Today, Santa Cruz is introducing a new Blur, the 5th generation of its short-travel XC platform. The Blur has continuously evolved over the years, and this latest iteration includes numerous updates and refinements to meet the demands of modern cross-country riders and race courses. These include 120mm of travel front and rear, up-to-date geometry, and build kits to meet the demands of both XC racers and soul-riders alike. Let’s check out what’s new.
Santa Cruz Blur Details
Aesthetically, the new Blur doesn’t stray too far from its predecessor, but Santa Cruz says it “bumped up the travel, updated the geometry, and spent a lot of time tweaking the suspension kinematics to encourage you to obliterate the boundaries of a traditional ‘XC bike’.”
Frame Updates
The new Blur frame comes in Santa Cruz’s highest “CC” grade carbon only. This is the lightest carbon fiber the brand uses, which reportedly still “delivers on weight, strength, and stiffness in equal measure.” Santa Cruz says the frame has been “reduced and refined” with slimmed-down frame tubes, optimized shaping, and a refined carbon layup to shed a little weight. The brand did not say how much weight, but did say it still backs the new Blur frames with its lifetime warranty — plus bearings for life.
All frames are designed to accommodate both wireless and mechanical shifting with full-length hose and cable “chunnels” for ease of maintenance and noise reduction. The Glovebox V2 in-frame storage compartment has been updated to improve latch engagement, ease of access, and frame contact. The frame also features an accessory mount on the underside of the top tube, plus two bottle mounts in the front triangle that fit full-size water bottles.
The Blur frame comes with molded protection on the downtube and chainstay, along with an integrated chain guide. The frame uses a threaded bottom bracket, has 148mm Boost axle spacing, clearance for tires up to 2.4” wide, and fits a 36T max chainring.
More Travel
One of the biggest changes to the Blur is the increase in rear wheel travel to 120mm. This modest increase in travel results in a matched 120mm both front and rear, which Santa Cruz says allowed them to improve both suspension performance and geometry. The Blur still employs the Superlight, single-pivot flex-stay design, but the brand says they’ve made the leverage curve much more progressive.
According to Santa Cruz, this “means the Blur sits higher in its travel while you’re pedaling with a lot less bobbing. On descents, the increased travel and progression improve sensitivity at the top of the travel and adds mid-stroke support to complement the Blur’s more capable geometry.”
Geometry
On the topic of geometry, Santa Cruz says the Blur’s updated geometry “is longer, faster, and just plain better, whether you’re looking for the hole shot or doing your best to get properly lost in the mountains.” The primary updates are a slacker 66-degree head tube angle, a steeper 75-degree seat tube angle, longer reach measurements (475mm on a large frame), and a lower bottom bracket height.
Additionally, Santa Cruz says that both the geometry and carbon layup scale proportionally with frame size, so that all sizes have a consistent ride feel. This includes the rear center/chainstay length growing in 2mm increments up the size range. Check the geometry chart below for more details.
Another geometry-related note to mention is the differences between the race and standard builds, which will impact a rider’s body position. The “standard” builds come equipped with a more trail-oriented cockpit setup that includes a 50mm stem and 20mm rise bar. The “race” builds come with a 60mm stem and a flat handlebar for a more aggressive stance.
Santa Cruz Blur: Builds and Pricing
As mentioned above, the new Blur comes in standard and race builds, with cockpit setups that may play a role in the bike’s handling and rider position. The cockpit setups aren’t the only difference between the two, of course, with the race builds oriented toward lighter weight and on-course performance, and the standard builds prioritizing efficiency and comfort for long days in the saddle.
The standard builds include the aforementioned 50mm stem and 20mm rise handlebar, plus they come with Fox 34 SL forks, Fox Float SL shocks, and Maxxis Aspen AT tires. The race builds switch to the racier, more aggressive 60mm stem and flat bar, RockShox SID forks, SID Luxe shocks (with 3-position lockout or Flight Attendant, depending on the model), and Maxxis Rekon Race tires. Check out the charts below for prices, spec details, and claimed weights.
Standard Builds
Race Builds
Availability
The new Santa Cruz Blur is available now. Head to the brand’s website or your local Santa Cruz dealer to check them out, learn more, or pick one up for your favorite mountain biker.
