Yes, things with a high "want to have" factor are expensive. That's just the way it is. For the price of the Nomad, you can get an almost new Dacia Logan, a used Mercedes E-Class in top condition or a pilot's licence in the USA. But common sense has nothing to do with a bike from the US label Santa Cruz anyway. Our serene testers remained unimpressed and put the bike with the Miami Vice paintwork through its paces. Impressive: the bob-free rear end. In the past, VPP bikes wobbled so much when pedalling that the rider got seasick. There is no sign of this on the new Nomad. Involuntarily, we put it through its paces. As the defective Vario support could no longer be extended, we pedalled the Nomad through the terrain for 20 kilometres! Even with the compression damping open on the thick Vivid shock, the Nomad hardly rocks at all. Despite its generous travel, the lightweight Santa Cruz develops a surprising amount of propulsion and climbs willingly. We were not familiar with the 170 mm MRP suspension fork and were initially sceptical about it, but the suspension of the Santa Cruz proved to be unimpressed even in the rough sections of the Latsch Tschilli trail and produced a very smooth ride. The fork suspension is at the highest level (better than RS and Fox, comparable to BOS). Some testers even put the Nomad in first place in the downhill rankings, while others favoured the even more sensitive suspension of the YT. A neck-and-neck race - for sure! Very pleasing: the modern geometry. The mix of smoothness and manoeuvrability works here.
ConclusionWe have rarely awarded 10 points so readily. The sinfully expensive Santa Cruz is a top-class enduro bike. Top in the downhill classification and yet blessed with very good all-round qualities - bravo!
Strengths Optics, chassis, all-round use
Weaknesses none
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
Distribution Shock Therapy, www.shock-therapy.com
Material/sizes Carbon/S, M, L, XL
Price/weight without pedals 8273 Euro/13.3 kg
MEASURED DATA
Front/rear suspension travel 170 mm/165 mm
Rear suspension system VPP
EQUIPMENT
Fork/damper MRP Stage 170/RockShox Vivid Air R2C
Cranks/gears Raceface Turbine/SRAM XO1
Brake system Shimano XT
Impellers DT Swiss 350 hubs, WTB rims
Tyres Maxxis High Roller II Exo 2.3
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
