Technical Details

What's New?

Santa Cruz bills this bike as an "all-terrain thriller" designed for riders who demand great efficiency for long alpine climbs and confidence on technical descents. There are some significant updates from the previous version including a step up in the bike’s suspension, moving to a 160mm fork and a 150mm shock. It may not sound like much, but added to its updated geometry and fresh VPP layout, I found this to be a huge upgrade in the bike's descending performance. 

Like the Bronson, Hightower 4 boasts an updated VPP suspension layout offering lower anti-squat properties. I don’t need to waffle on about what anti-squat really is – all you need to know is that this new layout makes the bike feel more stable and balanced when charging through roots, rocks, and chunder. The biggest takeaway for me with this new design is how much the bike wants to accelerate when pumping or pushing through compressions.  

With some big suspension updates come some geometry update: a slacker head tube, steeper seat tube, and longer rear center are the main features to focus on. There’s still a flip chip for high and low positions, which adjusts the geometry and ride feel. If you prefer a more planted and stable ride, stick with the low position. If you want increased pedaling efficiency, flip to the high position. There’s no adjustment for wheel size options, but if you prefer a mullet set up, the Bronson has very similar characteristics. Sizing for the Hightower stays the same with sizes S - XXL.  

Construction and Features 

As with the Bronson, Hightower 4 has a new approach to frame construction and features. We only see this bike in carbon frame options, with the CC builds coming at top spec levels with no cable routing. There’s been a lot of discussion on the loss of internal cable routing options on higher end bikes, and not everyone is happy. I still feel that most people purchasing the top spec models are expecting them to come with wireless shifting, so I don’t see this as a negative. All C frames still have cable routing options for those wanting to stick with tried and trusted mechanical shifting.

Build Kits 

Ride Impressions

Setup

I set up the bike with Santa Cruz’s recommended base settings, which I always find to be a great baseline for riders who are unsure where to start. After a few rides, I ended up adjusting the fork to match that of what I ride on my everyday bike and adjusted the sag to 25% instead of the recommended 30%. The main reason for this is that the trails in Whistler can be aggressive, and I felt that I wanted a bit more support for the heavy compressions. If I were a less aggressive or lighter rider, I would be more than happy sticking with the base setup that Santa Cruz offer and the slightly plusher feeling shock. 

Testing Grounds

I tested this bike for just over a month, which allowed me to ride a variety of trails in varying conditions. I even managed to get a few cheeky park laps in! I mainly stuck to my favorite trails in the Whistler Valley and the trails that I thought this bike is “made” for. A mix of fast single-track that requires maintaining and carrying speed, along with more fall line tracks like Hey Bud and Microclimate. It’s fair to say I put the bike through its paces, and even when riding in the park I was impressed with how it handled stuff that you probably wouldn't normally ride on a trail bike.

Climbing / Uphill

This bike climbs with ease, especially considering how well it handles descents. I thought the bike felt light and nimble, and after checking in with Santa Cruz the stated 32.5lb weight makes sense. I enjoyed getting out of the saddle, really pushing through the pedals and feeling the bike ascend at speed. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re giving maximal effort but at the same time feel like a slug glued to the ground when the climbs get steep. This is not the feeling with the Hightower. Instead, I found myself shifting down through gears more than other bikes in its class and getting up technical climbs with ease.  

I will say, if you prefer a lower front end, you may choose to lower the stem height or run a lower rise bar. I ran the stem right in the middle with two spacers above and below, and the bike came stock with a 35mm rise bar. I found the bar height to suit my style of riding, but on the steepest of climbs I did find myself leaning my chest down to the bar to maximize front end grip and stop the front wheel wandering.  

Being back on a full 29er reminded me of how much added grip they provide on the climbs, I don’t recall ever losing rear wheel traction or slipping out on the Hightower. I was surprised to feel that the firm setting on the Fox Float X felt relatively redundant on the climbs; with the shock wide open I never felt like I wallowed into the travel, nor felt like I was losing efficiency from pedal bob. Instead, when moving the shock to firm, I lost some traction and felt more like I was riding a hardtail. I can see where the firm position could be good, on smoother climbs or long smooth flat sections, but for all the trails I rode in the valley I felt locking out the shock made for a bumpier ride. Maybe this could be changed with a softer shock tune in the firm position, but I had no complaints climbing with the shock open. 

Descending / Downhill

If, like me, you mainly ride bikes for the down then you’re in for a treat with the new Hightower. The updates have taken this bike to a new level of downhill composure, prowess, and downright good times.  

I’ll start with how balanced the bike feels. I felt comfortable and centered on the bike which in turn made me confident to ride fast through corners and not worry about losing traction from either end of the bike. The longer rear center and full 29er setup really helps with this – the bike remains calm when riding at speed through chunky undulating terrain and accelerates when pumping or hitting compressions at the bottom of steep features. On flatter trails the rear wheel never felt like it was hooking up, and didn’t feel like any bumps, roots, or rocks slowed it down. The bike excelled on faster straighter trails, but I didn’t feel like it was missing a beat when things tightened up. The rear end would still rip around tight corners and maintain speed when things got loose.  

I was initially surprised to see Maven brakes with smaller 180mm rotors. I am so used to seeing at least 200mm and now 220mm rotors on bikes that this left me with some reservations about downhill braking performance. To my surprise the Mavens with 180mm rotors were a perfect match for this bike. I had ample power to slow down at speed without locking up and losing traction, even in the bike park where I thought larger rotors are a must have. On trails like Whistler Downhill, Original Sin, and Shleyer I found the brakes and bike to perform flawlessly.  

So, the bike performs great in rough terrain, but what about flowier, more playful trails? You’ll be happy to hear that this full 29er isn’t just a wheels-on-the-ground sled. The VPP suspension creates a poppy and floaty feeling when popping off rollers and pulling whips off jumps. This bike rolls so fast that even if you make a little mistake, picking up speed for the next jump is effortless and leaves you feeling like a pro as you manual through that next double.  

How Does It Compare?

So, you like the sound of the Hightower, but you also think the Bronson is sweet. On paper the only big difference is wheel size, so what should you go for? This comes down to a couple of things: your riding style and the terrain you'll be riding.  

If you’re looking for big days in the saddle where you want extra efficiency, a better climbing position, and the added rolling speed of bigger wheels, then the Hightower is probably the way to go. If you prefer a super nimble, playful feel, or maybe are a shorter rider that just doesn’t want their rear wheel catching them on steeper descents, then the Bronson is a great option. With that said, this is a bike that truly can do it all. It won't let you down. 

Hightower 4 compares well to the the previous version. It was a great bike, but I found it a little twitchier at speed and on rougher trails for the style of riding I prefer. The new Hightower maintains trail bike mobility but adds a far more mature descending platform, creating the all-terrain thriller Santa Cruz wanted.