If the Santa Cruz Megatower wasn’t mega enough, it now gains more travel, amongst other features. The 29er enduro bike still has big wheels — no mixed-wheel build yet, but it gets more travel: an extra 5mm in the rear, and 10mm up front. Santa Cruz has also adjusted the leverage rate, added a “Glovebox,” and revised the geometry for the Megatower.
The leverage rate is “relatively low compared to” their other bikes, and Santa Cruz says they have given the bike a more damped and controlled feel for aggressive riding and there is better bottom-out resistance. Users can use a 65mm stroke shock to boost the travel to 170mm.
There are some interesting geometry changes on the bike too. The new Megatower comes in five sizes, from S-XXL. The head tube angle measures 63.8°. The seat tube angle and the chainstay length are different on each size. On a medium, the STA measures 77.4°, the chainstays measure 437mm, the reach measures 455mm, and the wheelbase is 1,236mm. Standover height is 716mm. These are all in the high position. The low position changes the head and seat tube angle minimally, by .2°-.3°.
Santa Cruz follows Specialized and Trek with a cargo box in the downtube. Santa Cruz calls it the Glovebox and it comes with a tool wrap. Other features include a max rear tire width of 29×2.5″, a Universal Derailleur Hanger, and a threaded bottom bracket. The bike includes a lifetime warranty.
Santa Cruz has several different builds with air and coil shock options. The bike starts with a $5,649 R model, and includes a RockShox Zeb, a SRAM NX drivetrain and G2 RE brakes, and RaceFace rims with SRAM MTH hubs. The bike tops out with the Megatower CC frame, a SRAM AXS drivetrain, and Flight Attendant electronic suspension. This includes Reserve wheels and SRAM Code Ultimate brakes and sells for $13,999.
For more information, see the Santa Cruz website.
That pricing is kind of insane, $6,800 for a GX build with Code R brakes and so-so suspension, that’s a $5,800 build at best from other competitive brands.
They’re getting up there. The $14,000 price tag is what caught me off guard 😀