First Ride: 2021 Santa Cruz 5010 - Get Jibby With It
The original Santa Cruz 5010 debuted in 2013, accompanied by a video of Steve Peat pedalling away in the hills of Scotland. Back then it was touted as a bike for backcountry adventures, a quick, snappy machine for those all-day missions. In the years since it's morphed into something a little different, in part due to the antics of riders like Josh 'Loosedog' Lewis.
The fourth generation is now aimed more at riders who regularly find themselves searching for bonus doubles and little trailside features to goof around on rather than trying to snag KOMs or crush the local enduro race series.
The fourth generation is now aimed more at riders who regularly find themselves searching for bonus doubles and little trailside features to goof around on rather than trying to snag KOMs or crush the local enduro race series.
Santa Cruz 5010 Details
• Wheelsize: 27.5"
• Carbon C or CC frame
• Travel: 130mm (r) / 140mm fork
• 65.4 or 65.7-degree head angle
• 429mm chainstays (size L)
• Colors: Loosely Blue, Raspberry Sorbet
• Price: $4,099 - $8,099 USD
• santacruzbikes.com
• Wheelsize: 27.5"
• Carbon C or CC frame
• Travel: 130mm (r) / 140mm fork
• 65.4 or 65.7-degree head angle
• 429mm chainstays (size L)
• Colors: Loosely Blue, Raspberry Sorbet
• Price: $4,099 - $8,099 USD
• santacruzbikes.com
Along with the new frame design, the 5010 also underwent the expected longer and slacker treatment, and the chainstay lengths now vary depending on frame size. There are five sizes, from XS up to XL, with Loosely Blue or Raspberry Sorbet as the color options. The Juliana Furtado is the women's version, which shares the same frame but gets a women's specfic seat and different grips than the 5010. That model is available in sizes XS – M.
At the moment the 5010 is only available with a carbon C or CC frame. Complete bikes starting at $4,099 and going all the way up to $8,099 USD for the version shown here, which has a SRAM X01 drivetrain with an Eagle 52 cassette, Reserve carbon wheels, SRAM G2 brakes, and Maxxis Minion DHR II tires.
Frame Details
One new feature on the 5010 is SRAM's universal derailleur hanger. The design's not that different from what Santa Cruz used in the past, but with the UDH the idea is that shops, even ones that aren't Santa Cruz dealers, will have an inexpensive replacement available in a pinch.
The 5010 has internal cable routing, downtube protection in two spots to protect the frame from flying rocks and shuttle rub, and a ribbed chainstay protector to keep chainslap noise to a minimum. There's also a threaded bottom bracket, a feature that's been in place ever since the original version.
The 5010 is spec'd with 2.4" tires front and rear, but there's enough clearance to run up to a 2.6" width if you're a fan of extra meaty tires.
Geometry
It'll be strange the day when a new bike comes out that isn't longer and slacker than its predecessor... We're not there yet, and the new 5010 has a slightly slacker head angle than before at 65.4-degrees with a 140mm fork. The reach has increased by 15 millimeters on the size large, and now measures 472mm in the low geometry setting. There's a steeper seat tube angle of 77.2 degrees to accompany that longer reach, which means that the top tube length is actually 5mm shorter than before.
The chainstay length now increases by 3mm per size. In keeping with the bike's intended nature they're still relatively short, even on the largest frame size, but it's nice to see another company heading down the proportional chainstay length route.
Suspension Design
Santa Cruz like to keep their suspension numbers close to their chest, which means I don't have any fancy graphs to include in this article. However, Dan Roberts' analysis of the Megatower is a good place to start for more insight into how the lower link driven VPP suspension layout works.
The main difference between the kinematics of the new vs. old 5010 is the shape of the leverage ratio curve. Previously it had a slight hump in the curve where the leverage ratio increased before decreasing. On the new model, that curve is now a diagonal line without any sudden dips or dives. That should mean that the suspension ramps up smoothly through its travel, with a consistent feel from beginning to end.
The 5010 in Raspberry Sorbet...
...and the Juliana Furtado in Spicy Redwood Photo: Jason Thomas
Build Kits & Pricing
Mitch Ropelato looks better on a bike than I do. And his choice of footwear is perfect.
Ride Impressions
I have a couple of rides in on the 5010 so far, and despite the geometry and suspension changes its playful nature still shines through. Yes, it's longer and slacker than before, but that short back end and smaller wheels do make it easy to manual, pump, and jump.
I will say it doesn't quite have the same level of snappiness as its predecessors – some of that sharpness had been dulled a bit, but that does make it feel better in rougher terrain. It's become more versatile, even though the amount of travel hasn't increased. It's essentially a Hightower with smaller wheels and a little less travel, and for some riders that's going to be exactly what they've been looking for.
Sarah Moore is going to be putting a Furtado through its paces over the next few months – stay tuned for a long term review later this summer.
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I'm starting to think brands want their stuff to stand out as theirs...
Anyone in a major market city can justify it easier. In Seymour Indiana where you pay $300/month rent vs San Francisco where u pay $3000/mo.
1.5months rent for a bike or 15months rent...
Now you can't have suddenly a 8000ft mountain with awesome rocky trails that grows on your 600ft flattish hill
Last Winter we had 3.5 pow days (all in a row) ALL SEASON.
... Far too many people still own wide skis.
27.5 and 29 both has their places, in my opinion it is mainly split by rider height/ leg length.
Its still, geo wise, more conservative than other bikes from 2018 from brands like yeti, transition, kona, nukeproof, evil, etc
Kinda strage?
Agree with you on the others though, and the 5010 vs the Calling would be a fun test read
That being said I just got a current Bronson. It does feel small and I kind of love it. Probably not ideal for high speeds or the steepest double blacks but if your playground is techy single blacks it's basically perfect. Besides bigger feels safer but I have a funny feeling a lot of us would actually be quicker on a smaller bike.
Everyone: Case closed. You can go home now. And please, ride what you have, and enjoy it. : )
Six grand for the C level carbon, entry level Select + suspension and a Shimano drive train that is significantly cheaper at the OEM level than GX.
And remember, Santa Cruz was able to get an exemption form the additional tariffs for at least a few more months - enough time for them to ship almost their entire 2021 line out at least. The margins on this bike must be incredible.
That said, if you want one, buy it now. If the tariffs kick in you will be laying an extra 250-500$ for a crappy C level bike.
I love Santa Cruz, but I’ll never buy a new one without a discount.
Compared to an Ibis Mojo, the XT build is $6100 and yes you get factory suspension, but 2 piston brakes and just about everything else is equal, so slightly better value, yes. Compared to a Yeti SB140, their XT build is $6900 and you do get the higher end turq frame and full XT with about everything else being equal.
If it were me, and I had $6k to spend, ya I'd prob buy the Ibis Mojo as well, but I'd also try to find the extra $900 for the X01 and CC frame build or consider spending $5k for the GX build. That build is just particularly bad value, with others being quite good, to average at best. It's not like SC is taking everyone for a ride any more than anyone else.
Since the 5010 looks just like all of SC's other bikes with exact same suspension design, why not just get one of SC's longer travel bikes (like the new Bronson which should be coming out soon, or their 29er Hightower). The reasons to get short travel trail bikes, is that they are a bit lighter and much snappier to ride, and fun to pop off everything and the 5010 does not fall into the "lightweight" short travel bike category. The 5010 C XT weighs 31lbs for $7199. In comparison, the Ibis Mojo4 XT w/carbon wheel upgrade weighs 28.5lbs for $6,900. Not only is the Mojo4 less expensive, but also 2lbs lighter, so I'm sure it is more fun and playful to ride. Not sure why many bikes are getting so heavy, as not everyone weighs 200lbs and sending 40-50ft gaps. For example, my Trance Advanced Pro 29 0 (w/ X01 & enduro parts build), cost me CAD $6,000 and weighs less than 26.5lbs, with Minions and a piggyback shock.
Here's the PB article and a XL weighs 26.9lbs. When my LBS weighed my size Medium Trance Advanced Pro 29 0, it weighed "under" 26.5lbs, closer to 26lbs if I recall. www.pinkbike.com/news/first-ride-2019-giant-trance-29.html
Here's a review on the bike: www.giant-bicycles.com/ca/news/trance-29-earns-bicycling-gear-of-the-year-award/23376
The calling is a very impressive bike and the geometry is almost spot on. The only thing I would change is a a slightly steeper seat tube. 76 or 77 degrees would be enough in my view and that would require a few millimeters added to the reach to keep it balanced but would not change the geo much more. Its a very and current capable bike. In some ways the Insurgent is a little redundant for me because the calling could be paired with a 160mm fork, but I prefer to have a longer travel bike for steeper trails, park days and to take to Chile (where I am from) once or twice a year. If I could only have one bike, I would probably keep the Calling with a 150mm fork. Its a very impressive bike that rides like a slalom bike and also like an enduro if required.
Look at the weight of V1... all trail bikes have gone heavier, not saying it's a good thing !
Lol at people saying all SC bikes look the same, have these same people seen the Yeti, Scott, Ibis, Trek etc lineup? Haha everybody has their own design language it’s their signature look so their brand is instantly recognizable on the trails.
Was considering the 5010 as a replacement for the smaller bike, but these new models seem headed towards enduro-type riding. What would be a good middle-ground these days?
When I had my 2013 santa cruz SOLO, i chucked a -2 angle set in it after one ride....
Maybe in a couple years though...
I have a V10 and a Nomad and my wife has a Bronson.
These are 215mm, 170mm and 150mm.
The difference between a V10 and Nomad should be obvious with 45mm (21%) difference in travel, and it is extremely obvious. V10 is sluggish when it's flat or up but blows the Nomad out of the water at high speed in rough terrain. Don't believe anyone who says their bike is 'basically a DH bike' unless it is, because otherwise it's definitely not.
The Nomad to Bronson is 20mm (12%) is a smaller jump, so the difference should be less noticeable than the V10/Nomad. However it's actually quite noticeable. When I told my wife I wanted a 5010, she didn't understand. So we swapped bikes for barely one minute in a trail more suited to shorter travel (but fast and downhill). She couldn't believe how much more of a handful my Nomad was, and I was actually quite surprised how spritely her Bronson was.
The difference between the Bronson and 5010 is 20mm too, so I expect the difference will be just as noticeable, if not more. It will be probably much more noticeable going from Nomad to a 5010 than a V10 to a Nomad.
The question remains 'why', then? I used to have a blur 4X that I replaced with the first carbon Nomad. It was a tough decision because the 4X was the most fun bike I'd ever had (I had a V10 too at the time). It totally encourages hooliganism. Absolute blast to ride. And when I took my Nomad on its first ride I thought I made the wrong decision as it felt sluggish. After a few rides I got used to it and grew to love the headroom of having more travel to smash a little more like a V10. I'd never give up my Nomad as a lot of my riding really makes one shine. But a lot of my riding also doesn't.
There's nothing quite like the feeling that you are tearing the ass right off your bike, and that's nearly impossible to do on a V10, rare to do on a Nomad, a little more frequent on a Bronson, but the name of the game on a 4X that has been modernized into the latest incarnation, the 5010. And I can't wait to feel that again.
I have also spent plenty of time on a hardtail in Garbo zone, and totally understand that any bike, Bronson or otherwise, 'can' do anything. But you won't see a Bronson win a World Cup XC or DH, which is why there are more models to choose from. The 5010 will be a better bike at what I want to use it for than a Bronson, Nomad or V10. And, will certainly be way better for me than an XC whippet, which as it turns out some people actually enjoy too (even though I would never want one).
Thankfully, we have options so we can all have what we want.
Bronson will for sure give you more room to push your own limits if you're trying to progress. And if the 4X is any guide, you will be able to take a 5010 just about anywhere and do anything that's currently in your comfort level, although you won't be able to push it as hard. I expect that if I take the 5010 for a ride that I expect to be flatter, and end up scoring a shuttle to the top of a burly descent, it will still be up for the task as long as I don't expect to go balls to the wall when it gets super rowdy. I'll no doubt prefer I had a bigger bike with me, but I'll also be glad that my "XC" bike was a 5010 and not an actual XC bike.
I'm of the opinion that a lot of people have more travel than they need. But I'm also of the opinion that someone who is trying to progress a great deal from where they are now to where they want to be can also benefit from having a bit more travel than they usually need.
2019: Hightower, Megatower, and Tallboy.
2018: Bronson, 5010, and Blur
2017: Nomad (and the now-dead HTLT)
2016: Hightower and Tallboy
2015: Bronson and 5010
2014: Nomad
2013: 5010, Bronson, Tallboy
So my two cents, there will be a new Bronson in not too long.
To your point, I fail to see where things go from here. Maybe new suspension designs as they can make any bike suck or be awesome.
I had four Santa Cruz bikes in a row. They were awesome. Now I have a direct-to-consumer bike and saved $1500ish for the build I wanted compared to getting a Megatower. It's just as awesome (and beats the Megatower in most head-to-head reviews).
(They did finally come to their senses a bit...for goodness sakes their stock images on their webpage are so dark and drab. Not doing the colors justice).
WhatsApp: +6281382402331
Also specialized have all options, etc;
Any thoughts from people who own/have owned one?
Although price and value was a big sticking point for me. My pricepoint is the entry-level models for most bikes. Which is fine - i'm quite bad at mountain biking so i don't need a super bling factory spec. But it just seemed that, even if the bottom spec level was perfectly adequate for my needs/ability, i was getting a really bad deal for rhe money. I think i had to go up two spec levels (to about £4k) just to get a dropper. It might be pure stubbornness, but it really put me off.
Something else cropped up on sale so i ended up not looking into it any further.
Still, they look like really fun bikes and i still wonder...
Even though the quality feel is all over the bike, it's still quite expensive for what you get honestly. (€60 cranks on a €6K bike is not ok. And then I'm not going to mention the Guide R brakes...)
You're better of with getting an end of season deal on one of these.; There should be plenty '20 5010's around, since it just got revamped.
Not in the market for a new bike any more as i picked up a bargain with something else last year. But i really feel like their pricing is just not justifiable for me if i was. The entry level alloy ones were potentially priced as an option, but the component spec (whilst perfectly adequate for my use/ability) just felt like i'd be getting the worst deal ever - especially since the lowest priced models weren't that cheap to begin with. Which just really didn't sit right with me if you can understand that. I mean the fact that they couldn't even spec a basic Brand X (which i've had and highly rate) or similar dropper really irritated me. I just don't feel like i should have to climb the spec-tiers to get something so standard.
If i do happen to see one for demo, i may still give it a go out of curiosity.
True. I'm not someone who expects high-spec for low cost either (although there are brands that can deliver it to varying degrees). I appreciate that if you want the best, you gotta pay for it.
But i don't think it's unreasonable to expect to get at least a fair spec for the price being asked - regardless of which end of the spectrum your budget stretches to.
High cost for low spec is just plain offputting.
Dont even get me started on the norco sights value vs. price paid...
The primer grey looks like they forgot to paint the bike, and what about everyone's favourite.... Hotdog and mustard colour. Really have no idea what they're thinking.
Different strokes...
(I remember it well unfortunately)
geometrygeeks.bike/bike/santa-cruz-5010-2021
2.- this is now a bronson with a bit less travel, the previous 5010 was a dual suspension slope kind of bike, poppy, for manuals, for jumping easy, a bmx kinda dual susp. that kind of bike now gone, now a lower travel bronson. no one wants a lower travel bronson, everyone would choose a bronson instead.
2. interested to know if you have actually tried this new 5010? You seem to have made your mind up on It’s handling characteristics.
You must be so awesome to know what is right for other people.
Didn't ride my Nomad or V10 before I bought them. Are you going to tell me they were bad decisions, since neither are Bronsons?
Now that I look more closely, that should have been obvious. My bad. Cheers.
Damn it.
The only real bummer is Ive been trying to figure out how to shoehorn some bikepacking bags onto it, and the V4 has a way more open frame.
WTF?
Looking at my feed, I see 6 new articles above it and two new articles below it
So in the example of the Sentinel article, what could have happened is that the article was posted the day before, but not set to release until the actual release date. Once it released, it would have been quickly pushed down because all of the articles written on the actual release day would come first in the auto-sorting algorithm. I have no idea if this is actually what happened though - it could also be that there just happened to be a lot of other articles published at the same time.
Beyond that, things that are getting a lot of page views go near the top because we want to serve people the content they want to read. Yes, it's probably a self-fulfilling prophecy at times but we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot to bury content that people are still reading so we keep it up there until it starts to tail off. Generally, a story will do most of its page views in 12 or so hours then something else will come along so this will never keep a story up high for too long.
With reference to this particular piece, Santa Cruz bike launches are always big news, Kaz made a video and this was the best performing story of last week so it ticks all the boxes and is probably why it spent more time near the top than some other stories last week. Although very rarely will a story spend more than 24 hours at the top of the page so it shouldn't have been there a few days later.
Again, thank you.
-Todd
The bike is cool ????????????
@eberyone complaining about "looks like every other SC bike" well that's kinda the point of corporate design and such
www.julianabicycles.com/en-US/about-juliana-bicycles
The new Hightower literally just came out this year...
If Santa Cruz stays true to their 3 year refresh the Nomad should be released soon and he Bronson next year.
; )
Nice one pinkbike!
Want a real test? Check out enduro-mtb.com/en/santa-cruz-5010-4-review-2021
As to where the riding footage is from, I shot that in Bellingham, Washington, early last week.
If I didn't have 26 inch only, then only 27.5, then 27.5 with 29, then only 29(like now), on multiple bikes(from xc to park) and I can tell you that no matter what lvl you have, 29 inch wheels will make you better/faster and ultimately more fun on the trail.
Totally get your point of view; for most of my xc type of riding(in the flats, where I live), I use my gravel bike with knobby tires so, I know that little(like your HT) or no suspenssion(like my gravel bike) can be fun.
This bike is different. It is 140-130mm..., and I was questioning the reason for a 130mm 27.5 bike...not the amount of travel. 27.5 wheel size has a place only on gravel bikes, really, as it pumps more volume in the wheel. For every other type of riding, from XC HT to big DH bikes, they are the less ideal wheel combo.
Also, before anyone reply that at DH, they now put/use mullets, remember that only the small guys are doing it for one thing and also, they are riding monster steep dh tracks 99% pb users will never be able to clear it at any decent speed and for that, they need to be able to lower their bums. As the 29inch is bigger when the suspension is compressed towards the maximum, a mullet option is a good option.
But, again, this is no DH bike and the terrain where this bike will be ridden for sure it will not be full of man size deep drops with off camber horror roots landings, followed by chutes that continue directly into a rockgarden from hell. 140-130mm is the "definition" for trail bikes...so why would anyone put(companies) and anyone would buy(riders) 27.5" wheels in this category is beyond any logic and/or reason.
Now i am looking forward to trying out my new Fuel Ex to see how it rides but i don't think I'll keep it for long.
You and all of those downvoters think that fun on a trail is wheelsize dependant and I am the narrow minded, right?
I have news for you: if you suck on a 26 inch, you will also suck on a 29er.
This cliche regarding the wheel size in relation with the type of riding you do is so 2010. And sad..and it prooves how little knowledge ppl have about mtb-ing.
I know, but I'm still not ready to buy one; I'd rather buy that new commencal and have an even more enduro-ish "trail" bike.
Now I only have 2, 3 if you consider the comuter. But I've had as much as 5 at one point, from zero travel to 180.
Now, with my gravel for xc and with my trail-enduro-ish for the rest , I don't think(consider) I miss out too much.