Santa Cruz Bicycles

Nomad Carbon 27.5" X01 Complete Mountain Bike

Now in its third iteration, the Nomad doesn’t rest on its laurels. Instead, it uses Santa Cruz’s improved VPP rear suspension system, which features a dual link operation. Working to smooth the compliance of the shock, the new VPP still feels light to pedal while providing more support mid-pedal stroke. The system uses two aluminum counter-rotating links. The upper link provides most of the rotation as the bike compresses into the sag point and the lower link moves the axle rearward to minimize impacts. It is paired with a RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 DebonAir rear shock, which has also been redesigned. The rear wheel travel is 165mm.

As for the frame, the Nomad utilizes Santa Cruz’s proprietary layup method, which places pressure on both the inside as well as the outside of the tubing while it is in the mold. This process squeezes the extra epoxy from the carbon, allowing for a stiffer and lighter tubing. Additionally, the frame is constructed with minimal connection to avoid unnecessary fatigue points.

As compared to the previous frame designs, this Nomad has been designed with a 65-degree head tube angle, its most slack to date. By using the SRAM X01 group, and eliminating the front derailleur, the chainstays were able to be shortened to 17.1 inches. Countering that is the additional inch added to the reach to accommodate the short stem/wide handlebar combination.