Santa Cruz Bicycles

Tallboy Carbon CC X01 Eagle AXS Reserve Mountain Bike

Designed to get us up and over grueling climbs and then pop and play its way down flowy descents, the Tallboy Carbon CC X01 Eagle AXS Reserve Mountain Bike is among our top picks when it comes to short-travel trail bikes. It utilizes 120mm of rear travel to maintain excellent pedaling efficiency and performs like a longer travel bike on the descents, thanks to the supportive lower-link VPP design. Front and rear 29in wheels let us cruise up and over square-edge boulders and off-camber roots with ease, and they hold their momentum for cross-country riding. Santa Cruz strikes the perfect balance between stability at speed and agility for tight corners with a 65.5-degree headtube angle (low position). One of our favorite features about the Tallboy is the Glovebox frame storage system which lets us stash our tools and trail essentials right in the downtube so we don’t need to carry a pack.

This top-tier build starts with the Carbon CC frame construction from Santa Cruz, which delivers truly impressive weight savings, responsiveness, and durability. The Pike Ultimate fork provides 130mm of travel that delivers a poised feel on the trail that helps us place the bike exactly where we need to, plus it has loads of adjustments for fine-tuning. SRAM’s X01 Eagle AXS electronic components provide instant shifting and super low maintenance with no cables to be found. Reserve 30 SL carbon wheels save us weight for the climbs, accelerate quickly, and offer super impressive durability to last for seasons. The Float Factory DPS shock has tons of clicks and adjustments to let us dial in our suspension characteristics for varied terrain types. All in all, this build leaves little to be desired and makes for a capable, precise, and efficient trail bike.

*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.