Feedback on 2007 - 2010 Santa Cruz v10

Hi,

Such a long time I haven't been here that I had to create a new account!!!

Nice to read the forum again :)

So, here is my question.

I m back in France after more than a decade in bc.

There is so many resorts here it s ridiculous. Lots of them in the high Alpine with pretty rough Rocky section.

I still have my old 07 sx trail that go anywhere but I m getting old and wouldn't mind a more plushy big dh to plow through the rocks :)

Not looking to spend thousands on a brand new fancy carbon rig as I hardly ride more than fifteen days throughout the summer.

Found a pretty nice green v10 Santa Cruz for a less than a thousand euro.

Big fat fox 40 up front nice hoops. The guy says it's only 17.5 kg. So not too much of a pig. Don't look too beat either.

I think it should be more than enough to do the job. Maybe the only thing is that the head angle looks rather steep on the specs sheet, same as my sx trail. Although I have hardly found the same level of steep trail here then I did back in bc... No fifth horseman...

But maybe the beast got so much real travel that it naturally slackens...

What's your thoughts?

And what to look like for fail point? Any particular spot on the frame or rear triangle more prone to cracking?

Thanks

10 year old aluminum frames are tricky. Inspect every weld

Not familiar with reliability/issues on that generation of V10, but as BurkeMtnRider says, I would very closely inspected all welds especially around the head tube, bottom bracket and on the chainstays. Other things to consider are the condition of the fork and shock as they both get pretty beat up on a DH bike. Fork bushings could be toast, damper performance on both ends, play in the shock and frame linkage hardware etc.

Looking at the Geometry chart, it's pretty dated compared to modern DH bikes. 66.5 HTA, 380mm BBH (on 26" wheels), 1183mm WB on large, not sure the reach but it looks really short. There will be a massive difference in handling compared to a modern DH bike or modern enduro bike, I'd much rather ride something like a Rocky Mtn Slayer personally.

Last summer, I upgraded from a 2012 Glory which was similar to that V10 (65.5 HTA, 1150mm WB, sub-400mm reach in medium) to a large Norco Aurum (63 HTA, 432mm reach, 1245mm WB, 343mm BBH). Granted, the Norco has superior components and weighs 10lbs less, but the change in geometry is night and day in terms of stability, steeps, cornering etc. It's so much more confidence inspiring and fun to ride.

If you are going to buy a DH bike, may as well invest in something modern or just rent for those 10-15 days. I would look at the base model YT Tues or Commencal Furious/Supreme.

A new aggressive enduro with 650b wheels and modern geometry and current shock technology will be a better descender than that old V10.

Thanks for the feedback guys. 

I guess I ll reign in for the green beast and will found something a bit more modern. 

Enjoy the ride

Cheers