Santa Cruz Hightower C 27.5+ (S+Build)

Medium Hightower C S+ Build 27.5+, RaceFace ARC 40 wheels, GX 11 spd, Reverb Stealth dropper, Maxxis Recon+ F/R, Guide R brakes, 30-40mm stem and bars in the neighborhood of 750mm, Rockshox Pike RC, Rockshox Monarch RT


About me:

• 5’9” and about 200lbs - Long Torso and 29” inseam
  
• I ride a large Mojo HD3
  
• Favorite local trails:
  • Luge, Hectic, Cookies, First Crack, Stairsteps, TnA , Johnson’s Motorway
• Basically, I climb for (what I consider) fun descents. I’d say although not a fast climber, I am a strong climber. I like lively and responsive bikes that can handle some high speed chunk. My favorite all time rides have been The Whole Enchilada, Cannel Trail/Plunge and Palm Canyon.

Demo route was up STT down the Luge.

Likes:

• Traction for days! It made the Luge feel like the loamiest of Santa Cruz trails
  
• This bike is stable. Almost to a fault
  
• Extremely forgiving of poor line choices. The best analogy I can think of is it’s a monster truck of a bike
  
• Rolls over everything - Smooths out many obstacles
  
• Sufficient gearing (30/42)
  
• When Guide brakes work, they feel great. Great modulation and sufficient power.
  
• According to Strava, I climbed it pretty quickly - although it felt portly
  
• Loved the geometry
  • Decent pedal clearance (BB height)
    
  • Liked the headtube angle - slack enough, but not too sluggish
    
  • I liked the reach even with a 30mm stem
    
  • Seatube angle was comfortable
    
  • Plenty of stand-over room

Dislikes:

• Not playful enough for me. Hard to pop off trail obstacles
  
• Hard to get the wheels off the ground
  
• Difficult to get the front wheel up while descending to hop over obstacles
  
• Gyro effect when the bike does get airborne
  
• I felt like more of a passenger when descending than the operator

Summary:

I enjoy playing on descents. Meaning, I enjoy popping off nearly anything I can find to catch a bit of air or create what I consider a creative line. Whereas, this bike I think caters to riders who climb well, but lack a bit of confidence on descending loose or chunky trails. This bike goes where it is pointed and will handle nearly anything you point it at. That being said, the bike is not nimble when descending. It wants to plow anything in it’s way. The traction was nothing short of amazing. When riding marbles over hardpack that make my current bike a bit squeamish, the Hightower made it feel as though there were NO traction issues. Amazing bike, just not for me as an everyday bike.

 

Nice run down on a bike that I'm curious about. Thanks for articulating.

• ...Hard to pop off trail obstacles
• Hard to get the wheels off the ground

Heh, my feeling about VPP, which started as dislikes and became likes.

 

Agree.....after some TITS.....these no longer pose any problems. I know my Tallboy seemed like a bit of work when I first got it. After adjusting to it...have no trouble manualing or launching off things in the trail.

Look at the Santa Cruz Enduro team....what are they riding? Hightowers in 29er configuration.

Thanks for the review though....I don't wanna ride one. I'm afraid if I do...I may want one.

 

Thanks for the quick review, @Makoto ! Good insight into the bike.

 

@Makoto
Agree with the others...
Good background, thoughts, and feedback.
As well, you and I like the same trail conditions big time!

Note: We should post up a pic of the bike.

 

Some of those dislikes most likely stem from the 27.5+ tires. I've demo'ed one a couple of times, once in Santa Cruz and another time back near home in So Cal, and the 29" mode is definitely much more playful than the wider 27.5+ tire/rim combo. Coming from a 27.5" Heckler, which is based on the Bronson 1.0 Geo, I had to size down to a Large. The XL felt too long, but the Large was much more agile for me.

 

I would say all of the "negatives" could be attributed to the semi-clown wheels. They bump anyone's skill level up a notch or two, simply be "removing" the trail. I usually take it easy on the Luge, because it beats the heck out of me on the hardtail. My one and only "fast" time was with the 27.5+ on the front at around 15 psi. It was like novocaine... I felt nothing, and there was no need to pick lines. It may as well have been a bike path... But I hardly ever put them on anymore, because I'm so much slower overall.

If I were in the market, though, I'd look at this bike in the 27.5+. It wouldn't be for an all-day adventure with mtnbikej, but it would fit in nicely with all of the group rides I've done this year. It's also the only full suspension that's caught my eye recently. I need to wear blinders when I go in the Path.

 

very helpful, thanks

 

I had a brief ride around the parking lot last March right after they came out. Compared to my Tallboy LTc, the Hightower feels "raked"... a much more all-mountain feel than the TB.