Santa Cruz Bikes Launches The Solo, A New 27.5 5″ Trail Bike

They named it after me, they did they really did!!! 😀

why would i want a 27,5″ if it already has suspension and i´m 1.78m tall and i´m not rich?¿?¿?

but i must admit, it’s an awesome dentist bike.

Santa Cruz’s new business model, put 650b wheels on all their bikes and call them brand new ground breaking bikes.

I just wish it had a 1.5 headtube so that it could become more slack more easily. I have 68 degree head tube angle on my 100 mm bike. I might feel weird on a bike with both more travel and an effectively steeper head tube angle. I’m sure that lots of thought went into the geometry, though, and most people in the target segment love it from this first glance.

Is this or is this not a Juliana Furtado (as launched last week) in SC paint?

@boobie, I know how you feel (LTc owner too) but I like my bike and considering Santa Cruz outright said they felt no advantage of 27.5 over 26 and they are just making them because that’s what people want, I’m fine on my 26″ for the time being.

Usually I’m not so susceptible to advertising, but damn that video made me really want that bike. …until I saw the pricing.

From conversations with a few folks in the know, my take away is that the 650b is indeed industry and marketing based. However, Santa Cruz is a company that needs to sell bikes, and the reality is that on all the demo days, there are huge lines for the 650b bikes (Bronson in this case) and very few signups for 26″, or even 29″. Consumers are eager to try the latest, and bikes like the Blur LT are sitting stagnant on the sales floor of your local IBD.

Like a lot of riders that bought a 29er to try it out, the bike I pick when heading out the door has 26″ wheels, while my 29er sits on it’s hook. A lot of my buddies in the NW that tried 29″ trail bikes have already sold them and are back on 26″. The terrain they ride is a lot more jump filled than the trails in my backyard here in the Bay Area though. That said, many of those same riders (early adopters with disposable income to spare or bike-centric life priorities) are now ordering 650b bikes.

JimmyZ, works components do tapered anglesets that will work with a tapered steerer tube. Got one on my Mojo HD and its an awesome bit of kit and way better than a cane creek, and a third of the price. They do upto 1.5 degrees of offset, the Solo with a 66.5 head angle would be an awesome bike! Can’t decide between this or the bronson for my next bike, tough decision!!

I wonder how much SC spent on making that video. Business must be good.

Barry rep points for the spec find. Jason have not been to an SC demo and essentially it is a trend driven sport. Is it the new golf? I read that some place and it made my skin crawl. Golf is fine but I got into mtb to not be part of that “machine”. Eric I hear you on the dentist thing precision work costs but it must be the paying for pain thing that gets people. The real pain is not going. So in the end SC has a new smartly designed bike that is the TRC with a bigger wheel and most of us would gladly ride one. Who ever does their videos does a great job. To make people look at a bike like the Chameleon when it seems to all about going big you have to have some chops. That video is sick.

Oh don’t get me wrong. I love nice bikes. But to say
that people have been clamoring for this?
Ask Kirk Pacenti when he started pushing the
wheel size spent his own $$$ on bring tires to
market. However a no major fork maker would
produce a fork and the major players (Haro?) weren’t interested.
People clamor for disc brakes that are quiet and modulate. People clamor
for front derailleurs that work and suspsenion bikes that don’t feel like
a water bed.

@kcr – I was surprised about that as well. I’m curious to see that weight confirmed. I’ve got no real reason to doubt it, I’m just surprised (in a good way).

Killer intro video!

Guess you can put a clamp on it. I thought it looked too flared from the pictures.

So bad that all the awesome riding in the Sierra Nevada is illegal because of the retarded wilderness law interpretation.

It is “motorized”, not “mechanized”, you congress idiots.

I would have thought that by now steve pete could afford a nicer place.

I’ve been shopping for my first squish bike, after 20 years of MTB riding… (Currently a SS29 only). I want a second bike and a bike with some gears for the big long rides in Sedona and Colorado etc. This would be my first full bounce bike.

I got to demoed the Bronson (Aluminum) the other day… Awesome bike, but honestly too much bike for me. That thing would get me in trouble and fast. And compared to the Tallboy it is too hard to peddle up the hill.

Being 6’2” so I am excited about a larger then 26 wheel, and a 29 full bounce is just too big. I have ridden the Tallboy LT a couple of times, love it, but just a little too big to get your zippy on. I think the 27.5 is win win win for all of us.

As far as price… Ya it Fn’ spendy. But look at anyone who has a boat, motorcycle, quads new cars … any big boy hobby, this is cheaper and better for the old ticker. JUSTIFIED.

Incomes the Solo. I am phcked. Can’t wait to ride it, I hope I like it!!!

Been riding 26″ since early 90’s, hard tail and suspension. Currently ride a Niner Jet9, love it awesome bike, so much better than 26″ for me. I have been waiting for the 650b/27.5 to try out. Very interested in testing this bike, hoping it will roll like the 29er but with the control of a 26″.

I don’t believe wheel size or “wheel wars” is at play here. Choice is great but I do believe people are tired of “new standards” and their 2012 wonder bike looking like a model t I’d 6 months. On the end we all know a good engine trumps all.