Santa Cruz didn't privation to messiness with a bully thing, truthful the 2023 Tallboy doesn't deviate that acold from the erstwhile model. The geometry has been adjusted slightly, and the aforesaid goes for the kinematics, but it's much of a good tuning alternatively than a implicit overhaul.

Gloss Ultra Blue and Matte Taupe are the 2 colour options for the 5th procreation of the Tallboy.

Frame Details

The astir evident alteration to the Tallboy's framework is the summation of downtube storage, a diagnostic that's present recovered connected astir each way and enduro motorcycle successful Santa Cruz's lineup, but for the Bronson (at slightest for now). A tiny latch adjacent to the h2o vessel cage allows entree to the compartment, and 2 pouches are included for stashing a tube, tools, and immoderate different snacks and accessories that'll fit.

Other than the caller snack stash, the Tallboy's framework details haven't changed each that much. There's afloat guided interior cablegram routing, a threaded bottommost bracket, country for a 2.5” rear tire, and mounts for a concatenation guide. There's besides a cosmopolitan derailleur hanger, and a flip spot connected the rear daze equine that allows for precise subtle geometry changes.

Geometry & Suspension Layout

The Tallboy's daze flip spot remains, but the quality to change the chainstay magnitude by 10mm has been removed, replaced by size-specific lengths for each size. Chainstay lengths scope from 431mm connected a size tiny up to 444mm connected an XXL.

The Tallboy's spot conduit angles are besides size-specific, getting steeper with each larger size. That helps guarantee that taller riders won't extremity up excessively acold implicit the backmost of the motorcycle erstwhile climbing.

The caller Tallboy isn't immoderate slacker than before, but it did get a small spot longer, with scope numbers that lucifer up with the remainder of Santa Cruz's lineup. The scope for a size ample is present 473mm successful the debased setting, an summation of 5mm. The somewhat steepened spot conduit angles equilibrium retired that increase, creating a apical conduit magnitude that's comparatively unchanged, which means the seated climbing presumption volition consciousness astir the aforesaid arsenic before.

Santa Cruz lowered the Tallboy's leverage ratio to springiness it a somewhat little progressive daze curve, a alteration that's besides accompanied by a little magnitude of anti-squat successful the opening of the travel, and a little assertive driblet disconnected aboriginal successful the stroke. Those changes were done to summation the bike's tiny bump compliance, and to springiness it a much predictable suspension consciousness astatine each points successful the travel.

Build Kits

There are 6 models successful the lineup, with prices starting astatine $5,299 USD for the Tallboy C R, which has SRAM NX drivetrain, Guide T brakes, a RockShox Pike Base fork and a Fox Performance DPS shock.

At the apical of the enactment sits the $10,399 Tallboy CC X01 AXS RSV. That's a full batch of initials to designate that it has Santa Cruz's highest extremity c framework construction, SRAM's AXS wireless physics drivetrain, and Reserve 30 SL c wheels. Suspension duties connected that pricey exemplary are handled by a Fox Float Factory DPS daze and a RockShox Pike Ultimate fork.

Ride Impressions

The Tallboy isn't a downcountry bike, and it's not trying to be. Instead, it's a do-everything instrumentality that has a 'just right' aerial to its handling. There's nary sketchiness oregon unpredictability to beryllium recovered – it's the rider that'll beryllium bringing those traits to the table, not the bike.

Honestly, I could astir apt conscionable driblet the nexus to Mike Levy's review of the Tallboy 4 successful present and telephone it good. There are much similarities than differences betwixt the 2 versions, and the wide thrust characteristics are astir identical. It's been a small spot since I past rode a Tallboy, but going disconnected my somewhat fuzzy memories I'd accidental that the suspension does consciousness amended than earlier - it's a small softer overall, which makes the motorcycle much comfy connected choppy sections of trail. There's inactive plentifulness of support, though, and adjacent erstwhile I utilized each of the question determination wasn't immoderate harshness astatine the extremity of the stroke.

The Tallboy's spot is its versatility – it feels solid, escaped of immoderate unwanted twitchiness, adjacent connected rougher, high-speed trails. The Maxxis Dissector / Rekon tyre combo worked good for the dry, dusty conditions that person prevailed lately, though I'd apt enactment thing a small meatier connected for bedewed conditions oregon to truly effort to wring retired the astir downhill show possible. I'd besides astir apt swap retired the G2 brakes for immoderate Codes if I was going that route, since there's lone a tiny value punishment and a noticeable show difference. Still, for wide work the G2 brakes enactment each right, and a rotor upgrade to the caller HS2 versions would beryllium an easier mode to bump up the stopping powerfulness a small further.

The Tallboy's handling is precise calm and predictable, and the aforesaid goes for the pedaling show - it strikes a bully equilibrium betwixt ratio and traction. That said, the value combined with the much muted suspension consciousness does marque it consciousness person to a abbreviated question Hightower alternatively than a longer question Blur.

That's not to accidental that it feels dense oregon lethargic – acold from it – it's conscionable determination is simply a noticeable quality betwixt however it feels compared to thing similar the newest Trek Top Fuel, oregon adjacent a Transition Spur for that matter. All of those bikes person 120mm of rear travel, but the Trek and Transition beryllium much connected the assertive XC broadside of the spectrum, and person much of an appetite for sprinting uphill than the Tallboy.

Those lighter and livelier options are large for riders trying to scratch that downcountry itch, but erstwhile gravity takes implicit it's the Tallboy that pulls ahead, with a much planted consciousness that delivers the assurance required to deed higher speeds and much challenging way features.

As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't hole it," and that's precisely what Santa Cruz person done with the Tallboy. It's a refined way bike, with easy-to-live-with handling and each of the framework features (and corresponding terms tag) that Santa Cruz has go known for.