Santa Cruz Tallboy 5 Review

[@jasonmurphy2885]

How would the Tallboy do with a Pike with 140 mm of travel? Give it a little more capacity but retain the light trail bike feeling?

[@NICADV]

That's a hard one. Where the 5010 felt like it could handle a stiffer fork, the Tallboy felt pretty well matched. I would say there are bikes like the Following and Tempo that retain the light feeling and are more capable.

[@MTBCoop]

My Tallboy V5 arrives today! Perfect timing. I think it will be a great companion out here in Washington

[@NICADV]

@@MTBCoop 🤘for sure, what’s your first ride going to be?

[@nicholashines7686]

I loved my Tallboy. I liked the Ripley a little better though. Great review man.

[@NICADV]

@@nicholashines7686 thanks, that’s how I feel about the 5010. Are you on the new Ripley?

[@AJ_Brimson]

hey Nic! Sick review! I would love so so much if you could get a Raaw madonna in for review and compare it to the commencal meta sx v5 and similar bikes. I think you would love it so much :)

[@NICADV]

I agree, those bike look really cool. I haven't reached out but I"ll start looking into who to contact.

[@AJ_Brimson]

@@NICADV awesome

[@billydeewilliams8909]

Do you like the Dissector as a front tire? I haven't been super impressed with it as a rear tire versus the DHR. I read an article a few months ago about a SCOR 2030 that shipped Dissector front/Rekon rear, and the author swapped the front for a DHF, which he said hugely improved traction. Seth from Berm Peak runs DHF/Rekon on his 130 Ti hardtail. It's a tire combo I have waiting in the wings, but I'm just getting familiar with the DHF right now (running it front and rear on my 160 Chameleon 7), and it ate up the Soquel Demonstration Forest.

[@NICADV]

@@billydeewilliams8909 honestly I like it for going fast and it brakes traction similar to the reckon. However, I’d rather run dual dhr II for the better balance of speed and traction. I hate the feeling of the backend just skidding about.

[@pt.mtb2389]

I remember the Tallboy feeling very twitchy to me when I demo'd one

[@NICADV]

@@pt.mtb2389 I really depends on what you’re comparing it to but this version has pretty neutral trails manners. It’s not a Hightower or Fuel EX but it’s much more stable than a blur or top fuel.

[@pt.mtb2389]

@@NICADV Main comparisons were an old insurgent and newer longer travel trail/shorter travel enduro rigs...Had the evil in the higher position as well, but it also could've been the tires. I just felt like I couldn't lean those dissectors, personally. It just felt like it wanted to wash out all day

[@NICADV]

@@pt.mtb2389 definitely could have been the tires but also the big wheels take an entirely different technic than something like that Insurgent. That is one reason I had the 5010 as my long term bike rather than a dual 29er.

[@pt.mtb2389]

@@NICADV Yeah for sure, my main bike is a spectral 29 now, so it took a bit of time to feel more comfortable on the full 29. Though to be fair its slacker and obviously a bit more travel. I'm sure it was a combination of things, but I'd love to try some of the others now that I've had much more experience on more bikes

[@DandyHippo]

the only tallboys I like are the drinkable type. Jk would love to try this bike

[@NICADV]

@@DandyHippo 🍻