Beautiful Bicycle: Santa Cruz Stigmata htSQD
The Santa Cruz Stigmata htSQD didn’t just “launch.”
Like a comet blazing across the night sky, or the Santa Cruz htSQD ripping past on a gravel descent, it was here one second, gone the next.
This past September, Santa Cruz opened the vault and released an extremely limited run of the Stigmata htSQD, the trusted gravel rig of its sponsored quartet of cross-country and gravel racers, including Utah native son Keegan Swenson. The good news: with just 50 frames available globally, Contender was lucky enough to receive a handful. The bad news: blink and you missed them, as they were gone within a week.
Thankfully, we had the unique opportunity to customize a Stigmata htSQD for a Contender customer, which is the focal point of our latest Beautiful Bicycle.
With an eye-catching, sleek paint job and premium build, this bike lives at the highest level of form and function, worthy of a closer look. Let’s jump in.
The Frame: A Limited Edition Worthy of the Hype
Let’s start with the obvious: the custom paint. With a two-toned, gradient paint job, blending soft mint into exposed carbon with a dusting of metallic speckles throughout, it’s the kind of finish that rewards close inspection but still pops from across the parking lot–or ahead of you on the trail, if we're being honest.
Paired with the newest-generation Stigmata chassis—light, responsive, versatile—it creates a platform that’s as striking visually as it is capable on the trail.
Drivetrain: Shimano Mullet Magic
This build’s secret sauce? A Shimano mullet drivetrain, ready to handle everything from flowing, champagne gravel to chunky, backcountry singletrack.
Specifically, an XT Di2 derailleur and 10–51t cassette provides massive range for steep grades and backcountry exploration, while GRX Di2 shifters and brakes enable precise, lightning fast shifts, along with ergonomic-minded, all-day comfort. Rounding things out is a GRX 1x crankset with 42t ring: simple, efficient, and ready for race pace or adventure tempo.
Wheels & Tires: Reserve Speed With Real-World Durability
A frame this special deserves wheels with equal pedigree.
Fortunately, Santa Cruz’s inhouse Reserve Wheels brand hits the mark and more, with this Stigmata htSQD rolling on a Reserve 40|44 CL Gravel wheelset. Built on DT350 hubs, and wrapped in 700x40 Maxxis Receptor tires—an ideal match for mixed terrain gravel riding–these wheels are fast on hardpack and pavement, stable on looser surfaces, and confidence-inspiring at speed.
The pairing gives this Stigmata a balanced, planted feel without losing that snappy Santa Cruz handling.
Cockpit & Contact Points: ENVE Elegance
Up front, an ENVE SES AR Integrated Compact bar provides aero shaping and confident leverage, matched to an ENVE carbon stem for stiffness and precision. A zero-offset ENVE seatpost keeps the aesthetic clean and the ride smooth, while Silca’s plush Nastro Cuscino tape adds a premium finishing touch.
Rounding out the contact points is the Fizik Vento Argo R1 saddle, a popular favorite with Contender riders for its blend of all-day comfort and minimal weight.
A Rare Build, Done Right
With its limited-edition paint, handpicked components, and dialed mullet drivetrain, this Stigmata htSQD build is far more than a pretty face. It’s quick, capable, and unmistakably one-of-a-kind—a bike that reflects the personality of Santa Cruz’s htSQD squad and the care of a Contender custom build.
Learn More
Although the Stigmata htSQD has come and gone, Contender custom builds are here to stay. Whether you simply have questions or are ready to start a dream bike of your own, our team is here to make it happen.
Drop by the shop any time, send a message here, or give us a call at (801) 364-0344.
The Build
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Frame | Santa Cruz Stigmata htSQD |
| Drivetrain | Shimano GRX / Deore XT Di2 | 10–51t Cassette |
| Crankset | Shimano GRX | 1x 42t Chainring |
| Brakes | Shimano GRX | 160mm F / 160mm R |
| Wheelset | Reserve 40/44 CL Gravel | DT350 | Carbon |
| Tires | Maxxis Receptor | 700c x 40 |
| Bar | ENVE SES AR Integrated Compact Road | 42/47cm |
| Stem | ENVE Carbon Road | 100mm |
| Tape | Silca Nastro Cuscino | 3.75 |
| Seatpost | ENVE Carbon | 0mm Offset |
| Saddle | Fizik Vento Argo R1 |
