The question of tire choice for mountain bikes is blowing up these days, with a proliferation of width options across both major sizes: 29 and 27.5. Among them: so-called plus-size tires, generally a mid-fat width between conventional tires and the monster-truck-like fat __bike options. Because a 27.5+ tire and wheel has about the same outer diameter as a conventional 29er tire and wheel, bikemakers have begun to create bikes that will fit both. One frame, two sets of wheels, and perhaps the long-sought answer to the question: Can one __bike truly do it all? We’re not yet able to answer a definitive yes, but if you’re intrigued, the Santa Cruz Tallboy is a fun way to explore the issue.
Who It’s For
If you’re intrigued about plus tires and what they can offer—more traction, more suspension travel, and better ability in rugged terrain—but don’t want to fully commit, a bike that fits 27.5+ and conventional 29 wheels is a great option. But many switchable bikes are pricey; by contrast, the Tallboy D is quite affordable while still offering a great ride.
What We Liked
Santa Cruz has steadily tweaked the geometry on its platforms to follow the trend toward longer reach, shorter chainstays, and slacker head angles; the current Tallboy, which was released early last year, follows suit. The result is a bike that feels a bit roomier in the cockpit and matches up favorably in the handling department to some of the better trail-oriented 29ers we like.
With the 29-inch D build kit we spec’d, the Tallboy is lots of fun in the rough stuff. It rumbles down rocky lines, but it’s still nimble enough to pick through a twisty technical section—a sharp corner strewn with roots, for example. Converting to a 27.5+ includes a front-end investment/commitment: You’ll need the wheels, tires and a 130mm travel fork, and rotors and a cassette will make the whole process take less time. Once that’s done, however, swapping back and forth is a 15-minute affair, with the most time devoted to changing the fork. A “flip chip” style shock mount converts the bottom bracket height and head angle to offer constant geometry between wheel sizes, and as a 27.5+, the bike has almost identical geometry figures and handling. The big difference is that the oversize 2.8-inch Maxxis Rekon tires and extra 10mm of fork travel offer a little more abandon in descending.
The Tallboy is available in three platforms: the high-end CC and mid-range C carbon frames, and the aluminum version tested here. There's a range of complete bikes that start at just $2,600, making it one of the most affordable 29/27.5+ bikes we know of. You can buy it set up either way, and both parts kits are excellent for the price.
Watch Out For
That does come at a slight cost in the weight department: Our test bike weighed 31.6 pounds as a 29er and only slightly more (31.8) as a plus bike. You’ll feel the extra heft on climbs, but for $2,600 you might be hard-pressed to do better.
The Tallboy climbs fairly well for its weight, especially with the compression damping set to medium or firm on the Fox Float rear shock. But while that helps limit bobbing on the VPP suspension, there is some pedal feedback on technical terrain, which can create a sensation of the rear wheel getting stuck on square-edged rocks. Plus bike performance is highly sensitive to tire issues, in particular tire pressure and the exact tire/rim interface. The Maxxis Rekons tested here are some of the better ones we’ve tried, but we still got some excessive sidewall squirm in hard cornering. Finally, you should note that none of the build kits Santa Cruz offers for the aluminum version of this bike include a dropper post.
- Fits either 29- or 27.5 Plus wheel sizes
- New design is more fun for descending
- Great parts kit for the price
- High-quality, proven suspension
- Affordable, durable aluminum frame
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