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Submitted by
SCB for life
a Weekend Warrior
from Kelso Wa
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | 8 track | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | Fat Tire Farm | | Strengths: | Excellent handling, Vastly Universal, Nearly bombproof, Ultra reliable, worldly factory support. | | Weaknesses: | Scarcely one (see bottom line) | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Gemini, Santa Cruz Hekler (My other favroite bike), Klein Palomino | | Bike Setup: | Fox DHX air, 36 Rc2, king headset and hubs, xt drivetrain, thomson post, easton bar and stem, avid juicy 7's, mavic 321 rims, kedna nevegal 2.23 kevlar beads. sram pc991, WTB laser v saddle, north shore lock on's, time z pedals. | | Bottom Line: | I think i wrote a review on this bike 2 and 1/2 years ago. This bike has been the best ride I have ever owned. It climbs, traverses, jumps, drops, turns, decends, eats anything the trail can dish out, and crashes better than anything I have ever ridden. I am 245 pounds and ride this bike 3 times a week on an average and have done so for 3+ years. I'm pretty hard on my bike, it pulls my xc, free ride, and downhill duties with ease. 3 years 4 months 4 sets of chainrings, cassettes, and chains / 3 sets of brake pads and tires / 4 rear derailers, I had not had a single problem with the frame untill 2 weeks ago when I noticed a 2cm crack at the weld on the upper pivot axle. I contacted SCB with the issue and 3 hours (yes hours) after sending the e-mail they called my back and told me they were going to replace my front triangle at no charge even though it was a year out of warranty. I sent the frame out on a thursday and it was back in my garage the very next thursday. They also replaced both pivot links and bearings (at no charge). As far as I am concerned, SCB has the best customer service on the planet. For comparison, when I broke my Gemini, it cost me $285 to fix when it was still under warranty. Meanwhile I will continue to shred the Nomad for years to come. When it finally wears out I will buy another and probably ride nothing else for as long as I live. That's right people, when you see a 60 year old fat man beating a 35 year old mountain bike design on the trail, it will be me. Bottom line, the Santa Cruz Nomad is the best 4 grand you can spend for a bicycle period | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jman
a Weekend Warrior
from stamford uk
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | langedla | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | strong/light/fast | | Weaknesses: | NONE !!! | | Similar Products Used: | heckler/ rocker mountain slayer | | Bike Setup: | 36 talas r - dhx air - truativ carbon cranks - dmr v12 - sun ringle - intense 2.2's hope m4's (203/180) thomson stem/post king h'set | | Bottom Line: | does everything.. goes up... goes down ( fast !!!!) drops off.... turns in.. quick out...
santa cruz got this very right ... lighten it up to do all mountain marathons, beef it up to freeride/dh.. this will take the lot !! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
robcadle
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Alamitos, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim, Moab | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$4200.00 | | Purchased At: | rbikes.com | | Strengths: | Does everything well. Soaks up big bumps, has incredible traction on steep technical climbs. This really and truly is the "one bike". You can go anywhere on it not suck. | | Weaknesses: | Makes you feel justified in paying whatever it costs to get what you really want. What if I applied that philosophy to everything in life? | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized FSR, Big Hit, Santa Cruz Bullet | | Bike Setup: | Large black ano frame. Fox 36 Van RC2 fork, Fox DHX 5.0 Air shock, Race Face Atlas cranks, WTB Laser Disc rims w/ Hadley hubs, XT front/rear derailleurs and shifters, WTB Speed V saddle, TruVativ XR riser bars and seat post, 2.5" WTB tires, Avid Juicy 7 brakes, 8"f/7"r rotors | | Bottom Line: | What can I say that hasn't been said a million times before? Believe the hype. If you don't want a garage full of bikes, buy this one. I can ride it anywhere, in any terrain. It may not be the fastest bike in any given condition, but it's the best bike for all conditions.
I have had this bike now for almost two years before I put in a review, and absolutely nothing has changed. The first time I rode it, I loved it, and I still do. I've never been this happy with anything I ever bought so long after I bought it. It's so simple: I lube the chain, fill the tires up with air, and ride. That's it. What more can you ask for? The bike is expensive, and the way I built it, it is pretty heavy (~36 lbs). Still, I wouldn't change a single thing about the bike or the equipment. Nothing has ever let me down. I'll be a Santa Cruz guy for life. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RickBullotta
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenixville, PA
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Too many to list... | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Versatility, plushness, climbing performance, styling. | | Weaknesses: | Long wheelbase, but that goes with the territory on a long travel bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Various XC FS bikes. | | Bike Setup: | DHX 5.0 Air, RS Lyrik Solo Air, X9, Thomson stuff, DT wheelset, Nevegal 2.35's, RaceFace bars, Syncros stem
| | Bottom Line: | As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and this first impression was a great one. I'm used to the feel of a VPP bike, since my everyday ride is an Intense Spider 29er, but I wanted to add a freeride/all-mountain rig to the quiver since I've developed an addiction to the bike park at Seven Springs. I rode my Nomad on the rocks and hills of French Creek yesterday, and it performed extraordinarily well. Plush as can be but still climbed like a goat. I think I'd feel the weight after a couple hours, but for < 2 hours, it was barely noticeable. I'm looking forward to hitting the DH course and dirt jumps at Seven Springs in two weeks! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
liv2_mountainbike
a Downhiller
from Sac Town, CA
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Downieville DH!! | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria Bikes | | Strengths: | Versatility. I've used this bike for 50+ mile endurance rides to downhilling @ Mammoth & Northstar. I constantly swap out forks, wheels, shock, and other components depending on what type of riding I'm doing. The geometry is so neutral that it will accommodate practically anything (from 8" DH fork to 5" trail fork). | | Weaknesses: | None after year & a half. Everything is tight, smooth, and quiet, even after lots of power-washing (just be careful around bearings!!) | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Enduro, Specialized FSR S-works, Foes Fly, Felt Virtue, Specialized Demos, Giant Reign, Ellsworth Moment, etc.. | | Bike Setup: | Currently: Fox DHX5 Air, Float 36RC2, DT Swiss EX 5.1 wheels, E13 LG1 guide, Prowler 2.5 tires, Hussfelt cranks, Azonic Fusion pedals, Raceface Next Carbon bars, SRAM X0 drivetrain, Juicy Sevens | | Bottom Line: | Can't say enough about the versatility, and I even own 4 single purpose bikes for everything from XC to Downhill. The finish and durability are tops. Love the bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DMCFence
a Cross Country Rider
from PNW
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | PNW | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$3900.00 | | Purchased At: | Coloradocyclist | | Strengths: | Nimble for the weight...
They stand behind their product 100%
Climbs well out of the saddle | | Weaknesses: | Suspension Maintenance every season...
Pricey
Some say the frame is heavy... My fastest rides have been on my Nomad here on the singletrack though... faster than the niner race bike. | | Bike Setup: | XO/FOX RC2/DHX 5 coil(better than air IMHO)....ect | | Bottom Line: | The Nomad is the real deal AM that can do it all. From climbing to XC to DH this bike is the shizz. This bike gets me through the winter here in the PNW and has never let me down. Hard to believe this bike at 33lbs with the coil rear can be so responsive but it really is.
Be aware the suspension bearings will not last long if you ride in the wet rainy trails like we have here. You will need the pro pack and make sure the bearing kit is the right size. They have a rolling change in the upper link bearing size as of last year. I found out the hard way when I had to order a new upper link and the new one was bigger than the bearing for the larger pivot point. Santa Cruz fixed the issue on the spot!
They have top notch service and follow up- Thanks goes out to Tim Fields!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Haruno
a Weekend Warrior
from Honolulu, HI, USA
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Royal Summit | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3299.00 | | Purchased At: | BIKEWERX | | Strengths: | Handling, Suspention travel, VPP, 1.5" head tube. | | Weaknesses: | The top tube is a good nut buster | | Similar Products Used: | None, came from a Giant yukon fx. | | Bike Setup: | 1.5 AM kit | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awsome. I use to ride a yukon fx 4" travel cheap bike and it's like night and day. Sharp handling, good climber, great on decents. My friends said this bike made me way more aggresive on the trails. All around monster of a bike! A little expensive but well worth it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joebrz
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterbury, VT, USA
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | joe's trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | It eats up everything. The rougher the ride gets the better it rides. This bike inspires you to ride everything. It is tolerable for climbs and makes you grin on the way down. | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy compared to my XC bike (32lbs vs 26lbs), a wee bit sluggish for twisty single track (again compared to my Superlight). | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Superlight (no comparison really) | | Bike Setup: | X9 AM complete kit (Rock Shox Lyrik 1.5, DHX 5.0, Sram X9) | | Bottom Line: | I'll start by saying that I'm 39, have been riding XC for almost 2 decades. Although I still race XC casually, I mostly ride for fun now (after several years of racing sport class "back in the day"). I'm not as sensitive to bike weight as I used to be (as my waistline is more of a concern), and I'm no longer trying to be first to the top of the hill. This is also my first "long travel" bike.
I can see this really being a do-it-all bike for a lot of people. Not for the XC racers or those who want to be first to the top of a climb. If you ride trails that have a lot of roots, rocks, steeps and drops than this bike is for you. Bring on the football-sized rocks and steeps - this bike laughs at that stuff. If you're riding tight, twisty, smooth trails I'd recommend sizing down in travel. I'm not saying it's not a fun ride, it's just more suited to the rougher stuff.
Personally I was torn between the Nomad and the new Blur LT, given my XC history. The trails I ride at lunch are technical and rough, but the trails I ride on the weekend are smooth, twisty singletrack. I figured for a 2 or 3 lb difference I'd go with the longer travel.
This bike has really inspired me to change my riding style. I would consider myself to have better than average handling skills, especially on descents. But this bike has me riding stuff either would have sent me over the bars or I would have walked (more like scrambled). Where I was white-knuckling on my Superlight I'm now catching air and smiling.
It is a tolerable climber, decent in the single track once you get used to the handling and position, and a real killer on the downhills. For the first time in my life I'm considering doing some chairlift riding. It is that much fun down hill. It is plush, but somehow still climbs. You get a little squish during climbing, but not annoyingly so. I'm torn on which bike I would do for enduro-rides like the VT50 (Nomad or Superlight).
I guess to sum it up I'd say that you will keep your buddies in sight on climbs, still match them in the single track, but blow them away on down-hills. On open, rough sections they will probably lose site of you.
I would still like to try that new Blur LT though....
4 Chilis because it is a pricey rig. But not any more so than it's competitors. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jlukes42
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver CO USA
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Mathews-Winters/Dakota Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Various sources—cust | | Strengths: | Climbs like a goat, descends like a goat on wheels. Strong, pretty light for the travel, nimble as can be expected. | | Weaknesses: | The chain lengthening can be a little disconcerting at times, but I've gotten used to it. Pivots have started to creak, but it's not too terrible—not like a Blur. | | Similar Products Used: | MC Zen, SC Superlight, Yeti 575, Blur, Blur LT, Giant AC Air, Maverick ML7 | | Bike Setup: | DHX Air, Fox 36 RC2, Crossmax XL, Marta SL, Maverick Speedball, XO shifter/RD, RF Atlas cranks, WTB Mutanoraptor 2.4 | | Bottom Line: | I built this up to be pretty light but still able to take a hit where it counts, felt sluggish on climbs with big FR tires, but absolutely flies with Mutanoraptor 2.4s
Bottom line is that I've tried a lot of bikes to get to this one, and this is the first one that I felt truly comfortable on both the climbs and the descents. I liked all of my other bikes for individual reasons, but this one has all of those wrapped up into a single package. People who don't like to call this the "one bike" are people who can afford more than one bike (and have the space for them too), but I can take this on sweet singletrack or a brutal climb and hit the chairlifts the same day without a hitch—and with a permanent grin pasted to my face the whole time. That's as close as I'll ever get to the "one bike." One review said that other bikes may excel in specific areas far better than the Nomad (you'll never race this as an XC bike), but as an all around bike it can't be beat—that's pretty much it.
The Yeti 575 was probably the next closest for me—a very fun bike as well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
seeingblue
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Cruz, Ca
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | For me to know, and you to never find out! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Another Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Pedaling, Ergonomics, Stability, Suspension! | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Never ridden a VPP designed bike. My old ride is a 2005 specialized Enduro Comp 130 with a Rock Shox Pike 454 fork and Push'd Float R shock. Great bike for it's time, but it ain't no Santa Cruz.... | | Bike Setup: | 2008 Medium Ano Slate With 2009 Fox Float R shock and 1.5 Lyrik Solo Fork, With Shimano Saint Bashguard and Stinger Chainguide. Sram and Shimano mixture with 2.35 Kenda Blue Groove up front and 2.35 Nevegal in the rear. | | Bottom Line: | Proven design, All my friends ride them and love them. It's a bike that motivates and makes you dream of riding. Santa Cruz spared no expense in terms of quality of the product and the durability of the design. Zerk fittings(2009 blur LT2) or not this is one great bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pau11y
a Weekend Warrior
from Golden, CO
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | For this bike, anything bumpy | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Suspension design | | Weaknesses: | A touch on the weight | | Similar Products Used: | Karpiel | | Bike Setup: | Light(sub 30); built for trail/all mountain vs. freeride. | | Bottom Line: | If you're running the DHX 5 Air, do yourself a favor and call Fox and buy a RP3 air sleeve and swap it out. It'll keep the shock from blowing thru mid-stroke and still remain very supple. I'm 190 and ran 190/250 main/piggy back w/ a stock DHX, and still blowing thru most of the travel on light hits. With a RP3 mod, I'm running 155/120 and getting up to 90% travel on Apex (bumpy!), and it doesn't wallow in mid-stroke.
Do a search in the forum section of this site and you'll find all you need to know to do this mod. If your DHX is relatively new and you don't need to replace the seals, it takes literally 2 minutes and costs less than $50 for this mod! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kootenay guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Kootenays, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Versatility, slack front end, good climber. | | Weaknesses: | Pricy, but I paid for it and don't regret it. | | Similar Products Used: | Heckler, VP Free | | Bike Setup: | X9 AM package with Talas 36 | | Bottom Line: | If you buy this bike and like to do steep technical climbs buy an adjustable travel fork like a Talas 36. I was against the concept of an adjustable travel fork, but with the fork in 6" mode it's really tough to keep the front end down. The 2" front end drop makes all the difference. The DHX air is perfect for this bike. I leave the pro pedal off the majority of the time since it takes the harshness out of the rooty terrain in the Fernie area. No bobbing to complain about at all. The geometry of this bike is a little different than what I'm used to. The top tube is significantly shorter than my heckler and VP free. I have to say that I can climb just as well on this bike as I did on the heckler. On the nomad I'm not sitting on the tip of my seat as much. The frame sizing for the Nomad is different than the other SC frames so make sure you do a good test ride.
I've ridden mountain bikes for the past 19 years and I'm now 35 years old. VPP bikes are the best bikes I've ever ridden. If you don't race XC or do drops over 6' this bike does it all. This bike is so plush with the TALAS and DHX air you won't regret the purchase. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
spdracr58
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Cruz, CA
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything downhill | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Purchased At: | Family Cycle Center | | Strengths: | The ability to make whoever rides it a better rider and more confident. With the DHX 5.0 air shock it is a great all around bike. | | Weaknesses: | weight and price, weight can be fixed at a price and a trade-off for strenght | | Similar Products Used: | test rode the Giant Reign, good bike but the Nomad is definately on the next level | | Bike Setup: | DHX 5.0 air, everything else is standard, SRAM etc. | | Bottom Line: | If you want a bike that you do everything on then pick up a Nomad. I use it every weekend for rides around Santa Cruz, and finally have a chance to take it to Tahoe for some downhill runs this summer. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
weylin
a Downhiller
from seattle
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | vpp suspension works and pedals awesome, super versatile - can be set up for whatever style of riding you want from being an xc platform to full on downhill. it climbs incredibly for a bike with 6.5" of travel and makes awesome rear traction for those hard uphill grinds. | | Weaknesses: | a little expensive, but worth every penny | | Similar Products Used: | 1st full suspension bike I've owned | | Bike Setup: | '08 model with 1.5 headset and Sram X9 components. Fox 36 talas. Fox dhx 5.0 shock. Avid juicy 7's w/185mm rotors. Kenda navegal 2.5" dh tires. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awesome, I've set it up for free ride and downhill but it still rides single track 100's of times better than my Kona Hoss hardtail. I was considering keeping my hardtail because I figured I wouldn't want to ride this bike everywhere, but I think I'll still ride this bike to the video store 5 blocks from my house. It's just that much of a pleasure. The VPP suspension is amazing, it pedals really awesome, I don't notice any pedal bob. That's not saying there's none there, but there's certainly no bob that's noticeable. Pressuring the bike through corners gives it a remarkable amount of traction that pushes you to ride harder and harder. Where it really shines is on downhill, it just asks to go faster and find new lines. Jumping the bike is a pleasure as well, it took a little while for me to get the suspension set up to my liking, but now that I have I've never had more fun jumping a bike. For full on downhill I think a double crown fork would be well applied to slacken the head tube angle a little more and add some front travel. But 160mm up front is still plenty of travel for any riding you want to do. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will Lintilhac
a
from Shelburne, VT
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | its a secret, Stowe, VT | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1850.00 | | Purchased At: | East Burke Sports | | Strengths: | I reviewed my bike before, with little saddle time and with slightly lighter setup, Freeride w/ a bit of A/M. Most of what I said stands true: Great climber for it's class, i now weigh 220 lbs, and live in Vermont where youre either going up or down. great pedaling efficiency, If you get sag or bob its because you need to adjust your rear shock. Not as fast as a gravity sled full throttle, but it can absolutely slay in the tight descents becuase of that steep but balanced cockpit. It sticks to bridges like sticky on ductape, and suspension doesnt kick on dirt jumps (although i suck).
Inspired a friend to build one like an Am/almost XC rig with an oil rear shock, talas rc2, Mavic crossmax rims, etc. Much smaller/lighter bike. I was able to use it on a full weekend trip in Quebec and found that with his relatively light build, it climbs better than a dream, still descends like a champ, and held momentum and speed over the pesky little speed eaters and roots on the flats. Overall was as good or better than any lighter dualie XC/AM rig ive ridden, tending towards better.
Have a new XC/AM rig of my own so the Nomad has graduated to FR/DH status. It gets a lot of descending miles now, and takes a very heavy beating. Ive raced downhill on it some for UVM on thier club team, and it annihilates in dual slalom. IT IS NOT A DH RIG!!! Doesnt hold a fluid pedal stroke through the really rough stuff. That said IT IS ALMOST A DH RIG!!! It can keep up with a gravity sled on most terrain, and corners far better, especially in tight/steep stuff. Most speed loss in my case is pilot error. Several SC Syndicate pro riders, and semi-pro have been known to prefer the Nomad in some Norba (possibly World Cup) downhills. Ive seen the Nomad do XC, AllMtn, dual slalom, FR, DH all like it was designed to do those things...impressive. | | Weaknesses: | In my case, a bit small for DH, especially as I am still not very good at DH and need all the help i can get. like i said, it isnt a DH rig so i will deduct no points. Ive noticed that in the really high turns in slalom, putting a lot of force on my frame, the rear triangle flexes a fair amount but again, i wiegh 220 lbs. Also, this frame takes some fiddling to get the rear rebound just right. I have no idea why but ive never spent that much time playing with my suspension, something about the geometry. | | Similar Products Used: | My buddies Nomad, lighter build. Raced DS on an Intense something-er-other for a day. | | Bike Setup: | Fox DHX 5.0 rear shock. Vanilla RC2. full XT
(short cage rear). Xo grip shift. Hayes HFX-9 (old). Saint (38t) w/ raceface guide/bashguard. King headset. Chromag fubars, cutblock stem. Arrow racing frx rims on Marzocchi front, xt rear hub. Kenda Nevgal DH 2.5 front, 2.35 rear tire. | | Bottom Line: | As youve done enough reading, this will be short and sweet. with the right set up, you can make the Nomad work for just about anything and have it roll with the tops bikes of that class. Get one, you'll like it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
P
a Weekend Warrior
from Murfreesboro, TN USA
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Hamilton Creek, Nashville | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$4400.00 | | Purchased At: | Murfreesboro Outdoor and Bicycle (MOAB) | | Strengths: | Long travel with lightish weight. Excellent suspension performance without a bunch of bouncing. Slack angles lets it hold a line in the really rough stuff. Climbs up anything. Loves to thumb its nose at steep rooty inlines. Stays glued to the ground until its time to drop of a ledge. | | Weaknesses: | Heavier than my previous Intense 5.5? Still bobs a little bit, but I suspect that is due to my lackluster shock setup. I'm still figuring it out. Pretty slack angles requires some pretty low leaning in sharp turns. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant AC-1, Intense 5.5, nothing else even close. | | Bike Setup: | Fox 36 Talas 1.5, DHX Air 5.0, XT drivetrain and brakes, Gravity stem and handlebar, Chris King hubs laced to DT 5.1D rims, Crank Brothers Joplin seatpost and Candy C pedals. | | Bottom Line: | Love it. The Intense was too twitchy at my favorite rock gardens, and the Giant bobbed like a cheerleader on prom night. I'd have liked an Intense 5.5 with about a 68d head angle for some stability at the Creek. I could get a Nomad a lot quicker and cheaper than a 6.6. It is the only MTB I ride now. I can also mount knee-high steps much more easily than on the Intense. It has a sweet spot that you can lean into to lift the front right up when you need to, but it stays planted otherwise. It is also a lot of fun on the less technical trails in the area. Thank you M.O.A.B. for a great deal on a fantastic bike. Great shop, great service. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Grant
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Menai, Sparrow Hill | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Phantom Cycles | | Strengths: | Climbing, bomb proof, more bike than i need | | Weaknesses: | Have to deflate 2.5" tyre to remove rear wheel. | | Similar Products Used: | Devinci Magma, Norco VPS 2, Giant Trance, Specialized Stumpjumper | | Bike Setup: | Medium frame, CCDB shock, '06 66RC2X forks, RF Atlas cranks, X9, Crossmax SX wheels, Minion 2.5" DHF ust tyres, Answer ProTaper bar, Thomson post, Syncros stem, Juicy 5s 8". | | Bottom Line: | The Nomad really could be "the one bike", especially if you are able to swap between FR/XC style forks and wheels. I've got mine set up so that i won't break anything.
It originally had a Float R rear shock that was alright. I replaced that with a DHX-C that was better but i always felt chain pull in the granny/3rd combo with thse shocks. Changing to a CCDB and setting it up properly fixed that and also smoothed out the low speed bumps.
With the set up that i'm running i don't think there is anything that can stop this bike, except my skills (or lack of!). The handling and suspension performance is brilliant, very forgiving of rider error. The steering sometimes feels a bit slack at slow speeds but it's never caused any problems, just made me think that the bike feels a bit slow at the time. The climbing is excellent compared to FSR style designs. It really gets over things very easily. My build isn't the lightest and the big tyres punish me a bit on the climbs but descending is amazing.
No other bike i've ridden has given me so much confidence over a wide variety of terrain. For me, the Nomad exceeds the hype surrounding it. It is just a fun bike to ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ari
a Weekend Warrior
from Orange County, CA
Date Reviewed: March 14, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3900.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Co. | | Strengths: | Everything! This bike truly epitomizes the terms All Mountain and Freeride. This bikes does it all! If you can only afford one bike and want to do everything on it the SC Nomad is the bike for you. Excellent at climbing and decending with razor sharp handling. This bike can and will get you out of most "Oh Sh*t!" situations. handels 6+ foot drops with ease. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly cramped cockpit (easily fixed with the right bar stem and seat set up) | | Similar Products Used: | Ibis Mojo, Intense 5.5, Heckler, Superlight, Stinky Delux | | Bike Setup: | DHX Coil, Fox 36 Float 1.5, Sram X9, DT swiss wheels, chris king headset | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is you can't go wrong with this bike. If your someone who likes the rewards of the climb and the exhileration of the desent all on one ride you can do it all on the Nomad. It is hard to believe that a bike with almost 7" of travel climbs this well! By far the best bike I have ever ridden. It has drastically enhanced both my skill level and enjoyment when riding...and thats what its all about!
Side Note: Make sure you put a coil on it! Sacrifice half a pound! The Nomad really comes alive with a coil! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve Minniear
a Cross Country Rider
from Auburn, California
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Tahoe Rim Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Purchased At: | private party | | Strengths: | The suspension and handling on this bike is simply amazing! The bike has awesome balance and turns better than it should given the geometry and wheelbase. The overall build quality is good, better than production bikes, but not as good as high-end custom frames (e.g. Ellsworth, Intense) | | Weaknesses: | For it's intended application, I don't see any real weaknesses. For me personally, the effective TT is short and the cockpit a little tight. I ride medium frames and, while this bike is a medium, it feels an inch to and inch and a half more compact than my other bikes. Depending on your size, you may want to go up one size with SC. The cable routing, while effective, is not elegant and I'd prefer routing than minimizes cable rub and that looks a little better thought out. NOTE: these are primarily personal preference items. | | Similar Products Used: | Intense 5.5; Intense 6.6; Kona Stinky; Specialized Big Hit; Specialized Demo | | Bike Setup: | 2008 Medium - Fox TALAS 36 RC2; DHX 5.0; XT drive train with e 13 chain guard and tensioner; Hope Pro II wheels, Race Face stem, seatpost and bars. Weight 34.34 lbs with flat DH pedals. | | Bottom Line: | This bike lives up to the hype and is an excellent AM or light FR/DH mount. Don't buy this is your primary riding is XC. This bike demands more technical terrain. You will be surprised by how well a bike with over 6 inches of travel and over 30 lbs climbs. One final note. I don't buy into the marketing hype that this, or any bike, is the ONE bike. It's outstanding, but will not replace my 4 inch race bike or my 5 inch XC AM bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
uphillslug
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Dakota Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1750.00 | | Purchased At: | mojo wheels | | Strengths: | Everything | | Weaknesses: | Top tube could be a little longer for the 6'5" and over club. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Enduro, Kona Dawg | | Bike Setup: | Thomson stem and post, mavic 823, Dt 340 hub, xo, xtr | | Bottom Line: | After one ride I found the Nomad to be far superior to my Enduro. At 6'5" I added a layback post and a 100mm stem and this seems to be the ultimate combination. The VPP pro pedal combo has increased my speed on the up hill and the sweet geometry has improved my downhill considerably. Overall the best bike I have ever ridden!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from California
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | San Juan Trail (SJT) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3800.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Co. (bikeco.com) | | Strengths: | Frame is very strong, Great stock build, VPP works, Juicy 7 brakes, Super strong wheels, Killer looks, long legs (who dosen't like long legs?) | | Weaknesses: | Pivots creaking. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, Intense, GT | | Bike Setup: | X9 AM build except 50mm stem with 36 talas and DHX 5.0 air | | Bottom Line: | Great bike, #34 with pedels and 2.5 Kenda tires, #31 with XC pedals and XC tires. This bike is a blast to ride down and very good climbing. I have been able to conquer climbs I couldn't before and take trails down I never would even try in the past. My smaller Intense Uzzi SL was only better climbing over super steep uphill lips but lacked travel for the descents. On long very steep rocky climbs the Nomad is more than capable. Four bar is still the best rear suspension but VPP is very close. On one trail I accidentally went off an overhead steep downhill drop because I was going so fast and I had never been on the trail before. The bike flowed right off and place me about a dozen feet down the trail with no problems. All other descending is without a doubt more fun and safer with the Nomad than most bikes in the same category. The only complaint I have so far is the creaking pivots. I have found a product specifically designed to fix Santa Cruz VPP pivots so it must be quite a common issue. Too bad Santa Cruz didn't incorporate this fix for their production bikes (www.ctsmtb.com/pps.cfm). Anyone who buys a mountain bike to actually ride and is not extreme XC or DOWNHILL only should buy this bike. Those that huck should take the coil spring route and all others should take the air route. Upgrade the fork to the adjustable TALAS if you climb a lot because the front is much better lowered while climbing.
Four chilis because of the creaking pivots. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a Racer
from phillymtb.com
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Wissahickon | | Duration Product Used: | |
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