Each time I sit down to chat about a new 27.5-inch bicycle, it’s a wrestle not to open up with a dialogue about wheel dimensions. A wrestle I have just unsuccessful, evidently. But it’s not my fault. The ingenious, hysterical and oddly thrilling video clip that Santa Cruz unveiled alongside the manufacturer new fourth-technology 5010 currently pulled the wheel-dimensions card. It leans into the novelty of a reasonable-journey bicycle with 27.5-inch wheels. It’s a bicycle with a distinct intent in mind. It’s a bicycle meant for goofing off.
I’m in the closing months of mending a broken leg, so even while goofing off is my specialty, I couldn’t do testing this bicycle any justice. But we have acquired to start with-journey impressions on the 5010’s identical twin sister, the Juliana Furtado from Bike’s editor-in-main, Nicole Formosa. She’s ridden just about every prior technology Furtado, and you can read through her overview below. It’s acquired a lighter shock tune and neater colors, but the identical geometry, identical updates and the identical pleasurable element.
Of study course, pleasurable has been the 5010’s modus operandi at any time considering the fact that 29-inch wheels staged their coup of the one hundred twenty-to-a hundred thirty-millimeter classification. If you want a “normal” Santa Cruz, you get a Tallboy. If you’re Danny Macaskill, you get a 5010. The bicycle has not altered what it would like to do, but it’s altered how it does it.
Most naturally, the 5010 went to the decrease-url VPP set up to start with seen on the V10 and now seen on all the things but the Blur. That platform had been on the Nomad for almost a yr when the prior technology 5010 arrived out, and the decrease-url Bronson introduced alongside it. So, we understood it worked on a path bicycle, but Santa Cruz was however figuring out the limits of that platform. It has the special reward of straightening the leverage curve, earning for a lot more supportive rear suspension all through a lot more of its stroke. You get superior efficiency whilst pedaling and a lot more pop whilst popping.
But it involves some special engineering puzzles. It’s more challenging to hold the body weight down, more challenging to route the dropper cable, more challenging to improve seat put up insertion and just plain more challenging to deliver. Santa Cruz made a decision at the time that, simply because the nuances of a straighter leverage curve were a lot more noticeable and a lot more considerable on extended-journey bikes, the 5010 would be superior served with the less difficult, a lot more common design and style. Due to the fact then, decrease-url VPP has progressed, and it’s lastly appear to the 5010.
And together with it, of study course, will come all the other stuff I have operate out of new and special techniques to say. The achieve acquired involving seven and 15 millimeters extended, the head angle acquired about .8 levels slacker and the seat tube angle acquired close to two levels steeper. Stack heights went up a bit, but which is many thanks mostly to the added ten millimeters of entrance journey. The new 5010 is however a hundred thirty millimeters in the rear, but now a hundred and forty up entrance. That and the added two levels in the seat angle are the most drastic of the new numbers. Most of the distinctions are rather refined. The standover dropped a several millimeters and the bottom bracket actually went up a tad. But which is only simply because the 5010 is no extended specced with two.6-inch tires, so on the path that finishes up staying a wash.
A different refined big difference in numbers is not so refined on the path. The Santa Cruz 5010 now has dimensions-distinct chainstays. Between the 5010’s 5 sizes (which go from XL all the way down to XS, by the way) there are 4 special chainstay lengths. I was nervous when I read this, simply because the hallmark of a perform bicycle is quick chainstays. I journey an XL, but that does not mean I want XL chainstays. But they really do not get extended than 433 millimeters, and get as quick as 423. It does not have the chainstay flip chips we see on the Megatower, but it does have the identical geo flip chips of other decrease-url-VPP bikes.
Of study course, it’s however acquired thoroughly guided inner cable routing, and of study course it however matches a total-dimensions bottle inside of the entrance triangle. We have appear to count on particulars like that from Santa Cruz. But a a lot more shocking element is the use of the SRAM “universal” derailleur hanger. It created news a pair many years ago when it was released as an open up common for any manufacturer to undertake, in hopes that we could skinny the herd of derailleur hanger specifications, which has not gotten significantly superior in the thru-axle period. When I to start with read of it, I thought of a cartoon I saw the moment.
At the moment, the joke is ringing genuine, but that may alter in time. Hopefully, as a lot more makes make the change, a lot more shops will have them. And inevitably, a lot more of your buddies will begin carrying them way too so you can aid every single other out if someone kills a hanger on the path. Also, they are just $15, which is much superior than the $40 you can effortlessly shell out for a proprietary hanger. On top rated of that, it has the potential to rotate backward in an influence, so it may conserve your derailleur. Time will convey to, but there is phrase that a lot more makes will be working with them in the upcoming.
Other items bolted to the 5010 are pretty awesome way too, while we really do not have entire spec nevertheless. For example, coil shocks. However they are not spec’d on any entire bikes, the leverage curve will get the job done for them. Same goes for the rather linear Fox Float X2. And for a bit of boutique cachet, a several of the greater-stop builds get Burgtec stems. I mean, a stem is a stem, but which is all the a lot more motive to pick a person with some design. There’s also an even new, larger replaceable shuttle pad under the downtube and a bash plate just in entrance of the bottom bracket.
Otherwise, the builds are comparatively straightforward. The forks are RockShox Pikes at the top rated-stop and Fox General performance or Fox Rhythm 34s in the entry assortment. Rear shocks are Tremendous Deluxe all close to besides for the DPS on the basic C R make. SRAM G2 brakes are on all but the XT builds. Shimano is also in small attendance offered that there are no SLX or Deore drivetrains, arguably the very best bang for the buck you can get in gears. But then, the Santa Cruz 5010 is aimed at the greater-stop. At the very least for now, there is no aluminum variation. But you can get a Reserve 30 wheel solution in the decrease-priced C make, which is awesome to see. And which is the new Reserve V2. Same shape, but a new layup, a trick Santa Cruz most likely uncovered in their in-residence carbon development lab.
We’ll get our palms on a 5010 before long plenty of. But correct now I know what I actually want to get my palms on…
You can come across all the particulars at santacruzbicycles.com
This post at first appeared on Bikemag.com and was republished with authorization.
For access to exclusive gear movies, celeb interviews, and a lot more, subscribe on YouTube!