THE MOUNTAIN BIKE, DISTILLED
The newest version of the Hightower remains our greatest hits of engineering - now further refined and bottled into our most all-terrain of bikes. Big on wheels, medium on travel, short on fuss, this is the do-it-all model that does it over and over again thanks to a versatile balance of geo, spec and durability. If you’re not looking for extremes, just something extremely good, the Hightower is your elevator.
OUR ENGINEERS’ GREATEST HITS
Not all frames are created equal. Hightower represents Santa Cruz’s greatest hits, showcasing our design, engineering, and performance prowess.
LOWER LINK ASSEMBLY
The highly-sculpted and optimized Lower Link (A) houses a geometry adjusting Flip Chip (B) and beefy Pivot Axles (C) to virtually eliminate lateral flex.
UPPER LINK ASSEMBLY
We only use the highest quality Enduro MAX or TPX sealed, radial bearings (A) and premium fasteners (B) for our linkage assemblies. They’re easy to properly torque and maintain, plus we offer free replacement bearings for life.
ONE-PIECE SWINGARM
VPP suspension utilizes a one-piece swingarm that eliminates the need for pivots on the stays, creating a stout, bulletproof rear end for accurate tracking and superior performance.
C AND CC CARBON
Santa Cruz offers two grades of carbon—top-end CC Carbon and value-minded C Carbon. Though they have the same stiffness and performance, CC is lighter and comes paired with more premium suspension.
CARBON MASTERY
The Sag Window (A), Glovebox (B) and internal cable tunnels (not shown) demonstrate Santa Cruz’s expertise at combining practical function with carbon design and manufacturing artistry.
THE SUM OF THE PARTS
In isolation, all these things are great—together with fanatical suspension tuning, a premium build spec, and a meticulous attention-to-detail, they’re transcendent.
Build Kit HIGHTOWER C R
Frame Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP
Fork RockShox Lyrik Select, 150mm
Shock FOX Float Performance DPS 210x55
Chainguide N/A
Rear Derailleur SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
Shifters SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
Crankset SRAM Descendant Eagle 148 DUB 30t
Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB
Cassette SRAM PG1230, 12spd, 11-50t
Chain SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
Brakes SRAM G2 R
Rotors Avid Centerline 200/180mm
Handlebar RaceFace Aeffect R, 780mm
Stem Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm
Grips Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips
Headset Cane Creek 10 IS Integrated Headset
Seatpost SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6
Saddle WTB Silverado Medium CroMo
Front Tyre Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C MaxxGrip, EXO, TR
Rear Tyre Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C Maxx- Terra, EXO, TR
Front Wheel SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h RaceFace AR Offset 30 29"
Rear Wheel SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h Avid Centerline 200mm