Introducing Santa Cruz Nickel and Butcher APP Bikes 6

Santa Cruz sent over these videos and information about two new bikes featuring their patented suspension design called APP. Feast your eyes on the new Santa Cruz Nickel and Butcher trail bikes.

The APP bikes get a shock rate similar to the VPP bikes, but in a more affordable, linkage-driven single pivot design. Check out the design and prototyping videos below with original prototypes dating back to 2005 and insight from the engineers during the R&D process.

Photos and Videos Courtesy of Santa Cruz Bicycles


NICKEL: $1350 with Fox Float R (complete bike pricing expected to start under $2k)
- Available June 15, 2010
- 125mm travel
- Patented APP suspension with angular contact bearings at the main pivot
- Hydroformed aluminum tubing
- Tapered head tube
- Cable routing for dropper seat posts
- 2 waterbottle mount locations

BUTCHER: $1350 with Monarch 3.3 (complete bike pricing expected to start under $2k)

- Available June 15, 2010

- 150mm travel

- Patented APP suspension with angular contact bearings at the main pivot

- Hydroformed aluminum tubing

- Tapered head tube
- ISCG05 tabs

- Cable routing for dropper seat posts

- Bottle opener on the derailleur hanger

Geometry descriptions from Santa Cruz
"Nickel - XC-ish tt and chainstay lengths, but more relaxed head angle than generally considered in xc world. 68-degree HA with 509mm axle-to-crown fork. We have no other bike that directly compares to this, so it'll be one of those bikes that people will have to swing a leg over to understand. It's a mighty good all-round trail bike."

Nickel Geometry based on 509mm axle-to-crown fork
SIZE: S, M, L, XL
TOPTUBE: 21.8, 23.0, 24.0, 25.0
SEAT TUBE: 16.1, 17.0, 19.0, 20.5
HEAD TUBE Length: 3.9, 4.3, 4.7, 5.5
HEAD TUBE Angle: 68-degrees, all sizes
SEAT TUBE Angle: 72.5-degrees, all sizes
BB HEIGHT: 13.6, all sizes
WHEELBASE 42.2, 43.4, 44.4, 45.5
CHAINSTAY: 16.7, all sizes
STANDOVER: 28.1, 28.3, 29.0, 29.6

"Butcher - Heckler with a degree slacker head angle and way more awesome overall bump compliance. people r gonna dig the shit out of it."

Butcher Geometry based on 529mm axle-to-crown fork
SIZE: S, M, L, XL
TOPTUBE: 21.5, 22.5, 23.5, 24. 5
SEAT TUBE: 16.1, 17, 19, 20.05
HEAD TUBE Length: 3.9, 4.3, 4.7, 5.5
HEAD TUBE Angle 67.5-degrees all sizes
SEAT TUBE Angle: 72-degrees, all sizes
BB HEIGHT: 13.8, all sizes
WHEELBASE: 42.5, 43.5, 44.5, 45.6
CHAINSTAY: 17.1, all sizes
STANDOVER: 28.2, 28.4, 28.9, 29.6

The Syndicate Bikes - handbuilt one-offs, using bits of both frames, but Nickel rear ends. Basically slacker head angle than Nickel (which is 68 degrees with a 509mm axle to crown fork, lower bottom bracket. It would probably be very easy to make something very similar by going with a shorter rear shock.

The Story of Santa Cruz APP, Design


The Story of Santa Cruz APP, Prototyping


125mm Nickel

150mm Butcher