Pro Bike: Greg Minnaar's Santa Cruz V10

Greg Minnaar is rolling on a fresh Santa Cruz V10 for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland this week. The South African put in a blazing run to win the World Championships last weekend, and Minnaar is now on the hunt for World Cup overall points. 

Minnaar's World Championship winning bike was painted with the colors of the South African Flag, as is commonly seen on bikes and kit for the big race. That bike is now a prized piece of mountain bike memorbilia, and it sounds like Santa Cruz founder Rob Roskopp snuck away with it. 

Santa Cruz had a frame in waiting with a brand new paint coating as well. The bike uses a stealth design with grey-on-black paint, and uses components from Minnaar's sponsors that we are used to seeing on his bike. 

Suspension is key in any downhill race, and Minnaar is rolling with a Fox 40 fork combined with a Fox DHX2 coil shock.

Downhill racers need a wheelset that can stand up to the abuse of the roughest tracks in the world, but Santa Cruz's Reserve DH rims seem well suited to the job. The wheels use Chris King hubs and are connected to the ground with Maxxis tires.

Earlier this year, Pinkbike pointed out that Minnaar was running a 'top secret' drivetrain that looks a lot like Shimano's Saint groupset. We suspect that that could be the case here as well, and we know that Minnaar uses Shimano brakes too.

For the cockpit, the World Champion has Burgtec components bolted to his size XL frame.

We'll see if Minnaar can repeat his performance from last weekend as he speeds down the Lenzerheide downhill track aboard this bike on Saturday.

Tech Specs: Greg Minnaar's Santa Cruz V10

  • Frame: Santa Cruz V10 
  • Fork: Fox 40
  • Shock: Fox DHX2 
  • Drivetrain: Shimano Saint 
  • Brakes: Shimano 
  • Wheels: Santa Cruz Reserve DH 
  • Hubs: Chris King 
  • Front tire: Maxxis Assegai
  • Rear tire: Maxxis DHR II 
  • Cockpit: Burgtec handlebars, stem, and saddle
Ryan Simonovich

Ryan Simonovich has been riding and racing for nearly a decade. He got his start as a cross-country mountain bike racer in California, where he cultivated his love for riding all types of bikes. Ryan eventually gravitated toward enduro and downhill racing but has also been found in the occasional road and cyclo-cross events. Today, he regularly rides the trails of Durango, Colorado, and is aiming to make a career out of chronicling the sport of cycling. 

Rides: Santa Cruz Hightower, Specialized Tarmac SL4