As the sister company to Santa Cruz Bicycles, it probably comes as little surprise that when the Tallboy 2 gets an update, so too does the women’s focused Joplin. For awhile now the companies have shared frame technology but with different builds suited to their target audience. For Juliana, that target is clearly the female mountain bikers of the world and while the bike uses the same frame as the all new Tallboy, it does get a few modifications to make it “women’s specific”…
To make the Tallboy frame into the Juliana Joplin, the biggest modification in terms of the frame would have to be the suspension tune itself. While the frame benefits from all of the suspension tech outlined for the new Tallboy including the move to 110mm of travel, the Joplin gets a lighter shock tune to better suit lighter riders. That means a soft rather than medium compression tune for the Fox Float rear shock with EVOL can.
Otherwise the frame is the same as the new Tallboy which means the same performance geometry without compromise and it also has the ability to run 29″ or 27.5″+ wheels and tires. The stand over is lower too and the frames have more room for dropper posts. The frame will be sold only in one color however – fortunately it’s this rad ‘Ultraviolet’ which looks great in person.
The Joplin’s touch points are Juliana specials with “proportional part spec” and include a women’s saddle and smaller Juliana grips (which will match the frame color for production). Note that Santa Cruz has gotten away from the smaller diameter handlebars and now uses a standard size bar but with smaller grips.
Joplins have the same geometry as the Tallboys, but will only be offered in S-L sizes where the Tallboy goes up to XXL.
Sold in either frame only for $2899 or in complete builds, the Joplin will be offered in the same build options as the Tallboy with the CC XX1 at $7799, the CC X01 at $6499, an the Joplin 27.5+ CC X01 at $6499 as well.
Along with the new Joplin, Juliana is launching their “Going Places” 3 part video series which features different Juliana ambassadors and their guiding companies across the globe. We had a chance to ride with Aneela and Andy McKenna, who co-run Go-Where Scotland, while we were in Santa Cruz – if you’re looking for a great mountain bike vacation in Scotland, look no further. You’ll be hard pressed to find more likable, fun people to be around (and we hear there is plenty of Scotch).
The series will continue in the coming weeks with Anka Martin of Housemartin and Melissa Munro of Trans-Provence!
