Greg Minnaar vs Luca Shaw vs Steve Peat: 3 Santa Cruz V10s Head to Head
Photos: Santa Cruz Bicycles
With no racing scheduled for the near future, the Syndicate are launching their new colors and bikes virtually instead. There haven't been any huge changes to the bike this year but there has been a change-up in the team. With Loris Vergier moving on to Trek, the Syndicate will be down to just two racers this year in Greg Minnaar and Luca Shaw with Steve Peat continuing on his coaching role. Santa Cruz has custom-painted three bikes for the team this year so let's get into the details and check out what they'll be racing in 2021.
About the riders
Frames
All the riders are on XL Santa Cruz V10s with Greg and Steve on full 29ers and Luca sticking with the MX mullet version that was launched last year. Luca and Steve are riding stock geometry, but Greg has stretched out his bike to match his height with a Chris King Buzzworks headset adding 8mm on the front and a custom chainstay extender adding 5mm on the rear.
Greg Minnaar
Frame size: XL
Adjustments: Greg runs an XL frame with the addition of the chainstay extenders he was seen riding last year and an 8mm Buzzworks headset.
Adjustments: Greg runs an XL frame with the addition of the chainstay extenders he was seen riding last year and an 8mm Buzzworks headset.
Greg extends his chainstays by +5mm with this custom machined piece.
Luca Shaw
Frame size: XL
Adjustments: Standard headset, mid chip shock and mid chip chainstay
Adjustments: Standard headset, mid chip shock and mid chip chainstay
Steve Peat
Frame size: XL
Adjustments: None
Adjustments: None
Wheels
The Syndicate will continue with Santa Cruz's own Reserve wheels shod in Maxxis tires with tape and sealant provided by Peaty's. The Syndicate generally don't run inserts with the only exception coming in the fearsomely rocky Losinj track that was last raced in 2018. Each rider has their own tire preference with Greg running his signature Assegai front and rear, Peaty opting for the classic DHR II front and rear and Luca using the DHRII front and High Roller II rear.
Greg Minnaar
Wheel size 29" front and rear
Tyre Width: 2.5" front, 2.4" rear
Tyre Pressure 26psi front, 28psi rear
Inserts No
Tyre Width: 2.5" front, 2.4" rear
Tyre Pressure 26psi front, 28psi rear
Inserts No
Luca Shaw
Wheel size 29" front, 27.5" rear
Tyre Width 2.4"
Tyre Pressure Front 21-25psi, rear 23-29psi
Inserts Only in Croatia
Tyre Width 2.4"
Tyre Pressure Front 21-25psi, rear 23-29psi
Inserts Only in Croatia
Steve Peat
Wheel size 29" front and rear
Tyre Width 2.5" front, 2.4" rear
Tyre Pressure 23psi (1.6 bar) front, 25psi (1.6 bar)
Inserts No, just Peaty's tubeless rim tape and Peaty's Tubeless Sealant
Tyre Width 2.5" front, 2.4" rear
Tyre Pressure 23psi (1.6 bar) front, 25psi (1.6 bar)
Inserts No, just Peaty's tubeless rim tape and Peaty's Tubeless Sealant
Suspension
The Syndicate continue their long running relationship with Fox this year with all riders running the Fox 40 forks and DHX2 coil shocks. If you've watched any of the Syndicate web edits, you'll know how close the team works with Jordi and the rest of the Fox engineers so you can guarantee their suspension will be working sweetly. Here are all the nerdy details (all clicks are measured from fully closed):
Greg Minnaar
Fork
Fork Pressure 116psiVolume Tokens 4
High-Speed Compression Open
Low-Speed Compression 7
High Speed Rebound 3
Low Speed Rebound 4
Shock
Spring Weight 550lbsHigh-Speed Compression Open
Low-Speed Compression 6
High Speed Rebound 3
Low Speed Rebound 8
Luca Shaw
Fork
Fork Pressure 90psiVolume Tokens 8
High-Speed Compression 8
Low-Speed Compression 6
High Speed Rebound 5
Low Speed Rebound 6
Shock
Spring Weight 550lbsHigh-Speed Compression 8
Low-Speed Compression 6
High Speed Rebound 3
Low Speed Rebound 10
Steve Peat
Fork
Fork Pressure 92psiVolume Tokens 6
High-Speed Compression 7
Low-Speed Compression 8
High Speed Rebound 4
Low Speed Rebound 5
Shock
Spring Weight 600lbs High-Speed Compression 6
Low-Speed Compression 7
High Speed Rebound 4
Low Speed Rebound 8
Contact Points
The contact points for the Syndicate come mainly from Burgtec with saddles, seatposts and bars. Luca and Greg both run 30mm rise bars but Steve uses the 38mm Ride High Josh Bryceland signature bar. Riders all run different grips with Minnaar on Burgtec, Luca on ODI and Peaty on his own Lizard Skins.
Greg Minnaar
Bar width 800mm
Bar rise 30mm
Bar rise 30mm
Luca Shaw
Bar width 790mm
Bar rise 30mm
Bar rise 30mm
Steve Peat
Bar width 800mm
Bar rise 38mm
Bar rise 38mm
Drivetrain
The groupset comes from Shimano with all riders on the DH-specific Saint collection. We spotted a new Saint derailleur last year but it looks like the Syndicate are currently running the old-reliable at the moment as the 'X' shape parallelogram is still in place.
Greg Minnaar
Chainring Size 34t
Cassette Size 11-24t
Brake rotor size 203mm
Cassette Size 11-24t
Brake rotor size 203mm
Luca Shaw
Chainring Size 36t
Cassette Size 11-24t
Brake rotor size 203mm
Cassette Size 11-24t
Brake rotor size 203mm
Steve Peat
Chainring Size 36t
Cassette Size 11-28t
Brake rotor size 203mm
Cassette Size 11-28t
Brake rotor size 203mm
Details
Greg Minnaar
Luca Shaw
Steve Peat
Author Info:
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Maybe because Greg runs higher pressures to start (he's heavier) he progresses at a similar point in the curve as Luca. Progression might actually feel the same between the two forks is what I'm trying to say.
But yeah, Luca's rebound dampening being different on the same spring is interesting. Probably a different shim stack.
Laurie Greenland is 5'6"
Troy Brosnan is 5'9"
Sam Hill is 5'9"
Nicolas Vouilloz is 5'9"
Aaron Gwinn is 5'10"
Danny Hart is 5'10"
Would be interested to see a nerd stats for optimal height per discipline, and for the deep dive by course gradient.
I just looked up the heights of the riders I knew were on the “average to slightly smaller than average” size range. But I’ll admit to not fact checking them all that much.
So if the height they have listed on their Wikipedia page is a bit “generous”, then I can’t say I accounted for that. I’ll defer to first hand experience
And I agree on the bike side, it seems crazy how fixed many geometry dimensions are with regards to height.
Who do I @ to commission a nerd stats article on this? @brianpark ?
With this I will be able so juge if the setting is on the fast/slow side.
Does makes a difference:
Low-Speed Compression 6 from 8
or
Low-Speed Compression 6 from 15
I feel like it is kind of like the angle adjust headsets that were a flash in the pan, not saying the dropout extenders will be here to stay but for a season or 2 while people think they are waiting for geometry to catch up I could see someone getting amongst it.
And angle adjust headsets being a flash in the pan, what made you come to that conclusion?
The flash in the pan conclusion is looking at the last 10 years. First there was just the angleset then every company that made a press fit headset made an angleset, we had frames like the commencals that had a sleeve that could spin to adjust the angle. While geometry adjustment has not gone away the headset is not the market it once was. As geometry caught up they faded away. These drop out adjustments would be the same.
Commencal still mark their headtube for the use of angle headsets, they just dropped the sleeve as aftermarket solutions see simpler.
Evil and Pivot literally chose the headtube size to work with angle headsets as they are huge and specialized now supply their own angle headset with top tier bikes.
What a legend \m/
Where do I get a 600lbs SLS for the V10?