Santa Cruz Tallboy 6 First Ride Impressions

The Santa Cruz Tallboy has always occupied a pretty unique place in the mountain bike world. For years it has been the bike for riders who want one bike to do almost everything. The Tallboy is light enough to pedal on a big day, while being capable enough to survive being ridden far harder than its travel numbers suggest. That reputation has been earned, and few bikes have had the longevity or loyal following of the Santa Cruz Tallboy.

Now into its sixth generation, Santa Cruz has made some pretty significant changes to the Tallboy formula. There’s a bump up in travel paired with a little less weight. But the biggest shift is harder to ignore: Santa Cruz have moved away from their long-standing VPP (Virtual Pivot Point) suspension platform in favour of a four-bar layout derived from what they developed on their eMTBs.

That alone makes this one of the biggest Tallboy updates in years.

Travel has grown to 140mm up front and 130mm out back, which nudges the Tallboy even further into aggressive trail bike territory. On paper, it’s no longer pretending to be an XC-adjacent downcountry bike. But despite the extra capability, Santa Cruz claims the new frame is actually 300g lighter than the outgoing model. 

Features features features

Santa Cruz have updated the Glovebox in-frame storage, most notably with how secure the latch is. There’s a flip chip in the lower shock mount for subtle geometry and handling changes, and an accessory mount under the top tube.

Santa Cruz have ensured long dropper posts fit fine, and the bike can still take a mechanical drivetrain. With 2.5” tyre clearance, premium CC carbon frames and a headset that only does steering and no cable management, there is a lot to like. The bottom bracket even threads in!

By the numbers

We have moved beyond the rapid geometry changes, but the subtle shifts match the bike. The reach is a bit longer than before (475mm for the large bike on test), and the seat angle is steeper at 76.5 degrees, which really keeps the front planted on climbs. The head angle is a hair over 65 degrees in the high position, and just under in the low position.

With 6 sizes from XS to XXL, Santa Cruz does go beyond the size range of many brands. A real nod towards a bike that should find favour with a lot of riders. And kudos to Santa Cruz for making sure the rear centre is size specific – not every brand does that.

First ride feels

Though I’m experienced in Santa Cruz’s offerings, I’ve never ridden a Tallboy before: so I had zero concern about the lack of VPP. Over the years I’ve heard as much about VPP benefits as I have heard VPP creak, so I figure if Santa Cruz feels it’s not needed to get the ride they want on the Tallboy 6 – so be it. After a quick setup and initial ride, my immediate impression is that Santa Cruz have probably nailed the ride character they were aiming for.

The new suspension platform delivers a remarkably calm and stable pedalling feel. This is something I’m pretty fussy about. Even with the shock fully open, there’s very little unwanted movement under seated pedalling, especially on technical climbs or rough traverses where some bikes can feel vague or wallowy. The rear suspension stays active without being mushy, and that gives the bike a huge amount of traction when climbing awkward terrain. It really is preferential to let a bike stay open for the benefits of rear suspension on technical climbs, and the Tallboy has impressed.

And when you do want to sprint or get out of the saddle, the shock lockout is impressively firm. It turns the Tallboy into something that feels extremely efficient for longer fire road drags or smoother sections that link technical trails. 

In terms of design, Santa Cruz say the four-bar system allowed them to reduce pedal kickback while improving braking composure and traction across rough terrain. In fact, the only slight oddity is how rigid the rear becomes without a matching fork lockout engaged. I found the same when testing the Specialized Epic 8 EVO a couple of years back..

Some short-travel bikes can chase efficiency so hard that they end up feeling flat or muted. The grey area from cross country to downcountry to short travel trail bike varies from rider to rider. I think the prowess when you point down is where the differences lie. Even with a fairly rough suspension setup straight out of the gate, the Tallboy feels energetic and I hate to say it…playful. 

There’s plenty of pop through rollers and trail features and good mid-stroke support when pushing into corners.

It carries speed exceptionally well, but it doesn’t feel glued to the ground in the process – despite that often being my riding preference! Honestly though, it’s not a bike that has to be pushed to be fun.

Despite the new suspension layout and increased travel, there’s still that signature ‘ride bigger than the numbers’ personality that has defined the model for years. The full review will land in issue #218 of AMB.

For full specs, prices and models, check out our launch piece, drop in to see your local Santa Cruz dealer or head to santacruzbicycles.com/en-au