Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon CC X01

The Nomad's reputation is built on consistently pushing the envelope on how lawless a single-crown bike can get while still remaining a capable daily driver.

The latest iteration nudged the travel and geometry further towards the outer limits, and we surprised ourselves at just how well-rounded it turned out.

The fourth generation design saw a dramatic shift to the lower-link mounted shock configuration. The shock rate is a short-travel version of the V10—which means feather-light small bump sensitivity right off the bat, supportive mid-stroke, and overall progression that you'd normally only experience on a DH bike.

To handle all this newfound capability, the geometry was adapted too. It's longer and lower-slung to ensure maximum stability and confidence on absolutely everything. At the same time, the Nomad’s still a trail bike. It pedals well and tackles valley-to-valley alpine runs and all-day missions without skipping a beat—a fact helped by its pedal-friendly seat tube angle and standard 170mm dropper post fit.

- Carbon CC frame
- FOX 36 Float Performance Elite 170 fork
- Choice of RockShox Super Deluxe Select Ultimate OR RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate rear shock
- Choice of Race Face ARC Offset 30 Rims or Santa Cruz Reserve 30 Carbon Rims
- 12-speed SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain
- RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper seatpost