First Look: 2017 Santa Cruz Tallboy 29/27.5+ 6

bturman

4/25/2016 8:14pm

It seems like just last month we were rallying down a Scottish hillside on a new Santa Cruz Tallboy, but the truth is that a few years have gone by and the bike is due for a big update. Now in its third version, the Tallboy 3 gains the ability to use 29 and 27.5+ wheels, some extra travel, and longer/lower/slacker geometry tweaks that help take it from the cross-country realm to something that we'd happily ride on far more aggressive terrain. Have a look over the details from Santa Cruz, below, and be sure to catch the intro video starring Greg Minnaar.

Tallboy 3 Updates

Wheel size switchable - 29 or 27.5+
More travel - Now at 110mm, up from 100mm
Higher initial leverage - For better small bump compliance
Flatter suspension curve - More consistent feel through travel
More progressive shock tune - Resists bottom out better, appropriate to travel
Stiffer fork chassis - FOX 34 instead of 32
Dropper posts included in kits
Grippier tires
Updated geometry

27.5+ or 29? Choose your flavor with the new Tallboy.

Tallboy 3 Geometry Updates

Slacker head angle: 68-degrees, 2.2-degrees slacker for more stable handling
Longer reach: 40-50mm depending on frame size, gives a roomier front/center
Shorter chainstays: 11mm shorter than prior (17-inches / 432mm) for snappier handling
Shorter seat tube: 30mm shorter for better standover/dropper compatibility
Steeper seat tube angle: 0.6-degrees steeper for better pedaling position

While the bike will be sold in both wheel sizes, it's possible to do a little swapping yourself for a 2-in-1 bicycle. Changing between 29 and 27.5+ requires a wheelset, tires, the correct length fork, and a flip of the chip for best handling. For the 29er configuration, they recommend the "Low" flip chip position and a 120mm fork. For 27.5+, go with the "High" position and a 130mm fork to maintain the bike's geometry.

For those who'd prefer to just have one fork on hand, Santa Cruz suggests going with the 27.5+/130mm fork configuration as running 29er wheels works better with a longer fork than the other way around. Alternately you could switch out the fork’s air shaft as needed. Santa Cruz has no current plans to sell alternate wheel/fork combo kits separately.

Tallboy 3 Standard Features

Internal cable tunnels for derailleurs and dropper
73mm threaded bottom bracket
Downtube protector
Molded chainstay protector
Hub spacing: 148mm rear / 110mm front
Removable front derailleur mount
IS headset
Size-specific RockShox Reverb seatposts: Small 125mm, Med-XL 150mm, XXL 170mm

In Action - Greg Minnaar's Epic

In this classic tale of hypersomnia, Santa Cruz Syndicate rider Greg Minnaar decides to boost his fitness by taking part in the grueling Absa Cape Epic stage race. Visions of victory dance in his head until the gun goes off and Greg realizes that he’s starting his day in a deep hole. After recognizing it’s a lost cause, Greg strikes out on his own adventure, taking his new Tallboy to places typical XC bikes dare not venture. Though perhaps last in the standings, the not-to-be-missed ending shows that Greg is a winner through and through.

Build Kits, Weights and Pricing

If straight line speed, rallying through rock gardens and sprinting out of turns is your bag, then 29-inch wheels are the big ticket. Upgrade to carbon rims and you have a precision instrument on your hands.

When conditions get loose and the traction just isn’t there, you’ll want to reach for bigger tires. 27.5+ elevates these bikes to a whole different level, enabling you to rise above the pow, rail the soft spots and carry momentum where standard tires bog down.

The bike will initially be offered in three builds (two 29 and one 27.5+) with more on the way. Colors are yellow and matte gray with orange.

Tallboy 29 CC XX1 - $7,799

Santa Cruz CC Frameset, 110mm VPP travel
SRAM XX1 drivetrain / Race Face Next SL crankset
FOX 34 Float 29 Factory 120mm fork
FOX Float Factory Kashima shock
Easton ARC 24 rims -or- Enve M60 HV upgrade for $2,000
Industry Nine hubs (110mm front / 148mm rear)
SRAM Level Ultimate brakes
Maxxis Minion 2.3 DHF 3C front tire / Ardent Race EXO rear
Weight: 26-pounds / 11.8kg with Enve wheels; 26.2-pounds / 11.9kg with Easton wheels

Tallboy 29 CC X01 - $6,499

Santa Cruz CC Frameset, 110mm VPP travel
SRAM XO1 drivetrain / Race Face Turbine crankset
FOX 34 Float 29 Performance Elite 120mm fork
FOX Float Performance Elite shock
Easton ARC 24 rims -or- Enve M60 HV upgrade for $2,000
DT 350s hubs (110mm front / 148mm rear)
SRAM Level TLM brakes
Maxxis Minion 2.3 DHF 3C front tire / Ardent Race EXO rear
Weight: 26.2-pounds / 11.9kg with Enve wheels; 26.4-pounds / 12kg with Easton wheels

Tallboy 27.5+ CC X01 - $6,499

Santa Cruz CC Frameset, 110mm VPP travel
SRAM XO1 drivetrain / Race Face Turbine crankset
FOX 34 Float 29 Performance Elite 130mm fork
FOX Float Performance Elite shock
Easton ARC 40 rims
DT 350s hubs (110mm front / 148mm rear)
SRAM Level TLM brakes
Maxxis Rekon 2.8 EXO 3C front tire / Rekon 2.8 EXO rear
Weight: 26.3-pounds / 11.95kg with Easton wheels

Ladies Too! Introducing the New Juliana Joplin

Thanks to low standover heights the boys don't get to have all the fun, and this new ride will work well for the ladies too. Juliana, sister company to Santa Cruz, will offer the twin Joplin bike in an awesome ultraviolet color with very similar build kits and pricing. The suspension is tuned for lighter riders (LL vs MM shock tune), it comes with an ergonomic women's saddle, matching ultraviolet grips, and the dropper/stem/bars are proportionally sized across the small, medium, and large sizes.