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 | RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ |
| Fork | FOX 36 Float Performance, 150mm |
| R. Derailleur | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
| Shifters | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
| Cassette | SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t |
| Chain | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm |
| Headset | Cane Creek 40 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 | DT Swiss 370, 15x110, 6 bolt, 28h or E13 SL, 15x110, 6 bolt, 28h |
| Rims | RaceFace AR Offset 30 29" Rims |
| Spokes | Sapim Race |
| Rear Hub | DT Swiss 370, 12x148, XD, 28h or E13 SL, 12x148, XD, 28h |
| Rotors | Avid Centerline 180mm |
| Brakes | SRAM Code R |
| Crankset | SRAM GX Eagle DUB 30t |
| Handlebar | Burgtec Alloy Bar, 800mm, 30mm Rise |
| Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42.5mm |
| Saddle | WTB Silverado Pro Saddle or WTB Volt |
| Seatpost | RockShox Reverb Stealth, 31.6 |
| Grips/Bar Tape | Santa Cruz House Grips or Burgtec Bartender Pro Grip Minnaar |