Do you hear the bagpipes playing a sad tune? It’s the sound of the death of 26-inch wheeled bikes. Now, even the downhill rigs are opting for better rolling 650b wheels. Long in testing and not much of a surprise, the all-new Santa Cruz V10.6 got official and may just give you that podium spot you’ve been vying for.
Under the skilled riders of the Santa Cruz Syndicate, the V10 has claimed more victories than we all have fingers and toes. And, the current UCI World Cup DH champion, Josh Bryceland, rode this very bike to toe top of the podium. It’s race-proven and now available to the public in two flavors: V10 C and V10 CC. As with the rest of the new Santa Cruz lineup, the C and CC designations refer to the carbon fiber layup with CC being more high-modulus for a lighter and stiffer frame.
Some notable highlights include reduced suspension travel to 8.5″ and a whole slew of features to increase the durability and servicability of the V10. We’re talking things like threaded bottom bracket, external cable routing, frame protection, sealed pivots and grease ports — all with the nod to longevity.
The V10 (V10.6) Features:
- Full carbon frame and swingarm
- Carbon C and Carbon CC frame options
- 216mm (8.5″) VPP suspension
- 27.5″ wheels
- Adjustable geometry with HIGH & LOW settings
- Double sealed pivots for long bearing life
- Dual grease ports on lower link for easy maintenance
- Integrated fork bumpers with cable guide
- Molded clip-on chainstay and upright protector
- Full carbon dropouts and disk mounts
- Angular contact bearings maximize stiffness
- Collet axle pivots lock in place without pinch bolts
- Molded rubber swingarm and downtube protection
- 157mm rear axle spacing
- Threaded BB for creak-free riding and easy installation
- ISCG-05 tabs for chainguide compatibility
- Sizes: S, M, L, XL
- Price: $TBA
The Bottom Line
The winningest DH frame just got even better and will be ready to take on the challenging courses of 2015.