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 fairgrounds, sand pits at Fort Ord, and that sketchy off-camber bit at Soquel high school. ‘Cross is part of the landscape here, and we wanted bikes with our name on the tubes to throw over our shoulders between October and January.
So we took Easton’s new EA6X tubing and came up with a super lean (1300grams for a 54cm frame, with powdercoat), no-compromise (we don’t need no steenkin’ rack or fender braze-ons), race ready ‘cross frame. It has a low BB and tight geometry, and tons of tire clearance. She carves turns hard enough to leave scorch marks, and we can hardly wait for winter.
Strengths: Weight, my 58 raw weighed 1405g with canti studs and seat clamp. Stiff snappy frame USA made. All surfaces were perfectly aligned & machined.
Weaknesses: Not made anymore. Braze on's rub on the rear brake.
Bottom Line:
Well made frame light frame with good looks. Compact campy barely fits, a 36t chainring will most likely hit the chainstay. It handeled awesome(super quick) with 43mm offset Wound Up fork. I put a 45 mm ritchey on it and it really slowed up. I would not hesitate to run this frame with a 43mm fork.
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.
Bottom Line:
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: 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).
Bottom Line:
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!
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.
Bike Setup: 1x9 with Ultegra, Easton fork, King hubs with clinchers for training, reflex/ultegra/grifo for racing.
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.
Bottom Line:
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.
Similar Products Used: Redline Conquest, Surly, C-dale X4
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..
Advice needed as geometry specs on website are confusing me.
I'm 6'1" with a 34" inseam and the Santa Cruz [URL="http://www.santacruzbikes.com/stigmata/#sizing.php"]sizing guide Read More »
Is there such a thing as the triple stigmata?
You know, a guy or gal shows up on a bike with a triple and you begin to bleed from palms and have visions, ANYONE??????? Read More »
NEW! Wrong size, bought second hand but it has never been used.
[url=http://classifieds.roadbikereview.com/showproduct.php?product=26290]54CM New In Box Santa Cruz Stigmata - Roa Read More »
I am taking delivery of a new Stigmata and I'm confused about which fork with the appropriate rake I should get. The Edge shown on their website is listed as being 47 deg. Is that Read More »
