Santa Cruz Nomad - Mountain Bike

More travel than a white van

Big mountain riding is a nomadic existence. Meeting friends in farflung car parks. Pinpointing trails you're not sure are even rideable. Sending the ones you know are. Shiny new bling gets battered, shattered and bruised. That’s life. That’s how it should be. That's why the Nomad exists.

Probably the most abused bike in our line up, every Nomad has a story to tell. But each Nomad we've made keeps coming back for more. It's not Stockholm Syndrome, it's called sealed bearings in all pivots, a lower link grease port, shuttle guards and free bearing replacements. Why scrap a frame when a simple bearing service can make one last a lifetime? That's our stance on sustainability at least, and it's why our carbon fiber doesn’t just mean lighter, it means tough backed up by a lifetime warranty and crash replacement support.

There’s no time for puzzling when on a road trip either. That's why we chose 27.5 wheels as the go-to for the widest variety of riding styles and rider sizes. When peeling your bike out of the van at a new spot your only question should be “Is this a full face or a half lid kinda ride?” The 64-degree head angle and 77-degree seat angle puts you in the sweet spot when winching up to the top of a big drop in. Meanwhile proportional chainstay lengths mean handling is never compromised, regardless of frame size.

And when we say big travel, we're not talking about your Transit's odometer. We're talking 170mm of 38mm diameter fork and 170mm of VPP rear suspension compatible with both coil and air shocks. The details are completed by a neat mud flap to protect the rear shock, plus tidy cable routing within the frame and swingarm, and rubberized DT protectors to shrug off strikes.

So van-lifers unite. The Nomad is the kind of bike you need never worry about all summer long. Sorry we can't say the same for the locked public washrooms and parking tickets.

Kit-XT Coil Build Specs

• Weight: 15.12kg / 33.33lbs
• Material: Carbon C
• Fork: FOX 38 Float Performance Elite, 170mm, 27.5"
• Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M8100, 12spd
• Shifters: Shimano XT M8100, 12spd
• Crankset: Shimano XT M8100, 32t
• Cassette: Shimano XT M8100, 12spd, 10-51t
• Chain: Shimano XT, 12spd
• Bottom Bracket: Shimano XT 68/73mm
• Brakes: Shimano XT 8120
• Brake Rotors: Shimano XT RT86, Ice Tech, 203mm
• Headset: Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset
• Bars: Santa Cruz Bicycles Carbon Riser
• Stem: Burgtec Enduro MK3
• Grips: Burgtec Bartender Pro Grip Minnar
• Front Hub: Industry Nine 1/1, 110x15, 6 Bolt, 28h
• Rear Hub: Industry Nine 1/1, 148x12, XD, 6 Bolt, 28h
• Rims: RaceFace ARC Offset 30 27.5"
• Rim Options: Reserve 30 Carbon Rim
• Chainguide: OneUp Bash
• Spokes: Sapim Race
• Front Tire: Maxxis Assegai 27.5"x2.5", 3C, MaxxGRIP, EXO+, TR
• Rear Tire: Maxxis Minion DHR II 27.5"x2.4", 3C, EXO+
• Tubes: Stans Sealant 2oz
• Seat Post: RockShox Reverb Stealth, 31.6 or OneUp Dropper V2
• Saddle: WTB Silverado Medium Cromoly SL Fusion Saddle or WTB Volt

Kit-S Build Specs

• Weight: 15.04kg / 33.16lbs
• Material: Carbon C
• Fork: FOX 38 Float Performance, 170mm, 27.5"
• Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle
• Shifters: SRAM GX Eagle
• Crankset: SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB, 32t
• Cassette: SRAM XG1275 Eagle 10-50T
• Chain: SRAM GX Eagle 12 SPD
• Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB
• Brakes: SRAM Code R
• Brake Rotors: Avid Centerline 200mm
• Headset: Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset
• Bars: Burgtec Alloy Bar, 800mm, 30mm Rise
• Stem: Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42.5mm
• Grips: Santa Cruz House Grips or Burgtec Bartender Pro Grip Minnaar
• Front Hub: DT Swiss 370, 15x110, 6 bolt, 28h
• Rear Hub: DT Swiss 370, 12x148, XD, 28h
• Rims: RaceFace AR Offset 30 27.5"
• Chainguide: OneUp Bash
• Spokes: Sapim Race
• Front Tire: Maxxis Assegai 27.5"x2.5", 3C, MaxxGRIP, EXO+, TR
• Rear Tire: Maxxis Minion DHR II 27.5"x2.4", 3C, EXO+
• Tubes: Stans Sealant 2oz
• Seat Post: RockShox Reverb Stealth 31.6
• Saddle: WTB Silverado Pro Saddle or WTB Volt

Kit-R Build Specs

• Weight: 15.21kg / 33.54lbs
• Material: Carbon C
• Fork: RockShox Zeb, 170mm, 27.5"
• Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
• Shifters: SRAM NX Eagle
• Crankset: SRAM Descendant Eagle DUB 32t
• Cassette: SRAM PG1230 11-50t
• Chain: SRAM NX Eagle
• Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB
• Brakes: SRAM Guide RE
• Brake Rotors: Avid Centerline 200mm
• Headset: Cane Creek 10 IS Integrated Headset
• Bars: E13 TRS Base
• Stem: E13 Base
• Grips: Santa Cruz House Grips or Burgtec Bartender Pro Grip Minnaar
• Front Hub: SRAM MTH 716, 15x110, Torque Cap, 32h
• Rear Hub: SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, 32h
• Rims: RaceFace AR Offset 30 27.5" Rims
• Chainguide: E13 TRS Race SL ISCG05
• Spokes: Sapim Race
• Front Tire: Maxxis Assegai 27.5"x2.5", 3C, Maxx-GRIP, EXO+, TR
• Rear Tire: Maxxis Minion DHR II 27.5"x2.4", 3C, EXO+
• Tubes: Stans Sealant 2oz
• Seat Post: SDG Tellis
• Saddle: WTB Silverado Race Saddle or WTB Volt

Please Note: Price, Weight and Parts Spec information is subject to change.

Frame Sizing

If you're on the cusp between the recommended height range of two sizes, the absolute best thing is to try to ride them both. At a minimum, check the stack/reach measurements on your current bike and compare it to the new model you are looking at to get an idea of a fit you are already comfortable with. If riding the bike is not an option, consider the following. 

Personal Preference
A larger size frame will be more stable, and will give you more room to move without upsetting the weight-balance of the bike. The larger size will put the front wheel further in front of you, which gives the feeling of security and conversely, it will require more significant body movements when you WANT to shift the weight-bias of the bike. Think hard about your riding style and how active/intuitive you want it to be vs stable and speedy. You'll need to work a bit harder to muscle the larger bike around.

Body Dimension
Not all bodies at a given height are the same. If you have longer legs and a shorter torso than the average person your height, that may push you towards the smaller of the recommended sizes. If you're all torso and arms, most likely you'll want to size up.

Design Details

• 170mm travel:  When we say big travel, we're not talking about your Transit's odometer. We're talking 170mm of 38mm diameter fork and 170mm of VPP rear suspension compatible with both coil and air shocks.

• Proportional chainstay lengths:  The Nomad's chainstay length is matched to the frame size so every rider, no matter their height, gets the same balanced geometry.

• 27.5 wheels:  There’s no time for puzzling when on a road trip either. That's why we chose 27.5 wheels as the go-to for the widest variety of riding styles and rider sizes.

Built to take a beating, built to keep ripping
A lifetime warranty, industry-leading Rider Support, and the toughest carbon frames (and rims) out there should have you covered. But we also design them to be easy to work on and provide the parts and information so you can keep your bike going for longer.