The Nomad has been in Santa Cruz's lineup since 2005, and while its appearance has evolved over the years, the intended purpose has remained the same. This is a bike that was designed to excel on the descents while still retaining a high level of pedalability – after all, not everyone is lucky enough to have easy access to a chairlift or a shuttle rig.
The latest version takes a step even closer towards becoming a full-blown downhill bike, with 170mm of travel, a 64.5-degree head angle (in the low setting), and a revised leverage curve that's designed to work well with either a coil or air shock.
Santa Cruz Nomad Details• Intended use: all-mountain / mini-DH
• Wheel size: 27.5"
• Rear wheel travel: 170mm
• 64.6º or 65º head angle
• Carbon frame, C or CC options
• Metric shock sizing
• Boost hub spacing
• MSRP: $4,499 - $9,399 USD ($8,399 as shown)
• Weight: 30lb / 13.6kg (size large)
•
www.santacruzbikes.com The bike reviewed here is the $8,399 Nomad CC X01 Reserve; component highlights include a 12-speed SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain, Code RSC brakes, Reserve carbon wheels with DT Swiss 350 hubs, and a Lyrik RCT3 fork. The base model carbon bike, the Nomad C R is priced at $4,499 USD, and comes with a 170mm RockShox Yari up front, SRAM Guide R brakes, and a SRAM NX 11-speed drivetrain.
Not quite ready to part ways with that much cash? Santa Cruz also offers an aluminum version of the Nomad, with prices starting at $3,599 for a complete bike.
Frame DetailsWe went over the specifics of the new Nomad when it debuted
back in May, but it's worth going over some of the design highlights once again. To start with, it's the overall frame shape that's stirred up plenty of lively debates since the bike was released, both on the internet and in real life. For the record, I'm a fan of the new shape – there's a little bit of a Mad Max aesthetic to it, a bike built for post-apocalyptic freeriding. Plus, with so many bikes out there that look nearly identical it's nice to have something that stands out from the crowd.
The Nomad's design change wasn't done just to cause a ruckus – the goal was to give it a leverage ratio that mimicked that of the V10 downhill bike. As Jack Russell, Santa Cruz's Senior Industrial Designer said, “We knew the most uncompromised way to make this 'full DH bike feeling trail bike' work was to give it a V10 leverage ratio. The V10/N4 leverage ratio is a linearly-progressive line that works great with a coil or air, depending on how you want to the bike to feel and is always predictable, which is great for dialing in the tune. With all that leverage ratio stuff happening, we were able to give the bike the correct amount of anti-squat so you can still pedal it up a hill.”
The Nomad's shock is now mounted as low as possible, sitting just above the bottom bracket and running through a split in the seat tube. A long upper link connects the top tube to the seat stays, and the lower link runs from the chainstays to the shock.
The Nomad's additional frame features read like a must-have list for a modern mountain bike. Threaded bottom bracket? Check. Room for a water bottle? Check. Easy to use internal cable routing where it makes sense? Check. There's even a frame protector towards the upper portion of the down tube, the spot that tends to get rubbed raw when shuttling with a bunch of bikes draped over a tailgate.
Specifications
Specifications
|
Price
|
$8399 |
|
Travel |
170mm |
|
Rear Shock |
RockShox Super Deluxe (Coil or Air) |
|
Fork |
RockShox Lyrik RCT3 |
|
Cassette |
SRAM XG1295 Eagle 10-50T |
|
Crankarms |
SRAM X1 Eagle Carbon 30T (170mm) |
|
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM X01 Eagle |
|
Chain |
SRAM X01 Eagle 12 SPD |
|
Handlebar |
Santa Cruz Bicycles AM Carbon Bar 35x800 |
|
Stem |
Race Face Aeffect R 50mm |
|
Grips |
Santa Cruz Palmdale Grips |
|
Brakes |
SRAM Code RSC |
|
Wheelset |
Santa Cruz Reserve 30 Carbon |
|
Tires |
Maxxis Minion 27.5x2.50 DHF 3C EXO / Maxxis Minion 27.5x2.40 DHR II EXO |
|
Seat |
WTB Silverado Pro |
|
Seatpost |
RockShox Reverb Stealth 31.6 |
|
ClimbingOn mellow, rolling terrain the Nomad feels a little bored, and if bikes had thumbs this one would be twiddling them up a storm, dreaming of steep, rough trails. Sure, the climbing position is comfortable, and it does pedal very well – even with the compression switch flipped to the fully open position there's a minimal amount of pedal bob – but there's still no hiding the slack head angle and 170mm of travel.
Now, I don't want to sell the Nomad's climbing abilities short – I made my way up plenty of awkward sections of trail without any trouble, and the 30-pound weight is very reasonable, especially considering what this thing is capable of on the descents.
All the same, this is a bike where climbing is more of a means to an end, and although it'll dispatch with big fire road grinds without putting up a fuss, at the end of the day, if you dream of cleaning technical uphill sections more than you do about boosting off big jumps and pinballing through rock gardens there are better options out there.
On the other hand, for anyone who's ever stuck a dropper post on a downhill rig, or to take a step back in time, installed a Titec Knock Scoper on a freeride bike, the Nomad is going to be an appealing option, one that goes a long way towards taking the sting out of the long approaches that often precede the best descents.
DescendingThe previous Nomad was no slouch on the descents – there's a reason it was our pick for Bike of the Year back in 2014, but version 4.0 takes things a step further. It may only have 5mm more travel than before, but the reworked kinematics make it feel even smoother when charging through the rough stuff. There weren't any strange hiccups or quirks as the rear end went through its travel, and there's just enough ramp up to avoid any harsh bottom outs on big hits, no matter if the air or coil shock is installed.
On the topic of coil vs. air, I spent time with the Nomad set up with a RockShox Super Deluxe Coil RCT as well as with a Super Deluxe Air RCT in order to compare the two options. When all was said and done, I preferred the Super Deluxe Air. Yes, the coil shock was extra plush, and made the bike feel a little more glued to the ground, but the air shock didn't give up much in the way of grip, while also making the bike feel livelier, especially when popping off the lip of jumps. If your sole focus is on bombing down rugged DH trails, I can see choosing the coil option, but the air shock makes the Nomad feel more energetic, and I'd say it's a better choice for all-around riding.
As far as the Nomad's geometry goes, it's modern, but not radical, which isn't a bad thing – there is a limit to just how long a bike can get before it becomes unwieldy. A 460mm reach for a size large has become fairly standard over the last few years, the 430mm chainstay length is short but not stubby, and even the 64.6-degree head angle in the low setting is slack, but not crazy slack.
What do those numbers equate to out on the trail? They give the Nomad a familiar feel, one that's intuitive from the start. Its cornering ability is especially noteworthy – that low center of gravity makes whipping around turns a grin-inducing affair; it's tough to beat the sensation of blasting into a sharp turn, feeling the tires hook up exactly where they should, then rocketing out the other end. Compared to the Specialized Enduro, another option in the 170mm bracket, the Nomad feels lower slung, and not as tall, which makes it easier to carve into turns and to keep it planted in the really rough stuff.
It's also worth mentioning just how well the Nomad handled long, blown out sections of trail, the conditions that prevailed for much of the summer in the Whistler Bike Park due to the unseasonably dry conditions. Doing a nonstop, top-to-bottom lap is a good way to determine the overall ride quality of a bike – is it Cadillac smooth or does it feel like riding a 2x4, with every impact being transferred into your body? There's a balance that needs to be achieved when it comes to frame stiffness, and the Nomad gets it right. It's incredibly comfortable and free of any harshness, which meant that my body, especially my hands, felt less fatigued at the end of a long day of riding.
Component Check• Reserve Wheels: Part of the reason I hung onto the Nomad for a little longer than usual was put the Reserve carbon wheels through the wringer. Remember, I'd cracked a rim on my first ride on the Nomad when I coming up short on a stepdown, an incident that was entirely user error, but I wanted to see how the replacement wheel held up. The good news is that after nearly a season's worth of smashing and bashing both wheels are still running true, and that time period includes multiple days in the Whistler Bike Park.
RockShox Reverb Remote: The new remote lever for the RockShox reverb is a dramatic improvement over the previous design. It's a much more ergonomic, with a shape mimics that of SRAM's shifter paddles. The lever and the post itself were both trouble free for the duration of the test period.
Frame durability: Crashes happen, and the Nomad saw its fair share of encounters with the ground, but it's held up extremely well, with only a few little scuff marks to be seen. Even after a muddy spring followed by a dry, dusty summer there haven't been any creaks or groans to deal with, and there's absolutely no side to side play at any of the pivots.
Code RSC Brakes: The Codes are an appropriate choice for the Nomad, and their powerful, consistent performance never faltered. Some riders may want to upsize to a 200mm up front, but for most locations running 180mm rotors front and rear will provide plenty of stopping power.
Pinkbike's Take | The new Nomad's long-term performance matched our initial impressions – this would be an excellent bike for riders with easy access to steep, rugged terrain. In search of a bike that can handle bike park and shuttle laps without batting an eye, but that can still be pedaled uphill for unassisted missions? The Nomad is a very, very worthy option. — Mike Kazimer |
About the ReviewerStats: Age: 35 • Height: 5'11" • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 160lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Twenty-two years deep into a mountain biking addiction that began as a way to escape the suburban sprawl of Connecticut, Mike Kazimer is most at home deep the woods, carving his way down steep, technical trails. The decade he spent as a bike mechanic helped create a solid technical background to draw from when reviewing products, and his current location in the Pacific Northwest allows for easy access to the wettest, muddiest conditions imaginable.
I enjoy the flashy photos and "we're not paid to write this *honest* assessment..." articles, and the stuff about the 10%/pro/I'm kind of pro or here's a pro's bike/here's a dentist's bike... to a point though
Curious if there's a site that has reviews/coverage of everyday bikes, doing everyday stuff...? Scene reports without a ton of free sponsor shots?
"Compared to the Specialized Enduro, another option in the 170mm bracket, the Nomad feels lower slung, and not as tall, which makes it easier to carve into turns and to keep it planted in the really rough stuff."
I try to provide comparisons in reviews whenever possible - you can look back and find plenty of examples, but those comparisons only make sense if I've spent time on a bike. The Nomad sits in a fairly small niche - there weren't a ton of new 170mm, 27.5" wheeled bikes released this year, which is why I didn't have that many bikes that I'd ridden recently to use for comparison.
This just reads like another santa cruz infomercial.
There are poorly designed bikes out there, but no reviewer will ever say that for one reason or another, that's why it's frustrating. Some bikes are superior in one or many ways compared to others, but again, we don't get that from the reviews.
I attended a few test days/bike fests this year, certainly don't have the experience or skills any of the reviewers on Pinkbike does, but I did manage to find noticeable differences between similar bikes even after adjustments to fit my shape or style.
(I actually think this is a huge improvement over the last Nomads crap suspension curve though)
Think about in the past few years how many pros were riding Bronson's and hightowers when the nomad was targeted as ultimate enduro machine. Even more so now as the hightower has been beefed up to 150mm.
Joking aside, it's a good name for what I usually find myself doing, but I'd never heard it put that way.
#liftless
But sure, why not? There will be bikes I like more than others what's so strange? And some will be even objective, horrid pedal kickback, poor linkage/suspension unit pair, excessive chain drag on certain gears...
No need to be a nob just because I have preferences
it could be compared to something like the liteville 601 .
on the other hand, my 2012 Reign aluminum is 27.0 lbs with only a carbon bar, but of course it would not come close to the abilities this new Nomad has in fast treacherous terrain. Its quite possible this Nomad is not your cup of tea. but at 30lbs with the capabilities it has, for the intended user it is a fantastic package!
Santa Cruz is bought by the owners of Gazelle ... the owners of PON ... the family that owns the Dutch rights for VW/AUDI and whatever falls under that umbrella...
In Holland we had this commercial of the brands VW where an owner of a VW Passat was telling proud that his car got status... so what does your car have.... .same goes for Santa Cruz now I gues... haha ...
Perhaps it's the fact that I've seen everything, I owned some flashy stuff. So if I am to pay 3K+ (Which I would never do) for a frameset I'd expect it to be something spectacular.
No disagreement here. My next bike will likely be a YT or Canyon. Because I can't afford a Zerode.
Just wonder if we recognise correctly what a niche we are. And freeride is a niche within that niche.
And how many riders are splashing near 5 figures of their own cash on the Nomad?
They can't be selling heaps?
Do share if you have some excellent news!
Please post a video of your riding to determine the worthiness of this review and whether or not some other guy should get to annoy you a bunch by starting a pointless argument. Also a picture of your haircut and the last girl you dated. Also your credit score.
Sincerely,
Some Pinkbike Nancy
If a pro tells me 'this angle should be .25 degrees less' probably wouldn't matter to me, but if an average dude tells me 'it's hard to make the turns on this bike', I'd listen, why? Because I am an average rider! I can relate!
And then again, I really don't need a coach of his caliber if we have to go there.
A guy who can bunny hop, manual, rail berms and do a whip would teach me plenty as long as he's a good coach. Catch my drift?
I acknowledged that you were joking already though.
Sorry Mike, you may be becoming a meme.
have you no decency sir?
I have SO much decency!
All these "reviews" are just another form of advertising.
Agree with @steveczech that my MOJO G16 29 is a slug on the fire roads but handles uphill single track much better than one would expect from a 175mm 29er.
Now, all that said, it will never climb as well as short travel XC machine...and I'm ok with that. There's just no such thing as a magic bike. I just wanted to point out that the Nomad is probably more capable of a climber than this article leads on.
Looking at the orange 36 29ers gives 170mm lowers which is Ann option I’m exploring. If MOJO builds a dual crown 36 Id be wiring them money tomorrow.
I was in the market for a bike with 160+ mm travel as I needed something that would work for both trail riding and my occasional days in the bike park (no way I can afford to have two different bikes). I am an average rider that trail rides a majority of the time (~90% of my rides), but I also enjoy drops/jumps in the bike park (the biggest things I've hit are well-built bike park road gaps that are ~10' high measured vertically from the road to the launch, probably a 12-15' drop by the time you hit the landing). You aren't getting a carbon bike with 160+ travel without spending at least $4k, so to me the $5.3k price point was well worth the warranty and going through the LBS.
This bike climbs shockingly well for having 170mm of travel, sure it doesn't climb as fast as an XC bike, but there is very minimal pedal feedback and it can climb anything that I can thanks to the improved ST angle (I do not anticipate ever getting to the point where I have outpaced the ability of the bike to climb). My riding buddy who went from the N2 to the N4 says it absolutely climbs better than his old N2. I climb trails to descend (not the other way around), so I could care less if I get to the top a couple minutes faster or not, but I do like to be able to pedal up everything that my fitness level allows and the N4 does just that.
I personally find the bs regarding 'too much travel for my trails' to be just that... BS. The whole concept of a bike like this not being 'playful' enough for local trails is garbage (if your local trails are truly XC then that's another matter). I have a blast riding anything from smooth single track to the rough/steep/rocky terrain and this bike kills it at all of them. To each their own, but I will never understand the concept of why anyone would want to ride a 'playful' 120 mm bike over an N4 in any circumstance outside of the primary purpose of the bike being for flat XC trails.
On the rough stuff, the rear tire stays glued to the ground and you can go as fast as your ability/fear tolerance will allow (if your LBS has an N4, ask them to slam the rear wheel into the ground and watch how it doesn't bounce up like a DH rig would). On smooth single track or jump lines the suspension seems to read your mind as it is playful when you want it to be and the shock stays firm when you are compressing going into a takeoff, but is always ready to ramp up when you need it to on a big hit or drop (I have the air shock so can't comment on the coil version). My initial plan was to buy a coil shock this winter (the build kit I have doesn't offer the coil), but after spending the summer on the air shock I love the playfulness of it on local trails and it can still handle long sustained descents well enough that I have put my plans to change over to a coil on the backburner indefinitely.
The bike corners amazingly well, and I have had no problems negotiating switchbacks whether they are on the climb or the descents. The only negative that I can come up with after a summer of riding the N4 is that due to the low bottom bracket height if you are pedaling through rocky traverses or climbs that you will have issues with pedal strikes. This seems to be pretty typical of modern geometry bikes, but is worth stating nonetheless, as you will definitely be replacing pedal pins.
If you are looking for a 160+ mm bike that does everything well then you can't go wrong with the N4. Do not listen to the naysayers that say that this bike is only a park/shuttle rig as it is 100% untrue.
I demo'd last year's Bronson on Entertainment then ToW/Rent $ (definitely stretched my 'hour' demo a bit) so that's the closest thing I have to compare to a shorter travel bike, I personally wasn't a fan of the lesser travel, but could totally see where someone might prefer it on our trails in Helena.
I probably could have phrased the 'BS' comment a bit better - my main point was that people shouldn't write off a bike because it has more travel than what might be considered the 'ideal' trail bike for an area.
Cheers!
Is climbing EVER more than just a "means to an end" ...at least for most of the PB readers?
Nah. I love a good, difficult, single track climb. Having to navigate your bike over wet roots, up hill, off camber, whilst traversing a switchback is not only fun, but satisfying to pull off. It requires real finesse that you don't get when gravity is helping to propel you through the same. Not that going downhill doesn't require its own set of skills, but its just different.
Plan was just to sell the n4 complete. Built it up, had to have a Go, then needed another go to be sure. Rode the capra again, rode the n4 again, then rode both again on the same loop, in the same conditions, with the same bars, stem and tyres.
Basically I'd describe the nomad as a capra on crack, find it much more engaging and playful, feels way more energetic.
I broke my first tues in whis and second one here in the uk.
That said, it's overkill unless you live some place where you can actually do a 500+ foot descent on a regular basis.
There is no hiding the length and the travel on your local XC loop.
Waiting to see someone put a dual crown on it and build it up as a proper mini-DH sled.
VPP with the shock driven off the lower link is so much better. Riding this back to back with my Bronson made me realize how VPP with the shock driven off the upper link is a dead end.
Thanks
We actually only have three mountains even theoretically big enough to have that much vertical...
In return for That 10% lost climbing you gain an exponential return going down. This thing is on rails!!! corners great, Pedals good, a lot of fun, very poppy and agile. Negatives perhaps heavy for a carbon( i have the S kit with a carbon bar and mallets dh pedals, 31.6 pds) bike but again this is build like a mini DH, and pedaling on rocky stuff pedal strikes. I live in NJ and i cant said that we have 1k plus decents on regular trails but it is sure more fun blasting through every thing faster. I go to the bike park perhaps 15-20 time a year, so this bike made perfect sense as a one bike to do it all. Do yourself a favor and demo one, decide for your self, I am happy i did.
Thankfully in today's market, is flooded with amazing bikes at half the cost of this SC.
Just no getting away from the fact it's the rider that makes all the difference and not some botique bike.
So why pay more ?!
The answer is once and for all: "No!!!"
test or ride."
While PB may not be paid for their reviews, they do receive free bikes (or equipment) to test and they try to keep every brand happy as it would only take one review of "Bike brand A stinks when compared to brand B" to put them in hot water with brand B despite it being honest.
How's that Spartan Review coming?
I have had wet dreams about owning a Santa Cruz bike since I left college years ago. I suffer on uphills so I can bomb the downhills. I currently own a 2011 Transition Blindside and its totally awesome. Its weird, this bike has saved my ass on many of f’ed up jumps and I will never sell it! But, its time for an upgrade and I have been drooling over the delicious N4 Nomad. The reviews are stellar, but reading all of these comments makes me wonder. The bike is insanely expensive and it does look like a high school shop project gone wrong. Looking at other bikes in the same realm as the badass N4, I found a few that smee to fit the same mold and cheaper. But, they’re not a super sexy SC and maybe I just deserve my dream bike. Or, maybe I should save some bucks and buy my GF a bike with the savings I would get buying this bike.
Here is one that has my attention and almost half the price.
www.rosebikes.com/products/bikes/mtb/freeride/soul-fire
What would you buy??
Any help is appreciate!
Thanks for all of your thoughts, bitch sssions, and I don't know what the hell you're saying things. It did really help my decision to go with the SC N4. See you on the trails, maybe:-)
Thanks for all of your thoughts, bitch sssions, and I don't know what the hell you're saying things. It did really help my decision to go with the SC N4. See you on the trails, maybe:-)
Modern mountain bike ? My 2012 26" enduro has a threaded bottom bracket and room for a water bottle.
What's your take on these two compared to the Nomad?
Anyone compare a nomad 4 vs the firebird? Those are the two bikes that seems really to compete with each other. Possibly the new tracer as well.
Already have the Nomad and its great but those were my other two considerations.
Yiu could either compress both the fork and shock at the same time, or better yet, fix a gopro onto a mount of some kind fixed to the front triangle. That way when you played it back it would show the wheel going up rather than the bb going down.
My past couple bikes have been SantaCruz. I had a Nomad3. Started with size Large N3 because I always ride a large at 6’2”. It was tiny so I traded for XL which was better. XL Hightower was better still. So I went XL N4 and it is huuuuuuge. Incredibly stable at speed but not nimble at all. Great bike, wish there wasn’t such a large gap between L/XL. Wasn’t able to demo when they first came out so my fault.
When i was considering buying one I demo'd a L frame and after launching it off some retaining walls near the LBS (I asked if they minded 1st) I was sold on the air even though I was skeptical initially. Another year or two on it and I could more confidently say how it will be longer term, but season 1 was great and the air shock felt bottomless even on bigger drops all year. Originally I had planned to buy a coil shock this winter, but I love the air version enough that it isn't worth the $ to me anymore.
That said, if I had been looking at the more expensive build kits at the time I was buying I definitely would have gone with the coil (I got the s-kit w/ the gx eagle so the coil wasn't an option - LBS did ask SC about swapping it for me but wasn't happening even though I would have been willing to pay a bit of an up charge)
If ever I'd read hyperbole that means as little as those words. That statement equates to "tits on a bull".
Consider that a lapse in judgement.
:-)
Even on flat non-technical trails it was fun, active, tempting me to pop off the smallest of features. Sure it's 30 pounds, but I'm over 200 (and almost 50) and don't notice a few pounds either way on the bike. Sure if you are racing the clock there are faster bikes on the non-technical stuff.... but I'm more after fun than beating the clock.
The nomad 4 pedals well, climbs well, and is a huge upgrade from my 10+ year old SC Blur LT. I don't do bike parks, never taken my bike on a lift, and only very occasionally a shuttle (mostly downieville). The nomad is an awesome bike and I think quite a few people don't even give it a chance. Ride it and decide for yourself.
If you are looking for a single bike to do it all I think the nomad is definitely in the running. The hightower LT was a close second, very capable bike, a bit faster on the flats, rolls a bit better. But I can't quite pin it down, just not quite as fun for me.
Actually though, it looks way better in person. Especially the tan colourway.
I wish they would push the middle of the bike ,so the fork compresses too
really bugs me
/spits out coffee
Starts @ $7399 and goes to $12449...
mbosc.org/anteup
You mean to tell me, all I need to do is pony up $8500 and I'll end up with a bicycle that will work well?
Wow!
When you consider for the same money, you could also buy a 450 mx bike-complete with A MOTOR(housing titanium bits), and forks that have REAL Diamond-Like Coating(what the black crap on MTB fork stanchions are mimicking), and chassis and suspension technology that will take another 10 years to trickle down to the MTB world- $8500 for a pedal bike ..?
What a bargain!
If you needed to do up a bolt really tight would you choose a long spanner or a short spanner?
So yeah, you have to pull less with your finger to get the same result. And if you pull the same amount as you did with the smaller brake then you get more braking.
Personally i'd like to see them stop complaining about what grips come on a bike before i would want to see it in video format.
And @Smokey79, I'm not on the offensive, I'm genuinely curious - if someone's having issues with a product I'm having good luck with I want to hear about it.
Not to mention the shop I worked in had to send back near every single OEM Shimano brake in the 14/15 season for leaking and contaminated pads. I've had a customers XT brakeset replaced from near new for being 'potentially dangerous', though he did get a free XTR upgrade lucky bugger.
By comparison I've never had a Sram or Avid brake warranty out of the following brakesets on multiple bikes I've owned over the last 10 years: 3 x Guide RSC (2 x Trail caliper, 1 x S4 caliper), 2 x Guide RS, 1 x Guide Ultimate, 1 x Avid Code R, 1 x Avid Elixir R, 1 x Avid X0 Trail, 1 x Avid Juicy 5. And until the sticky piston issue never had to warranty or excessively bleed any customers brakes.
Reverbs and forks on the other hand...