Exclusive video: Santa Cruz carbon Blur XC

The 2009 Santa Cruz carbon Blur XC, available in March. (Santa Cruz Bicycles)

We reported earlier in the week on Santa Cruz’s new carbon fibre Blur XC cross country bike, and we’ve just returned from a factory visit to learn more about the lightweight machine.

The seaside town of Santa Cruz lies a mere 45 minutes over the mountains from BikeRadar's US workshop in the South Bay of San Francisco, so we headed there for a look at the recently-released carbon Blur XC, video camera in tow.

Santa Cruz introduced four new bikes in 2008, and, according to marketing manager Mike Ferrentino, the carbon Blur XC is just the tip of the iceberg for 2009.

The ever-cagey 'random juggernaut' with a twinge of a New Zealand accent was tight-lipped about what we can expect, but from what I saw, there'll certainly be more carbon fibre on the menu.

While the Santa Cruz Syndicate boys -- Greg Minnaar, Steve Peat and Josh Bryceland -- were busy dialing in their 2009 V10s for prototype testing in the nearby Santa Cruz mountains, I snuck away with Santa Cruz owner Rob Roskopp to pluck design engineer Nick Anderson away from his CAD drawings for some video tech explanation of the first full carbon Santa Cruz model, the carbon Blur XC.

Anderson, fresh off a recent crash and a little sore, explained the reason behind introducing a carbon model, why strength and suspension are equally - if not more - important than weight, and how Santa Cruz approaches carbon development. It certainly helps that a medium Blur XC carbon frame and rear shock weighs tips the scales around 4.3 lbs.

To watch the video click below:

We’ve got more videos of our visit too including the explanation of the new lower link system which will come equipped with grease ports for easier servicing.

Plus we’ve got video footage on the testing process Santa Cruz frames goes through in-house before final samples are manufactured in their Asian factory.

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