Santa Cruz 5010 Review

Santa Cruz is not only a heavyweight in terms of marketing. The Americans with the noble image also have one of the thickest MTB lineups in the industry. Ten different MTB platforms differ from each other only by 10 millimeters of fork travel. We brought the Santa Cruz 5010, the bike with the greatest fun potential, in front of the camera. In the test, we reveal why the 5010 makes other bikes look like square pegs.

How to classify mountain bikes is a separate topic. While in America everything with less travel than an Enduro (160 millimeters) is called a trail bike, in Europe, we take a closer look at the mountain bike types. In any case, we classify bikes with 140 to 150 millimeters of travel in the category of All Mountains. But the Santa Cruz 5010 seriously disrupts this scheme. The Rock Shox Pike fork has 140 millimeters of travel. The Maxxis tires with aggressive treads, the shock with reservoir, and the Sram Code braking system clearly indicate: The 5010 wants to venture into the Enduro segment for downhill riding. We can already reveal this much: Long trips with a lot of gravel roads actually bore this bike.

Hand on heart: The few readers of these lines will be willing to spend 10,000 € on a bike. However, those who are still willing can rejoice. Because at this price, the rare combination of low weight and fun potential is possible in the MTB business. We weighed the bike in L frame size with 13.6 kilos (without pedals). That’s not bad for a 140mm bike with fat Maxxis tires and enduro-ready equipment. In addition to the low weight, the small 27.5-inch rear wheel requires significantly less power from the calf when accelerating compared to a comparable 29er wheel. Due to the smaller diameter, the weight of the tire and the rim is closer to the hub, which significantly reduces the inertia of the rotating mass. This combination not only makes sprints wonderfully nimble, but also awakens the playful nature of this bike.

The low weight and easily acceleratable wheels can be imagined like a “Save the Date” card for the wedding of your regulars’ table buddy. With its moderate geometry values and above all the Mullet wheel setup, the 5010 makes the invitation to the party on the trail perfect. The influences from Enduro Racing have turned bikes with playful handling into an endangered species. Thanks Santa Cruz for reminding us with this bike how awesome it is to shred the trails. Especially when the trail in the undergrowth takes one turn after another, this bike flourishes. Trails that now seem boring under the suspension and weight of a modern enduro, become devilishly fun thanks to the playful lightness of this bike. But beware: if the jumps get too big, the pace too high or the terrain too rough, the suspension will eventually let you know. Even though the fork and rear suspension work excellently, only 140 and 130 millimeters of travel are available in the rear.

It is clear: Where there is a lot of light, there is also shadow. Especially on steep climbs, with the small rear wheel, you feel like you’re sitting almost over the pivot axle. And a look at the competition reveals that there are bikes in this suspension range that hang more on the throttle uphill. Bikes like the Canyon Neuron, Cube’s Stereo One44, or the Orbea Occam SL are not only significantly cheaper but also more focused on propulsion. Those who plan to ride across the Alps or prefer to devour kilometers instead of sailing across the trail will be happier with these bikes. Of course, we have set up the comparison with the strongest competitors for you here.

As usual, we not only provide in-depth insights into the details. Unlike all other media, our innovative and completely objective testing system allows us to provide you with information on the entire model family. The entry price for the Santa Cruz 5010 models starts at just over €4000. For those interested in the other end of the price list, we have tested the Rockrider AM 100 S from Decathlon for under €2000. For those who want to ride even cheaper on challenging trails, the inevitable choice is a trail hardtail, such as the Rose Bonero.