2023 Santa Cruz Hightower V3 First Ride | Is it Better??

The brand new 2023 Santa Cruz Hightower V3, how does it compare to the likes of the Yeti SB130, Ibis Ripmo, and the old Hightower V2? Follow along on my first ride review to find out! Also thanks again to Rolling H Cycles in Nampa, ID for getting me on this awesome bike!

[@jeffreyd1156]

Love your review style. You touched on things others don't. It's not about any 1 single spec angle, but how they all work together collectively. SC has been doing this bike for a while and the cohesion of the V3 geometry is the best it's ever been. Just got a HT purple S-kit. More reasonably priced. $4900. The purple paint is amazing. Almost a work of art. The paint job is only outdone by how well this bike rides. I heard it described as it performs great on everything But the "ests". Absolutely agree with this description. While it can certainly handle the "est" category of terrain, it's Not going to be the best on the Rocky-est terrain, Steep-est, Narrow-est, Smooth-est, etc. But if you you're regularly riding terrain that's Not an "est" the HT crushes it and is the Best-est.😂 It's as close to a 1 quiver bike as there is in the market right now. If you want to ride the "est's" regularly get something more suited for that terrain. This bike is a Jack of all Trades, Master of Fun

[@dialedmtb]

Thank you I appreciate that and glad you are enjoying it! But yeah the purple color is awesome, it just was not available when I got my HT sadly. But you are spot on, if you're doing the gnarliest stuff then get a megatower or another full enduro bike. Enjoy that hightower and I hope you keep enjoying the videos as well! Thanks for the support!

[@judeknight6050]

we have the same helmet, bike, and shoes. Great minds think alike.

[@dialedmtb]

Haha that is awesome!

[@tinshield]

That new Rock Shox shock is fantastic. I just put one on my Troy. Transformed the back end on that bike. I love it.

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah I am super impressed with it!! I have the new Lyrik as well that I’m going to put on this bike and do a video on it at some point as well! Stoked about what RockShox is doing!

[@tinshield]

@@dialedmtb 100% agree. My Troy now has a 160 Lyrik Ultimate and this shock and holy crap. Like a completely different bike!

[@CDubyaX]

Enjoying mine so far! CC X01. Still futzing with the fork settings, I had things at the Fox rec psi and am backing off of that. Went with pretty much my kitted weight in psi for the RS SDU. Coming off a 5010 V2 which was super fun, this is my first 29er, so it's taking a little getting used to the handling. But loving it so far! Thanks for putting up this vid.

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah of course! Thanks for the comment! But yeah I think the fork needs to be a little softer then what they recommend and same with the shock. I did the same, rider weight in PSI for the shock, it’s working well so far

[@ipacmanr]

I had to dial back the psi in both my fork and shock a tad to reach desired sag and feel for my cc x01 as well

[@steffen748]

Same. I have a hard time dialing in the fox 36 ... Just feels so harsh

[@CDubyaX]

Removed the volume spacer and recently did the 50-hr service, things a bit smoother now. FWIW I’m 165lb nekkid

[@steffen748]

@@CDubyaX did you Go from 2 Volume spacers down to one? I did. When i opened the stanchion the bottom was full of Grease, idk If thats normal lol

[@eatnpooter1634]

I put the new fox float X rear shock on my V2 HT and what a difference ... Firmer and just sticks to the ground especially in chattery sections ..

[@dialedmtb]

That’s awesome to hear! Have you seen my Float X specific video? I like that rear shock a ton! Here is a link to the video! m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/paDQfX5oidNgqZI

[@prestond]

Great video. I just bought the GX C build in XXL. Haven't had a chance to ride it but that will change this weekend!

[@dialedmtb]

That is awesome!! Let me know what you think of it, such a cool bike!

[@prestond]

About 200 miles in and I really dig it. My other bike is a Tallboy 3. The Hightower pedals really well uphill which is the most impressive part for me so far.

[@steffen748]

Also coming from a 5010. So far it takes long to.get used to the 29ers. Im 5'7 (170cm) so riding a size medium. It feels like the 5010 is faster and can absorb more hits even though its fox 34 Rhythm vs fox36 factory on the HT. Maybe i Switch the HT to the hi setting and put on a longer stem (42mm instead of 35mm).

[@dialedmtb]

I would say that on the 5010 it does feel like you're going faster, but if you ever time anything you realize that you're going a lot faster and in more control with the 29er on the HT. Also maybe try a little lighter tune on the suspension at first while you get used to the bigger wheels. I personally always run a 40 or 42mm stem on all of my bikes.

[@grantvanderhoek]

thanks for the vid, I am not sure how much a real feel you can get on a trail that is pretty much gravel. a more Squamish or Whistler test might reveal a bit more. Not trying to be a negative Nelly but just a thought. Again, thanks guys!

[@dialedmtb]

Hey! I get it for sure, Boise definitely doesn’t have Terrain like the PNW or BC. But that is only a small percentage of America. I am currently in the Seattle and Bellingham area and I have already rode Tiger Mountain and Raging River. Bellingham is up for all of next week and I still would say everything the same about what I said.. You would just be watching a lot cooler trails in the video.. which sucks I can’t ride these trails all the time and have them in all of my videos!

[@grantvanderhoek]

@@dialedmtb 👊👍👊

[@papiiipapo]

Which bike do you prefer, the SB130 or the Hightower? I am still thinking about which one to buy. I live in Europe and the majority of trails that I ride are kind of the scene you would expect in North Carolina area..

[@dialedmtb]

Hey! That’s definitely a tough one. Right now I would say the Hightower though. Yeti may be releasing a new 130ish style bike soon though and that could change my thoughts!

[@user-yw2jv9xg6g]

不用担心，我在上海，全是柏油马路！😂😂😂

[@xleydg7297]

My dream bike

[@dialedmtb]

It is a super rad bike!!

[@russelrivera5044]

Awesome Review! I have a ‘22 Medium MX chameleon if you ever need more Santa Cruz content. I’m in Boise as well.

[@dialedmtb]

Thank you! But that is awesome, I bet that bike is great for Boise! How are you liking it? Thank for the offer that is super rad and I appreciate it. Maybe we could do that sometime!

[@russelrivera5044]

@@dialedmtb I love it for the Boise Foothills! I was working with Steve from Hardtail party, and we narrowed the list of hardtails to the Chameleon and two or three other bikes based on my riding style. Availability helped moved this to the top of the list. But overall I’m happy with the decision.

[@dialedmtb]

Oh that is awesome! I bet it rips, sounds like you made the right choice!

[@LP-vn1dn]

Thanks for the video.. what are your thoughts between this and the Ibis Ripmo v2 you reviewed a month ago? Thanks again.

[@dialedmtb]

Hey! I think the Ripmo V2 climbs just a little bit better. On the descent though I think I would actually go with this bike from what I have rode one each of the bikes, but they are similar. The value of the Ripmo seems to be better though

[@LP-vn1dn]

@@dialedmtb thanks for getting back appreciate it!

[@denisjolliet6398]

@@dialedmtb thank you for your answer. And in term of overall fun for AM and trail riding, what would you recommend between the ripmo and this HT3? And for the confort?

[@didzy9349]

great video - do you think the new SD ultimate air is a step up from the old stuff? comparable to x2 on the descents?

[@dialedmtb]

It’s definitely a step up from the old one, but still not as plush as the X2. I kind of look at the super deluxe as something in between the Float X and the X2. Maybe even closer to the Float X.

[@didzy9349]

@@dialedmtb cool yeh the x2 seems a burlier shock - but it’s really unreliable this last year or so…. So what about the float x you still think it’s a step up from that shock? Like you say is it somewhere in between the float x and float x2 but still a good upgrade over the float x?

[@robscott8014]

Did you get rid of your 22 Stumpy Pro? If so, why? Do you prefer the Hightower 3 more? Thanks

[@dialedmtb]

I did get rid of the Stumpy Pro, but my final review Will be coming out today on it though. It is a super solid bike, the Hightower doesn’t climb quite as well but it descends better in the chunkier/steeper stuff. The stumpy was a super solid bike though!

[@gabrielmarias972]

Can you weight the bike? Ripmo should be lighter, but loose the SWAT what its great.

[@dialedmtb]

With pedals, water bottle cage, the 2 storage packs in the frame and a multi tool it was 31.4lbs.

[@didzy9349]

how quiet did you find this @Dialed MTB i had many rattly noises on the v2 i had, but your video although its quite smooth terrain sounds really quiet

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah this bike has been probably the most silent SC bike I’ve had. I have rode 1 or 2 other bikes that make less noise but it’s definitely quiet.

[@didzy9349]

@@dialedmtb awesome man thanks for confirming thats good to hear, out of interest what are the 1 or 2 quieter bikes youve ridden?

[@dialedmtb]

My last SB130 that I had was probably the quietest bike I’ve had. My Rocky Mountain element is pretty high up there and also the WeAreOne Arrival might be quieter than the Hightower.

[@didzy9349]

@@dialedmtb good info man - nice one - it would be interesting hear your thoughts on the new sb140 29er, i guess with all the new tube in tube and entry ports etc it would be near silent if your sb130 was, especially as it has better chainstay sound proofing too

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah I plan on either getting the 140 or 160 later this year! So we will see, Yeti always has those small details covered super well.

[@jasondixon9095]

Nice bike 🚲

[@dialedmtb]

Thank you!!

[@scheibelhut38]

What hubs are those? Can’t recognize the buzz

[@dialedmtb]

They are DT 240’s.

[@NB-ski]

Con: rear shock compatibility

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah that is a bummer it can’t have a X2 or Coil, but at the same time if I want something with that I wouldn’t hesitate to just go for the Megatower.

[@brianosteen3589]

What is your opinion on the Hightower 3 CS set vs Stumpy Evo Expert or SJ Expert. I have it narrowed down to these 3 bikes

[@dialedmtb]

Hey Brian! Where are you riding?? If you are riding somewhere super difficult and won’t be getting these drawings I’d probably go with the EVO Expert but if your aren’t worried about value then probably Santa Cruz Hightower!

[@brianosteen3589]

@@dialedmtb The majority of rides are So Cal- Orange County with some Big Bear and Malibu area rides sprinkled in. Thanks for the opinion.

[@dialedmtb]

For those specific builds I would probably go with the Stumpy Evo because of the nicer suspension and drive train that it has for less money then the Hightower S build. If money wasn’t an issue and you could get the nicest of either I’d probably put the Hightower just ahead of the Evo but just barely.

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

I wish they would do a matte black color instead of these glossy pastels 🙄

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah a matte black would look sick! This color is matte for sure but definitely not black

[@Rhinotsoplots1000]

The green one is definitely a matte finish, not glossy pastel. The purple is glossy all the way.

[@scottmajor9214]

Nice bike. What build level is this?

[@dialedmtb]

This is based on the X01 build but I added DT Swiss carbon wheels, and AXS

[@blambmtb6189]

Good stuff. How did it feel pedaling out of the saddle with power down

[@dialedmtb]

It’s pretty dang solid. Definitely not as supportive as a 120mm travel bike or something like a Yeti SB130 but it is really good.

[@david230505]

how tall are you?

[@dialedmtb]

5'8"

[@chipaway]

hi. how tall are you?

[@dialedmtb]

I am just over 5’8”

[@brownasiankoala]

@@dialedmtb what's your inseam measurement and what size frame? Thanks!

[@stuartthomasson5027]

Sweet bike but that price!!!! 😲

[@dialedmtb]

Man I know!! I wish Santa Cruz would of been a little more moderate on the price increases over the past year… its wild. The big one I think is the S kit. used to be $5199, not its $6799 I think! Woah!

[@stuartthomasson5027]

@@dialedmtb I guess Santa Cruz bikes are in such high demand that they can charge these crazy prices. 🤷‍♂️