SANTA CRUZ 29” V10
PRICE: R180 000 / SANTACRUZBICYCLES.COM
With 21 World Cup victories to his name, South Africa’s Greg Minnaar is the most successful downhill racer of all time.
The original V10 caused a storm when it was launched in 2002 – it had a radical suspension design, a floating brake arm, and an insane 10 inches (255mm) of travel, hence the name. But when you Google it now, it looks like a kid’s bike. That was still the case in 2008, when six-foot-three (1.91m) Greg Minnaar joined the newly formed Santa Cruz Syndicate team, riding a third-generation V10 that still had 26-inch wheels and a 1 184mm wheelbase.
Since then, Greg has worked closely with Santa Cruz to fine-tune the design of the V10, tweaking the geometry with each subsequent iteration and playing with wheel size and suspension in a bid to find the right balance between stability and speed. The bike has got longer and longer and slacker and slacker, and now finally comes with the option of 29-inch wheels as well as 27.5-inch.
Indeed, the latest V10 in 29er guise, which was launched in 2019, barely resembles the original. With the flip chip in low mode, the wheelbase of an XL is 1 316mm – 132mm longer than the bike Minnaar started on. The head angle is 63,3° compared to 66,5° on the Mk3, and despite the substantially bigger wheels, suspension travel is still 200mm up front and 215mm at the rear. For the first time, Greg has a bike to match his physique!
Amazingly, the latest V10 still uses a variation on the same Virtual Pivot Point suspension design that debuted in 2001. VPP is used across all of Santa Cruz’s dual-sus mountain bikes, and it does a super job of isolating the rider from the terrain, allowing you to pedal more efficiently and charge harder, whether you’re riding XC or gravity.
The V10 X01 Carbon CC 29 is the top-spec model, and the bike that most closely resembles Minnaar’s. At a claimed 16kg, it’s lighter than its alloy-framed competitors; and it’s ready to race right out of the box, offering insane, confidence-boosting straight-line speed and scary stability, soaring off jumps as if Newton’s laws don’t apply.
Downhill bikes with 29-inch wheels have been criticised in the past for being ‘boring’ – for lacking the manoeuvrability of a bike with smaller wheels – but flow the V10 through a series of tight berms and it’s impossible not to come out the other end grinning like a madman. The pro-level suspension is excellent and highly tuneable, and the option of an XL frame with 490mm of reach will be music to any taller rider’s ears. Tyres are Greg’s signature Maxxis Assegais, which offer grip and durability in spades.
There’s no versatility when it comes to the V10, however. It’s a downhill bike, finish and klaar. Unless you actually plan to ride knee-shaking descents, you’d be better off on a more all-round enduro or trail bike such as the Megatower (160mm) or the Hightower (140mm), both of which offer far better uphill-pedalling efficiency.
But if you live for seeing your name in lights at the bottom of the mountain, the V10 29 should be on your wish list. – Jon Minster