Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon
Along with the Blur models, the Nomad is one of the most popular options in the Santa Cruz Bike range - and for very good reason. With over 6" of efficient VPP rear travel, its super-stiff frame design and the capability to take up to a 180mm travel fork up front, the Santa Cruz Nomad can be built up as a long-travel All Mountain bike with air suspension front and rear, or as a coil sprung mini-DH beast with an insatiable desire for frequent flyer points. Whatever your desire, the Nomad screams versatility, and now with the option of the even lighter carbon fiber frameset on the Nomad C, the engineers at Santa Cruz Bicycles have been able to craft an even stronger and stiffer Nomad than ever. The latest Nomad Carbon uses a full 1.5" head tube for use with all 3 steerer tube standards, and allows the engineers to build in an incredibly beefy interface with the top and down tubes for maximum frame strength that capitalises on the versatility of carbon fiber frame construction methods. ISCG05 mounts around the bottom bracket shell are ready to fit on your favorite single or dual-ring chain guide, and combined with a standard front derailleur mount, you can fit up any gearing option that takes your fancy. Despite the impressive frame weight, Santa Cruz were never motivated by simply producing a super light AM bike, they wanted something that was durable, stiff and improved on the ride quality of the alloy Nomad. Perhaps coming as a surprise to some, the carbon frame is even stronger, and when combined with the beefy pivot hardware and the chunky mini-links on the VPP suspension, the result is a laterally stiff frame that can handle the side landings, jumps and crashes that come with big-terrain riding.
 
From Santa Cruz:

“It seems like barely a year and a half ago we totally revamped our beloved gnarl-hound with updated suspension, geometry and a host of details that saw an entirely new Nomad emerging from where the old Nomad had been - lighter, sleeker, snappier and at the same time tougher. Time flies. It was just a year and a half ago that eight unlucky souls got mangled in the Hellride while claiming first saddle time aboard the new beast. And while the now tried and true aluminum Nomad is still a vital part of our lineup, we decided to splice some carbon fiber into it's DNA and see what happens.”


The Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon features:

• Carbon Fiber main frame and rear triangle, with unique carbon lay-up process
• Carbon upper link and forged alloy lower link
• 160mm rear travel
• Designed for 150-180mm travel forks
• Sealed Angular Contact pivot bearings with Oversized pivot axles and locking collet heads
• Fox Float RP23 Kashima Boost Valve rear shock or Fox DHX RC4 Coil rear shock 
• Full 1.5" Headtube
• ISCG05 Mounts
• Seatpost diameter: 30.9mm
• Seatclamp included with frame
• Front Derailleur Spec: Low Clamp, Top Pull, 34.9mm diameter
• Weight: 2750 grams (6.06 lbs) with shock