SANTA CRUZ HIGHTOWER C
RATINGS
IN THE STAND 8/10
ON THE TRAIL 7.5/10
OVERALL 7.75
While the new Hightower LT is currently hogging the limelight, the regular version still holds its place within the Santa Cruz range. The standard Hightower was released in 2016, and aside from the colour and spec options, the 2018 version remains virtually unchanged.
Our Hightower test bike offers 135mm of rear wheel travel and the one frame will take both 29-inch and 27.5 plus size wheels. All that's required for the wheel size swap a flip of the shock mounting chip and converting the fork from 140mm travel (29er) to 150mm for 27.5 plus.
With its revised swingarm, shock and linkage, the newer LT sports 150mm of travel in the rear, but it lacks the wheel size interchangeability. The longer travel Hightower is 29er-only and its prime goal is to service the needs of the enduro racer. For the rest of us – trail riders and all-round mountain bikers – the original Hightower certainly appears to be the more versatile option.
Both renditions of the bike sport the same front triangle and full carbon frame construction. The pricing and spec options are pretty close too, although the LT costs a few hundred dollars more as piggyback shocks are standard-issue on the bigger travel bike.
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