Santa Cruz 2012 Blur-XC Carbon first look review

If you read my blogs, you will know already that I am embarking on a life long dream of taking part in the Bontrager 24 hour mountain biking race in July - SOLO.  Gone are the days back in my youthful twenties where I could bounce from one Expert race to another gaining results and sponsors and taking just days to recover.  Gone is my Santa Cruz Juliana - the first real female specific bike for serious female mountain bikers - and it was duck egg blue.

However, I am now in the very best years of my life, I have three wonderful children (3,6 and 7), a small holding in Cornwall a wonderful job (xcracer.com behind the scenes team) and an amazing husband who supports me in all of my mental ideas - thank God!  I am busy to say the least and for the past year have been fitting general life around serious fitness training.  Along the way I have learned so much about the industry - which has moved on at an alarming rate - what I thought was a bike made in heaven then, compares nothing to what is available now.  

Santa Cruz recently sent to us their demo Carbon 2012 Blur for me to test for a this training period.  I received it just in time for the Stinger at Newnham Park in February.  

firstly, it arrived. I thought they'd broken the bike down and delivered it in separate boxes, but the delivery guy put one box in the porch, then started to leave - "where's the rest of it?".  My six year old son awkwardly carried the box through to the kitchen where like a child at Christmas I hurriedly opened the box to find a complete bike in there!  Either angels made this bike, or someone sold their soul to the devil to receive the knowledge of how to.  Within an half an hour I was out bombing it down the tracks, stopping every two hundred yards to adjust the seat post or position!   To say I was excited about that weekends Stinger was an understatement!

I cannot understand how a bike with full suspension climbs so effortlessly, it feels like with every tired, final lap push of my cold muddy leg propelled the bike further forward.  Every root or stoney, bumpy track was like sliding through butter.  The only comparison I can come up with, was it was like the difference between snowboarding on the icy, rocky piste or gliding through fresh powder.  This is not magic I have been assured - I beg to differ - it is down to a 'Virtual Pivot Point' system.  

'VPP suspension designs balance different forces to eliminate unwanted compression without limiting bump absorption. The downward force on your pedals pushes most full suspension bikes down, resulting in unwanted suspension compression. VPP bikes use a patented link configuration and axle path to apply some of the pulling force from the chain to counteract that motion caused by pedaling. Because the forces are balanced, VPP bikes remain able to absorb bumps when pedaling, unlike other designs that effectively lock out the rear suspension by applying too much chain pulling force. What you end up with is plush travel with no pedal-induced compression or lockout and no need for manual lockouts or other compromises.' - from www.santacruzbikes.co.uk/vpp

Finishing 5th female at the Stinger has been like a tonic to the spirits.  I know that this can be put down to my hard work and training. But not only did having this wonderful bike to ride give me the confidence to turn up and race with the best, but it made the riding pure pleasure - as you can see from the smile on my face!!

I am still to write what 'I' think I know.  Before I do that though, here is some technical blurb for you to digest:

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