Description Santa Cruz, making a ‘cross bike? Is this some kind of joke? Hell no! We are based in Santa Cruz, California, after all, and that implies a winter’s worth of mucky run-ups at the Watsonville fairgroun...
Bike Setup: Ultegra 6600, Easton 70 wheels, Easton ec90x Fork, Thompson post and stem, Specialized Toupe seat
Summary: I will say that every word is true in the other reviews. Awesome bike, period. I drooled over this bike for months before purchase, no buyers remorse!
Strengths: Very light and clean. This thing screams on mild singletrack and gravel/dirt roads. Not too bad on the pavement either.
Weaknesses: Cost, easy to dent thin tubes (but that's why it's so light!)
Similar Products Used: None, just road and mtb.
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Bike Setup: TRP Brakes, Full Sram Rival, Ritchey Cockpit, Mavic Ksyrium Elite Wheels, SLR Saddle
Summary: This frame is sick! It's a true cross frame. Excluded are all the commuter extras commonly found on cx rigs. I raced on this bike last year and was totally into it... It's super stiff, fast, and sexy.
Strengths: Weight - uber light! Great looking bike - super sleek lines. It's a Santa Cruz and it's awesome. The geometry is prefect for my body type. This causes me to smile from ear to ear on every ride.
Weaknesses: That I can only own one. Well, it is spendy but nice frames tend to be that way - worth it.
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Bike Setup: 1x9 with Ultegra, Easton fork, King hubs with clinchers for training, reflex/ultegra/grifo for racing.
Summary: I love this frame. it's super tough and super light. the handling is confidence inspiring. I raced it in the fall and been training on it this summer. I really like the low bottom bracket, yes I occasionally hit my pedals when I'm riding trails-- never in a race. And it's not just made in the US, it's made in Portland and I get to drive past the factory on my way home from the airport!
Strengths: this is a sick frame and I'm very pleased with it.
Weaknesses: Could use a tiny bit more mud clearance at the chainstays (but not everyone lives in Portland).
Similar Products Used: Gunnar crosshairs (also love, but for very different reasons). Bianchi Cross Concept and Axis. Test rode just about every other production bike.
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Bike Setup: Dura Ace 1x10 with Salsa guard and jump stop, Easton wheels, Vredestein Rubber, and my beloved crank Bros. pedals. Thomson where it counts and Easton where it's light..
Summary: The bike is light, fast, and sexy. Seeing that there will be no more road racing and that this bike weighs the same as my full carbon road bike it will now become the only non-mountain bike in the stable. The yoke style seatstays make the bike absurdly stiff and nimble in the woods and snappy but predictable on the road. If you can afford it, do it. Love your bike and ride the crap out of it. This is the do everything well and fast cross bike.
Strengths: Snappy, nimble , versatile, light(did I mention sub-seventeen?) It is so clean...ie, no fender mounts, rack mounts, and other crap you do not need on a cross course. Bottle cages and a clips-on fenders are more than enough trim for me even on foul weather commutes. Oh, and its light!!!
Weaknesses: Price, but that's goes without saying. Cheap bikes are compromises and I am sick of that crap.
Similar Products Used: Redline Conquest, Surly, C-dale X4
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