THE ALL-NEW

HIGHTOWER 4

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ANY TRAIL, ANY TIME, OVER & OVER

So you're looking for a mountain bike? Well, you're in the right spot. The Santa Cruz Hightower has long been at the top of the class for do-it-all bikes, and it can manage pretty much any terrain and style of rider.

The latest generation of Hightower is a 29" wheel and 150mm travel trail bike that features updated 4th-generation VPP suspension that focuses on giving you more access to travel where you need it most, modernized geometry that keeps you in control at any speed, and a host of refinements to make your experience on the trails even better.

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GEO

WHO IS THE RIDER?

The Quiver Killer: You want one bike that does it all. It should handle both uphill and downhill trails effortlessly, and when the trail gets challenging, you want a bike that can step up and make you look like a hero. While there might be lighter bikes that climb better or have longer travel, you're willing to compromise a bit to get a bike that does everything everything.

The Realist: When you go online to see what's new in the world of mountain biking, you're excited to watch the latest videos of young riders pushing their bikes to the limit. Heck, you've ever burped a tire or two off yourself. But at the end of the day, most of your riding is on trails that are best suited for a trail bike, not an enduro race bike or downhill bike. You know that you'll have more fun with a bike that is easier to live with every day than if you push yourself to the extreme end of a bike's capability.

No need to overthink it: You're looking for a mountain bike and one that is reliable. You don't want to get downed in the endless loop of whether it will be the absolute best bike for every root, rock, and clump of dirt you ride it over. You want a bike that will do everything well, and thats it. When the bike gets hung up in the garage, and you go about the rest of your life, you want to know that if anybody asks you to go ride, you've got a bike that will keep up, and you won't worry about it.

KEY FEATURES

Style: Trail
Travel: 160mm Front / 150mm Rear
Wheels: 29" Wheels
Frame Material: C & CC Carbon
Complete Weight: 33.5lbs
Size Range: S - XXL
Price Range: $4999 - $10,999
Colors: Gloss Day Green and Matte Deep Purple

WHAT WE LOVE

A do-it-all bike that seems to have everything, but here are some standout features on the Hightower 4.

VPP SUSPENSION

Santa Cruz’s 4th Generation VPP suspension delivers an incredibly smooth ride, featuring a lower center of gravity and an optimized leverage ratio for a supple ride across any terrain.

MODERN GEO

Stable in the bumps and agile in the corners. The Hightower's geometry is refined for the modern era.

REFINEMENT

Treat yourself. Internal storage for all of the essentials, internal cable routing (drivetrain) on C carbon models, coil compatibility, and longer chainstays matched to every frame size. The Hightower is ready for everything.

FULL FEATURED

Few bikes do it all as well as the Hightower, and the latest version takes its performance to the next level. Explore the key features that enhance Hightower’s riding experience.

EVEN BETTER VPP SUSPENSION

Santa Cruz set out to improve their already loved VPP design with the hope of reducing the effect of pedaling on the suspension, increasing sensitivity to small bumps, and lowering the bike's center of gravity. Sorting it out started with adjusting the shock position as low as possible within the bike and adjusting the pivot location lower and further forward. New clearance was added to the frame with a completely redesigned front triangle. The latest pivot location increases the leverage ratio on the shock, helping inputs to the rear axle more easily activate the initial stroke. Santa Cruz also improved (reduced) the bike's anti-squat (the effect of pedaling on stiffening the suspension), meaning that even under power, the Hightower can react to trail inputs.

MODERN GEOMETRY

It's long and slack without going overboard, and with proportional geometry and flip-chips for adjustability, you'll have a bike that handles just like you want. With the Hightower's improved suspension, it is more capable than ever, which means you'll be going even faster. The Headangle on the Hightower 4 gets about .5° slacker, making it 63.9° in the lo setting and 64.2 in hi. To add stability on the trail, Santa Cruz has extended the bike's rear center by 2mm per size and increased the front center by 15mm. Staying inline with modern fit geometry, the Hightower also gets a slightly longer reach, making for a roomy cockpit and keeping the sizes spaced evenly apart in 20mm jumps.

REFINEMENT

Refinement: If you are shopping for a new trail bike or have read a bike review in the last five years, you know that the general consensus is that we live in a golden age of amazing trail bikes. Suspension and geometry are required for a great bike, but the extra features make a bike truly head of the class. Santa Cruz doesn't skimp here, and they've included several minor features that improve your experience on the trail or at home.

GloveBox internal frame storage
Internal Cable Routing - Drivetrain on C / dropper & rear brake only on CC
Longer chainstays matched to frame sizes
UDH compatible
ISCG05 Chain Guide
Post mount brakes w/ 180mm rotors
Coil shock compatibility

GEOMETRY

Click below to see the geo chart for a comparison between sizes.

FLIP CHIP: HI	S	M	L	XL	XXL
Reach	435mm	460mm	480mm	500mm	525mm
Stack	623mm	632mm	641mm	659mm	668mm
HT Angle	64.2°	64.2°	64.2°	64.2°	64.2°
HT Length	110mm	120mm	130mm	150mm	160mm
ST Angle	77.6°	77.9°	78.2°	78.3°	78.4°
ST Length	380mm	405mm	430mm	460mm	500mm
Rear Center	434mm	436mm	439mm	442mm	445mm
Front Center	742mm	801mm	825mm	854mm	883mm
BB Height	344mm	344mm	344mm	344mm	344mm
BB Drop	29mm	29mm	29mm	29mm	29mm
Wheelbase	1176mm	1237mm	1265mm	1296mm	1329mm
TT Length	527mm	596mm	614mm	637mm	663mm
Standover	722mm	723mm	726mm	727mm	731mm

FRAME SIZING

If you're on the cusp between the recommended height range of two sizes, the absolute best thing is to try to ride them both. At a minimum, check the stack/reach measurements on your current bike and compare it to the new model you are looking at to get an idea of a fit you are already comfortable with.

If riding the bike is not an option, our Customer Service can help you identify a size more specific to your body type. Call us at (866) 600-BIKE.

The Santa Cruz Hightower 4 is available in sizes S - XXL.

Personal Preference

A larger size frame will be more stable, and will give you more room to move without upsetting the weight-balance of the bike. The larger size will put the front wheel further in front of you, which gives the feeling of security and conversely, it will require more significant body movements when you WANT to shift the weight-bias of the bike. Think hard about your riding style and how active/intuitive you want it to be vs stable and speedy. You'll need to work a bit harder to muscle the larger bike around.

BODY DIMESNIONS

Not all bodies at a given height are the same. If you have longer legs and a shorter torso than the average person your height, that may push you towards the smaller of the recommended sizes. If you're all torso and arms, most likely you'll want to size up.