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Santa Cruz
In production

Nomad

5700–11500 EUR
01

Origin

The Nomad is Santa Cruz's long-running long-travel enduro/freeride platform, first launched in 2005 and now in its seventh generation. Over the years it grew from a do-it-all all-mountain bike into the brand's most aggressive pedal-powered descender. It pioneered the lower-link-driven VPP layout that defines modern Santa Cruz suspension, and the current bike runs 170 mm front and rear on a mullet (MX) wheel setup, sitting below the dedicated V10 downhill bike in the range.

02

Specifications

Frame
Carbon CC (carbon fibre), size-specific stiffness tuning, integrated 'Glovebox' downtube storage; frame ~3.27 kg with Fox Float X2 shock. Latest generation ~283 g lighter than Nomad 6 C frame
Weight
kg
Drivetrain
1x12. High-end builds: SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission (12-speed electronic wireless AXS)
Brakes
Hydraulic disc, 4-piston. Flagship: SRAM Maven Silver Stealth 4-piston, 200 mm rotors
Wheels
MX / mullet: 29" front, 27.5" rear. Flagship: Reserve 30 HD carbon rims on Industry Nine 1/1 hubs (Boost)
03

The verdict

+Strengths
  • Hugely capable and composed on steep, fast, technical descents — one of the most confidence-inspiring enduro bikes
  • Refined latest-gen VPP is smoother and more forgiving than older Nomads, less harsh on long rough descents
  • Mullet wheels balance 29" rollover with 27.5" agility and rear clearance
  • Premium-only Carbon CC frame with size-specific stiffness, in-frame Glovebox storage and lifetime warranty
  • Flip-chip geometry adjustment lets riders fine-tune head angle and BB height
−Weaknesses
  • Subdued, less-efficient climber — sacrifices pedalling responsiveness on smooth climbs for descending prowess
  • Carbon-CC-only lineup makes it expensive; no budget aluminium option
  • Max rear tire width ~2.5" limits fine-tuning the mullet setup with larger-volume rear rubber
  • On some builds the dropper post (e.g. RockShox Reverb) has been the weak link, with riders wanting more drop and earlier service
  • Fox 38 fork can need pressure below recommended to reach full travel; setup-sensitive
04

Who it’s for

EWS/EDR-style enduro racing, lift-served park days, steep Alps/Alpe d'Huez, Spain/Andorra trips. NOT a daily Baltic XC bike

Want one?

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