Brand new Santa Cruz 5010 V4 live ride review
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- It's slacker, more stable and smoother but Santa Cruz's latest 5010 is still an absolutely unapologetic trail hooligan. Join me behind the bars as I hit my favourite test trails hard.
Big thanks to Santa Cruz UK for sending the bike in for test, and massive thanks to my Patreon subscribers for helping to make these videos possible. If you like what I'm doing and want early, extended and exclusive edits and other Patreon perks click on the link here:
www.patreon.co...
Any other questions get busy in the comments.
Cheers
Guy Kes
*Great frame and lightweight. **Latest.Bike** components were well adjusted out of the box. Great entry level bike for light off road use.*
Oooooh, new 5010....time to alter the shopping list!
Guy, these are the best bike review videos on UA-cam in my opinion. It’s really hard to get video reviews which are entertaining to watch, but which also (crucially) have well educated and informed opinions.
Thanks John, really glad you enjoy them.
+1 Best by far!!!
Wow. Is it 5010 time already? I have the previous V3 purple version (dope color by the way) and totally agree with you Guy. It's so much fun and such an agile mayhem rocket. Actually I bought mine after watching your review in summer 2018. Thanks for that :) It even tackles big rooty and gnarly alpine trails though you need to ride a bit more active. I never miss more rear travel but the move to standard 140mm on the front doesn't hurt either. Good to see you having fun again on the V4 now. Great work!
Thanks Benedikt, stoked my recommendation worked out for you.
Best bike reviews online ,period and I watch a lot ,keep up the fantastic work.
Wow, thanks man, that's really kind of you. Glad you enjoy them.
Agreed 👍🏼
According to google subtitles on the preview, your names Guy Esteban 🤣🤣 good review on a great bike 👍👍
great review Guy, amazing how you can reel off tec spec whilst pinning technical trails talking and concentrating on trail lines top bloke!
Thanks mate
Always nice to see you trough the trails👌🏻...this bike could be my next after I sold my 2016 heckler !
Stainburn is my local ride, love this place! interesting watching some of your lines and the speed you get on the up hills, you must be mega fit! You can't see in this video but the techy black section is quite hard, especially on the up hill
Great live ride review Guy 😉👌🚴👌
Cheers as always mate. Hope you're well 👍🏻
those trails look sick
Watching you on that ride is why a lot of us still love 27.5- that’s how mountain bikes were meant to be ridden!! But I have to admit, there’s another Scotsman that I really want to see on that bike. Lol. Great review and always love the childlike joy you ride with.
Thanks mate, haha yeah that lad is going to be able to do some amazing things with this bike. Especially after hopping that Heckler around a lot, he's going to be strong as an ox!
I can see at your videos that you always have fun with bikes from Santa Cruz 🤘
Their current generation bikes are very very good indeed.
Brilliant vid 👏
Thanks Mark, new Hightower vid shot already just needs editing. Then it’s new Nomad and the new version of this bike 👍🏻
@@GuyKesTV I just picked up the bright yellow 5010, it is a blast! Looking forward to your Nomad video, it looks absolutely stunning and is on my wish list for 2023.
Great Review Guy. I love watching your videos, especially the great hosting and UK tour you did with Brian from BKXC a while back. Can't wait for some more epic rides once we get towards a bit of normality hopefully!!!
Thanks Gav, yeah that was a great tour. Just over two years ago now! Epics are in the pipeline ASAP
Love how the subtitles in the preview introduce you as Mike Esteban 🤣
I'm hoping one day it'll make me Gloria Estefan 🤣
Hi guy, great vid as usual, love the detail you go into ! That's what review of a ride should be like ! While I'm here any news when you can review the " Santa Cruz Heckler " E- bike looks awesome !!! 👍👌🌞😃🌲🌲🌲
Andrew Greenwood thanks fella, glad you enjoyed it. Filming the Heckler video tomorrow and got a big double battery day out planned 👍🏻
I like the shirt, very smart. "Ride solo"
Yeah I was hoping it would be a cute memento of a weird but short lived time. Looks like I might be wearing it again soon if they tighten up Covid restrictions more though.
Thanks again for an amazing review ...
You are the mountain bike version of Lucas brunelle how he rides the streets on his roadbike.
You should meet one day and ride together best riders of both worlds ...
Thanks man, I've not seen what Lucas does. Sounds like I need to google him right now!
Thanks for posting this Guy - Good to see the new 5010 in action. Question for you though...... If your going out to ride some rough trails would you take this new 5010 or the V2 bronson with 150mm travel? Just interesting to see if you feel the new geo changes and lower link make the bike more/ or the same level of capability as the older V2 Bronson.
Dunno if you guys gives a shit but if you guys are stoned like me during the covid times you can stream pretty much all of the latest movies on InstaFlixxer. Been binge watching with my gf lately :)
@Pierce Gavin Yup, I have been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :)
Great scream Guy
fun, fun, fun...apt T-shirt logo. Any worry about flat-out speed and railing through racing lines is a bit of a moot point anyway atm. Great review.
Thanks, and yes good point. That was the first time I've ridden the black sections in three months.
Hi Guy great video as usual and the 5010 looks awesome with new vpp design, but i have just bought a new full susser and have to say im very impressed with what i got and its my first 29er have you ridden the occam yet as i would like to get your professional view on it, I only bought the H30 which comes with a marzocchi Z2 and has been flawless so far.
Great review! It's because of your Tallboy 4 review, that I bought one and love it! What brand of front fender is that?
That is some rough stuff
Nice review ride, didnt know about half them trails at stainburn :o
There's a lot more than that if you know where to look! We'll have to do a HMBF show round ride soon as we can.
Very cool video! I have a Bikeporn of this Bike, its amazing
"Mayhem Missile" Who doesn't need one of those!?!?
Exactly 🤣 Glad my review synced with your test experience, hope your bike comes soon.
@@GuyKesTV your review was right on the money and confirmed what I felt on my test rides of the 5010! In fact it is such a fun bike to ride that I got rid of a 2020 Hightower for the new 5010.
Would love for you to test the new Kona 134 process is that in the pipeline? Love to see how it stacks up with this?
Yeah me too. Hope to get Kona on the channel ASAP
I'm trying to decide between 5010, Tallboy and Ripley for ultimate fun bike, I'm 6ft2 so maybe 29ers are better?
Hi there, I've seen a few comments comparing the 5010 v4 to the bronson v3. A lot of people seem to give the thumbs up to 5010 for flowy trail centre stuff and bronson for natural steep singletrack. Your video seems to make the 5010 seem fairly capable to me. Just a bit more of a challenge at times - although I have a feeling I would upgrade to a 140/150 fork.
I ride the bronson v1 currently and was looking at these 2 bikes and the calling.
I mainly ride natural big epic very technical rides, long days, kind of stuff mctrail rider does with big climbs up munroes and big descents. I enjoy the challenge of technical climbs as much as descents. What's your thoughts on the 5010 compared for this kind of terrain?
Awesome reviews BTW 👌. Discovered your channel from the bkxc / mctrail rider videos.
Ey up Geoff, I'd say 5010 is spot on for what you want. Unless you want the extra roll over of a Tallboy on 29s. That's not as agile on the really tight tech stuff though.
Absolutely amazing review, thank you for that!
I’m looking for a playful trail (or enduro) bike which can use every small root or stone as a kicker, but still pedals well uphill.
I had my fair share of freeride and Slopestyle bikes which needed a lift or shuttle to get up the hill.
I’m done with that.
I don’t care for racing, personal records or super plush suspension on techy downhills, either.
I want the ultimate poppy fun machine which is able to get the hill up itself!
The 5010 seems to fit this description perfectly if all the videos and forum talk are true.
But I would have to pay at least 5500€ to get a usable bike, since the 4200€ configuration has some really low grade parts..
However I would consider living of bread and water for a few months, if it’s really the only bike that offers that much fun.
Is there any comparable bike that suits my style of riding as good as the new 5010, but doesn’t cost that much?
I’ve looked into the YT Industries and Canyon bikes, where I would get a super high end bike if I pay 5500€.
But these bikes seem to be tuned for super fast and techy downhills, which eliminates all the liveliness and makes them boring for easier flowy trails.
The suspension on these bikes eat up every small feature, which I would use as a jump.
At least that’s what the reviews tell me.
Sadly I’m not able to test them myself.
Carbon Fiber is great, but I would even consider a bike with an aluminum frame if it has the same playful feeling and good climbing abilities.
It’ll be my only do it all bike!
Besides my Dirtjumper.
And my super nice looking vintage 1960s roadbike of course.
Ro Lux this would be a perfect bike for your riding and your right, YT and Canyon are too smooth really. Also loads of short travel bikes are going 29 now. Have a look at the Whyte T-130 though, brilliant fun bike for the money so you get to have some cheese with your bread and water 🤣 Also Lapierre Zesty TR in 27.5 wheel.
Have a look at a slack long travel hardtail they are a blast to ride and seriously under rated especially by those the have not ridden one. They are a totally different beast to an xc hardtail.
By Jove, I think he likes it!
hey Guy, I love your videos. I see you're riding the large, may I ask how tall you are? I'm 5'9" and trying to decide between the medium and large
Hey guy, how does this compare to the Tallboy? Thinking of one of them for my next bike. Thanks! :)
Tallboy is naturally faster rolling (especially with the MaxxGrip tyre on front of the 5010) thanks to the 29er wheels and the more progressive shock set up, but it doesn't slap through rocks as well on descents or on climbs. In terms of handling the Tallboy is more stable (again a wheel thing) so there's less steering going on but the 5010 is a lot easier to flick and twitch around. Or to make it really simple TB = more fast, 5010 = more fun
You should demo both from a local shop and make your own opinion before buying instead of listening to someone else!
CalgaryDynastar definitely, nothing beats comparing bikes head to head. If you can take a buddy to ride the other bike and you can session different sections back to back. Just make sure you equalise tyre and suspension settings for an accurate comparison though.
@@GuyKesTV thanks guys, wish I could but unfortunately there's only one SC dealer in the whole country where I live and they don't do demos :(
Hi Guykes, what do you think about the 5010 as a trail bike with the 27.5 wheels? Do think its a compromise vs. 29"
Hi Stefan, it doesn’t roll as fast as a Tallboy or a Hightower but it’s easier to chuck around and change direction. So it really depends what you want from a trail bike.
Guy, are you a 29er kinda guy or a 27.5 and why? This 5010 or current Tallboy?
I ride a lot of fast distance stuff and I'm not a natural jumper or trick flicker so I generally pick 29ers as my own rides. For techy, rowdy trails though the 5010 is a huge amount of fun. To throw a real curveball I'd probably have a Blur with a 120mm fork as my own bike because you can't beat a properly lightweight bike for ripping up climbs and it's surprisingly handy on the techy stuff. As a best of everything all rounder though the Hightower is brilliant.
@@GuyKesTV, sort of came to the same conclusion about the Hightower as a one bike only option and (if in wonderland) the blur/5010 coupled with any number of the great UK Enduro bikes out there, but hadn't considered a 120mm fork on a Blur - a curveball indeed, GK skewers the decision once again. However, I have to agree, for Mr Average (me) a single bike (the Hightower) is a solid choice.
Good work dude.
@@GuyKesTV Just had a look at your curve-ball option. Nice idea, but how I'd build it up, it'll be around just a pound lighter than a Tallboy. With all the upside the Tallboy would bring, TB would be the way to go, imo. So comes down to TB or HT again. Was looking at the Ripley V4 as well, but happy to give up a smidgen of XC for slightly better TB DH capabilities and the overall Santa Cruz package. Need to look into their lifetime warranty more, but if YOU say it's a no-questions-asked warranty then that's all good by me. No-questions-asked warranty (for original owner), really?
@@Cj-nd3nv I just double checked with Santa Cruz and they say: "on manufacturing defect and original owner, but if they crash it then there is a heavily subsidised costing for a replacement FT or SA which also is not available for second hand owners. Free bearings for life also. No quibble. Same for wheels, but even better on wheels (rims) as you get replacements even if you crash!"
@@GuyKesTV Cheers Guy, thanks for making that effort, but good to double check, I guess. Yeah, scroll down to the bottom of their web pages, warranty link there. Says exactly as you say for frame. However, for Reserve carbon wheels, it says, "Santa Cruz Bicycles will repair or replace at its option any Reserve rim made by Santa Cruz Bicycles that is damaged or destroyed by riding. The warranty will be in effect for the lifetime of the rim and is available only to the original owner." I ain't no lawyer, but that sounds pretty RAD to me (even though retail starts at around £1600.00 (Stif MTB))
Doesn't sound as overwhelmed as the V3 review. Did they loose some of the DNA witch the lower linked damper?
It's definitely a lot calmer/not as interactive as the V3
man i'm pretty sure this bike is gonna get me divorced
Did you mention how it does on climbing? If so, can sometime let me know where (time stamp) thanks!
8:05
Sorry, only just seen this comment. I'f you want more specific details just let me know.
@@louisabbey2370 thanks mate
Nae bother fella 🤜🏻
@@louisabbey2370 Thanks so much! Excellent :) I'm totally buying one, can't wait! Gotta save a little bit more $
what you recomend 5010 s-kit or habit carbon 1? I just ca't decide. or bronson s-kit? I just looking niece quality long lasting fun bike.
If you want a tough bike that will last you for ages then definitely one of the Santa Cruz. 5010 is the most fun for sure, if you like to pop and play around on the trail.
@@GuyKesTV no I thinking betwen 5010 and stupmjumper evo expert. how you can compare those two? which one your pick?
@@likeris2 Evo is more of a match to Hightower
@@GuyKesTV what your pick?
So now with the shock in a diferent position. The frame will feel diferent am i wrong? I paid a shit ton for my cc v3. I think i better not hurt my v3. Im not 100% sold on the new set up..
Yeah there's less kickback over the big stuff so it lets you get away with a bit more, but the interaction and acceleration punch isn't as powerful. Longer, slacker geom makes it more stable at speed, but again it's not as snappy in the tight stuff. I can see why they've done what they have but the V3 is still a brilliant bike. Big fan of the previous Tallboy for the same reasons. The Bronson and Hightower from this generation are definitely way ahead of the previous ones though.
@@GuyKesTV i was thinking the same. cheers mate
I may of missed if you mentioned, but what size did you ride and how tall are you? I’m 5’9 and between medium and large.
ashdiggity504 Im 5’11 and rode the large.
This or Cotic flare?
how does it match up against the Bronson
Mostly as you'd expect, less travel means a slightly rougher ride but it handles big stuff really well thanks to the revalve and the pedalling is more positive due to the slight difference in the suspension set up.
GuyKesTV ah nice looks like a real ripper
Great vid Guy... what helmet are you wearing?? thanks
Giro Manifest, it’s bloody great, but expensive. www.bikeperfect.com/reviews/giro-manifest-spherical-mips-trail-helmet-reviewed
Are your frame weights with or without the Super Deluxe installed? Thanks!
They normally quote with the shock in but the weights sound very light if that's the case so I'll double check.
haha the most weird and positive reviev haha
Guy I always go to u for advice. I am 6 foot 4 and 225 lbs. Just sold my 2012 trek rumble fish. What is a good noob friendly bike for a larger rider. Best bang for the buck bike. I am open to anything but looking at yt jeffsys. Canyon spectral and the giant trance. What do you think. I just want confidence and a forgiving safe ride. Speed can come later. Cheers m8
Hesko 1 what’s your budget mate?
@@GuyKesTV under 3k us. Prefer
Hesko 1 all those options are really good but have a look at the Marin Alpine Trail. It’s a really easy to ride and super solid bike. Bit more travel than the Rumblefish but otherwise very similar ride feel. You’ll get local dealer back up too but they’re still really good value. Whyte S-150 is a good shout too, their US distributor is in Fairfax. Nukeproof Reactor is good option around that price too.
Hesko 1 ua-cam.com/video/b9XrB5HErnY/v-deo.html
@@GuyKesTV your a legend man. I live near asheville North Carolina. East coast mecca for mtb. I was leaning direct sale bikes guy so I can use affirm for financing. Any direct sale bikes you feel fit the bill. Your channel deserves more traction. Even the big review organizations seem off the mark at times. Thanks for taking the time.
Is this at Stainburn? Looks so similar 👌
Christopher Rourke yep, Stainburn mash up
Stainburn!
FFS...riding 😯😁
What trail is it you do all these vids on?
Shitburn
I use a bunch but Stainburn is the closest and it's got a bunch of different surfaces and types of trail in a small area so it's great for testing. Especially at the moment when travel is an issue.
Is this a 27.5 Hightower?
Sham Rock it’s more of a mix of Tallboy pedal feel but with more impact smoothness through the mid/end strike like a Hightower. But with more chuck about agility than either.
GuyKesTV you like this over the Bronson?
Sham Rock for my style of riding yes. The 5010 leaves enough of the trail to deal with at my speed/skill level that I still feel like I’m involved and get a reward from getting things right. Bronson is still not getting close to the edge of what it can do by the time I’m crapping myself so I just feel like I’m holding it back. Obviously a more aggressive rider on bigger terrain will be better suited to Bronson.
Camera is too shaky mate !!
What the hell!! Did you change your introduction based on that one comment from a guy in another video? Not the same without your usual intro Guy!
Dave C haha you’re the only one who’s noticed so far. Wasn’t just that comment, it’s been said a few times so thought I’d drop it and see who noticed.
Not everyone has seen you in UK bike magazines for years and appreciates your heritage. Personally, I would keep the short “who am I” intro.
@@GuyKesTV He is not the only one ;-)
The Soloen One 🤣
@@GuyKesTV I think it's a great choice. You just get on with it and it feels right. You burst right into the review and it makes for a strong opening. Bravo Guy!
great review Guy. I am keen to get a new short travel bike, looking at white s120, tallboy, t130 and new 5010 - want to spend £4-5k and will consider own build - what would you recommend as the best ride? Want a keeper of a bike. I am 6ft 100kg but not fat (ex sportsman), so should I go carbon or alloy? Have I missed a brand/bike you think is great? Any views from your experience would be most appreciated. Loving the videos!
Sorry man, missed this. The good news is a lot of brands have followed Santa Cruz with providing a lifetime fault warranty which is great if you want a keeper. Also the bearings are easy to service and have a good warranty. Whyte's also have a great warranty and ride really great for a lot less money. Santa Cruz tend to feel a bit tighter and stiffer though which would handle a big guy like you well. Trek are built really stiff and accurate too and so are Yeti but they're a ton of cash. Hope HB130 is a beautiful bike and they're back up reputation is second to none if you're after a keeper. Alloy obviously gives you more bike for your money and in many cases the weights aren't much different. The only thing you might find is that the warranty on the alloy frames isn't as extensive as the carbon ones, but that's just a sales tool thing as the alloy bikes are normally built as tough if not tougher. As for whether to go 29 or 27.5, 29 is faster and smoother, 27.5 is more fun to check about. Hope that helps.
GuyKesTV don’t apologise, you’re helping me out! Hoping to try a yeti soon, hadn’t thought about hope, just looked at it amazing bike. I will let you know what I pull the trigger on. Thanks so much and keep up the great Vids. Cheers guy.
Nelly&Bert there are several Hope videos including a short factory tour and Fox V Ohlins shock tests on my channel so have a look around. If you’re after a keeper you won’t find anything like that build quality for the money from anyone else.
GuyKesTV thanks guy. Have lots to look into based upon your advice. Will look at trek lineup. Was about to buy a Santa Cruz alloy bronson or tall boy. Suspect the tall boy is the best for my trails but never ridden a 29er so need to try them out. Out of the two, which would you give the nod to? Thanks guy, love the content and appreciate you taking time to respond.
Nelly&Bert what sort of riding are you into?
Nice Bike...It is very expensive to buy but it cost penny and is made in china ....
Sounds like he hates it.
Someone say santa cruz haha
Love the videos but hate watching him ride those open trails, just doesn’t feel like a proper trail and really hard to follow visually. Forest trails look awesome, stick to those
Yeah those open clear felled trails at Stainburn are savage. They (obviously) used to be forested and they felt a lot safer because you rode them slower and the trail was much better defined. Plus you hugged a tree if you got it wrong rather than clipping a stump with a pedal and getting thrown for miles onto another stump. All that jank is very good for testing though and it's where I shot the previous 5010. I'll make sure there's plenty of woodsy stuff in the next edits though (not least because it always looks way quicker when trees are whipping past the bars 🤣). Thanks for the feedback anyway, it all helps 👍🏻
@@GuyKesTV wow, thanks for the response! Love watching you shred the trails, have been reading MBUK since the very first issue so it was great to finally watch real life riding after all the years of reading your reviews.
Keep the videos coming, love watching them, and looking forward to more loam! 👍
@@coonepaul sorry for delay replying mate, sounds like you were reading MBUK before I even was in 89 👊🏻. Glad you're enjoying the shift to video to, wished I could have done them for MBUK but they never had a budget so bike of the year stuff on What MTB was as close as I got. I'm not really into the sitting on a sofa afterwards style though. I'd rather be riding!
GuyKesTV I used the really like What MTB, shame it ended. Keep shredding mate, and I’ll keep watching, you’re smashing it 🤘👊
@@coonepaul Yeah What MTB was good fun. Because it wasn't the 'main mag' we could get away with some more interesting ideas like bike of the year and trip based features and the testing always had a bit more page space. Unfortunately they also used it for some other experiments with subscriptions etc. which caused a bunch of issues with the numbers. I don't think they realised just how much testing that we used to create for BikeRadar through WMB either so when they suddenly closed it after we finished the 200th issue they instantly lost a load of internet content they were getting for free. It also meant my magazine income halved overnight and then halved again when they started shrinking test word counts down on MBUK. I hung in there for a while trying to work out a solution and the editorial guys did what they could to keep an old fart fed with work but I remember putting over 50 hours riding and two or three workshop days into a DT Swiss fork review (I had to ride 3 forks to check the first 'problem' one wasn't an outlier) for £85 and realised it just wasn't working anymore. Shame as I was proud of what I did there and for working for the mags for 20 years, but it wasn't a bad innings and just grabbing a go pro and hitting the trails involves way less admin and it's more fun too.
just breath and ride then stop an talk maybe...
Nah, loads of people do that already and I'd rather be different. Besides why stop and talk when you could be riding 😜
fair play