Suspension - The Santa Cruz Way
One of the hallmarks of Santa Cruz is class-leading chassis design. Our engineers design bikes that look at all ingredients holistically to make exceptional handling off-road bikes. Frame construction, suspension design, geometry and componentry are considered as a package. And every detail matters.
We strive to create the very best suspension feel for every model in any category, and doing so means utilizing various designs that can be optimized for that use.
Suspension - The Santa Cruz Way
One of the hallmarks of Santa Cruz is class-leading chassis design. Our engineers design bikes that look at all ingredients holistically to make exceptional handling off-road bikes. Frame construction, suspension design, geometry and componentry are considered as a package. And every detail matters.
We strive to create the very best suspension feel for every model in any category, and doing so means utilizing various designs that can be optimized for that use.
Suspension - The Santa Cruz Way
One of the hallmarks of Santa Cruz is class-leading chassis design. Our engineers design bikes that look at all ingredients holistically to make exceptional handling off-road bikes. Frame construction, suspension design, geometry and componentry are considered as a package. And every detail matters.
We strive to create the very best suspension feel for every model in any category, and doing so means utilizing various designs that can be optimized for that use.
Four-Bar
Four-bar suspension blends geometry and mechanics in a system of interconnected links that ensures the bicycle moves fluidly over any terrain. It allows for superb control, keeping the rear end of your bike planted and responsive, no matter how rough the trail gets. By decoupling the rear suspension movement from the pedaling forces, it maximizes traction and comfort while preserving efficiency.
Why four-bar?
It is a challenge to package a large, full-power ebike motor, battery, drivetrain, and droppers. Additionally, suspension pivot and link position has to be finely optimized. Four-bar is significantly easier to package and attain the kinematics (and on-trail performance) we want.
Four-bar systems can easily achieve a low anti-squat, which means minimal pedal kickback on square-edge hits and they remain active while pedaling up and across rough, technical terrain. They exhibit fantastic performance while braking on steep, rough terrain, isolating the rider from harshness of and maintaining traction at all times. Which means the bike (and subsequently, the rider) can be consistently composed while riding the hardest trails.
Our classic recipe - VPP™
Since 2001 we've been using a Virtual Pivot Point, or VPP™, suspension design to bring you the best balance of pedaling efficiency and all-out bump-chomping prowess available, all while being extremely tough and reliable. That's all fine and dandy, but how does it work?
In a nutshell, VPP™ utilizes two links that rotate in opposite directions, creating a "virtual" pivot point, or instant center, that moves throughout the suspension travel, dictating the rear wheel's axle path. This virtual pivot makes this design highly tunable, allowing us to deliver the exact riding characteristics we want, depending on the application—ensuring you're left with the best riding experience, no matter what Santa Cruz bicycle you're riding.
Why VPP™?
The perfect suspension curves on paper are useless if you constantly have to work on your suspension, which is where VPP™ comes into play. The short, stout, counter-rotating links connect the front and rear triangles to create an extremely robust chassis, adding durability and stiffness. Simple linkages contain collet axle pivot hardware to prevent slop from developing over time, grease ports make them super-serviceable, no speciality tools are needed, and large-diameter axles and bearings (free lifetime bearing replacement) means a Santa Cruz bike is made to last many lifetimes.
The Superlight™-est Suspension
Our priority with Superlight™ was to ensure that every kilojoule of your energy is translated into forward thrust, which meant designing something that’s both lightweight and really efficient. XC racing isn't a power lap around the park anymore—the courses are challenging and the competition fierce. With Superlight™ you’re left with plenty of traction, but not at the expense of added weight—by reducing the number of moving parts, bearings, and linkages..
Superlight™ doesn’t use a lower link or an additional pivot somewhere out back—the seat stays actually flex a small amount. This amount is part of the secret sauce of the Blur and was developed through countless revisions, designs, and hours in the saddle to strike the perfect balance of flex, damping, and durability.
Why Superlight?
Hold onto your bidons, it's about to get nerdy. Instead of relying on a high anti-squat number, we looked to the shock leverage curve to provide more support and control for the Blur. This concept results in a consistently low average leverage, allowing us to reduce anti-squat, and therefore how much pedaling input affects suspension. This gives the rear tire more traction and sensitivity in both climbing and descending scenarios, but also produces a much more efficient forward drive. The overall package results in a supportive, efficient suspension without relying on platform-style damping or proprietary shocks that are associated with compromised traction and sensitivity—not only making you more efficient but giving you more traction too.
