Santa Cruz Stigmata CC and Juliana Quincy: First look

Ever heard of a banana slug? How about Quincy, California? I hadn’t until a few weeks ago, but I quickly learned about both on the first day of the Santa Cruz/Juliana media camp, an event that included a preview of the completely redesigned, bright yellow Santa Cruz Stigmata CC, and the brand new Juliana Quincy, followed by 50-mile group ride, Juliana Bike night, and good times with some solid folks. Find all the details about both bikes below, including where they got their colors and names, plus photos from the ride…

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Santa Cruz Stigmata CC

This isn’t the first time Santa Cruz Bicycles has resurrected the Stigmata. Back in 2015, the aluminum model saw a major overhaul with a high-grade carbon frame, thru-axles, and a few other tweaks, pushing it beyond its pure CX roots to more of a multi-use bike fit for gravel as well. For 2020, Santa Cruz once again revived the platform with several slight geometry changes, a new carbon layup, and a few features that might just convert a lot of people: added bottle cage mounts, more tire clearance, and a threaded 68mm bottom bracket.

• Highlights (58cm)
• Angles: 72 Headtube, 73.5° Seattube
• Chainstay: 425mm
• Reach/Stack: 392mm/609mm
• Bottom Bracket: 68mm threaded, 70mm drop
• Hub specs (f/r): 12 x 100mm, 12 x 142mm
• Seatpost Diameter: 27.2mm
• Max Tire Size: 700c x 45mm / 27.5 x 2.1”
• Weight: ~18-19 lbs (~8.2-8.6 kg)

The big frame change is visible in its ever-so-slightly dropped chainstay. This allows the 2020 Stigmata’s rear end to accommodate up to 700c x 45mm or 27.5 x 2.1” tires, all while keeping the 425mm chain stay length. As for other frame changes, the angles got slightly tweaked by about a half a degree. The size 58cm that I rode now has a 72° headtube angle (0.5° slacker), and a 73.5° seat tube angle (formerly 72°). Otherwise, Santa Cruz kept the Stigmata fairly consistent with its predecessor, save an 11mm taller stack height (609mm on the 58cm model). Oh, and a few bells and whistles. The underside of the downtube got a pair of bottle bosses, making a total of three sets of cage mounts. And, the frame got fender mounts as well—two eylets near the dropout, and an accessory clamp-on mount that attaches to the seat stays. Unfortunately, this iteration didn’t see cage mounts added to the fork blades.

A few other frame features to note include a 27.2mm seat tube, complete with internal dropper cable routing, and, Santa Cruz reworked the 52/54cm frames so the Stigmata suits riders from 5’3” and up. They also implemented different fork offsets—50mm for the 52-54cm sizes, and 45mm for the 56-61cm sizes—to help eliminate toe overlap.

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The 2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata comes in sizes 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60, in five different builds with either 650B or 700c wheels and tires. Unfortunately, the two lower-end models are both 700c, so if you’re looking for a meaty 2.0″ 650B build, you’ll have to shell out a little more dough and buy one of the two Force AXS kits, starting at $5,899, or start from scratch with a frame for $2,299.

• Santa Cruz Stigmata CC Rival 700C: $3,599
• Santa Cruz Stigmata CC Ultegra 700C: $4,599
• Santa Cruz Stigmata CC Force AXS 650B: $5,899
• Santa Cruz Stigmata CC Force AXS Reserve 650B: $7,099
• Santa Cruz Stigmata CC Red AXS Reserve 700C: $9,899
• Santa Cruz Stigmata CC Frame Only: $2,299

Although I rode an Olive Green, 700c Ultegra model during our group ride, I had the chance to grab a few photos of the 650B “Mustard Yellow” AXS model. The folks at Santa Cruz claim that this color was inspired by the banana slug, a bizarre looking creature commonly seen among the redwoods around Santa Cruz. I had the pleasure of seeing one during our ride in Big Basin and I’ll agree that the color is pretty dang close.

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2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata 650B Build

Here’s the 2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata Force AXS 650B build, as photographed (size 56cm). Note that all 650B builds come with the new SRAM AXS electronic shifter/derailleur, as well as a 10-50T Eagle cassette. The wide range 1x drivetrain is a welcome addition, however, only time will tell how the AXS system works out for bikepackers. It’s worth noting that the spare AXS batteries weigh just 24g and charge in just 60 minutes. I’m curious to see how/if folks make this work with their regular Dynamo/cache battery systems.

• FRAME/FORK Carbon CC
• R. DERAILLEUR SRAM X01 Eagle AXS, 12spd
• SHIFTERS SRAM Force eTap AXS
• CASSETTE SRAM XG1295 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t
• CHAIN SRAM XX1 Eagle, 12spd
• BB SRAM DUB BB
• HEADSET Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset
• REAR TIRE WTB Ranger TCS, 27.5×2.0
• FRONT TIRE WTB Ranger TCS, 27.5×2.0
• SEALANT Stans Sealant
• FRONT HUB DT Swiss 350, 12×100, Centerlock, 24h
• RIMS Santa Cruz Reserve 25 650b Carbon Rims
• SPOKES Sapim CX-Ray
• REAR HUB DT Swiss 350, 12×142, XDR, Centerlock, 24h
• FRONT ROTOR SRAM CLX R Center Lock 160mm
• REAR ROTOR SRAM CLX R Center Lock 160mm
• BRAKES SRAM Force
• CRANKSET SRAM Force 1 42t – 170mm (52), 172.5mm (54-56), 175mm (58-60)
• HANDLEBAR Easton EA70 AX flare bar
• STEM Easton EA90 Stem
• SADDLE WTB Silverado Team Saddle
• SEATPOST Easton EC70, 27.2, Zero Offset, 350mm
• GRIPS/BAR TAPE Velo Bar Tape

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2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata completes come with either 27.5 x 2.0″ WTB Rangers or 700C x 40mm Maxxis Ravagers (or Ramblers, depending on the build). The 650B Force AXS model shown here has the Reserve 25 wheels and the Ranger 2.0″ tires. Note that with this tire/rim combo, there wasn’t too much extra clearance, so I’d say 2.1s are definitely the max. That said, if you expect to ride on surfaces that are prone to sticky “death mud” and gravel that gums up the tires, I’d say 650B x 2.0″ tires are probably the safe bet, so as not to damage the carbon on the inside of the stays and fork.

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First Impressions

Our ride took us over 50 miles on a combination of pavement, smooth gravel roads, rough-ish forest tracks, and some steep and rather loose sandy gravel roads. As mentioned, I rode the 700c Ultegra version, which would’t have been my first choice. But, they only had a couple 56cm models in the 650b models. Even so, I wasn’t disappointed with the 700c/40mm build once out on the ride. The frame felt lively, quick, and surprisingly confident. Santa Cruz arguably produces some of the finest carbon fiber frames in the industry, something I found evident on the Carbon Chameleon (which, incidentally, I’ll be publishing my long-term review of this Thursday). The “CC” used in both the Chameleon and the Stigmata is the highest grade the company offers. According to Santa Cruz, the Stigmata features an improved carbon layup this time around, borrowing from lessons learned on its XC-oriented Highball. On first impression, I felt like the frame did an outstanding job offsetting the smaller-than-normal 40mm rubber, and certainly offered a nice level of compliance and vibration dampening.

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Honestly, somewhere well into our ride, I mentioned to another rider that I kind of forgot to pay attention to how the bike was riding. And that nicely sums it up, really. It was simply a joy to ride: comfortable, surprisingly capable, and handled very well. There weren’t any irritating bugaboos to overanalyze and I ultimately didn’t have a single complaint with the Stigmata during that ride.

That said, it definitely has a few cons when approaching it from a bikepacking perspective. Other than its lack of fork bottle cage mounts, I also think Santa Cruz could have easily fit a third pair of cage mounts on the downtube, similar to the Warbird. This would have added a little more utility, and provided a nice base for a bolt-on partial frame bag. And the 700c Ultegra model could definitely stand for a little better gearing if loaded up. But the AXSS Eagle model fixes that issue with a 500% range. And while I might be a little trepidatious about spinning off into the horizon on an extended trip with the electronic AXS drivetrain, I’d happily give it a whirl to try the 650B model.

Learn more about the new Stigmata over at SantaCruzBikes.com.

Juliana Quincy CC

Here’s my other con about the Stigmata: why isn’t the new Juliana Quincy offered in 58cm!? Juliana’s latest bike, named after the small town in northern California—home to the now-legendary Grinder gravel ride/race—is a thing of beauty. The color, which is more of a 3D layer prism, really, is one of the nicest paint schemes I’ve ever seen on a production bike. It’s kind of like deep blue velvet with a gloss coat, and I can assure you that none of these photos do it justice.

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• Highlights (52cm)
• Angles: 71 Headtube, 74.5° Seattube
• Chainstay: 425mm
• Reach/Stack: 372mm/555mm
• Bottom Bracket: 68mm threaded, 74mm drop
• Hub specs (f/r): 12 x 100mm, 12 x 142mm
• Seatpost Diameter: 27.2mm
• Max Tire Size: 700c x 45mm / 27.5 x 2.1”

As you may have guessed, the Juliana Quincy frame has the same design, clearances, geometry, mounts, and features as the new Santa Cruz Stigmata outlined above, with one major deviation–the Quincy also comes in a smaller size 49cm frame, fit for riders ~5’0” to ~5’2”. Juliana specced Quincy with parts and kits suited to its potential owners. This includes the Ergon SR10 women’s saddle and a dialed cockpit with handlebar widths matched to individual frame sizes.

The Juliana Quincy comes in sizes 49, 52, and 54, in five different builds with either 650B or 700c wheels and tires. As with the Stigmata, the lower end model is 700c; so if you’re looking for a 650B build with the more rugged bikepacking-friendly 2.0″ tires, you’ll have to spring for one of the two Force AXS kits, starting at $5,899. Or, start from scratch with a frame for $2,299.

• Juliana Quincy CC Rival 700c: $3,599
• Juliana Quincy CC Force AXS 650b: $5,899
• Juliana Quincy CC Force AXS Reserve 650b: $7,099
• Juliana Quincy CC Frame Only: $2,299

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Juliana Quincy CC: FORCE AXS RESERVE 650B

I also grabbed some photos of a properly muddy Force AXS build the following morning. Here are the details:

• FRAME/FORK Carbon CC
• R. DERAILLEUR SRAM X01 Eagle AXS, 12spd
• SHIFTERS SRAM Force eTap AXS
• CASSETTE SRAM XG1295 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t
• CHAIN SRAM XX1 Eagle, 12spd
• BB SRAM DUB BB
• HEADSET Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset
• REAR TIRE WTB Ranger TCS, 27.5×2.0
• FRONT TIRE WTB Ranger TCS, 27.5×2.0
• SEALANT Stans Sealant
• FRONT HUB DT Swiss 350, 12×100, Centerlock, 24h
• RIMS Santa Cruz Reserve 25 650b Carbon Rims
• SPOKES Sapim CX-Ray
• REAR HUB DT Swiss 350, 12×142, XDR, Centerlock, 24h
• FRONT ROTOR SRAM CLX R Center Lock 160mm
• REAR ROTOR SRAM CLX R Center Lock 160mm
• BRAKES SRAM Force
• CRANKSET SRAM Force 1 42t – 170mm (49-52), 172.5mm (54)
• HANDLEBAR Easton EA70 AX flare bar
• STEM Easton EA90 Stem
• SADDLE Ergon SR10 Sport Gel Women’s
• SEATPOST Easton EC70, 27.2, Zero Offset, 350mm
• GRIPS/BAR TAPE Velo Bar Tape

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While I unfortunately didn’t get to ride one—I generally love women’s specific saddles, and I’d totally rock that logo and color way if they made a size 58cm—several of the ladies on the media ride said they were enjoying it, including Becca (@beccabook) photographed above. We hope to do a proper long-term review one of these in the future, so stay tuned. In the meantime, find more photos of that amazing paint finish over at JulianaBikes.com.