What are we reviewing?
2019 Santa Cruz 5010, this is the 130mm travel 27.5 bike in the Santa Cruz line up.
Who is reviewing the bike?
I’ve been riding the bike for over three months now and have over 300 miles on the bike. The trails I’ve been riding are midwest single track that range from pedaly XC trails, to tight twisty raw single track and slow technical sections with rocks and roots. Plenty of short punchy climbs and short descents to keep you on your toes.
Changes
The most notable change Santa Cruz made to the 5010 is the updated geometry. The 2019 version has 15mm more reach (on size large), head tube is .5 degree slacker and the seat tube is now 1.5 degrees steeper. These changes bring the 5010 into modern trail geometry, not yet SBG number, and help make the rider feel more inside the bike and less likely to go over the bars.
My favorite change to the bike has to be the shorter seat tube. The seat tube is now 20 mm shorter and with a 150mm dropper post disappears when lowered. This change makes a huge difference on aggressive terrain allowing you to drop your seat and get back on your bike. I used to get my shorts caught on the saddle more than I’d like but now those days are gone because of this one change.
Probably the best change for most riders is the plus compatibility. The ability to run bigger, wider tires makes the bike a lot more stable and balanced. I rode the bike with Maxxis 2.5 and 2.4 tires for the majority of my time on the bike. Not exactly plus tires but paired with 31mm internal rims, the bike becomes a confident charger over any trail features you may come across.
The new 5010 comes with a flip switch that allows you to slacken the head tube and seat tube another .5 degrees. Running the bike in the high position improved the bike’s pedaling while running the bike in the low position made the bike feel slacker and more comfortable in the steep stuff.
Descending
This is where the changes made to the bike really shine. The combination of a slacker head tube, more reach and wide tires makes this bike more stable at speed and a much better charger though the rough stuff. On fast descents I felt I could really open the bike up and let it run. In the chunk this bike does a good job of just eating it up. Riding over steeper feature the bike does a lot better while in the low position but because of the extra reach it still performs well when the bike is in the high position.
Climbing
This bike is a solid climber but won’t be winning any XC races with my setup. Then again, I doubt any XC races will ever ride a 27.5 bike. Running wide tires is going to slow things down but will provide excellent grip on harder climbs. When I flipped the bike to the high position, the bike’s climbing performance really stepped up it’s capability. I wouldn’t have thought that .5 degrees would have made that much of a difference but the change was noticeable.
Who’s this bike for?
For me the 2019 Santa Cruz is the ideal bike for the majority of mountain bike riders. Most of us aren’t riding bike parks or aggressive steep trails on a regular basis. Most of us need a capable bike for the trails we live near and ride. I think that 130mm of travel is the sweet spot for trail bikes. The 5010 is a comfortable climber and a capable descender with the right about of playfulness to ensure you have a good day on the bike.
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