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If our Top Ten Beautiful Bicycles list serves as an indicator of your interests, our Top Ten Review Bikes speak to the readership’s curiosities and potential next bike buys. This year’s Top Ten Review Bikes ran the gamut from carbon gravel bikes with proprietary passive suspension to actual full suspension bikes and everything in between.
Let’s check out what review bikes pushed the needle for you this year!
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Some bikes just hit differently. They grow with an audience, transform the paradigm, and go against the grain. The Santa Cruz Stigmata is one of those bikes for me.
These days, mountain bike brands are all about gravel bikes, but one company started its foray into drop bars way back in 2007. Santa Cruz Bicycles first launched its quirky and fun ‘cross bike, dubbed the Stigmata, back before disc brakes proliferated the drop-bar bike phenotype. It was made from Easton EA6X aluminum in the USA and had cantilever brakes. It was weird. Funky. Cool.
Then, in 2015, the brand brought back the Stigmata but in carbon with disc brakes. I spent some time in New Zealand on the bike and logged many miles in Los Angeles. I loved it. So much so that I copied its geometry for my custom Firefly in 2016. Later, the Stiggy got another refresh and the 2019 iteration sported 27.5 x 2″ tires and was a carbon monster truck. I posted that review the day we refreshed our web design of The Radavist.
So when Santa Cruz announced its 2023 model, with the full SRAM AXS kit, including the RockShox Rudy suspension fork, I had to try it out, too. I’ve been ripping around on this lightweight and capable bike here in Santa Fe through the remnants of a dry and dusty El Niño year and have some thoughts on what makes the Stigmata so magical. Check it out below!
With this year’s Chris King Open House coming right after the 2023 MADE Bike Show, the event decided to shift gears and focus on the Portland area’s outdoor brands. Chris King opened its doors to the public, unveiling the process that goes into machining bike parts in the USA, while inviting the broader outdoor industry to display their products. It was a full day of bikes and more! Check out our Reportage, sent in by Chris King and let us know your favorite bike in the comments!
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
The current mixed-wheel wave started in the gravity racing scene. And that seems to be where it’s set its roots too, given that most options are clustered near the long-travel end of the spectrum. But Travis Engel believes that this oft-misunderstood configuration is better suited for mid-travel bikes like the Santa Cruz 5010 and Juliana Furtado. In his review below, Travis covers the unique way the 5010 balances business and party, but he refuses to call it a “mullet.”
This past week, in the lead-up to the annual Sea Otter Classic event in Monterey, CA, Chris King Components held their second Guest House event across Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz. The festive event showcased a variety of unique builds – all featuring Chris King components – many of which were the recently re-released vibrant 3D Violet color. Below, let’s take a look at this eclectic mix of bikes that spans categories across road, gravel, touring, and MTB!
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Back in 2018, I reviewed the Santa Cruz Chameleon in the 27.5+ platform with a tricked-out build spec thanks to Hope Tech. Much like its namesake, the Chameleon really stood out from the crowd of other production hardtails on the market, making it a proper icon in the world of hardtail mountain bikes. Fast forward three years and I’ve had the new and improved 2022 Chameleon model under my butt for a few weeks now, have taken it on similar terrain as I did in Los Angeles with its predecessor, and have a few thoughts about the two models. Which one is worth your money? Read on below to find out…
Once again, the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship is giving away a brand new, complete Santa Cruz Bicycle Bronson! All you’ve gotta do is make a donation at their site and all proceeds go to this 501(c)(3) nonprofit bettering the trails in their community. Head on over to SCMTS to make a donation and win!
The new Chameleon is here from Santa Cruz Bicycles and yes, we got our grubby paws on an early press-release build we’re currently reviewing – look for that next week – but today we’re hoping you’ll check out the amazing stories Santa Cruz pulled together for the launch. There are tales from Indigenous women, framebuilders, bar owners, and an employee who works at Santa Cruz Bicycles. It takes a lot of effort to pull together stories like this, so head to Santa Cruz Bicycles to check them and this new dang beautiful bike out!
Look for our review next week and check out our review of the old Chameleon in our Related Archives below.
Do you like what you see here? Well, you could win this fully decked out, dream Hightower build from Santa Cruz Bicycles by partaking in the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship’s $5 a Foot fundraiser:
“Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship’s 5 Bucks a Foot fundraiser is back with a customized, Santa Cruz Hightower up for grabs! Sure, there’s a bike shortage, and yes, it’s nearly impossible just to get some bike parts these days. Yet, we got lucky enough to assemble this bling’ed masterpiece: a one-of-a-kind Hightower (size Large) decked out with parts you can’t even get your hands on these days. And if you want to come pick it up in-person*, you can receive complimentary lodging at The Lure Resort in Downieville, CA for the weekend. Come out and ride the Downieville Downhill on your brand-new bike!
We are building a legacy trail – the 300+ mile Lost Sierra Route – through our Connected Communities Project. The building and maintenance of “A Trail for Everyone” will employ local residents and help our small businesses thrive. For every $5 you donate to 5 Bucks a Foot between Tuesday, June 8 to Friday, July 9, 2021, you can directly contribute to this project and possibly win this sweet ride.”
Hop on over to Sierra Trails to enter to win and help out the Connected Communities initiative.
With the launch of the new Santa Cruz Blur and Juliana Wilder, Santa Cruz Bikes pulled together one of the most Wes Anderson bike videos we’ve ever seen!
Santa Cruz Bicycles’ entire lineup got color and build kit updates, including our two favorite bikes in their catalog, the Stigmata and Chameleon.
The Stiggy has five build kits, ranging from Rival 1 to Force AXS 2x and a new forest green and mint color option, starting at $3499. Over on the mountain side, the Chameleon has NX and SX build kits in 29er or 27.5+ wheels, starting at $1949.
See the full refresh at Santa Cruz Bicycles.
I must say, the pandemic has made all of us a little stir-crazy, but clearly the team at Santa Cruz have put their free time to use with the new 5010 launch. Now that’s a video!
Back in November of 2019, an Instagram message popped up from Mark Scott.
“Me, Krunk Shox [Alex McGuinnis] and Santa Cruz are planning a little road bike trip to Belgium in January. We thought it’s something that you’d be interested in being part of.”
The answer was simple: “[Expletive deleted] yes.”
Back in the ‘80s, before Mark, Krunk, and Santa Cruz bikes were even born, a 19-year-old me went to Belgium to become a bike racer.
Back then, if you were an aspiring North American bike racer of any note, you went to Europe to hone your craft. You could absolutely race bikes in places other than Europe, but it was most definitely the world center of cycling.”
Check out this full story at Santa Cruz Bicycles.
Prior to the pandemic, Santa Cruz Bicycles sent Josh “Loosedog” Lewis, Iago Garay, Mitch Ropelato and Romain Paulhan down to Chile to find dusty, loose, and rugged trails. This video is the result and is highly worth your time to watch!