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Today’s Deals2021 Santa Cruz
Hightower XT / Carbon C / 29
A 29″ carbon frame full suspension trail bike with high-end components.
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Manufacturer Price
$6,749| Frame | Carbon |
|---|---|
| Suspension | Full, 145 / 150mm |
| Fork | Fox Performance Elite Float 36 |
| Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ |
| Wheels | 29″ Aluminum |
| Drivetrain | 1 × 12 |
| Groupset | XT |
| Brakes | Shimano XT Hydraulic Disc |
| Seatpost | Dropper |
5'0" – 5'6"
5'4" – 5'10"
5'8" – 6'1"
6'0" – 6'5"
6'3" – 6'8"
None yet.
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Summary
The Santa Cruz Hightower is a versatile and capable trail bike, praised for its excellent suspension performance, balanced geometry, and all-rounder prowess. It excels in both climbing and descending, offering a lively yet stable ride. The bike's high-quality construction and lifetime warranty add to its appeal, though it comes at a premium price.
Superlative suspension performance
Versatile and capable on various terrains
Excellent climbing efficiency
High-quality construction and lifetime warranty
Balanced and lively ride quality
Premium price point
Heavier than some competitors
Setup can be tricky for optimal performance
The Hightower is a truly special bike. A properly delicious, ‘I’ve really treated myself here’ experience.
Bike PerfectThe Hightower allowed you the choice of riding a bit firmer or softer without losing the ability to transfer cranking power to the rear wheel.
BikerumorIt’s the Hightower’s all-rounder prowess and how easy it is to ride that really stand out, with it consistently proving itself, no matter what lay ahead of it.
BikeRadarFeedback?
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Dec 2022 · Spencer Astra
After riding the gamut of 150-millimeter-travel trail bikes over the past year, I thought I’d pretty much covered the spectrum. That was, however, until I got the chance to ride the Santa Cruz Hightower 3. From my very first ride, I could tell that this bike was something special, and it showed me just how much room was left in my heart for another do-it-all trail bike. Given that this is Santa Cruz’s top-of-the-line, Hightower 3 X01 AXS RSV model, featuring an impressive array of high-end components, perhaps this should hardly be surprising. This bike feels possessed to move efficiently through all terrain. It stays light on its toes and puts the rider in a balanced pocket. With the 76.4-degree seat-tube angle in the low setting and a 438-millimeter chainstay, I had no issues keeping the front end planted to the ground on steep climbs. The geometry is incredibly balanced between climbing and descending, and the suspension platform remains ultra-supportive even when mashing the pedals out of the saddle, thanks to the anti-squat tuning of the rear suspension. This, along with the comfortable cockpit setup, makes the Hightower 3 ideal for all-day sufferfests.
Dec 2022 · Mike Levy
The ingredients seem run-of-the-mill, but the outcome is anything but.
A very impressive all-rounder
Loves any and all corners
Middle of the road geo will work for everyone
Not the absolute best at anything... but it is good at lots of things.
We had issues with the derailleur, brake levers
It's your money, but the price seems... pricey
Oct 2022 · Ian Collins
This Spring, Santa Cruz sent us the new Hightower for testing. Now in its third iteration, the All Mountain bike is the brand’s utilitarian offering – the most “one and done” bike in their lineup. Since there hasn’t exactly been a ton of new developments in that category over the last couple of years, I was very much looking forward to trying it out on my local trails. With new kinematics, internal downtube storage and a slew of other updates the sum of those parts make it a much different machine than the last Hightower, even if it might not
Sep 2022 · JJ Joshua Squires
The Hightower is one of Santa Cruz' most versatile bikes and seems to blur the lines between the trail and all mountain categories.
Aug 2022 · Guy Kesteven
The subtle evolutions on Santa Cruz’s latest Hightower make an already awesome all-rounder truly transcendent on the trails
Superlative, positive suspension
Excellent hard and fast handling
Fantastic surefooted yet lively ride
Lifetime frame, bearing and rim warranty
Wealth of user friendly features
Beautifully engineered internal storage
Significantly heavier and more expensive than V2
Questionable tire choice
Feb 2020 · Robin Weaver
A seriously capable trail bike that’ll handle just about anything, but it doesn’t come cheap
Well-balanced and easy to ride
Geometry creates plenty of stability but still maintains a lively feel
Well-considered spec choices
It’s certainly not cheap. Thankfully, Santa Cruz offers some good builds on alloy frames for a lot less money
Feb 2020 · Christoph Bayer
Is that a Santa Cruz Hightower, Megatower, Nomad or Bronson? At first glance, Santa Cruz’s latest models are difficult to tell apart. But the differences are clearly noticeable on the trail. Read on to find out how the new Hightower rides. Click here for an overview of the best trail bike in test. With the […]
Lots of fun in every terrain
Direct and playful handling
High-quality workmanship and a lifetime guarantee
Front heavy handling in steep terrain
Rear suspension is rather firm
| Frame | Hightower XT / Carbon C / 29 BB Standard: BSA, 73mm, Threaded Colors: Smoke Grey and Ivory; Ember and Carbon |
|---|---|
| Fork | FOX 36 Float Performance Elite, 150mm, 29" Travel: 150mm Spring Type: Air |
| Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ Travel: 145mm |
| Bottom Bracket | Shimano XT 68/73mm |
| Headset | Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated |
| Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3 |
| Handlebar | Santa Cruz Bicycles Carbon Riser |
| Saddle | WTB Silverado Team |
| Seatpost | RockShox Reverb Stealth Type: Dropper |
| Grips | Santa Cruz Palmdale Grips |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano XT M8100, 12spd |
|---|---|
| Crank | Shimano XT M8100, 30t |
| Shifters | Shimano XT M8100, 12spd |
| Cassette | Shimano XT M8100, 12spd, 10-51t |
| Chain | Shimano XT, 12spd |
| Brakes | Shimano XT Type: Shimano XT Hydraulic Disc |
| Rims | RaceFace ARC Offset 30 29" |
|---|---|
| Spokes | Sapim Race |
| Front Hub | DT Swiss 350, 15x110, 28h |
| Rear Hub | DT 350, 12x148, MicroSpline, 28h |
| Tires | Front: Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C, MaxxGRIP, EXO, TR, Rear: Maxxis Minion DHR 29"x2.4", 3C, EXO, TR |
| Disc Rotors | Shimano XT RT86 Ice Tech 180mm |
First added October 1
Last updated June 4
Not listed for 1,835 days