ENDURO
SPEC
£4,999
Frame ‘C’ carbon fibre, 150mm travel
Sizes XS, S, M*, L, XL
Fork RockShox Lyrik Select, 160mm travel
Shock Fox Float X Performance, 150mm travel
Drivetrain SRAM NX Eagle with Truvativ Descendant cranks (1×12)
Wheelset Race Face AR 30 rims on SRAM 716 (f) and 746 (r) hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxGrip EXO 29×2.5in (f) and Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra EXO 650bx2.4in (r) tyres
Brakes SRAM G2, 200mm rotors
Bar/stem Burgtec, 800mm/Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42.5mm
Seatpost/saddle SDG Tellis dropper, 150mm/WTB Silverado Race
Weight 15.1kg (medium, without pedals)
www.santacruzbicycles.com
The latest Bronson uses mixed wheel sizes –a 29in hoop up front and a 650b one at the rear. It’s currently only available in Santa Cruz’s ‘CC’ or ‘C’ (cheaper and roughly 250g heavier, as tested here) carbon fibre, which explains why the kit bolted to the R isn’t as flash as on some of the cheaper alloy bikes on test.
Two counter-rotating links drive the low-slung shock that pierces the seat tube, to produce 150mm of rear-wheel travel. A flip-chip in the rear shock mount lets you adjust the head angle by 0.2 degrees (64 degrees in the ‘low’ setting) and the BB height by 3mm (341mm, ‘low’), and alters the seat tube angle by 0.3 to 0.7 degrees, depending on frame size. Our medium bike had a 77-degree angle. To keep riders in the sweet spot between the wheels, the Bronson’s rear-centre (effective chainstay length) grows as you go up through the sizes – on our medium it was 435mm.
At just shy of £5,000, the Santa Cruz is one of the priciest bikes on test. A lot of that’s down to the carbon frame – as becomes clear when you glance at the spec sheet. While SRAM’s NX Eagle gearing works fine, it’s heavier, less refined and doesn’t offer the same range as GX Eagle. The G2 brakes are decent enough, too, but feel a little undergunned. That’s simply down to how fast the Bronson can be ridden, though. It’s a similar story with the lighter EXO-casing Maxxis rubber. Switching to some stoppers with more grunt and tyres with a tougher casing (at least on the back) would make a big difference to the ride.
The Fox Float X shock does a good job of helping the rear tyre to track the terrain and, coupled with the burly 160mm-travel RockShox Lyrik fork up front, helps to deliver a forgiving ride through rocky outcrops and root spreads, with both ends of the bike feeling plush but still well-supported. It carries speed well, too, although isn’t as easy to ride flat-out on high-speed trails as the Marin, which also has 150mm of rear bounce. On these types of tracks, the Bronson just doesn’t feel quite as stretched-out or stable.
Get into tighter, more natural terrain, though, and this bike shines. It’s agile and keen to be flicked from turn to turn, slotted down a technical chute or used to confidently pick your way down something slow and steep. The Bronson climbs well enough, too, and is comfortable on big days in the hills. It’s pricey, though, and doesn’t feel as surefooted as some here.
A couple of spec changes would unleash the Bronson’s potential, but would push its price even higher