SANTA CRUZ HIGHTOWER 3

Refined, not re-defined. If ever a bike resembled your most cherished mix tape compilation, the Santa Cruz Hightower is it. Featuring Santa Cruz's lower-link mounted shock design, updated, adjustable geometry, this “Engineering Best Of...” assembles some of Santa Cruz's biggest design pleasers into one belter of a road-trip companion.

The Santa Cruz Hightower has been a does-it-all-well trail bike since its inception. More maneuverable than its longer-travel sibling, the Megatower, and more at home in the steep-and-chunky than its snappy cousin Tallboy, the Santa Cruz 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 the V10 DH bike!

145mm of rear travel complemented by a 150mm front end gives the Santa Cruz Hightower just a bit more front and rear travel over the first generation model. Combined with a slacker 64-degree head tube angle, the Santa Cruz Hightower still sits squarely in the Goldilocks zone, but with a touch more “Oh sh*t get me out of here” capability when the porridge gets too hot!

KEY FEATURES

Available in: Carbon C & Carbon CC
Wheel size: 29"
Front travel: 150mm
Rear travel: 145mm

SUSPENSION

More than only the sum of it's parts, Hightower's most valuable asset is its geometry and suspension.

With 145mm in the rear paired with 150mm of travel in the front, it's in the sweet spot for trail bike perfection. Tuned to have less anti-squat in the first 40% of its travel than the previous generation of Hightower, sensitivity to small bumps is improved while climbing and descending.

GEOMETRY

The latest Hightower has modern geometry without overstepping its intentions. Increased reach numbers to match the fit of recent models while also implementing size-specific chain stays for a better fore/aft balance across the size range. A slackened head tube angle (Now 64 degrees from 65 degrees previously) helps stability at speed, while a lowered bottom bracket compliments the better-supported suspension.

STORAGE

The Hightower features Santa Cruz's internal storage called the Glovebox. So it has plenty of room for everything you'll need if you run out of talent on the trail.