The 170-millimetre rear suspension, whose linkage comes from the V10 downhill bike, is extremely sensitive and releases a massive amount of travel without rushing through the stroke. This means that even the nastiest bumpy sections lose their terror. With the Santa Cruz Nomad you feel a touch safer and faster. In addition to the excellent chassis, this is due to the slack steering angle, the low bottom bracket and the wide 800 mm handlebars. In tight bends, the bike naturally requires a little more pressure and also loses some of its liveliness. The rear end of the Nomad remains surprisingly stable on climbs, even in the open shock position the bike only bobs slightly. The effective platform also helps on long climbs. Even though the Enduro is the most cumbersome of the four trail-hunting bikes when pedalling towards the summit, it doesn't have to shy away from comparison with other enduro bikes. This is not least due to the lightweight carbon wheels produced in-house. Nice detail: The geometry can be adjusted using a flipchip: The steering and seat angle can be slackened by 0.5 degrees. On the natural trails around Arosa, we liked the steeper position with a high bottom bracket better. Another plus for downhill enthusiasts: Santa Cruz also offers the option of steel spring shocks for every model. It's a pity that the Californians didn't follow this consistent line through to the end: A 200 mm brake disc on the front wheel, instead of the 180 mm fitted, is definitely a must for such a bullet. Otherwise, the equipment leaves nothing to be desired
wishes - at this price, it has to be.
Florentin Vesenbeckh, BIKE test editor:
The Santa Cruz Nomad is a force on the descents. If you're travelling in difficult terrain and want to really let it rip, you'll be rewarded with massive smoothness and safety - and all that with decent touring capability. On the narrow, rather flat trails around Arosa, the Bolide was hardly able to let off steam in the right way, and uphill it was left behind.
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Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
