New Santa Cruz model

[cole_inman]

I heard something similar a while back but the SRAM motor was mentioned and the name was from an old old model. Exciting! Might get me back on a Santa Cruz.

If moving away from Shimano and Fazua due to them turning customers away due to reliability perceptions, going towards SRAM/Brose is moving in the opposite direction. Tons of cheap great eebs (Decoy, Spectral:On) that would convince me to take a chance on Shimano, but I would never take a chance on the SRAM/Brose motor for any price or warranty. (my E8000 was a great motor so Shimano has it in them!)
Bosch is the king right now imo:
- Same 2 year warranty (hideously short) as the rest of the industry
- good track record in the wild
- is serviceable
Only Spesh/Brose have all these qualities (maybe warranty longer). As someone who still rides analog a ton, has had electrical issues ruin multiple rides I will not touch Brose when other robust options exist.

 

[JStrube]

I’m going to the USA tomorrow. Little place called Santa Cruz. Wonder if I might see a new bike

@Rob Rides EMTB Have a fun trip! I live about 2H East of Santa Cruz, head that way quite a bit to ride Wilder Ranch State Park. You can get there from Santa Cruz Headquarters & likely where you will ride. If you have any free dinner time, there is a little place in Aptos called Mentone. Fabulous food. We go there after every ride.

Enjoy your trip, weather is perfect.

John.

 

[mtbrdan]

Nice! You probably went to So Cal Demo Forest which is up behind Aptos which is a small town off of Hwy 1 between Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Demo forest has a flow trail and a few others like Braille trail and Tractor trail. Few others as well.

There are some much better e-bike trails (in my opinion) up in Bonny Doon which is just up Empire grade road from Santa Cruz Bikes. A big variety of terrain with picturesque redwoods to desert like manzanita shrubs with views down to the ocean. Fast flow type trails with smooth natural flow to moderately technical single track rocky trails with stream crossings, steep wooden bridges with drops, jump lines, and with few riders on them during the week days.

You can choose small quick loops to tune suspension to very long loops with great e-bike power uphill sections to check bike capability. All of these trails can be connected to the trails in Wilder Ranch or can connect into some of the trails you may have ridden above the UC Santa Cruz campus.

If you park just above Smith Grade off of Empire Grade road in the “Bro Zone” parking area. You can spend all day on some amazing ebike trails or drop down some fast single track all the way to the beach or to the Humble Sea brewery right down the street from SCB.

You can ride up a new trail called Up Dog, which connects to Juggs or to Crankcase. These are really good trails for e-bikes. From the top of crankcase you can drop down some steep tech “woodwork bridge” trails (like they have in Canada) back down to smith Grade near your vehicle. Other option is to ride some longer loops by connecting to a trail called Dog Leash connecting to Barking Dog which is a technical trail with log rolls, berms and jumps which leads back down to smith grade. You can “Yo Yo” up and down some other trails most of the day from the Bro Zone parking area.

Of course you can cross over Smith Grade to ride D Cups and take that to Wood cutters trail to get to Red Mailboxes trail and Fenceline trail which punches out by an old Lime Kiln which is very photogenic by the way. From here you can fly down some really cool trails down to the bluffs above the ocean and connect to the brewery form there.

So many choices if you know where to go.

I’m free tomorrow and Tuesday if you need a guide or I can meet for a coffee/pint and show you on a map. Garen from SCB is basically my neighbor. I live near all these trails riding from my house near Pineridge off empire grade road.

Let me know and if this trip doesn’t work out then maybe we will see you in October.

Cheers!

Don't doom the spot! Haha! My hope is an upgraded Bullit with the 800wh battery is to follow.

 

[Longlegs]

Do you gents think it's worth picking up a Heckler S 29 now with the discounts? I want that bosch motor but if they do come out with a version with a Bosch I probably won't be able to afford it anyway... My LBS said I shouldn't be too worried about the new Shimano 801 but they seem to be in the minority with that take.

 

[RichMorr]

Do you gents think it's worth picking up a Heckler S 29 now with the discounts? I want that bosch motor but if they do come out with a version with a Bosch I probably won't be able to afford it anyway... My LBS said I shouldn't be too worried about the new Shimano 801 but they seem to be in the minority with that take.

I would imagine the new Santa Cruz will be top money and the EP801 with the recent update I’ve seen gives similar performance to the Gen 4 race motor too

 

[steve_sordy]

This is my favourite Santa Cruz model.

Look carefully, there is a bike in there.

 

[irie]

Suspect her front undercarriage might have been "upgraded"?

 

[Bndit]

Do you gents think it's worth picking up a Heckler S 29 now with the discounts? I want that bosch motor but if they do come out with a version with a Bosch I probably won't be able to afford it anyway... My LBS said I shouldn't be too worried about the new Shimano 801 but they seem to be in the minority with that take.

I bought Bullit last spring because it was in so good discount and I wanted Shimano and don't need bigger than 630 battery and because of spot on geo. The bike had so good spec. that I changed only brakes to Shimano because of personal preference. The bike has been perfect, just what I wanted. About SHimano. My LBS, where I bought this and my Boch powered commuter, said that they do more warranty cases to Bosch than to Shimano. My CX4 has been replaced two times, once under warranty and once after that. Took 5 weeks first time and 8 weeks second time. Don't know yet how Shimano support works

 

[steve_sordy]

Suspect her front undercarriage might have been "upgraded"?

I have had that picture for so many years that it probably predates that sort of photoshopping. Maybe a Santa Cruz expert could date the bike?

 

[Dirtnvert]

Nice looking vpp

 

[Jhill]

It will be a 150/160 bike
4 bar layout ala Transition Repeater (official reason is for bigger seat post insertion depth)
Bosch gen 5 with 600w only (no 800w option, only 250w range extender)
Will be interesting how the fan boys will react to SC dropping VPP on this one...

Guess rumors of moving away from VPP are true. It’ll be interesting to see if it is only for the E-bikes or if all bikes moving forward. The seat post is definitely more an issue on the e-bikes. I was barely able to fit my 210 in my large bullit and it’s actually not supposed to fit according to SC guide but I was able to just make it work. I would have been a bit bummed honestly if all I could get was 180 while my nomad gets 210. But I’ve also heard moving away from VPP in general. Guess we see what their take on 4 bar is, hopefully doesn’t have the bob of FSR.

 

[Dax]

But how will people know it’s a SC without VPP?

I’m pretty excited to see this, I do need a new full fat

 

[dumpy]

I’m going to the USA tomorrow. Little place called Santa Cruz. Wonder if I might see a new bike

hum had i read this sooner id spy the factory haha. they always take em out and you can see them lol.

specialized is the same, i saw the current model about a week before release another youtuber was demoing it (in northstar that time but they just pick it up at the Santa Cruz specialized center just like sc bikes are at the santacruz .. santacruz factory)

regarding the bike, it makes complete sense to use something else than vpp wirh a motor where you dont care about the pedaling anti squat anyway

 

[Jhill]

hum had i read this sooner id spy the factory haha. they always take em out and you can see them lol.

specialized is the same, i saw the current model about a week before release another youtuber was demoing it (in northstar that time but they just pick it up at the Santa Cruz specialized center just like sc bikes are at the santacruz .. santacruz factory)

regarding the bike, it makes complete sense to use something else than vpp wirh a motor where you dont care about the pedaling anti squat anyway

I thought this too (not needing anti squat with e-bike) and I’m sure it’s true to an extent which they probably would have wanted to lower like the Bronson but that’s exactly where a motor would want to be. There is the other end though where anti squat helps with comfort not just efficiency, maybe some are more sensitive to it than others but the bouncing all the way along a long fire road climb is annoying in terms of rider comfort. Never ridden a transition but I’ve been tempted to demo one and heard they have some anti squat in their design so just because it’s 4 bar doesn’t mean it’ll be super low and bobby AKA FSR.

 

[dumpy]

I thought this too (not needing anti squat with e-bike) and I’m sure it’s true to an extent which they probably would have wanted to lower like the Bronson but that’s exactly where a motor would want to be. There is the other end though where anti squat helps with comfort not just efficiency, maybe some are more sensitive to it than others but the bouncing all the way along a long fire road climb is annoying in terms of rider comfort. Never ridden a transition but I’ve been tempted to demo one and heard they have some anti squat in their design so just because it’s 4 bar doesn’t mean it’ll be super low and bobby AKA FSR.

i have a relay and its awesome. and yes the anti squat isnt as much as my SC bike but its great especially on an ebike. Ive ridden their other bikes too and honestly its all pretty good - though, indeed, i will lockout the rear on flat steep ground while i wouldnt on the SC, but for everything else, its about the same (minus less "hang" on square edge stuff, but the latest SC's VPP isnt all that bad either .. hard to make wrong choices these days IMO)

 

[jbrown15]

Based on current pricing a £6.8k Bullit with a gen 5 motor and a 800wh battery is considerably cheaper than a Crestline

I keep seeing it being mentioned in this thread that the Gen 5 will have an 800wh battery, from all of the information that I've seen the Gen 5 will have a 750wh battery. But it's lighter because of the new high density cells.
I've seen zero mention of it being 800wh.

 

[Bndit]

I believe they keep the VPP, otherwise it`s not Santa Cruz bike. VPP looks good and keeps the bikes center gravity down. Why every bike should look same and use Bosch motor? Shimano won EDR E world cup

 

[RichMorr]

I keep seeing it being mentioned in this thread that the Gen 5 will have an 800wh battery, from all of the information that I've seen the Gen 5 will have a 750wh battery. But it's lighter because of the new high density cells.
I've seen zero mention of it being 800wh.

There a site which had the new trek rail and it showed an 800wh batter, it’s since been taken down

 

[jbrown15]

There a site which had the new trek rail and it showed an 800wh batter, it’s since been taken down

View attachment 147221

Hmmm interesting, well I'm seen the official information on the 2025 Wild and it has the Gen 5 motor and uses a lighter 750wh battery.

 

[gbcoke]

The Wild will use the current heavier 750wh battery and not the lighter (by 500gr) 800wh battery due to frame design.
The new 4bar SC will use the new 600wh battery and will not be able to fit the new 800wh battery unfortunately.

 

[jbrown15]

The Wild will use the current heavier 750wh battery and not the lighter (by 500gr) 800wh battery due to frame design.
The new 4bar SC will use the new 600wh battery and will not be able to fit the new 800wh battery unfortunately.

I saw that you posted this in the other thread, have you seen it confirmed from Orbea? I work at a dealer and watched the official video today about the 2025 Wild. In the video it stated a lighter 750wh battery.

 

[gbcoke]

The 800wh at 3.9kg is confirmed on official Bosch documents.
I'm not sure though if the 750wh got the newer cells that will make it lighter.The launch is in a few days so we will wait and see .
.

 

[TurdFarmer]

I saw that you posted this in the other thread, have you seen it confirmed from Orbea? I work at a dealer and watched the official video today about the 2025 Wild. In the video it stated a lighter 750wh battery.

Is there anything else new on the 25 Wild?

 

[jbrown15]

Is there anything else new on the 25 Wild?

170/170mm travel, slightly slacker HA, and you have an option to run it as a mullet with a link that maintains the geo.

 

[RichMorr]

170/170mm travel, slightly slacker HA, and you have an option to run it as a mullet with a link that maintains the geo.

Quite a big update then not just a model year upgrade

 

[jbrown15]

Quite a big update then not just a model year upgrade

I’d say subtle charges, but all improvements over the 2024. I believe some of the updates down the road for the Gen 5 CX will really help it continue to be a class leader. There’s a new top tube mounted Kiox coming also.

Sounds like Intense Bikes is switching to Bosch also.

 

[TurdFarmer]

170/170mm travel, slightly slacker HA, and you have an option to run it as a mullet with a link that maintains the geo.

I wonder if these change will make it a bit plusher.

 

[jbrown15]

I wonder if these change will make it a bit plusher.

I know the fork and shock both have very specific tunes from Fox for the bike. The progression rate on the rear suspension is higher too.

 

[TurdFarmer]

I know the fork and shock both have very specific tunes from Fox for the bike. The progression rate on the rear suspension is higher too.

Any build kits with the new Fox live valve neo?

 

[Ou812]

Any build kits with the new Fox live valve neo?

I’m sure there will be as it’s the newest thing right now. FWIW, my mate is demo’ing the NEO stuff right now and seems to be pretty impressed with it.

Fox will be offering NEO upgrade kits so if you have the float X or DHX2 you can just add the NEO stuff to it.