Santa Cruz's unflinching willingness to constantly tinker with successful designs -- regardless of those designs' previous success -- has won the California-based manufacturer no small number of accolades, gold star reviews, and BOTY awards. The 5010 2. 0 Carbon CC Bike Frame is the latest model to add to this tradition. The 5010 2. 0 is so heavily altered that the chief resemblance between it and the 5010 that was introduced to a salivating XC/trail/all-mountain crowd in 2013 is the model's name. The 2. 0 boasts changes to the geometry and suspension design for a longer, lower, slacker chassis that -- in our opinion -- is poised to redefine and clarify the often nebulous criteria delineating the "all-mountain" category. The 5010 2. 0's radical redesign is so pervasive that it touches on virtually every important aspect of frame geometry. The biggest change is to the head tube, which drops one degree from 68 to 67 degrees. That's the same as the previous Bronson model, and it situates the 5010 2. 0 just this side of slacked-out enduro monster. The frame's reach and bottom bracket follow suit, with the former tacking on an additional 20-25mm, depending on size, and the latter dropping slightly. The combined result of these apparently minor tweaks is a longer, lower, more stable frame that eagerly attacks lines that the previous 5010 has to think twice about. If the 5010 2. 0's front end and bottom bracket are about slack excess, then the changes out back are about tightening things up for more pedaling efficiency and cockpit versatility. The seat tube is steeper, longer, and wider, which benefits both the ups and downs of all-mountain riding. While grunting over the crux of a climb or grinding speed on singletrack, the steeper angle puts the rider in a more efficient pedaling posture, making it easier to stay on top of the pedal stroke. While descending or cleaning lines through rock gardens, the shorter, fatter seat tube allows for more dropper travel, which nets i.
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