Santa Cruz have updated the Blur ahead of the 2022 season, and Juliana have release an all-new bike, the Wilder, to fill the ‘down-country’ spot in their range. Read on for more!
Santa Cruz Blur
“Each weekend, at race venues the world over, there is one rider who gets hoisted upon the shoulders of the crowd and carried to the podium. Or at least leaves with a water bottle as their prize. And between each of those races, innumerable wannabes are putting in the hours on the rollers and in the gym all because they want to feel what it’s like to take the win. They know that to beat the pack every advantage needs to be acquired. That’s where the Blur fits in.
We tapped into everything we’ve learned from years of making the highest quality carbon full-suspension bikes so that we could put as little (weight) as possible into the Blur frame. The trim frame and super-efficient Superlight™ suspension will be the key to translating your input into competition beating performances.
But the Blur isn’t just for the short track. Two water bottle mounts within the front triangle should keep chuggers happy. And the high quality fit, finish and carbon construction promises multi-day racers a worry free existence—meaning there’s no fiddly proprietary parts that could leave you stranded in a Cape Epic or Breck Epic campsite. The carbon frame, while being light, is made to go the distance and as always the legendary Santa Cruz lifetime warranty and Rider Support team has got your back.
The Blur isn’t guaranteed to make you a race winner but being the lightest, full-suspension carbon XC bike we’ve ever made (Approx 23lb as complete. Blur frame is 289g lighter than the previous model) it might be the difference between claiming first place…or just crossing the line.”
Juliana Wilder
“Saving weight means little without retaining an appropriate level of stiffness and responsiveness too. So we’ve taken all the acceleration and out-of-the-saddle sprint qualities of a carbon XC race rocket and fused them with a rear-end that still rails corners like a hardcore trail bike.
This unique XC-trail attitude is also reflected in the geometry. The head tube angle (67.1 degree) and reach (425mm) is a little steeper and shorter than a Joplin to meet the demands of aggressive climbing, yet the Wilder’s seat tube angle is a touch slacker and the chainstays a little longer than a Joplin too in order to retain that familiar Juliana confidence on descents. And talking of chainstays, each chainstay length is specific to the individual frame size; meaning riders of every height enjoy the same handling and performance no matter what.
Beyond the details, there are some bigger features that amplify this XC wild child’s abilities. Rapid rolling 29-inch wheels are paired with a 120mm fork to tame the feral lines and smooth the sketchiest of passing manoeuvres. There’s even room for two water bottles within the front triangle for bigger training and racing days.”