The Nomad feels very much like a seasonaire’s bike
If you’re familiar with the current Santa Cruz range, you won’t be surprised to hear it also has a flip-chip at the rear shock mount that adjusts the head angle by 0.3° and the BB height by 3mm. And while that might not seem like much (it isn’t) the effect on the kinematics means it has a more significant impact on the ride than the numbers suggest.
Where the geometry gets interesting is the chainstay length. Santa Cruz actually gives the Nomad a longer rear centre than the Megatower, which might seem puzzling but actually helps balance out the rear wheel’s eagerness to turn in, with a mullet bike’s tendency to go light at the front on the exit of well-supported turns. Naturally, proportional chainstays have also been adopted, with an 11mm difference in rear-centre lengths across the size range, and all done by varying the relationship between the main pivot and the BB centre rather than using different swingarms.
I’d like to say that the new Nomad comes in a wide range of specs to suit every pocket, but that’s wishful thinking. Options are plentiful, it’s true, with four spec levels that can be upgraded with
Reserve carbon wheels and configured with a choice of coil or air shocks depending on your preference, but at £5,499 you’ll need a pretty substantial pot to afford even the entry-level bike.
Having given the bike a solid beasting in and around Les Gets and Morzine, a couple of things stood out for me.
The Maxxis Assegai/minion DHR II tyre choice delivered a super-solid, reliable performance. A great tread combo with dependable cornering grip up front and superb braking traction at the rear, Santa Cruz has sensibly specced Double Down casings at both ends. I had zero issues in 80km of riding with 6,000m of descending. Normally I moan about the Maxxgrip compound, and while it definitely sucked on some of the climbs I rode, it more than compensated on the descents by delivering tons of grip, even