jontg428

Looking to purchase my first mountain bike in about 22 years after deciding that my old KHS with NO suspension was in need of replacement. I have been doing my research and really like the Tall Boy and 5010, but was hoping somebody here could give me some personal feedback on both bikes. From what I have read and researched, the 5010 is a bit more nimble and feels a little smaller than the Tall Boy. By looking at the specs, the 5010 also appears to be about 1lb heavier. Anyhow, any feedback from experiences with either is welcomed.

Kapusta

I have not ridden either (well, I tried a tallboy years ago, but the bike has changed since then), but from the feedback I have read as well as the travel numbers, geo, and wheel size, I would say the tallboy is pretty much a modern XC bike. Not racer-boy XC, but a well rounded XC bike. the 5010 may have the travel numbers of some XC or Trail bikes, but the geometry is definitely more All Mountain aggressive..the Tallboy is more gears towards efficiently and quickly putting down the miles. The 5010 is more of a do-it-all bike, as the wheel size and geo encourage riding more aggressively on downhills and being generally more playful.

The 5010 has been a very hot selling bike for SC. Two of my friends have them, and honestly, when I finally stop putting money into my 26" bike, I am most likely going to get one as well.

Darth Lefty 

I briefly had a Diamondback Clutch last year which is effectively a clone of the 5010. It was just great. I expect the real thing would be even better. It's definitely an all-around trail bike, the travel is in between enduro and XC, the tires are standard width, not big 29+, and not too monster-truckish.

I certainly couldn't find its limits with my limited skill on my limited route, and I traded it in since I wanted a bike that would easily take more accessories like kid seats and trailers.

hig4s

It depends on whether you like the feel of 29 or 27.5 better. I like 27.5. If you can try to get a demo ride on actual trails

I demo'd several Santa Cruz bikes last year at the local fat tire festival, and even though they have more suspension, I thought the Bronson and Hightower handled better than the 510 or Tallboy. And for me the Bronson was one of the top 5 bikes of any brand I rode all year.
My favorite bike, I bought, Evil Insurgent, after that it was Giant Trance, Santa Cruze Bronson, Salsa Redpoint, and Cannondale Bad Habit. (Bad Habit is a + bike) I also rode a few Specialized, Pivot, and Rocky Mountain, bikes, all good but none of them did anything for me.

jontg428

You mentioned that you rode the Cannondale Bad Habit, how was it? I was looking at the Habit 4 but could not find any to demo. It has a nice price point, but the whole pivotless suspension design has be a little scared, just does not look as stout as the rear suspension designs on any of the Santa Cruz products. Thanks for the feedback!

jontg428

Thank you for all your feedback. I test rode two 29er's, a Trek Fuel EX8 and the Specialized Stump Jumper Alloy. I felt the 29er's felt sluggish off the line and just were not that nimble. No bear in mind my current bike is old as the hills and has 26" tires, but I do like how nimble it is. After doing a lot of reading it sounds like I would like a 27.5" bike better. They may roll down hills a little slower, but they sound more playful. I am going to try and get some test rides lined up, luckily I am only a few hours from the Santa Cruz factory, where you can schedule a demo for $40 and get a factory tour as well. Sounds fun to me! So time permitting I will try and do that, though I would probably have to take a day off of work to swing it, the test rides book up fast!

hig4s

There are several companies with pivotless single pivot rear suspension, no one seems to have any real problems with it. I actually have a Giant Stance I use for easy trails, that is pivotless, and never had any problems with it. The difference in feel, is the pivotless suspension is a little stiffer the first 10% to 20% of the travel (through the flex point), so on small bumps it can be a bit harsh, but that makes it climb a bit better on smooth trails. On the Bad Habit, with plus size tires I never even noticed the harshness on the small bumps at all.

hypnotoad

Kapusta

Kapusta

cpach

Try some 27.5 bikes, but a lot of what you're likely feeling is that modern trail bikes are considerably slower steering than your old bike by design. They often feel worse in a parking lot, but that stability is desirable descending and greatly improves downhill performance. You will feel, quite likely, that 27.5 bikes typically have shorter wheel bases and have less rotational inertia from the wider tire diameter, which do make them feel more playful. It may be out of your price range, but Ibis also does factory demos in SC for $40/day. Obviously most of the shops in SC do demos at around $70-100/day in the brands they carry, but that's obviously much more expensive.

jontg428

I think one of the issues is that I primarily ride a road bike, going to a mountain feels totally different! Being that my mountain bike is an old 1996 KHS you are on point in stating that I am used to my quick steering KHS, not a new mountain bike that is probably much more stable. I spoke to my local Santa Cruz dealer and he is going to setup a test ride up in the hills when I am ready to purchase. I really want to do the test rides at the factory, but would have to take a day off of work to do it as their weekends are usually always booked up. Definitely looking forward to the test ride, should be revealing.

jontg428

Update, I rode the 5010 at the Santa Cruz factory as well as the Bronson. Loved the 5010, have it being built up right now, can't wait to ride it!