2015 Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon X01 AM Bike

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I test rode this bike for a whole day and after the very first ride it was apparent how much of a beast this thing really is. its nimble and surefooted, I rode it in the mud and very rarely if at all slid out uncontrollably. it jumps fantastically and handles big drops like second nature. I rode an XL I am 6ft 2, it felt slightly too big for me but the best way for you to get the fit right is to sit on one properly if you are going to drop this amount of money on one.You cannot imagine how silent and comfortable this bike is on rough ground, it tracks brilliantly and doesn't skitter about whilst braking its planted the whole way until you want to flick the switch and get some air. It also climbed like an adventurous mountain goat, ok its not going to be as good as a hardtail or a short travel bike but its climbing ability really shocked me, it really can be an all day bike to ride and I am purchasing one for that reason, it is the only bike I will ever need around the area I live in (Devon England) and even then I have some gnarly dh trails but this thing can handle it all!

WARNING: Little adjustment on how you steering (longer reach than previous Nomad) and how you pedaling or positioning your foots (lower BB high than previous Nomad), then you will be The Scariest Wild Beast on every descendant and crinkle trails.... Trust me, you could not control your smiles on your face......

I was pretty pumped to ride the new Nomad today. Did I like it?

I took a Large demo with a 160mm 34 CTD, Monarch Plus, Shimano 1X10 and XT Trail. Blue & Magenta. The dude set the suspension up for weight and I was off.

The fit was interesting. It felt very short for a large, similar to the Bronson, and taller than expected.

The climb up the road was good. The bike is light and pedaled real well. The front end didn't wander around which was nice given the fork was at 160mm and the frame has a 65HTa.

The descent into Upper Hide & Seek was interesting. The first turn felt gyroscopic and reminded me of a 29'er. The short feel of the frame made me feel like I was way over the front end. When it got rough the bike started to deflect and was very skittish. I checked the tire pressure it was high so I dropped the weight down. The bike now gripped better but still felt terrible when it was rough. This made me start braking earlier into turns and other obstacles which made me feel like I went through slower than usual. Rolling on smooth, fast, straight sections felt great. The bike carried speed well and slowed quickly when braking.

At Lower Hide & Seek I switched with my buddy Dennis and tried the Tallboy LT 29'er with a 140 32 (i think) Enve hoops, narrow Easton flat bar and Shimano group.

The bike felt instantly more plush and was great on flowy trail and was very lively on the fast bermed turns. Tight berms felt great for a big wheeler too. The bike was moderately snappy. Jumping it felt pretty good, with the exception of the fork topping out. I would set the component spec on the Tallboy up differently but I overall it was good.

Back on the Nomad for the last bit of trail I double checked the shock and fork pressure given how much the bike was deflecting. The pressure was more than I would normally run so I let some air out and went down the trail to the lot. The bike still jumped around a lot and felt like I was turning a cardboard box but wasn't as bad as before.

I think SC had good intentions with the Nomad but the just missed the mark on a few things. Lengthening the front triangle would feel better and dropping the BB a bit wouldn't hurt. It might make the bike feel less tall and compact.

Fix those and put a vivid air and a better fork and we would likely fix some of my gripes. I still need to get a handle on 650b wheels. I've been on 3 bikes sporting the wheel size and I haven't really felt the advantages beyond some advantage climbing. On Descents I've felt a bit more stability at speed and over rough obstacles but not much. Turning this wheel size feels way more like a wagon wheel than anything else. The verdict is still out but so far 26 is may more fun for me. I think I need to try 650b on my bike for a final say.