The Santa Cruz Blur is the brand’s newest 100mm full suspension XC race bike. Using Santa Cruz’s proven VPP suspension and a stiff carbon frame with progressive geometry, the Blur is a mountain bike designed to reward hard pedaling and aggressive riding.
Santa Cruz Blur CC Highlights
- Carbon CC Frame
- VPP Suspension
- 100mm travel Front and Rear
- Fox Step-Cast 32 Fork
- Fox Float DPS Shock
- Dual Remote Lockout
- SRAM X01 Eagle Drivetrain
- SRAM Level TLM Brakes
- Santa Cruz Reserve 25 Carbon Wheels
- 69° Headtube Angle
Santa Cruz Blur CC Details
Santa Cruz has lacked a full-suspension XC bike in its lineup ever since the Tallboy gained more travel to become more trail-oriented. To fill this void, it resurrected the beloved Blur, this time as a dedicated 100mm-travel race bike utilizing Santa Cruz’s VPP (Virtual Pivot Point) suspension design. VPP allows the suspension to resist bobbing and squatting when pedaling forces are applied, meaning the Blur is an incredibly efficient climber. Even with the additional counter-rotating links required in the VPP design, the top-end carbon Blur CC is actually the lightest 100mm full-suspension frame Santa Cruz has ever produced. The complete X01 build comes in at under 23 lbs. Despite this featherweight build, the frame still feels stiff and robust. The rear triangle has an additional carbon upright between the chain stay and seat stay to further increase rear-end stiffness.
The Blur runs on SRAM’s proven X01 Eagle drivetrain. The brakes are SRAM’s lightweight Level TLMs, which are only slightly heavier than its Level Ultimate offering, while still providing all the same functionality. Suspension duties are handled by a Fox Float DPS shock and a Step-Cast 32 fork, which saves additional weight with narrower lowers with less material. The fork and shock are Fox’s Performance Elite level, which provides the same internals and performance as their Factory suspension, just without the gold Kashima coating on the stanchions. The wheels are Santa’s Cruz’s critically acclaimed Reserve 25 carbon wheels. Laced to dependable DT Swiss 350 hubs, the rims are light and durable, and the 25mm internal width suits XC tires up to 2.4” in width. The standard build is race ready with Syntace’s ultra-compliant P6 Carbon HiFlex seatpost. For riders looking for a bit more downhill capability, a dropper post is easy to install with internal routing.
Rider Type
- XC/Endurance Racers
- All Day Adventurers
- KOM Hunters
The Santa Cruz Blur is designed to appeal to the pedaling-focused XC crowd, a genre that hasn’t had a full-suspension option from Santa Cruz for several years now. With the Blur, Santa Cruz has come back strong with a bike that is incredibly light, stiff, and fast. The Blur accelerates uphill with impressive ease, and it’s likely that you’ll only need to use the remote dual lockout in extreme race situations or when pedaling perfectly smooth roads.
The stiffness comes into play when tackling rough and technical trails and descents. The bike tracks confidently through rock gardens and over roots. It easily handles steep terrain, thanks to the slacker 69° headtube and longer reach (440mm in Med / 460mm in Large). Ultimately, the Blur should be able to handle the rowdiest lines you would dare take a 100mm bike down. Keep in mind that it’s still a race bike, and it’s possible to get in over your head. But the Blur is still a far cry from the twitchy and terrifying XC bikes of the past and is a prime example of the new generation of more capable XC machines.
In stock trim, the Blur is definitely more race-focused. The addition of a dropper post and meatier trail tires will add weight but will open up the bike’s capabilities dramatically. It is also a bike that many riders will choose to over-fork in order to push the bike to be more trail-oriented. Santa Cruz even offers a stock Blur TR which comes equipped with a 110mm Fox Step-Cast 34, along with a dropper post. It will work well as a trail machine but with racier geometry 100mm of travel in the rear, it will get outgunned sooner than a more trail focused bike like the Santa Cruz Tallboy (read a comparison here). The Blur is aimed more at the rider who wants to go full-gas, whether it’s in an XC race or on an all-day epic.
Bruce is a writer who loves getting his bikes dirty, trying new tech, and riding tough trails that make him suffer for hours at a time.