This new 4th-generation evolution of the Santa Cruz Hightower is more capable than ever. Shifting the 29er all-mountain bike a little further towards enduro, and blurring lines between disciplines. Just like the recent Bronson overhaul, the new 4th-generation Santa Cruz Hightower gets a completely reshaped VPP for a burlier ride, plus a longer travel boost.
Sure, it might now be harder than ever to pick between the Bronson and this new Hightower. But 29er fans will be pretty psyched to get a more capable all-mountain bike!
2024 Santa Cruz Hightower carbon 29er all-mountain bike updates
If you loved the updates to the latest playful do-it-all-mountain Bronson gen 5, but still feel like you really need big 29″ wheels for a faster enduro-tastic ride, this gen4 Santa Cruz Hightower is going to be right up your alley. Now, the Hightower gets the same 150mm rear wheel & 160mm fork travel as the Bronson. It’s really just the wheel sizes that set the two bikes apart.
With slacker geometry than before and a lower-slung and more efficient VPP suspension design, this is the one bike to rule them all for wagon wheel fanatics. Think of it as a shorter-travel, more realistic Megatower… the solution for mountain bikers looking for the “mythical do-it-all bike”.
What’s new?
The real big shift here is from the 145/150mm travel of the gen3 29er Hightower to 150mm out back & 160mm up front for the Santa Cruz Hightower gen4, still with 29″ wheels. 5mm more at the rear wheel, and 10mm more at the front wheel. More travel simply means more capability on the steepest and most technical trails. This is a fast-rolling bike meant to fly over all sorts of terrain. And more travel means more fun – whether on all-day adventure rides or trips to the bike park.
Then, exactly like on the Bronson, Santa Cruz reconfigured the Hightower’s long-running VPP (virtual pivot point) suspension layout. By moving the key lower link forward and the main pivot slightly down, Santa Cruz says they’ve lowered the bike’s anti-squat. The result is a more supple bike that can soak up the big bumps even when you are standing on the pedals and filter out trail chatter even when you are pedaling. There’s also a side benefit that the new bike is approved for coil shocks too, with more room to fit everything low in the frame.
Santa Cruz calls it all-around better VPP performance for a better all-rounder bike…”Reduced pedal kickback on square-edge hits. Remains active while pedaling up and across rough, technical terrain. Less anti-squat benefits descending sensitivity due to the reduced pedal kickback associated with standing on the pedals.“
New 29er All-mountain geometry
With longer travel, the new Hightower also gets slacker geometry at around a 64° headtube angle – depending on flip-chip position. The change is relatively small, just 0.6° slacker than the previous generation, but it pairs to almost 2° steeper seat tubes and slightly longer (+5mm) frame Reach to shift weight forward for more control going up and down.
The new bike also gets slightly longer chainstays, again sticking with size-specific rear center dimensions to provide a consistent balanced ride feel to mountain bikers of all sizes.
Tech details
- 5 sizes (S-XXL) with proportional geometry
- Glovebox secure internal frame storage in the downtube under the bottle cage mount
- enclosed fully-guided internal cable routing from the sides of the headtube
- C carbon frames are compatible with mechanical shifting
- now CC carbon frames only include internal routing for a rear brake & dropper post – wireless electronic shift-only
- 2.5″ max tire clearance, front & rear
- Boost 148mm spacing
- Post Mount brakes with 200mm front /180mm rear rotors
- ISCG05 chain guide mounts
- BSA Threaded bottom bracket
- Santa Cruz UDH
- IS 1.5″ tapered headset
- Lifetime frame warranty
- Easy-to-source, easy-to-service bearings
2024 Santa Cruz Hightower – Options & availability
The new Hightower now comes in two colors – Old Growth green and Matte Deep purple – and in 6 complete bike build options. Or as a $3900 frameset.
Three builds – a $4800 R, $6000 S & the $7000 / 7400€ GX AXS get the more affordable C carbon frame.
While the top three $8000 X0 AXS, $9000 X0 AXS RSV, and XXAXS RSV specs get the top-tier CC carbon frame.
As for spec updates, those top 4 new SRAM AXS bikes all get Maven brakes, all but the entry build get Fox 36 forks and Float X piggyback rear shocks. And all bikes get classic all-mountain-ready Maxxis DHF EXO + DHR II EXO+ triple compound tire combos.
