Santa Cruz Nomad 2021 in the first test: Santa Cruz has reissued the Nomad – now in its fifth generation, the Enduro is a fun bike for all occasions.
We have already been able to chase it down the trails and have collected all the information about the new carbon bike from California for you.
The Nomad remains an enduro! With 27.5 ? wheels and 170 mm of suspension travel, it also makes the difference to its 29 ? brothers Megatower clear: seconds should chase others, the Nomad spreads fun on the mountain. It should be ideal for the bike park, but shouldn’t shy away from extended tours on your own.
- Frame material carbon (C and CC version)
- Suspension travel 170 mm (front) / 170 mm (rear)
- Rear triangle Lower Link VPP
- Wheel size 27.5 ?
- Special features Lifetime guarantee
- Colours Oxblood Translucent / Adder Green / Oxblood Opaque
- Frame sizes S / M (tested) / L / XL
Santa Cruz Nomad 5 X01 RSV
# 1 Santa Cruz Nomad 5 X01 RSV – the top model with Fox Factory chassis costs € 7,799. The Nomad is very reminiscent of its predecessor but has been modernized. Steering precision and traction with very effective and seamless. The lower deflection lever offers the possibility of adjusting the geometry.
The predecessor of the Nomad was the first Santa Cruz in 2017 with the so-called Lower Link VPP and a real seat tube – the kinematics was previously reserved for the V10 downhill bike. The installation space challenges at the time resulted in an asymmetrical rear structure and a not yet completely round look. But more than 3 years have passed since then, and the developers were able to gain experience with numerous other models.
All in all, the new Nomad is similar at first glance, but just perfected: The rear end is now symmetrical, and the upper bell crank is right in front of the seat tube. There are also more edges in the design and – almost of course – optimized kinematics, modernized geometry and bold new colours. Despite these extensive innovations, one thing should stay the same: The Nomad wants to be a reliable companion for the whole mountain.
# 2 edges for everyone! – As with the 5010, more edges have been modelled.
# 3 Edges, it’s soon 2021 – the designers are also working with tighter radii and more straight lines on the head tube.
# 4 The colour is called Oxblood – and it’s definitely a highlight.
# 5 The depth effect makes the many small carbon cuts visible – according to Santa Cruz, exactly the material that is best suited is used at each point.
# 6 Santa Cruz has never done that before – with the CC model, the carbon fibres are visible through the high-gloss finish.
# 7 The lower deflection bar offers the possibility to adjust the geometry – the bottom bracket height and head angle can be fine-tuned here.
# 8 Unlike its predecessor, the rear triangle is symmetrical – it looks better and helps with rigidity. The classic Santa Cruz virtues are retained and are in some cases even refined.
# 9 The chainstays that grow with the frame size are new – this ensures better wheel load distribution.
# 10 Prepared for the worst – rockfall protection on the down tube and yoke, plus a taco for toppers. The geometry is modern, but not radical! Compared to its predecessor, the LenThe angle is now somewhat flatter and is 64 °. The seat angle, on the other hand, jumps and reaches a very steep 78 °. The control tubes are now up to 35 mm longer than their predecessor and thus greatly reduce the need for spacers, especially for large sizes
# 11 Smaller wheel, longer head tube – the front grows a lot with the larger frame sizes.
Continuous cable ducts facilitate assembly, the frame is protected from stones and other impacts in many places. There is a shuttle guard on the down tube and a protector in front of the bottom bracket. There is also a protector at the bottom of the yoke, and the chainstay is very well packed, the seat stays at the bottom inside too. There are also free replacement ball bearings for life and the Santa Cruz Lifetime Warranty (for first-time customers!).