Santa Cruz Bicycles

Stigmata Carbon CC Force 1x 650b Gravel Bike

From city streets to scenic backroads, the Stigmata takes us wherever we wish to go. This well-refined gravel grinder sports Santa Cruz's top-level Carbon CC frame and is capable of running either 700c or 650b wheels for adapting to various on or off-road conditions. This particular bike comes to us in a 650b configuration with high-volume 2.0-inch tires that give us extra traction and cushioning comfort over the 700c configuration. This makes it a great choice for rough fire roads and bumpy singletrack, or a bikepacking adventure on unfamiliar routes.

It receives some modern geometry tweaks that place it solidly in contention with the herd of high-end all-road and gravel bike options, with a 71.5-degree head angle, 74-degree seat angle (based on a 54cm model), and lower bottom bracket height that varies by frame size to account for the crank length spec. We also find two fork offsets to improve trail geo numbers at the extreme ends of the size spectrums as well as less toe overlap, and improved standover of 10-30mm depending on tire choice. These factors improve confidence and composure while grinding over gravel back roads or exploring light-duty singletrack, yet doesn't detract from its versatility on the 'cross course.

The addition of SRAM's Force eTap AXS 1x drivetrain boasts the simplicity of searching for gears on only the cassette and the ease of swapping to a different chainring size to suit your preferred terrain. Although with an included 42t chainring and the humongous Eagle 10-50 tooth cassette, there's plenty of room to enjoy pedaling road descents and punching it up monster off-road inclines. And with the power of the eTap derailleur, you'll be able to get into that bailout cog under significant torque if you begin to slip out at slow speeds on steeper hills. The 650b wheelset sets you up with 27.5 x 2.0in tires for exceptional grip off-road and running lower pressures to smooth out untested terrain on backroad bikepacking quests.

Final frame details extend to three water bottle cage mounts for really getting out there and staying hydrated and stealth routing should you decide to run a dropper post. The frame and fork also get fender mounts so you and the bike stay cleaner and a move away from the PressFit30 bottom bracket to the easier to install and maintain and less likely to creak and pop 68mm English threaded shell.

*Due to unprecedented demand in the global supply chain and the bike industry over the last 18 months, material weight and exact components are subject to change. We are working diligently to keep tech specs updated, and any adjustments will be minor. If you have any questions, reach out to a Gearhead by chatting online or calling 1-888-276-7130.