2025 Santa Cruz Hightower Review | Trail bike or mini enduro rig?

The not-so-minor details

Product

2025 Santa Cruz Hightower

Contact

Santa Cruz Bicycles

https://santacruzbicycles.com/

Price

Builds range from $7,299 to $16,999

Tom reviews the 2025 Santa Cruz Hightower

Santa Cruz has just launched the Hightower V4, its versatile 29er trail bike that has consistently been one of its best sellers. Due to its well-rounded attributes, it has traditionally performed exceptionally well in Australian conditions. The latest version focuses significantly on enhancing descending performance, but does this compromise its excellent climbing capabilities? We travelled to Valle Maria Piemonte in Italy for the official launch to find out whether the new Santa Cruz Hightower lives up to the hype.

A couple of burly trail bikes! There are two new colourways: Matte deep purple and gloss old-growth green.

Watch our video review of the Santa Cruz Hightower here:

Overview | Introducing the Santa Cruz Hightower V4

The overall silhouette remains very similar to the previous model, with Santa Cruz bikes maintaining a nearly identical side profile. However, a closer inspection reveals a slightly different frame layout where the shock is mounted. If you’re familiar with the new Santa Cruz Bronson, you’ll notice the latest Hightower shares the same design, thanks to similar updates across both models

The Bronson and Hightower share the same front triangle but have distinct rear ends to accommodate different wheel sizes—27.5in on the Bronson and 29in on the Hightower. Santa Cruz has indicated that it prefers this dedicated approach over using a geometry flip chip for varying wheel sizes because it doesn’t want to make any compromises. Instead, Santa Cruz focuses on independently optimising each wheel size.

The shock mount and linkage have been repositioned lower and further forward. Santa Cruz engineers made this change to reduce anti-squat, aiming to eliminate pedal kickback and enhance traction and overall suspension feel. While the VPP suspension design used by Santa Cruz is well-respected, a common complaint has been the occasionally noticeable pedal feedback. It’s encouraging to hear that the engineers at Santa Cruz have focused on addressing this issue in their latest bikes. After testing the bike, we can confirm that it is a significant improvement.

What does ‘Reduced anti-squat’ mean, and why is it important?

When the mountain bike community discusses ‘pedal kickback,’ they refer to the adverse effects of chain tension on the suspension system’s ability to function smoothly. Excessive disruption can lead to an uncomfortable sensation through the pedals. Minimising a bike’s anti-squat properties is essential to reducing this issue. However, engineers must be careful not to reduce it too much, as this would cause the suspension to bob excessively, making pedalling inefficient.

Santa Cruz has strived to balance these two factors. From our experience with the new Hightower, it seems it’s come quite close to achieving the ideal compromise. A more detailed analysis of the ride characteristics can be found below.

Above: The Hightower eating up some rugged Italian terrain. Below: The new shock position, lower and further forward.

Travel increase and more aggressive geometry

We’re also seeing the suspension travel increase on the new Hightower. The rear travel has been bumped up to 150mm, and all models will come stock with a 160mm fork. Plus, the bike gets a little longer and slacker. We’ll get into the nerdy numbers on all of that below!

With the increase in reach and rear centre lengths, more material is required to achieve these changes. Consequently, the frames have become slightly heavier, adding approximately 170 grams.

Wireless drivetrains only on the CC frames

One somewhat controversial change is that the higher-end CC frames will no longer have routing options for a cable drivetrain; it will only be compatible with wireless systems. In contrast, the C frames will still offer the option to run a cable derailleur. This isn’t the first instance of such a configuration, as the latest Specialized Stumpjumper also features this setup.

Given the direction in which drivetrain technology is moving, Santa Cruz has likely made a reasonable assumption that other companies will start producing wireless drivetrains in the near future. We’re talking about you, Shimano.

Why? Less cost in manufacturing, aesthetics, and weight. However, did we say aesthetics?

There is no internal routing for traditional drivetrains, only on the higher-end CC frames (pictured). The C frames will still be compatible with a cable derailleur.

Geometry and Sizing

Before we discuss the geometry details, it’s worth noting that the bike features a high/low geometry flip chip. By default, it is set up in the low setting, so we will refer to the numbers in this configuration. For the high geometry stats, refer to the table below.

The low/ high settings change not only the geo but also the suspension kinematics. The low setting is more progressive, and the high setting is more linear.

The new Hightower has increased in both chainstay and reach lengths. The rear centres have grown by 2mm and increase as you move up the size range. Five sizes are available (S-XXL), with the small size featuring a 435mm chainstay and the XXL size having a 446mm chainstay. The reach lengths range from 432mm (small) to 523mm (XXL). The stack height has also increased; the large size we tested measured 643mm, which is 7mm taller than the previous generation Hightower.

The head angle now sits around 64°, varying slightly between the high (64.2°) and low (63.9°) settings. This angle seems to hit the sweet spot for many modern trail bikes, balancing confidence on steep terrain with responsive steering.

Descending performance | The part we’re all here for!

In our eyes, a true do-it-all bike is one that descends as well as it climbs. The new Hightower has made impressive strides in its downhill performance, now feeling more like a mini enduro bike with a stable and planted feel on the trail.

During testing, we rode primarily in the Valle Maira region in Italy, which is full of rough and fast old hiking trails. With its increased wheelbase, the Hightower felt stable and calm as speeds picked up. The VPP suspension is smooth and supple, though we had to tweak the shock to get it dialled in. Fortunately, Santa Cruz’s suspension expert, Kiran MacKinnon, was on hand during testing. After discussing with him, Kiran recommended removing the .1 volume spacer from the Fox Float X.

We removed the .1 volume spacer, and the suspension performed significantly better for general trail riding.

This recommendation was made for general trail riding when you won’t be hitting big jumps or experiencing severe compressions. After removing the spacer, the bike tracked the ground significantly better and felt less harsh overall. We didn’t feel like we were blowing through travel without the spacer in the shock. We also kept it in the low flip chip setting, providing a more progressive leverage ratio and helping the shock ramp up appropriately.

The bike definitely feels more stable at higher speeds, yet retains a playful nature. The Hightower encourages you to pick up off roots and rocks, helping you find little doubles on the trail. However, this playfulness reduces at slower speeds, and the bike can sometimes feel quite long. It excels when you have a clear line of sight and can let the bike go freely, carrying momentum well and tracking the ground nicely in longer, more gradual turns. In tighter corners, you really need to manhandle the bike and be aggressive to get it where you want it.

We were pleasantly surprised at how well the bike handled steep terrain, which is not typically a strong point for trail bikes.

What surprised us the most was how well the bike handled steeper terrain. For a trail bike, it tackled steep sections in a manner you’d expect from a much burlier bike. The increase in stack height and the 35mm rise bar certainly helped instil confidence in these situations, encouraging us to place the weight into our feet and take it off our hands.

Climbing Characteristics | Can it match the descending performance?

With a strong focus on descending performance, we initially worried that the new Hightower might have sacrificed some of its efficiency and climbing capabilities. However, we’re happy to report that it still excels at climbing. Its geometry is optimized for a comfortable ascent, featuring a steep 78° seat angle and a high, well-balanced front end.

Most modern trail bikes are built for efficient climbing, largely due to common features like steep seat angles and lockout rear shocks, which enhance both comfort and efficiency. As expected, the Hightower handles the smooth trails, and the road climbs with ease when seated.

The bike truly shines, though, when you rise out of the saddle and pick up the pace. On technical climbs, it delivers impressive power and traction. We rode with the rear shock fully open most of the time and didn’t experience any issues with pedal bob, maintaining efficiency even without the lockout engaged.

The Hightower has always been a strong climber, and nothing has changed with the latest version. It still offers plenty of support and traction.

The suspension kinematics provide a firm pedalling platform to push against while also offering enough suppleness to maintain traction when required. Although it’s not the quickest bike in terms of acceleration on climbs, its excellent traction and ability to roll over obstacles smoothly often make up for this.

We also found the Hightower to perform well on flatter sections of climbs. It maintained momentum and speed, giving us an advantage as we approached the next steeper, more technical section.

The Hightower has always been a strong climber, so there was more at risk than to gain with any changes. Fortunately, its climbing ability remains intact. While it descends with the confidence more closely associated with an enduro bike, you’ll notice a difference in climbs compared to a full-blown, heavy-duty enduro rig. The updated Hightower stays true to its trail bike roots!

Build Kits and Pricing

The Santa Cruz team here in Australia has told us that models will be rolling into the country in October. There will be six complete build options and a frame-only option.

There are plenty of build kits available, as well as a frame-only option.

Hightower CC Frame Only $6,299

Hightower C R-Kit | $7,299

Hightower C S-Kit | $8,799

Hightower C GX AXS-Kit | $10,499

Hightower CC XO AXS-Kit | $12,499

Hightower CC XO AXS-Kit RSV | $13,999

Hightower CC XX AXS-Kit RSV | $16,999

Bold colourways are back in fashion. Pictured is the gloss old-growth green CC XO AXS-Kit RSV build.

Flow’s Verdict

We welcome Santa Cruz’s updates to the Hightower. The descending performance has improved significantly while still maintaining its excellent climbing attributes. We believe this model in the Santa Cruz line will suit Australian conditions well. It carries a lot of momentum, which is great for our generally flatter terrain, but it’s also stable when the trails get rough—a common feature of our tracks.

However, if you’re looking for a super snappy trail bike that easily flicks around corners, this might not be the bike for you. It’s not the best at slower speeds and in tight situations.

The Hightower fits the brief of a do-it-all machine, making it a worthy contender if you’re looking for a new trail bike.

In conclusion, we’d also like to highlight Santa Cruz’s customer service reputation, often overlooked when purchasing a new bike. If you don’t know already, Santa Cruz offers a lifetime warranty on the frames as well as the bearings. The frame warranty provides peace of mind, but we particularly appreciate that you can routinely change your bearings, and Santa Cruz will cover the cost of the parts.

Santa Cruz has become one of the most sought-after brands, and the new Hightower will only bolster this reputation as it is a quality product and an enjoyable ride. We’ll be testing the mixed-wheel Bronson next. These bikes share many similarities, so stay tuned for our verdict if you’re deciding between the two.

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