First Ride: The 2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy Gets Updated, Not Overhauled

Santa Cruz didn’t want to mess with a good thing, so the 2023 Tallboy doesn’t deviate that far from the previous model. The geometry has been adjusted slightly, and the same goes for the kinematics, but it’s more of a fine tuning rather than a complete overhaul.

Gloss Ultra Blue and Matte Taupe are the two color options for the fifth generation of the Tallboy.

Frame Details

The most obvious change to the Tallboy’s frame is the addition of downtube storage, a feature that’s now found on nearly every trail and enduro bike in Santa Cruz’s lineup, except for the Bronson (at least for now). A small latch next to the water bottle cage allows access to the compartment, and two pouches are included for stashing a tube, tools, and any other snacks and accessories that’ll fit.

Other than the new snack stash, the Tallboy’s frame details haven’t changed all that much. There’s fully guided internal cable routing, a threaded bottom bracket, room for a 2.5” rear tire, and mounts for a chain guide. There’s also a universal derailleur hanger, and a flip chip on the rear shock mount that allows for very subtle geometry changes.

Geometry & Suspension Layout

The Tallboy’s shock flip chip remains, but the ability to alter the chainstay length by 10mm has been removed, replaced by size-specific lengths for each size. Chainstay lengths range from 431mm on a size small up to 444mm on an XXL.

The Tallboy’s seat tube angles are also size-specific, getting steeper with each larger size. That helps ensure that taller riders won’t end up too far over the back of the bike when climbing.

The new Tallboy isn’t any slacker than before, but it did get a little bit longer, with reach numbers that match up with the rest of Santa Cruz’s lineup. The reach for a size large is now 473mm in the low setting, an increase of 5mm. The slightly steepened seat tube angles balance out that increase, creating a top tube length that’s relatively unchanged, which means the seated climbing position will feel nearly the same as before.

Santa Cruz lowered the Tallboy’s leverage ratio to give it a slightly less progressive shock curve, a change that’s also accompanied by a lower amount of anti-squat in the beginning of the travel, and a less aggressive drop off later in the stroke. Those changes were done to increase the bike’s small bump compliance, and to give it a more predictable suspension feel at all points in the travel.

Build Kits

There are 6 models in the lineup, with prices starting at $5,299 USD for the Tallboy C R, which has SRAM NX drivetrain, Guide T brakes, a RockShox Pike Base fork and a Fox Performance DPS shock.

At the top of the line sits the $10,399 Tallboy CC X01 AXS RSV. That’s a whole lot of initials to designate that it has Santa Cruz’s highest end carbon frame construction, SRAM’s AXS wireless electronic drivetrain, and Reserve 30 SL carbon wheels. Suspension duties on that pricey model are handled by a Fox Float Factory DPS shock and a RockShox Pike Ultimate fork.

Ride Impressions

The Tallboy isn’t a downcountry bike, and it’s not trying to be. Instead, it’s a do-everything machine that has a ‘just right’ air to its handling. There’s no sketchiness or unpredictability to be found – it’s the rider that’ll be bringing those traits to the table, not the bike.

Honestly, I could probably just drop the link to Mike Levy’s review of the Tallboy 4 in here and call it good. There are more similarities than differences between the two versions, and the overall ride characteristics are nearly identical. It’s been a little bit since I last rode a Tallboy, but going off my somewhat fuzzy memories I’d say that the suspension does feel better than before – it’s a little softer overall, which makes the bike more comfortable on choppy sections of trail. There’s still plenty of support, though, and even when I used all of the travel there wasn’t any harshness at the end of the stroke.

The Tallboy’s strength is…