Santa Cruz Bicycles Inc.
Founded1993 (1993)
FounderRob Roskopp, Mike Marquez and Rich Novak
HeadquartersSanta Cruz, CA,
US
Key people
CEO: Joe Graney
ProductsBicycles
ParentPon Holdings
Websitesantacruzbicycles.com

Santa Cruz Bicycles is a manufacturer of high end mountain bikes based in Santa Cruz, California.[1] They sponsor the Santa Cruz Syndicate, a downhill racing team. The company moved premises from 104 Bronson Street to 2841 Mission Street in 2013 .[2] Formerly owned by NHS, Inc. On July 3, 2015, Santa Cruz Bicycles was sold to Pon Holdings, a family-owned Dutch conglomerate with a bicycle division including brands such as Cervélo, Focus and Royal Dutch Gazelle.[3]

History

Santa Cruz Bicycles was founded by Rob Roskopp, Mike Marquez and Rich Novak in 1993.[4] Roskopp had spent many years as a professional skateboarder, and Novak's Santa Cruz Skateboards company had put out a special "Roskopp" model before the two met. Roskopp and Novak went into partnership with bike engineer Mike Marquez, who had particular experience in bicycle suspension, and Tom Morris, a designer, to build some prototypes.[5]

Their first bike, in 1994, was a full suspension bike called the Tazmon. It had an 80 millimetres (3.1 in) travel single pivot design,[6] the first on the market.[1][4] It was followed a year later by the 100 millimetres (3.9 in) travel Heckler, a model that was discontinued for the 2016 model year and relaunched in 2020 as an e-bike.

The company acquired the patents for their Virtual Pivot Point (aka "VPP") from Outland Bikes around 1999.[4]

Models

A 2013 Santa Cruz Tallboy mountain bike (aluminum frame)
Santa Cruz head badge

The company manufactures around a dozen models of mountain bikes made of carbon fiber and aluminum, ranging from $1500 to over $10000 retail. Their bikes are suited to a wide range of mountain biking disciplines.[1] Frame fabrication occurs in China and Taiwan, but all bicycles are assembled in Santa Cruz, built to customer specifications just before being shipped out.

In 2013, a single model, the "Juliana" was spun off as a stand-alone brand and range of mountain bikes for women, designed by and named for Juli Furtado.[7]

In 2017, Santa Cruz announced the addition of carbon fiber wheels[8] to their product lineup.

Current Santa Cruz/Juliana Production Models[9][10]

  • 5010/Furtado - 27.5" wheels, 130 millimetres (5.1 in) VPP Travel
  • Blur - 29" wheels, 100 millimetres (3.9 in) VPP Travel (Re-introduced in 2018)
  • Tallboy/Joplin - 29" wheels, 120 millimetres (4.7 in) VPP Travel
  • Bronson/Roubion - 27.5" wheels, 150 millimetres (5.9 in) VPP Travel
  • Hightower - 29" wheels, 145 millimetres (5.7 in) VPP Travel
  • Megatower - 29" wheels, 160 millimeters (6 in) VPP Travel
  • Nomad - 27.5" wheels, 170 millimetres (6.7 in) VPP Travel
  • V10 - 27.5" wheels or 29" wheels,[11] 216 millimetres (8.5 in) VPP Travel
  • Chameleon - 29" or 27.5"+ wheels, hardtail trail bike
  • Highball - 29" wheels, hardtail xc bike
  • Jackal - 26" wheels, dirt jump frame
  • Stigmata - 700c wheels, cyclocross/gravel bike
  • Heckler - 27.5" wheels, e-mountain bike, 150 millimetres (5.9 in) VPP Travel (Re-introduced as e-bike in 2020)
  • Bullit - MX (29" front wheel, 27.5 rear wheel) - Produced from 1998 to 2011 and then re-introduced as an e-bike in 2020[12]

Current Santa Cruz Production Wheel Models

  • Reserve Carbon Wheels - 27.5 or 29" - 25, 27, 30, 37mm[13]
  • Reserve Aluminum Wheels - 27.5 or 29"[14]

Discontinued Models[15]

  • Bantam
  • Blur LT
  • Blur XC
  • Blur 4X
  • Bullit
  • Butcher
  • Driver 8
  • Heckler
  • Juliana Cushtail
  • Nickel
  • Roadster
  • Super 8
  • Superlight
  • Tallboy LT
  • Tazmon
  • VP Free
  • HighTower LT

Santa Cruz Syndicate

Santa Cruz Syndicate is a sponsored downhill team affiliated with the company. Current roster is Laurie Greenland, Jackson Goldstone, Nina Hoffmann, and Greg Minnaar.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Santa Cruz Bicycles COMPANY
  2. ↑ Video: A visit to the Santa Cruz Bikes factory - BikeRadar Magazines Archived 2013-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Santa Cruz Bicycles sold to Pon Holdings, the owner of Cervélo and Focus
  4. 1 2 3 Interview: Rob Roskopp, Owner Of Santa Cruz Bicycles - BikeRadar
  5. ↑ History Of Santa Cruz Bicycles | LIVESTRONG.COM
  6. ↑ Santa Cruz Bicycles - Tazmon 1
  7. ↑ Introducing Juliana Bicycles
  8. ↑ "Santa Cruz Reserve Wheels First Look - Bike Mag".
  9. ↑ Santa Cruz Bicycles Model Range
  10. ↑ Juliana Bicycles Model Range
  11. ↑ "Santa Cruz Bicycles Releases New V10 DH Bike".
  12. ↑ "New Santa Cruz Bullit CC X01 Reserve 2021 in review – The clue's in the name!". E-Mountain Bike Magazine.
  13. ↑ "Santa Cruz Launches New Nomad, New Wheels, and a Julian Enduro Bike".
  14. ↑ "Reserve's New Aluminum Wheels Come With a Lifetime Warranty". Pinkbike. 15 February 2023.
  15. ↑ Santa Cruz Bicycles Model Archive
  16. ↑ Santa Cruz Syndicate
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