Excellent climbing ability. Super fun. Very stiff especially with ENVE wheels. Great all rounder. Demoed all long travel 29ers. The Yeti SB95C was a very close 2nd. The S works Enduro was great downhill but did not climb as well. I climb everything I ride so climbing ability was number 1.

Price. Not the quickest turning bike in tight technical single track.

I was on vacation in Sedona with a Specialized Camber Carbon. Santa Cruz showed up at the Bike and Bean and I demoed the LTC with ENVE wheels. Unbelievable test ride. It just flew over everything. I couldn't believe how snappy it was under acceleration. I was so much faster on this bike and in better control. I demoed it again when I got home to make sure. Same results. Very efficient considering the amount of travel. It's expensive but the fun factor is off the charts.

Similar Products Used:

Niner RIP 9 carbon, Yeti SB95C, Specialized Enduro Carbon 29er, Specialized Stump Jumper FSR 29er carbon, Pivot 429 carbon, Ibis Ripley.

climbs very well,and stable on descents, quality build.

Sluggish on tight switchbacks, not fond of the color choices

This for a 2013 Tallboy LT aluminum R am kit. I demo a few Treks 29 er full suspensions and a Stumpjumper { all aluminum} over a period of 6 months. The Tallboy Lt I liked the best! So I bought one. Despite the fact the Tallboy Lt is heavier than the other bikes I mentioned , It climbed better than everything I test rode. I don't understand how that its possible, but its true! The bike also descends very well. This bike gives an impression that I can tackle most anything that comes my way. Overall for the price point ,I am confident I got the best bike. A side note about color and appearance. I am standing at my LBS and I witness someone buying another brand( that I test rode and did not like too much) based on the fact it did a have a nice looking paint scheme parked next to a Tallboy Lt gulf/blue ( not my favorite color) . Some of the larger manufactures discovered that a good looking bike can sell.

Similar Products Used:

Tried some Treks, various fuel ex 29 er', Stumpjumper fsr 29 er comp I think, also a Rumblefish

Kudos to Santa Cruz for making a small version of their highly regarded Tallboy. As a small rider, I took the small Tallboy 2 on a test ride. It was nice and responsive.

The small Tallboy 2 has a short wheelbase and a short distance from the center of the crankset hub to the center of the front wheel hub. This results in serious pedal overlap and is a design flaw that will frustrate small riders on twisty singletrack. Bike manufacturers often just scale down the larger versions of their bikes to make a bike that does not work well in a small size. After years of riding many poorly designed small cross country trail bikes with this problem, and test riding several bikes, I got a Trek Fuel EX which has no pedal overlap at all on the small version and is great cross country trail bike.

Santa Cruz makes very nice bikes but I would recommend that small riders avoid the small version of this bike unless you want to suffer from aggravating pedal overlap through every tight turn.

There are a variety of ways to cope with pedal overlap such as clipping in and riding with your foot well back on the pedal but this is a biomechanical compromise that can cause performance and/or physical problems, especially on rough trails and if you ride a lot. I hate clipping in and enjoy the freedom of moving my foot around on flat pedals so over the years I coped in part by getting customized cranks shortened down to 153mm. After I got used to them, I LOVE my short cranks and would never go back to longer cranks even though I no longer need them on my Trek. Contrary to popular opinion, short cranks do not result in less power. The actually give more power per pedal stroke due to the biomechanical advantage they give you. If this idea intrigues you, you can investigate the pros and cons further at www.bikesmithdesign.com. I have no connection to the gentleman who owns this business other than being a satisfied customer.

Similar Products Used:

Many different brands and models of small cross country trail bikes over the past 10 years.

Very Agile for a 29er

Have to add brackets for rear XT Brakes.

I have been riding a Giant Anthem X0 29er and recently upgraded to a Tallboy LTc.
Oh boy......what a difference! Did not know what I was missing the last 6 months.

Yes. the 2 bikes are different, one is Aluminium and one is Carbon, which explains
the quietened muted vibrations and extra stiffness.

But the geometry of the Tallboy Ltc is really good. Even though both are 29er,
the Tallboy LTc felt much more compact and much more agile. Straight way,
my turning radius around bends become much tighter.

And somehow, for my height of 178cm, I felt my center of gravity on the Tallboy Ltc
much lower than on the Anthem, and hence, I felt myself in a much more stable
and balanced position.

Full suspension
Climbs like a beast

Dropper seat post
3x9 Drivetrain
No remote fork lock out

I ride a Surly Karate Monkey single speed as my daily ride. I test rode the Tallboy LT at a Santa Cruz demo today, and let me just say it was AWESOME! The demo bike was set up with a straight Shimano XT component group. The Tallboy was super plush, and climbed like a beast. As I bombed down the trail I was in heaven. It was like riding on air compared to what I'm use to. Usually I'm pounding the fillings out of teeth rolling over the rocks & roots while on the KM, but the Tallboy sucked up all those bumps without any problem. I was able to stay seated on every climb, and cleared every obstacle without any problem.

Shifting was buttery smooth, and the transition from single speed to gears was a delight. However, if I had a choice (and by choice I mean if I could actually afford to buy one of these) I would make it a 1x9. I just don't find a need for a 3x9 drivetrain after riding a single speed for the last two years. Also, I would dump the drop seat post. It was nice and all, I'm just not use to it. I think I'd rather have a remote lockout for the forks instead.

Bottom line: if you have the $$$ and want a kickin' full suspension 29'er this is the bike to get. It's has been my dream to ride one since they came out with it. Now, after the demo ride, it is my dream to own one. Maybe one day. Until then, I'll just keep mashing out trails on my SS.

I have mine set up for all mountain riding, which it does exceptionally well. The Fox 34 140 Talas gets some of the credit in the rough. But the carbon frame, VPP, and 135mm of rear travel are also essential. This bike can handle long stretches of baby head rock strewn single track, near vertical rolls down granite slabs, or groomy/steep single track downhills. I can ride this bike faster downhill than any of my previous steeds, without sacrificing control Very stable at high speeds.

None.

Loving this bike. Drop the post and let it fly. Particularly love 140mm front travel/135 rear travel. Going to All Mountain riding was a nice progression for me, and this bike is a great tool for tackling the job. Of course that also required getting a set of knee and elbow pads. I've ridden some really gnarly high country single track in the Sierra's this summer and cleaned the sections I used to walk down.

Namaste !

Similar Products Used:

Santa Cruz Tallboy; Santa Cruz Hecklers

Estabilidad, control, rigidez, rapidez, tracción, confort, componentes.

Ninguna en particular.

Las 29er son una delicia, y esta Tallboy 2 carbón es perfecta. Durante 15 años usé 26 doble suspensión. Pensé mucho pasarme a 29er y no me arrepiento. Sé que en materia de gustos no hay nada escrito, tenía una Blur XC -carbón- y ahora con la Tallboy no me arrepiento de nada. Me tómo un poco de tiempo ir descubriendo sus cualidades y cada vez me sorprende más. El único cambio que hice fue poner un plato 22t adelante en lugar del 24t que trae el XT. Puedo decir que es un avión al que si algo puede faltarle a veces, es piloto!

The suspension design is flawless, the bike just works whenever you pedaling up steeps or going down them.

The RAM Build kit came with wheels that for my 225 lbs could be burlier. When I first started riding it I had peddle strikes but I got used to the height and got used to the height to be able to peddle without hitting.

I was originally going to buy a Rumblfish that placid planet had in stock. Well they ended up selling it so they talked me it the tallboy LT vs the tallboy. I'm glad I went LT because I found myself riding trails that used every bit of the suspension. I'm 6'4" and the XL fits me perfect. The ghost blue looks a lot better in person. Overall the bike is great, its really the whole package.

Similar Products Used:

None

Absolute bomb proof so far (1 full season), great components and the weight of this bike with the RAM29 package is just 1.5lbs heavier than my Kona Kula hardtail coming in at about 29.5lbs

Pricey, SLX rear derailleur

I’ve been primarily a hardtail bike rider my entire life, tried out a full suspension a few years back and was not able to really get the bike dialed in the way I like. I have an unorthodox riding style where I like to be fairly stretching on the bike so finding a full suspension without being cramped was a challenge. Last year was the first time I really began feeling beat-up after my rides so I started looking into full suspension again. I’ve been riding my Kona Kula hardtail for about 10yr which has soaked up all the abuse and neglect you could possibly impose with no real issue other than routine maintenance. I had my selection narrowed down to the Kona Hei Hei 2-9 Deluxe and the Santa Crux Tallboy LT. the LT won out. The component set is great, I would replace nothing at all except possible the rear derailleur which ships with the SLX as opposed to an XT which is my preference. I converted the tires to tubeless straight away and have been hammering this thing all season. I test drove the stock Trallboy as well but found the location of the throw switch for the rear shock to be difficult to adjust compared to the LT, I toggle back and forth frequently on my rides. As for the ride review this thing simple roles effortless over some of the rocks and roots that use to be an issue in the past and it climbs like a Billy goat.