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Submitted by
Vincent Tan
a Racer
from BRUNEI
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light -Plush -Sweet Ride.
| | Weaknesses: | Not Yet. | | Bike Setup: | Metal grey frame with Fox Air RC:- SID SL, Full XTR with RapidRise RD/46th Crank, CrossMax/Phython tubeless, ChrisKing headset, Thomson post & stem, Easton Monkeylite Bar/Yeti grip, Time ATAC Titan Carbon padel, SI Flite 165g saddle. Weight ~ 11.1kg. | | Bottom Line: | This is my 2nd review. After riding it for 1.5 year, no maintenance done- except replacement of chain & tyre (fr Mosquito to Python). It's very reliable!
Thanks for all those contributed your views
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Warren
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO USA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Walker Ranch, White Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | everywhere | | Strengths: | Light, FAST, Strong, great anodizing, simple maintenance, looks killer, rides even better | | Weaknesses: | none yet and I do NOT expect any...ever | | Similar Products Used: | gt lts 1, gt I-drive, moots ybb, litespeed tsali, kona stinky deluxe, c'dale f2000, c'dale jekyll, | | Bike Setup: | cane creek aeroheat wheels (da bomb), xtr shifters & deraillers ,raceface next lp's, avid mag's, cane creek ad-10, thomsom stem & seatpost, easton monkeylite, sid sl dual air, egg beaters, joytech ti skewers, srp ti crank bolts, shutchison pythons, etc... | | Bottom Line: | Best bike I have ever been on hands down!! I liked my jekyll (even better than the tsali) but it felt like a sherman tank compared to this svelt machine and I had it down to 25 lbs which is incredible for a jekyll. The Superlight is crazy fast accellerating, yet highly stable on the tightest of turns at speed. So sweet looking it gives me wood. I do have a top of the line component setup, but I can tell its the frame that does the work. Mine is built up at about 23 lbs with pedals and feels even lighter. When climbing I get no pedal feedback (cause I stroke like a steam engine :-)..)and it is scary fast on the descents. I buy and sell bikes like cigarettes on the black market, but I am keeping this one until it disinegrates to dust. $2200 is no chump change but it is not the most I have ever dropped on a bike and the superlight is worth very cent and more. I recommend this bike to anyone who wants to take their riding to the next level and get away from mass produced lines. This bike makes you WANT to ride!... Anyone who complains about this bike simply does not have it set up right, period. Santa Cruz ROCKS!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carl
a Cross Country Rider
from Fresno, CA
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | CBO | | Strengths: | Very simple design, minimal bob in small chain ring, it is negligible. It climbs like a hard tail, even without the lockout on the shock. I bought the anodized finish and if you keep the frame clean, it looks as good as the day you bought it. And that is after trying to avoid horse and cow crap in the spring here in the foothills of the Sierras. | | Weaknesses: | Rear triangle developed a small hairline crack near the pivot point. I am an average technical rider, apx 195 pounds and noticed the crack when I attempted to replace the bushings. Kudos to the guys at Santa Cruz. I sent the rear triangle in and they replaced it with a new one, a better design (a box style near the pivot point rather than the old round type). It seems a lot stiffer, I have to ride it yet. | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first full-suspension bike. I rode my buddy's Heckler and went with the Superlight. Glad I made that choice. | | Bike Setup: | Chris King hubs on 317s, XT drivetrain with Sram Attack shifters. Marzocchi 100m X-Fly (great product as well) and a Fox Float RC (Have needed to replace the seals twice in 2 years). | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike!!! Plain and simple. It rides like a dream, soaks up small bumps well, awesome on descents, and light and nimble enough to climb what my cardio can managed. It is easy to maintain. I am fairly meticulous in keeping it free of dirt--a clean bike runs better. It you are looking for a great ride and simplicity, this is the bike. I will have to see how the technology pans out, with the Blur and the NRS from Giant, though this bike is more than adequate for cross country riding. Again, kudos to Santa Cruz -- their customer service is very good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BOB
a Cross Country Rider
from Marysville CA
Date Reviewed: November 22, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Upper Bidwell | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | CAMBRIA | | Strengths: | RIDE QUAILITY. SImple to maintain. | | Weaknesses: | WITH OVER TWO YEARS I THOUGHT I NOTICED THE REAR SWING ARM GETTING MORE AND MORE FLEX. | | Bike Setup: | SEE REVIEW BELOW | | Bottom Line: | I CALLED SANTA CRUZ AND ORDERED A NEW HARDWARE KIT FOR MY BIKE. AFTER I INSTALLED THE NEW BEARINGS AND SWINGARM PIVOT BOLT I REALLY NOTICED THE FLEX. I TOOK IT A PART AND DISCOVERED THE HOLE IN THE FRAME THAT THE PIVOT BOLT GOES TROUGH IS VERY WORN. I INSTALLED THE OLD STYLE PIVOT BOLT WHICH IS A ALUMINAM BOLT. IT COULD BE TIGHTNED MORE THAN THE NEW STYLE PIVOT BOLT. IT TAKES THE FLEX OUT SO YOU CANT FLEX IT BY HAND . BUT YOU CAN FEEL THE FLEX WHEN YOU RIDE.I REALLY LIKE MY SUPERLIGHT AND PLANNED TO RIDE IT FOR A LONG TIME. I THOUGHT THAT THE INCREASE FLEX I WAS FEELING WAS DUE TO THE FACT I AM A MUCH MORE AGGRESIVE RIDER NOW. I CALLED SANTA CRUZ AND THEY ASKED IF I TRIED A BIKE SHOP OR I COULD SEND IT IN. I AM GOING TO TAKE IT TO A PLACE THAT SELLS SANTA CRUZ BICYCLES. I HOPE THEY WARRANTY THE FRAME. I CANNOT RIDE THE BIKE THE WAY IT IS. THE BIKE IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD AND WHEN I BOUGHT IT I REGISTERED IT WITH SANTA CRUZ . THE INFOMATION I GOT WITH THE BIKE SAID THEY WOULD WARRANTY FOR UP TO 3 YRS. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BOB
a Cross Country Rider
from Marysville CA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | South Yuba | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria | | Strengths: | Simple to maintain. The ride is excellent up and downhill. | | Weaknesses: | Is a little flexy. | | Similar Products Used: | 98 Specialized FSR | | Bike Setup: | XT drive train w/ Race face cranks,Thomson post & stem,Avid brakes,517 rims Xtr hubs Psylo R. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awesome and I still thinks it rocks after two years. I posted a review earlier this year at about the 18 month mark and this is a follow up.I praised the bike then and I still think it rocks. I ride alot. I am not a racer or a freerider but I love technical trail riding and this bike does it well. This was my only bike up to a couple of months ago and I have several thosand miles on it. I had the shock rebuilt twice and the bushings have some wear and I will be sending it in again(Fox Float R) for another rebuild(I own a spare shock). Full suspension bikes are more maintenance. Sealed bearings will need grease eventualy I do not care what anyone says. It takes me all of an hour to repack the swing arm bearings. I am a aircraft mechanic and I enjoy fixing my bikes and I still will avoid complicated stuff (horst link).Compared to other high end frame makers for the money you cannot beat Santacruz. I plan on riding my superlight for another year and I will probaly buy a Heckler next fall. If you want a awesome trail bike that you can build light yet tough buy a superlight. Mine weighs in at about 27 lbs. and it is perfect for me up and downhill. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Jans
a Cross Country Rider
from Plainsboro, NJ
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Wawayanda | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3200.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Reasonably light weight, simple design. | | Weaknesses: | Replaceable derailleur hanger would be nice. Other than that, no complaints | | Similar Products Used: | AMP Research B-4 full suspension, Cannondale CAAD2 hardtail, Specialized Stumpjumper M2FS hardtail | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Xfly100 fork, Fox Float RC shock, full XT, Avid disk brakes, Thompson post, Race Face Turbine LP cranks & SYStem, Chris King headset, Salsa 26" flat h'bar | | Bottom Line: | A fantastic handling full suspension bike, not fully active but a good compromise considering the 4" of rear travel. Simple to maintain and fun to ride. Looks great too - silver anodized finish with laser-etched graphics. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Idaho
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Loon Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | speedgoat | | Strengths: | The Superlight simply puts you in the mood to ride. It charges up hills and floats back down. The quick but predictable handling instills confidence. The single pivot design is reliable and maintainance free. | | Weaknesses: | Sometimes instills too much confidence - keep that helmet handy. I suppose it bobs a little but I never notice it unless I actually look at the rear shock. I've heard concerns over the lack of a replaceable rear dropout but I've never heard of anyone breaking one. | | Similar Products Used: | demo'd several full suspension - this one rose to the top. | | Bike Setup: | Large frame fits me at 5'10". | | Bottom Line: | An excellent choice for cross country and rough trails and for people who would rather ride their bike than work on it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gustavo Kuster
a Cross Country Rider
from Miami, FL
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Oleta River Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | Bell Cycle's | | Strengths: | This is bike is smooth. South Florida has alot of roots and this bike floats right over them. On my first ride I had a big smile on my face for an hour. Very little bob when standing and climbing. THE BEST BIKE I HAVE BEEN ON. EXCELLENT FOR XC. | | Weaknesses: | Flex a bit | | Similar Products Used: | GT i-Drive Team. | | Bike Setup: | XTR, MAVIC Crossmax, Thomsom bar & seat post | | Bottom Line: | Excelent | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Daley Ranch, Escondido | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Bike Warehouse | | Strengths: | Simple, great build quality, works amazingly well, very responsive. | | Weaknesses: | None, except perhaps a minor one in that routing disk brake lines is a bit of a pain. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant Yukon | | Bike Setup: | Fox Float RL rear shock, Thomson stem and post, XT cranks, deraillieurs, shifters and hubs, Avid mechanical disks, Terry Fly saddle, Easton Carbon bar (straight), Panaracer Trailblasters, Marzocchi Z3 Bomber, Shimano 858 pedals. | | Bottom Line: | Recommended for anyone looking for an all around XC bike. Build quality on the frame is excellent, great looking welds, quality finish. The single pivot design is deceptively simple but works! These is almost no bob when seated, the suspension soaks up both small and large stuff equally well. Once set up correctly it is a pleasure to ride and is extremely responsive. I differed from Santa Cruz's recommended frame size, I am 5' 7" and rode both a medium and a small frame, preferring the handeling of the small, also ended up using a 120mm stem and straight bars. This combo is a fair bit smaller than they recommend but since I have heard that a few others have found this also wonder if Santa Cruz's recommendations are based on riser bars?
Nuff said, do yourself a favor and try out a superlight!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jimmy Lee
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Monica, Ca
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | the ones wit' dirt on'um | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | I don't remember | | Bottom Line: | It's been about a year and a half since my last review and I've abused this product for about two and a half years. The bottom line is, I FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS BIKE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I am not kidding, man. I'm 5'9" weigh 160lbs. This bike has saved my un-talented little arse so many times. But when I've made mistakes, it's been through a shattered collar bone, strains too numerous to mention, and other crashes. It gets up like a champion dog, ready for more.
I'm partial to the simplicity and durability of the single pivot and this bike will not disappoint.
If you are looking for a do-anything-it-is-asked-of-to-do kind of cross country bicycle, try this one. Do yourself a favor. Try the others first. The Superlight climbs better than my GT Avalanche (hardtail), then descends like a light weight downhill bike.
Mountain biking will grow a hole new dimension. All of the same 'ol trails you've been riding will transcend into a Mother Nature's own amusement park.
You'll notice that I initially gave this bike 4 chili's. But with all these new designs coming up without a single competitor for plushness in a mountain bike, my appreciation has really grown. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FritzMan
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Calgary Cycle | | Strengths: | Looks, weight, strength, low maintenance | | Weaknesses: | Ummmm..... Maybe some chipping, but 1986 Chevy Camero Red touch-up paint perfectly matches my powder coated red frame. | | Bike Setup: | Superlight, Mavic UST, SRAM, Raceface | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow-up for my earlier posting (10 months ago). I still get as excited to ride this thing as the first day I got her. I've since added a (flexy) SID 100 which definitely balances out the bike compared to my previous 80mm fork . I run the rear suspension exactly as spec'd by Fox for my weight and use the lockout on out-of saddler efforts, smooth climbs, and flat stuff. Although many don't need the lockout, I setup the bike fairly plush to get a little more comfort during enduros and yet still get the jump when needed. This bike is sensitive to rider weight, so adjust the rear shock if you shed poundage.
I tried to follow SantaCruz's recommendations on stem length, but I find them too long. My setup is (I'm 5'9" and 178 lbs) medium frame, 100mm 15 deg RF stem with 1/8" spacer (rather than the 120mm recommended stem), and offset post. It's a tight cockpit with little wheeling' issues on climbs and rocketship decending abilitites. I've had three of the four water bottle mount rivets fail (spin in the tube), but $40 at the local shop fixed that quick.
This is an awesome dual role trail/race bike, and has given me several great results in enduros. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vincent Tan
a Cross Country Rider
from BSB, BRUNEI
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Triple Star Enterprise, BSB | | Strengths: | Light -Plush -Sweet Ride. | | Weaknesses: | Not yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Hard Tails- Schwinn Moab, Cannodale CAAD & Specialize | | Bike Setup: | Metal grey frame with Fox Air RC:- SID SL, Full XTR with RapidRise RD/46th Crank, CrossMax/Mosquito tubeless, ChrisKing headset, Thomson post & stem, Easton Monkeylite Bar/Yeti grip, Time ATAC Titan Carbon padel, SI Flite 165g saddle. Now US$3,300. Weight ~ 11.1kg. | | Bottom Line: | After riding my hardtail- Schwinn Moab 3 for 8 months, I decide to have a 2nd bike based on my riding style & I finally got my first FS bike.
Fully satified with frame & my choiced components.
Thanks for all those contributed your views. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BOB C
a
from MARYSVILLE CA
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | South Yuba (all 16 miles) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1150.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria | | Strengths: | VERY SIMPLE DESIGN BUT WORKS EXCELLENT. VERY EASY TO MAINTAIN. AWESOME PERFORMANCE YET SIMPLE DESIGN. | | Weaknesses: | THE LACK OF REPLACABLE DERAILER HANGAR. I BENT MINE OVER 6 WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED IT. SANTA CRUZ SENT ME A NEW SWING ARM IN LESS THAN 10 DAYS. I THINK IT WAS CRAPPY LUCK. | | Similar Products Used: | 98 SPECIALIZED FSR | | Bike Setup: | CHRIS KING HEAD SET,RACE FACE XT DRIVE TRAIN,AVID V BRAKES,517 RIMS WITH XTR HUBS, THOMSON POST AND STEM. PSYLO R / FLOAT R | | Bottom Line: | THE BIKE ROCKS. IT CLIMBS WELL IT DESCENDS WELL. BUT MOST OF ALL IT IS SUPER EASY TO MAINTAIN. I HAVE HAD TO SEND THE REAR SHOCK IN FOR NEW BUSHINGS AND A REBUILD.I DID NOT WANT TO BE WITHOUT THE BIKE SO I LOOKED INTO A NEW SHOCK. I GOT A NEW FOX VANILLA R THROUGH MY LOCAL BIKE SHOP AS A SPARE FOR A GOOD PRICE IN TWO DAYS AND THEY GOT IT FROM SANTA CRUZ. THEY SENT IT WITH THE CORRECT COIL AND SET UP FOR XC RIDING.THAT IS AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE. I LOVE THIS BIKE. IT TAKES ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO SWAP THE SHOCK OUT.IT TOOK ALL OF 30 MINUTES TO PUT A NEW SWINGARM ON WHEN I HAD TO REPLACE IT .
THE BIKE ROCKS I LOVE IT. I RIDE ALOT A REAL LOT. I DONT BRAKE PARTS AS MUCH AS WEAR THEM OUT FROM ALOT OF HARD RIDING.I CAN SAY MY SANTA CRUZ IS AWESOME IT TAKES ALL I DISH OUT.
FOR MY SECOND MT BIKE I BOUGHT A SPECIALIZED FSR IT WAS A PIECE OF CRAP. I SOLD IT 6 MONTHS AFTER BUYING AND WENT BACK TO A HARD TAIL. I SWORE NO MORE FULL SUSPENSION BIKES. THEN I SEEN A SANTA CRUZ. WHAT A SIMPLE DESIGN. THEN I RODE ONE AND READ REVIEWS. I BOUGHT ONE. I AM A AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AND I KEEP MY BIKE PERFECT. I AM NOT A FAN OF THE MULTI LINK SUSPENSION (HORST LINK ) FROM A MAINTENANC STAND POINT.IT ( HORST LINK) MAY OUT PERFORM THE MONO SHOCK DESIGN BUT IT WILL NEVER SURPASS THE SIMPLICITY OF THE MONO SHOCK.
THE BIKE FITS ME BETTER THAN ANY I HAVE EVER HAD AND OUT PERFORMS ANYTHING I HAVE EVER HAD. I AM 5 10 AND 19D LBS AND IT JUST FEELS PERFECT CLIMBING AND DESCENDING. IT IS THE PERFECT BALANCE OF PERFORMANCE.IT IS A AWESOME DESIGN AND I DO NOT SEE MUCH OUT THERE THAT COMPETES FOR THE PRICE . IT IS FOR THE SERIOUS TRAIL RIDER. I LOVE EXPLORING NEW TRAILS AND LONG RIDES AND THE BIKE IS PERFECT FOR ME. I WILL BUY ANOTHER SANTA CRUZ WHEN I BUY ANOTHER BIKE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve Van Landingham
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | SWP/TC,FLATCREEK | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1350.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Sport Shop | | Strengths: | Impeccable welds, stout gussets,long top tube (XL), lightweight (hence the name) and Anodized finish to boot ! | | Weaknesses: | Derailleur hanger failure could be costly. Cleaning the nooks and crannies on this bad boy is a nightmare. No real weaknesses to speak of. Needs a more powerful motor!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Big Wheel, pedal car, go kart & Voodoo Bizango. | | Bike Setup: | Ritchey OCR PRO Wheels, Thompson seatpost and stem, Monkey Lite bars, Race Face cranks, SID SL, All XTR, Chris King HS, TiTec Berserkr couch, Conti Tires. | | Bottom Line: | This bike weighs the same as my hard tail, and the comfort level is four times greater. Ride ON, RIDE ON!
Gotta go! I'm burning daylight. Got Spider webs to bust. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
King of the Hill Goat
a Racer
from Any
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Amything up | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1050.00 | | Purchased At: | costco | | Strengths: | PLUSHHHHHHHHHH
GEOMETRY
STEERING | | Weaknesses: | pedal feedback | | Similar Products Used: | Kona King Kikapu, Specialized FSR, Ellsworth Truth | | Bike Setup: | All xtr with rocket shifters and xt 11-28 cassette
Thompson seatpost and stem
Chris King Headset
Selle Italia Flite TI
CT2 Handlebars
Irc Mythos
Rock Shox Sid Sl
Total frame and shock weight is 5.5 pounds (medium)
Total Bike weight 23.0 pounds | | Bottom Line: | I have been only ridding this setup for 2 weeks but I have equaled my times in my hardtail with the lockout on the front and back going on the uphills I have also tried it without the lockouts and the front shocks cause a lot more bobbing than the rear which is very quiet. I had heard that there is a lot of pedal feedback on granny but a rarely visit the granny anyways so I don't know. I was aprehensive of there geometry but I am no more it is simply perfect the bike handles on rails and feels comfortable in any situation. The travel inthe rear is much more plusher tham any of the other bikes I tried and that doesn't mean that the other are worse is just that this one feels like it is lighter than what it is and has more travel than what it has. I know a lot of people say it is expensive but when you compare it to similar efforts from Ellsworth, Turner and even Kona the Superlight is in my book a great value. The only thing I am still getting used to is that it gets really dirty but then again it may be because I can't stop riding it............... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kookie
a Cross Country Rider
from Ireland
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | Phatire, Denver | | Strengths: | Performance. Looks,price.weight,exclusivity and all the other good things about this frame would'nt be worth a damn if the thing did'nt perform! | | Weaknesses: | Are you kidding me! | | Similar Products Used: | Loads of stuff. | | Bike Setup: | Raceface,Sram,Hope brakes,Sid 100's and lot's of light bit's. | | Bottom Line: | I'm a better rider,full stop. If something makes you say that it's got to be value for money, whatever you paid for it! I got a friend to bring it home from the U.S. for me and saved £300 ($450).It's an amazing bycycle.Climbs well,not like my old rigid mtb (everyone should have one) but near enough. Excellent grip on tech. climbs. It decends like it's on rails. The Sid's seem to suit the frame pretty good and match the Fox float Rc to a tee. If you've been tempted but were'nt sure get one or settle for 2nd best. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kenny
a Racer
from Deerfield Beach, Florida
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Strengths: | This is bike is smooth. South Florida has alot of roots and this bike floats right over them. On my first ride I had a big smile on my face for an hour. Very little bob when standing and climbing. THE BEST BIKE I HAVE BEEN ON. EXCELLENT FOR XC. | | Weaknesses: | The low bottom bracket causes you to hit the pedels on the ground more than other bikes. The rear locks out when braking hard on down hills. I compensated by pumping the front (homemade ABS action) and using less rear brake. The rear is so plush that my Rockshox SID felt like crap and I had to go with a Marzocchi. | | Similar Products Used: | 1998 trek y-glide deluxe, 2001 rockett 88 | | Bike Setup: | XT/XTR, Thomson post and stem, Time, Crossmax UST, chris king, bomber | | Bottom Line: | Buy it, it's worth the money. It only gets 4 value chilis because is costs so much new. Mine is second hand. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Terry
a Weekend Warrior
from San Antonio, Texas USA
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1395.00 | | Purchased At: | From Rob Roskopp at Santa Cruz | | Strengths: | Light, fast and no-flex. | | Weaknesses: | The Rider | | Similar Products Used: | First F/S bike. | | Bike Setup: | XT, Kore rims, stem and handlebar, Thompson seatpost, Psylo SL fork. | | Bottom Line: | I weigh around 250 lbs and jump and downhill this bike. It shows no flex and handles my weight easily. When I XC, this bike is all about speed and traction. I will always ride Santa Cruz bikes. They are no-nonsense and work better than the hardtails I have owned. The rear end flexes less than my hardtails did. Wierd! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick Osbon
a Cross Country Rider
from Aiken, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Tsali | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | CYCLESPORT | | Strengths: | Light weight, very responsive, the singe pivot design assures minimal bobbing when climbing or sprinting. Tracks great, no problem following your best line descending, I thought I would have to use the lock out on my Fox RC when climbing, but it would have to be one steep hill to require it. Also, this bike is very low maintenance. | | Weaknesses: | Sorry, I know how important this section is when your looking for a new bike, but this bike is just to sweet to find anything wrong with it. | | Similar Products Used: | Tested: Gary Fisher Sugar, Giant NRS-1, Trek Fuel | | Bike Setup: | Large Superlight, Marzocchi Atom 80's, Spinergy Xyclone Wheels (these are very light and very cool), MonkeyLite Carbon Riser Bars, Easton EA70 Seatpost, All XT Components | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is this: High Quality, Great Performance, Better Lines, Quicker Handling, Faster Finishes, all with Low Maintenance. Have you read enough? What are you waiting for? Buy this bike you want regret it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim
a
from brighton, sussex, united kingdom
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere on the south downs | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Strengths: | Frame and shock(fox float rc) is light at 5.2ish lbs and looks Beautiful in metallic blue. Good climber even though I have been tempted to use the lockout on long flat climbs, but most of the time I forget it's even there.
It's my first full susser so I went for a less active single pivot bike. I might go for something more active when the superlight is stolen or broken.
The Shock is mounted high up on the top tube and is kept away from all the muck that the rear wheel throws up, this is essential for UK riding conditions. I couldn't picture a shock on an FSR lasting for too long in some of the crap I ride through.
I originally had the thing set up with an 80mm z2 x-fly but it was far too flexy. I was scared to go down hills fast. The bike didn't live up to it's single track eating trail bike repuation. Ive got my spare 2000 model 110mm Z1 drop- off on it now. Strange fork to put on a trailbike marketed as an XC racer but it now handles really well, if a little heavy. Marzocchi hollowed-out crowns are too flexible. If you have the cash go for a psylo race or an air fox forx to save on weight.
An ideal all day trail bike. | | Weaknesses: | strange pedal feedback in the granny gear (bit like old bio- pace chain rings) but it's only noticable some of the time.
suspension locks out in granny gear so can be difficult on steep rutted climbs. A high stand over height for a "medium"
sized frame also makes rutted climbs awarkward.
| | Similar Products Used: | none- but I looked at getting an intense tracer. | | Bike Setup: | XT everything and Hope minis. Race Face Headset,
bars and stem. time carbon pedals. Trailblaster tyres.
Marzocchi Z1 110mm travel coil sprung fork | | Bottom Line: | The faults I mention are trivial. If you ride in sh*t weather and want a FS bike with the MBA ponce factor the superlight
is for you! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich
a Weekend Warrior
from El Paso, TX
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | just to be on the trails | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | Very responsive on all types of terrain...fast smooth stuff, Moab, rocky technical stuff, etc... The price was good when compared to others in its class. I've beat the crap out of this frame...and its held its ground well. Customer service has been great. Climbs better than any full suspension bike that I have tried. | | Weaknesses: | Color options were fair...but who's lookin' at color when your on the trails...unless your a girly-man. The fast, hard-hitting downhill stuff was a bit rough...but then again...that was not the intention of the frame. | | Similar Products Used: | KHS FXT-team frame, Yeti | | Bike Setup: | Mostly XTR, chris king, etc. | | Bottom Line: | This is what bikes are supposed to be like! I love this bike. Climbs,descends and rides the technical stuff VERY WELL. A Wonderful all-around bike that can take it all and well worth the money spent. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
neil
a Cross Country Rider
from nj
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Ringwood St. Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Employee Purchase!!! | | Strengths: | -Minimal Weight
-No noticeable flex
-Super Plush
-Long travel (for XC FS)
-Beautiful welds and gussets
-Simple Design
-no noticeable bobbing | | Weaknesses: | none yet... | | Similar Products Used: | 1st Full Suspension owner... | | Bike Setup: | Full XTR, Raceface Components, Full Avid Mechanical Discs with American Classic Disc Hubs. | | Bottom Line: | This bike flat out cooks! Finished riding my local trail which ends with a rough twisty downhill section (washboard stutter bumps, babyheads, log ledges, rhythm sections, roots) At the end, i literally stopped and scratched my head wondering how the hell i just bombed down that section. On my hardtail, i had to carefully pick my lines. On the superlight, it was just point and shoot. On the climbs, the superlight didn't climb any slower than my hardtail. and bobbing was not even noticed. The Fox Float RC is a sweet shock, no noticeable stiction, which ramps up nicely toward the end of the stroke. I am not gonna say how much i bought the bike for, except that i got a sweet deal via employee purchase. I got the Blue Anodized Superlight. I think the retail is like $1300-1350. Even at that price, i think its still a solid deal. If you are a diehard hardtailer....you owe it to yourself to try out the Superlight...there is no comparison. Also, if you do buy the Superlight, pony up the extra dough for the Anodized. Its more durable and looks super trick. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Elio
a Cross Country Rider
from Southeastern States USA
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Very light. Proven single-pivot design; well-developed and well-engineered. Low maintenance. Easy-to-reach rear lockout when so equipped. Fantastic value. | | Similar Products Used: | Considered Schwinn Rocket 88 Stage 1, Titus Loco-Moto, Gary Fisher Sugar 1, Giant NRS-1. | | Bike Setup: | Sid SL (lockout), Fox Float RC (lockout), XT/XTR, Mavic 517s, Easton Handlebars, Stem & Seatpost, Avid ArchRivals, Speedplays, Continental DH Pros. Complete bike weighs 24.25 lbs (Medium). | | Bottom Line: | You're gonna love the Santacruz Superlight: Precise steering response. Plush and yet responsive rear suspension, climbs very well. Very comfortable and very capable. Impeccable finish. Beautiful welds. Fantastic value.
On tarmac and on very long climbs, the front and rear suspension lockouts work like a dream.
If you live in the Northwest where big hits and bumps are the norm, you may want to opt for beefier front shocks and wheels.
If you live in the Northeast where it's perpetually wet and muddy, strongly consider disc brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
billy c.
a Cross Country Rider
from Stowe, VERMONT
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | lauren's loop | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | frame is light, strong, climbs better than my hardtail!!, low maintnace. super fast when you get on it. | | Weaknesses: | Geometry a bit to 'racer', in that the top tube is wicked long and the head tube isn't too far above the saddle. I run a short stem and 3" stack to get my hands up and achieve a more upright riding position and to make it easier to get the front end up to clear obstacles and for wheelie drops. This is more of a personal thing as I thing. The bike has no real 'weakness'. | | Similar Products Used: | proflex/K2, Bullit, G-Spot | | Bike Setup: | 5" zochi QR20, hayes hydraulic (8" rotor up front), tioga 2.3's front and rear, race face 50mm stem and riser bar, race face headset, thompson seat post, flite saddle, white industry rear hub, cranks, and BB, sun rhyno-lite wheels, XT drive train, fox R air shock (no lockout needed), I have ~2-3" stack at headset to raise the stem a bit. Weighs in at an even 30lbs. Where I live, the average weight of a 'cross country rig' is 33lbs and has atlest 4" of travel. | | Bottom Line: | sick rig, but i could use a bit more travel in the rear. I've tried the Bullit and it's a bit too much - I wish it had the same geometry as the Bullit, but at the superlight weight. I think I may switch to a coil over shock or a stratos and that should do the trick.
This is the perfect bike if you're looking for ample travel but not a full-on hucker. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicole
a Cross Country Rider
from Calistoga, CA
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Oat Hill Mine Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | Palisades Mtn. Sport (the best) | | Strengths: | Lite weight, good price, lockout rear shock. Color- blue anodized | | Weaknesses: | I blew my rear Fox shock out from leaving it locked out too much(still under warranty). The loaner Fox I used, the lock out lever fell off. | | Similar Products Used: | Prior bike Trek.
My husband has a Heckler | | Bike Setup: | Easton Carbon handle and seatpost, Judy XC(for now), Yeti grips, new Bontrager wheel set (for now), Shimano XT components, 9 speed,Avid V-brakes. Frame size Large. | | Bottom Line: | I was skeptical of my need for a full suspension ( yes, i am a girl), i was never much of an aggressive DH'er. Now I keep up with the best of 'em. Will be upgrading to disc brakes soon, as well as a Mars bomber. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FritzMan
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Calgary Cycle | | Strengths: | Amazingly nice ride (especially downhill), nice looks, great weight, surprising stiffness, good responsiveness, rarely need to use the lock-out | | Weaknesses: | Powder coating is already chipping after a few months. No real concern considering the punishment I put the bike through. If I really cared, I would have gone for the anodizing.
Seat tube angle feels a little slack.
Lack of derailleur hanger??? | | Similar Products Used: | Just about the complete opposite of the Superlight, a GT Zaskar | | Bike Setup: | Mavic CrossMax UST, Fox Float RC - lockout, SRAM 9.0 brakes/shifters/derailleurs, RST XMO 02 fork, CT2 bar, Raceface stem | | Bottom Line: | This is my first full suspension. Like many hardtail riders, I was skeptical of the stiffness and responsiveness of a full suspension. With my interests moving more towards enduro racing, the Zaskar was just too unforgiving... The SC does not disappoint. The frame was very close in weight to the Zaskar, welds/craftmanship is excellent. There is some bobbing when hammering out of the saddle, so I try to stay seated more (which is more efficient anyway), or I use the lockout. The slack seat tube angle also seems to encourage a seated position.
Stiffness is not an issue (I'm 185 lbs.) which is surprising considering my previous bike. For me, the SC was slightly slower than my Zaskar when climbing or on smooth trails. However, as the terrain got rougher, steeper, or the ride got longer, the SC would easily outpace the hardtail and leave me more refreshed. The downhill inspires huge confidence. I can take lines I would have never dreamed of and at a pace that would have previously been quite dangerous. Awesome!!!
The 3" fork seems to be the bike's bottle-neck now. The extra inch of travel (4" recommended by SC) should not only further improve the downhill/ride potential, but also slacken the steering somewhat - which is a little nervous, especially at sharp steering angles (ie: switchbacks, tight single track).
The frame was ordered in Calgary as they supplied a lockout Fox for the same price that a coil-over frame would have costed me in Ottawa. Still, with the Canadian conversion rate, $1700 is a lot of coin!!!
Would I do it again? YES, but plan on doing a lot of explaining to the wife. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MikeL
a
from NorCal
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Skeggs | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Sun Bike Shop in Milpitas | | Strengths: | Light - small frame weighs only 5.3 lbs.
Looks - Anodized paint
Minimal chain slap and Chain suck is not possible due to location of chainstay
Climbs great - lockout unnecessary
Maintenance free - only maintenance is to tighten down the pivot bearings every once in awhile.
Hardtail feel - you can stand up and sprint with minimal bobbing
Price - One of the better bargains out there. Anodized frame with Fox Float RC retails for only $1300, Fully set-up Superlights go as low as $1600! | | Weaknesses: | Brake Jack - suspension locks up during braking
Flexy swingarm - not a big deal but you do feel it twist back there.
Not active enough - suspension feels like it's not working sometimes. Does not feel as silky and plush as the Tracer.
Everyone has one - if that can be called a weakness
| | Similar Products Used: | Intense Tracer
GT iDrive | | Bike Setup: | Small Superlight w/ Fox float RC, Z2 xFly, Kore Elite stem, Monkeylites, CT-2 Post, Hope C2 brakes, King Disc-go wheels laced to x317's, SRAM 9.0 Shifters and 9.0 Rr. Der., Raceface LP, Action-Tech Ti BB, and XT Fr. Der., Time Atacs, Maxflite TA saddle | | Bottom Line: | A very nice bike and I was very satisfied with it the year and half I owned it (Just reecntly sold it to a friend). This and the RacerX is probably the only 2 FS bikes I would consider racing with. If you were to have only one bike, this is it. But if you need the ultimate trail bike, look elsewhere (cough cough Tracer!). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd Dalberg
a Racer
from Mankato
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Pink Poodle @ Mt Kato | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Quick, effecient, and light. | | Weaknesses: | My drop out weld "dried out" again (2nd time in less than a year). Added linseed oil, problem solved for now. | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow-up from 6 months ago.
Ive been continually making adjustments with the bike and I think I've finally got it. I've done a few races with it and I'll tell ya, it's alot of fun. I love climbing as well as the down hill. This superlight facilitates those needs very well. I find myself doing much of my passing on the climbs and the downhills. Not too many people race with FS bikes in Minnesota, so those poeple Im passing are on hardtails. If they only knew...
I ride a XL frame (Im around 6'3"). I've got a 120 mm, 5 degree rise Thomson stem (very stiff by the way), and an easton CT-2 flat bar with an inch cut off of each end. I slid my seat forward on the Thomson post to get more weight over the nose while maintaining weight over the rear. I pumped up the front and rear shocks pretty high and now I've got quite the aggressive xc-racer. This thing is the best. If you're worried about the "bobbing" other riders complain about when in the small chain ring, then don't use it.
Great customer service also. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David H.
a Cross Country Rider
from Marietta,Ga
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bull mt/Tsali/Pisgah | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Peachtree Bikes | | Strengths: | Ride quality,weight, looks, lack of maintenance,more | | Weaknesses: | none that i couldnt fix with a little fine tuning-and it does squeak very lightly occasionnaly, but not on every ride | | Similar Products Used: | first f/s rig but i test rode some others and the SC felt the best | | Bike Setup: | 2000 SID XC,XT cranks and shifters,XTR wheels on 517's,Thomson post and stem,Time pedals,Easton carbon bar
25 lbs.as is now | | Bottom Line: | This is an update of a review from lastn year.I now have a lot of rides and races on this bike and I love this bike!
I did a few things to improve the bike from the initial build up-first I put a flat bar back on because the handling was sluggish with the riser.Second, like the guy in thr review below me I put a setback post(Thomson, of course)on it and presto!I was ready to rock.I bought a large frame and I thought the cockpit was cramped.My back would hurt after 30 mins of riding.I am 5'11'and I have short legs and a longer torso, so the change in posts helped with comfort and I could reap the benefits of th suspension.
The bottom line is this:I have not found a situation where my hardtail was necessary.I just did a 35 mile ride with a lot of steep climbs and this thing climbs!I just lock out the shock if i need the granny!I have a sweet hardtail that is collecting dust in my garage because bikes like the Santa Cruz are just too fun and comfortable to ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BVBR
a Racer
from Ocomukowonowaukesha, WI
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | The Lab | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1350.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Light, beautiful anodized orange finish, elevated swingarm (no chain slap), versatility
| | Weaknesses: | Fox Float RC, frame design makes it hard to shoulder when portaging during a race | | Similar Products Used: | Pro Flex 857 | | Bike Setup: | Large frame, Marzocchi xfly 100, King Headset, Kore bar, ODI lockons, Thomson stem, Raceface crank, XTR deraillers, XT shifters, Avid Arch Rival Mag brakes, Synchros Seatpost, Serfas saddle, Time ATAC Carbon pedals, XTR wheels--24.9# complete | | Bottom Line: | It took me awhile but I finally have it dialed in. I must say that it definitely road differently than my previous fs (Pro Flex 857)...its much more active. The xfly 100 was a little tall so I knocked the travel down a bit with spacers. I had a nice Monkey Lite Carbon riser bar that I replaced with a Kore flat bar. Finally, I had to slide the seat as far back as I could get it to get the cockpit right (I may have to go to a setback seatpost). Voila, the long & low position I like to race.
I rides much smoother than my previous fs, which makes it seem like I'm not going as fast as I really am. I guess its faster...the first race I entered with this bike I won. I probably would have been better served by a short travel race fs...however I wanted a bike that was versatile. Something I could race one week and take to Moab the next. The Superlight fits the bill. The only other bikes I considered were the Titus Loco Moto and the Ellsworth Truth. I chose the Superlight for overall simplicity and reputation. Coming from a previous fs I know all too well that the fewer pivots you have to service, the better.
My only gripe is my Fox Float RC is starting to make squishing sounds (it was totally silent when I got it). I don't take 6 foot drops or anything...but I do ride fast and hard. I know Fox will stand behind it, but its just a hassle to have to send it in and be without my Superlight for a week or two. I'm thinking of getting a backup rear shock. (Stratos TR-1 or Cane Creek AD 10) That way I won't have to go a day without my beloved Superlight. I guess the shock really isn't Santa Cruz's fault...its the weakpoint of any fs. I blew thru 7 Noleen NR-2's on my 857. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob R
a Cross Country Rider
from Beacon, NY
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Great looks, weight, nimble, easy maintenance, quality construction, customer support. | | Weaknesses: | ??? | | Similar Products Used: | Various FS bikes. | | Bike Setup: | Rockshox Judy Race, XT drivetrain, Rolf wheels, Conti tires, Avid brakes, Easton monkey lite bars, XTR, shifters/levers, Selle Italia saddle. | | Bottom Line: | Overall, I love this bike. I was really surprised at how good it climbs, no need for the lock out. It tracks amazingly well, never feels out of control, and did I say it climbs like a goat! The finish is beautiful ( I have the anodizes grey)and so far has held up well over 6 months of winter and spring riding in muddy conditions. The rear suspension is SMOOTH w/o feeling sluggish. I weigh 150lbs. so flex isn't an issue for me like it seems for others.
I'd buy this frame again in a heartbeat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Racer
from Colorado Springs, Co USA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Barr Trail | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | Another Bike Shop, Santa Cruz California | | Strengths: | Great FS Performance, low maintenance, Sensible price | | Weaknesses: | Loose rear end. General rear shock Maintenance | | Similar Products Used: | Various Hard tails | | Bike Setup: | white industry cranks, XT drive train, Avid brakes, Gripshift, Bontrager wheels | | Bottom Line: | Mine is actually a '97 Heckler. After four years of riding this bike, and lately comparing to my nice new hard tail, I'm feeling pretty objective about the Santa Cruz, so here are some of the low points:
- The rear end is really quite loose going through rough stuff. The entire rear twists when pressed through rocky sections. I was so used to it I didn't notice it until I started riding another bike on some rides. So perhaps that tells you it's not a really big deal, but it is definitely less than stable back there.
- I've been through four rear shocks. I haven't attributed this to the frame design, but perhaps it is a result of the loads the rear swing arm places on the shock. I figure it's just a cost of riding FS.
- After about two years it developed a pretty severe creak in the swingarm structure. Per my LBS's advice, I poured some linseed oil in the vent holes and let it dry for a few days, which eliminated the sound. But didn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
- You need to regularly clean, grease or wrap teflon tape around the cable housing fittings, or do something else??? to eliminate squeaks which result from the FS dynamics. Or just live with the squeaks... not a functional issue.
High points:
- The ride is wonderful. It climbs great, flies through rough stuff at speed, and handles extremely well through tight turns and on high speed fire roads. I've always been satisfied with the ride. Granted, I haven't riden any other FS bikes for any significant rides as a comparison.. so you be the judge. But I have always been satisfied with the ride. Note: Over the years I found that playing with stem height and length significantly improved handling. I shorted and lowered the bar height, almost Genesis geometry-like, to get a snappy and comfortable setup.
- It really is light, even by today's standards. Mine is just under 25 lbs. But it has always riden even lighter than it lifts. Some say the stiff, radial Bontrager wheels add to the feeling. But the bottom line is it has always satisfied my need for a quick, light ride.
- No pivot maintenance in four years. Other than replacing rear shocks and pouring linseed oil into the swingarm, I've done no maintenance on it.
- It rides like it did when it was new and it doesn't really feel any older. I wouldn't mind breaking it and getting a slightly lighter Super Light frame, but I doubt that will happen any time soon.
- Great price, super value compared to the alternatives out there. Personally, I would definitely pay for an XT level component group, if not XTR. The precision and weight is better, and the frame seems to last for every, so the added cost isn't really much over the years.
Hope this helps. have a great ride!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | San Juan (climb, no shuttle...) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1350.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Company | | Strengths: | Killer finish (silver ano), simple design, light weight, suspension eats up everything, comfortable geometry. | | Weaknesses: | Funky head angle with 100mm fork, strange creaking in frame when braking hard. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized FSR M4, Specialized Enduro | | Bike Setup: | Large silver ano frame, XT shifters, XT front and rear derailleur, Shimano disc brakes, Easton Monket Lite riser, King headset, silver Kore Elite stem (120x0), silver Kore Elite seatpost, XT cranks, XT cassette (11-34), Sun-Ringle wheels/hubs | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike! At first I was leery of the single pivot design (I was used to a 4 bar linkage). After my first ride I was hooked.
This bike likes to descend! It is a great climber too. Leave the rear shock un-locked and you'll be amazed at how this bike climbs up the choppy stuff!
The large frame feels like a large frame should feel. Both my Specialized frames felt small. I love the high BB position on this bike! You really feel like you are on top of everything you are riding with this bike.
The frame is very light. I'm running discs and this bike still feels very light. I would recommend this frame to anyone looking for an all terrain XC ride...
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | blackmud | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Santa Cruz | | Strengths: | Low maintenance | | Weaknesses: | Low bottom bracket, pedal feedback from suspension activation, suspension stiffens tremendously under braking, very flexy rear swingarm, bobs when climbing unless lockout is used, no replaceable derailluer hanger | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Tazmon, Proflex 855, Intense Tracer, Dirtworks Cannibal, Titus Switchblade, Ventana Marble Peak and El Saltamontes, Titus LocoMoto, Santa Cruz Heckler, Santa Bullit, K2 Razorback | | Bike Setup: | Usual | | Bottom Line: | Got this frame on a warranty from Santa Cruz. Tried very hard to like the frame as I got a killer deal and was in the market for a new bike after over 4 years on a Tazmon. The Tazmon railed, the Superlight does not. The flexy rear and added travel magnified the single pivot problems of the Tazmon. If you plan to race on the usual fireroads and groomed courses with token technical sections, buy this bike. If you go on epics through rain, snow, crap and blood, don't buy it. The rear suspension is quickly overwhelmed in rock gardens or very technical sections. The rear is very flexy, running a stiffer front fork makes it more noticable. (that's why everyone runs wide rise bars, to control the twitchy rear end) Sorry if I'm bagging on someones favorite bike, but after 6 months and 2500 miles I had to sell it and buy something better. By the way, the Tazmon rocked compared to this frame. The way the shock was captured made for a stiffer swingarm, it just needed more travel. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from CA. USA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1150.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria Outfitters | | Strengths: | Very light frameset
slack headtube and seat tube angle
bullit proof ano finish (I crashed hard on pavement and could not find one scratch on the frame ! when riding expensive bikes leave your beer drinking for after the ride)
with other bikes I was always changing components and up grading, hopelessly trying to get to that point where you are happy with your bike. I bought my superlight to end this money sucking process. It worked , my bike is dialed and it's a keeper ! | | Weaknesses: | The frame comes with the Fox Float RC. I think they are very over rated. After 5 months the lock out stopped working, the seals blew out and it needed a new piston assembly. They may be very light, but who cares about that, the frame is light enough so put a good shock on it. I switched over to a Fox Vanilla RC, Problem solved! You can get a Fox Vanilla RC direct from Santa Cruz at a very reasonable price. | | Bottom Line: | stop reading reviews and get on your BIKE | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Freddie Fender Grass
a Cross Country Rider
from Anytown, USA
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | The one that starts from my driveway. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Single-pivot simplicity. | | Weaknesses: | Single-pivot simplicity. | | Bike Setup: | XT/XTR, SID SL (fr lockout), Fox Float RC (rr lockout), King Headset, Easton stem, CT2 handlebar & seatpost, Sram RocketShifters, Avid SD Ti's /levers, X517/XTRs, Conti VertPros, Speedplay pedals, Selle Italia Ti Flite, Ciusse(sp?) Elite h20 cages. | | Bottom Line: | Light, great handling and climbing ability, comfortable, impressive fit and finish.
Single-pivot simplicity ensures lower maintenance than multi-pivot designs and more ride time.
If you have miles of asphalt before you get to your favorite trail, might I suggest that you spec yours with fr and rr suspension lockouts.
The 2001 Bicycling Magazine's Buyers Guide stated that the SL has a "dated" design. Allow me to present other "dated" designs: The Porsche 911 automobile, Bose 901 speakers, TAG Heuer timepiece, and Parker fountain pen.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Racer
from Auburn, CA USA
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Light Weight
Value for $
Maintenance Free | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale | | Bike Setup: | King,517,CT2,SRAM,TruVativ | | Bottom Line: | This is the best deal in high performance FS/XC frames available! This is my third Superlight frame (sell them each year to get a shiny new one) and none so far have given me any problems. The light weight combined with great handling give you a FS bike that is both a great climber and a great decender. Sure it might not be as plush (can you say "boung" or "power robbing"?) as some other offerings, but it will out climb them anyday. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nigel
a Cross Country Rider
from Manchester, England
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1762.00 | | Purchased At: | Leisure Lakes (Bury) | | Strengths: | Lightweight, maintainance free (least the bearings did me for 2 years hard riding before I changed the rear swingarm - see later). Very stiff frame, excellent trail hacker. 2000/2001 model comes with int std disc mount. Mine is anodized blue which I found to be really durable. Frame feels 'tight' when hacking through the trails.
The rear Fox Float RC works very well (for an air shock). The back end feels plush and active. The shock gives no hassles as long as you give it some TLC. Shock has lock-out which is good for long, fireroad climbs. | | Weaknesses: | Not suitable for tripple clamp forks - but then why would you put one on an XC specific bike?
Rider limit is 220lb, but you can bet that the heavier you are the less abuse it will take.
You will upset the head angle is you stick forks with more than 90mm on it.
Fox Float RC likes being maintained - And I can never be arsed!
Bloody expensive (1200 quid)
| | Similar Products Used: | Coyote Ultralite XC Hardtail (97-98)
Coyote DH/XC (98-99) | | Bike Setup: | Rock Shox Psylo SL (80mm), XTR Kit, Hope Enduro 4 Discs (The dogs bollox!). Hope XC Hubs with X317 disc rims. Fizik saddle, X-lite bars. | | Bottom Line: | I bought mine in '99, but the frame has not changed much since then. There are now women specific versions, and versions with fancy paint jobs. I have a 2001 swing arm on mine cause I got peeved about not having a rear disc mount (those hope torsion bars are a pain in the neck and tore off two canti mounts!!).
Stif Mountain bikes http://www.stif.co.uk carry most spares up to and including new swing-arms.
Incredibly light. Basically they took the standard Heckler and ground everything off that they could get away with. Having said that, the frame is still stiff. I have not had any worries about the strength/quality of the frame while bombing down rocky descents in the lakes & alps. Note though that it is NOT designed for downhilling, freeriding, drop offs and the like - its for XC riding.
Suspension is based on a proven design which SC has been using for years. Rear pivot point seems well placed, and pedal induced bobbing is minimal.
Maintainance is easy and revolves around the shock (I have never touched the main bearings). When you come to remove the shock, remember that after you have removed the screws at the front, you must tap out the pivot to be able to remove the front shock!!
Santa Cruz and Stif Mountain bikes always answer emails within a day, and are very helpfull.
If I buy another frame I would happily buy SC again.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alfonso
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | geometry that works for ALL purposes; stiff, responsive, light and super durable; low-maintenance mono-pivot system that WORKS; Float RC shock with option to lock-out (that I've never used to date); ounce-for-ounce and dollar for dollar, THE best full suspension XC rig you can invest on | | Weaknesses: | Lack of replaceable RD hanger, chronic chainslap | | Similar Products Used: | demo'd Kona Stinky, Aeon Isis, Klein Mantra, Fisher Sugar, Schwinn Rocket 88, Specialized FSR; also own hardtail bikes | | Bike Setup: | small anodized grey frameset, Z.2 Atom 80, Cane Creek WAM wheelset, Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1 front tire, Kenda Kharisma rear tire, Race Face Turbine crankset, XTR/XT, SRAM 9.0 brakes, Avid SD Mag levers, Thomson post and stem, King headset, Easton CT2 flat bar, Time ATAC, Ride-On cables, Selle Italia Flite, Salsa flip-off skewers | | Bottom Line: | I've just hit my 1000-mile mark with this bike in just under a year and, having even crashed it three times, believe it's time to give the sucker it's due props.
IT'S A BLOODY WICKED BIKE like nothing else for those long rides.
I have a small issue with the missing replaceable RD hanger. By mere design the dropout will render a 9-speed drivetrain useless when bent inwards even by a fraction of a millimeter. I dread the day I have to send my frame in for dropout repair. Sucks for unsponsored racers with no spare rig.
Chainslap issue is a real minor one that can be remedied by lizard skins and the like.
I fully agree with all fellas prior who've claimed "it climbs like a goat". Geometry and suspension both lend themselves to this trait and I can attest to the fact that it rivals my best hardtail bike in climbing prowess.
Make no mistake: rear suspension DOES bob. Hey... ALL suspension systems bob unless they're locked out, PERIOD -- regardless of manufacture (anybody who tells you otherwise, is a starstruck dreamer, bike salesman or an engineer earning royalties on the bike design). The questions should matter to riders are: how well is that action minimized at critical moments and/or how can the feedback best be taken advantage of?
In the Superlight's case, pedal induced bob is most noticable in granny ring on hard, smooth surface (i.e. steep roads and smooth rock) -- nothing the RC's lockout couldn't fix. And.. guys and gals, leave that shock unlocked if climbing steep bumpy inclines -- the suspension improves seated climbing traction like nothing else out there, so much so you wouldn't care if it bobbed the bit that it does.
Bob is minimal and unnoticeable during middle ring grinds and hammerfests. Much to my surprise, the bike DOES accelerate quickly even if it FEELS otherwise. Try boosting speed mid-climb with this bike and you'll understand (again, almost hard-tail in quality -- amazing!).
Suspension induced pedal feedback is minimal and only noticeable in large ring/small cog combos. No big whoop, really. When you're flying down bumpy terrain, you won't even notice it unless you were really trying to detect it... hey, at high speed, your mind should be on anticipating the terrain 50-100 feet ahead of you, not your legs being jerked back a half-inch with a big hit.
Super low maintenance pivot design rounds out the best of this bike. Besides giving the bike tremendous lateral stiffness, simple genius works time and again without the pretense of technological/engineering nonsense associated with those multi-link systems.
Supply chain at Santa Cruz can prevent you from getting the color you want (I had to "settle" for ano gray) and wait times can kill ya (good luck just getting ANY anodized frame these days). So pick another color/finish if you must and just get out there and ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd Dalberg
a Cross Country Rider
from Mankato MN USA
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Mount Kato (pink poodle) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | through SC | | Strengths: | Lightweight, sweet look'n (ano blue), effecient suspension. | | Weaknesses: | no replacable der. hanger (I think their rational is that you should use a break away der., although I've never seen one).
pivot nut loosened after 1st ride. | | Similar Products Used: | 96' Trek Y-11, 00' GT i-drive 2000, 00' Specialized FSR XC-Pro | | Bike Setup: | Here we go...the frame is an XL, Manitou Mars C, Fox float RC, Race Face ti BB, Next LP cranks, real seal headset, Avid Mag brakes and levers, Time ATAC carbon pedals, XTR pods, rear der (rapid rise), and rear cogs, XT front der, Thomson stem and seatpost, easton CT-2 flat bar, bontrager valient rims custom-laced with dt revolution (14/17) spokes to dt swiss hugi hubs (radial in front, radial on non-drive and 3x on drive side). selle italia trans am saddle, and hutchinson misquito tires. I think that's about it...yeah. Words of advice: work at a bike shop when purchasing a bike. | | Bottom Line: | I did about a years worth of research on fs bikes before I dove in. Some of the bikes I was considering were the Gary Fisher Sugar 1, Specialized FSR-XC pro, GT i-drive, Ellsworth truth, Klein Mantra Pro, and of course the Superlight.
One of my big criteria was a company that sold the frame only. The Fisher didn't have the travel (2") and wasn't spec'd the way I'd like it to be. The FSR-XC pro also came up short with the travel (2.5") but did recieve many favorable reviews (I actually ended up buying this bike for my girlfriend and she loves it). The GT i-drive felt incredible on the trails. With 4.6 inches of effecient travel it sucked up everything, on the climbs as well as the decents. But this bike was a tank (28+ lbs for the i-drive 1500 on up. The frame of the 2000 LE weighed in around 7 lbs., I've heared they've shedded considerable weight this year: I'll believe it when I see it). The Ellsworth Truth has recieved awesome reviews...but the frame alone costs $2000+...ouch. The Klein Mantra has some good reviews, especially for its climing ability and 7, yes 7 inches of travel on the rear. But this bike doesn't seem like an aggressive xc bike that I was looking for.
So...the superlight has recieved the best reviews on anybike I've ever read about (magazines, websites, conversation, etc.). It's relatively cheap, and has a simple single-pivot design that keeps things easy. After all that, I couldn't be happier. This bike owns all other fs bikes, really it does.
I've had around 20 rides on this bad boy so far and after I got it dialed in (I went from a riser to a flat bar and from a 130 mm 5 degree stem to an inverted 110 mm 5 degree stem; also, I had to put on a new nut on the pivot since the original fell off after the first ride: I wasn't happy) things have been going well. I did notice this creeking in the swing arm area that took me forever to figure out where it was coming from. It turns out the weld between the chain stay and der. hanger has a tendency to "dry out". I called SC and they told me to coat the inside through a small hole with linseed oil. It did the trick and the customer service was great.
As far as the actual ride, some people talk about bio-pacing or pedal feedback in the small ring. I rarely ride in this ring, but the few times I did, I didn't notice anything. I think that's the best thing about this bike: it's climbing ability. I don't even feel the suspension when it's active and to me that's an incredible ride. I have to check the o-ring on the fox to see that it's doing it's job. I actually never lock out the rear unless Im on the road.
I did weigh this bike (everything on it and a size XL) on a scale at a pet store; it came in at 24 lbs. Not bad for an XL, but I do think all websites, including SC, scew the weights. The Specialized FSR-XC pro (medium) supposedly weighs in at 24 lbs. But my superlight is noticably lighter than my girlfriend's fsr and she rides a size small. Go figure. My rule of thumb is don't sacrifice strength for weight. I've got no regrets.
Nice job Santa Cruz. And thanks mtbr for providing rider feedback. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derrek
a Racer
from Laguna Niguel
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anything with climbing and dirt! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Company | | Strengths: | Looks and lightness, they come mind first. But then the riding is great, coming from 3 months of a LTS-1 loaner, this bike is magical. Climbing is once again the fun torture I crave. I can stand and crank and the bike responds like it should. Unlike the LTS that felt like jello, this has very little pedal feedback (just the small chainring as near as I can tell). I did check on a digital scale at my local shop, 23lbs. I have been riding it for a very short time, I will post more when some more miles and races have been through it. | | Weaknesses: | Little side flex because of the single pivot and the lack of a replacable derailleur hanger. | | Similar Products Used: | LTS-1 for 3 months and a Zaskar for 4 years | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Sid 100, Chris King Hubs laced with Mawri Tie-dye spokes, Mavic 517's, XTR 8 speed derailleurs shifters and brakes, Kooka Bonnie Cranks, Bunch of Kore Stuff, and White Industries BB. | | Bottom Line: | Really can't believe I have a full suspension bike that weighs less than my Zaskar did. Now I must get my body back into shape so I can ride this bike the way it should be. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T C
a Cross Country Rider
from San Gabriel Valley (The other Valley)
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | SART, Sunset, Sam Merrill, etc | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Helen's | | Strengths: | Workmanship, design, simplicity, looks, anodizing, customer service. | | Weaknesses: | ??? | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou FS, ProFlex 856 | | Bike Setup: | Z1-X Fly, Kooka cranks, Avid brakes, XT drivetrain, SRAM shifters, Bontrager wheels, Fire XC Pro | | Bottom Line: | This bike is just plain great. Wonderful handling characteristics, a great climber (Seem to do a lot of that), nimble, responsive, light. Just point and shoot, this bike takes you were you want to go and as fast as you want to get there. You can not go wrong, and the price is right, worth every penny. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian I.
a Racer
from Vail, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them! | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Sports Outlet | | Strengths: | Very light, well made, & fun to ride. Fast. | | Weaknesses: | A little flexy in the rear. I added a Salsa Arc de Tri-oomph and it seemed to help the problem. | | Similar Products Used: | mostly hardtails. also rode the razorback, jeckyl, stumpjumper fs, etc. nothing had the feel of the superlight | | Bike Setup: | added a noleen mega air (very nice: stiff and light), normal superlight x components (except for a few things) | | Bottom Line: | This bike rocks. I've never owned a F.S. before but I'm in love now. I added a Kujo DH tire on the front, now it can go anywhere. This thing is good for D.S., DH, & XC. Buy it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David H.
a Cross Country Rider
from Marietta Ga USA
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Bull MT/Tsali/Pisgah | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Strengths: | Looks,Weight,turns heads on the trail | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | 1st full sus., but I test rode Klein Adroit Pro(very nice) and the Trek Fuel(Mediocre at best) | | Bike Setup: | Superlight frame,Float rc rear,Sid XC,Thomson post, Flite Saddle, Easton carbon bar,Xt/XTR drivetrain,Xtr-Mavic 517 wheelset,Time pedals,Panaracer Fire XC | | Bottom Line: | Well I really dont know where to start-I am excited about my bike as the Mad Dentist in the post below.
I didnt know what to expect coming off a super stiff alu.hardtail,but this bike kicks a@#!I am guessing that my bike is Less than 24lbs. and the ride on this thing is UNREAL!I can take any line I want, I can climb out of the saddle, it just doesnt matter-this bike can take it.
If you are a racer/cross country rider afraid to sell your hardtail because you are afraid f.s.wont work for you -think again.I was dusting my freinds on twisty singletrack , swtuff that my HT would have had me bouncing out of the saddle.It is really just so much fun to ride!
It is a little expensive for the average person, but if you think about it, Moots,Litespeed , Ellsworth, Intense, etc all cost a lot more and cant touch the ride and comfort of this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
The Mad Dentist
a Cross Country Rider
from Walnut Creek, CA USA
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Double 07 and Triple 07 in Fresno, CA | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$4200.00 | | Purchased At: | Sierra Cycles in Madera | | Strengths: | Climbs like a sure footed mountain goat and decends like a bat out of hell! Seriously nice powdercoat job. | | Weaknesses: | Abolutely noe to speak of. Although it's rather difficult to procure one of these frames as they are in such high demand. | | Similar Products Used: | GT LTS-1 and GT LTS composite | | Bike Setup: | Red SC Superlight. Full XTR Mega-9 Groupo. Thomson seat post and stem. Easton CT2 hi-ris handlebar. Koobi SI saddle(comfort before wt. savings). DT Hugi 240 Hubs with DT Revolution spokes. Sun Rims discs. Hope C2 disc brakes(phenomenal brakes). Panaracer XCs in red. Cateye Stadium 3 xenon handlebar-mounted lights(the best by by the way). | | Bottom Line: | I've been riding XC during the day and at night for over 9 years. Riding my GT LTS Composite, I thought it doesn't get any better than this. Ooh, was I so wrong! The moment I hopped on my new Superlight, my whole thinking about FS took a 180 degree turn. This is no ordinary FS bike...it really becomes a part of you when your on it. I swear to you that you will be so totally impressed with its riding qualities, not to mention its esthetics, that all the money you slaved for or sold tightly-held personal items to save up for this gem of a bike will be a distant fleeting afterthought. Riding this bike will immdiatley diminish any second thoughts you may have had plunking down some serious coin only to give rise to absolute pure riding enjoyment and pleasure whether climbing, decending or just plain street cruising.
When I recieved my frame from my local bike shop, I could not take my eyes and hands off of it. So much so, that while I was waiting for my XTR groupo and other components, I hung this gorgeous frame on my wall next to my wall-mounted Philips plasmavision TV so that during commercial breaks I could stare in glee at my Superlight. Pathetic, I know! But wait until you own one, only then will you understand its mystic and allure.
This like is a sure-footed mountain goat on super steep technical climbs. The rear wheel is glued to the trail giving you the power to negotialte the difficult switchbacks with amazing ease. Decending is made so enjoyable, its almost a sin. It tracks so accuratley and precisely. When I flip-on those Hopes, it doesn't waver or it gets squirrely on you but rather it inspires absolute confidence and heightens your riding abilities to rip it wide open and kick it up several notches.
It is for these reasons that I wholly recommend without reservations the Santa Cruz Superlight to anyone who is serious about mountain biking.
I'm serious, sell what you can and work overtime to get hold of one of these amazing bikes...it's totally worth it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
andrew frosch
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA,USA
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | all things dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1285.00 | | Purchased At: | Reed's Cyclery | | Strengths: | Excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail. Just plain looks sweet! | | Weaknesses: | a little pricey, but totally worth the pocket bruises. | | Similar Products Used: | KHS,Specialized | | Bike Setup: | Z1-Xfly(so worth the money!)RaceFace cranks,Ti-BB,bars,and Team SL headset(pretty kewl),Thomson stem and seatpost(super kewl), XTR stuff and some other stuff... | | Bottom Line: | My first FS bike! I recently moved from Texas (don't need FS there) to San Jose and began quickly learn that my Stumpjumper would simply not let me ride the way I wanted to, especially descending. Damn thing wouldn't hold a line at speed in any condidtions! Beating myself up on rocky ascents and descents became tiresome.
I did the research and bought the Superlight, built it up with a bunch of cool components, and expected a miracle.
A miracle is what I got!!
Climbing ability was important to me, since I was used to the hardtail. It climbed like a champ! I think I climb faster now since I don't have to be as picky about the line sometimes. Weight it not an issue! This thing is not an FS boat anchor. The Float RC shock works great too. Enough about climbing, now the fun part.
Lines that I could only dream about on descents are now the norm! The z1-Xfly forks help out too. Big rocks and roots coming up with multiple decisions to be made? Screw that, just go over them! The rear end keeps the tire glued to the ground railing turns that chattered my hard tail to death. I AM FASTER BOTH UPHILL AND DOWNHILL! This bike unlocked my potential! Period!
I don't haven't really really ridden any other FS bikes to compare the Superlight too, but I asked everybody on any trial that I saw on an FS what they thought of their ride. After much research and reading the reviews here, I feel I made the best decision picking the Superlight. The number of people I pass on the trail tells me so. ;-)
If you are in the Bay Area and don't want to wait on a Santa Cruz frame, go to Reed's Cyclery in San Jose. They have at least 25-30 Superlight frames in various sizes and colors on the wall at all times! Best price too!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jimmy Lee
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Monica, Ca.
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | too many to mention | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | durability
simplicity
practicality
looks killer | | Weaknesses: | minimal | | Similar Products Used: | Raven, FSR-XC, GT Avalanche | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi's Z2-XFly ,Rolf Dolomites, XTR stuff, Race Face cranks | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up review from one I did 8 months ago. If you want a "do it all" trail bike, this is it. After a year of owning this bike, the pivot is as solid as new. No Maintenance!!! Sure, there are designs with tighter rear ends, but they come with minimal travel compared to the Superlight. If the sound of a light, cross country bike that descends like a downhill bike sounds good to you, you would be hard pressed to find a better combination in any frame out there.
If I need to be picky, I will point out that on steep climbs when I am stomping out of the pedals, the rear wheel slips more than I would like it to. The remedy to that is simply twisting the lever to the Fox RC lockout in mid-climb and you might as well be climbing in a hardtail. Believe me, you only need to do this manuever in the steepest of climbs and it's a small price considering the 4 inches of dialed in travel you get in return. Despite what the manufacturers claim, the Sugar gets 2 inches and the FSR-XC gets 2 1/2 inches of travel. You will notice the difference.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Strengths: | Light, stiff, well built full sus. frame. Excellent weld quality, finish and attention to detail. | | Weaknesses: | None noted so far. | | Similar Products Used: | (2) Hardtails owned and several full suspension designs test ridden OFF ROAD. | | Bike Setup: | Atom 80, Grip shift 9.0, Bontrager wheels, XT, yada yada yada. | | Bottom Line: | First of all, everyone including Doug is entitled to an opinion. (Although the Titus Racer X is a great frame, you can buy a complete bike from Santa Cruz for what you pay for one.) Before you make a decision based on mine opinion or anybody elses, test ride one of these bikes for yourself. Also, read the reviews under the full suspension bike category.
My end goal was a lightweight, durable trailbike.
Before spending my retirement on the SC, I test rode the following complete bikes: Fisher Sugar - Liked the parts spec. Probably a great race machine, but for trailriding, a marginal ride in my opinion. Flexy stays (designed that way). Genesis geometry may be the latest marketing smack; but didn't cut it for me. Bike felt cheap but certainly wasn't. Specialized FSR XC - More travel than the Sugar but didn't ride any smoother. Felt disconnected and cramped in the cockpit. Front and rear didn't feel balanced. Had a pathetic fork.
Rode several other off the shelf bikes and decided to spend my dollars on EXACTLY what I wanted. Bought the SC Superlight frame, Marzocchi Atom Bomb 80 and hung all of my old parts on the beast. The advantage to buying a frame this nice is that you can upgrade your old parts over time.
Of course when you spend this kind of money on something, you'll swear up and down that it's the best thing out there. So here are my observations given as objectively as I can under the circumstances. The frame is very high quality, made right here in the USA. The anodized finish seems very durable and is attractive. The single, cartridge bearing pivot is bulletproof and seems like it will be very low maintenance. The welds are excellent, but not what I would consider "flawless". The ride, set up with the Bomber, is very smooth and the Fox Float RC has a wide range of adjustability. The cockpit fits me perfect with the stem length recommended on SC's website for my height. I have ridden this bike hard over rocky terrain in all chainrings have noticed no objectionable "pedal induced feedback". I know the experts say it's there when in the small ring, but come on, when your grinding up a rocky, twisty trail, is your mind really on "pedal induced feedback". I can tell you this, I'm having so much fun on this bike I could care less about a little "feedback" even if I noticed it. As far as balance, I feel the front and rear work very well together, better, in fact than other Horst link designs. One other great advantage of this frame is that you can ride it like a hardtail. You can still stand up and power over low hills without any bobbing. When you're climbing in the small ring, the rear wheel is actually being forced into the ground by the chain tension, resulting in excellent climbing traction.
The bottom line - If you want a high quality, low maintenance, versatile full suspension bike, buy the Superlight, for whatever kind of mountain biking you're into. For more opinions, check out Santa Cruz's website and read their collection of magazine reviews on the Superlight.
Enough. Gotta give it 5 flaming dead burros.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
R. Ortega
a Cross Country Rider
from Oceanside,CA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | anything with dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1149.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Bike Warehouse | | Strengths: | Very light (5.1 lbs) for a large frame. I weighed it on a scale when I bought it. Plush, perfect geometry. A bargain considering it's 4" of travel with such light weight.Looks trick. Good customer service. I can go on and on.... | | Weaknesses: | Ummm..... | | Similar Products Used: | Ventana El Habanero and two other hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | A bunch of expensive stuff I can't afford but bought anyway. | | Bottom Line: | The Ventana made me go back to a hardtail. The Ventana's pivots loosened two times and I had to send it back to the factory to have it repaired. No such problems with the SC, so far. It climbs better than my old hardtail and descends like nothing I've ridden. The sloping downtube makes the bike virtually disappear beneath me. I like to climb and rip it down the descents. I don't do "extreme" riding and my descending skills aren't going to overwhelm anyone. So, this frame is perfect for me. The lockout is good only for pavement sections. On some relatively smooth dirt sections, I put the lockout on and I could still ride a lot faster with the suspension fully functional. The feel of the ride (plush or stiff) is adjustable via the amount of air in the excellent Fox shock. I've read some reviews saying that the rear end could be stiffer but I haven't noticed that as a problem at all. (I weigh 175). This frame has converted me to full suspension. I really don't how I'll ever go back to a hardtail again. Yes, this frame is that good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
not doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Ca
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2700.00 | | Strengths: | Sounds like Doug has been reading some interesting suspension theory articles. I suggest you ride the bike then comment on the way it handles. I have had mine for almost a year now and can honestly say it handles nimbly uphill and downhill. It is not a full on downhill beast but if you can pick a line it sticks to it and goes exactly where you aim it. I think the suspension is very efficient. I don't notice it when I ride as much as I did on my fisher full suspension but if you look down at the shock you can see it working. If you are used to riding a pogo stick you may feel that the suspension is not active enough for you. | | Weaknesses: | expensive, crappy seatpost, | | Similar Products Used: | trek rigid, gary fisher Joshua Z2 | | Bike Setup: | super x build- easton seatpost | | Bottom Line: | It is worth the money. I had a hard time spending more on this bike than I did for my first two cars but now that I have ridden it for almost a year I can honestly say it was worth it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a
from Palmdale, CA
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Bottom Line: | I agree with most of the reviews on this site. Really well made bike. Great company. And light. Damn this thing is light. Climbing was such a non event. Does not suck up your energy like some other full suspension bikes. But it's achiles heel is the suspension design. It is not fully active. There is no Horst link and this makes it less than steller handling when the trail gets bumpy. Combine that with the high pivot that significantly extends the chainstay length - and you're going to feel it.
If all you do is climb, this rig ain't bad. But if you plan on doing some riding and some downhill and your trails aren't groomed smooth, then try out a fully active 4-bar or Mac-strut suspension with a Horst link. Then you can ride. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Racer
from Tempe, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt. Elden | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Adventure Bicycle Company | | Strengths: | climbs great, smooth descender
| | Weaknesses: | climbing in granny | | Similar Products Used: | GT i-drive, Rocky Mountain Element, Specialized | | Bike Setup: | Mostly Race Face, all SRAM drivetrain (8 speed), Spox wheelset, '01 Sid XC fork | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awesome, I can't believe how much better I can climb and descend. My only complaint is that you don't get the suspension benefits when in the granny gear. I put a 32 cog in the back so it is not much of a problem anymore. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Burgess
a Cross Country Rider
from Carlsbad, California
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Calaveras | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light, stable, great looking | | Weaknesses: | None noted! | | Similar Products Used: | GT, Specialized | | Bike Setup: | Mix of XT and XTR with Rock Shox front and rear.Thomson, Easton, Kore. | | Bottom Line: | I was an avid hardtail user. Most imprtant to me was climbing, so, this bike had to climb. It does, quite possibly better than my hardtail did. My downhill speed and comfort has also increased. My confidence level is to the max! You will not be dissapointed with this purchase.
I recommend this bike for those who want to be better all around riders. This bike will only magnify the great riding skills you already posess.
If you already have decent components on your bike the frame build up is the way to go, if not Santa Cruz has some pretty reasonable deals.
If your in the San Diego area, visit Mountain Bike Warehouse, these guys will cut a great deal with you and get you into the bike of your dreams. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil
a Cross Country Rider
from Phila., PA
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Wissahickon/French Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Lightweight, hardtail-like geometry, company response time, quality, rear shock | | Weaknesses: | None yet except I can't afford another to build up another! | | Similar Products Used: | Giant HT, 2 Cannondales HT/FS, Trek F/S, Schwinn H/T, Performance F/S | | Bike Setup: | Medium size with: Crossmax's, SID XC, SRAM 9.0 sl, 2000 XT Hollowtech crank, Chris King headset, Magura HS-33, Monkey lo-rise carbon bar, Thomson seatpost & stem, IRC Notos tires, Flite Ti saddle, Atac carbon pedals. | | Bottom Line: | Fast as all heck. Fit me like my "race" hardtail, but ascends and decends better due to full suspension set-up. Buy one of these! Very light and nimble. Stop buying high-end parts for that so-so frame to try to make it something it is not. Start with a KILLER frame and know that you have one of the nicest fames made! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Jagger
a Racer
from Leeds, UK
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Meanwood Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light, good looking, 4" travel, pivot location. | | Weaknesses: | Are there any weaknesses? If you want the best - you pay the best! | | Similar Products Used: | Pace RC-200, Kona's, Orange. | | Bike Setup: | SID SL, Carbon everywhere, King hubs, XTR, Flite, Pace. | | Bottom Line: | I never believed I would be converted to the world of full suspension. I was adamant that it was just a fad. No way! One ride on the SL prompted the sale of the old bike and an SL was winging its way from the USA to me in Leeds. Don't bother with imitations. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robet Banner
a Cross Country Rider
from Virgina Beach, VA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Any trail that I'm hammering on | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light weight, plush suspension, Awesome look'n. | | Weaknesses: | Inspires too much confidence...Ouch! | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Enduro (too heavy...and expensive), Trek STP 400 (awesome ride, but way too expensive), Trek VRX (uhhh...junk!), Supergo Access fs Max (Cheap, fun, too heavy). | | Bike Setup: | Gray medium SL frame (awesome color) w/vanilla RC, Manatou X-Vert Super (smooth), World Class Ti BB, Sugino 700 crank, Nuke proof hubs laced to 217 rims, XT cass, LX/TX brakes, Thompson seat post, specialized thermo plastic bar (114 grams). | | Bottom Line: | Man this frame is lite!!! When I pulled it out of the crate, I thought I was pulling out the fork. At 5.1 lbs this thing ways a little more than the X-Vert. The first time I took it out on the trail (Elizabeth Furnace in Western VA) I couldn't believe how smooth it rode, even compared to my old FS frame. At first I thought something was wrong because I didn't have the same type of suspension kick-back that my other frame provided. It just worked...very smooth. This thing really rocks down hill. It inspires confidence, sometimes too much confidence. While riding a trail in Reno, Nevada, I got over confident on a down-hill run and "biffed" hard in a gully at the end. Well now I've got a forced vascation from riding due to a couple of seperated ribs, gash in right arm and pinched nerve in my neck. The bottom line: buy this frame, you wont regret it, just watch those down-hill runs. Oh yeah, Speedgoat has the best prices and includes shipping. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
KC
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Foxboro, Lynn, Fells | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Handling, Weight, Finish, Construction, Fabulous customer support | | Weaknesses: | Frame shape is tough to mount on rear car racks and wall storage units (hey, I had to think of something) | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized M4 FSR-XC, Specialized FSR Pro, Merlin Mountain | | Bike Setup: | '00 Medium SL frame. '99 SID XC fork. Fox Float RC rear shock. Easton CT2 Carbon post and lo-rise bars. King headset. XTR cranks, F&R derailleurs, cogs, and shifters. PC-59 Chain. Selle Italia Mythos Trans-Am saddle. Avid Magnesium levers and Arch Supreme V-brakes F&R. 32h Valiant rims laced with DT Revs to Hugi 240 hubs. Panaracer 2.1 Tires and Specialized Ultralite tubes. Race Face SYStem stem. Time ATAC pedals. WTB grips.
Light stuff, yes. On an honest digital scale? 24.8 Lbs. Yes, this is a more realistic weight for the Superlight (and most light full-suspension XC rigs). | | Bottom Line: | Absolute fun on New England XC trails! Light handling, manouverable, and great control on the tight technicals.
I love climbing on this bike. I'm glad I went with the Superlight over another TI hardtail.
While others debate over the 2% variances of "comfort" and "forgiving nature" of steel vs. titanium vs. aluminum hardtails, here's a bike that will give you similar weight numbers and make available an entire spectrum of ride characteristics simply by setting up the front and rear suspension.
If you're a big freeriding, wheelie-dropping, ledge hopping freak, I'd go with something heftier like the Santa Cruz Heckler or Bullit. If you love blasting through tight singletrack, carving switchbacks, climbing mini-Everests, and breaking the tape at the finish, then this is your bike.
No regrets at all. All smiles here. Go get one! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Storrs, CT USA
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light, Excellent Suspension Performance, Simple | | Weaknesses: | A little Flexy | | Similar Products Used: | Spz. FSR XC, Fisher Joshua, Cannondale Super V, Cannondale Jekyl, Spz. FSR | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Mars 1, Hope XC4 disc brakes, Hayes elite hubs with Mavic 517 rims and Wheelsmith butted 1.8 spokes, Nokian Boazobeana Tires, Race Face Cranks and Bottom Bracket, XT cassette, SRAM 9.0 Rear Der. and Shifters, XT Front Der., Easton Monkey Lite Low Riser, Thomson Seatpost, WTB Saddle, it weighs an honest 25 lbs. (I don't know where these other people are getting weights like 23?!?!) | | Bottom Line: | I just set up the bike tonight and will be riding in the morning. I will be posting another review as I break it in. As of now it seems pretty sweet, everything works well (hope brakes rock) and I can't complain about a 25 lb bike with four inches of travel. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
KUHL
a Racer
from Mechanicsburg PA
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | lambsgap | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | really light 5 lbs for the frame
just a little flex in the rear
so plush on the downhills
can easily hammer up hills
only 1150 frame with fox rc | | Weaknesses: | i bent the rear derailleur hanger but i sent out to them and got fixed within 2 weeks, but the customer service cancles out the little misshap | | Similar Products Used: | non ive always rode hardtails | | Bike Setup: | blue large wit full xtr, xtr to valiant wheelset. fox rc, marzzochi superflly, ti flite saddle, thomson post, hutchinson python gold tires. | | Bottom Line: | I have made sub 25 lb full suspension that roosts any hardtail and day. I have a trek 9.9 thats 4 lbs lighter but im still faster on superlight. My back would ache real bad after rides so i needed a full suspension. So if you need a upgrade to your hartail this is your answer the santacruz superlith. Oh yeah the blue anodized is flawless. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Shaw
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Proven design,Quality of frame member fit up and tig welds are second to none.Single pivot low teck,does get the job done with little down time. | | Weaknesses: | Race face ti/bottom bracket,next lp crank set my weight 168lbs,major flex | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis eldiablo,the rest do not matter | | Bike Setup: | Cross Max Dics,Hydraulic Hayes,Easton carbon riser bar,Thompson post, SDG ti seat,XTR Changers & Derailers,XTR 34-12 cog,Carbon race face crank & rings Syncros stem, XMO 3" air shock,fox air c/w lock out 24.3 lbs | | Bottom Line: | I have not rode many trails at this time bad contions,The light weight is apparent,head angle is extreamly quick.More rides required to get use to flexing.I will post second review after more time on the saddle | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Racer
from Lee's Summit, MO
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | one without horse dung | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Fast/Light/Durable; Looks normal (nothing trendy) | | Weaknesses: | Still looking | | Similar Products Used: | tested- Klein Mantra; Trek YSL | | Bike Setup: | Melting pot of light (but not stupid light) parts: Manitou SXTi, XTR, Kooka, Nuke Proof/Mavic 517...... | | Bottom Line: | There's not much more praise that I can give this bike that hasn't already been said. Great bike, great customer service. Like an earlier review (David) said, I too have weighed my large framed bike with it's lightweight components and my bike weighs close to 25lbs. It really doesn't bother me because I can still go faster up and down hills than my old hardtail, so who cares. If you are an XC racer or just like to go fast and need some rear cush, I recommend. I built my '99 frame up with a smattering of '98 closeout components and came out spending a little more than $2K. It can be done, and I'm using the money I saved to buy SC's Roadster frameset for triathlon-ing. Keepin' it in the family (I just ordered it so I'll post a review after logging some miles).
5 burning 'roids (can't seem to get rid of them). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Harris
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlottesville, VA
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Avalon | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Simple swingarm design
Familiar geometry
Stiff where you want it
Light(duh)
Hand made in these fifty states | | Weaknesses: | Pretty damn expensive | | Similar Products Used: | You name it | | Bike Setup: | 98 sid, xtr and race face drive train, bontrager race lights, things of this nature. | | Bottom Line: | So much to discuss. Where to start?
I have tried all of the modern, cross country, dual squishy rides, and this suits my riding stylee the best. I am not a strong climber but with proper air pressure and rebound, the rear sticks to the trail, tenaciously, when seated. I have found that this is the best way to climb with this frame. Unseated, technical climbs require a certain finess that took a few months to orient myself with. Cranking out of the saddle is pretty good(it bobs, make no mistake), and long climbs and fire-roads require the lock-out. It climbs pretty well-its not a hardtail-and the rear triangle is very stiff which helps alot.
I now refer to myself as "Captain Bad-Ass" when descending. I never thought a light weight(my large is 23 pounds) minimal travel bike could descend so well. Truth be told, this has always been my favorite part of riding, but now it is a zen-like experiance. This bike carves the single tight local single track with the precision of an LA plastis surgion. I am running a rather wide riser bar which keeps this lightweight bike and my skinny ass, steady and on point. Again, this takes finess, especialy with a 63 mm SID up front. The rear stiffens up under heavy braking but it is slight and becomes unnoticable as you adapt your riding style to the Superlight.
I love this bike. It is a great trailbike(my primary use) and is absolutely receable. It has improved most of my primary riding skills and has liberated some of my hidden ones. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jimmy Lee
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Monica, CA
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The Ones With Dirt On'Um | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Plush Pivot Location
Stunning Blue Anodized Paint
Fox Float RC's with lock-out
It Is SUPERLIGHT | | Weaknesses: | Rear tire slippage on the loose stuff when pedaling out of saddle. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Raven, Stumpjumper FSR-XC, GT Avalanche | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Z2 X-Fly, Rolf Dolomite Wheelset, Race Face Cranks-Ti BB-Stem, Shimano XT-XTR, Monkey Lite Risers | | Bottom Line: | The air in the ZOKE's and the Fox RC's plus the perfect pivot point makes descending a dreamy affair. It has inflated my ego because it compensates for all of my miscalculations and saves my butt. The only problem I can come up with (being picky) is traction is hard to come by when stomping out of the saddle in the steeps. All one needs to do to remedy that is flick one lever and your only problem is solved. If you are in the saddle, it climbs with the best of 'em. I have yet to encounter any noise from the frame the other reviewers noticed. I say check your cranks and bottom bracket. 4 chili peppers 'cause no full suspension ride climbs like a hard tail. This is as plush as they come. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Tallahassee, Florida
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Fern to TB/Cadillac | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Quality workmanship, Nice Anodized Paintjob | | Weaknesses: | None yet. Sure don't have any squeeks as mentioned by others. | | Similar Products Used: | '99 Santa Cruz Heckler XT | | Bike Setup: | XT/XTR, '00 SID XC, Fox Vanilla Float RC, Race Face Crank and Seatpost, Easton CT2 h-bar, Mavic Crosslands(I had to leave something to upgrade later on.)Continental Traction Pro and X-country. | | Bottom Line: | I just don't understand the weights that some people come up with on their bikes and in their advertising. I believe I'm in the area of a darn nice component package, but my LBS weighs my bike in at 25#'s. (Just trying to give you an honest weight on my Medium frame.)
Whatever the weight, I don't care. This bike is awesome. Handles better than my '98 Fisher Mt. Tam, and the rear shock smooths out the rootiest trails I can find. Anodized paint has not scratched yet, and I've laid it down and run through some stickers and vines. Climbs like a hardtail too.
Since this is the first FS bike I've owned I can say the extra weight(@ 2#'s) over my hardtail is more than offset by the smooth ride. It handles tight switchbacks without hesitation, and makes those long rides more pleasurable by smoothing out the rough parts and not giving up anything in the handling department.The Fox locks out for smooth trail riding, but you'll never use it, the ride is smooth(no bob). You won't regret spending the extra money on this frame, it is nice. Mine (2000 Model) has a straight top tube, unlike most of the pics you see of the bike('99).I say it's a great bike, but over a grand for the frame alone is expensive by everyones means. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Harry Corbin
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Santos/Belleview | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | The frame is light in weight and is truly gorgeous in appearance. The anodize finish is easy to clean. Bike rides comfortably with little bob, it climbs very well and tracks supperbly. | | Weaknesses: | The frame clicks and squeeks. Don't know if it's the bottom bracket, cranks, or swing arm pivot bearings - still looking! | | Similar Products Used: | Other bikes are Pro-Flex 957 & 99'Marin Mount Vision. Have tried Raven/Lefty and prefer the Marin & Santa Cruz. | | Bike Setup: | SID-XC 100mm forks, Spox Wheels, 00'SRAM Half Pipe, 00'SRAM rear derallier, XTR front derallier, Terry Ti-Race seat, Easton CT-2 seatpost and handlebars, Paul brakes & levers, King headset, Raceface Ti BB, Titec Ti Stem, Cook Bros E Cranks, & Bebop pedals. Bike is light! | | Bottom Line: | Love the bike in spite of the squeeks. Ride is plush and fast. There's no bobbing when pedaling seated, so the bike is efficient and the rear shock lock out is seldom used. Bike tracks where it's steered like no other I've ridden. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eddie kryk
a Cross-Country Rider
from euless,tx.
Date Reviewed: October 21, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
cedar hill state park | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
great xc and singletrack
handling.quick steering.
excellent climber.floats
over roots and rocks. | | Weaknesses: |
none yet. | | Similar Products Used: |
specialized and trek | | Bike Setup: |
superfly up front and an
ad-10 rear.xtr,raceface,
king/valiant wheelset.only the best
went into the bike build. | | Bottom Line: | this is the best fitting,best handling bike i have
owned to date.full build on this medium frame came
out to 23.5 lbs.very pleased with the performance
of this bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott hawkins
a Cross-Country Rider
from alexandria,la.
Date Reviewed: June 21, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
tsali | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
The frame geometry is down to the mark. I am 6 foot and ordered a 19 inch and it fits better than any bike I ve had before. the top tube is severely bent so it is easy to mount or dismount at any given moment. There is no bad lateral flex in the frame as well. One importent notice is the lack of bobbing on climbs. This frame is one-up over the Heckler and I would recommend it to anyone interested. | | Weaknesses: |
Theonly weakness I have seen in the year I owned the frame is in the bushings for my Cane Creek AD-10 shock. When they get worn down a tedious little creak starts up and gets worse as riding progresses. | | Similar Products Used: |
There have been many full suspension bikes I have ridden and none amount to the Superlight. | | Bike Setup: |
My set is a Judy SL up front with a AD-10 shock in the back, a Syncros seatpost/stem combo, ESP 9.0 rear/XTR front derailler set, Cook Bros. F-series cranks w/ raceface rings and bottom bracket and sun cr-18 rims w/nukeproof superfly hubs. This set up weighed out to 24 pounds of overall riding excitement. | | Bottom Line: | If anyone is seeking a full suspension race sled this is the one to get. With XTR components and a sid fork it comes to 22.5 pounds. The superlight is extremely sturdy in all aspects and can take a good licking anyday, rain or shine. | | Overall Rating: |
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