VP Free
Mountain Bike Rider
October 2004
The VP-Free is the latest bike from Santa Cruz to sport its patent-protected VPP (virtual pivot point) suspension. Filling the void between the XC Blur and the DH V10, the VP-Free is pitched squarely at the freerider with visions of climbing to the top of every descent.
Frame
Santa Cruz has traditionally used tubing for frame construction, and while 6069 aluminium pipes still form the mainstay of the VP-Free, it gets a monocoque seat tower, top tube gusset and stay bridge. Two short links suspend the triangulated swingarm, while sealed bearings keep everything running smooth and maintenance free. Rather than cramming a traditionally weak, replaceable mech hanger into a confined space, Santa Cruz has made the entire right-hand dropout replaceable for improved shifting performance and reliability. Rear dropout spacing is 150mm for use with a zero dish rear wheel, and also offers better tyre clearance than a 135mm set-up. Our only niggle with the VP-Free frame is that the cable stops protrude from the side of the top tube and on several occasions we caught our pads on them. Other than that the frame looks the nuts and is a lot beefier than the pictures in the catalogue suggest.
Suspension
Because all Sherman forks share the same lower-leg sizing, the Slider Plus has particularly narrow crowns - resulting in a turning circle akin to an articulated lorry. Hopping the back end round on smooth switch-backs is essential, but on rocky, stepped corners it's just not an option and on several occasions we ran out of trail. That said, the action of the Slider Plus is first rate.
Performance
We'd read a lot about the climbing prowess of the VP-Free and yes, it's all true. But there is no ignoring the fact that this bike is just shy of 40lb. One look at the VP-Free with its burly build and oversized tubing and you'd have to be blind not to realise that it wasn't designed to defy gravity, but to be assisted by it. But the 5th Element shock on our test rig made sure that the VP-Free would struggle to compete against bikes with half the inch count. Basically, when we dived into a choppy section of trail, be it rocks or roots, the back end of the VP-Free would skip around like an XC bike - offering nothing like the smoothing effect that 215mm of travel should give. In addition, when we preloaded the shock for some extra loft, the bike would feel like a bottomless pit of travel, but give nothing in return. A dead spot in the initial portion of the shock stroke indicated that something was amiss - Santa Cruz promptly sent a Fox DHX 5.0, which it now offers as an option with the frame. The bike was completely transformed. With considerably less rebound damping and a shock that's designed to be ridden on the spring, the VP-Free glided across the trail. It made it easier to loft the front, flick the back and allowed you to hit sections flat-out without your feet being bounced off the pedals. But Santa Cruz also shipped the latest Progressive shock to test. The rebound is now quick enough to stop the VP-Free from feeling like it had its wings clipped, the flip side being that it doesn't pedal as well as its predecessor. But it's planted and this is the first bike that we have tested with a Progressive shock that we actually liked. We still had to run the rebound fully off - and it lost all of its IFP pressure overnight.
Unfortunately this VP-Free review has turned into something of a shock test. But seeing as the VP-Free frame proportions, bottom bracket height and build quality are all spot-on, we feel it's worth getting the right shock to complement your riding style.
The Fox DHX5.0 makes the VP-Free ride much lighter, just like a traditional coil-shock set-up. The Progressive 5th Element offers a more planted experience. If you're not sure which one you prefer then go with the Fox DHX5.0; it's more reliable and has more adjustment. You'll be able to experiment and draw your own conclusions.
Verdict
9/10