Tallboy
- Overview
- Bike Builder
- Geometry and Sizing
- Technical Support
- Warranty
If ever there was a gravity riders’ XC bike, the Tallboy is it.
With kick-ass lower-link VPP™ suspension, a streamlined design, the typical Santa Cruz refinement, and rather radical geometry, the Tallboy is a genre bending folk hero. It’s the kind of bike that makes you sprint while going up, along, over, or down due to the maximum efficiency of the VPP™ design, forward thinking geometery and responsive, lightweight chassis. But because it shares the same engineering principles as our longest travel bikes it feels equally at home doing cross-country as it does getting extreme across the countryside.
- Sold on 29" but feel like you need a bit more travel? Check out the Hightower.
- Prefer something lighter and snappier for pure cross-country riding and racing? Try the Blur.
Key Features:
| Available in: | Aluminum, Carbon C & Carbon CC |
| Wheel Size: | 29er |
| Front Travel: | 130mm |
| Rear Travel: | 120mm |
D $3,599 USD $2,899 34.62 lbs / 15.7 kg | R $4,199 USD $3,399 33.06 lbs / 15 kg |
|---|
Material | Material | ||
Rear Shock | Rear Shock | ||
Fork | Fork | ||
Rear Derailleur | Rear Derailleur | ||
Shifters | Shifters | ||
Cassette | Cassette | ||
Chain | Chain | ||
Bottom Bracket | Bottom Bracket | ||
Headset | Headset | ||
Rear Tire | Rear Tire | ||
Front Tire | Front Tire | ||
Sealant | Sealant | ||
Front Hub | Front Hub | ||
Front Rim | Front Rim | ||
Rear Hub | Rear Hub | ||
Rear Rim | Rear Rim | ||
Front Rotor | Front Rotor | ||
Rear Rotor | Rear Rotor | ||
Brakes | Brakes | ||
Crankset | Crankset | ||
Handlebars | Handlebars | ||
Stem | Stem | ||
Saddle | Saddle | ||
Seatpost | Seatpost | ||
Grips | Grips | ||
Travel | Travel | ||
Wheel Size | Wheel Size |
Geometry
| XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 400 | 425 | 450 | 470 | 490 | 515 |
| Stack | 592 | 601 | 610 | 619 | 637 | 656 |
| Head Tube Angle | 65.7° | 65.7° | 65.7° | 65.7° | 65.7° | 65.7° |
| Seat Tube Length | 370 | 380 | 405 | 430 | 460 | 500 |
| Front Center | 699 | 728 | 757 | 781 | 809 | 842 |
| BB Height | 335 | 335 | 335 | 335 | 335 | 335 |
| BB Drop | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 |
| Wheelbase | 1129 | 1158 | 1187 | 1211 | 1239 | 1272 |
| Rear Center | 436 | 436 | 436 | 436 | 436 | 436 |
| Head Tube Length | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 140 | 160 |
| Top Tube Length | 539 | 567 | 596 | 619 | 646 | 678 |
| Seat Tube Angle | 76.8° | 76.7° | 76.6° | 76.4° | 76.2° | 76° |
| Standover Height | 681 | 696 | 708 | 706 | 702 | 702 |
Units
cm
Frame Sizing
If you're on the cusp between the recommended height range of two sizes, the absolute best thing is to try to ride them both. At a minimum, check the stack/reach measurements on your current bike and compare it to the new model you are looking at to get an idea of a fit you are already comfortable with. If riding the bike is not an option, consider the following.
Personal Preference
A larger size frame will be more stable, and will give you more room to move without upsetting the weight-balance of the bike. The larger size will put the front wheel further in front of you, which gives the feeling of security and conversely, it will require more significant body movements when you WANT to shift the weight-bias of the bike. Think hard about your riding style and how active/intuitive you want it to be vs stable and speedy. You'll need to work a bit harder to muscle the larger bike around.
Body Dimension
Not all bodies at a given height are the same. If you have longer legs and a shorter torso than the average person your height, that may push you towards the smaller of the recommended sizes. If you're all torso and arms, most likely you'll want to size up.
Units
cm
XS
S
M
L
XL
XXL
Maintenance Information
How to find your serial number
Something not right? Use our warranty claim form to file a claim. We'll do everything we can to get you back to riding as fast as possible.
File a claim for a Santa Cruz product
If you have any other questions or would like to follow up on a warranty claim, contact our Warranty Department.
Tallboy Tech Support
| Suspension System | VPP |
| Front Derailleur | No compatibility |
| Headset/Headtube | Integrated (IS41/52) |
| Seat Post | 31.6mm |
| Seat Clamp | 36.4mm |
| Eye to Eye length | 190mm |
| Stroke | 45mm |
| Fork Compatibility | 130-140mm |
| BB Shell | 73mm Threaded |
| Max Tire Size | 2.5" |
| Max Chainring Size | 36t |
| Water Bottle Mounts | 2 |
| Shock Mounting Bushing Front | 20x8 |
| Shock Mounting Bushing Rear | 30x8 |
| Brake Mount | 180 PM |
Download the shock setup PDF for this bike and get even more detailed sag, high/low rebound, and high/low compression recommendations for shocks below and get recommendations for the fork in each build.
Fox Float Performance
| Rider Weight | Air Pressure | Shock Sag |
|---|---|---|
| 100lbs (45.5kg) | 110 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 120lbs (54.4kg) | 135 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 140lbs (63.5kg) | 160 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 160lbs (72.6kg) | 185 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 180lbs (81.8kg) | 210 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 200lbs (90.7kg) | 235 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 220lbs (99.8kg) | 260 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 240lbs (108.8kg) | 285 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
| 260lbs (117.9kg) | 310 psi | 13-14.5 mm |
What is the maximum tire size?
29 x 2.5"
Can I fit a chainguide to my bike?
Yes, this bike is equipped with ISCG-05 tabs for easy chainguide mounting. Most chainguides on the market that are made for this standard should work.
I want to change my rear shock. Any limitations?
The Tallboy rear shock size is 190x45mm. The front hardware is 8x20, and the rear hardware is 8x30 (bearing compatible). The Tallboy is compatible with most air shocks, with the exception of the Fox Float X2 and Cane Creek shocks. Coil shocks are not compatible. For the best performance, we recommend sticking to the following: Fox Float DPS, Fox Float DPX2, Rockshox Deluxe or Rockshox Super Deluxe.
Should I ride my Tallboy in Hi or Lo setting?
You should definitely try both! We recommend starting with the Hi setting for the Tallboy but if you have steeper trails where pedal strikes are less of a concern, give Low a try.
The geometry chart shows two settings- how do I adjust that?
There's a "flip chip" on the link where the shock mounts. Just remove the lower shock bolt and flip the chips to the setting you desire.
What is the recommended fork?
Our geometry is based off of a 130mm fork with a 42 or 44mm offset. We wouldn't recommend less travel than that, as the BB will get a bit low.
What kind of headset does this bike use?
This bike uses integrated headset cups. The upper is 41mm and the lower is 52mm. The SHIS name is IS 41/28.6 IS 52/40.
What’s a flip chip?
A flip chip is a simple mechanism that we use to adjust geometry and suspension feel on our bikes. The lower-link flip chip sits in the shock mount in lower-link. This one adjusts the BB height up and down and the Lo setting makes the suspension more progressive (more bottom out resistance).
We design our bikes to last, to be easy to work on and we make sure to provide the parts and information so you can make your bike last for many lifetimes.
