Santa Cruz Bicycles Blur TR Carbon SPX XC 2X10 Complete Bike

Product Descriptions

Backcountry Description: We've witnessed the mountain bike evolve over its short life, going from one extreme to another. As the dust settles and the mountain bike matures, models like the Blur TR Carbon SPX XC 2X10 Complete Bike are beginning to fill a niche that's been left in favor of minimalist XC bikes or overbuilt, hero bikes. You don't need 160mm of travel in a heavily gusseted frame to get around a mountain. The popularity of 29er hardtails is proof of the usefulness of the wheel size, but at the same time, they sacrifice technical ability and comfort in favor of lightweight efficiency. This can deter from the quality of the ride, just like lugging around excess suspension travel and weight. The Blur TR Carbon is a welcome step away from dedicated XC race bikes without adding so much heft and squish that it'll detract from trail feel or deplete energy reserves before the halfway point. The TR is based on the established XC Blur platform, but instead of 100mm of travel, it gets 127mm. It also receives a slackened headtube (69.5 to 68 degrees) and lower standover height. These differences are especially important on difficult or steep sections of trails. Where the Blur XC runs out of travel through the rough stuff, the Blur TR will remain comfortable and in control. In comparison to the 140mm travel Blur LT, the TR frame is close to a pound lighter. The secret to the Blur TR's weight-to-strength ratio is Santa Cruz's proprietary carbon processes. The front triangle of the Blur TR Carbon is constructed as once piece, rather than having components produced separately, and then bonded or wrapped. Additionally, the carbon fibers are continuous around tube junctions -- to distribute load and absorb impact energy better. The frame looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside -- there's nothing there except smooth carbon. And just like the Blur XC Carbon, there are no riveted or bonded-on cable and hose guides, as they're incorporated into the original layup.