Santa Cruz Nomad

The Santa Cruz Nomad has always been the bike for demanding riders, and the seventh generation is the most refined version yet. A completely redesigned VPP™ suspension platform delivers lower anti-squat for better traction and pedaling efficiency, reduced anti-rise for improved sensitivity under braking, and a more consistent feel from the top of the travel all the way to the bottom. CC carbon comes standard across the entire lineup, with weight savings to match. This one's a no brainer — toss it in the van and go.

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BIKING TYPE

Enduro

WHEEL SIZE

Mixed (29" Front / 27.5" Rear)

TRAVEL

170mm Front / 170mm Rear

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Nomad 7 Review

Check out the full deep dive review and follow along as we put the Santa Cruz Nomad through its paces.

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Updated VPP Suspension

Santa Cruz tweaked the kinematics on its tough, tuneable, VPP suspension layout to eke out a bit more performance. Anti-rise is reduced a bit, which mitigates brake dive and helps the suspension do its job when you’re trying to keep things upright. Anti-squat is also reduced, which increases traction and pedaling efficiency while also improving performance over square-edge impacts.

CC Carbon Frame

One model, one layup. Everyone gets the lightest frame, performance tuned for every size. And that means mechanical routing for all, too.

The Glovebox V2

Tougher, quieter, and easier to use. There's an all new latch, and a layer of VHB adhesive under the bezel so everything stays rattle-free, smash after smash

Nomad 7 Build Kits

Build	Deore	Eagle 90	GX AXS	XT Di2 Coil	X0 AXS RSV Coil
Frame	CC Carbon, VPP	CC Carbon, VPP	CC Carbon, VPP	CC Carbon, VPP	CC Carbon, VPP
Fork	RockShox Zeb Base	Rockshox Zeb Select	Rockshox Zeb Select+	Fox 38 Float Factory, Grip X2	Fox 38 Float Factory, Grip X2
Shock	RockShox Super Deluxe Select	Rockshox Super Deluxe Select	Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+	Fox DH X2 Factory Coil	Fox DH X2 Factory Coil
Drivetrain	Shimano Deore	SRAM Eagle 90	SRAM GX AXS	Shimano XT Di2	SRAM X0 AXS
Brakes	SRAM DB8	SRAM Maven Base	SRAM Maven Bronze	SRAM Maven Silver	SRAM Maven Silver
Rims	Reserve 30 TR AL + 30 HD AL	Reserve 30 TR + 30 HD AL	Reserve 30 SL + 30 HD AL	Reserve 30 SL + 30 HD AL	Reserve 30 HD Carbon
Cost	$	$$	$$$	$$$$	$$$$$
	Call to Special Order	Shop	Shop	Shop	Shop

Nomad 7 FAQs

Who is the Santa Cruz Nomad 7 for?

The Nomad 7 is built for riders who are most at home when trails get steep, rough, and consequential, and who want a bike that gives them confidence when things escalate.

With 170mm of rear travel, a 170mm fork, and a dedicated mullet setup (29" front, 27.5" rear), the Nomad 7 sits at the aggressive end of the Santa Cruz lineup. This is not a quiver-killer trail bike that moonlights at the bike park. It's a bike for riders who regularly ride the gnarliest terrain their local trails have to offer. The 29" front wheel adds rollover speed and grip in the rough stuff, while the 27.5" rear keeps the handling sharp and maneuverable without feeling like a full DH sled. Santa Cruz's VPP suspension means the Nomad 7 pedals better than its travel numbers suggest, making pedal-accessed descents genuinely manageable, not just survivable.

Rowan from our evo Whistler store reviewed the Nomad 7 and found it a calmer, more composed machine than ever before. Check out their take here: https://www.evo.com/blogs/reviews/santa-cruz-nomad-7-bike

What's new with the Santa Cruz Nomad 7? How is it different from the Nomad 6?

The biggest change is how the suspension behaves. Santa Cruz reduced both anti-squat and anti-rise in the VPP platform, which means the rear end is more active, tracks the ground with better traction, and doesn't feel as reactive under braking. The result is a bike that feels more composed across rough terrain and climbs with more grip than before. Reviewers who have ridden both back-to-back describe the Nomad 7 as having a lighter, more compliant feel through the stroke compared to the firmer character of the Nomad 6.

The frame itself is also meaningfully updated. Santa Cruz moved to CC carbon across all builds, eliminating the heavier C carbon option and shaving weight at every price point. A slimmer downtube profile reduces stiffness slightly, adding compliance that takes the edge off repeated big hits. The Glovebox in-frame storage gets a V2 upgrade with a wider, more secure latch that eliminates rattling. And perhaps most practically, the Nomad 7 restores full compatibility with mechanical drivetrains, which the CC-version Nomad 6 had dropped.

What's the difference between the Santa Cruz Nomad 7 and the Bronson?

The Nomad 7 and Bronson 5 share more DNA than almost any other two bikes in the Santa Cruz lineup, but they're aimed at different riders.

Both run mixed-wheel mullet setups and Santa Cruz's lower-link VPP suspension, but the travel gap tells the real story: the Bronson 5 runs 150mm rear and a 160mm fork, while the Nomad 7 runs 170mm front and rear. That extra 20mm of rear suspension, combined with a slightly slacker head angle and longer overall geometry, pushes the Nomad 7 into more committed territory. It holds its line better in the nastiest terrain and inspires confidence at higher speeds through rough, chunky sections. The Bronson 5, for its part, is the more versatile daily driver. It climbs noticeably better, feels lighter and more agile on varied terrain, and has a more expressive, playful character. If your rides are diverse and your descents are steep-but-not-terrifying, the Bronson 5 is the smarter pick. If your riding regularly takes you into serious enduro terrain where you want every last bit of travel working for you, the Nomad 7 earns its place.

Check out the Bronson here: https://www.evo.com/collections/santa-cruz-bronson

What's the difference between the Santa Cruz Nomad 7 and the Megatower?

The Nomad 7 and Megatower 2 are the two heavy hitters in the Santa Cruz lineup, and the choice between them mostly comes down to one thing: how you feel about wheel size.

Both bikes are purpose-built for enduro terrain and share the same lower-link VPP suspension platform. The Megatower 2 runs full 29" wheels front and rear with 165mm of rear travel and a 170mm fork. The Nomad 7 splits the difference with a 29" front and a 27.5" rear at 170mm of travel front and rear. In practice, the Megatower's big wheels generate more momentum and roll through rough terrain with slightly more authority at speed. The Nomad 7, with its smaller rear wheel, gives up a bit of that raw high-speed momentum in exchange for a more nimble, maneuverable character that responds more quickly to rider input. For most riders, both bikes will feel remarkably capable in the same terrain — the nuance is in which riding style and wheel size preference resonates more with you.

Check out the Megatower here: https://www.evo.com/collections/santa-cruz-megatower

What are the key differences between the Santa Cruz Nomad 7 build kits?

All Nomad 7 builds share the same CC carbon frame and suspension platform, so the core ride character is identical across the lineup. The differences as you move up are suspension quality, drivetrain technology, and wheel upgrades.

The Deore build is the entry point, spec'd with RockShox Select suspension and a Shimano Deore drivetrain. It's the most accessible way into the Nomad 7 platform, with Reserve alloy wheels and SRAM DB8 brakes. The 90 build is next, featuring RockShox Select suspension and a mechanical SRAM Eagle 90 T-Type drivetrain, and rolling on Reserve alloy wheels with SRAM Maven brakes. The GX AXS build steps up to RockShox ZEB Select+ and Super Deluxe Select+ suspension alongside SRAM's GX wireless Transmission — this is where the ride quality and drivetrain experience take a noticeable jump. The XT Di2 Coil build moves to Fox 38 Factory and a Fox DHX2 Factory coil shock, paired with Shimano's electronic XT Di2 drivetrain and DT Swiss 350 DEG hubs with the anti-pedal kickback feature. This build is a strong choice for riders who prefer Shimano's shifting feel or specifically want a coil shock for a plusher, more linear suspension response.

The top-tier X0 AXS RSV Coil keeps the Fox Factory coil suspension and upgrades to SRAM's X0 Transmission with Reserve 30 carbon wheels. The carbon wheels reduce rotating weight and sharpen the overall feel of the bike, and this build represents the flagship Nomad 7 experience without compromise.