Deep Loam #2 - The 5010
The 5010 and Furtado
To the whole Stif crew the 5010 has become the irresistibly lovable wild child of the Santa Cruz family.
It’s the bike that encourages to unleash everybody’s inner shred-ability, it’s a genuine fun enhancement regardless of the terrain, just as at home on your lunch time power hour rip as it is on that multi-day alpine-tech fueled epic.
This is the most fun you can have on two wheels.
Riding the 5010 is addictive, it encourages you to cutty corners, jib mounds, roost ruts, pop lips and discover trail lumps, bumps and natural transitions you didn’t even know existed, before repeating it as many times as physically possible!
Bikes like the 5010 are the reason we love mountain biking - it’s the good times, the cheek burning smiles, the weekend mission motivator and the definitive creator of post session stories – we can’t stress enough how good this bike is to ride!
When introduced in 2013 the original 5010 was aimed at longer adventure rides, its focus was to provide solid geometry and enough VPP suspension to keep you safe on the descents whilst remaining light and agile to propel you along and up to the trailhead with ease.
Whilst it smashed this out the park it was soon apparent there was so much more to the 5010, and it quickly became the swiss army knife of 27.5’’ wheeled Santa Cruz bicycles. This was showcased by the 50to01 crew, the 5010 quickly became the bike of choice to express their unique riding style.
Now on version 3, the ethos has remained the same, but the fun levels and terrain tackling abilities have continued to grow thanks to the even more progressive suspension curve and updated lower, longer and slacker geometry.
Due to the 5010’s non-conforming attitude it hasn’t followed the crowd and remained with suspension driven from the upper link. But, this doesn't mean its out of date - Santa Cruz decided this was vital in keeping hold of the 5010’s punchy and responsive ride.
Sporting 130mm travel front and rear (or 140mm upfront if you want to pump things up a little more) with modern geometry which generates a lively ride that still gloats confidence when the going gets gnarly.
The Furtado
The Juliana Furtado packs the same riding experience as its Santa Cruz Sibling but with a host of woman's specific features.
Besides the rad Juliana colour schemes, the Furtado frame is the same as the 5010. However, the Juliana utilizes a lighter shock tune along with a ladies specific Juliana saddle and thinner grips to improve performance and comfort on the trail.
Rear shocks in Juliana bicycles are custom tuned to maximize traction and control for lighter riders - Subtle changes like this make a big difference out on the trail.
Want to know more?
Give us a shout - even better still ask to speak with our in-house Juliana specialist, Tanya! Tanya has ridden the whole Juliana range and is the perfect person to advise which bike will work best for you.
You pick, we'll build it!
Alloy, Carbon C or Carbon CC?
The 5010 is available in all the Santa Cruz frame options, alloy, carbon C or CC in a size range from XS all the way to XL. So, whether you’re looking for a burly jib machine or an incredibly precise and lightweight CC frame the option is there, there isn’t a correct answer, the choice is yours.
Build kit?
Santa Cruz offer a host of build options on both the alloy and carbon frames. From the basic but reliable alloy D-Kit, which wears Sram SX Eagle and a 'set and forget' RockShox Recon fork all the way through to the boutique Sram XX1 AXS wireless shifting system, Santa Cruz Reserve carbon wheels and Fox DPX2 Factory shock matched with the RockShox Pike Ultimate fork on a carbon CC frame. Whatever your demands and wants, there’s a 5010 for you.
Two tyre size options, but which width?
All build kits are offered in a ‘normal’ or ‘plus’ sized wheel and tyre combination. Which should you go for? The ‘normal’ option comes with 2.3’’ tyres on 27mm rims. This set up offers laser precision and low rolling resistance. The 27mm rim will work well with tyres upto 2.5’’.
For the plus curious there’s an option for 2.6’’ tyres on 35-37mm rims (depending on kit). This setup provides additional comfort and buzz relief along with rock-crawling levels of grip. These rims will also work with 2.8’’ tyres if ‘extra plump’ is your jam. A flipchip is featured on the link to keep the geometry consistent regardless of your tyre size preference.
Santa Cruz 5010 C R-Kit
A sweet introduction to the Carbon C frame, the R-kit strikes a great balance of affordability and performance.
Utilising Sram’s NX eagle groupset makes for a no questions asked drivetrain that shifts great throughout the 500% Eagle range.
Fox performance level suspension creates grip and control at both ends, with a ‘set sag and forget’ setup that remains consistent and reliable.
FOR THE LADIES!
Juliana Furtado C R-Kit
There's a Juliana version too - using the same R-Kit specification it features the same riding experience as it's Santa Cruz sibling but with a few woman's specific features and components.
Mixing in the lighter shock tune and woman's specific saddle and grips improves the performance, boosts confidence and adds comfort out on the trail.
As good as you can get!
Santa Cruz 5010 CC XX1 AXS Reserve Kit
The crème de la crème of bicycle componentry is intuitive and incredible to operate. The combination of XX1 Eagle AXS and Reserve carbon wheels bring insane levels of responsiveness with a seamless operation.
The Fox DPX2 factory shock and RockShox Pike Ultimate fork balance with each other excellently, featuring a range of adjustments to fine tune to your preference. Due to them both having a progressive curve it’s suspension action is forgiving off the top, followed by support for pumping, and just the right amount of bottom-out resistance for big hits.
It doesn't get any better, this lightweight build compliments the 5010, only adding more zip to its already enthusiastic nature.
How does it compare?
The Bronson is the burlier alternative to the 5010. The Bronson shares the same size wheels but sees an increase in travel, it uses the lower-link driven design to provide 150mm of travel. On the trail this translates to an enhanced bump muting ride. It's not as nimble or as playful as the 5010 but it's the incredibly versatile do-it-all machine. Race enduro or spend a chunk of time tackling bigger terrain? Take a look at the Bronson.
This is the same for Juliana too - the Roubion takes care of 150mm 27.5'' duties and the Joplin is the ladies equivalent to the Tallboy. The options are limitless
Any option you choose is covered by Santa Cruz' Lifetime Warranty on both the frame and bearings. This also covers the Carbon Reserve wheels if specced on your new 5010.
For more information or to take a look through all the build options for the Santa Cruz 5010, you can also contact us by phone, email, live chat or pop in store for a coffee and take a look at the bikes we have built in our showroom.
We've got demo bikes!
We've a full range of 5010 and Furtado demo bikes available for you to take out & ride before you decide if it's the right model for you.
This is an individual demo ride and when you arrive at the shop, we will set you up on the suspension, install your pedals and talk you through anything you need to/want to know.
You can then take the bike away with you for the day to get a good idea of what it can do out on the trails.
We live and breathe bikes and are lucky enough to ride & test everything we sell in our stores.
We pride ourselves on the knowledge we have and being able to advise people on the best possible stuff is why we create the Deep Loam Articles, to pass on the collective information that we have here at Stif on our favourite bikes & products.
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