Light, fast, great climber , makes you smile

Low bb

Fantastic bike. I was riding the blur lt 2 till now.
I bought the whyte t129 rs based on the great reviews. Those bike were terrible. I took all its components and put them on a new higtowet frame. The bike is amazing. Rides like my blur, only lighter and faster. Very confident ride. Very high fun factor. Makes you grin all the way. I am riding on 29 wheels. If the bb is too low you can change the frame configuration to 27.5 and make it higher. If you are looking for a comfortable bike that can do it all, this is it. Worth every penny.

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Whyte t129 rs

Light, looks good, climbs well.

Horrible performance going fast down hill, bounces around like a hardtail, rattles, bb way too low, lots of pedal strikes(one sent me over the bars),not at all stable.

This bike kind of sucks. The suspension is really bad, no small bump performance because the air presure has to be really high to keep it from bottoming out constantly, By that I mean pedal strikes because the bb is way too low. It goes through rock gardens like a hard tail. The shock and fork is way under spec'd and both are very sub par. It rattles like a walmart bike. I can' t see why these bikes are so popular, I'm out 6.5 on a bike that is average at best with more than a few issues, to make it worse my shop, Joyride cycles, basically took the stance of too bad for you. I told them I thought the rear shock wasn't working correctly since it had to aired up to 280lbs for proper sag and im barely over 200lbs and they blew it off. Even when setup correctly it rides way too low in the travel and I tried many rebound settings. I wouldn't buy this bike if you like to going down more than climbing. I wish I would have waited for the Pivot.

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Banshee Prime, way better bike.

Climbing, descending, versatility, weight, geo, pedaling

This is a very precision based bike so setup is key.

Okay,
Wow, I feel like a total Santa Cruz homer as I have owned 13 of their models over the years. The Hightower has to have the "industry" quaking in their boots as it is truly a phenomenal riding bike. Why? First off the bike performs well as a 29er AND as a 650B plus bike. It pedals and climbs like a CC bike in 29er with the ability to handle the nasty stuff Laguna has to offer. The beautiful thing here is that this is the first 29er I have ridden that truly does not feel like a 29er.

Here is where this bike is scary, industry perspective, it is a phenomenal 650b plus bike as well. Laguna trails are hammered, loose, off camber wrecks right now, and the 650b plus wheels negotiate this terrain like a downhill bike. It hooks up anything. Also, the bike is very responsive if you set it up correctly. I have a 1 1/4 Raceface SIXC bar and an Easton 50mm stem. For me, this was the magic feel for the bike in both wheel configurations. Finally, it tractors up steeps and enables you to make technical climbs that were a pipe dream for you to make. I am amazed at this machine.

NOTE: I have both wheel sizes and have chosen to run this bike with a 150mm Pike (boost) in order to accommodate both wheel sizes. 650b plus and 29er

I also own a CURRENT model Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon CC for almost two years which is an eternity for those that know me, and I just can't get off my Hightower. I just picked up a new Fox Float X for this bike and we shall see.
Hope my review helps.

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13 different models of Santa Cruz bikes. There really isn't anything similar to this right now that works so well in two different wheel configurations. Truly unbelievable.

Everything...climbing was no non-sense and traction galore. Handling was on point. Downhill was a blast.

expensive but worth it.

I have been behind the times riding a 26er due to lack of funds. I was finally able to build my dram bike and I had the option of 27.5 plus or 29er and chose 29er due to tire options. I was very surprised how similar I fit on this bike compared to the old 5 spot. The HT climbs like a goat and I had a couple pr.s on my first ride on a few climbs. Descending is very controlled and those carbon 29er wheels are a gamechanger. I could not believe how stiff they are. This bike begs to go fast and cover lots of trail in an all day excursion. I'm very pleased with the performance and cannot wait to ride it again. Buy one and you will see what I'm talking about!

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Turner burner and 5spot.