Santa Cruz has released its new Tallboy, and fans of the brand will be surprised to see that its signature VPP suspension system is missing. VPP has long been associated with Santa Cruz, with the brand only recently moving away from the design with the Vala electric mountain bike. This time around, Santa Cruz says it wanted to give the Tallboy a more consistent leverage curve compared to the other, longer-travel bikes in its line-up. The new downcountry bike uses 130mm of rear suspension with a 140mm fork up front. Four-bar galore Santa Cruz says it experimented with a flex-stay design, but settled on a four-bar linkage. Santa Cruz In place of the VPP suspension, the Tallboy has a new four-bar linkage. Four-bar systems are among the most popular mountain bike suspension linkages. The design makes it easy to achieve low anti-squat, resulting in minimal pedal kickback on square-edge hits while remaining active when pedalling up and across rough, technical terrain. Josh Kissner, Director of Product at Santa Cruz, says: We used a four-bar layout on our ebikes initially to make the bikes ride the way we wanted while fitting a full-power drive unit. For the Tallboy, we were really looking for a very different feel from the previous versions, and we were able to fine-tune the kinematics to get what we wanted: a moderately progressive suspension that eats bumps while being sprightly and sporty. The low anti-rise and lower anti-squat result in a bike thats very controlled under braking and allows you to pedal through roots and rocks without causing any hiccups or losing traction. On top of that, it allowed us to reduce weight and improve seatpost insertion. Big wins all around. Lower weight, geometry and frame storage The Tallboy sounds more playful than ever. Santa Cruz The new Tallboy has lost a significant amount of weight compared to the previous model. Santa Cruz saying the frame weight has dropped by around 300g, from 2,830g to 2,530g. A new frame layout has resulted in an uninterrupted seat tube, so riders of all sizes can get the saddle drop they need. Santa Cruz has also given the Tallboy proportional geometry and stiffness, meaning that all bike sizes, from XS to XXL, should be tuned appropriately. The low setting slackens the geometry for descending-oriented rides. Santa Cruz The frame features the brands Glovebox V2 internal storage system and a flip chip for adjusting geometry to suit pedalling and descending dynamics. The frame also includes space for an accessory mount, should you need extra room for snacks. Santa Cruz Tallboy models and pricing All Tallboy frames are made with Santa Cruzs highest-grade CC carbon, with no C option available for those looking to spend less money. There are six builds available at launch, with a Shimano Deore variant sitting at the bottom of the spec range and an XX FA RSV Ltd Edition sitting at the top. The pricing for these models is to be confirmed. Only two will be available in the UK: the CC 90 model, priced at 5,299; and the Shimano XT Di2-equipped CC XT Di2, priced at 6,999. Theres also a frameset option available for 3,299. You may like: The Santa Cruz Vala is the best bike I've ever tested