It’s a busy time at Santa Cruz. Just a short while after announcing the Nomad Carbon to the world, the company has released some details of two all-new frames to be added to its growing range.
Say hello to the all-new Nickel and Butcher. Both make use of what Santa Cruz is calling ‘APP’, meaning ‘Actual Pivot Point’. It seems the company has chosen a linkage-driven single pivot for its latest releases. Santa Cruz is no stranger to single pivots of course, but this is the first time it’s thrown a couple of linkages into the mix.
Handily, it would seem, both frames slide into gaps (although slim) in the range; the Nickel a 125mm XC frame and the Butcher offering 150mm of travel – think a Heckler with a slacker head angle and you’re there.
The Nickel, which we see fitting nicely between the Superlight and Heckler, gets a hydroformed aluminium frame with a tapered head tube, cable routing for dropper seat posts, two water bottle mounts and angular contact bearings at the main pivot. The size medium’s geometry, based on a 509mm axle-to-crown fork, features a 23in top tube, 68 degree head tube, 72.5 degree seat tube, 13.6in bottom bracket height and 16.7in chainstays.
Meanwhile, the Butcher, when fitted with a 529mm axle-to-crown fork, is as follows: 22.5in top tube, 67.5 degree head, 72 seat, 13.8in bb height, 43.5 wheelbase and 17.1in chainstays for a medium.
Santa Cruz says of the Nickel: “XC-ish top tube and chainstay lengths, but more relaxed head angle than generally considered in XC world. 68 degree head angle with 509mm axle-to-crown fork. We have no other bike that directly compares to this, so it’ll be one of those bikes that people will have to swing a leg over to understand. It’s a mighty good all-round trail bike.”
More detailed info when we get it. For now, there’s more info in this video, and this one.
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