I tend toward bikes that are specialists more than ones that claim to do everything. In general, I'm not a fan of tools that are designed to do "it all." I find they might be able to accomplish a lot of tasks, but I'd much rather one that does one job, but does it perfectly. This usually leaves me with a fleet of bikes that are extremes. Normally, I have a singlespeed hardtail for my every day driver and a 6-7" Enduro style full suspension shred sled as the backup.
Honestly, for these reasons, the 5010 wasn't even on my radar. Partially, this was also due to the fact that it was a 27.5 front and rear bike in all the previous iterations. The new one, like most things in the bike industry, is mullet meaning the front wheel is 29 and the rear is 27.5. How that is a mullet, I'm not sure.
This small detail changed the calculus and suddenly, this was a bike I wanted to try. Shorter travel, mixed wheel and aggressive geometry. This could be fun.
I pull the bike out of the truck under overcast skies and begin the trip to the top. I'm immediately reminded that it has been years since I've done this climb with gears and I don't really like climbing with gears. With that realized, I settle into the rhythm of the climb. I purposefully take the chunkier lines and find the rear suspension to be plenty plush and at the same time lively. Despite being alone, I roll up and drop the Jacker Stacker. That's nice.
It's hard for me to know right out of the gate if what I like is just rear suspension or if this bike rides like I want it to.
The big roller is followed by SOB Hill. I take the OG line shifting just as I hit the straight up sandstone section. The transmission drivetrain doesn't flinch or even peep. The slightly easier gear mid climb makes it feel easy to go up. Once I can breath again, a grin stretches across my face.
I stop at the overlook at the top knowing that this is the moment I will know for sure. I take in the view and then begin the descent. At first, I ride like I normally do on a hardtail but soon realize this bike wants to fly. I find myself seeking out rocks to pop off, staying off the brakes a little longer and pedaling through turns to hold the momentum. The confidence has been inspired.
The Bike
The 5010, as mentioned, is Santa Cruz's mid-travel mixed wheel bike. It features the lower link suspension design with 130 mm of rear and 140 mm of front travel. I'm not an angle nerd, but it sits and rides like a longer travel bike. I ordered the XO AXS kit with Reserve Wheels.
As most high end bikes go, the component kit works flawlessly. The wheels spin up quickly, track well and hold their momentum. Transmission drivetrains are next level and the XO version on my bike has been awesome. The ability to shift under heavy load is a game changer and while it's not as big of a deal, Transmission is just smoother than anything else I've ridden.
But the geo and suspension of this bike is what makes it really shine. Santa Cruz has refined the VPP suspension to almost perfection. The bike seems to do exactly what I want it to, when I want it to. Which is saying a lot for a guy who rode rigid for years because he hated suspension. The bike pedals well. Uphill isn't a chore with minimal bob and the bike excels at heading down hill especially in the chunky, repetitive hit stuff we have in SoTah.
I find myself at the bottom of the Zen Drop laughing at how easy this bike has made the trail. Then I remember that Hell Hole is just around the corner sobering my mood.
Even the steep climb to start Lower Zen can't kill my vibe. I make the climb and then finish out the trail. I'm a little confused at what I just experienced. I haven't had that much fun on a bike in a while and certainly haven't cleaned Zen on a brand new bike ever, but that's just what happened.
After this initial ride, the 5010 has become my go to bike for SoTah riding. It excels at the chunky stuff, climbs our sometimes stupid steep trails and loves mesa riding. Obviously, everyone has their own take, but this is the perfect bike for my style of riding.