The Tallboy is taunting me

I was resisting the temptation just fine until I saw one in person yesterday. I stopped into Habitat to say hello to Troy and they had a large Santa Cruz Tallboy in a box just begging me to hang it on a scale. I shouldn't have done that. My 2008 Turner Sultan frame weighs a portly 6.5 lbs and when I saw the scale flash 5 lbs, 1 oz I got weak in the knees. I had to leave before I did something rash but now I can't get the Tallboy out of my brain.





In an effort to justify NOT buying the frame, I thought I would see just how heavy a 1.5" tapered fork plus a 15QR would be. At first glance, it has to be WAY heavier right?

My current fork & hub setup:
Fox F29 FIT RLC with 9mm open dropout = 1,690g
DT Swiss 240 hub with centerlock adapter = 165g
Salsa stainless skewer = 48g
Total = 1903g

1.5" Tapered Fork with 15QR axle:
Fox F29 FIT RLC with 15QR & 1.5" tapered steered tube = 1,760g (includes axle)
DT Swiss oversize 15mm hub with centerlock adapter = 156g
Total = 1916g

Holy crap! My One9 singlespeed has a 15QR fork on it and the ride is noticeabley better but I always assumed it was a lot heavier. Plus, the 15QR axle is so clean and easy to use.

The real dilemna is that my shop, Fitzgerald's Bicycles, is not a Santa Cruz dealer. I have always ridden brands sold by Fitzy's but 29er full-suspension frames that weigh 5 lbs are not exactly common. Did I mention how sexy this frame is?