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Santa Cruz launches new Tallboy/ Juliana Joplin

Now with 27.5+ compatibility

First the Hightower and now an updated TALLBOY, is SANTA CRUZ going 29er mad?

The original Santa Cruz Tallboy came along in 2009 at the dawn of the 29er revolution and it was seen at the time as the big wheeled bike you could ride without being embarrassed in front of your mates. How much of that is down to the Santa Cruz brand is tough to say but it was also renowned for being a poppy and playful bike that could still mash out a cross country climb without breaking step.

The bike has remained largely unchanged for the past seven years until now when the Californian company has unveiled its third iteration with pumped up travel and the ability to fit 27.5+ wheels.

What’s new?

The new Tallboy has grown from 100mm travel to 120/110 mm, casting off from the XC crowd and more towards general trail duties. It can also be adjusted to run 27.5+ wheels thanks to geometry-shifting flip chip. The bike becomes even more distinct from it’s endurance-focussed predecessor if you fit the recommended 130mm fork when using chunkier wheels.

The frame itself has also undergone a makeover. It now shares a similar silhouette to the Hightower with the VPP link attached to the top tube not the seat tube. The top tube has also been lowered to provide greater stand over clearance and the seat tube is shorter to allow for longer dropper posts – don’t worry though, there’s still enough room to stow a water bottle in there.

The geometry is also significantly different from the earlier model. Crucially, the head angle has been slackened by 2.2° – on top of this the reach has been stretched by up to 50mm (depending on size) – so the ride characteristics will no doubt be drastically different. The full specs are below:

The Tallboy will be available in from size S to a gargantuan XXL. There are a number of build kits available starting at £4,999 for one with an XT drivetrain up to £5,999 for XTR.

Juliana Joplin

To coincide with the release of the Tallboy is the new women’s specific Juliana Joplin. This comes with a lighter suspension tune than the Tallboy and a Juliana specific anatomical saddle. The Joplin comes only in an ultraviolet purple (which is a bit unfortunate given recent events) and will be available in small, medium and large.

At the moment we only have US pricing but it seems to be roughly in line with that of the Tallboy. Juliana made this feel-good video of the new Joplin in the hands of Aneela McKenna of GoWhere Scotland. Check it out here

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