Weaknesses: Extremely expensive to fix if you get a stick caught in your rear derailleur; THIS FRAME DOES NOT HAVE A REPLACABLE DERAILLEUR HANGER!!
Bottom Line:
This a follow-up to my previous review and mainly a warning to anyone thinking of purchasing a Superlight or a Juliana. If you rip your rear deraileur out of the frame (which is very easy to do with this frame) it will cost you at least $300 to fix it. Most bikes have a replaceable dropout that costs $15-$20 to replace in a few minutes. The Superlight does not have this - you must replace the entire swingarm which Santa Cruz charges $300 for. By the way if you live on the east coast it may take 2 weeks to get the part. And then expect it to take 2 hours to replace it - which will cost you about $50 at most shops. 3 chiles overall because it rides so good. 1 chili for value because of the outrageous repair costs.
Submitted by
Rhett
a Cross Country Rider
from S.F. Penn
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2004
Strengths: This bike handles like a dream. I was forced into FS after my trusty, fully dialed hardtail was lost by my BIL. I can hardly stay mad at him after riding this thing. I ride mostly cross country fire trails and single track. The bike climbs like a mountain goat with minimal bob that is an issue when really cranking out of the saddle. On the down hills the geometry is sweet and it tracks like it is on a rail. Even with disc brakes I am under 25lbs so I think they are worth it all of the way. This thing has extended my riding career at a higher level.
Weaknesses: The only negative I can think of is that it has taken me a while to get the rear shock dialed in. What can say my first mountain bike was a 1983 Stumpjumper
Bottom Line:
You have to get the bike that works for you. I like to climb and ride the trails fast and my style is smooth. I rid on 2.0's. For this kind of riding this thing is it. There is no way I could justify the weight or complexity for more travel. Since the Blur had just come out this thing became a good buy. I have not had anybody tell me I would get more out of Blur in my type of use.
Similar Products Used: Tested the Fuel, Sugar, and Cannondale but the reviews steered me to the Santa Cruz
Bike Setup: Fox 100 fork, Fox shock, Full XT including hydraulic discs, MTB disc wheels(probably weakest link), Easton Monkeylites, stem, and carbon post
I love this bike. It works for what I ride most often: tight singletrack with a lot of climbing and short technical descents. Heavy trail bikes with 5+ inches of travel are fun on long technical downhills (which may be 10% of most rides if you're lucky) but hell everywhere else. Don't get me wrong this bike handles big descents great - but it does the other 90% like no other. The fact that it is simple and reliable makes the Superlight even sweeter.
Strengths: Weight, Strength, Single Pivot, just overall solid. Climbs better than a hardtail- no bobbing.
Weaknesses: replaceable hanger in the rear, although they said if you brake it they will replace it(pretty confident it won't break I guess)
Bottom Line:
Tested many bikes and the biggest disission was the superlight or the blur. No complaints, by far the best bike although the trek fuel was pretty damn nice too.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Enduro/Comp, Trek fuel, turner, giant, and those ugly cannondales
Bike Setup: Hayes disc, fox float 100, Fox float AVA, xtr/xt
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Russs Mariano
a Cross Country Rider
from Playa del Rey, CA USA
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2003
Strengths: After almost a year, It's totally solid. I've taken several spills through the year which should have tweaked the frame but she's still ridin tough. The single pivot point keeps it simple
Weaknesses: It would be nice if the cable holders (built on the frame) held disc brake cables. Unless there's something I don't know... Right now I'm using plastic tie downs.
Bottom Line:
The Santa Cruz Superlite is a tight bike for those who want to keep it simple. It's a great climbing tool, and sticks to the single track on the way down. After 11 months I'm still glad I bought it!
Bike Setup: Green Ano, Rock Shock Psylo SL, Sram 9.0, Race Face, Cris King, Hayes Discs, Rinos & Plastic Tie Downs!
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
chris yack
a Racer
from malverne ny usa
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2003
Strengths: very compliant...but stifff laterally...good BB height..fast steering...paint is buatiful
Weaknesses: single pivot brake jack
Bottom Line:
Incredibly versatile bike. Very smooth and quiet...I lock out the rear shock on occasion just so I can turn it back on and feel how buttery smooth the 4 inches of travel are. It climbs great and is so stiff laterally that stuffing it into turns is big fun. Most dulies feel like 2 bikes that have been welded together and have alot of flex at the pivot.This bike with that big ball bearing single pivot feels rock solid. Allmost no maintenance involved. Love it...fits me like a glove..I'm 5'10" and went with a large..but it was too big..Santa Cruz exchanged the front triangle with a medium and it fits me much better.
Similar Products Used: Proflex 755 and 957 Slingshots
Bike Setup: Fox F80 RLT front shock...Fox RLC rear shock..Magura Hydro rim brakes..crossmax wheels...grip shift..Thompson stem and seatpost..XTR cranks..Bontrager seat
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Racer
from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2003
Strengths: The frame is absolutely amazing. Light, hard, and sweet looking. Personally i think the ano. blue is a sweet color as well.
Weaknesses: There are none. i mean none.
Bottom Line:
For someone like me who was a die hard hard tail rider this bike is a dream. the passive rear suspention lets you fly on the downhills and climb like a mountain goat on the up hills. mine is only 24lbs and thats not bad at all considering the performance you get out of this amazing bike. i picked this up for the new season of collegiate xc racing and was somewhat torn between a fuel 100 and this. after a test ride on this i was sold. it feels like a part of my body on the trails. amazing. the extra money is far nothing when you get such an amazing bike/investment.
Favorite Trail: Dupont- Pisgah North Carolina/Pontiac Lake
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At: LBS
Similar Products Used: Schwinn Rocket 88 Stage 2, Built up Trek 4500
Bike Setup: Marz Marathon, full xtr, synchros ti. seat post. fox vanilla rear w/ lockout.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
azian biker
a Cross Country Rider
from Alexandria
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2003
Strengths: light and nimble frame, very fast, climb good and no bob (5th Element Air)
Weaknesses: No braze-on for disc brake. Non replacable derailleur hanger
Bottom Line:
The best and only one XC bike you ever need. And the only thing I don't like about this bike is its popularity, seen so many of these bikes around the local race course. 5th Element Air and F100X make the perfect combo.
Similar Products Used: jekyll 1000, NRS 3, Kokopelli
Bike Setup: XT/XTR drivetrain + crank, King headset, King/Mavic 3.1 wheelset, Thomson stem + post, Easton monkey light bar, Magura Marta disc brake, Fox F100X fork.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
David Natzger
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2003
Strengths: Soild Frame, Excellent build Quality. smooth, fast, what more can I say.
Weaknesses: None that I can find.
Bottom Line:
Thi Bike is amazing. It is my first Full supension bike. After having my hardtail stolen ( It better not be, been used to cycle to the pub and back). I decided to upgrade to a full suspension bike, I rode almost all the cross country FS bikes that I could get my hands on. After all my test rides it came down to an Epic or this bike the Santa Cruz was a strech for my budget but worth it. The bike handles amazingly, it climbs hills without any real noticable bob, I am shooting up hills that would have defeated me on my hard tail, as my back wheel stick to the dirt so much better. But the most fun is down hills, when I got it, I was out of the saddle forgetting that I had plenty of travel under me. I screams down the hills and is always under control.
I had to wait almost two months for this bike but it was worth it, both brookevale cycles and the distributors here in Australia were great. After thinking about the 5th element shock i contacted Santa Cruz who put me in touch with the distributors here. I got the upgraded rear shock but i would have to wait for it, in the mean time the local distributor lent me a Fox Ava to get my bike going. When it arrived the bike shop had it built within hours. Great Service from all involved. I cannot recommend this bike enough and I am yet to try it with the 5th element shock yet!
Similar Products Used: Jekyel, NRS-1, Specialized Epic
Bike Setup: It is bit of bike of compromise: Ritchey Disc Rims, Hayes HFX-9 with six inch rotors, LX front derailer, XT rear derailer, Deore Cranks, SPS 545 pedals, Mazzrochi EXR fork, titec stem, richey handled bars, LX shifters. Fox AVA fork, this is lend rear shock from the distributors as I bought it with the 5th element air but it is not in stock yet, will post another review with the difference.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ed
a Cross Country Rider
from Bumpass(no,really), VA
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2003
Strengths: Nimble, plush, balanced and FAST. Climbs great and descends just as good. The bike has this cool solid, yet light feel to it.
Weaknesses: If you are going to build the bike yourself, check for paint on the rear der threads. If you don't get the paint off, you could cross thread when installing the derailler.
Bottom Line:
My biggest concern buying a FS bike was it's climbing ability but the Superlight climbs better than my hardtail. If you're standing on a hard climb, and pumping the pedals like a car jack, you'll get bob. Otherwise it's a non-issue. I NEVER lock out my shock on the trails. This bike has taken me up hills I couldn't climb before. Steep, roots, rocks, mud, whatever. I refuse to step off this bike. (Unless I'm just too damn tired, since I can ride so much longer now!) Contrary to what a hardtail rider wrote in a previous post, this bike is VERY nimble and balanced. You can come to a stop then, lift, roll or hop your way over square edged rocks, tall logs, deep ditches or any obstacle you come across. Whether you're going fast or slow, this bike handles it well. The Fox fork and shock combination fits this bike great. I started having back problems riding my hardtail and so decided to switch to FS. I was under the impression it would be a sacrifice of climbing and agility. WRONG! Add the climbing, quickness and balance all up, then you also get a plush ride! All those little bumps, logs and rocks you had to think about on the hardtail are out of mind. The Superlight sucks all that up and just hugs the ground. It actually took me a couple of rides to get used to the responsiveness of this bike! If you're in the market for a FS bike, you really should try the Superlight. You won't find a better XC rider/racer.
Similar Products Used: Specialized, Suger 2+, Palomino.
Bike Setup: Fox AVA RL shock, Fox 100RL fork, all XT with Onyx hubs and Mavic 317 rims, easton carbon bar and post, Hayes Hyd. disc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Eye Doc
a Cross Country Rider
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2003
Strengths: Smooth ride; weight; variety of colors and finishes
Weaknesses: Front derailleur in a tight spot (difficult to adjust)...No other complaints so far.
Bottom Line:
What a fun bike. It is stupid to try and compare this bike to a hardtail because it's obviously not a hardtail. However, there is no comparison. Sure, a hardtail is a bit lighter and is stiffer on climbs, but that's it. I would easily choose this bike over any hardtail due to its smooth ride and its ample climbing ability. I rode a Sugar 1 for a year, and found it to be a bit too stiff and snappy. Then I switched to a Merlin Echo softtail, and it was too springy and bouncy. The Superlight, to me, is the perfect balance of plushness and stiffness which creates a buttery-smooth yet quick and responsive ride. I've ridden everything on this bike from the tough mountains in WV, to the mud and rocks of the Appalachians, to the tight singletrack in TN, and this bike performed well in all areas. On long steep climbs, the lockout on the Fox RL proves to be helpful. But on most of the shorter climbs, I don't find it necessary. The back wheel grabs very well, even on the steepest climbs. The bike is incredibly light for a FS bike. BOTTOM LINE: A fun, race-worthy cross-country bike, with some trail bike capabilities. A ton of bike for the money.
Bike Setup: Silver Anodized, Fox Float RL, SID SL, Full XT, CrossMax UST
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Todd Bruen
a Weekend Warrior
from Scottsdale,AZ
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2003
Strengths: Weight, solid frame, fast, single pivot, climbs like a machine, takes the big drop!
Weaknesses: None so far.....
Bottom Line:
Best bike around! Tested many others including Fuel 98 & 100, doesn't compare. No regrets dropping the duckets for the ride, highly recommed ditcing your old ride for a REAL ONE
Bike Setup: Fox Float RL, Fox Float AVA, Hayes Disc, XTR rear, XT Front
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan Kramer
a Cross Country Rider
from Nederland, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2003
Strengths: Fast, light, agile, fun, good looking, climbs hard, decends strong, great all around.
Weaknesses: nada
Bottom Line:
some time in my free time on weekend i like to go around to diff. biek shops and test ride the nicest, most expensive xc bikes you can buy. having never tried this, i ordered it. this is by far the nices, fasest hardest longest riding bike you can buy. thier really isnt a whole lot i can say about it. it is just totally awsome. if you can find one, buy it, fast.
Similar Products Used: specialized enduro, m4, trek fuel 90
Bike Setup: fox vanilla rlc fork, rl rear, full xt drivetrain, hayes hydraulic disc brakes, mavic 317 disc, easton carbon rise bars, easton carbon seat post, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Monterey
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2003
Strengths: All around great performer. Climbs well in and out of the saddle. Steering is percise which makes single track descents a blast. The bikes lets you go fast without feeling sketched out.
Weaknesses: Had some creaking in the rear shock pivots. Had my LBS check it out and found out that the pivots needed more grease. Works perfect now. Bike has some bob but it is well worth it on the downhills.
Bottom Line:
Buys this bike if you want a plush cross country ride or you are into agressive trail riding with 1-2 foot drops. Do not buy this bike if you want to freeride or if you can't stand "Bob". It may seem expensive BUT compared to other bikes of this caliber(that perform as well), it is well worth the price. Santacruz = Quality!
Similar Products Used: Schwinn rocket 88 stage three, Giant ac2
Bike Setup: X disc kit with Fox Float RL100 fork, Fox AVA RL rear shock, LX shifters, Easton carbon seatpost and handlbars, XT deurailers, LX Hollowtech crank, DT Swiss Onyx hubs with Mavic 317 rims, Kenda Karma tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jovey Antonio
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2003
Strengths: Beautiful anodized finish, climbs better then I do, simple pivot, no bob, confidence builder. Tested a Blur - sorry the SL has to be best bang for buck.
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I bought the frame and custom built this bike from new parts and stuff carried over from my previous bike.
Setting up this bike is soooo easy, air into the shock - set the rebound and I was off. This bike climbs like a mountain goat, it tracks so well that I am doing hills that I would falter on my hard tail. Twisty single track, roots, steeps, and rock gradens are not even a blip on the radar when riding - this bike will take a beginner/intermediate and bring you to your next level and still leave alot a room to improve. This bike is a longterm keeper.
Save your money and pick-up a SL, the Blur is nice but why pay for new technology when the SL is such a proven frame. Use the money you save on parts that will compliment the bike.
Similar Products Used: Truth, Jekyll, Fuel 90 - all weekend test rides
Bike Setup: SMALL SL frame, Easton SL Risers, 90mm Thompson Stem, Thompson Elite Seat post, RF Next LP Cranks, XT drive train, Avid SD7 lever and Mech brakes, Mavic 317 w/ Chris King hubs, Mich Wild Grippers, Rock Shock Psylo SL, FOX RLC shock, TIME Atac and Chris King Headset
