The new Santa Cruz Driver 8 - more versatile than the Nomad?

Naveed

Hi all,

Just seen some pics of the new Santa Cruz Driver 8 and it looks SWEET. It's being marketed as a do everything bike and I want to know what people think of the merits a 10ib frame offering 8 inches of travel as a do all bike.

I like to do everything when mtbing, be it trai riding, downhill, the odd jump and hitting the trail centres. Thing is, I don't want to do this on a bona fide downhill rig, so could this bike be the ticket?

Was thinking of getting a Nomad but this Driver 8 is hard to ignore

What you think?

Sir HC

The Driver 8 to me seems just like a Socom, shorter travel, lighter dh bike.

If your riding at trail centres, then the Nomad would be more suitable. Then again, for the DH/Freeride stuff, the Driver 8 would make more sense. Buy both !

supersonic

I don't think a true 'do it all' bike exists. Some cover a few bases, some are jack of all trades master of none. Many people opt for a 6 inch AM bike as it covers their bases.

10lb full susser a bit too much for me!

Yukon Lad

driver 8, will make any push-ups or ascents a bit of a drag but then make the descents a lot funner, also looks a lot better built than the nomad, the nomad doesn't look beedy enough to me to be a "do everything bike"

Also the driver 8 generally looks a lot cooler

Yukon Lad

GHill

It's a park/light DH bike, not a do it all (in my eyes).

Wouldn't be surprised to see some of the Syndicate riding it for the worlds (flat pedally track).

minimole

An 8" rig for trailcentres/do-it-all? Haha you're funny...


:roll:

ianpinder

With the new 12 inch obsticals at trial centers i just don't think that 8 inch is enough anymore. the ideal bike would be a lightweight 10inch travel full sus which pedalled efficiently, and that was not to slack or long in the wheel base.

Richard2118

Buy the Nomad , i have one and it is all the bike i need for nearly any situation. it is made superbly and takes everything I can throw at it.
On the Nomad you won't be the first to the top but you will get there however you have a very good chance of being the first down!!!
The only time it has ever felt under size is on the knarliest of downhills in the french alps but then again that could be just the rider, also i don;t have it set up with a coli rear shock or bash guard so these would certainly help...its the best bike i have ever had .

Daz555

ianpinder wrote:

With the new 12 inch obsticals at trial centers.

What are '12 inch obstacles'?

P-Jay

I think they're push the bounds of the truth selling it as a do all bike.

It's a slightly lighter V10 with a 1.5 headtube, it'll no doubt get given the "all you need for UK DH" tag thrown at it a lot.

The way I see it, my mate who's a bit of a SC nut has got a V10 and a Nomad and I've tried both, when we were out in Morzine you'd see Nomads and V10's hitting all of the big DH runs, but you'll never get a V10 up a Trail centre trail without pushing it a lot, even with a little less weight and a granny, but a Nomad will.

Also we rode from the Freeride at Cwmcarn down the XC back to the uplift last week on our DH bikes, V10 and Shocker, ok it was a bit of a laugh on the vary fastest/rockiest bits, but for the most part it was hell. Too hard to climb and made the descents a bit too easy, even gunning the pedals like mad I would have been quiker on my Endruo on all but the very last two sections, but they're some of the fastest/steapest sections you'll find at any centre.

ianpinder

Daz555 wrote:

ianpinder wrote:

With the new 12 inch obsticals at trial centers.

What are '12 inch obstacles'?

Stop showing up my spelling. When i talk about 12 inch OBSTACLES i mean those knaarrrlllllyyyyy (sp) drop offs and step downs

paulscutt

Driver8, as far as I can tell is overkill for Uk trail centres - i recently did the demo day at Afan on a Nomad and was very impressed with the weight and how wellit went up hill and of course went like a bomb back down with 160mm travel f&r, bash guard (twin chainset) etc it was as much of an all round bike as i feel there is...
The driver8 howeverf is too overbuilt and gonna weight too much for going up - have you ever tried to pedal a dh/jump bike UP the 1st trail at Glencorrwyg?? you couldnt do it on a driver8, therefore i cant see how they can market it as a do it all/AM bike - great for the downs but ups? nah! Driver8 is for Cwmdown days!

Chaz.Harding

Well, I would say how my Intense 6.6 is holding up BUT THE DAMN SHOCK IS BROKE!!! So I can't. Sorry.

I used to have a 2004 Specialized Enduro that did EVERYTHING. Was a beauty. Should never have sold that bike

Ahh well... Have 4 now :twisted:

switchback18

ianpinder wrote:

With the new 12 inch obsticals at trial centers i just don't think that 8 inch is enough anymore. the ideal bike would be a lightweight 10inch travel full sus which pedalled efficiently, and that was not to slack or long in the wheel base.

No chance!

More travel lets you go downhill a bit faster when it's technical, and land big jumps with less risk of damage, but I reckon once you get past 6" of travel the bikes get a bit heavy to be all rounders.

I've not found anything that the Orange doesn't cope with.

Dirtydog11

ianpinder wrote:

With the new 12 inch obsticals at trial centers i just don't think that 8 inch is enough anymore. the ideal bike would be a lightweight 10inch travel full sus which pedalled efficiently, and that was not to slack or long in the wheel base.

You are joking??

Chaz.Harding

Obviously he's not joking!!

We don't have many obsticals that extreme round here. You could get away with a 9 inch full sus for the 6-10 inch trail objects, but it'd be a push... And it would have to be sub 28lbs, and efficient pedaling too.