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 | HIGHTOWER C S |
Frame | Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP | Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP |
Fork | RockShox Lyrik Select, 150mm | FOX 36 Float Performance, 150mm |
Shock | FOX Float Performance DPS 210x55 | Rockshox Super Deluxe Select 210x55 |
Chainguide | N/A | N/A |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Shifters | SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Crankset | SRAM Descendant Eagle 148 DUB 30t | SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB 30t |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB |
Cassette | SRAM PG1230, 12spd, 11-50t | SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t |
Chain | SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Brakes | SRAM G2 R | SRAM Code R |
Rotors | Avid Centerline 200/180mm | Avid Centerline 200/180mm |
Handlebar | RaceFace Aeffect R, 780mm | Burgtec RideWide Alloy Bar, 800mm |
Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm |
Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips |
Headset | Cane Creek 10 IS Integrated Headset | Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset |
Seatpost | SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6 | SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6 |
Saddle | WTB Silverado Medium CroMo | WTB Silverado Medium CroMo |
Front Tyre | Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C MaxxGrip, EXO, TR | 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 | Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C Maxx- Terra, EXO, TR |
Front Wheel | SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h RaceFace AR Offset 30 29" | DT Swiss 370, 15x110, 28h RaceFace AR Offset 30 29" |
Rear Wheel | SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h Avid Centerline 200mm | DT Swiss 370, 12x148, XD, 36t, 28h Avid Centerline 180mm |
Weight | ||
Build Kit | HIGHTOWER C GX AXS | HIGHTOWER C GX AXS RSV |
Frame | Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP | Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP |
Fork | FOX 36 Float Performance Elite, 150mm | FOX 36 Float Performance Elite, 150mm |
Shock | Rockshox Super Deluxe Select 210x55 | Rockshox Super Deluxe Select 210x55 |
Chainguide | N/A | N/A |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM GX AXS Eagle, 12spd | SRAM GX AXS Eagle, 12spd |
Shifters | GX AXS Controller w/ Rocker Paddle | GX AXS Controller w/ Rocker Paddle |
Crankset | SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB 32t | SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB 32t |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB |
Cassette | SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t | SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t |
Chain | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Brakes | SRAM Code RS | SRAM Code RS |
Rotors | Avid Centerline 200/180mm | Avid Centerline 200/180mm |
Handlebar | Santa Cruz 35 Carbon Bar, 800mm | Santa Cruz 35 Carbon Bar, 800mm |
Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm |
Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips |
Headset | Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset | Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset |
Seatpost | RockShox Reverb Stealth, 31.6 | RockShox Reverb Stealth, 31.6 |
Saddle | WTB Silverado Medium CroMo | WTB Silverado Medium CroMo |
Front Tyre | Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C MaxxGrip, EXO, TR | 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 | Maxxis Minion DHR II 29"x2.4", 3C Maxx- Terra, EXO, TR |
Front Wheel | i9 1/1, 15x110, 28h RaceFace ARC Offset 30 29" | i9 1/1, 15x110, 28h Reserve 30|HD 29", 28h |
Rear Wheel | i9 1/1, 12x148, XD, 28h Avid Centerline 180mm | i9 1/1, 12x148, XD, 28h Avid Centerline 180mm |
Weight | ||
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 |
Weight | |
Build Kit | HIGHTOWER C S |
Frame | Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP |
Fork | FOX 36 Float Performance, 150mm |
Shock | Rockshox Super Deluxe Select 210x55 |
Chainguide | N/A |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Shifters | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Crankset | SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB 30t |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB |
Cassette | SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t |
Chain | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Brakes | SRAM Code R |
Rotors | Avid Centerline 200/180mm |
Handlebar | Burgtec RideWide Alloy Bar, 800mm |
Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm |
Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips |
Headset | Cane Creek 40 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 | DT Swiss 370, 15x110, 28h RaceFace AR Offset 30 29" |
Rear Wheel | DT Swiss 370, 12x148, XD, 36t, 28h Avid Centerline 180mm |
Weight | |
Build Kit | HIGHTOWER C GX AXS |
Frame | Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP |
Fork | FOX 36 Float Performance Elite, 150mm |
Shock | Rockshox Super Deluxe Select 210x55 |
Chainguide | N/A |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM GX AXS Eagle, 12spd |
Shifters | GX AXS Controller w/ Rocker Paddle |
Crankset | SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB 32t |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB |
Cassette | SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t |
Chain | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Brakes | SRAM Code RS |
Rotors | Avid Centerline 200/180mm |
Handlebar | Santa Cruz 35 Carbon Bar, 800mm |
Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm |
Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips |
Headset | Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset |
Seatpost | RockShox Reverb Stealth, 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 | i9 1/1, 15x110, 28h RaceFace ARC Offset 30 29" |
Rear Wheel | i9 1/1, 12x148, XD, 28h Avid Centerline 180mm |
Weight | |
Build Kit | HIGHTOWER C GX AXS RSV |
Frame | Carbon C 29" 145mm Travel VPP |
Fork | FOX 36 Float Performance Elite, 150mm |
Shock | Rockshox Super Deluxe Select 210x55 |
Chainguide | N/A |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM GX AXS Eagle, 12spd |
Shifters | GX AXS Controller w/ Rocker Paddle |
Crankset | SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB 32t |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB |
Cassette | SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t |
Chain | SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd |
Brakes | SRAM Code RS |
Rotors | Avid Centerline 200/180mm |
Handlebar | Santa Cruz 35 Carbon Bar, 800mm |
Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm |
Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips |
Headset | Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset |
Seatpost | RockShox Reverb Stealth, 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 | i9 1/1, 15x110, 28h Reserve 30|HD 29", 28h |
Rear Wheel | i9 1/1, 12x148, XD, 28h Avid Centerline 180mm |
Weight | |