Note: These are not reviews but are simple ride impressions based on the demo tech set-up. All bikes were ridden on the same 15 minute loop to keep things even-steven. I focused this Demo Day event on 130mm-ish 29?er Trail bikes from smaller companies and added one ringer from one of the big guys in the biz.
gg
“Bloody brilliant”.
That is what I should have said when Will, the Global Marketing Manager for Santa Cruz, while speaking in a strong British accent, asked me what I thought of the bike after my loop around Bootleg. Instead I was at a loss for words and just stammered a bit. Me at a loss for words? That is rare.
The Santa Cruz Tall Boy LTc is a somewhat natural evolution of the initial Tall Boy platform based around a 100mm XC/light trail 29er FS. From the Santa Cruz website:
We waved the carbon fiber wand at the new Tallboy LT, offering all the same features, and ended up with a frame that weighs 5.18 pounds with a shock bolted in there. That is not a typo. 135mm travel, VPP suspension, great big wheels, 142x12mm rear axle, ISCG05 mounts, plenty of beef where it counts, and the damn thing only weighs 5.35 pounds (this is worth repeating). That’s obscenely light for this type of bike. In spite of the feathery weight, this is still an aggressive all-mountain contender, and as such is stiff enough and strong enough to devour anything you throw at it without so much as a twitch.
The XL TB LTc fit me like a glove in the XL size and that is never to be ignored with a quick impression ride. None of the other bikes were bad for me, but this one had it all just right for my frame. Out of the paddocks the TB LTc just scooted away from the crowds and pedaled just as well as the king-up-to-this-point DW Sultan. With the rear shock fully open, I stood out of the saddle in the top ring of the double crank and pedaled, expecting a VPP mambo like the Intense. Nope. Pretty darn steady down there. Well alrighty then!
I turned onto the trail and popped a wheelie for about 8 feet with ease, dropped the front wheel into the turn and dove into the XC course. Every bermed corner beckoned like a pump track and the outcroppings in the trail were excuses to get mini-air. Fun bike. It was light for sure, but it was more than that.
The rear suspension was nearly as firm as the DW Sultan but the chassis on the TB LTc is not as stiff, at least that was my impression, but that was a trait of the TB 100mm version we reviewed…a less than super stiff chassis. The LTc seemed to be better and the 142×12 rear axle had to help. It tracked very well and even with the rear shock fully open it felt lively…never wallowed, etc. I could feel the trail a bit better on the TB LTc so I knew what was going on under the wheels. Down through the chunks and rock drops the TB LTc gave me the best ride of the group. It felt balanced end to end and had a bit more rear travel (135mm) then some of the others that were just under 130mm.
In the small CR, I tried to see if I could get some anti-squat effects going and I could, but it was not that bad. For a bike that is not a pure XC effort, I will cut it some slack here. It had good manners in the saddle on steep and loose climbs too.
I am not sure what makes a bike all come together and stand out like this one did for me. It was not the plushest despite having the most travel. It may have been the lightest but not by much if at all. It was not the stiffest either IMO…no numbers to back that up. But it was in the mid 90s temps-wise out there on the trail, no shade, no breeze….nada. But I seriously considered another loop on the TB LTc because it was just so much fun.
Hey gg, thanks for the review and adding more justification to my insanely expensive purchase (once the xxl is out). How much of the frame flex do you think is due to the wheels? On my regular Tallboy c I get a lot of flex in the front and back but I don’t think much of it is coming from the frame.
Lighter bikes tend to be fun. That’s all there is to the TB LTc, that I’ve found. Try the alloy version and you will notice that has similar behavior, but is not as fun, since the weight bogs down its agility.
Replace the word “agility” with pop*, in the above comment. It’s light and springy, in a fun and lofty way.
Makes me wanna go ride! Yum.
In your comment about lake of stiffness, might you attibute some of this to the XL frame? I have this same bike in a large and I can honestly say that I do not notice it being flexy. Then again, prior to this bike, I was riding a mid 90s FS bike which was pretty noodly compared to this…..
@all…well keep some perspective here. I was comparing it to the Sultan which gave the impression of being very solid. The TB LTc was hardly a noodle as far as I could see or feel from the brief ride.
For the weight of the frame in that size, it seemed very well done. I am sure the Sultan frame is a good deal heavier.
Frankly, except for the Ellsworth and the Sultan, those being at opposite ends of the spectrum chassis stiffness wise (allowing for some wheel issues too), the rest of the bikes all seemed adequate to me in the short time I rode them.
gg
Slap on a pair of ENVE AM Rims and you eliminate the stiffness issue for good, that is what i did on mine. Even on the climbs could feel every pedal stroke not going to waste!
hey GG. how tall are you and what is your inseam? at 6’5″ i wonder if the XL is quite big enough for me…
@James…6’2″ and 34″ inseam. I have long arms and upper bod, hence the XL fit in the reach even though the stand over for an XL can be iffy, like on a typical hard tail frame.
gg
I am on the fence between the TB c and the TB LTc. I live in the San Fernando Valley and ride around here. I was wondering if someone could steer me into which bike is better. I like to climb, but I like to descend too (who doesn’t?), but does the TB climb better than the TB LT descends? (if that makes any sense) thanks.
joshua