With its unmistakable silhouette, the Megatower is distinctly recognisable as a Santa Cruz. It has become a true enduro classic, making a name for itself as one of the most versatile bikes in the Californian manufacturer’s model range. Can it still hold its own against the competition in 2024?
15.4 kg in size L | € 8,299 | Manufacturer’s website
Even from a distance, the Megatower is clearly recognisable as a Santa Cruz, bearing all the distinctive features of the Californian manufacturer’s bikes. The iconic VPP rear suspension generates 165 mm of travel, paired with a 170 mm fork. The Megatower tips the scales at 15.4 kg and is marketed as an enduro race bike, rolling on 29” wheels front and rear. For this year, we decided against testing the top-spec version, but with a price tag of € 8,299, the Megatower GX AXS RSV is still one of the more expensive bikes in this test.
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best enduro bike 2024 – 14 of the most exciting enduro bikes in our 2024 comparison test
The Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV in detail
For the Megatower GX AXS RSV, Santa Cruz rely on their more affordable C frame, which employs a slightly heavier grade of carbon compared to the top-spec CC, but provides the same degree of stiffness and stability according to the manufacturer. The cables disappear into the frame just behind the headset and are securely clamped at ports, ensuring a quiet ride in combination with the generously sized chainstay protector. A TPU plate on the down tube protects the bottom bracket area against impacts, while an additional shuttle guard prevents chafing when you throw the bike on the back of a truck. A small mudguard above the lower shock link keeps dirt away from the small gap between the main frame and the swingarm.
The Megatower takes on the competition with a stylish frame and well thought-out details.
The storage compartment of the Megatower, which Santa Cruz call the Glovebox, impressed all our test riders. Not only does it offer plenty of storage room for all your trail essentials, but also prevents you from scraping your hand or tearing your fancy jacket while loading the compartment. The cover is secured to the frame with an intuitive closure system – it’s quick and easy to operate, and closes the compartment tightly – awesome!
A small fender protects the lower link from mud and splashing water.
Santa Cruz’s Glove Box storage compartment has enough room for all your trail essentials – whatever “essential” means to you.
The spec of the Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV
The Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV comes equipped with a FOX 38 Performance Elite fork, which forgoes the fancy Kashima coating but relies on a high-quality GRIP2 damper, delivering the same excellent performance on the trail as its top-tier Factory counterpart. The fork is paired with a RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock, which only allows you to adjust the rebound, and doesn’t have an externally adjustable compression stage. On top of that, reading the sag on Megatower models with a RockShox shock can be a little frustrating. Rockshox also supply the Reverb dropper post, which is no longer in production and is beginning to show its age: at 175 mm of travel, it’s relatively short compared to the other droppers in this test. SRAM CODE RS brakes with 200 mm rotors front and rear do stopping duties. The RS levers feature tool-free lever reach adjustment and SRAM’s proprietary SwingLink technology, which is designed to reduce the amount of force required for braking, effectively reducing the likelihood of arm pump. Shifting is taken care of by a wireless SRAM GX Eagle AXS drivetrain. However, this isn’t SRAM’s most recent drivetrain model either, and can’t keep up with the latest Transmission models in terms of shifting performance.
We’ve only had good experiences with the Reserve carbon wheels in the past. However, it’s up to you to decide whether they’re worth an extra € 1,100.
Compared to the flagship model, the SRAM CODE RS brakes only lack the bite point adjustment.
The hydraulic RockShox Reverb dropper post is no longer in production, and it looks a bit outdated.
On our test bike, Santa Cruz laced a set of in-house Reserve HD30 carbon rims onto DT Swiss 370 hubs, but the production bike comes standard with Industry 9 hubs. If you want to save a bit of money without sacrificing too much, you could buy the Megatower spec variant with Race Face alloy rims and save a whopping € 1,100! For the tires, Santa Cruz rely on MAXXIS, combining an ASSEGAI in the MaxxGrip rubber compound at the front and a Minion DHR II in the harder MaxxTerra compound at the rear. While the softer, grippier compound at the front inspires huge amounts of confidence, both tires come with the puncture-prone EXO+ casing, which is too thin for a potent enduro bruiser like the Megatower. At the very least, you should upgrade to a more robust casing, like MAXXIS’ Doubledown when the first tire change is due.
Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV
Specifications
Fork FOX 38 Performance Elite GRIP2 170 mm
Rear Shock RockShox Superdeluxe Select+ 165 mm
Seatpost RockShox Reverb 175 mm
Brakes SRAM CODE RS 200/200 mm
Drivetrain SRAM GX Eagle AXS 1x12
Stem Burgtec 45 mm
Handlebar Santa Cruz Carbon 800 mm
Wheelset Reserve HD30 Carbon, DT Swiss 370 29"
Tires MAXXIS ASSEGAI, EXO+, MaxxGrip/MAXXIS Minion DHR II, EXO+, MaxxTerra 2.5/2.4
Technical Data
Size S M L XL XXL
Weight 15.4 kg
Specific Features
Storage compartment
Flip-Chip
TracLoc-System
Tuning tip: Tires with more robust casing such as MAXXIS’ Doubledown.
The geometry of the Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV
The Santa Cruz Megatower X01 AXS RSV is available in five sizes, S to XXL. To ensure consistent handling across all sizes, Santa Cruz adapted the chainstay length to the respective frame size, with our test bike in size L rocking a rather long 441 mm. The 472 mm reach is paired with a 430 mm seat tube, which is pretty decent in itself, but can’t be fully exploited due to the short-travel dropper post. A flip-chip allows you to adjust both the reach and head angle of the bike slightly. We tested the bike mainly in the low setting.
| Size | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 430 mm | 455 mm | 475 mm | 495 mm | 520 mm |
| Stack | 616 mm | 625 mm | 638 mm | 656 mm | 670 mm |
| Chainstay Length | 436 mm | 437 mm | 440 mm | 443 mm | 447 mm |
| BB Drop | 26.5 mm | 26.5mm | 26.5mm | 26.5mm | 26.5 mm |
| Seat Tube | 380 mm | 405 mm | 430 mm | 460 mm | 500 mm |
| Head Angle | 63.8° | 63.8° | 63.8° | 63.8° | 63.8° |
| Seat Angle | 77.24° | 77.42° | 77.8° | 77.8° | 77.8° |
| Horizontal Top Tube | 570 mm | 594 mm | 613 mm | 637 mm | 666 mm |
| Head Tube | 90 mm | 100 mm | 115 mm | 135 mm | 150 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1206 mm | 1236 mm | 1266 mm | 1298 mm | 1333 mm |
The Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV on the trail
When you swing your leg over the saddle, the Santa Cruz Megatower places you in a comfortable riding position, without too much pressure on your hands. When pedalling, the rear suspension bobs marginally, but the Megatower feels efficient, and proves one of the better climbers in this test, roughly at the same level as the Giant, Yeti and YT. Even on steeper climbs, the front end remains planted on the ground, making it easy to control the bike.
With its intuitive handling and strong suspension, the Santa Cruz Megatower is an excellent all-rounder, suitable for a wide range of applications.
When gravity takes over, the Megatower puts you at ease, implementing steering input precisely and predictably with its intuitive handling. As a result, the bike requires virtually no familiarisation time, encouraging you to keep your fingers off the brakes even on the very first ride. The riding position is comfortably central, with the weight evenly distributed between the front and rear, which makes it easy to shift your weight around the bike. Talking of balance, the Megatower strikes an excellent compromise between composure and agility, providing a very smooth ride feeling that allows you to negotiate even fast trail sections in all confidence. The level of composure is similar to that of the YT Capra, though bikes like the Yeti and Ibis feel even more confidence-inspiring in the same scenarios. On tight, winding trails with fast consecutive corners, the Megatower still feels refreshingly nimble, making it easy to spontaneously change your line. Here, it’s clearly ahead of the Trek, while both the Yeti and YT are a smidge more agile. One thing that Santa Cruz nailed with the Megatower is the strong suspension performance. Despite being on the firm side and thus providing plenty of feedback from the ground, it’s not at all harsh and also generates tons of traction, ironing out fast consecutive hits without batting an eyelid. That said, the Megatower requires a rather active riding style to exploit the VPP rear suspension’s full potential.
Who should take a closer look at the Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV?
Needless to say, the Santa Cruz Megatower is an excellent choice for hardcore fans of the iconic Californian brand. As usual, you’ll get all of the prestige associated with the brand, and emptying your pockets is always a good way to gain some more speed on the trail. Although the distinctive Santa Cruz look ensures a high recognition value, the Megatower doesn’t exactly stand out from the crowd. Regardless of the brand image, the Megatower delivers a tremendous overall performance on the trail, providing excellent all-round qualities and a well thought-out frame with useful details.
Our conclusions about the Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV
With the Megatower, Santa Cruz remain true to their ideals, presenting a classy bike that offers a good mix of style and substance, with its well thought-out frame features. Even though our test bike isn’t the flagship model and some of the components are a little dated, it still delivers a thoroughly decent performance on the trail with its agile, balanced handling. Together with the strong suspension, this makes the Megatower a strong all-rounder.
Tops
- Good all-round qualities
- Strong suspension
- Well thought-out frame details
Flops
- Tires don’t do justice to the bike’s potential and intended use
- Short-travel dropper post restricts freedom of movement
Find more info on the Santa Cruz website.
The test field
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best enduro bike 2024 – 14 of the most exciting enduro bikes in our 2024 comparison test
All bikes in test: Bold Unplugged Ultimate (Click for review) | Canyon Strive CFR LTD (Click for review) | GIANT Reign Advanced 1 V2 (Click for review) | Ibis HD6 GX AXS (Click for review) | Norco Sight C1 (Click for review) | Orbea WILD M-LTD (Click for review) | Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX (Click for review) | RAAW Madonna V3 (Click for review) | Rocky Mountain Altitude C70 (Click for review) | Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV (Click for review) | SCOTT Ransom 900 RC (Click for review) | Trek Slash 9.8 XT (Click for review) | Yeti SB160 T3 (Click for review) | YT CAPRA CORE 4 (Click for review)
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Words: Simon Kohler Photos: Peter Walker
