VP Free
Mountain Bike
If frame weight is any indication of the abuse Santa Cruz expects the 8.5-inchtravel VP-Free to be put through, the 9.5-lb frame is set for Armageddon. (After all, thats nearly the same weight as the 10-inch-travel V-10 DH frame.) End of the world or bust, we packed up our 39.66-lb Free and shuttled off to Whistlers diabolical terrain park where we abused both bike and body. The bike held up far better.
Overall, the Frees performance is mightily predictable: It rolls you out of bad situations instead of leaving you mired in them. And because geometry is on the longer and slacker side, the bike felt more at home at higher speeds and on steeps and big hucks than it did during low-speed maneuvers, on tight stunts over narrow ladder bridges. The Free definitely loves to fly: In the air it felt solid and inspiring enough to encourage riders to attempt the otherwise insane. Though pedaling efficiency is less important than jumping capability, on those rare occasions when you do need to churn through transitions and ups, youll be happy you have a VPP design tucked under your seat.
We've been very enthusiastic about Progressive Suspensionss 5th Element shock technology because it has improved the performance of every bike weve tried it on so far. On the Free, however, it didnt feel like the best match. Upon relaying this information to Santa Cruz, we discovered our experience wasnt unique. In fact, SC now ships the Free with a FOX DHX 5.0 shock. We swapped shocks on our bike and were blown away by the transformation. With the DHX, you can feel every bit of the Frees 8.5 inches working for you. It was supple and gooey-plush. Actually, it was too plush at first-great for riding, but not suited to the high speeds and big hits the Free was designed for. Thankfully the FOX shock has a huge range of adjustability, allowing us to dial in the control we desired while maintaining enough of the ground-hugging plushness.
Four Horsemen, we have something new for you to ride. ---Matt Phillips