Santa Cruz Stigmata Force AXS Review: This Overbuilt Gravel Bike Goes Where It Likes

All the bells and whistles add up to one luxurious ride. But is it too luxurious?

Published October 27, 2023

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Updated November 14, 2023

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2007: what a year. The penultimate chapter of the second Bush administration saw the launch of a lot of darkly subversive polemics: M.I.A.’s Kala (featuring “Paper Planes”), Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood — and, of course, who could forget Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s Gossip Girl? But speaking of blood, 2007 also brought Santa Cruz’s original Stigmata, an insurgent release in its own right. With compact geometry, lightweight Easton EA6X aluminum tubing and clearance for knobby 35mm tires, the brand’s first-ever cyclocross bike was a mean little down-for-whatever machine.

Fast-forward 16 years, and the world is in a … different place. As is cycling: Cyclocross’s sister sport of gravel is all the rage now, and the latest Stigmata is souped up to tackle it. The third edition of the nameplate launched in 2019, and the 2023 iteration pokes the bear in its own unique ways. Here are my impressions after many on- and off-road miles in the saddle.

Santa Cruz Stigmata: What We Think

As you might imagine, the new Stigmata is noticeably different from the original in many ways. The full-carbon frame weighs 4.12 pounds, a lithe, athletic base for five different stock configurations to meet a variety of price points and preferences.

While the frame alone costs $2,699 and the base model Apex costs $3,999, the particular trim I tested was the priciest option, the $7,699 Force AXS 1x. Standout features include SRAM Force XPLR AXS 1×12 electronic shifting, a RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR suspension fork with 40mm of travel, a RockShox Reverb AXS XPLR electronic dropper post, 700x45c Maxxis Rambler tires and a generous Glovebox in the downtube for stashing gear and snacks.

The premium elements add up to an incredibly stable, user-friendly platform. Shifting is super-smooth, with a wide enough gear range for steep climbs; the front suspension and dropper post ease technical descents; the beefy tires crush all manner of rocks and dirt; and the Glovebox is incredibly handy. The whole package serves as a showcase for just how far gravel has come in a few short years. It also raises interesting questions about how many accoutrements a gravel bike needs, which I’ll explore in the sections that follow.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

Santa Cruz Stigmata Force AXS Gravel Bike

$7,699.00 at Competitive Cyclist

Pros

Front suspension and fat tires make for a smooth ride
Glovebox offers generous gear storage
Dropper post eases steep downhills

Cons

This particular build might be more than you need
Just one bloody colorway

This Stigmata delivers a uniquely comfy ride

As I noted in my review of the ENVE MOG, gravel bikes can be optimized to suit a variety of interests, from casual offroading (a.k.a. party biking) to bikepacking to hardcore racing. The Force AXS 1x level of the Stigmata is excellently engineered for that first interest, thanks to a number of elements.

First among them is an efficient cockpit from which you can smoothly access all the bonus features that make this bike so user-friendly. Tap the right lever to access harder gears and the left lever to go easier, all along an electronic 1×12 drivetrain with a balanced range. On steep climbs, I found the easiest gear dug just deep enough to keep those pedals turning. On fast descents, I could still generate a bit of extra power in the hardest gear.

And that’s not all. With a squeeze of both levers, I could activate the electronic dropper post, sinking the seat to get behind it on really steep or technical descents (more on that later). I could also reach down and flip the little switch on the right side of the suspension fork to open it up and access 40mm (roughly 1.6 inches) of travel to further smooth out rocky and/or uneven terrain.

Together with some pretty beefy tires (the stock size is 700x45c, but the fork and frame can accommodate up to 50mm in the 1x configurations, 45mm in the 2x setups), I found myself relatively untroubled by the twists and turns of the Cold Spring Gravel Grinder, which makes up for its relatively short length (30 miles) with 3,000 feet of climbing and a few bone-rattling downhill sections.

stigmata gravel bike — Even with a bevy of bonus features, the overall profile remains (relatively) clean.

This collection of accommodations, taken together, offloads much of the shock-absorbing duties from body to bike, leaving the rider much less reliant on “human suspension” to negotiate bumps and berms.

There are downsides, of course. Most notably, the dropper post and suspension fork add significant weight; this bike is roughly 2.25 pounds heavier than a version lacking these elements. However, if you are looking to take a bit of the stress and intensity out of off-roading — or want to tackle gnarlier, borderline MTB-level terrain — the upsides are compelling.

The Glovebox is a storage superstar

contents of the stigmata glovebox — Pull a little lever on that downtube door to open up the glorious Glovebox.

This bike is hardly the first to feature a handy storage compartment within the downtube, but I did find this one (which Santa Cruz calls the Glovebox) to be pretty dang spacious. Using the two included sleeves — one simply zippered, and one Velcro’ed and packed with dedicates slots and pockets — I was able to stash a ton of gear, including both a Dynaplug kit for tubeless tire repair and traditional flat fixing equipment, a spare Tubolito tube and a small bike pump, plus a small GoalZero power bank and phone-charging cable.

If needed, I probably could have stashed an extra layer above one of the sleeves. Funny enough, when I first tripped the lever to open the compartment, I found a perfectly intact Kind bar. Attempting to pay it forward, I threw in a couple of Kate’s Real Food minis before sending the bike back. (Hope the next reviewer likes Oatmeal Cranberry & Almond!)

One lesson I learned: If you want to preserve the natural lightness of the bike, be a bit more judicious with what you pack. One of my friends brought all of their own traditional patching equipment, so I probably could have saved a pound or two there. It’s worth noting that even this feature-laden version of the Stigmata is still pretty lean. Without pedals or other accessories, my review unit weighed in at 20 pounds, 15 ounces. With pedals, bike computer, cages, water bottles, lights and Glovebox fully (over)loaded, it tipped the scales at 27 pounds, 8 ounces.

One feature feels downright decadent

Now we come to a somewhat controversial part of this bike, in my mind anyway. I’m typically a huge fan of dropper posts, which make any descent (even on a paved road), easier and more fun. With the saddle out of the way, you can really swing your butt back behind the bike and stay upright, even when the trail gets exceedingly steep, bumpy and/or technical.

The hangup for me with this bike is that the dropper post is electronic. Considering most dropper posts work perfectly well with a mechanical, hydraulic setup — squeeze a lever and put your weight on the seat to lower, tap that same lever while standing to pop it back up — introducing an electronic component feels not only excessive but also counterproductive. After all, the little motor adds weight, gets in the way of an underseat saddle bag and requires charging.

All of which brings me back to something legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner told GP a few years ago: “In the ’60s and ’70s, I would say I had quite a lot of material, but afterwards I learned to leave it behind … my art was not to use better and better materials or more and more equipment: my art was to eliminate.” For me, this particular feature is a bit much.

The Stigmata can be what you want it to be

As a final point, it’s very much worth remembering that the Stigmata I rode is just one of five different stock variations — and the highest-end one at that. Which means if the price or the electronic dropper or the front suspension or any other feature feels like a bit much for you, there’s most likely another version of the bike that will scratch your own particular itches.

For example, if you’d like something super-stripped down, the Apex 1x ($3,999) might be more your speed. If you favor a 2x drivetrain, both the Rival AXS 2x ($4,999) and Force AXS 2x ($6,999) roll that way. Lastly there’s the Rival AXS 1x ($4,899). These bikes differ in terms of their drivetrains and shifting setups (all but the Apex are electronic), but all feature a carbon fork rather than a suspension fork, plus a carbon frame, 700x45c tires and the Glovebox, while eschewing the dropper post altogether.

In other words, while 2023 may well be even more fraught than 2007, we can all take comfort in the fact that no matter what the trail brings, there’s a Stigmata ready to crush it.

Santa Cruz Stigmata: Alternatives

If you’re drawn to the Stigmata’s luxurious electronic shifting, consider the current toast of our gravel bike buying guide, the Specialized Diverge STR Expert (~~$6,700~~ $4,999.99). If you want eye-popping looks and steady handling without the bank-breaking price tag, peep the mechanically shifting Cannondale Topstone 2 Carbon Lefty ($4,250). These bikes both boast some form of front and rear suspension, providing for a pretty cushy ride.

If you are less concerned with dedicated shocks than with weight savings and that glorious Glovebox, check out another GP darling, the ENVE MOG ($7,900), which boasts similar storage in its Cargo Bay while tipping the scales at a feathery 17 pounds, 10 ounces.