The mountain bike distilled.
The newest version of the Hightower remains Santa Cruz's greatest hits of engineering - now further refined and bottled into our most all-terrain of bikes. Big on wheels, medium on travel, short on fuss, this is the do-it-all model that does it over and over again thanks to a versatile balance of geo, spec and durability. If you’re not looking for extremes, just something extremely good, the Hightower is your elevator.
Engineering Details
Santa Cruz's Engineers’ Greatest Hits
Not all frames are created equal. Hightower represents Santa Cruz’s greatest hits, showcasing our design, engineering, and performance prowess.
Lower Link Assembly
The highly-sculpted and optimized Lower Link (A) houses a geometry adjusting Flip Chip (B) and beefy Pivot Axles (C) to virtually eliminate lateral flex.
Upper Link Assembly
Santa Cruz only uses the highest quality Enduro MAX or TPX sealed, radial bearings (A) and premium fasteners (B) for our linkage assemblies. They’re easy to properly torque and maintain, plus we offer free replacement bearings for life.
One-Piece Swingarm
VPP suspension utilizes a one-piece swingarm that eliminates the need for pivots on the stays, creating a stout, bulletproof rear end for accurate tracking and superior performance
Carbon Mastery
The Sag Window (A), Glovebox (B) and internal cable tunnels (not shown) demonstrate Santa Cruz’s expertise at combining practical function with carbon design and manufacturing artistry.
The Sum of the Parts
In isolation, all these things are great—together with fanatical suspension tuning, a premium build spec, and a meticulous attention-to-detail, they’re transcendent.
Specifications
| Kit |
|
| Price | $5499USD |
| Weight | 14.52kg / 32.02lbs |
| Material | Carbon C |
| Fork | RockShox Lyrik Base, 150mm |
| Shock | FOX Float Performance DPS 210x55 |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd |
| Shifters | SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd |
| Crankset | SRAM Descendant Eagle 148 DUB 30t |
| Cassette | SRAM PG1230, 12spd, 11-50t |
| Chain | SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB |
| Brakes | SRAM G2 R |
| Brake Rotors | Avid Centerline 200mm/180mm |
| Headset | Cane Creek 10 IS Integrated Headset |
| Bars | RaceFace Aeffect R, 780mm |
| Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm |
| Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips |
| Front Hub | SRAM MTH 716, 15x110, Torque Cap, 32h |
| Rear Hub | SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h |
| Rims | RaceFace AR Offset 30 29" |
| Front Tire | Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C MaxxGrip, EXO, TR |
| Rear Tire | Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C Maxx-Terra, EXO, TR |
| Tubes | Reserve Tubeless Sealant |
| Seat Post | SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6 |
| Seat | WTB Silverado Medium CroMo |
Geometry
High
| S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 430 | 455 | 475 | 495 | 520 |
| Stack | 611 | 625 | 634 | 652 | 665 |
| Head Tube Angle | 64.8° | 64.8° | 64.8° | 64.8° | 64.8° |
| Seat Tube Length | 380 | 405 | 430 | 460 | 500 |
| Front Center | 752 | 783 | 807 | 836 | 867 |
| BB Height | 342 | 342 | 342 | 342 | 342 |
| BB Drop | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| Wheelbase | 1183 | 1217 | 1244 | 1276 | 1310 |
| Rear Center | 431 | 434 | 437 | 440 | 443 |
| Head Tube Length | 100 | 115 | 125 | 145 | 160 |
| Top Tube Length | 571 | 599 | 626 | 647 | 674 |
| Seat Tube Angle | 77° | 77° | 76.7° | 76.9° | 76.9° |
| Standover Height | 706 | 708 | 711 | 714 | 719 |
Low
| S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 427 | 452 | 472 | 492 | 517 |
| Stack | 613 | 627 | 636 | 654 | 668 |
| Head Tube Angle | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° |
| Seat Tube Length | 380 | 405 | 430 | 460 | 500 |
| Front Center | 752 | 783 | 807 | 836 | 867 |
| BB Height | 339 | 338 | 338 | 338 | 338 |
| BB Drop | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Wheelbase | 1183 | 1218 | 1245 | 1276 | 1311 |
| Rear Center | 432 | 435 | 438 | 441 | 444 |
| Head Tube Length | 100 | 115 | 125 | 145 | 160 |
| Top Tube Length | 572 | 600 | 627 | 648 | 675 |
| Seat Tube Angle | 76.7° | 76.7° | 76.4° | 76.6° | 76.7° |
| Standover Height | 701 | 703 | 706 | 709 | 714 |
