First Look: Santa Cruz V10 Carbon 2013
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What's New About the V10 Carbon • Entirely new frame • Carbon front and rear triangles • Tested over the 2012 race season by the Syndicate Team • The Syndicate will race on this production frame in 2013 • Five-year warranty and lifetime crash replacement | V10 Carbon Details • Carbon rear triangle saves 400 grams over the previous alloy version • Revised front triangle saves 300 grams over the previous version • New carbon upper link to increase stiffness. • Co-molded aluminium hardware on upper pivot and bottom bracket - no bonding • Forged aluminum lower link with recessed grease ports • Indexed, 157-millimeter rear axle spacing for easier wheel installation • New integrated fork bumpers with cable guide • Direct mount rear derailleur hanger • Two travel settings: 10 inches (254mm) or 8.5 inches (216mm) • Total frame weight: 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg) M size, Fox DHX RC4 shock • MSRP: DHX $3,499 USD | VIVID $3,599 USD |
The New V10c
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"The most successful DH bike of all time." Santa Cruz weren't shy in introducing their new V10 with those words. When you look back at race results, it is hard to argue with the pedigree of the V10: two Elite World Championships, one Junior World Championship, 14 World Cup wins and two World Cup series titles. More recently the carbon version was the first carbon DH bike to win a World Cup (Maribor 2010) and the first to win a World Championship (Leogang 2012). Those first carbon race bikes used a carbon front end and an alloy rear triangle, which soon became available to the public. The Syndicate started racing during the 2011 season with a carbon rear triangle. After a full year of testing on the World Cup circuit, Santa Cruz took the wraps of their all-new production frames with that carbon rear for a small group of journalists at Massa Vecchia in Italy.
The New V10c has already proven itself on the track:
A Process of Refinement
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The old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." This is exactly what Santa Cruz has done with this latest version of the V10. Over the last few years they have refined the geometry and suspension to the point where they no longer feel the need to fiddle with it, so this new bike is identical to the previous version in that respect. Where it differs is in the construction. While the new carbon rear end may grab the headlines, we're most impressed by the fact that Santa Cruz has shaved 300 grams from the front triangle by some minor re-sculpting of the shape in high stress areas and changing the layup of the carbon. This means that the front triangle alone weighs just 2.3 pounds (1.05kg) for a medium frame. One thing that sets the V10c's front triangle apart from much of the competition is that they use a one-piece monocoque construction. This means the entire front triangle is a single shape, which differs from many other bikes that use several sections bonded together. One-piece construction is both more complicated and expensive, as it means the tool to make the frame needs to be much larger and more sophisticated. Here at Pinkbike, we were given an exclusive look at how Santa Cruz test their carbon bikes this year. It's fair to say their bikes go through a world of pain in their test lab, far beyond any statutory requirements that exist today. So we are inclined to believe them when they tell us that this is not just the lightest, but also the strongest frame they have ever made. Santa Cruz are so confident of this that they have extended the warranty on the frame up from two years all the way out to five years. The new V10c also comes with a lifetime crash replacement and bearing warranty. With frames getting ever more expensive (and nobody is going to suggest the V10c is cheap), this kind of assured lifespan for your bike becomes more and more important.
Out back, the new rear end is a full 530 grams lighter than the aluminum version. The whole thing weighs just 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) and the production version is actually more refined than the rear ends that the Syndicate used this year. The forming around the wheel arches is slightly more shapely, and to increase stiffness the vertical support between the chain stays and the seat stays is a flat sheet of carbon, making it a great mudguard too. Santa Cruz say this is just a by-product of the quest for stiffness, but with many riders bodging their own mudguards in down there, it's a welcome by-product. This weight saving translates to a total frame weight (medium size) of 6.97 pounds (3.15 kg) with a Rock Shox Vivid air or 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg) with the coil-sprung Fox DHX RC4 shock (9.5 x 3.0-inch).
Joe takes an angle grinder to a V10 front triangle in order to show everyone what's going on inside:
Attention to Detail
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Throughout this frame, there are plenty of little details to let you know that Santa Cruz gets it. Out front are nice, sturdy fork bumpers that are long enough to accommodate any fork out there (not just the Fox 40 the bike comes spec'ed with). Built into the bumpers are cable guides which point out the one thing this bike doesn't have - internal cable routing. It's something that Santa Cruz considered, but the race team were clear that they didn't want it. At races, internal hose routing would require mechanics to detach the hose from the caliper in order to change a brake, which means time lost bleeding the brake afterwards. Working your way back along the frame, you'll find a nice big down tube protector to protect against rock strikes. Grease-ports protrude from the lower linkage, so you can easily keep the bearings running sweetly. The adjustable linkage-axle pivots use an expanding end to hold them in place (think of how a Maxle works and you're not far off). Along the chainstays are classy, rubber protectors to stop the chain from damaging your shiny new frame. Protectors also run along the non-drive-side for people whose heals rub against the stay.
Reaching the rear axle, there are two features that (at first) had us worried, but the more we looked at them the more we realized they are very good ideas. First is the 157-millimeter rear axle. Our knee-jerk reaction was, "please, not another standard," but the 157mm axle is a simple improvement. Essentially, it's the same hub spacing, but there are 3-millimeter indexing insets in the frame for the axle to seat into (exactly like the 142/12mm system). This means that you can easily drop the wheel into the frame without suffering the usual axle/hub/rotor alignment faff with 150-millimeter-axle bikes - which is definitely a good thing. The second feature that worried us was the option of a direct mount rear mech. This bought back horrible memories of early Saint mechs and their incomprehensible and utterly unique mounting system. Fortunately, Shimano has learned from that and not repeated the mistake. On current Shimano Shadow mechs, there is a B-link between the dropout and the mech itself. The direct mount simply replaces the B-link with a one-piece dropout - a much neater solution.
Matt talks to some of the crew behind the new V10:
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MSRP for will be $3,499 USD with a Fox DHX RC4 shock and $3,599 USD with a Rock Shox Vivid damper. The V10c will come either in Syndicate Red (matte carbon with red/white decals and Syndicate chevrons) or neon yellow (matte carbon with yellow/grey decals). You can also opt for a colour-matched Fox 40, and if you go for a complete bike they will even colour-match the ENVE carbon rims. Expect the new V10c to start shipping in January 2013.
www.santacruzbicycles.com
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How am I going to convince my girlfriend that I need this???
You're going to eat a can of concrete and harden up.
Think of allll the things she buys and doesn't tell you about. Make up, magazines, hair you don't notice....
Buy the bike because there are more girlfriends out there, but there is only one 2013 full carbon V10
is santa cruz paying u to make up ads? this one is worth the money
3 Options:
1) Dump Her, end of nagging, then you and your new 2013 frame will live happily ever after.
2) Be happy, you still have a killer frame! Last year is no doubt still a beast.
3) Get her into DH and introduce her the 2012 frame as a present, as you get yourself the 2013 one.
*jumps of cliff*
But, there isn't TOO much a difference. 700 grams is a bit of weight, but seriously, just update the rear triangle and you save 400 grams out of the 700 which is good enough. Damn, I would be so happy with a 2012 frame...but even my VP-Free keeps me so happy.
I just think of that guy who won the Giant Contest that was riding that cheap generic supermarket bike that was utter crap.
** Resale won't go down, it may seem like it, but the market is so small as it is with such an expensive frame, it won't be bad. It's already down season and bikes are hard to sell as it is so everything is "frozen" in that sense. Holidays are coming up, you may get lucky. Also, when new season comes around, a lot of people who never had Carbon before will want a taste of a 2012 V10C frame and they will sell like crazy, just wait. You have until January!
Imo, Swingarm update/Link update if applicable, rest of money = Whistler. That way, you know you got a piece of the new stuff, which is the "main" update, but it doesn't cut into your budget severely.
In the end, it's a tough one man. Your bike is beautiful and rides probably amazingly atm. Is it gonna eat at you away if you don't update to the new frame? Cause regret is the worst thing. But then again, look at your own bike lol.
we all know what happens to "new" bikes.. new glory , new lapierre, crack crack and so on..
Hahah, my VP-Free of 2005-2007 era, strong, overbuilt bikes, burly as hell compared to the thin little tubes you can snap in half today! What has changed in those years? Welding? No. Material? No. Design? Maybe a little. Hydroforming? Can be compensated. In the end, we are all just getting sucked into this weight game and getting weaker bikes
Imo, the 2012 frame should be a little stronger than this 2013 one. They'll keep on shaving until there's a point where it just gets too weak.
But i do think people instantly consider heavier bikes as bad, not true, they can easily have their places in certain types of courses/terrain.
Like you go to a course that is extremely rocky. Large square bumps and what not. That heavier bike will be definitely be better over a light bike. However, that light bike has the option of more"flying over" the rocks, but we are talking in a straight forward sense/situation.
Nice bike tho.
Say for example I am the original owner and my warranty is up. I crash and the rear triangle is broken and needs to be replaced. I contact SC and although they don't fully cover the cost for a new one, I can still pay very little and receive another rear triangle. Normally I would pay like 700 dollars for a rear triangle but through Crash Replacement, it'll be offered to me for like 300 dollars (example).
Cheers!
I wanted them to make a shirt that said "I like it hard in the rear" with a pic of a hardtail frame on the back. I don't think they ever did though. Shame on you PB. Coulda sold me a shirt.
Not to mention the cost to make these is SOMEWHAT reasonable. Think of the most hand/eye examination labor and time. I think the price is fairly reasonably for the technology. Once again, it isn't necessary tho.
As to affording that, huh, there will be some wayyy more expensive things you will need in life - like the house or the apartment. There are also some much more expensive toys you will come upon in the future: like a Porsche. So write down this thing son - Aim high! Either forget that site and that bike and ride and train with what you have to become a DH champion, or do the same about bike&site and do anything to afford a new Porsche - in both cases having a v10c will be a piece of a cake.
Dare to dream, desire that dream, f*ck people who tell tou that tou cant have it and just follow it! In your dreams - they say, Exactly you answer
So long as such bike is your ultimate goal, you will never be good, as long as all the things they use is your only must have, you will not get far. When you think I need that to be happy, you can get 5 of these and you won't be satisfied, it is the heart, mind and body of a guy like Syndicate rider that will make you succeed. You probably don't need to get to their level but you have to step on the path that got them there. Focus and nerd on what they do, not what they have! If you truly are on that path you will most probanly find your current bike to be awesome! You might find how little the material means when confronted with how far what you have inside can take you.
Those guys dont pay for that, they dont look for attention, they don't seek filmmakers so often - douchebags seek admirers, mediocre people probably spend more time and effort to get FB likes than Greg does training! The champions attract all that, it just happens to them! They get pics whipping, some people want to know if Athertons shave their pubes before the race!
Get out there and f*cking get that bike, not by your money but for who you are
Any kind of motivational text or speech is only a spark, while what you need is a one big fire. It doesn't matter how inspired you feel, how much you think some smart bloke or a history of a great athlete will change your life. What You get is a spark, then you do something and maybe get a small flame, but you have to get out there and find some wood to keep it up! Give it a shelter to protect it from the wind. You have to gather that wood everyday so it doesn't die out! And that makes you real good.
But a test will come when that wood is over, and many fail here, sport psychologists call it plateau. Like some people going to the gym and working their ass off for a month in the off season, slowly starting to question why are they doing it, skipping workouts more and more often. What makes you great is when you get through that, when you find new fuel sources. You have to look for them, even if you think one you have is unlimited. What if it won't make any big fire? What if it is inefficient to go for miles to bring two branches?
Still, every single branch is needed, no log or stomp burns from small fire, so make sure you gather it all and cherish it. Sometimes a dry leaf can save your fire. Rome was not built in one day, you need to lay a brick after brick.
What if wind and rain destroys yor fire? Great people will remember how to start it again! Knowledge and experience are great lighters! But you need to take time to learn what's effective or not.
Ok fk it I will write sn article... All the best guys!
Ah, yet another bike I will never be able to afford."
Nor utilize anywhere near its full potential anyway even if you could afford it.
Not that I care how my bike looks, of course. [cough]
www.i-mtb.com/santa-cruz-v10-launch-behind-the-scenes
Nothing wrong with Easton Havoc & Thomson, but I would have thought a full carbon bike, with ENVE wheels, developed in conjunction with ENVE would have the bars & seatpost.
I would like to write an open letter to you Santa Cruz.
You are a brand close to my heart. My passion for bikes has been long and endured live throughout times.
Since I started racing XC and DH back in 1995 that I have always had dream bikes in my head. I started by Intense, an M1 for DH that I upgraded throughout the years to the Socom and latter to the M3. After buying the M3 and seeing that Intense was shortening the lifecycles with a more commercial approach I started looking elsewhere.
I started riding a Nomad in 2005 and I loved it. The finishing, the ride and the time it lasted "commercially" wise. I latter upgraded it to a Alum Nomad 2 and latter to a Nomad C. I needed to drop my M3 before it got too old.
This year in October I bough myself a V10 Carbon. I saw the new color scheme and thgought that a new model was not coming through (I even emailed you asking for the rear alum triangle before the summer and understood it was not for production). After 1 month a ALL NEW v10C comes in.
It was a stab in my heart I must confess. The V10C was not a cheap bike/frame and launching a new color scheme for a short period to hten send in a all new V10c seems to me like a cheap marketing trick of the big brands in bikes and the like of Unilever, etc.
I wanted of course to show my deep discontent with the situation and ask you for access to an exchange program or something alike.
You have a strong follower/fan base. Hope you don't become the next every year a ENTIRE NEW model type of brand !
All the best, M
ps: I have only ridden my OLD V10c 2 days ...
have to admit though thats one VERY nice peice of kit!.... one thing though i'll never be able to buy because im on a normal persons wage. 3 more years and the price of carbon frames will be so cheap everyone will have one,
I also think I have a very good question to ask!!
How long will the frame last compared to Ali? I only ask because I know of some carbon grades deteriorate after some time? suppose it the same with aluminum oxides but that takes years!!!
Maybe Santa Cruz should give people the chance to win one
also.. i can assume that mavic doesnt have conversion kits for their DH wheels..
but they need this for the rich twats who have trouble fitting in their wheels..
1mm extra inside on the dropouts would do too.. but heey.. sell sell sell..
I don't know why you think it's a pain, I fished my brake and gear housings through in 15 minutes. The extra time spent fishing them through is worth it just to protect them from crashes and such.
back to the bike i like the look of these but i know carbon is meant to be as strong if not stronger, but arent carbon bikes like moto helmets ?
crash you need a new one or after X years you need new?
say if you come off and the bike hits rocks or trees is the integrity of the frame now compromised ?
and doesn't carbon have a live span like i think my tutor said his road bike frame they reccomend replacing after 2-3 years or something as thats its lifespan ...
if i paid 3k+ on a frame id want it to last longer than that and if true what will it mean for a resale ? i ride a mk1 v10 2004 , so years to come will carbon bikes that are for sale be cheap and potentially dangerous if over the year they weaken?
i know the benefits of carbon but for road yes but for a bike thats gonna take a hammering every ride im not sold.
World Champion: 1994 (François Gachet) , 1996 (Anne-Caroline Chausson), 1997 (Anne Caroline Chausson & Nicolas Vouilloz-Carbon Frame), 1998 (Anne Caroline Chausson & Nicolas Vouilloz), 1999 (Nicolas Vouilloz): 7 times
Junior World Champion: 1994 (Anne Caroline Chausson), 1995 (Anne Caroline Chausson & Cedric Gracia), Mickael Pascal & Fabien Barel, Melanie Pugin (2008 & 2009): 7 times
Master World Champion: 1995 (Eric Barone)
Total: 15 times World Champion... more than another DH bike
www.mtb-downhill.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Antidote-Carbon-DH.jpg
and i would not have to get a new rear hub
"I got a boner – it's hard to turn."
Welcome back CG.
I've been a Trek guy, but this bike turned my head.
what are the benefits of designing slack seat post for DH bike? (V10, Trek 88/99, Demo8 ) .. FR bikes less slack .. @mikey any answer
Here I was all happy that my D8 had a interchangeable part with the V10C and now thats all blown to hell. I think I will put carbon stickers over it so I can save some face next time I ride it to Starbucks.
Could probably use an extra soul..... What ya asking for it?
Great pitch!
Still love my 07 rmx with monster ts
*BUT!: why you no route cables internally?.. looks so much smoother that way!
And not MAD props, for sure...