Pre-ride playlists are a difficult thing to master. You need just the right balance of amp-you-up-energy, smooth rhythms to help you roll through the rough sections, and banger hits that we're convinced will help us power up climbs when we're feeling gassed and need to find a little more fuel in our reserve tank. Santa Cruz's new Hightower Carbon CC X01 Eagle Mountain Bike is not unlike your get-stoked jams. It packs in slack geometry that keeps you going when the descents get hairy, and lower-link VPP suspension that stabilizes the roughest terrain, without compromising the pep-in-your-step feel you need when climbs point skywards. This new generation of Hightower pushes beyond the already-capable Hightower and Hightower LT, finding a nice spot to hang out just between the Tallboy and the Megatower. It packs in all-new geometry from the old Hightower, and stretches further than even the LT before it, plus new lower linkage that lends queues to the Nomad for total downhill stability, and a flip-chip for flexibility. The result is a powerful trail bike that's capable of holding its own in the rough and rowdy, and racing back up to the top to get another lap of hits. The new Hightower amps up travel just a bit with 140mm of VPP suspension in the rear, and 150mm up front. This is combined with a new suspension design that takes cues from the Megatower and Nomad. Instead of relying on the upper-link driven design, the new Hightower enjoys the increased bump compliance, and glued-to-the-trail traction you'll experience from a lower-link mounted shock. This lower-link VPP platform is something that's previously been reserved just for gravity-fueled sleds, but we saw it grace the Bronson last year, stretching it into the enduro category for a feel that can tackle gnarlier steeps, and turn around to soar back up climbs. This means the new Hightower is more downhill capable than before, but without sacrificing it all when you set your quads on fire to earn your descent....