Santa Cruz Hightower R Carbon C 27+

With 135mm of Santa Cruz' proven VPP suspension design and a slacked-out 67-degree head angle, the Hightower shifts the wagon-wheel paradigm toward aggressive trail bike standards. In the case of the 27+ version, this means plus-size 27.5 x 2.8 tires for extra float and traction on sketchy terrain. Short chainstays and a spacious cockpit ramp-up the fun when railing technical descents and put you in a powerful position for blazing uphill battles. Adding Boost hub spacing and a clever high/low chip that alters the bike's bottom bracket height allows you to run the stock 27.5+ wheelset or change to 29ers for extra speed and precision. Bike handling characteristics remain optimized no matter which wheel size you choose thanks to a flip of the chip. The Hightower 27+ Carbon C R comes equipped with a RockShox Revelation RC 150mm fork and stop and go bits from SRAM that offer solid performance in a mid-level package. For the Carbon C frame, Santa Cruz used a slightly different construction method to keep the cost down, but the stiffness, durability, and strength are identical to the top-level Carbon CC.