From rock-infested trails winding through the mountains to the perfect loam of coastal redwood forests, the Santa Cruz Hightower Carbon S Complete Mountain Bike asserts its dominance on the trail with its long, relatively slack geometry for long climbs and rowdy descents. The Hightower's signature feature lies in its 29-inch wheels, which absolutely steamroll rocks, roots, and trail impediments standing in your way. For the 2019 model year, the Hightower gets a refreshment in color schemes; otherwise, it's the same exact bike. And that's a good thing if you're seeking dialed geometry for aggressive trail riders requiring a steed to climb for hours at a time, then descend with high levels of confidence and composure. The Hightower's adjustable flip-chip is definitely one of its best features, seeing you can swap out the provided 29-inch wheels for the voluminous traction and bump-smoothing support of 27. 5+ wheels rolling on tires up to a healthy 3. 0 inches wide. That being said, Santa Cruz no longer offers a 27. 5+ build from the factory, so you'll have to either buy a 150-millimeter fork or swap out the air spring in the provided 140-millimeter FOX 36 Float Performance Fork to squeeze out an additional 10 millimeters of travel. This taller fork ensures the bottom bracket doesn't get too low, seeing the few millimeter difference when dropping down to 27. 5+ wheels on either 2. 8 or 3. 0-inch tires. Regardless of what wheel size you run, the Hightower solidifies its status as an aggressive trail machine with its long, relatively slack geometry inspiring confidence at high speeds. The head tube angle is practically the same between both wheel sizes at 67 degrees, so long as you choose a 140-millimeter fork on the 29er and a 150-millimeter fork in 27. 5+ form. Both sizes retain a roomy cockpit and noticeably long wheelbase for a comfortable and confident riding position, also lending stability when you open it up at higher speeds. To help offset the longer geomet...