Submitted by
peeler hughes
a Racer
from Philadelphia, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2007
Strengths: frameset is superior to all
Weaknesses: low bottom bracket clearance
Bottom Line:
I had to post a review on this guy. I bought this on Ebay for 1750 bucks from seller (DLMLAW) a douchebag from vermont, some lawyer who listed the bike as perfectly fine and shipped it with a thrashed freehub/cassette/bottom bracket/rear shock/fork/chain/derailuer/brakes.
yes, all that stuff was severely thrashed. I couldnt get my money back so I invested another 600 in rebuilding it, and I am a very happy rider. This VPP suspension is simply genius. I ride and race with a friend on a Cannondale Caffiene 29er w/ carbon lefty fork. We do all our training riding and racing together. He rarely finishes ahead of me, it is either a tie or a close finish. The Blur is everything it is claimed to be. It descends incredibly smooth and climbs almost whatever your legs and lungs can handle. The bike tracks perfectly, stays firmly in contact w/ the trail. When the suspension is dialed in, this bike does anything you ask it to.
Weaknesses: Components aren't as good as my other bike.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike second hand from a bike shop, where it was their demo bike. This was my first all-mountain bike, with 4" of travel, disc brakes, riser bars, etc. So it's a much more forgiving ride than my Fuel, which is a pure race machine. I am more confident on descents with the riser bars and disc brakes. Climbs just fine, easy to pedal. No complaints.
Great bike for the average Joe Rider. Not for hucking. Frame is fine for racers, but you'd want better components than I have on it.
Bike Setup: XT drivetrain, Hayes disc, Manitou Black Comp fork
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from Truckee, CA
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2004
Strengths: The bike climbs well and descends even better. It is very smooth and flows with the terrain.
Weaknesses: I think its fine just the way the factory made it.
Bottom Line:
The bike was built from parts I pillaged from my Superlite. Hence the 80mm fork. I ride rough rocky terrain. That's all we have in Lake Tahoe. I descend rock stairs for up to a mile, deep dusty soil and loose granite shell. The bike is always smooth and tracks a great line. When it's time to climb you can bet your going to bust your but to go up hill. All of our climbs are about an 1hr to 1 1/2 hrs so a climging machine is important. This bike is simply a great all around machine. I always feel like I can push for more speed because the bike tracks so smoothly. The 80mm Fox forx has never felt like it was not enough. I'm really want to try a the correct 100mm forx to see the difference. The 5th element rear shock has also worked very well. I haven't seen the air loss that a lot of users talk about. I used to check the shock before each ride but now I only check it about every two weeks. It climbs like it has a lock out but is fully active while I climb. Basically the bike is a great all around product. This bike gets beat to death on the rocks and just keeps going for more. Very satisfied with my blur.
Similar Products Used: Many bike, but the SC Superlite was my last bike
Bike Setup: Fox 80mm fork, 5th element rear shock,XTR drive train and shifting, Hope mini disc, Mavic CrossMax wheels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2004
Strengths: Efficiency matched by no other. I love to watch others ride my Blur as it glides up the climbs. Very positive feedback from all who have test ridden my Blur. Handles descents with a breeze and is a very well balanced trail bike with 100mm travel fork.(travel adjust fork great for altering handling characteristics to get the most out of every trail). I use it for long trail rides, overnight expeditions and some sport level racing as it handles these all flawlessly. Also considered Intense Spider but felt it was slightly more race oriented than the Blur and too expensive.
Weaknesses: Mud collecting around bottom swing link.
Bottom Line:
I couldn't have possibly bought a better frame for my needs and thoroughly recomend spending the extra dollars to get a top quality frame that will last for years. If you consider yourself to be more of a trail rider than an XC racer, but still enjoy the odd mtb race or lightweight camping trips into the wilderness, then put this frame at the top of your list and build the rest up to suit your specific needs and riding style.
Similar Products Used: Ridden All Giants, Konas, GTs, Specialized, Cannondale and other Santa Cruz models.
Bike Setup: 2003 Blur Frame, Fox AVA rear shock, 2002 Rock Shox Psylo SL fork, Rapidfire XTR Drivetrain, Hope mini disc, Mavic wheels, Ritchey post and stem, SDG Comp ti seat, Chris King headset, Easton bars, Truvativ Stylo team crank etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
carlos aguilar
a Weekend Warrior
from long island city
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2004
Strengths: Everything.....Makes you a better rider. A breaze going uphill and sweet ride going down.
Weaknesses: Can't ride everyday.....None.
Bottom Line:
The Blur is the only bike for some serious XC. It's worth a little money. Good riding.
Similar Products Used: Specialized hotrock and K2 Assault 5.0
Bike Setup: Everything xtr and mavic w/WTB laser disc lite wheelset
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Martibe
a Cross Country Rider
from Missoula, Montana
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2004
Strengths: Comfy, incredible on the climbs. Downhill .. Oh My!!! It's one of those rides you sit on and know you're ass is on one of the great ones. Just plain fun to ride.
Weaknesses: I can't find one. Okay, it needs another of those hydrolic brake line guide things on the front cable stops. Also, it's not a big basher or high hucker. However, it is the best trail bike I have ever been on.
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome! I still can't believe how great it climbs. I sag the F1 and it does well for a 200 pounder that has a history of riding through things. I will go lighter eventually, but the 20mm axle is great. Let the bike wiggle and it's a Caddie up and down the hill. I ride the livin crap outta bikes, but I have every confidence this bike will take anything I have to dish out. Next, it's loading gear on it and traveling into the woods and mountains. My other bikes are lonely children now put in the corner. But they know ... he's going out with a star!
Similar Products Used: Nothing like this bike. Maybe the 3V Masi in ride quality. Hard to compare, and I have 20 years of riding the best.
Bike Setup: ZI, Hayes, XTR (Hey, the XTR fr. DR is best ever and worth it), Race Face, XT/Mavic wheels, good stuff all over. The Doctors did me well.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mags
a Weekend Warrior
from Glasgow
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2004
Strengths: Handling, confidence boosting and the fantastic Trans Red I got it in.....
Weaknesses: None to date
Bottom Line:
It took 2 months for me to decide on the Blur, between all the reviews and my sizing issue. I was deciding between a SC Juliana (Large) or a small Blur (not a lot of difference in size). After reading the reviews the VPP won hands down.
I have not been disappointed, I have came from a bike with under 3" of rear travel which did suffer from bob, to a 4"+ bike with no bob (If it does, you cant feel it). The bike climbs unbelievably well.
Going down, I could not put my finger on what was going on?? I then realised the Blur was so much faster, it was actually scary and took me a good few rides to get used to how fast the bike actually cruises at. The handling is just outstanding, this bike can handle it all.
At the price you expect top notch. I believe it is worth the money I paid for it because of the fun I have had on it already, never mind the fun I'll get over the coming years!! If your thinking of buying one, don't think just buy!
Similar Products Used: Giant XTC Team, Enduro, StumpJumper, Intense Tracer.
Bike Setup: 5th Element Rear, Fox Vanilla Front, Hope: brakes, QR's, Hubs. Race Face: cranks, stem. Maxis rubber. SRAM drivetrain & Shifters. http://www.pinkbike.com/modules/photo/?op=view&image=175833
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
James Herman
a Weekend Warrior
from Farmington Hills MI USA
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2004
Strengths: No pedal induced bob..light & fast
Weaknesses: Little mud clearance for rear tire..I emailed Santa Cruz and they have no plans to correct this
Bottom Line:
Don't buy the full bike. Just get the frame so you can put what you really need on it. Like the Fox F100X fork. The Blur frame is only half the equation for eliminating pedal induced bob. The F100X fork is the other half. I also put on a Tammer Tricky Dick suspension seatpost along with a hobson bike seat to maximize seating comfort. I put on the shortest stem I could along with full upright handle bars (the $13 kind "not for serious riders" is how Nashbar described them). Hey I can always skid my butt off the seat and crouch down when descending. I really love this bike. Thanks to Mountain Bike Mag for their review, I bought the right bike.
Purchased At: KLM Bike & Fitness -Birmingham MI on Woodward
Similar Products Used: This is my first good bike.
Bike Setup: Fox F100x fork...it came with Hayes hydraulic disc brakes, shimano Deore LX drivetrain, Mavic XC rim 717 disc ssc 1" with Kenda Karma 26 x 2.0 L3R Pro Sick-E tires. I'm using Stan's NoTubes and really love it.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
chris
from ventura,ca
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2004
Strengths: VPP rear-suspension. Handling. Hayes disc brakes. Fox RLC100. Available colors (mine is a nice Trans Blue)
The VPP rear-suspension is one sweet ride! Coming from owning bikes from two extremes of rear-suspension, FSR-XC's four-bar plushness to Sugar's responsive acceleration, the Blur is the best of both worlds. The VPP nicely soaks up small and big bumps like any four-bar. When it's time to hammer up a hill the VPP just digs in and accelerates with little rear-end dive and bobbing...nice! The handling is nicely balanced between XC and freeride...not raked too steeply forward or backward. It's the perfect "trail" bike for the type of riding most of us ride. It's not for XC race geeks shaving grams or freeride Red Bull Challenge wannabes flying off cliffs.
The pivots started to creak a bit, but after a little cleaning and lubing, they were fine. The Hayes hydraulic disc brakes are also nice (I'm never going back to V's). Karma tires are light, but don't grip very well laterally; replaced with Panaracer Fire XC Pros. If you can, switch out the Easton EC70 carbon seatpost. It failed in a year. I'm keeping an eye on the Easton carbon handlebars.
In this case, all the bike mag hype is true...the Blur one sweet ride!
Similar Products Used: Specialized Stumpjumber FSR-XC, Gary Fisher Suger 2
Bike Setup: Super X Kit w/ Disc Brakes (stock). Added M747 pedals. Replaced tires w/ Panaracer Fire XC Pros. Replace chain w/ Sram PC-59.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
from West Boylston, MA
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2004
Strengths: The most comfortable and best handling bike I have ridden.
Bottom Line:
Just like the reviews say, it is simply awesome. This bike climbs better than my Litespeed Obed hardtail. I don't know if the geometery is a better fit for me or what, but the power transfer is better, and I just feel better riding it. It is a rocket ship. Totally stable platform, no bob. Up and down hill, the best bike I have ridden. It has definitely made a better rider out of me. A great bike for technical singletrack, roots, babyheads, whatever you can throw at it.
Similar Products Used: Tested Jekyll, Epic. My last bike was a Litespeed hardtail.
Bike Setup: XT Goodies, Hayes disks, Fox Float 100 RLC and Fox Float Rear
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Don C.
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2004
Strengths: Quality build... Good design.
Weaknesses: Low bottom bracket...And if you live and ride where it is muddy, do not buy this bike as it has absolutely no mud clearance...unless you want to run a 1.90 tire.
Bottom Line:
I won't repeat all of the stuff everyone else is saying, as I agree with them that this is a great bike. It was worth the 4 month wait. My thanks to Eric at Bicycle Warehouse in Vista, CA, for his help.
After riding it for about 2 months, I figured out which shock pressures work best for me. My Blur came with the 5th Element Air, but when the LBS started to set up the shock’s IFP chamber and couldn’t get it to hold air. They mailed the shock back to Progressive Suspension and 4 days later we received a new one...which has been working just fine. I've had no problems, just really efficient, supple suspension.
Properly tuning the 5th Element Air requires a little more patience than tuning a Fox. Although the IFP and main chambers both have an effect on the amount of sag, the two chambers work independently of one another. You’ll need to adjust the rebound depending on the amount of pressure in the main chamber only; the IFP pressure has no effect on rebound. Tune the IFP to prevent bob and for low-speed bumps.
The Blur has an exceptional amount of grip, and there is absolutely no bob when remaining seated - and very little when standing up. Downhill, the Blur is very smooth and confidence inspiring. Overall, an excellent dual-suspension bike. Recommended for anyone that loves aggressive technical riding and epics.
The Blur lives up to its billing. Great handling. It flies through singletrack - the suspension eats everything up. It will make you faster and you'll feel faster. I've felt no need for a lockout with the 5th Element while running at the low end of recommended pressures for my weight.
The bottom line is this is a flat-out great bike! It pushes me to get out there three times a week now, sometimes more. This bike is fantastic for what it was designed for, a fun trail bike let leaves you smiling at the end of the day. For all that, I need to give it top chili scores!
Similar Products Used: None really. The Blur replaced my Giant NRS-1. The difference is like night and day.
Bike Setup: ‘03 Santa Cruz Blur frame with mods: Truvativ Stylo Team Cranks, Mavic 317/Amer.Classic Wheelset with Stan’s NoTubes, Hutchinson Python Lite Tires, Hayes Mag Plus Discs, Fox Float RLC 100, Chris King Headset, XTR Drivetrain, Thomson Seatpost & Stem, Easton MonkeyLite Carbon Riser Bar, Crank Bros. Eggbeater Pedals, Terry Fly Saddle. TOTAL WEIGHT - 26 lbs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern Colorado
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2004
Strengths: Ride quality - Travel to weight ratio Rocky trail performance
Weaknesses: Crank clearence when suspension is compressed
Bottom Line:
Believe the other reviews, this bike is a phenominal ride. One item that other reviews have not addressed is the tendancy for the crank arm to bang into rocks, roots and other things when you compress the suspension. My best guess is that the clearence is reduced when you ride over a rock or some other type of obstacle. The benefit is that you feel like you are stepping over it and thus the back tire bike keeps moving forward rather than getting hung up on the rock or whatever. The down side is that the clearence is reduced when this happens and your crank arms are more likely to come in contact with something. I like the VPP much better than my old NRS as I could feel a dramitic loss of momentum when I hit something, but it does take some getting used to. If you are a cross country rider on moderate to rough trails, this ride is for you.
Weaknesses: air leak in 5th element shock, annoying pebbles in frame
Bottom Line:
All the hype is true! I love this bike. It has changed the sport for me and instantly made me a better rider. Great climber with no bob when in the saddle and minimal when cranking standing up. It feels like the bike wants to jump forward when climbing and it accelerates much quicker than any bike I have ridden. I ride mostly singletrack with cobbles, shale, and hardpacked dirt and the frame is always plush. I also really appreciate the handling of the frame...super snappy and precise. It makes my old FSR feel like a Buick! The 5th element worked great until it developed a leak after a month (faulty o-ring) but Progressive took care of it. Also I have been annoyed at the ting ting tinging of the many pebbles the frame has seemed to suck up from the trail, but a easy fix. Pull off the rear derailer and shake em out! I could gush on and on about how much I love this bike but I know better. Simply put, the best XC bike on the market.
Bike Setup: XT all around, Progressive shock, Fox 100 RLC fork, Mavic, Hayes discs
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Concord CA. USA
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2004
Strengths: Climbs great no bob with VVP and 5th element shock. Rides fast downhill. Great on tecnical single tracks. Handles real well.
Weaknesses: None. Only the lack of my own riding skills
Bottom Line:
I've had this bike since July 2003, took me 2 weeks to get. I'm 5'-6" 150lbs I got the small frame size for this bike, fits me like a glove. This is my first mt. bike so I really don't have anything to compare it with. I bought it because other people were recomending it and not only the bike shop that I bought it from, did'nt even test drive it before I bought it. Two months earlier I bought my first rode bike a Trekk 5500 and was riding half centuries in a month, prior to that I had'nt riden a bike in 18yrs, I'm 38. Two months later I decided I wanted to try mountain biking. When riding the Blur it feels like the bike not only improves you but will dish out anything you put it thru, my riding skills are'nt that good yet, but with each ride that I do I improve those skills, and the bike responds to my improvments, making me seem like a better rider than I am. Going up steep hills is no problem as long my legs can peddle, the Blur will take me there, there is no bob with the 5th element rear shock, tires are gluded to the ground and traction is very good. I ride on MT. Diablo St. park, it's 3200ft. elevation mainly on fire roads, and some singal tracts so it's quite a work out for me going up. Going down it's fast, rides plush and smooth, and handles really well, and this is in a mixture of riding in gravel, rocks, sand, roots, with plenty of switchbacks, in these conditions riding downhill the Blur won't beat up your body!(especially if you know how to ride, but like I said I'm still learning) As this is my first mtb I am very pleased with it. Who should buy this bike? I don't know anything about Free riding, or Down hill, or XC racing, but what do know is this bike is fun, takes me where I want to go without a fuss. So if you like riding trails up or down you can't go wrong with a Santa Cruz Blur!
Similar Products Used: None, this is my 1ST fully suspension MT. bike.
Bike Setup: Full Shimano XTR, including dics brakes. Marzocchi marathon SL fork. Mythos 2.1 tires.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
pedro lé
a Weekend Warrior
from Águeda
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2004
Strengths: super rigida principalmente o triangulo traseiro, leve para uma 4,5" de curso, estabilidade a toda a prova, fiabilidade, "Santa Cruz made", pronta para aguentar muita porrada, maneàvel
Weaknesses: None, nada, nickles, nientes
Bottom Line:
UMA BIKE PARA AMAR ! é um brinquedo q nos pede mais e mais, realmente somos levados até ao extase em cima desta máquina, quanto mais se anda mais se aprende e leva-nos para além dos nossos próprios limites, no principio comecei por me perguntar se estava eu realmente muito melhor biker, mas depressa cheguei há conclusão q esta "BOMBA" ensina-nos a andar de bicicleta ( acho mesmo q quem se inica no btt devia ser obrigado a começar com uma BLUR ) a subir não há bob, edu ou outros (deem-lhe o nome q quiserem) podem isso sim faltar as pernas, mesmo a pedalar em pé não mexe, uma hardtrail autentica, no plano bem, é prato grande e asta la vista em grande estilo e com muito conforto, a descer hehehehehehe sempre a direito é apontar e vai ele roda da frente a centimetros do solo e o resto a bike faz " DO OUTRO MUNDO " só mesmo com uma de downhill e 8 ou 10" de curso para se fazer melhor, claro a fox dá uma ajuda muito grande, sem flexões mantem todas as trajectórias, esta bike obrigou-me a começar uma dieta de emagrecimento a treinar mais, a exceder os meus limites pois eu ainda não estou ao seu nivel.
Bike Setup: quadro SC medida L, preto anodizado, amortecedor 5ºelemento a ar, forqueta fox float 100 rlc, aste low rise hurrycat carbon, espigão hurrycat carbon, comandos lx gold, desviadores xt, travões de disco formula pro 2003, espigão thompsom elite, selim wtb rocket v race, rodas crossmax sl disk, pneus schwalbe jimmy na frente e atrás black jack 2.1 ust, pedaleiro raceface prodigy xc, cassete xt 11-34
