Santa Cruz Hightower 4 C S Full Suspension Mountain Bike 2025

Big on wheels, short on fuss, this is the pinnacle of go-anywhere-anytime bikes. A balance of travel, wheel size and attitude makes this a true MTB for modern mountain biking. Whether that includes the rarefied air of the alpine or just local trailheads, built and burly trails or sublime natural singletrack, the Hightower is an all-terrain thriller.

Available in: Carbon C & Carbon CC
Wheel size: 29
Front travel: 160
Rear travel: 150

An All Terrain Thriller

The Hightower trail bike was always Santa Cruz's most versatile bike and also their 'engineer's greatest hits'. It has the travel, brawn, attitude and specs to heighten the Hightower rider's powers.

Dialed Geo

Proportional geometry so every rider, no matter their size gets the best riding bike. The geo makes it confident across all terrain, without losing the light, fast, agile feel of a trail bike.

29-Inch Wheels

The faster rolling and larger footprint of 29-inch wheels inspires confidence and helps riders cover ground efficiently

Millimetres Matter

Moving any of the VPP pivots a couple millimetres in any direction changes the ride feel. This generation of VPP provides a plush, open feel with a lot of traction.

150mm VPP Travel

An active but efficient pedalling platform to take you up anything and just enough travel to get you down from there. The latest generation Hightower boasts more travel than ever (150mm rear / 160mm front) to give it a wider operating envelope.

TRAITS OF THIS HIGHTOWER

• Lots of traction
• Remains active while pedaling up and across rough, technical terrain
• More sensitivity. Plush off the top, with fluttery small bump performance
• Leverage rate provides predictable, consistent, progressive support

SUSPENSION

The Hightower’s looks have changed radically. It wasn’t to satisfy the ego of a designer or stand out, but rather moving the location of the lower link and the shock down low and forward was paramount in lowering the anti-squat for a high performing bike like the Hightower.

WHAT IS ANTI-SQUAT?

Anti-squat refers to how much your pedalling inputs stiffen the suspension. Think of it as yanking your chain, and therefore your pedals, backwards every time you hit a bump. Not enough anti-squat and you have a bike that bobs under power. Too much and the bike will be harsh and not as able to absorb bumps while under power. We’ve worked hard to improve (reduce) anti-squat on our bikes and the result is more traction and more freedom.

MILLIMETRES MATTER

Moving any of the VPP™ pivots a couple millimetres in any direction makes wild adjustments to the ride quality. The lower VPP™ link is placed low and forward to optimise anti-squat. The result is a plush, open feel with a lot of traction.

MORE TRAVEL THAN THE NBA

150mm of rear 4th generation VPP™ travel and a 160mm fork give the Hightower the brawn to back up the brains of all the enginerds kinematics. This suspension travel sweetspot gives the Hightower a broader riding envelope, meaning you’ll be pushing yourself and not the bike.

HARD-WEARING HARDWARE

The pivots and links are great at maintaining a consistent ride for many years. It’s all very tough, reliable and easy to work on. The lower link houses a geometry adjusting Flip Chip and beefy pivot axles that are durable and stay tight due to the conical washer locking system. Plus, owners get a lifetime of replacement pivot bearings.

MADE TO LAST MANY LIFETIMES

Santa Cruz use only the highest quality Enduro MAX sealed angular contact bearings and premium fasteners for their linkage assemblies. They’re easy to properly torque and maintain, plus they offer free replacement bearings for life.

GLOVEBOX

Place your ride essentials securely beneath a new high-quality latch and panel in the Hightower's downtube. The Glovebox comes with a fitted Tool Wallet and Tube Purse, tailored for the frame to keep your tools close to hand.