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I think they should make it high pivot (like the upcoming Demo) to differentiate itself from a possible long travel stumpy release.
Somebody on the USD forks topic mentionned it was probably a taiwanese oem fork, with 32mm stachions only. A shame if that is verified info
If that's the case, it's a few decades behind the times..
I'm confused as to why my opinion regarding a high pivot Enduro is controversial? We saw from the patents and some sneak peeks that it's being developed in the same way with the same linkage style as the Demo prototype, it would only make sense for Specialized to make the Enduro a high pivot to match as it would likely have the same linkage rock strike issue with a normal pivot.
enhance.wtf
😂🤣🤦♂️🤦♂️
Yup, they had a new Enduro almost entirely ready to go. Charlie had one to test in NZ and the bike just wasn't good enough to bring to production so they were forced to scrap it.
Charlie's Stumpys are stock travel. At least they were up to this year. He was even on a 160mm lyrik last year but like all the sram athletes this year was contractually obligated to be on full flight attendant and the proto zeb
https://youtu.be/bTRtJqu-Xt4?si=eGPK0y83k04IRZnj
I don't know how, but the heat tube and seat tube junctions look more Ibis like than Ibis bikes do
Nina riding a new bike in msa
Hold on, I had it on good authority from this very forum that Santa Cruz would abandon VPP and move to Virtual Crab Point!!
Good spotting 🤣
Last time I saw lots of small adjusters on one fork leg I remember Marzocchi nearly imploding from performance and qc issues
Ok here is my unified semi-conspiracy theory that explains the proto V10, Jackson Goldstone's bike weights, the mysterious lack of a Specialized Enduro, the development journey of the Demo, lagging enduro enthusiasm from bike companies in general, and even the Orbea Rallon.
Manufacturers think that e-bikes are the future and are orienting themselves toward dedicating a majority of their efforts toward producing them. They have the following assumptions about e-bikes:
-E-bikes have shown that the weight of the motor under the bottom bracket can actually play a positive role in how a bike handles. It drives the front tire into the ground and affects cornering positively. Jackson Goldstone's bike lends further credence to this at the highest level.
-Pedaling performance will matter less and less, especially as battery and motor weights continuing dropping.
From these two assumptions, you can see how bike companies feel like there's less development insight they can gain from enduro bikes (which have to make compromises between suspension performance and pedaling performance) vs downhill bikes, which jettison the limitations of pedaling performance considerations and are exclusively focused on suspension performance.
Take a look at what the V10 proto, Demo, and Rallon have in common: they can fit a water bottle cage.
Racing is meant as marketing and to help develop bikes. Right now, DH racing is serving that dual purpose better.
So here are my predictions for 2026/2027:
-Santa Cruz, Specialized, and other companies will introduce an e-bike platform based off their DH prototypes. They will probably come in as the new Megatower and Enduro, but basically be the V10 and Demo plus motors.
-Once this new crop of DH-inspired e-bikes comes to market, enduro racing will get folded into e-enduro, and sponsor money will pour in again as it becomes better suited for both marketing and product development.
You heard it here first
I feel like you’re half right here. Mainly, I can’t believe we aren’t seeing more e-dh rigs.
I think this prototype could be either a new model (maybe they bring back the driver 8 name) or a new nomad. It looks like it could be set up with a dropper and more of an enduro/freeride build. Makes a lot of sense for bike brands to go that way. Would make sense from a marketing stand point for Santa Cruz to have a versatile alloy (affordable?) bike for those riders who dont want to commit to a full blown dh rig or those riders looking to have 2 bikes in one.
I'll put money that is a test mule for geo and kinematics testing. Has zip tie cable routing, different shock mount options…
Santa Cruz only does alloy as an afterthought. But making a Nomad/Megatower dual crown capable makes a lot of sense. Hopefully they'll make those two models more interchangeable with a linkage swap like Trek did with the new Fuel.
Exactly. I live in a place where there are no uplifts and having a DH bike with a motor and battery would be the greatest thing. A massive plus if you could just remove the battery (so it’s allowed on an airplane) and race it with the motor in it, wouldn’t have to buy weights that way hehe
Is the new proto on dual 27 inch wheels? The rear seems 27 (spoke spacing is tighter than a 29er) and the front looks similarly sized...
That's a test mule if I ever saw one, wonder if they'll finally be changing the shape of the v10?
LOL,
The current V10 is only two years old, and was engineered with many options examined. If they’d wanted the current V10 to look like a Nomad, it would.
That looks way more like a Park/Freeride model than a DH rig.
Damn it’s private. Did you see geo and travel?
Wait wait wait, that's the MOTOR??
Absolutely diabolical setup, I need someone to review this thing.
This has been discussed a very long time ago... Yes, it's a motor, the principle is basically the same that Rocky Mountain ebikes used.
Would make a lot of sense to make the mega tower mulletable and move nomad into bottle rocket territory. Especially if they were to offer a more affordable aluminum option (something Santa has lacked in recent years).
Especially when the Bronson 5 can be overshocked way past 150mm.
signature launched a new alloy bar and stem. $99 each
https://signature.bike/components
We deserve a separate thread for stem and handlebar rumors
150r/160f with the ability to run 170f. Sounds like it’s coming in two different build kits. SDU/lyrik at 160 and vivid/zeb at 170. Longer chain stay, slacker HT, higher stack. Still not sure if it’s superboost or nor not, pls no…
How much more?