Bike Check Vol. 1

In December of 2022, Lance made the decision to take a new step in mountain biking. New bike day can be celebrated by every cyclist no matter the discipline and Lance went big. In prior years he kept his first generation Santa Cruz Blur working enough to get him by. But when he got the urge to get back into riding, he realized that bike tech from the early 2000’s wasn’t going to cut it. And so after a few trips to the shop and many nights watching and reading various reviews, Lance decided to keep to his roots and jump back in on a 2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy v5.

For the most part, Lance is happy riding a pretty stock setup, but he has definitely added bits and pieces to make it his own.

Stock Build List:
-Frame: 2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy C v5
-Fork: Rock-Shox Pike Select+
-Shock: Fox Float Performance Elite DPS
-Travel F: 130mm
-Travel R: 120mm
-Groupset: SRAM GX AXS
-Wheels: Reserve 30 SL
-Tire F: Maxxis Dissector 2.4 WT 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR
-Tire R: Maxxis Rekon 2.4 WT 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR
-Hubs: Industry Nine 1/1
-Handlebars: Santa Cruz 35 Carbon 800mm
-Seatpost: Rockshox Reverb

Rider’s Choice List:
-Stem: Bontrager Line Pro 35 Blendr
-Pedal: Shimano M8120
-Grips: Ergon GE1
-Computer: Garmin Edge 530

When Lance picked up his new ride, he asked about a way to mount his Garmin computer to the bike in a way that would be both functional and clean. This is where Bontrager’s Blendr system came into play. Lance was able to reverse mount the computer so it sits protected over his stem in case he goes down.

While riding with Lance, he mentioned that he was experiencing some numbness in his hands. He concluded that a new grip would fix his issues, and he was right. Ergon, based in Germany, is a company dedicated to rider comfort and the GE1 exemplifies that. They worked closely with their own pro enduro team to develop this grip on the race course so that the everyday rider can benefit from the same tech and comfort as the pros.

After a long hiatus from trail riding, Lance knew that the trail networks he once rode were going to be totally different worlds. His Edge 530 was the key for getting him around not only his normal stomping grounds, but also new riding spots he’s never been to before.

Lance loves staying local and riding spots like Bluff Point and Haley Farm, both of which have every trail you could ever want. While we rode together, he shared a saying his grandfather used to tell him when he was younger, “God created the world in 6 days, and on the seventh day he threw rocks at New England”. Getting back into riding, Lance is figuring out how different the 29” world is compared to the 26” he’s used to. Picking lines through rock gardens are his favorite challenge on his rides, but he knows his limits and always wants to keep riding the next day. His Tallboy is certainly the right tool to help get him back out there. And have some fun while doing it!

Check out his gallery below.