We’re often asked “so, what’s up with Santa Cruz Bicycles?” Or, “what does Fox Racing Shox have up their sleeve for next year?” So what about the new carbon fiber Blur XC in the picture? Or what is the difference between a mule and a prototype anyway? Curious to find out what SCB’s Rob Roskopp’s favorite bike is these days?
So while we were at Santa Cruz Bicyles today, Jeremy busted out the Panasonic P2 HD and we talked to a couple of folks – ad-hoc – including one of SCB’s top engineers, and the man himself, SCB’s legendary founder and CEO, Rob Roskopp. Read on….
What is a Test Mule? And how is a mule different from a prototype? First of all, the term mule, or test mule, is seen and heard most often in the car world. Test Mules are generally post experimental models of cars, also known as “concept cars” but are drive-able models that are not to the prototype stage, a stage that is more or less what will go in to production as the prototype test vehicles are tested, de-bugged, etc. Additionally, Test (aka Development Mules) often have their appearance obscured so the spies and paparazzi don’t snag photos and post double top secret stuff all over the place. And if there’s another difference between mules and prototypes, it’s that a new design might exist in several different Test Mule configuration to get feedback that will funnel in to the prototype, then be finalized in to a production product. Jiro is holding a hand-made, aluminum, Blur XC test mule on the left. On the right is a test mule for a new Jaguar that was spotted in Death Valley California.
Dual Mules. Two final mule configurations were tested by SCB and its many development riders to determine various attributes of what would become the new, carbon fiber, Blur XC. What seem like small differences, one degree of head angle, or a quarter inch change in the height of the bottom bracket, can make huge trail differences. SCB works hard to ensure that the bikes they produce are what the people that buy and ride them want. It’s not uncommon that the founder finds himself shouted down by the people that matter most: you and I, the mainstream Santa Cruz owner and rider. It’s interesting that the test mule’s frame material is less important, in terms of deciding on the bike’s layout, than are the various dimensions… something to keep in mind when you are shopping for your next bike…
So What About This New Carbon Fiber Blur XC…there are plenty of websites and blogs out there that have information about SCB’s new Blur XC. Most of it is no doubt the product of various marketing efforts on the sides of both SCB and the site working hard to make the while thing sound incredibly interesting, wonderful, etc. This isn’t to say the new Blur XC isn’t really cool and wonderful, but rather as Bikeskills is all about relevance, the mainstream, and most of all, value, we figured we’ll let others do their thing and we’ll do our best to tell you what we think as it could relate to your riding, next bike purchase, etc:
Is a carbon fiber mountain bike a good thing… or is it safe and reliable? Good question. The honest answer is that there’s really not a lot of data yet, but our guess is that given one of SCB’s design goals, to be the stiffest most robust carbon fiber race frame in the market, the SCB Blur XC will be as tough and reliable as “plastic” mountain bike out there. That said, if, like Major Phil Hynes USMC, you are a weight conscious, leg-shaving, logo-monkey, it is all about, and only about, carbon fiber. So for Phil, the choice is clear: he’ll be racing his carbon fiber Blur XC at the Sea Otter Classic in a couple of months.
Is the new Carbon Fiber Blur XC that much better than the Blur XC it is replacing? This is almost a trick question: if the Blur XC that’s only a couple of years old was the greatest XC sled ever, how could this new one be that much better? In a word, it’s not. In another word, it is. It really comes down to three decision factors: what you are going to do with the bike, what kind of condition your bike is in, and, how much money you can spend.
The aluminum Blur XC that is being replaced is a great bike. No doubt about it. If you ride a fair amount of fire roads, do an occasional race, hit places like Downieville once a year, it might even be a bit better – after all, it does have more rear travel – than the new carbon fiber Blur XC. On the other hand, if you are usually in lycra, actually have a racing schedule, and rarely do much rock crushing, no doubt about it, this new Blur XC if for you. To be honest, it’s SCB’s first real-deal, world cup level, dual suspension racing frame. Regarding money, there’s really nothing to say there. You either have it or you don’t. These days, most of us don’t. If you do, then you will probably have more fun, get more exercise, and more value, than most things that cost as much as a Blur XC.
Does SCB’s founder and owner really ride the new Blur XC? Oddly enough, Rob Roskopp, SCB’s founder and owner, has been riding a carbon fiber Blur XC for some time. To people that know and who’ve ridden with Rob, this seems odd. Most of us have never been on a ride with him when he was sporting anything less than a Nomad, and he’s usually on his V-10 charging Northstar and other DH venues. It’s what you’d expect from a guy who was a hockey player, won the Mammoth Kamikaze, and who has no neck.
But the simple truth is that Rob Roskopp is, in fact, spending virtually all his riding time on a carbon fiber Blur XC. Then again, these days he also an avid “skate skier” which is a lycra-based skiing activity not-unlike riding XC mountain biking. Who knows, maybe he’ll have a neck some day. The bottom line is that Rob can ride any bike he wants and any bike he rides gets beat to pieces by a big, strong guy who rides hard. That should tell you something about how well the new Blur XC is built.
Check Back for Video From our Field Trip to Santa Cruz Bicycles… In the mean time, here’s short video of people riding SCB bikes:
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