Nomad
Mountain Bike Rider
We’ve heard it so many times before about the one ‘do it all’ bike, only to ride away disappointed. Could the Santa Cruz Nomad really live up to its name, or will it turn out to be another white elephant?
Frame
The front triangle of the Nomad has a flowing monocoque top tube that gives it its distinct appearance and a low 28in stand-over height. It also provides the anchor point to the front triangle for the (counter rotating) upper link of the VPP suspension system. The lower link attaches behind the bottom bracket, where the pivot point and shell are formed from one piece of aluminium.
All pivots use sealed cartridge bearings. Cable routing is a mix of along the top tube for the front mech, and down tube routing for the rear mech and brake. We experienced no cable snagging, bunching up, or ghost shifting during the test. This was helped, no doubt, by the fact that the Nomad’s entire driveside dropout is removable, making for a stronger mech hanger with crisp shifting. The only aspect of the Nomad frame that we didn’t like are the two dents on the inside of the seatstays for tyre clearance - they look like an afterthought, and when you’re paying this sort of money you expect it to be just right.
For £1,549 the Nomad is available with a Fox Float R, add £220 for a Fox DHX Air, and £150 for an anodised finish.
Suspension
For a 5th Element shock the Gravity Air had a good range of rebound adjustment. It offered everything from topout fast to pack-down slow. Set-up is more sensitive than the Fox units, but its long stroke gives the Nomad a relatively low leverage ratio and associated low positive spring rates. Up front the Fox 36RC2 fork is second to none, and the Talas adjuster comes in handy on the long climbs to steepen up the head angle and lower the front end. On bikes with steeper head angles this adjustment isn’t necessary, but the Nomad really benefits from it.
Accessories
Jungle, the UK importer of Santa Cruz couldn’t have done a better job on the build-up. It hasn’t just gone out and cherry-picked the best bits, but it has put together a package that perfectly complements the intended use of the frame. Hope seems to have sorted out its pad issues, as the Mono M4 brakes on the Nomad had plenty of bite. Unfortunately the lever clamps still tend to score carbon bars. Thirty-six-hole rims are becoming increasingly popular, and Mavic XM321 disc rims suggest that the Nomad’s agenda is to be ridden hard. Adorning the rims are Intense Cross Country tyres and, while they roll fast, they have a tendency to step out too quickly on loose turns. More side knobs, please.
Performance
If you run lots of sag on the Nomad the bike rides up when you put the power down, almost causing the bike to inverse bob. Too little, and you lose travel and the stabilising effect of the 68-degree head angle. On the trail the Nomad matches the strength and travel of the Turner and Ellsworth but offers all the speed and agility of the Maverick. But its geometry allows you to relax more and look around for less obvious lines. Also, when the trail gets rough the Nomad is so much more capable than the Maverick. Not as plush on the small bumps (which can be improved dramatically by swapping to a Fox shock), but when you let the Nomad run, it left the Maverick for dead. Mud clearance may be an issue in the UK, but at least the supporting structures that join the chainstays and the seatstays go some way to shielding the front mech and lower link.
Verdict
The Santa Cruz Nomad is the best VPP bike we’ve tested. Its balance of suspension, weight-to-strength ratio and great geometry make it a truly versatile bike. Modern manufacturing techniques go some way to justifying the price tag but, to be fair, you can’t put a price on this level of performance. With the Nomad, Santa Cruz has managed to capture the essence of modern mountain biking - go anywhere, do anything. If you can only own one bike, but like a variety of riding, get a Nomad.
Overall Rating 10/10