Santa Cruz Bicycles

Hightower C R Mountain Bike

From aggressive trail riding to lightly dabbling in some enduro riding, the Santa Cruz Hightower is one of our top choices when we need a bike that is capable in various conditions. Being a mid-travel 29er, the Hightower is lightweight enough for long trail rides and capable enough to huck down technical descents and rollover rock gardens. The Hightower has 145mm of VPP suspension, which is highly efficient, climbs well, descends well, and provides a supportive mid-stroke. With a 64.8-degree head tube angle and a 77-degree seat tube angle, the Hightower puts us in a position to be efficient when pedaling and keeps our front wheel out ahead of us, making climbs a breeze and descents stable and composed. Santa Cruz made some additions to their frame recently, adding a Sag Window to make sag measuring and setup more accessible and a Glovebox frame storage that gives us storage space for our ride essentials in the frame's downtube. Size-specific chainstay lengths offer every rider of the Hightower the same balanced and poppy rear end. A revised leverage curve and suspension kinematics improve the Hightower's suspension sensitivity in both downhill and uphill scenarios. This gives us a reduced anti-squat for better pedaling performance and a more linear leverage curve for more bottom-out resistance and support. Other notable features of the Hightower include a Flip Chip to adjust the geometry of the bike for a slacker or steeper ride, and integrated protection with a shuttle guard, downtube protector, and chainstay protector.

The R build of the Santa Cruz Hightower is the entry-level build, but that doesn't mean cheap components. SRAM's NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain is reliable and gives us a huge gear range for making it up technical ascents. Next, the RaceFace AR Offset 30 rims are durable alloy wheels that are relatively lightweight, super durable, and allow us to rip through rock gardens without worry. A RockShox Lyrik Base fork with 150mm of travel is adjustable and helps to soak any bumps on the trail, and a Fox Float DPS rear shock is lightweight and adjustable, so we can get our perfect setup. Wrapping it all together, premium Maxxis tires give us tons of grip and bite on technical descents and provide unparalleled cornering traction.

*Due to a high demand in the global supply chain and bike industry since the start of the pandemic, material weight and exact components are subject to change. We are working diligently to keep tech specs updated, and any adjustments will be of equal or better spec level. If you have any questions, reach out to a Gearhead by chatting online or calling 1-888-276-7130.

Heads up - We do our best to keep bike specs and images current, but occasional component changes can happen without warning-and sometimes the photos might not show the exact build you'll receive. If you want to double-check the details, our Gearheads are always here to help.