Santa Cruz Highball 29er Hardtail

4.78/5

(9 Reviews)

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MSRP : $3637.00

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Product Description

Santa Cruz's latest foray into the 29er game comes with a caveat: get used to climbing podium steps. The Highball carbon fiber hardtail turns any XC course into a high-speed playground. The proprietary carbon layup maximizes strength while shaving weight, so even though it feels like it might be fragile, it's decidedly not. The blingy-but-reliable parts kit will keep you on the trail and out of the shop season after season.Fox Float 29 FIT fork soaks up all the bumps in your pathShimano XT group is light, reliable, and toughDT Swiss 350 hubs laced to Mavic hoops provide wheels for your new wagonShimano's all-new IceTech rotors dissipate heat quickly to resist brake fadeTen-speed cassette with 36-tooth granny gear ensures you always have the right ratio for the trail

Santa Cruz Highball 29er Pro Review

by Francois Jan 31 2012, 4:59PM

What is instantly obvious is this is a fast bike both up and down. It is very responsive to pedal input as the BB stiffness allows excellent power transfer to the wheels. Climbing steep walls is a almost a delight with this bike as it goes up when motivated by the rider and it maintains excellent traction. Continue reading →

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Reviews 1 - 9 (9 Reviews Total)

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Submitted by Sunny

Date Reviewed: April 4, 2013

Strengths:    It climbs extremely well, very impressive, handling was great, descending is superb.

Weaknesses:    None that i notice at this moment.

Bottom Line:

I would recommend to my friends on this beauty, it does makes climbing fun and efficient, its got a classic look and overall the geometry is awesome....

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Submitted by kief

Date Reviewed: November 5, 2012

Strengths:    Lightness and logos. And the drop outs.

Weaknesses:    Nothing this bike is a perfect species.

Bottom Line:

Best review sums it up in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVaMMHnBZYE&list=UUA2xQqtQH7H80MTYGU4ulUQ&index=1&feature=plcp

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Submitted by Guttersnipe a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: October 24, 2012

Strengths:    stiff, light, low standover, quick but confident handling

Weaknesses:    top tube could be fractionally longer, not exactly compliant

Bottom Line:

I ride mainly marathons which are not especially technical, and a few stage races each year. My local trails are generally quite smooth and flowing, and I put in 3-4 rides a week, ranging from 2-8 hours.
I bought this bike because I wanted to return to the simplicity and directness of a hardtail (which is was enjoying on my singlespeed) and felt that for many South African races, particularly those in Gaunteng and Kwazulu Natal, a 29" hardtail would perform better than a 100mm travel 26" bike.
I do enjoy chunkier, more demanding riding, but I have a 130mm trail bike which I use when I am traveling to more technical trails or just out for fun.
The highball is an enormously rewarding bike when I am feeling fit, and want to hammer. It jumps forward under power, it climbs beautifully on all but the rockiest trails, and its geometry encourages surprisingly aggressive behaviour in singletrack. I particularly like the way the short chain stays, low bottom bracket, and low standover let me push it into corners.
I have moderately wide Ritchey 10D bars (660mm) and an 80mm stem, which are confidence boosting when things get a little more sketchy, but the front end felt pretty neutral even with a more old-school racer setup.
I am not completely convinced about the fit. The medium cockpit feels slightly short (I'm 170cm), even with the wider bars, and I am still futzing around a bit with stem lengths and saddle setback to try and dial it in, but I am fussy about position, and the adjustments are minor.
What I am clear on, is that this is not a bike for lazy days. The stout seat stays and 30.9mm post contribute to a certain amount of "communication" with the trail. I can't compare it to the direct competition on this score, however. When you have your head down and heart rate up, this is a complete non-issue. If you want to stay seated in exhausted survival mode through rough sections you may feel slightly abused. I'm about to shim down to a 27.2 post for a touch more comfort on really long rides.
That brings me to a final consideration - on stage races and ultra-endurance rides, I suppose I might be better off on a Tallboy, but that is another conversation entirely.
I suppose a lighter fork would be nice, but the Fox is pretty stiff. The xtr 40-28 setup shifts outstandingly, and I like having alloy cranks when bashing rocks (a price I am happy to pay for low bb carving ability).
And finally, good old-fashioned external cable routing, and a standard bottom bracket are massive plus factors, particularly for a cack-handed home mechanic like me.
I also find the matte carbon finish impressively durable. The bike looks stealthily great after a year of fairly regular abuse.
In short, not a bike for tooling, but an absolutely class-a enabler of lactate drenched bliss which descend well enough to reward the climb.

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Price Paid:    $1500.00

Similar Products Used:   De Kerf 26"; Santa Cruz Blur XC, On One Scandal 29

Bike Setup:   xtr drivetrain, formula R1 brakes, fox FIT F100, i9 hubs, crest rims, Ritchey 10D bars, Easton EC90 seatpost, Fizik Antares saddle, Racing Ralph 2.25 tyres.

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Submitted by LandSpeed a Cross Country Rider from Los Angeles, CA

Date Reviewed: April 2, 2012

Strengths:    Fast, light, agile, flickable, stable, comfortable.

Weaknesses:    Front end feels a bit high.

Bottom Line:

I picked this bike up in November/December, and it's now April; I bought it to use as an XC bike, and to ride as an alternative to my Tallboy when I felt like it. I've also owned a Blur LT, and ridden rigid 29'ers, hardtail aluminum/steel 29'ers, and lots more bikes, too. Anyhow, during the time that I've owned the Highball. I've ridden my Tallboy once.

I do long, hard XC rides that are at a minimum of 3 hours, and a max of 6 hours, riding around 15 total hours per week. My rides have a lot of climbing, fire roads, singletrack, and street in them. That should tell you the type of rider that I am, and why I prefer the Highball over the Tallboy, nowadays.

Needless to say, I've got ample time on this bike, and have been able to take it through its paces. What I can say about it is after all the time I've been on it is this: it's a cyclists' bike.

It's not twitchy, over the bars, unstable race-ish; it's stable, fast, light, and quick. It flows with whatever you throw at it, and is comfortable to ride for hours on end. It hasn't narrowed itself into a single riding category, in other words. I don't just use it for breaking the sound barrier, I use it for fun, and for going fast, and going hard. I've even lost weight since I've owned it, since I ride more, and ride harder than I do on my Tallboy. Not that I was fat or anything, I'm 6'2" and 180, now, when I used to be around 190. Go figure.

On second thought, I think I'll lose even more weight, to go that much faster up the hills. Thanks Santa Cruz.

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Favorite Trail:   Santa Monica Mountains

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $5000.00

Purchased At:   Colorado Cyclist

Similar Products Used:   Santa Cruz Tallboy, Redline d460 29'er, Santa Cruz Blur LT, etc.

Bike Setup:   Full X0, Easton Haven Carbon Wheels.

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Submitted by I'm on a boat a Cross Country Rider from Auburn, CA, US

Date Reviewed: December 16, 2011

Strengths:    Stiff, Light, Fast, Awesome looking

Weaknesses:    Hard to fit the White Industries eccentric brake mount in the rear....but I might be the only idiot to use it this way.

Bottom Line:

This bike climbs like nothing I have ever ridden....and so so quiet. I can sneak up on you like a navy seal. I was going to get a cheapy off brand carbon bike, but my LBS talked me into spending a couple bucks. Thank god they did.

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Favorite Trail:   Pauly Creek

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $99.00

Purchased At:   Bike Emporium in Aub

Similar Products Used:   Ventana El Toro, Haro Mary, Lenzsport Milkmoney

Bike Setup:   Single Speed. Syncros Cockpit, Syncros FL rigid fork. White Industries Eno hubs and Eccentric Rear. Eno Cranks. sometimes a Fox FL29

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Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Pauly Creek

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Purchased At:   Bike Emporium in Aub

Similar Products Used:   Ventana El Toro, Haro Mary, Lenzsport Milkmoney

Bike Setup:   Single Speed. Syncros Cockpit, Syncros FL rigid fork. White Industries Eno hubs and Eccentric Rear. Eno Cranks. sometimes a Fox FL29

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Submitted by ibis_1 a Racer from Denver, CO

Date Reviewed: August 2, 2011

Strengths:    As expected, the frame is super stiff for very efficient climbing. Stand up, pedal, and the bike really accelerates well. Geometry is fairly slack for a racing rig which makes it comfortable enough for everyday riding too. I'm on a low-rise bar and could probably get away with a flat bar setup. Overall, excellent handling both up and downhill.

Weaknesses:    The only weakness I can find for this frame would be on very bumpy climbs. But, with that said, this is a hardtail and it's supposed to be super stiff.

Bottom Line:

I've been really impressed with the comfort of this bike. The geometry fits my riding style well. It's extremely efficient pedaling and I'm glad I went with a 2x10 drivetrain. I've beaten all of my old personal bests on local trails with this bike. I expected the bike to climb well, but it also descends great. Steering is predictable and quick. Initially I had reservations about the durability of carbon hardtails, but I think Santa Cruz is one of the few companies that has gotten it right. I've had several hard rock impacts to the frame with NO damage whatsoever. I'm currently on Kenda Small Block 8 tires and I would not recommend running them tubeless. They flat constantly even with Stan's.
This is a great bike for XC or endurance riders who are looking for an extremely efficient pedaling bike that has comfortable geometry that can be ridden all day.

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Favorite Trail:   Bergen Peak

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $4600.00

Purchased At:   Colorado Cyclist

Similar Products Used:   I have switched from a 26 inch Ibis hardtail to this bike for XC-racing. I've test ridden the Carbon Niner and Scott 29er.

Bike Setup:   22 lbs/medium frame. Full Sram XO (2x10), Chris King headset, Hope hubs, Stan's ZTR Crest wheels, Crank Bros Eggbeater pedals, Fox 100mm with 15m fork, Kenda Small Block 8 tires (tubeless setup)

Reviews 1 - 9 (9 Reviews Total)

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Santa Cruz Highball 29er Hardtail

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