have owned this bike for about 3 months and like it better every time I ride. It climbs great, handles well and is great going down the other side. You can't go wrong by purchasing a Superlight. Four inches of suspension at 23 pounds says it all.
Submitted by
Rusty
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2001
Strengths: Lightness, Comfort, everything
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This bike is sick, it seems that everyone is in agreement with the exception of a few people. This is my first full suspension bike and I was skeptical of loosing efficiency, climbing agility and weight gain. This bike shattered all those and any other myths of why you shouldn't get a full suspension bike. The first day I got this bike we went out to Noble Creek Canyon which has some rocky technical trails and this bike out-performed any bike I had ever riden.
My suggestion if you don't already have one and are thinking about purchasing one, quit sitting around and go get one even if you have to rob the QuickyMart or an old lady.
Similar Products Used: Litespeed Obed, GT and some other hardtails
Bike Setup: everything
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Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Truckee, Calif
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2001
Strengths: Nice Anodization/color, great specs all the way around, light and smooth.
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
Best bike I've ever had...well worth the price. Very smooth, light and fast bike! The measurement specs are perfect... I bought the frame to replace my Fisher which cracked... just moved parts over from that and only had to replace bottom bracket, front derailler(xtr) and cables. This bike is for riders who want a serious ride without foolin around with over complicated faddish suspension systems out there. Santa Cruz has the best bike in this catagory right now in my opinion.
Similar Products Used: Other full suspension xc bikes
Bike Setup: XTR/LX mix, SRAM, SID 100s
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Submitted by
Funky
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2001
Strengths: Single, smooth, sexy pivot. Great components.
Weaknesses: No complaints, except make sure the pivot stays tight - mine loosened up on the last couple of rides - nothing a little loctite won't fix.
Bottom Line:
I'm blown away by this bike. Descends with the downhillers and climbs with the hardtails. The 5" travel on the Psylo combined with the rear travel and discs give me so much confidence on the downhills. I thought I was going to have to reduce the front travel at first - a little wheelie problem on climbs - but then started to lockout the rear on the hills, problem solved. Bonus, the lockout lever is right under the top tube. Happy with the forks so far, not as smooth as Marzocchi's but I feel it's worth the weight trade-off, and gobs of travel. My setup weighs about 27lbs thanks to the fork and discs, still pretty good...never imagined I'd get this much performace and travel from so little weight.
Similar Products Used: Jekyll w/lefty, various hardtails.
Bike Setup: XL Frame, Santa Cruz's XTR disc kit - Full XTR, Magura Discs, swapped out the Hutchinson tires for some bigger, grippier Conti's. Psylo Race Fork.
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Submitted by
Charlie
a Cross Country Rider
from Tempe, AZ
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2001
Strengths: Great handling, light weight, great suspencion action, low mainanence pivot.
Weaknesses: none.
Bottom Line:
Great bike! My Heckler served me well for 3.5 years. But I am now very happy with the Superlight. Seems as sturdy as the Heckler but lighter (I've got a lighter fork also). Great ride and a great value.
Similar Products Used: 1996 Heckler. Had it for 4 years but it got stolen from my garage.
Bike Setup: X-Fly 80, XTR, Thompson seatpost & Stem, King hubs/headset, Mustang rims
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Submitted by
Jas
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Cruz, Ca.
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2001
Strengths: ridability, weight, green anodizing, simplicity.
Weaknesses: Bent the derail hanger,now I must replace swingarm-$300. less expensive solution needed.
Bottom Line:
Super fun ride and light wieght makes big smiles. I throw a lot at the bike and it eats up all but the big hits. With 4 inches of travel I expect to limit time to time. I would buy the same bike if I had to do it again. Only gripe is the derailure hanger not being replacable. I bent the sh*t on a thumb thick twig in derailure and now look at $300 to remidy. My fault, ya, but this can happen at any time to anyone. The Redwoods are fighting back!
Strengths: 1) Quality of construction; 2) Design; 3) Weight; and 4) Price.
Weaknesses: Design is such that shouldering the bike is difficult to impossible.
Bottom Line:
I have gone from hardtail to softtail and now to full suspension over the last two years. Well, actually, I still have the hardtail but doubt it will be getting to much use. The Superlight is so light, and its suspension is so efficient, that it is almost always a superior choice over a hardtail. I purchases just the frame and built it up with a sensible mix of components. I haven't weighed it yet, but it probably weighs around 24.5 pounds with Panaracer Fire 2.1s and could lose considerable weight with a pair of ultra-light tires. The rear suspension helps in both climbing and descending. The bikes single-track handling suits me just right--not too twitchy but quick in tight situations. I will post again after I have some serious time on the bike.
Bike Setup: 2000 Sid XC fork; xt and xtr components; Dean titanium seatpost.
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Submitted by
Jet
a Weekend Warrior
from townsville, n.q., Australia
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2000
Strengths: This is an update on previous review. With psylo race now handles unbelieveably.
Weaknesses: To some extent, cost.
Bottom Line:
I have put rockshox psylo race forks, set to 125mm travel so in some ways this is a fork review. The bike is now unbelieveable. The suspension balance is incredible. The bike now leans stable and easy and still steers at low speeds. I am proper pedaller ( ie I spin NOT push the pedals) so the "problem" of wheel flop and low speed steering weight, ISN'T. I am a born cynic but still finish a ride with a huge smile of pure elation with this bike setup. There was a problem with the Pslyo's which I will report on if mtbrreview gets the forks into the reviews, however WARNING If you get these forks or perhaps any pure damping forks, if the bottom damping adjuster is hard to move , DON"T MOVE IT!!!!!! There is a problem with the manufacture of the bottom retaining bolt being too long and jaming against the nylon adjusting shaft. Bottom line completely superb and for the first time in 13 years of mountain bike riding I have NO desire for any other bike NOR components. WOW!!!
Submitted by
Jet
a Weekend Warrior
from Townsville NQ Australia
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2000
Strengths: reasonable light, excellent looks ( not really important to me), very good handling, very well designed suspension, good stand over height, simple and elegant like the energy/mass conversion equation, easy to fit MOST parts( front deraillier EXCLUDED and if it is anything like the heckler I had for four years prior and have now given to my girlfriend ( always get tall girlfriends so you can give them your good bikes when you gat a new one)RELIABLE
Weaknesses: pedal/chainring clearance is much worse. Chainring clearance mainly due to the stupid 44tooth ring , that's shimano's fault cause they won't make a 40/30/22 set for real trail riders. Front derailler is difficult to mount and adjust cause of swing arm proximity but better than old heckler, Does NOT handle like the old heckler ( unfortunately) a steering bike not a leaning bike ( not a fault as such but I bought the bike specifically cause i loved the heckler feel).
Bottom Line:
This bike handles magnificiently If your are a steerer. If you are a leaner (like me) then it only handles very very well. Even on a flite saddle 8 hour rides in tough country are comfortable ( you know what I mean). Suspension ( fox rc air) is easily and effectively adjustable and reliable. Dont be a macho idiot and please make sure you put a boot or covering on the shock shaft so it will last. Interesting note : the old heckler had a habbit of locking out the suspension to some extent and so did the superlight UNTIL I put the disc brakes on . I had speculated that the higher reverse leverage of the brake reaction point would reduc the lockout AND IT DOES!!!!!!! It is now close to a full isolated suspension under braking ie. stuff all lockout. I have a separate superb hardtail for XC raceing BUT ONLY USE IT OVER THE SUPERLIGHT ON SMOOTH COURSES OR PONY EXPRESSES. If yo are not well off enough to get the superlight, get the heckler. It is as reliable and handles better if you are a leaner , just a little heavier.
Similar Products Used: I own at present A santa Cruz heckler(1996), and a KHS Alite 4000 that I built up for XC raceing , I raced a Santacruz super8 last year, And rode the current model super8 ( a much improved beast over 99 model) Plus LOTS of others.
Bike Setup: Superlight frame 20", Rolf dolomite disc wheels, shimano XT discs, XT splines B/B, Selle italia flight saddle, easton monkeylight lowrise bars, WTB headsset, 636 pedal most of the time and 747 when raceing, XT cranks, Synchros Ti seatpost, 9 speed xt 11/34 cassette, XTR gearchanges, AMe grips( wired),Intense XC 2.2 (60) front tyre Michlen Exper 2.0 rear, XT front deraillier , SID SL and Judy race for race and general riding ( Psylo race soon as available).
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Submitted by
bob
a Cross Country Rider
from boulder,co
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2000
Strengths: weight,looks,anodized finish(durable)I think their customer service is good,although others seem to had problems.
Weaknesses: price,but its worth every penny.
Bottom Line:
After two leadville 100's,and 15 months of abuse and neglect,I love my superlight even more.No flex problems w/180 lb rider.the ride is instinctive,balanced,and downhills are a blast!anodized coating is cool and tough.The only downer is the wait to get one due to too many orders/slow production.
Bike Setup: xtr,etc...nokian dh fat hakka tires(heavy.but the best tires ive ever ridden)
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Submitted by
Victor B
a Weekend Warrior
from Van Nuys, California
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2000
Strengths: Lives up to its name "Superlight". Climbs with ease with or without the Fox shock locked out. Superior build quality and anodized finish. Unique on the trail.
Weaknesses: None with the exception of a pivot squeak after getting wet.
Bottom Line:
So much better than my GT LTS it's Indescribable. Of course, it cost triple the price so it should be better. My bike weighs 25 Pounds, a little heavier than I wanted but 8 pounds less than my last bike. It climbs with ease but I have to keep more body weight on the front end or it wants to wheelie. The biggest surprise is how it descends. Superfast and easy to place on your desired line, especially on tight single track. Tremendous brakes combined with lightweight means I can pedal deeper into the most wicked corners. This bike makes me push my personal limits to the next level. I won't need a new bike for a long long time. All the bikes I tried were excellent, but the Santa Cruz offered the best combination of light- weight, simplicity, high quality components, and exclusivity. The price wasn't the cheapest nor the most expensive. If you're not ready to drop $3200 on a bike, look elsewhere. But if you've been riding an "entry level" FS bike for a while (like I was) and you're ready to graduate to something race ready, the Santa Cruz SuperLight is worth your consideration. It's awesome.
Similar Products Used: Owned a GT LTS 3000, tried a S-Works FSR XC, Jeckyll, Intense Tracer, GT I-Drive 1500, Gary Fisher Sugar.
Bike Setup: XTR Cranks, Derailleurs and shifters. Avid Arch Rival brakes. Easton Carbon post and Monkey Lite bare. Titec stem. Bontranger rims, Fox Float RC shock, Manitou Mars "C" fork, Specialized Body Geometry Seat.
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Submitted by
dave dodd
a Cross Country Rider
from cheshire, england
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2000
Strengths: Weighing in at 23.5lbs this is the best bike I've ever ridden. The lack of weight, in conjunction with the rigidity of the back end makes virtually all terrain a joy to ride. Especially bumpy climbs. With being a single pivot design the maintenance is very low, plus it makes it a very quiet bike. I also like the anodised finish, which makes it very difficult to scratch as well as making it look less nickable!!!
Weaknesses: Only problem I've had is an occasional squeak from the rear end which is sorted with a good clean, and a front light end, but this probably means I need a longer stem.
Bottom Line:
After thinking I was going to be on GT's for the rest of my life, this bike has transformed my riding. I was getting racked off with expensive bikes sat in the shop being fixed all the time. Not happened once since getting the superlight. It is a delight to ride, quite inconspicuous to any potential thieves, and a brilliant all round all day bike. There can be nothing better. Well done Santa Cruz.
Similar Products Used: GT RTS-2, STS-1, STS1000DS and XCR1000 all of which were replaced under warranty when the frames cracked. Especially the XCR.
Bike Setup: Superlight medium frame with Cane Creek AD10 shock (what a revelation), Pace RC36 Evo Pro forks, XTR groupset with a Cook Bros chainset, Chris King wheelset, Bontrager straight bar plus bar ends and an x-lite seatpost.
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Submitted by
iRVIN sEVILLA
a Weekend Warrior
from sAN fRANCISCO, CA
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2000
Strengths: Very easy to maneuver, especially on steep downhill trails. Very fast on long fire roads. Quick and nimble on tight singletrack trails. Even without the lock out rear shock it doesn't bob on hard pedaling.
Weaknesses: Need good brakes to slow you down...
Bottom Line:
It's worth it...all $4,500.00 invested. I used to be a cannondale fan til I test rode a Santa Cruz Heckler. 2 weeks later, sold the Super Vee and bought a Super Light. Now I'm able to conquer trails with ease and confidence that I never could with a Cannondale. A sure head turner too, so watchout...be ready to thank everyone's praise for having a nice bike...
Bike Setup: Full XTR (9-speed), Syncros (stem, seatpost, skewers and headset), LP Carbon riser bars, Hayes disc brakes, King disco-tech hubs, WTB veloceraptor tires, SID XC front shock, Rockshox Air float rear.
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Submitted by
James Barnes
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, Co
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2000
Strengths: Ease of use, this bike must have been designed by someone with a good understaning of what it means to be "one" with the trail.
Weaknesses: The fact that you will never experience chain suck again. I just love chain susk and miss it so much.
Bottom Line:
At 25 pounds, this bike is unreal. The frame is a XL. And fits me very well at 6'2". with a 120mm stem. The bike is very easy to ride because it tells you so well where its center is. I feel so confident on this bike. It begs you to make new lines on things you have ridden many times. This bike is really hitting the target, thats the fun target.I am faster and my smile is wider, and I thank Santa Cruz for making this bike. And congratulate the young lady who won the UCI Worlds in sierra Nevada spain, On a Santa Cruz.
Similar Products Used: I made the correct choice the first time.
Bike Setup: CrossMax with Huthinson python gold and green tubes."99 sid 80mm, Full XTR, chris king HS, syncross stem, titec ti flat bars,raceface xyz post,time plasic case atb pedals
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Submitted by
Richard
a Weekend Warrior
from Berkshire,UK
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2000
Strengths: How long have you got? It takes anything you throw at it, it's super-plush at the back but zero flex and rides like a dream in single track - I'm never going back to hard-tails. Bearings are superb - 12 months riding in everything from gloopy mud to sand, coupled with jet washing (naughty!) and they're as perfect as the day I bought the bike.
Weaknesses: None whatsoever - even the shock has worked perfectly with zero maintanance!
Bottom Line:
This is without a doubt the best I have ever ridden - it looks the business and rides the business! Its great for cross country with a hint of downhill - I've not raced it (getting too old for all that) but I'm sure it can take on the hard tails and short travel types - it certainly does on fun rides, or would if I was a bit fitter
