Santa Cruz Tallboy

Santa Cruz Tallboy

The Santa Cruz Tallboy was first released in 2009 and is positioned as both a cross-country and short-travel trail bike, aka downcountry. The bike is available in a number of build configurations, in a carbon frame only.

Bike specs

Suspension travel: 140/130mm front/rear
Type: Short-travel trail, downcountry
Price: Builds from $4,999. Frame price: $3,899 (shop and compare prices)

News

A purple mountain bike with prominent "Santa Cruz" branding, positioned on a forest floor surrounded by lush greenery. The bike features large tires with "Maxxis" labels, a water bottle mounted on the frame, and a detailed drivetrain.

Mountain Bikes and Gear

Santa Cruz gave the Tallboy new kinematics, and not everyone will be stoked

The sixth-generation Santa Cruz Tallboy adopts four-bar suspension and adds 10mm travel front/rear. It's lighter, too.

4 days ago

Cross Country Bikes

5th Generation Santa Cruz Tallboy Keeps Similar Geo, Adds Frame Features

For the latest generation of the Tallboy, it's clear that the updates Santa Cruz wanted to make aren't primarily in the geometry but rather in frame features and suspension feel.

Sep 20, 2022

Alt text: A close-up image of a red aluminum bike component, showcasing its sleek design and bearing edges, set against a blurred background of greenery.

Culture

New Santa Cruz Tallboy V4 Link From Cascade Components Bumps Progression to 32% and Travel to 128mm

Cascade Components just added a replacement link for the Santa Cruz Tallboy V4.

Oct 29, 2020

Reviews

A white mountain bike with green accents, featuring thick, knobby tires, a dropper seat post, and a water bottle cage, parked on grassy terrain with a blurred background of trees and a fence.

Trail Bikes

Santa Cruz Tallboy: The perfect bike for my BC Bike Race

I modified my Santa Cruz Tallboy to make it the ultimate bike for BC Bike Race. And for the most part, everything worked out.

Jul 26, 2024

A bright yellow mountain bike is positioned on a grassy area with lush green bushes in the background. The bike features wide tires, disc brakes, and a sleek frame design, showcasing its suitability for off-road riding.

Cross Country Bikes

First Ride Review: The 2020 Santa Cruz Tallboy Rethinks Trail Bike Capability

Santa Cruz veers the Tallboy mountain bike away from the XC category and into a pedal-efficient machine, hungry for steep lines.

Aug 20, 2019

A mountain bike with a sleek design and orange accents positioned on a forest floor covered in autumn leaves. The bike features thick tires suitable for rugged terrain, a black and gray frame, and is surrounded by trees in a lush green environment.

Cross Country Bikes

Updated Santa Cruz Tallboy 3 29/27.5+, Reviewed by First-Generation Tallboy Owner

Singletracks tests the third generation Santa Cruz Tallboy in North Carolina.

Nov 2, 2016

Share your Santa Cruz Tallboy review

Tried it? Tell us what you think about it.

Santa Cruz Tallboy Geometry (Gen 5)

	XS	S	M	L	XL	XXL
Reach \| hi/lo	405/403	430/428	455/453	475/473	495/493	520/518
Stack \| hi/lo	601/603	610/612	619/621	628/630	646/648	656/658
Head Tube Angle \| hi/lo	65.7/65.5	65.7/65.5	65.7/65.5	65.7/65.5	65.7/65.5	65.7/65.5
Seat Tube Length	370/370	380/380	405/405	430/430	460/460	500/500
Front Center \| hi/lo	708/708	737/737	766/766	790/790	818/818	847/847
BB Height \| hi/lo	335/332	335/332	335/332	335/332	335/332	335/332
BB Drop \| hi/lo	38/41	38/41	38/41	38/41	38/41	38/41
Wheelbase \| hi/lo	1138/1138	1167/1167	1199/1199	1227/1227	1257/1258	1290/1291
Rear Center \| hi/lo	430/431	430/431	433/434	437/438	439/440	443/444
Head Tube Length	95/95	105/105	115/115	125/125	145/145	155/155
Top Tube Length \| hi/lo	555/556	579/580	602/603	622/623	644/645	671/671
Seat Tube Angle \| hi/lo	76/75.7	76.3/76	76.7/76.4	76.8/76.6	77/76.8	77.1/76.8
Standover Height \| hi/lo	680/676	693/691	696/693	698/695	698/695	701/698

Launch dates

The Santa Cruz Tallboy was last updated in 2026. The sixth-generation Tallboy moves from VPP to a four-bar suspension design and increased the travel by 10mm to 140/130mm front/rear.

2026: Gen 6 (Current generation)
2022: Gen 5
2019: Gen 4
2016: Gen 3
2013: Gen 2
2009: First generation

Awards

2017 Readers Choice Award

Santa Cruz Tallboy photos

CERES – March 23 2016 – during the TB3 photoshoot with Greg Minnaar in Ceres, Koue Bokkeveld in South Africa.

Similar bikes

Mountain bikers considering the Santa Cruz Tallboy should also consider these similar trail bikes.

A mountain biker wearing a helmet and sunglasses performs a jump on a rocky trail surrounded by lush green trees. The cyclist is focused and actively engaging with the terrain, showcasing the thrill of outdoor biking.

Cross Country Bikes

The Trek Top Fuel relies heavily on its climb switch for a ride that's more XC than DC [Review]

The Trek Top Fuel is a short-travel mountain bike that tries to do a lot of things, though I found it's really an XC bike at heart.

A mountain bike positioned on a moss-covered log in a lush forest, surrounded by green foliage and tall trees. The bike features a sleek black frame with gold accents and is equipped with wide tires designed for off-road terrain. The tranquil setting highlights the natural beauty of the outdoors.

Cross Country Bikes

The 2024 Rocky Mountain Element Blurs the Lines Between XC and Enduro [Review]

The Rocky Mountain Element manages to fuse elements of XC, trail and enduro genetics into one incredibly fun and capable mountain bike package.

A mountain biker in a red shirt and helmet catches air while jumping over a dirt ramp in a wooded area, surrounded by tall pine trees and a trail covered with dry leaves.

29er bikes

Evil Bikes' The Following Leads the Way Downcountry [Review]

Like a great punk rock band, Evil's The Following is a downcountry bike that's much more powerful than the sum of its parts.