highly refined VPP™ suspension on the Tallboy combines pedaling efficiency and all-out bump-chomping prowess. If ever there was a gravity riders’ XC bike, the Tallboy is it.

When you can only have one bike, and your mission is to ride that bike into oblivion then this is the one. From manicured bike parks to blown out loamy berms, alpine lines to backyard trails, the Bronson is as at home in the air as it is in the dirt. For the rider with a Peter Pan disposition or who wants to get into a pan flat tabletop position, the Bronson encourages bad behavior.

Big on wheels, short on fuss, this is the pinnacle of go-anywhere-anytime bikes. A balance of travel, wheel size and attitude makes this a true ATB for modern mountain biking. Whether that includes the rarefied air of the alpine or just local trailheads, built and burly trails or sublime natural singletrack, the Hightower is an all-terrain thriller.

THE PRIVATEER'S ULTIMATE ENDURO RACE BIKE Seriously. The Megatower’s big wheels, long-travel and tough carbon fiber chassis delivers the high-speed security traits of a race bike. Yet the relatively steep seat angle and size-specific geo maintain the Mega’s mega pedaling ability, elevating its reputation as the perfect choice for big gravity rides, park laps and enduro racing. Blind confidence on blind terrain VPP™ suspension can be optimized to strike a balance between pedaling efficiency and all-out bump-chomping prowess. The Megatower is exceptional at absorbing the biggest hits so its rider can charge harder, with more confidence, in the very worst terrain. But because it's still pedal efficient, getting up to the best, highest trails isn't a chore like some other bikes. Sensitivity and constant traction The Megatower's low leverage ratio to provide a more damped, controlled feel at speed. Lower anti-squat reduces pedal induced firmness and provides excellent square edge bump absorption, which gives you a greater margin for error when taking blind risks on wild trails. Thought out for privateer racers The Megatower's low leverage ratio to provide a more damped, controlled feel at speed. Lower anti-squat reduces pedal induced firmness and provides excellent square edge bump absorption, which gives you a greater margin for error when taking blind risks on wild trails.

STOMPING GAPS AND STAMPING PASSPORTS Load up the van, hit the road, climb a mountain, hammer it back down, huck the gap, throw the bike back in the van, drive to the bike park and do laps on laps. Hell, you could even rock up to the startline of the world's wildest races. The Nomad’s forte is being ready and willing to go wherever, whenever. The only thing it needs is a rider willing to press send. All the travel anyone needs in a single-crown bike intended for the steepest and deepest of trails. VPP™ suspension can be optimized to strike a balance between pedaling efficiency and all-out bump-chomping prowess. The Nomad is exceptional at absorbing the biggest hits so its rider can charge harder, with more confidence, in the very worst terrain. But because it's still pedal efficient, getting up to the best, highest trails isn't a chore like some other bikes. Sensitivity and constant traction On the Nomad, lowering the anti-squat reduced pedal kickback on big square-edge hits at speed, all while improving the overall sensitivity of the suspension to maintain traction at all speeds. Up and downhill. Flat-out bump control and tracking By reducing the starting leverage of the latest Nomad, we were able to improve body-weight influenced geometry stability throughout the travel. While reducing progression allowed the suspension to have consistently better tracking qualities throughout the stroke. Built to last Short, stout counter-rotating links connect the front and rear triangles to create an extremely robust chassis that reduces lateral flex. Simple expanding collet axles hold things together, pivots run on large diameter axles and bearings (which we offer free lifetime replacement for) and the lower link includes a grease-port for quick, easy maintenance. Frame stiffness tuned by size Bigger riders means bigger stresses on bigger frames. So we tailor stiffness for every size to make sure everyone gets the same ride quality. Details matter The details are completed by a neat mud flap to protect the rear shock plus tidy cable routing within the frame and swingarm, and rubberized DT protectors to shrug off strikes.