Santa Cruz Highball – first ride review
Lighter and more comfortable than its predecessor
GBP £6,599.00 RRP | USD $7,999.00 Skip to view dealsPublished:
Hot on the heels of the new Blur, Santa Cruz is also releasing a revamped Highball to cater to cross-country riders who want to toe the line on a modern lightweight hardtail. The company managed to shave a half pound off the carbon frame while also making it more forgiving than its predecessor.
Santa Cruz Highball highlights
- Carbon only, no alloy version
- 1x specific frame design
- 73mm threaded bottom bracket
- Top build weight: 19.1lb / 9.9kg
- Frame-only weight: 2.5lb / 1,140g
- Complete bike pricing: $2,799 – $7,999 / £2,799 – £6,599
- Frame only pricing: $1,899 (UK pricing TBC)
- Available now
A softer approach to a hardtail
Updating the Highball wasn’t just a matter of hitting refresh on the bike’s frame standards. While the new Highball does feature Boost spacing, the primary driver for this update was to improve the ride quality of this hardtail.
To that end, Santa Cruz lowered and kinked the seatstays. According to company engineers, these features added compliance to what had been a very stiff-riding chassis.
In addition to softening up the back end, Santa Cruz also reworked the Highball’s geometry with longer reach measurements across the four frame sizes.
The new Highball sees half-degree changes to the seat tube and head tube angles as well. The seat tube steepens to 73 degrees, while the head tube angle is a bit more relaxed at 69.5 degrees.
In keeping with the times, there’s no provision to mount a front derailleur.
Unlike the previous version of the Highball, there won’t be an alloy version. According to Santa Cruz, the trail-oriented Chameleon will best serve riders seeking an affordable alloy hardtail.
First impressions
The proving grounds for this first ride were the Wilder Ranch trails near Santa Cruz’ head quarters. High-speed buff singletrack with stretches of embedded rocks was the terrain of the day.
It should come as no surprise that a lightweight carbon hardtail jets forward under power. It’s also relatively forgiving on descents, not to the same degree as the new Blur, though the Highball’s slacker head angle and longer front center will help to forgive poor line choices.
Make no mistake, the Highball is still a hardtail, but it is markedly more comfortable than its predecessor. The improved rear end compliance was most noticeable when cornering on choppy, embedded rocks. In these situations, the Highball’s rear end did a better job of tracking the terrain, rather than ricocheting off the rocks and beating up its pilot.
Early verdict
The Highball is a fast-paced machine that handles best under a skilled and fit rider. If you’re looking for an easy-riding hardtail for casual rides in the woods, the Chameleon will be a better companion. But if you have a race calendar, and that calendar is filled with cross-country and short-track racing, the Highball is an excellent choice.
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Product Specifications
Product
| Name | Highball |
| Brand | Santa Cruz |
| Available Sizes | M |
| Weight (lb) | 19.1 |
| Seatpost | Syntace P6 Carbon HiFlex Seatpost - 27.2mm |
| Shifters | SRAM XX1 Eagle 12spd |
| Stem | Syntace LiteForce |
| Weight (kg) | 9.9 |
| Year | 2018 |
| Chainring Size (No of Teeth) | 34 |
| Spoke Type | DT Swiss Competition Race |
| Saddle | WTB Silverado Carbon |
| Bottom Bracket Height (in) | 12.4 |
| Chainstays (in) | 16.9 |
| Seat Tube (in) | 16.9 |
| Standover Height (in) | 28 |
| Top Tube (in) | 24.2 |
| Wheelbase (in) | 43.9 |
| Seat Angle | 74 |
| Rims | Rim Santa Cruz Reserve 25 Carbon - 28h |
| Bottom Bracket | 73mm threaded |
| Frame Material | Carbon |
| Brakes | SRAM Level Ultimate |
| Cassette | SRAM XG1295 Eagle - 12spd, 10-50t |
| Chain | SRAM X01 Eagle 12spd |
| Cranks | SRAM XX1 Eagle DUB 34t - 170mm (S), 175mm (M-XL) |
| Fork | FOX Step-Cast 32 Factory 100 Remote |
| Fork Offset | 51 |
| Frame Weight | 1140 |
| Rear Tyre | Maxxis Aspen TR - 29x2.25 |
| Front Derailleur | Not compatible |
| Front Hub | DT Swiss 240 - 15x110mm, 28h |
| Front Tyre | Maxxis Aspen TR - 29x2.25 |
| Handlebar | Santa Cruz Carbon, 760mm |
| Head Angle | 69.5 |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM XX1 Eagle 12spd |
| Rear Hub | DT Swiss 240 - 12x148mm, XD, 28h |
| Frame size tested | M |
Authors
Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. He has spent most of his career working in the cycling industry as an athlete, mechanic and journalist. He holds a master's degree in journalism and has more than 20 years of experience as a cyclist and 12 years of experience riding and writing for BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Dirt Rag, RoadBikeReview and Outside Magazine. A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. He considers himself a cycling generalist and enjoys road, gravel and mountain biking in equal measure. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to his love of cycling, Josh is an enthusiastic supporter of brunch, voting rights and the right to repair movement.
