Santa Cruz Tallboy LT Carbon (2012)

We waved the carbon fiber wand at the new Tallboy LT, offering all the same features, and ended up with a frame that weighs 5.35 pounds with a shock bolted in there. That is not a typo. 135mm travel, VPP suspension, great big wheels, 142x12mm rear axle, ISCG05 mounts, plenty of beef where it counts, and the damn thing only weighs 5.35 pounds (this is worth repeating). That's obscenely light for this type of bike. In spite of the feathery weight, this is still an aggressive all-mountain contender, and as such is stiff enough and strong enough to devour anything you throw at it without so much as a twitch.