2019 Santa Cruz Megatower- Long Travel 29er

B Rabbit

Likes Bikes and Dirt
You are spot on there. I haven't ridden one nor have much need for the trails I ride.

Although, now it seems like the pre-req to be able to even mention this on an internet forum is to atleast ridden one or STFU.

I guess it is wrong to question the next hype wagon that rolls into town. Just agree with it blindly and get two, right.......

I'll quietly bow out now.

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Nah, don’t bow out :) it’s all good. I rode my mates SB150, super steep seat tube, and really like the pedal position it put you in, just felt right.

Looking at the Megatower it’s the only thing stands out as a little odd, not sure why the decided to go so slack on the seat angle. Talking actual seat angle, not effective.
 

Isildur

The Real Pedant
You fellow burners must ride some very gnarly stuff .
The Australian equivalent of the white line of Sedona or do you ride downhill tracks?.
Ha! I don't think I've seen anything in Aus with quite the exposure of The White Line. Not that it's technically difficult in any sense (except for the two bits where the water channels upset the nice even angle of the slab a bit), as long as exposure isn't a problem for you. I happily walked and jogged it last year, I'm looking forward to getting back to Sedona on my bike to knock it off - the hire bike I had for a day wasn't set nicely, had very strange tyres and backwards american brakes!

I'm loving my Ripmo as a daily driver though, and will pretty soon give an Works -1 or -1.5 a go to see if that gains me anything without upsetting the awesome balance it has right now. And if I was buying again right now, the Megatower would be right in the top two with the Ripmo. Although, one of the main reasons I bought the Ripmo over the SB150 & Tranny was the modest Head Angle, knowing that an Angleset would always slacken it out nicely if I ever find the limits :)
 

rowdyflat

chez le médecin
Yep have ridden Moab and Fruita but Sedona looks good but at another level. You really depend on your tyres and technique of keeping the bike vertical =no leaning.
Have ridden plenty of stuff where if you fall you die but a 0.6 to 1 metre wide track so you just focus on what is ahead.
I smile to myself when local riders here panic about a 2-3 m. drop.
 

caad9

Likes Bikes and Dirt
And if I was buying again right now, the Megatower would be right in the top two with the Ripmo. Although, one of the main reasons I bought the Ripmo over the SB150 & Tranny was the modest Head Angle, knowing that an Angleset would always slacken it out nicely if I ever find the limits :)
I know it was hypothetical, but they seem to be pretty opposite bikes?
I've always been enamored with the Ripmo, because it is noted as sharp handling and agile (Opinion from almost everyone who has ridden it)

The SC Fanboys will all be queuing up for this, no doubt, but my gut feel is this bike was developed for the very top end Enduro racers or Park Rats - Both not common in Australia
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
Nah, don’t bow out :) it’s all good. I rode my mates SB150, super steep seat tube, and really like the pedal position it put you in, just felt right.

Looking at the Megatower it’s the only thing stands out as a little odd, not sure why the decided to go so slack on the seat angle. Talking actual seat angle, not effective.
I think part of that is aesthetics (SC being bit more conservative and also wanting to keep their distinctive silhouette), and part VPP restriction - getting that lower link tucked in behind the BB. With such a slack actual STA, it will mean that you'll want to size the frame that best suits your preferred saddle height; if you sized down and had to raise the seat it would be going rearward fairly significantly and climbing would suffer. Not that people are going to buy this bike to climb on.

@hifiandmtb, I found two things curious in that video:
  • First that they likened it more to a "Bronson 29" as opposed to a "Nomad 29", so still an approachable AM bike and not purely an Enduro/park weapon?
  • Second that the LT is still sticking around for the time being. That has to be SC trying to console LT owners by pretending it's not obsolete, or trying somewhat to preserve the second hand market for LT bikes/frames so everyone can jump onto the MT. But having 100mm, 120mm, 135mm, 150mm and 160mm travel 29ers in the line-up seems pretty cramped; the logical answer would be a revised 140mm Hightower (ie. a 5010 29er) to replace 135mm & 150mm bikes so the line up neatly increases in 20mm increments. Whether a 140mm 29er will have a lower link mounted shock or not is probably going to keep mtbr debate at fever pitch for some time to come.
 

Isildur

The Real Pedant
I know it was hypothetical, but they seem to be pretty opposite bikes?
I've always been enamored with the Ripmo, because it is noted as sharp handling and agile (Opinion from almost everyone who has ridden it)

The SC Fanboys will all be queuing up for this, no doubt, but my gut feel is this bike was developed for the very top end Enduro racers or Park Rats - Both not common in Australia
Thing is, not super opposite as I was expecting in the lead up. I guess I was expecting something like the Sentinel with a 64 deg HA, which would have put it too far into to SuperEnduro for me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE fan of my Ripmo, it does everything I've asked of it so far in the Enduro & Sydney Tech with absolute aplomb, and putting the spare lighter weight wheelset & tyres turns it into a true long travel trail bike. And I'm a fan of DW-Link too, although these newer Low VPPs seem to come as close as they've ever come to the DW Magic.

And I'm definitely not ever going to worry about my decision with the Ripmo :) But if the time came again, both would get a solid demo ride. Not that finding a demo MegaTower to ride will be a problem. I know at least two people in my riding circle who'll be jumping aboard as soon as they can. Will be fun to compare the two side by side.
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
Yes Zaf often have to ride by myself . Love Falls Creek , Bright other than the DH tracks is no biggie.
Getting others to ride outside their comfort zone and go anywhere else but Yackandandah is the biggest problem.
All of Yack is easy on a 100mm hardtail.
100mm. HT, soft..... rigid single speed for me. PS send some yackandandians to Tathra -so u can host the 2020 Aus SS
 

B Rabbit

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yeah, a few lukewarm reviews. Seems like a few complaints the tune on the shock is too firm. Just looking at it and not having ridden it, the slack seat tube seems like the only odd thing to me. Everything else looks bang on.

I'll prob make the switch and give a 29er a go at some point this year. Id say its either this or a SB150.
 

Isildur

The Real Pedant
I know a couple of people who have. One off a Nomad V3, the other off a Hightower LT. Both are very much stoked with the Mega.
 
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Duane

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Pretty fucking stoked with mine.....thank fuck, it cost a fucking fortune...
So far best all rounder I've owned.
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, faster than a speeding bullet...
Well, seems ultra capable on DH trails yet still comfortable to pedal XC trails on anyway.
Running trail tires on reserve rims for trailriding and DH tires on EX511s for shuttle/gravity.
BawBaw a week ago and Buller just now, some Silvan trailriding, nothing really to complain about. A bit of tuning with tokems etc. Shock tune is ok for my fat size. Maybe it's a bit harsh for light riders. It's not perfect, I prefer an X2 but it's close enough to not justify replacing.
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foxpuppet

Eats Squid
Pretty fucking stoked with mine.....thank fuck, it cost a fucking fortune...
So far best all rounder I've owned.
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, faster than a speeding bullet...
Well, seems ultra capable on DH trails yet still comfortable to pedal XC trails on anyway.
Running trail tires on reserve rims for trailriding and DH tires on EX511s for shuttle/gravity.
BawBaw a week ago and Buller just now, some Silvan trailriding, nothing really to complain about. A bit of tuning with tokems etc. Shock tune is ok for my fat size. Maybe it's a bit harsh for light riders. It's not perfect, I prefer an X2 but it's close enough to not justify replacing.
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That’s some mint frame tape you got going but considering the cost of the thing I would do the same LOL.
Keen to have a ride on one but I’ll be sticking with my HT LT for a while. Wife has the new Hightower (Juliana version) and it’s very fun but not quite as composed as my bike. Hers is a medium and mines a large so that could play a part but at 178cm I’m kind of in between each size.


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