Nomad 4 Review

            Last February, I bought a new bike. Actually, I purchased the frame, a Santa Cruz Nomad 4 frame, and the necessary parts over a number of weeks. I finally built the bike over President’s day weekend in February. Before that I’d ridden an Astryx Strike. The Astryx was a 12-year-old bike that weighed over 40 pounds. It was an excellent bike; it had a Bomber 66 RC3Ti fork (which felt like butter and weighed a ton), as well as a XT 2x10 setup. I’d grown fit pedaling the 40+ pound bike, but it was time for something new.

            With 27.5” wheels and all the right geometry, the Santa Cruz Nomad 4 was more than a capable replacement. For a bike with nearly a 64-degree head angle, the bike handles and pedals quite well. The VPP suspension provides a firm pedaling platform that also keeps the bike planted when descending. I’ve never bottomed out the suspension, and the bike has given me the confidence to do things I’ve never done before. Not to mention the 27.5” wheels on 30 mm internal width rims that give me all the grip I need. Yeah, the Nomad is a blast.

            What makes my bike so great? For one, the Nomad has all the right numbers. I put a 180 mm fork on my bike and ride the bike in the high setting (to avoid pedal strikes). This gives a head angle around 64 degrees. When descending, that is confidence inspiring. The bike also has a steep seat-tube angle and a large, though not unmanageable reach.

            Santa Cruz also got the suspension just right. With their new lower link driven VPP suspension, Santa Cruz has fine-tuned the Nomad’s leverage curve to perfection. The Nomad is linearly progressive. It starts with a high leverage ratio which creates really good small-bump compliance. The leverage ratio drops as the bike travels through its suspension. This provides a really strong pedaling platform and with the air shock also ramping up, a near bottomless feel. I can’t remember a single harsh bottom out (or a bottom out at all).

            I put a Marzocchi Z1 fork on my Nomad. I’ve always been a fan of Marzocchi (my first fork was a Marzocchi Bomber X-Fly), so I decided to give their new fork a try. Of course, since Fox bought Marzocchi, Marzocchi is now more or less rebranded Fox. That said, the Marzocchi has exceeded expectations. I’ll be honest, the small bump isn’t as good as my RC3Ti, but it’s pretty close. The ramp-up and mid-stroke support have been phenomenal; I haven’t bottomed out the fork yet. The compression and rebound adjustments are straightforward. On previous forks, I’d always wondered if moving the dials did anything, but on this fork, you can feel the difference. Overall, I’d say the Z1 is an excellent fork, and at the price I got it, an unbeatable value.

            I’ve said a lot of nice things about the Nomad 4, but there are some not so nice things to say as well. Pedal strikes. Keep ‘em level or you’ll be strikin’. With such a low bottom bracket, the bike hits a lot of rocks, and when I’m not careful, the pedals strike rocks a lot. If I did it over again, I’d buy 170- or 165-mm cranks instead of 175.

            Overall, I’m glad I bought the Nomad 4. With the confidence it’s given me, I’ve progressed my riding and had a lot of fun. Here’s to many more fun rides on Send-A-Soar-Us Rex.