2008 Santa Cruz Nomad

armrunner
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10/30/2012
Location
Bakersfield, CA US
armrunner
Edited Date/Time 5/4/2020 6:14pm
Hey all! Im getting back into riding after a few years off and have the opportunity to pick up a mint 08 Nomad. Basically stock minus grips and tires. From what i can tell its a good deal but wanted your thoughts on it. Seller was asking quite a bit more but i have them at 600 bucks. Good buy?
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Big Bird
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Oceano, CA US
Big Bird 5/4/2020 11:30am
5/4/2020 11:30am
Be careful. I don't remember what year the First Nomad came out, but it was complete garbage. I worked for Santa Cruz at the time assembling frames and quit my job in complete disgust. I'm told it was a former engineer who Joe G. replaced that designed it. Basically, the only thing that held the rear swing arm in line with the front triangle was green Lock Tite. No positive contact between metal parts, just bearings floating on a shaft, held with green Lock Tite to keep things in the right place. I knew it was going to be a Warranty nightmare for Willy and it was. So do some research and make sure that the '08 isn't the first year. Alternately, just buy it cheap and be ready to buy the appropriate shims and be ready to carefully rebuild the swing arm pivots. Or be ready for a lot of creaking and a bad chain line.
1
armrunner
Profile picture for user armrunner
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Bakersfield, CA US
armrunner 5/4/2020 11:50am
5/4/2020 11:50am Edited Date/Time 5/4/2020 11:58am
So from what i have seen, The Nomad 1 was from 05-08, then there was the Nomad 2 which was 08 to 13. So i guess i need to figure out if its a 1 or 2.

EDIT: Looks like the Gen 1 bikes came with a 165mm rear shock and changed to a 160mm on the gen 2. This one shows it has a 165mm rear. So id say it s a Gen 1 bike.
Big Bird
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Big Bird 5/4/2020 12:26pm
5/4/2020 12:26pm
The gen ones also were a lot more curvy with that big hump near the head tube.
1
armrunner
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Bakersfield, CA US
armrunner 5/4/2020 12:42pm
5/4/2020 12:42pm Edited Date/Time 5/4/2020 12:43pm
Big Bird wrote:
The gen ones also were a lot more curvy with that big hump near the head tube.
Ill Try to post some pictures when i get home. Its clean and looks well taken care of. After elbow surgeries and having my first kid, im slowing my pace down alittle. So im not to worried about the bike holding up. Thanks Bird for your insight. If i pick it up, i'll drop it by over there Oceano so you can check it out lol. My parents live there!
1
armrunner
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Bakersfield, CA US
armrunner 5/4/2020 12:52pm
5/4/2020 12:52pm


1
BRed
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BRed 5/4/2020 6:14pm
5/4/2020 6:14pm
My '12 Nomad was my favorite bike of all that I've owned.

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