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Santa Cruz Releases Full Carbon V10c Downhill Mountain Bike, Just Like the Pros Ride

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2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

The Santa Cruz Syndicate team has been hittin’ the gravity circuit aboard full carbon fiber V10 downhill bikes for a while now, proving their World Cup performance.

Now, they’re offering the frame, complete with a carbon rear triangle co-developed with Enve, to you and I. Not only that, but they’re bumping to warranty to a full five years with lifetime warranty on the bearings and a crash replacement program. On a sub-7lb DH race frame.

What makes that even more impressive is that it’s not just the rear end that’s new. The front triangle has dropped 300g from the prior model, making the entire frameset a full two pounds lighter than the standard model!

Video, specs and more past the drop…

Santa Cruz spokesperson Will Ockleton said they looked at low stress areas and realized they had overbuilt it. So, they started removing weight where they could, but made it stiffer overall by revising the layup. The old frame could withstand being smashed around on rocks, trees and other things, which is nice and all, but they realized it was still overkill. Two spots that received particular attention were the seat tube struts (they’re now stiffer) and the linkage (it’s now a bit lighter and stiffer, but mainly it’s better looking).

Ockleton says the level of compaction they use in their tubes is what makes the frame so strong. We’ve covered this process here in great detail.

2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

Available with green or red trim.

2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

The frame gets co-molded aluminum bits to eliminate bonded on parts. Rear dropouts and brake tabs are molded as one piece with the rear triangle, and a direct mount rear derailleur hanger is included. It’ll run the new 157mm rear axle standard – which is actually a good thing. With a standard 150mm thru axle, the hubs endcaps are flush with a smooth internal face on the dropout. With 157, you basically have 3.5mm extended dropouts that slot into recessed guides on the frame. This makes it more like a thru axle on your forks, which lets the hub rest in little grooves that line up the axle with the holes on the frame. It’s a good thing, and most modern hubs should be able to simply swap in new end caps as soon as that wheel brand makes them available.

2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

Big rubber bumpers keep the frame safe.

2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

Note the new molded rubber protectors on the swingarm. They’re also present on the downtube for an integrated look that keeps the frame safe. Rear travel will adjust from 10″ down to 8.5″ to suit the terrain (or your current fork).

Like bullet points? Here’s the highlights, per Santa Cruz:

V10c CREDENTIALS – The Most Successful DH Bike of All Time:

  • First carbon bike to win a DH world cup (Maribor 2010)
  • 64 UCI World Cup Podiums
  • 14 UCI World Cup Wins (Minnaar x 11, Peat x 3)
  • 2 UCI World Cup Overall Titles (Peat 2006, Minnaar 2008)
  • First Carbon bike to win an Elite DH World Championship (Leogang 2012)
  • 2 Elite World Championship Golds (Peat 2009, Minnaar 2012)
  • 1 Junior World Championship Gold (Bryceland 2008)
  • 2 Elite World Championship Silvers (Peat 2008, Minnaar 2009)
  • 2 Elite World Championship Bronzes (Rennie 2006, Minnaar 2010)

2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

FRAME STATS – The Lightest and Strongest* Production DH Frame in the World:

  • 6.97 lb (3.15 kg) M size with Rock Shox Vivid air
  • 7.9 lb (3.6 kg) M size with Fox DHX RC4 shock with 9.5” x 3.0” steel coil
  • 10” (25.4cm) to 8.5” (21.6cm) of adjustable travel
  • New 157mm rear axle spacing – easier wheel installation.
  • New molded rubber swingarm and downtube protectors.
  • New integrated fork bumpers with cable guide.
  • New carbon upper link – increased sti”ness.
  • Forged aluminum lower link with recessed grease ports.
  • Collet axle pivots – lock in place without pinch bolts.
  • Direct mount rear derailleur hanger.
  • Full carbon dropouts and disk mounts.
  • Co-molded aluminium hardware on upper pivot and bottom bracket – no bonding.
  • Race tested by Syndicate throughout 2012.
  • Syndicate will race production frames in 2013.
  • Internal production reference name is V10.5c

2013 Santa Cruz V10 full carbon fiber downhill mountain bike with ENVE rear triangle

Of course, if you like a little extra junk in the trunk, you could always go with the V10 Fat Bike

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22 Comments
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Dave
Dave
11 years ago
dogbocks
dogbocks
11 years ago

Enve and Santacruz use the same factory for composites in China, so the rear end was never really “made by enve, as much as they share their engineering resources with the factory.

Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
11 years ago

@ dogbocks

Aren’t ENVE products built entirely in the U.S.A?

Saris Mercanti
11 years ago

Fixed. Thanks for knowledge bomb.

Mindless
Mindless
11 years ago

Needs to be 650b.

dogbocks
dogbocks
11 years ago

only enve rims are built in the USA (and protos)…but they don’t want anyone to know that… 😉

hmmm
hmmm
11 years ago

cool bike but if i had that kind of money to blow on 2 wheels i would buy a motorcycle- bicycles depreciate way too fast.

jon
jon
11 years ago

@dogbocks

is your statement something that I can quote with certainty?

I work at a bike shop, and I’m just really tired of people bashing Asia made goods. I have nothing against ENVE, but i think consumers just need to be realistic about current state of economy, and world trade affairs.

dogbocks
dogbocks
11 years ago

@jon

i am just as tired of people bashing asia too. a lot of very high quality parts come from there for sure. nothing against Asia for me, i was just trying to explain the relationship with SC/Enve and Enve/Asia

Joe Graney
Joe Graney
11 years ago

dogbocks,
You should be more careful making comments that you are are dead wrong about.
I can say with certainty because I went to UT and made swingarms with Jason Schiers, the founder of ENVE. The Syndicate only swingarms were all made in Utah. Same place they make their DH bars and other components as well. Jon, you should contact the companies directly for information that is 100% accurate. Country of origin is not a trade secret.

tae
tae
11 years ago

@jon

Take a look at your next QBP order – invoices have a ‘Country of Origin’ column on them that tell you where each part you purchase comes from.

dogbocks
dogbocks
11 years ago

@joe

as i said in my original post the Enve PROTO stuff is made in UT and production rims.
most (but not all) of the other production stuff that is not a rim is made in china in the same building as SC carbon frames.

Saris Mercanti
11 years ago

@Joe

I have not had the pleasure of visiting the ENVE facility myself, but I too was under the impression that ENVE components (but not rims) where largely manufactured abroad. Tyler did a pretty neat story on the factory a few months back and this is what he had to say:

“In addition to the components, ENVE makes all of their tooling, tables, work benches, and machines in house. Pretty much the only things they don’t do in house are paint, decals and anodization.

While the rims are all made in UT, their components are mostly made overseas for now. Some are made domestically, and Schiers says they’re working to do more here.”

You can read the whole thing here:
https://bikerumor.com/2012/05/17/enve-composites-factory-tour-inside-look-at-company-carbon-fiber-manufacturing/

Joe Graney
Joe Graney
11 years ago

Back to the subject – that V10 sure looks nice ; )

TTT
TTT
11 years ago

How much does this thing weigh built up?

Steve
11 years ago

C’mon guys. Let Joe get back to designing the 650b Nomad!

Kovas
11 years ago

Carbon, Affordable, and Made in the USA – YES, you CAN have all three. Check out 38frameworks folks! New venture out of Colorado….

bin judgin'
bin judgin'
11 years ago

DRIVER 8 AND ALUMINUM BLUR TRAIL PLEASE!!!!

willian
willian
11 years ago

yes.very good

willian
willian
11 years ago

se algum de voces falam ou leem portugues, se der para me ajudar a ter uma bike simples para fazer trilha, me ajudem por favor,e que eu nao tenho condicoes para ter uma bike de trilha

willian
willian
11 years ago

willianrodrigues094@gmail.com este e meu site do orkut para caso alguem possa me ajudar

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