Santa Cruz Nomad
The original versatility machine in the Santa Cruz bike lineup, the Nomad stormed onto the market way back in 2005 with its 6" of VPP suspension, beefy aluminum frame and slack angles that made it a killer All Mountain bike that could actually pedal really well. Up till then, most 6" duallies were soggy, heavy and sluggish, and mostly useless for all but going downhill. The Nomad brought with it the incredible pedal efficiency of the VPP suspension design and so gave riders a bike that could let them ride like a hooligan, without needing a chair lift to get back up to the top. The newest incarnation of the Nomad from Santa Cruz Bicycles features the same philosophy as the ground breaking original, though uses the tweaked VPP2 suspension design for a more linear feel to the suspension without losing the awesome pedal efficiency that built the Nomads reputation. You still get a beefcake 1.5" headtube and stocky tubing that is built to take a punishment, as well as ISCG05 tabs for mountin chain devices or a Hammerschmidt. The 2 links that join the front and rear triangles now also feature serviceable bearings that allow you to apply fresh grease through the cleverly designed ports, and the high quality Angular Contact bearings and oversized pivot axles ensure everything stays tight and laterally stiff, no matter how badly you land that jump. Build up your Nomad with a lightweight 150mm travel fork for all round trail prowess, or reach for the skies with a 180mm travel single crown for that ultimate raked out, mini-DH feel. For such a beefy feeling frame, it's a bit of a surprise to find the Nomad comes in at under 7 lbs for the frame and shock - especially considering just how versatile this bike can be.
 
From Santa Cruz:

“With longer legs than most trail bikes and a lot less bulk than most freeride bikes, the Nomad sits in a class of it’s own. On one hand you’ve got a light but strong aluminum frame and 160mm of VPP travel. And on the other hand there’s an ISCG05 chainguide mount built into the frame and a beefy 1.5” headtube. It’s a big country trail bike that rolls up or down with ease. It’s a flyweight freeride bike that dances circles around heavier rigs but is still burly enough to tackle serious terrain. Wherever you want to go, the Nomad is good for it..”

 
The Santa Cruz Nomad features:

• Burly hydroformed alloy frameset
• Carbon upper link and forged alloy lower link
• 160mm rear travel
• Designed for 160-180mm 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 Kashima 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: 3160 grams (6.97 lbs) with shock

Sizing
- Small: Suits riders between 5' and 5'5"
- Medium: Suits riders between 5'5" and 5'10"
- Large: Suits riders between 5'10" and 6'2"
- X Large: Suits riders between 6'2" and 6'6"

Frame Geometry:




R AM Build:

XTR 1x10 AM Build:
For 2012, the XTR 1x10 build is exactly what it says on the tin; a single chainring up front with a wide-range 10 speed cassette that gives you simplicity and secure chain tension thanks to the MRP G2 SL Mini chainguide. With the new 11-36t wide range 10 speed cassette, a 1x10 setup doesn't give up too many gears to a regular 2x10 or 3x10 setup and provides more accurate shifting with less chance of dropping a chain when going hard. Santa Cruz have also cleverly specced the new "Shadow Plus" XTR rear derailleur that runs a higher tension level on the lower cage in order to stop the chain from bouncing around. Cobined with the chainguide up front, the 1x10 build keeps the chain where it should be no matter how hard you ride. The 2012 XTR AM build gets a custom build DT Swiss wheelset with 27mm wide EX500 rims that allow you to comfortably run 2.35" wide tyres, while building up a stronger and stiffer wheel than the XC versions. It also features the RockShox Reverb height-adjustable seatpost, that allows you to drop your saddle up to 5" at the flick of the handlebar remote lever. If your terrain is steeper and you ride harder than most of your XC buddies, the AM build will suit you without getting something that is overweight and sluggish.
Choose Santa Cruz bikes for innovative design and quality suspension!