More than maybe any other frame rocking a DH-cum-enduro geometry, Santa Cruz's Nomad Carbon CC Monarch Plus Mountain Bike Frame has served to chart the course of the riding style that's all the rage in the all-mountain scene. This may be because that low, slack geometry doesn't come with the weight penalty of yesteryear's DH machines. It may also be because of the latest model of Santa Cruz's Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) suspension, which takes advantage of that low weight with a pedaling platform that's responsive to the point of personal injury. Or maybe it's the good looks. Whatever the case, the only reason we can see to ride a different manufacturer's 27. 5in enduro sled is sponsor obligations -- and even then, we might still consider riding a stealthily rebranded Nomad instead. The Nomad's qualities are especially evident on race day or anytime that its pedals are turned in anger. It's got the Jekyll/Hyde dynamic of a bike that climbs like a trail machine but drops in with 6. 5 glorious inches of DH appetite. The frame features the same material and build as 2015's top Nomad model, which means that it remains Santa Cruz's best. For the CC build, the engineers use a higher modulus carbon than the standard Carbon C model, so less material is required to hit the same strength and stiffness numbers. Less material equates to less weight, and, well, you can see where we're going with this. Climbing and pure speed both benefit when there's less mass for your engine to propel. The frame's two carbon triangles are built as whole pieces rather than glued together from disparate bits. This saves weight and increases structural integrity by allowing Santa Cruz to wrap carbon continuously through and around key junctures. This method reinforces the frame with less material while eliminating the artificial stress points that result from bonded construction methods. The carbon is also compacted from inside and out for a more even finish that avoids any structural defects, e...
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