SANTA CRUZ BLUR XC CC XO1 AXS RSV
No one can accuse Santa Cruz of jumping on the XC bandwagon. Along with the V10, the original Blur helped pioneer its VPP suspension and even before VPP, the single-pivot Superlight was a firm favourite among XC racers and trail riders alike.
It’s fitting then, that the latest Blur XC blends aspects of the old and new world. The Superlight single-pivot suspension design is back, albeit with flexstays and a linkage-actuated shock to deliver 100mm travel. And combined with Santa Cruz’s modern carbon tech, it’s the lightest Blur the brand has ever produced. How light? Well, compared to the previous Blur, Santa Cruz has managed to whittle away 289g from the frame weight alone, which helps explain why our size large test bike weighed an impressive 10.41kg (22.95lb).
With 100mm of rear travel in pure XC guise – there’s also a longer-travel TR option – it’s no surprise that Santa Cruz dropped its signature twin-link suspension for a lighter flexstay design. It’s pretty much ubiquitous on the XC circuit, because everyone has worked out that replacing bearings, links and pivot hardware with flex in the carbon stays is a great way to save substantial amounts of weight.
But that’s not the only change to the suspension on the Blur XC. Santa Cruz also adopted a flatter leverage rate so it could rely less on anti-squat to stop the suspension bobbing – claiming that this approach allows the suspension to have more traction and sensitivity both climbing and descending. We actually dropped the shock out of the bike and it’s interesting that there’s no noticeable spring force in the flexstays until you get deeper in the travel, which could explain why we struggled to use all of the 100mm available travel.
Geometry-wise, the Blur is modern, if not quite progressive, with a 68° head angle and 463mm reach. The fit is spot on and thanks to the size-specific geometry that sees the chainstay length increase by 2.5mm with every jump in frame size, the Blur feels remarkably well balanced and that weight distribution should translate to all four frame sizes.
SUSPENSION
We’ve already mentioned how the suspension design on the Blur has evolved, so let’s take a closer look at the suspension components. The 100mm-travel SID SL Ultimate fork has slender 32mm upper tubes, and everything about it has been optimised for weight saving – even the rebound adjuster and valve cap on the air spring have been stripped to the bare bones. Santa Cruz adds in some rigidity to the SID SL by taking full advantage of the fork’s Torque Cap compatibility. An added bonus being that oversized hub end-caps make it much easier to locate the hub and axle in the dropouts when fitting the front wheel.
Matching travel on the rear is provided by a Rockshox SIDLUXE Ultimate shock. Just like the SID fork, adjustments are limited to air pressure and rebound, and like the fork, sag gradients make setting up the suspension a breeze.
The fork and shock are both hardwired to the SRAM Twistlock remote. Ring its neck to choke the suspension for a firmer pedalling response, then simply press the button on the collar of the twist grip to resuscitate the suspension. It’s fast and easy to use, and because it leaves plenty of space for the dropper post remote, you never get confused as to which lever to press. It also gives the Blur two very distinct suspension modes.
£8,099