A True Quiver Killer? | Santa Cruz Hightower Ride Review | Contender Bicycles

[@pgjudo]

That translucent purple is 🔥 😮

[@troutback8702]

Love your review. Thanks.

[@chipaway]

Hi. at 6'1" what size did you choose? I am 5'9.5" and got a size L. I must say, I was a little worried about it being too big (bought it online without having ever even seeing it), but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't feel overbearing at all and rather nimble all things considered. Overall, I am very happy with it since I was looking for a more stable ride now that I am well past my "bouncing over everything" years on a mtb

[@ContenderBicycles]

Hey Marco, Isaac also has a L Hightower. He went with that because he wanted a shorter reach and a more nimble feeling bike. I will say size is completely dependent on the rider so it is awesome to see the L working for both of you.

[@Kurt_mtb]

what size bike is this? You are 6’1 but do you have long arms? I’m 6’ and i felt the large was ever so slightly cramped. I also have about a 32” inseam. any insight would be appreciated.

[@ContenderBicycles]

This is a LG. Really long legs and a shorter torso lead me to feel OK with the slightly shorter reaches the LG Santa Cruz's can have. (5-7mm's shorter then other company's equivalent bikes usually) 35" inseam at 6'1.

[@50whatnomadtravelnursemtb5]

I think you can ride almost any true trail or all mountain bike anywhere, not just a Santa Cruz. I think that travel range is the do it all bikes though.

[@ContenderBicycles]

We agree that there are a lot of bikes that will be able to handle any trail. If you keep your eyes peeled we will have a ride comparison of 4 trail bikes coming out shortly.

[@johnnnewmex]

Definitely. Though the Hightower is one of the best examples of the genre along with the Ripmo (before they put 38mm forks on it). And the quality is excellent.

[@50whatnomadtravelnursemtb5]

@@johnnnewmex I had an HD5 but sold it last year, was a little slacker and longer then the Ripmo, I loved the Ibis though, DW link is awesome. Can go wrong with a Santa Crus, or pretty much any bike nowadays is great.

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

Why would the Hightower climb better than the tallboy ? considering the suspension is the same principle

[@ContenderBicycles]

That may have been a misspeak. The Tallboy climbs a bit better than the Hightower because it is shorter-travel and slightly lighter. If we said the Hightower climbs better, we could have made a mistake, we are all part human.

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

@@ContenderBicycles No worries, I have had both bikes and yeah, the tallboy was probably better because it was lighter, and less travel

[@DIYManiacJohnP]

Hey! That frame looks awfully small for your size. That is most noticeable on your dropper post height. I am your size and ride an XL frame. Are you running a L frame?

[@ContenderBicycles]

He is on a Large frame. I wouldn't call it too small, He just wanted to have a little snappier handling rather than having it just be a hard charger. There is definitely lots of benefits to either sizing up or down, it just mostly depends on what kind of rider you are.

[@DIYManiacJohnP]

@@ContenderBicycles valid points you make. I just feel his cockpit look so cramped. Also not much travel in the dropper (but probably still more than enough)

[@ContenderBicycles]

@@DIYManiacJohnP He is still running a 50mm stem, which looks much more cramped on video than in person. I also may be in the minority, but I am a fan of shorter droppers, I have found with putting the longest dropper possible on a bike it loses stability on the descents.

[@ContenderBicycles]

@@DIYManiacJohnP Hello! Isaac here, the reason I bought a LG and not an XL is based off of my torso. I'm 6'1 yes, but with super long legs and a very short torso. The biggest size factor you feel in the descent on a MTB is reach, and due to my shorter torso, I kept to an LG to keep it within reason. It does feel on the smaller side while climbing, but descending feels perfect. Same reason the dropper looks small, its a 175mm travel, so plenty, just a lot of under the collar post showing. I also come from a XC racing backround, so the smaller bike feels more familiar.

[@michaelg.4625]

How long are your legs? I'm also 6'1" and not sure which size I should pick.