Whether we are ripping up chunky descents or just cruising on the trails, the Santa Cruz Hightower is one of our favorite all-around bikes that can easily handle nearly any scenario. Being a mid-travel 29er, the Hightower is lightweight enough for long trail rides and capable enough to huck down technical descents and rollover rock gardens. The Hightower has 145mm of VPP suspension, which is highly efficient, climbs and descends well, and provides a supportive mid-stroke. With a 64. 8-degree head tube angle and a 77-degree seat tube angle, the Hightower positions us over the bike's center and keeps our front wheel out ahead of us, making climbs a breeze and inspiring confidence on the descents. Santa Cruz made some additions to their frame recently, adding a Sag Window to make sag measuring and setup more accessible and a Glovebox frame storage that provides space for our ride essentials in the downtube. Other notable features of the Hightower include a Flip Chip to adjust the geometry of the bike for a slacker or steeper ride, and integrated protection with a shuttle guard, downtube protector, and chainstay protector. The S build of the Santa Cruz Hightower is equipped with budget-friendly and high-quality components and Santa Cruz's carbon frame. SRAM's GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain is reliable and gives us a hue gear range for making it up the steepest hills. Next, the RaceFace AR Offset 30 rims are durable alloy wheels that are relatively lightweight, super durable, and allow us to rip through rock gardens without worry. A Fox 36 performance fork with 150mm of travel is super adjustable and helps to soak any bumps on the trail, and a RockShox Super Deluxe Select rear shock is very reliable, adjustable, and smooth. Wrapping it all together, premium Maxxis tires give us tons of grip and bite on technical descents and provide unparalleled cornering traction.*Due to a high demand in the global supply chain and bike industry since the start of the pandemic, materi...