Suspension Platforms Explained

A vision, a blip, a Blur! The redesigned Santa Cruz Blur is faster and more capable than ever before. Updated to match any World Cup XC race course while also remaining fun enough for your backyard mission. In this episode, we dive into the development of the all-new Blur: the science, approach, and testing, and how Santa Cruz created a bike that's just as comfortable chasing podiums as it is chasing your next personal best. The engineers and designers behind this bike get deep into the weeds, giving you all the technical details you could ask for, and showcase the care and depth of knowledge the Santa Cruz engineering team brings to the table.  Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

VPP, Four Bar, Flex Stay... what defines each of these suspension platforms and how does that translate to the ride feel of your bike? What does it all mean!  In this episode of the Roller Door, Hannah gets into the suspension weeds with Kiran MacKinnon and Josh Kissner. These two product managers have helped shape every Santa Cruz bike made in the past 10+ years and spend hours upon hours dialing in the suspension kinematics that we all feel but maybe don't fully understand. We attempt to lift the veil into the mysterious world of leverage curves and more, and understand why each platform is utilized. Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

What even is a Vala? How does it differ from the Bullit? Vala Light? Torque? Bosch? What does it all mean! Ebikes are on the rise, and no matter your personal preference, they are evolving at a rapid pase and it's exciting to follow along. In this episode, Hannah sits down with Josh Kissner and Mark Matson, two of our product managers, to dig into Santa Cruz's ebike ecosystem and ask all the questions.  Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

The long-awaited Santa Cruz Tallboy is here! We know we've kept you waiting, so we thought we'd make a big splash. Truly all new, this Tallboy is the most capable and lightest it's ever been. More capable yet lighter weight?! But how? Dive in with Hannah as she digs into the details with Josh and Amy from the product team. While the silhouette has changed, it's still unmistakably the coveted machine it's always been, with the refined ride quality and details you expect from Santa Cruz Bicycles. Why a four-bar? Why more travel? SRAM brakes? Learn why here—from the experts who shaped this bike themselves. Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

The OG crowd favorite is back in its newest form. The Santa Cruz Nomad—the bike that defined the big mountain enduro category—is new and improved. The lightest it's ever been, while still utilizing the tried-and-true VPP platform, this version delivers its best ride yet. In this episode, Hannah sits down with Josh Kissner, Kiran, MacKinnon, and Peter Mueller-Wille—the product, suspension, and engineering minds behind the bike—to dig into the incremental changes that add up to a noticeably superior ride quality. Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

Get into the details of ebikes! Why ride one? Or not? Why did we make the product and design choices we've made in our ebike line? In this episode we sit down with Product Manager Mark Matson and Rider Support's own E-bike specialist, Chris Freeny (maybe he's helped you out!). Between these two experts, we deep dive into the world of E. The fastest growing category in MTB, whether you like it or not. Note: Recorded BEFORE the recent storms... it has since rained. Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!      

We're so excited to have our buddy Danny MacAskill on the pod to congratulate him on being inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame! He's one guy that your mom might know from Youtube- his reach goes far beyond our nerd circle of mountain bikers. Learn about his life back in Scotland, his trials bike that is made in house at Santa Cruz HQ, his love of ebikes, and a little about being one of the most talented trials rider in the world. He's also one of the most kind and unassuming pro's we know, and always down for a party. Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

We're getting deep under the Roller Door on this episode! In the depths of the Santa Cruz Bicycles Headquarters is the machine shop where Mike Woods and John Heyliger craft the first version of all of our bikes, and much more.  Geoff Casey, head of Engineering and Marketing, sits down with Hannah to learn from these two master fabricator/machiners. Between the two of them, they have almost 40 years at Santa Cruz Bicycles. They have had there hands on almost every single Santa Cruz bike ever made, in addition to countless inventions that make the factory tick. This one's for the curious.  Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

Vala AL?! That's right, the beloved Vala has now gone metal. The aluminum Vala launches today, and we're stoked on this one. Hannah and co host Sam Randazzo sit down with legendary operations manager, JT Barse (you may know him as the star of the Carbon Chameleon launch video... look it up) to talk about this new bike and how our in house production team plays a crucial part in developing our product.  It's the Vala- stripped down and ready to ride. Learn about the stand out features of this new rig and hear other meandering stories along the way. Questions or comments? Email [email protected] Thanks for listening!

  No matter your life trajectory, you can always choose a different path and you can always choose to use your voice to enact change. On this episode of the Roller Door, North American Brand Manager Katie Zaffke, joins Hannah to talk with long time friend of the brand, Aneela Mckenna. Aneela is a legend in the industry, not only for her vivacious laugh and mischevious glint in her eye (and her scottish whit to boot), but for creating spaces for people to find their voice and confidence both on and off the bike. From Scottish parliament to MTB guide, she has turned her love of bikes into a force for inclusion and belonging.  Questions or comments? Email [email protected]/ Thanks for listening!