Been doing some test riding out in Santa Cruz. Their factory demo program is a bargain, $50 for really nice equipment and 15 minutes from some of the best riding in the world.
Santa Cruz Hightower LT: 160mm of rear travel, plush! Can go through just about anything very quickly, but needs to be muscled around. Doesn't like low speed technical trails, but if you have the skill and are fearless, it rewards. You'll be slow going up, but it's not unpleasant. This one's got the top component build, retail around $10K.
Santa Cruz Hightower: 135mm rear travel, shares the same front triangle as the LT model, but has quite a different character. I would consider this the ultimate one-bike quiver for anything on the mountain. Climbs very well for how much travel it has. Handles fantastic and can take a beating. Not as much of a sledgehammer as the LT, but significantly better at low speeds and much more confident going up. Wife demoed the women's specific Juliana Strega behind the Hightower. Said it was really nice, but a little too much bike compared to her Intense Recluse.
