Santa Cruz Bicycles

Nomad Carbon CC Vivid Air Mountain Bike Frame - 2017

A worthy upgrade for downhill junkies continuously seeking one last hit of gravity-fueled fun, the Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon CC Vivid Air Mountain Bike Frame provides all the confidence you'd expect from the beastly Nomad, but with a RockShox Vivid Air RC2 shock for greater composure on downhill courses and scary-steep singletrack. This downhill-worthy shock is incredibly lightweight at only 530 grams, yet it delivers a consistently supple feel across scintillating courses where a coil shock was previously warranted. Ultimately, the Vivid Air RC2 turns your Nomad into a mini downhill bruiser with its 165mm of travel acting more like a dedicated downhill bike with eight inches of travel.

Laid up with Santa Cruz's CC-level carbon, the Nomad Carbon CC Vivid Air Frame lends incredible stiffness when you're racing at enduro events or plunging into steep downhills. CC-level carbon is 280 grams lighter than Santa Cruz's base C-level carbon, ensuring maximum speed when every split-second matters or when you're besting your buds on the trail. All this speed comes without a hitch, meaning the CC frame won't sacrifice stiffness or strength at the expense of its lightweight composition.

Designed to absolutely destroy anything on the trail, the Nomad features a 65 degree head tube angle, relatively short 17.05in chainstays, and low-slung 13.39in bottom bracket. All these numbers equate to a bonafide rocketship with low-slung handling on the way down, and more surprisingly, all without sacrificing much in the way of climbing prowess, especially considering its lightweight Carbon CC frame. You can also thank Santa Cruz's engineers for the 74.2 degree seat tube angle, which allows for maximum power transfer to the pedals when you're earning your turns.

Sitting at the heart of this downhill-slaying beast, Santa Cruz's VPP suspension platform returns once again with a V10-style upper link and neatly recessed lower link for protection from rock strikes. For those unaware, the VPP suspension offers a consistent pedaling platform that takes advantage of the Nomad's incredible stiffness and lightweight carbon frame. Plus, you'll find greater mid-stroke support and increased small-bump compliance over previous VPP iterations. Better yet for downhill riders, it brilliantly accommodates bigger hits at high speeds, so you're never wishing for extra travel when the going gets rowdy.