New Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV is an ultra-capable do-it-all adventure machine

SQUIRREL_13134917

Santa Cruz was keen to build upon the success of its well-established and incredibly popular do-it-all Hightower mountain bike, in a bid to create the one bike it believes everyone needs.

To do this, the Californian brand has increased rear-wheel travel, updated the geometry to boost high-speed handling and climbing comfort, and reworked the suspension so it better balances bump absorption and pedalling prowess.

The Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV – the second priciest bike in the Hightower line-up – boasts an impressive spec sheet that you’d struggle to pick holes in. While it might not have quite the same quality of gearing or hubs as the top-flight model, it’s almost identical everywhere else.

And it was the top-spec model that I spent three days riding during the Hightower launch out in the Italian Alps, bombing down trails I’d previously raced as part of the Stone King Rally.

As soon as I hit the first uphill section, it was apparent the Hightower still climbs with relative ease. But it was when going downhill that it impressed most, handling trails I’d previously ridden on a longer-travel enduro bike with composure and poise, never getting flustered or buffeted off-line.

Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV frame and suspension

Santa Cruz only offers the Hightower in its ‘C’ or ‘CC’ carbon fibre, with 29in wheels.

Both carbon frames have internal routing, but the ‘CC’ only caters for wireless drivetrains (there’s routing for a dropper post and rear brake hose, but that’s it). If you want to run cables, you’ll need the slightly cheaper ‘C’ frame.

Travel has been upped to 150mm (from 145mm) at the rear, but is still delivered by Santa Cruz's Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) suspension platform, which uses two, short, counter-rotating links to attach the front and rear triangles together.

The changes are more than a few extra millimeters of travel, though. The shock now nestles down lower in the frame and thanks to the triangulated section above the bottom-bracket junction, you can see more of it, which should help with setup.

Santa Cruz has also reduced anti-squat (how much the suspension design resists bobbing as you pedal) to enable the back end of the bike to move more freely while you pedal your way up or along chunky terrain, where traction is at a premium.

Not only this, but the reduction in anti-squat should help reduce unwanted pedal kickback, making things feel a little smoother when you’re really whacking into the bumps.

If air shocks aren’t your thing, thanks to a broader shock tunnel through the seat tube, the Hightower will comfortably work with coil-sprung shocks.

Santa Cruz has updated its internal down tube storage system (dubbed the ‘Glovebox’) and says its new latch design offers more security and better sealing than before.

Like most other carbon bikes, the Hightower isn’t cheap. But what is nice here is that Santa Cruz offers a lifetime warranty on its carbon frames and bearings (as well as the carbon Reserve rims, which are included on this Hightower build), which is a plus for peace of mind.

Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV geometry

Santa Cruz offers small through to double-extra-large frame sizes, all of which take 29in wheels only.

Just as there are changes to the Hightower’s suspension, Santa Cruz has tweaked the geometry, too, in a bid to up the bike's capabilities and better its all-round performance.

That means the head angle is now slacker at 63.9 degrees (in the low setting), while the seat tube angle is steeper, at close to 78 degrees across the size range (the medium bike I rode is claimed to be 77.6 degrees in low).

The all-important reach measurement, which gives you some idea as to how roomy (or not) a bike will feel when you’re stood up on the pedals, is 457mm (medium, low setting), while the bottom bracket sits quite close to the ground at 341mm.

At the back, the rear-centre (otherwise known as the effective chainstay length) grows across the frame-size range to try to ensure all riders, no matter their height, get the same ride experience and feel on the trail.

The medium bike I rode had a rear-centre of 436mm.

And, if you’d not guessed yet, there’s some geometry adjustment that comes in the form of a flip chip down at the lower shock mount.

This gives you the choice of the high or low position, altering the head and seat tube angle by 0.3 degrees, and changes the bottom bracket height and reach by 3mm, and the rear-centre by 1mm.

Santa Cruz Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV specifications

It doesn’t take a code breaker to work out some of the spec highlights featured on the Hightower CC X0 AXS RSV.

For a start, the gearing comes in the form of SRAM’s X0 AXS Transmission. That includes a massive 10-52t cassette, which is paired to a 32t chainring up-front.

There’s more carbon in the shape of the Reserve (‘RSV’) 30HD rims, which are laced to Industry Nine 1/1 hubs.

These are wrapped with Maxxis tyres. At the front, there’s a Minion DHF MaxxGrip, while the rear gets a Minion DHR II in the MaxxTerra compound.

While on the launch, Santa Cruz made the wise decision to switch from the EXO and EXO+ casings to DoubleDown, to up durability while riding such demanding terrain.

A Fox 36 Factory fork with 160mm of travel is bolted to the front of the bike. This uses the new GRIP X2 damper, which offers high- and low-speed compression and rebound-damping adjustment.

The 150mm of rear-wheel bounce is controlled by a Fox Float X Factory rear shock.

Bringing the Hightower to a stop are the SRAM Maven brakes, which come with 180mm rotors as standard.