Santa Cruz Bicycles has launched the 2022 Megatower, now a 165mm journey 29″ enduro bike sporting their iconic VPP suspension platform. An extended stroke shock provides elevated rear wheel journey and a decrease general leverage ratio, designed to carry so-called “close to V10 efficiency in an up-down-repeat bundle”. The launch delivers no fewer than 11 fashions to select from over 7 value factors starting from $5,649 USD as much as $13,999 USD.
- Mannequin: 2022 Santa Cruz Megatower
- Journey: 165mm rear, 170mm entrance
- Wheel Measurement: 29″
- Body Materials: Carbon (C & CC)
- Claimed Weight: 34.11 lbs / 15.47 kgs (Megatower C GX AXS in Measurement Giant)
- Beginning Value: $5,649 USD (Megatower C R)
2022 Santa Cruz Megatower
The $5,649 USD Santa Cruz Megatower C R mannequin in Trans Blue
From its silhouette, you’d be hard-pushed to identify any main variations between the earlier Megatower and its newest incarnation. The strains of the entrance and rear triangle are nearly an identical, and also you’d be unlikely to acknowledge that longer stroke shock except you bought your measuring tape out. Solely then would you acknowledge this bike is, to nobody’s shock, longer and slacker than its predecessor.
A significant giveaway that it is a new body might be seen on the downtube, within the type of a storage cavity aptly named the Glovebox, which doesn’t arrive empty; it’s residence to a Software Pockets and Tube Purse, proven to have the ability to accommodate a small hand pump, multitool, innertube and tire plugs, i.e., all the things you’d want for many trail-side fixes.
Whereas quite a few manufacturers are already making use of the downtube for instruments and spares storage, Santa Cruz reckon their execution of it’s the most refined you’ll see.
Trans Blue and Matte Nickel (pictured) are the one two colours accessible
You may additionally discover the absence of a flip-chip on the dropouts. Whereas scope to regulate rear-center size is now not, what we do see is a proportional strategy to border geometry. What does that imply? Nicely, because the body’s front-center measurement will increase from S-XXL, so does the rear-center size. Whereas the earlier Megatower noticed a 436mm rear-center for each body measurement, the brand new mannequin’s rear-center grows from 437mm in S to 448mm in XXL. We’ve seen Santa Cruz do that for his or her V10 Downhill Bike, however that is the primary time they’ve gone the entire hog with any path bike.
Santa Cruz needed to present all riders the identical experience really feel, whether or not that rider is Greg Minnaar on an XXL or certainly myself on a measurement small
The proportional size rear-center idea is one thing we’ve mentioned fairly a bit on Bikerumor, having invited six main manufacturers (together with Santa Cruz) to touch upon this typically dearer strategy to border design. Seb Kemp, the Model Supervisor of Santa Cruz Bicycles mentioned, “by our analysis and suggestions of riders, it was felt that adjusting chainstay measurement for every body measurement was an excellent factor to proceed doing so that each rider, regardless of their top, will get the identical balanced geometry”.
Attain is elevated this yr, however not by any staggering quantity. The vary now spans 427mm to 517mm, coming in at 472mm on the big body representing a development of 5mm.
The Megatower’s head tube angle is relaxed to 63.5° for 2022, whereas its seat tube angle stands to consideration at 77.5°. Just like the rear-center size, the seat tube angle differs barely throughout body sizes, at its steepest on the big frames and its slackest on the smaller ones. This ensures taller riders don’t find yourself too biased towards the rear axle within the seated pedaling place, struggling to maintain the entrance wheel grounded on steeper climbs.
The angles quoted pertain to the body’s low geometry place. A flip-chip on the decrease shock mount might be flipped into the excessive place, the place the top tube angle steepens as much as 63.8°. That’s on account of a better backside bracket, rising from 343mm to 346mm. The attain determine is concomitantly affected too, lengthening by 3mm.
Whereas the Megatower’s rear wheel journey is boosted to 165mm, the general leverage ratio comes down barely to supply a extra damped, managed really feel throughout longer journey ranges. The bike comes fitted with a 62.5mm stroke shock, although it will possibly take a 65mm stroke to spice up journey to 170mm, matching the fork journey.
Body Particulars
- Tire clearance: 29″ x 2.5″ (all sizes)
- Increase 148mm spacing
- Put up mount brakes w/ 200mm rotors
- ISCG05 chain information mounts
- Threaded BB
- Santa Cruz UDH
- IS headset
The brand new Megatower’s VPP suspension platform works with each air and coil shocks
Pricing & Availability
The 2022 Santa Cruz Megatower is on the market as an entire bike solely, with their C and CC carbon frames on supply. Pricing begins at $5,649 USD for the Megatower C R mannequin, weighing a claimed 34.32 lbs (15.56 kgs) in measurement giant. That one rocks a RockShox Tremendous Deluxe Choose Shock, RockShox ZEB Fork, SRAM NX Eagle 12 Velocity Drivetrain, SRAM GR RE Brakes and SDG Tellis Dropper Seat Put up.
The Megatower C S mannequin will go away you $6,799 USD out of pocket; it’s upgraded with a FOX 38 Float Efficiency Fork, SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain and SRAM Code R Brakes.
The Megatower C GX AXS RSV is the top-end mannequin that includes the heavier C frameset, weighing a claimed 33.79 lbs / 15.32 kgs in measurement giant. It should set you again $9,799 USD and sports activities a RockShox Tremendous Deluxe Choose+ shock (air or coil), a FOX 38 Float Efficiency Elite shock, its namesake SRAM GX AXS Eagle 12 pace drivetrain with digital shifting, a Reserve Carbon wheelset with Business 9 1/1 hubset, SRAM Code RSC Brakes and the selection of a Rockshox Reverb Stealth or OneUp V2 Dropper Seat Put up.
The 2022 Santa Cruz Megatower C GX AXS RSC with a coil shock retails at $9,799 USD
The vary tops out at an eye-watering $13,999 USD with the Megatower CC XX1 AXS Flight Attendant RSV. Whereas all different fashions within the vary can be found to order proper now, this one isn’t, and we’ve no ETA on it both. This one will boast a Rockshox Tremendous Deluxe Final Flight Attendant shock and ZEB Final Flight Attendant Fork, the SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS 12 pace drivetrain with AXS Paddle Shifter and Flight Attendant Crankset, Reserve Carbon wheels with the i9 Hydra hubset, and SRAM Code Final Brakes. We reached out to Chris Mandell at SRAM to search out out precisely what they’re… the Code Final is a Code RSC brake with a carbon lever, reserved just for OEM companions.
Importantly, all fashions profit from 4-piston brakes with 200mm rotors, and a 29″ x 2.5″ Maxxis Assegai EXO+ MaxxGrip entrance tire paired with a Minion DHRII EXO+ MaxxTerra on the rear. And, as is true for his or her whole vary of full suspension mountain bikes, the brand new Megatower’s bearings are coated by their lifetime guarantee. For a whole breakdown of spec and pricing, head to the Santa Cruz Bicycles web site.
