Santa Cruz Launches "Lightest & Strongest" DH Bike

By Vernon Felton

The All New Santa Cruz V10c for 2013 from santa cruz bikes on Vimeo.

Santa Cruz recently announced the debut of their all new, all-carbon V10 downhill bike. Sure, we've tested the carbon V10 before, but that version has an aluminum rear end. This new bike features a carbon rear end, co-developed with Enve Composites, and an all new carbon front triangle and carbon rocker. How light is it? With a RockShox Vivid Air on the back end, you're looking at less than seven pounds. Yeah, holy crap, indeed. And before you jump to the conclusion that anything that light can't ever be strong enough to race DH, consider this: the Santa Cruz Syndicate raced the entire 2012 season aboard this chassis.

V10 CARBON FRAME FACTS:

Total frame weight:
• 6.97 lb (3.15 kg) M size with Rock Shox Vivid air
• 7.9 lb (3.6 kg) M size with Fox DHX RC4 shock with 9.5" x 3.0" steel coil

• 10" (25.4cm) to 8.5" (21.6cm) of adjustable travel
• New 157mm rear axle spacing - easier wheel installation.
• New molded rubber swingarm and downtube protectors.
• New integrated fork bumpers with cable guide.
• New carbon upper link - increased stiffness.
• Forged aluminum lower link with recessed grease ports.
• Collet axle pivots - locks in place without pinch bolts.
• Direct mount rear derailleur hanger.
• Full-carbon dropouts and disk mounts.
• Co-molded aluminium hardware on upper pivot and bottom bracket - no bonding.
• Race tested by Syndicate throughout 2012.
• Syndicate will race production frames in 2013.