Iago Garay's Santa Cruz Hightower – EWS Ireland 2017

May 26, 2017
by Mike Kazimer  
Santa Cruz

Iago Garay and the rest of the Santa Cruz enduro squad are on fresh Hightowers this weekend, but it looks like there might be a little more going on than just a snazzy new paint job. The differences might not be immediately obvious, but a closer look reveals that the rocker link doesn't have the two geometry positions found on the standard Hightower, and the rear brake now uses a post mount rather than the international standard mounting found on the original.

There have been rumors about a longer travel Hightower floating around ever since Greg Minnaar was spotted doing some pre-season testing aboard a Hightower with a Fox 40 up front, and plenty of unsponsored riders have figured out how to eke a little more travel out of their stock Hightowers by using a different length rear shock (for the record, something Santa Cruz doesn't recommend), but these new bikes are a good sign that there's something new in the works for the not-so-distant future.

Santa Cruz
Even if the sun is shining, it doesn't hurt to be prepared for muddy conditions in Ireland, which is why Iago has a piece of moto foam tucked into his bike's rear swingarm.
Santa Cruz
Iago is running a Maxxis Highroller II up front and the faster rolling Griffin in the rear, mounted up to what look to be wide, asymmetric, unmarked carbon rims.


Santa Cruz


Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Santa Cruz Bicycles Santa Cruz Hightower Iago Garay Enduro World Series


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112 Comments
  • 71 2
 Bromad 29?
  • 5 2
 That humongous lyrik and less curved upper link would match up. Appears to be a touch longer stoke shock on there too. Nomad color wasn't updated, uses 142, and the link looks to be a close match with the silver one.
  • 6 0
 So are you guys guessing at 150mm for rear travel? Or something longer like 160?
  • 8 0
 New nomad drops June 1st. Looks pretty good.
  • 16 13
 LOL @ that fuking seat tube angle in 2017!
  • 2 2
 @whattheheel: yes... 29er Newmad! Smile
  • 10 0
 Yomad? #29erHaters
  • 5 0
 Or could it be a Hightower LT? maybe 150, 29 only? Time will tell.
  • 7 3
 @gonecoastal: yep, thats why the slash 29 and wreckoning are dead to me. With long legs I'm over the rear hub! Looks like SC are making the same mistake!
  • 1 0
 @racecase: They'll do a Hightower LT 160/150mm 29er and a Nomad 160/165mm 27.5. That's my guess
  • 4 1
 It says santa cruz doesn´t recommend upping the travel in current hightower, yet the team did, it... seems contradictory. It´s almost as if im reading, it works...but don´t it as then you might have second thoughs on buying the new one....?
  • 4 0
 @stefanfresh: They don't recommend long shocking the current model with the current linkage because in some conditions the tire can buzz the seatpost. What you are seeing here is a revised linkage and swingarm. No worries.
  • 1 0
 @Richt2000: have you ridden the Wreckoning? I have long arms and legs (+2" ape index and I'm 6'0"ft tall) and ride a Large with seat pushed reasonably forward and I'm fine.
  • 3 0
 @eljefespeaks:
Yea I absolutely loved it on the downs and found it really poppy and fun too. But like my old following I just found I was too far over the rear wheel. I have long legs for my hight (6'1" with a 35" inseam) so i need the eTT of a large and a seat tube of an XL (or a Large with a steep seat angle).
  • 1 0
 @siderealwall2: not a stoke shock. It's a compression ringed pivot dampening valve throttle
  • 2 0
 @gonecoastal: I second that. The real seat tube angle seems slacker than the HA.
  • 3 0
 @Richt2000: At 6'3" antything with an effective STA slacker than 75.5 and a real STA slacker than 73.5 is dead to me. Same goes for chainstays shorter than 435mm.
  • 1 1
 @jollyXroger: That's great because anything steeper than those angles and CS longer than 430mm are dead to me. They can sell me the bike you don't want. Smile
  • 2 0
 @jollyXroger: Looks like they got the HTA and STA mixed up on that thing. And the front end got smashed by a bus.

I agree with the short CS. I don't want to loop out on the climbs I do.
  • 1 0
 @vikb: That means you can pretty much have most of them currently on the market. Smile
  • 1 0
 Newmad is 27.5". 170mm travel.
  • 86 24
 The bike is out in public already, just break the embargo and tell us what it is instead of being a part of Santa Cruz' drawn out marketing campaign to build interest among the accountants, lawyers and dentists that will buy these. Or will this have to be secret because everyone had a great time in France at the Nomad launch and nobody wants to lose out on the next all expenses paid trip.
  • 15 0
 hey my mate is a accountant and a double world champion. beware the accountant! there a clever calculating bunch. (apart from gap jumps hence the para part lol)
big up john gildea para cycling leg-end
  • 3 0
 Can't blame the writers. Not exactly a glam job - let them have the free baca to ride new bikes in some paradise!
  • 38 0
 I had an all expenses paid trip to the vet one time and all they did was take my testicles away.
  • 58 2
 @wibblywobbly, what information do you want? This looks like a longer travel Hightower, and that's what the article says. I don't have any details on pricing or geo - otherwise those would have been included
  • 6 0
 most accountants don't have lawyer or dentist money. i know enough of each to say that with certainty. i'm an accountant at a ski resort so i definitely don't.
  • 4 1
 >Or will this have to be secret because everyone had a great time in France at the Nomad launch and nobody wants to lose out on the next all expenses paid trip.

yes because breaking NDA is such a good idea
  • 19 0
 @markg1150: Accountants in the US are pretty good at GAAP jumps...
  • 7 1
 @mikekazimer: Come on Mike, can't you whip out a tape measure, protractor and scale and give use the full geo, andgles, weight, shock length and stroke. What are we paying you for? Oh wait we are not other than a few cents worth of ad click troughs. haha, keep up the good work.
  • 2 2
 Agreed, its getting seriously annoying to the point that I won't wait for the new nomad I'll just buy from someone else
  • 6 3
 Most dentist that are in their 30s or 40s are most likley saddled with huge debt still...same with doctors.
  • 1 0
 @markg1150: I think you mean GAAP jump.
  • 1 0
 @jtayabji: Which resort?
  • 1 0
 @YukonLT: stratton
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: what's the bike model name? What other color does it come in?
  • 1 1
 @wibblywobbly
Sorry, the details aren't for people like you. They are for lawyers, dentists, and industry insiders. You likely wouldn't understand them anyway. Best to stick with YT and Evil.
  • 2 0
 The bike community invented this bike - everyone was increasing the travel on stock HT and now they are like...oh look what we did (actually just mod'd the seat stay haha). Design engineer missed on a home run in 2015 buy shorting on the travel.
  • 2 0
 @Loamhuck: ah yes, the world of forums. Lots of free feedback.
  • 28 0
 Higher tower
  • 3 0
 Skyscraper
  • 8 1
 But, it's probably lower.....right? And slackerer?
  • 16 0
 @Triber66: Alright then, the all new Santa Cruz Condo.
  • 1 1
 @Fix-the-Spade: condo means ass in my language. So it is the Santa Cruz ass
  • 3 0
 @Riwajc: Lot's of people would be very happy to go for a ride on an ass with some nice suspension.
  • 1 0
 @Riwajc: and the longest stroke "shock" they can fit
  • 12 0
 It's high time they put a discreet rear fender on their bike. I have a Bronson and really like it but it's a faff to scrap the mud out of the bottom linkage after each ride.
  • 9 1
 Is the water bottle and cage just for show? It doesn't really look it's functional even with a side loading cage.
  • 8 1
 You have to get a Jeffsy waterbottle for it
  • 1 0
 The next version is slated to have even less bottle room beneath the shock
  • 2 1
 My hightower fits the standard 21oz camelbak bottle fine.
  • 8 0
 e*thirteen valves....
  • 5 3
 Everyone should be using them. Small cost of upgrade, useful improvement.
  • 2 0
 @ratedgg13: I have a set at the shop I've been meaning to slap on sometime. They that good?
  • 2 0
 @whattheheel: Yeah, the @ethirteen-components valves are that good. Your amigo juan hall uses them :-)
  • 2 0
 @whattheheel: yes, yes they are. Much easier to set up tubeless, better seal by a large margin, far more sturdy and great looking bling.
  • 1 0
 @elpsstoffo You be stalking me???? Thanks for the info boys!!
  • 5 0
 What's that collar on the reverb for?
  • 6 1
 im going to guess that is emergency gorilla tape
  • 1 0
 Looks like some spare Goriila tape. Good spot to store it for quick repairs.
  • 1 0
 maybe a roll of tape of some kind for emergencies?
  • 3 0
 Maybe some tape (named after a certain monkey I can't remember which) that could be used in an emergency situation by the rider.
  • 14 0
 @bikingbayarea: Gorillas ain't monkeys.
  • 1 1
 @Dustfarter: 4eelo4yoy1u3wlvv52vzht3m-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Ape-Tape-Gaffers-Tape-Black-2-inch-roll-with-label.jpg
  • 22 0
 As nobody mentioned it yet, I'd say its tape for emergencies.
  • 3 0
 @bashhard: it's not that, obviously! It's some spare tape if anyone has a ropey 8-track in need of some TLC... (can't quite see what songs are on it from that angle mind you.)
  • 12 1
 @bikingbayarea: I believe it's called Harambe Tape
  • 15 0
 That's the new Debonair can for the reverb. Gives a smoother stroke off full extension, and more midstroke support.
  • 6 0
 You guys are such newbs. You put your weed in there!!!
  • 5 0
 It's Duck Tape actually. I'm a close personal friend of Garry's and he told me the other night at darts.
  • 1 0
 @zorba73: I snorted at this comment, my breakfast nearly came out my nose
  • 1 0
 Yes looks like slightly longer top link, but could be many other little angle tweeks, but not really much to improve such a cool bike, pity I do not think will ever own one, but think it would be nice to at least ride one some time, maybe I should looking into borrowing one, but do not think my bank balance to change the actually owning one. But can dream!
  • 5 1
 Mahoney!!!
  • 3 0
 Anyone run those DD Griffins before?
  • 1 0
 Funny that bike design still struggles to fit a bottle cage without scrapping your shock or changing your shock setting when having drink?
  • 3 1
 Nah... it's not the frame designer. Iago is sponsored by CAMELBAK. Their bottle designers are the problem. Pretty sure any normal £2 500ml bottle would have fitted without contacting the shock body.

Begs the question tho... WHY not wear a nice CAMELBAK hydration pack and benefit from a lightweight carbon bicycle.. You could probably even store a bunch of handy tools n spares in it too.

:P
  • 2 1
 @G-A-R-Y: toooootally agree...BIKE: bobbing and weaving and whippin and generally floating around as light as can be.....RIDER: trying to be as smooth and fluid and efficient as possible (not moving nearly as much)......which makes the most sense to attach a bunch of weight to?

Hint: refer to laws of physics.
  • 1 3
 @silvbullit: Whooooooosh!

see the wee Razz

it means I'm taking the piss

That. Plus I don't actually care
  • 2 0
 What's the foam for? Just so that mud doesn't get packed up in there?
  • 2 0
 Mud will clog on the Hightower jamming the bottom link and rear wheel. Moto foam stops the mud from filling the lower link.
  • 4 0
 @DillonThomson24: Rocks could actually get in there and potentially break the frame on a hard hit.. It's a weird, and maybe even bad, design choice.
  • 3 1
 That reverb looks longer than a 170?
  • 1 0
 Seems as though the tire would hit the seat when the seat is low and mid to deep into the travel.
  • 1 0
 Interesting to see a Monarch Plus on there. I guess it hasn't gone to metric shock sizing.
  • 1 0
 They sure the frick should start shipping all their bikes with that piece of foam in the muck magnet area....
  • 1 0
 What's with the valve stems? Is that ProCore or similar?
  • 3 1
 EThirteen. Small aftermarket upgrade - make a WORLD of difference. Highly recommend.
  • 1 0
 @ratedgg13: do they do something functional other than being super long?
  • 1 0
 @dthomp325: Yes, they allow for more air flow, so it is rather easy to set up a tubeless system with a normal pump (as opposed to an air compressor or booster/charger pump).
  • 1 0
 @dthomp325: better seal to the rim, easier to set up tubeless and far stronger/sturdier.
  • 2 0
 Griffins eh?
  • 1 0
 griffins are wildly underrated. it is an awesome rear tire.
  • 2 0
 @adrennan: where do they fall in comparison to other maxxis tires?
  • 2 0
 @acali: i would compare it to the aggressor most closely? It is super fast rolling and there is no dead spot in traction as you lean it over. think super knobby dirt jump tire (i run them front and back on my slopestyle bike for the occasional trail that bike sees).
  • 1 0
 @adrennan: Do they flat as easily as the Aggressor? Don't think I know anyone who has managed more than 3-5 rides out of an Aggressor without a serious puncture or sidewall tear.
  • 2 0
 @amrskipro: i haven't had that issue. i am running the double down casing. i did dent my rim which was causing my tubeless setup to loose air. got that fixed and put in a huck norris. i was previously running the dh casing of the griffin and that was a pretty bomber tire.

i stopped running exo casings in the rear, they cant handle my local colorado trails mixed with my crappy riding.
  • 3 1
 NO SHOCKWIZ ON IT? LAME
  • 1 2
 Santa make exciting v10 29er for dh and at the same time the most boring 29er for enduro... A nomad 29er is needed... like water
  • 2 2
 Carbon rims, ballsy. Sweet looking bike.
  • 1 5
flag parallaxid (May 26, 2017 at 11:27) (Below Threshold)
 must be Shimano's new rims
  • 9 1
 @parallaxid: coming out in 2078 with Shimano's carbon cranks
  • 12 0
 @parallaxid: Im calling they are in house SC rims.
  • 7 3
 @wibblywobbly: but only in 24mm internal width. Because Shimano.
  • 3 5
 Why are they asymmetrical? Thought boost lines up everything central?
  • 2 0
 @jmm337: Everyone corners more aggro to one side than the other.
  • 1 0
 whats on the seatpost ?
  • 1 0
 The 'Tackleberry'
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