Santa Cruz Bicycles

5010 Carbon CC Mountain Bike Frame - 2015

The Santa Cruz Bicycles 5010 Carbon Mountain Bike Frame is in both a crowded race and a class of its own. While the number of five-inch, XC-leaning-but-trail-capable bikes in the market number far more than a couple peoples’ fingers and toes, the 5010 remains at the top, ready for both raceday, or just Saturday. It all starts with the 5010’s VPP suspension. While many companies talk about virtual pivot points, only Santa Cruz has been constantly developing the VPP design since its acquisition of the patents in the ‘90s. That kind of experience with a suspension design is rare, and rarer still is a company able to modernize its designs at will. In the 5010, Santa Cruz has designed a bike that pedals well, won’t dive under braking force, and is more capable on more trails than you’d expect a five-inch bike to be.

Build it up with heavy-duty components and wheels, and you can take on the roughest stuff you’re capable of riding, or, conversely, build it with lightweight bits and you’re ready for the fastest XC races. Santa Cruz enables this kind of versatility by including nice-to-haves like ISCG05 tabs for running a chainguide, a standard bottom bracket interface that won’t creak, a 142x12mm thru-axle in the rear, and cable guides for stealth-routed dropper posts.

To top it off, Santa Cruz specs the bike with a FOX FLOAT CTD with Kashima coating, and the shock’s been tuned specifically for the 5010. Using the “Climb, Trail, Descend” settings on the shock, you’ll get a ride that perfectly matches the trail you’re riding.