If ever a bike resembled your most cherished mix tape compilation, the Hightower is it. Featuring our lower-link mounted shock design, updated, adjustable geometry, this “Engineering Best Of...” assembles some of our biggest design pleasers into one belter of a road-trip companion.
The Hightower excels when the route covers ‘all points in between,’ and descents come courtesy of some big-ass climbs. The VPP suspension’s lower-link-mounted shock creates a nearly linear leverage curve, meaning it mops up bumps of all sizes and maintains the kind of progressivity normally reserved for our V10 DH bike!
140mm of rear travel complemented by a 150mm front end gives Hightower just a bit more front and rear travel over the first generation model. Combined with a slacker 65-degree head tube angle, the Hightower still sits squarely in the Goldilocks zone, but with a touch more “Oh sh*t get me out of here” capability.
Balancing stiffness and weight savings in all the right places is a hallmark of all Santa Cruz carbon frames and the Hightower flies the flag yet higher. The advanced composite chassis tracks well across all trail surfaces, holds a line, and is reactive to rider directions while isolating pedal-influenced inputs.
The Hightower also has a bonus disc to heighten the experience—the flip chip. In the High setting, the BB height is a little higher for those tricky tech trails and/or when Plus sized tires are required. In the Low position the shock rate is more progressive, to provide additional bottom-out resistance.
There’s a room for a water bottle inside the main frame and a threaded BB for convenience. There’s refined cable routing for better shifting performance, simpler installation, and no cable rub. On top of that, there’s a tailgate shuttle guard, downtube protector, shock fender, and noise-canceling chainstay protector keeping things quiet.
SPECS:
| Frame | Aluminum 29/27+ 145mm Travel VPP™ |
| Rear Shock | FOX Float Performance DPS |
| Fork | RockShox 35 Gold RL, 150mm, 29" |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM SX Eagle, 12spd |
| Shifters | SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd |
| Cassette | SRAM PG1230, 12spd, 11-50t |
| Chain | SRAM SX Eagle, 12spd |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm |
| Headset | Cane Creek 10 IS Integrated |
| Rear Tire | Maxxis Minion DHR 29"x2.4", 3C, EXO, MaxxTerra |
| Front Tire | Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C, MaxxGrip, EXO, TR |
| Sealant | Stan's Sealant |
| Front Hub | SRAM MTH 716, 15x110, Torque Cap, 32h |
| Rims | WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 29" |
| Spokes | Sapim Race |
| Rear Hub | SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h |
| Rotors | Avid Centerline 180mm |
| Brakes | SRAM Guide T |
| Crankset | SRAM X1 Eagle DUB, 30t |
| Handlebar | RaceFace Aeffect R |
| Stem | RaceFace Chester |
| Saddle | WTB Silverado Comp Saddle or WTB Volt |
| Seatpost | SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6 |
| Grips/Bar Tape | Santa Cruz House Grips or Burgtec Bartender Pro Grip Minnaar |
*Product specifications are subject to change without notice.