Blur LT
Mountain Bike Magazine
The beloved Santa Cruz Blur is no more. Instead, on e model has fractured into two. The Blur XC keeps the original Blur's travel (4.5 inches), but sheds a half to three quarters of a pound (depending on size) to become a five-pound frame (medium, with shock). The subject of this test, however, is the Blur LT.
It's about the same weight as the original Blur (5.9 lb. in a size medium). But travel is increased to 5.25 inches. To deal with longer travel forks and higher speeds, the LT sports a beefed-up head tube with a slacker geometry to handle longer travel forks.
The LT has a wonderful, crisp and efficient pedaling feel, but due to the looser geometry and heavier parts you want on a longer-travel bike, it's not a warp-speed climber like the original, just supersonic. Pointed downhill the LT makes excellent use of available travel: It feels plush, smooth and very reactive, and it's livelier and more neutral than the original Blur. This pays dividends not just on descents, but anywhere the suspension is working hard.
The only time we noticed any kinks in the suspension tuning was during climbs packed with fist-size rocks and small divots. Here we thought the suspension in a responded in a somewhat stilted fashion. Take a climb at the same speed in the same gear but with bigger bumps, and the feeling vanishes.
The LT's handling thankfully doesn't stray too far from the original Blur's faithful brilliance- it's a bit slower handling, but it's also more stable. It's a bike whose prowess is now equally divided between great descending and climbing acumen.