2021 SANTA CRUZ HIGHTOWER 2 AL 29 D MOUNTAIN BIKE
If you want to spread your bets on a mountain bike that's going to help you take on as many trails as you can then the Santa Cruz Hightower 2 AL 29" D Mountain Bike 2021 may be the bike for you. Designed to work equally well as a trail bike and an Enduro racer, this bike keeps a foot in both camps to ensure you can get involved in any off-road riding. In the Santa Cruz line up it sits between the full suspension whippet that is the Santa Cruz Tallboy and the longer travel Santa Cruz Megatower. This means you can still send it up and down hills competitively but minimise the chance of feeling overbiked on your most challenging local trails.

The Hightower gives a confidence-inspiring ride and at the heart of this is it's 150mm front and 140mm rear travel suspension which helps to soak up the worst the trail has to throw at you while still giving the bike a lively feel. Santa Cruz has also slackened the head angle in line with modern trends to 65 degrees, meaning you get a stable, planted ride without feeling too sluggish on the flats or the hills.

If this all sounds too middle-ground for you, you can fine-tune your ride by making use of Hightowers "Flip Chip" style adjustable suspension. In the high bottom bracket setting, you can better tackle techy trails and have the chance to run plus-sized tyres more efficiently. In the lower setting, the bike's shock rate is more progressive, and it helps you avoid the suspension bottoming out on big jumps.

You get a great mixture of quality SRAM MTB components at this spec level, benefitting from trickle-down technology that arrives via their years of development in the market. SX EAGLE drivetrain components give a broad 11-50 range on your cassette, and this is paired to a small 30t chainring to make sure that the steepest of climbs are within reach. Braking comes thanks to SRAM Guide calipers and levers which help to regulate speed on the longest of descents thanks to its four-piston design.

Santa Cruz also implements sensible riding features for everyday use like space for a regular water bottle and an easy to maintain threaded bottom bracket to keep your riding creak free. Frame protection comes courtesy of a tailgate shuttle guard to help protect your bike when you transport it and downtube and chainstay guards to protect from debris and chain damage while you ride.

HIGHLIGHTS :
• A true all rounder option, perfect for trail riding or enduro racing
• Lower-link-mounted shock creates a nearly linear leverage curve meaning all bumps can be absorbed in the same style as Santa Cruz's V10 downhill bike
• More travel than the previous generation with slacker 65-degree head tube angle
• Space for a water bottle in the frame and has a threaded BB
• Packed with frame protection to protect your ride
• Lifetime frame warranty, lifetime pivot bearing replacement policy with Santa Cruz

SPECIFICATION :
Frame
Santa Cruz Hightower 2 AL 29" with VPP lower-link, threaded bottom bracket, refined cable routing, tailgate shuttle guard, downtube protector, shock guard, and noise-cancelling chainstay protector 140mm travel
Fork
RockShox 35 Gold RL, 150mm, 29"
Rear Shock
FOX Float Performance DPS
Bottom Bracket
SRAM DUB 68/73mm
Stem
RaceFace Ride
Handlebar
RaceFace Aeffect R
Front Brake
SRAM Guide T hydraulic disc, with Avid Centerline 180mm rotor
Rear Brake
SRAM Guide T hydraulic disc, with Avid Centerline 180mm rotor
Brake Levers
SRAM Guide T, hydraulic
Rear Derailleur
SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed
Shift Levers
SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed
Cassette
SRAM PG1210, 12-speed, 11-50t
Chain
SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed
Crankset
SRAM SX Eagle 148 DUB, 30t
Front Wheel
Hub - Thru-axle SRAM MTH 716, 15x110, Torque Cap, 32h / Rim - WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 29" / Spokes - Sapim Race
Rear Wheel
Hub - Thru-axle SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h / Rim - WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 29" / Spokes - Sapim Race
Front Tyre
Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C, MaxxGRIP, EXO, tubeless-ready clincher
Rear Tyre
Maxxis Minion DHR 29"x2.4", 3C, EXO, tubeless-ready clincher
Saddle
WTB Silverado Race saddle
Seatpost
SDG Tellis
Pedals
N/A