Santa Cruz tries to retain the playful riding characteristics of the all-around Bronson while switching to the mullet wheel setting
This game is now over
Santa Cruz’s 2022 Bronson transitioned from the old bicycle’s 27.5-inch front and rear design to a 29-inch front wheel and a 27.5-inch rear wheel "mullet setting", but still wanted to retain the same all-round characteristics and make it one of the brand’s most popular Style.
Santa Cruz said "If in doubt, please take out the Bronson", which shows that the 150mm travel gear should be able to handle any type of riding from endurance riding and jumping competitions to epic monorails.
The silhouette of the latest Bronson imitates other full sus bikes of the brand (except Blur, which focuses on XC), in which the shock absorber is installed in the lower part of the frame and driven by the bottom VPP link.
Despite the similar appearance, the latest Bronson frame has been updated compared to the old model. In addition to the obvious changes to the mullet wheel, it also has a thicker down tube with a sharper angle. The rear shock absorber is installed on it, and there is space for the coil or the air impact of the large-capacity air chamber.
In addition, the lower side of the down tube has a built-in anti-collision protection device, and the second protective area is designed to prevent damage to the down tube when the bicycle is transported on the tailgate of the pickup truck.
It has chainstay protection for chain stays and seat stays and internal wiring cables with internal pipes to make wiring easier.
There is a water bottle holder at the top of the down tube, which has enough space to place a full-size 750 ml water bottle on my large test bike.
It has a threaded BSA 73 mm bottom bracket, a 31.6 mm seat post and ISCG05 chain guide. The rear axle is Boost 148×12, but it has only 2.6 inches of rear tire space, which exceeds the ability of the previous model to run real 27.5 inches of rubber.
The frame of this model is made of Santa Cruz’s most expensive CC carbon fiber, which the brand claims is lighter but still maintains the same strength as the C-grade material. The frame and bearings provide a lifetime warranty.
The metric size rear shock absorber (230×60mm) uses 30×8mm hardware and standard bushings to be installed on the front triangle, while the connecting rod mounting end uses hardware of the same width. It installs bearings instead of bushings, because when Upon impact compression, the base rotates.
This should help extend the life of the mount and possibly reduce any friction caused by the bushing.
The 150mm travel VPP suspension has been adjusted to provide lower back squat resistance and less pedal feedback than the upcoming model. To achieve this, the instantaneous center of the VPP pivot (the position of the virtual pivot when the bicycle circulates in its stroke) is lower in its stroke than the old model.
Its leverage ratio is also slightly lower than that of the upcoming bikes, but overall it is more progressive. Using the chart provided by Santa Cruz, I calculated that the 2022 Bronson's progress rate was 26.66%, while the older bikes were 20.79%. These changes are also related to the increase in shock absorption size of the latest bicycles.
On trails, this should mean that the suspension is softer and easier to move at the beginning of the stroke, and easier to tilt at the end of the stroke, thereby providing bottoming resistance.
Bronson's middle 150mm stroke is reflected in its geometry.
However, this iteration of the bicycle did get some important updates, seeing that its reach, chainstay and wheelbase numbers have all increased, while the head tube angle has become looser and the seat tube angle has become steeper.
In addition to the high and low position flip chips on the rear shock absorber bracket, the head tube angle can be adjusted from 64.5 degrees to 64.7 degrees, the bottom bracket height can be adjusted from 341 mm to 344 mm, and there are chainstays of specific sizes. The size gradually increases.
The change in length is handled by changes in the linkage and pivot position, not the swing arm. This means that it is impossible to swap the rocker arms between sizes and increase the chainstay length.
In a low-end setting - the bike stayed there for most of the testing period - the large model I tested had a reasonable reach of 472 mm, a fairly loose head tube angle of 64.5 degrees, and a relatively long wheelbase of 1,249 mm. And a fairly short 439 mm chainstay. There is an effective seat tube angle of 76.5 degrees, which looks good on paper.
Due to Bronson's expected diversity, it is clear that Santa Cruz's final geometry is not too extreme in one direction or the other.
The Bronson CC X01 AXS RSV is located under the top of the series of bicycles, as evidenced by its 8,599 GBP/9,849 USD price tag.
As the lengthy model name implies, this Bronson gets a top-spec carbon fiber frame, SRAM's X01 Eagle AXS transmission system (but with GX Eagle AXS gear lever) and Santa Cruz's Reserve carbon fiber wheels.
In more detail, the X01 Eagle AXS transmission system is equipped with SRAM's smaller 10-50t flywheel instead of the larger 52t option, and is equipped with a GX Eagle AXS gear lever, although the mechanical (and electronic) is the same as the X01 version, But there are different finishes.
In addition to the SRAM/RockShox stabilizer, there are also Code RSC brakes with 200 mm front rotor and 180 mm rear rotor, and Reverb dropper column with 1x lever.
Finally, there is the RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock absorber with low-speed compression, rebound adjustment and locking lever.
The shock absorber is used in conjunction with Fox's 36 Factory front fork, which is equipped with GRIP2 dampers for high- and low-speed compression and rebound adjustments, with a stroke of 160 mm.
The Santa Cruz Reserve 30 V2 carbon fiber wheels are attached to the Industrial 9 1/1 hub front and rear. These rims are wrapped around Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxGrip EXO TR 2.5×29in before and Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxGrip EXO TR 2.4×27.5in behind.
There is a Santa Cruz 35 carbon fiber rod and a 42.5 mm long Burgtec MK3 Enduro stem, Santa Cruz House Grips and a WTB Volt seat.
My Santa Cruz Bronson CC X01 AXS RSV test bike is large in size without pedals and weighs 14.15 kg.
I tested Bronson on the trail in my hometown in Tweed Valley, Scotland, home to the British Endurance World Series and the award-winning Glentress trail center.
This means I have to ride Bronson on many trails, from extremely steep braking endurance runs and flat DH tracks to pedal-focused graded trail centers to see how many generalists this bike has. Conditions range from late summer The dust to the muddy of early autumn.
For my height of 178 cm, I chose the large Bronson, which has a reach of 472 mm and a top tube of 627 mm-very suitable for my size and preferences.
However, the size of large bicycles is slowly getting larger, and compared with other brands (such as Pole's Stamina 160 Remastered and Marin's Alpine Trail), Bronson's reach is shorter.
It weighs 77 kg with equipment. I initially set the Fox 36 fork to 85 psi, but after bottoming out, I had to install two additional tokens to increase the total to three and increase the air pressure to 93 psi. This causes the fork to sag by 20%.
I set the high and low speed rebound and compression damping adjustments to fully open, which is fast enough for my liking.
I inflated the rear shock to 172psi and installed two stock tokens with a sag of 15mm or 26%. This is slightly lower than the recommended setting on the Santa Cruz website, which says that my weight should be within the sag range of 16.5 to 19 mm.
After many experiments, the air is getting less and less, I finally got these pressures, and found that this setting provides the best compromise between stability, mid-stroke support, and bottoming resistance, without causing the bike to squat in the rear. Is too low, thereby exaggerating the high-sense front end-but there will be more content soon.
Just like the front fork, I had to adjust all external rebound and compression shock adjustments to fully open to make it feel like I wanted.
I inflated the EXO casing tires to 24 psi at the front and 27.5 psi at the rear, but eventually increased the tire pressure at the rear to 29 psi, especially when dry, to deal with carcass rolling and peristalsis and to limit the possibility of flattening.
Although Santa Cruz added a label to the flip-chip suspension bolts on the drive side of the rear shock to make installation and geometric changes easier and faster to perform, I found this process to be very tricky and not a A process that can be done easily.
During the installation or removal process, it is easy to lose the shockproof nut and the geometric flip chip behind the connecting rod and sprocket of the bicycle. When the shock absorber is pushed into its position, the eye bearing of the shock absorber is also easily displaced, causing further installation problems.
I found it best to use a pair of needle-nose pliers to hold the flip chip label in place, then carefully move the shock absorber into place without losing any bushings, and finally, slide the bolt over the non-drive side. Obviously, the small label is not significantly improved compared to the old model mount.
It can be said that the irregularity of the geometric adjustment means that the installation problem is a slight setback, or even worse, because once I tried the high settings-and couldn't see any advantages of the riding style I used most often-I put the bike Go back to the lower position in case you need to test the duration, suspecting that the potential owner will do the same.
Whether standing or sitting, Bronson will definitely feel uncomfortable when pedaling, and the amount of pedal swing is very limited, although Santa Cruz claims that it reduces the anti-squat (the bicycle’s inherent resistance to suspension compression caused by the following reasons Ability) Pedal Bob).
Bronson has a lot of ability to get up and drive, and there is almost no power loss due to unnecessary exercise, especially considering the 150mm tap stroke, and the low weight of this model and EXO tires help it to be on the crank The quick feeling.
This means that sprinting on short and steep uphill sections is very enjoyable, without feeling the precious energy being consumed by the bicycle. I found that standing up and pedaling is the best way to get the most forward momentum from Bronson, where burying yourself on a hill is not a slow event for some endurance bikes with similar travel data.
Of course, it is not completely without the pedal pendulum. When sitting at a high rhythm, the rear end will indeed dip into and out of its sag point. The climbing rod eliminates this movement, but also sacrifices comfort and traction, especially when the climb becomes bumpy or the surface becomes loose.
This means that the climbing pole is best used for long-distance tarmac resistance rather than off-road. Therefore, I kept the bike in the open position during the test without feeling that I was losing energy-Bronson is an efficient scooter.
The sitting riding position is usually very comfortable and does not force me to bend forward too much. My weight is not too concentrated on my hands, which further improves the comfort of longer climbs. However, I am not too upright, nor can I actively lower my body without feeling that the bike is too short.
This sense of balance means that Bronson can spin around the center loop of the trail at home, climb on long fire roads and climb off technical ramps that are not so steep.
However, the seat tube angle does feel too slack at times, especially when the slope increases. I found that I had to move the seat forward on its rails as much as possible and tilt its nose down in the seat clamp to help my hips move further forward on the bottom bracket to improve comfort.
On steeper climbs, I also transfer the weight of my body to the front end of the saddle to control the weight of the front wheels. This prevents it from lifting and better focus my body on the bike, but it consumes energy and requires concentration.
This proved to be tiring, and was most noticeable when driving the Bronson and Pole Stamina 160 Remastered back-to-back, with a seat tube angle of 78 degrees.
However, given Bronson's generalist nature, the seat tube angle is not too slack for most climbing scenes. However, in my opinion, a steepness of one or two degrees will improve every riding situation.
The suspension is not super soft, nor will it tremble with the details of the trail trembling, and sometimes it is almost difficult to break its original stroke.
This may depend on several factors, including the feel of the Super Deluxe Ultimate rear shock at the beginning of the trip, which requires more compression than other products.
Although I cannot verify this through testing, I suspect that coil shock absorbers—especially ultra-soft shock absorbers like Fox’s DHX2—will improve Bronson's top suspension compliance.
Despite its initial resistance, it can still reasonably eliminate the stinging sensation of most smaller bumps, and the soft composite MaxxGrip and MaxxTerra tires certainly help this feeling.
Although the suspension does not feel the most stable, it is active enough to allow the bike to maintain speed on rugged roads where small and medium collisions cannot be pedaled.
The rear end has sufficient mid-stroke support and bottoming resistance.
This means I can work in medium to large compressions without having to prepare for a violent bottoming or shift my weight to maintain control of the bike.
This reduces the energy required for riding and makes it easier to focus on making progress instead of worrying about spending time on the journey.
It can be said that I will perform this type of performance on the wobbly backend.
SRAM's X01 Eagle AXS transmission, XG1295 flywheel and X01 Eagle chain are paired with a low-cost GX Eagle AXS shift lever/controller to save some money, but unfortunately, given the asking price, there is no complete X01 kit – despite the GX shift lever The performance of X01 Eagle AXS and XX1 Eagle AXS is no different.
However, the GX Eagle AXS controller makes the hydraulic Reverb lever feel truly outdated in terms of travel and difficulty. Although this is only compared to the lightweight, disconnected effect of the AXS reverb.
Unfortunately, none of Bronson's models are equipped with RockShox's Reverb AXS straws, so if you pursue the ultimate electronic performance, the aftermarket may be upgraded.
The smaller 180mm rear disc brake rotor helps reduce weight when climbing, but it can easily overheat when going downhill, causing a corresponding drop in performance.
Unlike bicycles equipped with AXS, Santa Cruz chose a flywheel with a specification of 10-50t instead of the 10-52t version with the widest range of SRAM. Although I personally prefer the smaller steps between the 42t and 50t sprockets, the two-tooth larger sprockets will extend Bronson's climbing ability, especially considering that it runs 32t chainrings.
Santa Cruz told me that a smaller 10-50t sprocket was installed because it found that the jump between the largest and second largest sprocket on the 10-52t was too large. It also stated that it believes that the transmission on the Bronson should be sufficient for most people and riding locations.
Depending on your fitness level, pedaling tempo preference and terrain type, you may need to consider replacing it with 10-52 tons or replacing the sprocket with 30 tons.
I did find that the WTB Volt saddle is particularly uncomfortable for my body structure, and I had to take it off to test the bike-although this is not a problem for everyone, some of our testers continue to use WTB’s Saddle. However, when buying a bike valued at £8,599, the touchpoint customization options will be useful for this.
When going downhill, once I learn where and how to push it to the limit, Bronson will be fun to ride, but it is not a super smooth, flat trail neutralizer.
The kinematics and feel of the suspension-not very soft at the beginning of its stroke-are key components that create the Bronson feel.
On the track, this lack of sensitivity did not translate into a severe lack of grip or harsh riding, but it felt like it did not track the ups and downs of the track with complete precision. Instead, the rear wheels feel like they are bumping rather than jumping out of them.
The rear wheel did hang on some bumps, especially the larger square-edge rocks and tree roots, because it could not absorb them.
This means that Bronson feels that it penalizes the rear wheels more than other bikes I tested recently (such as the Specialized Stumpjumper Evo) because the rear wheels and tires have to do more work to level the terrain.
This is especially noticeable when I ride it with straighter legs and a more aggressive style, basically pushing the rear wheels into the ground. This is something that the bike encourages, and I find it helps me get the most out of it, but there will be more content soon.
In order to avoid punctures and rim damage, I had to run at higher than normal tire pressure (29psi) due to the kinematics of the suspension and the EXO shell of the rear tires.
The end result of the rough and thin rubber at the rear end is that the rear tire tears after hitting a medium-sized rock on the red graded center track. Considering Bronson’s ubiquitous selling point, this is disappointing, and the center of the trail should be completely within its capabilities.
The thicker rear tire casing will only improve Bronson's driving performance and expand its range on the track.
For this reason, I installed Maxxis Minion DHR II DoubleDown MaxxGrip tires on the rear of the bike and have not been punctured again.
Stronger tires and more gripping rubber improve grip and further reduce driving speed. It can be said that a stronger shell and softer composite rubber help absorb some of the smaller bumps that the Bronson suspension cannot withstand.
Although the backend sometimes feels that it is hung up, it pays off with an impressive support platform that has powerful capabilities during travel.
As the speed increases and the hole deepens or becomes larger, the progress of the end helps to create a very stable platform that will not be knocked down or taken offline because it is too easy to use up all the stroke.
Bottom resistance and mid-stroke support mean it feels best when riding in pump and push mode. In this case, pressing the bike hard into the ground to create grip to feel inspired when switching between lines.
This preloading can be done on the most rugged terrain, with almost impunity, and without any consequences.
When riding this way, I felt that I got the most benefit from Bronson by driving it to the ground, focusing on maximizing fun rather than absolute speed.
Although this is not the fastest way to ride a bicycle, it is accurately described as difficult. Fortunately, the frame, wheels and the new Santa Cruz carbon fiber handlebars are very suitable for this harsh style in terms of strength and feel.
Although the Reserve 30 wheels have a wide (30 mm), flat profile (22 mm) and carbon fiber structure, and a large box-section carbon fiber down tube, there is no perceptible harsh sound reverberating in the bike-which means it will not fatigue Or uncomfortable going downhill for a long time.
In this regard, I think Bronson can best be described as smoother than a super lively trail.
As stated on the Santa Cruz website, Bronson does have a backward bias.
From another point of view, the front-end feels very high, which is something I finally investigated during the test, because this may be a problem for some people, but it is excellent for others.
Although the geometric chart numbers are not necessarily superimposed to indicate that the front end will feel high, there is no denying how high it feels on the trail.
The stack of the large Bronson I tested is 637mm, which is not much higher or lower than many other bikes I have ridden recently: Specialized Turbo Levo is 636mm, Devinci Spartan HP is 639mm, and Pole Stamina 160 Remastered has a height of 645 mm, while Yeti’s SB165 is 609 mm-none of these have a particularly high or low feel.
So why do I end up setting the stem as low as possible and feel that Bronson's front end is too high? The answer to this question is difficult to determine with precision, but it is clear that it is not just the stack height that is happening here.
Compared with other bicycles, the combination of geometric figures, including stacking height, wheelbase, chainstays, front extension, head tube angle, and bottom bracket height—just a few millimeters here and there—is both short and long. I think this gives Bronson a high-sense front end.
How does this make it ride? In some cases, it was inspired, but in other cases, it was frustrating.
I found that in certain turns, whether they are flat, bermed, sharp, open, steep or flat terrain, the bike will not turn as I want.
Its wheels feel like they are sculpting two different radii; usually, the front wheels run one lap higher and the rear wheels stay low. Sometimes this makes cornering an unsatisfactory thing because I can’t get the bike to hook when turning, or have the front wheel “stuck” under me as I want and expect.
I found that I could offset this by loading the front wheels harder and more confidently than usual, but this caused the rear end to become very light.
This means cat-like reactions and weight transfer are needed to prevent the back end from losing control, although it feels great when I can drift it and then grab it before I lose control completely.
Bronson felt great to ride at the time, and it was totally exhilarating.
Although loading the front end like this is the best way to get Bronson to corner, I also tried to reduce the fork spring pressure to lower it and strengthen the rear shock to maintain rear end support.
Both methods have their own problems. Making the fork softer makes the bottoming more comfortable than I do, while making the shock absorber harder further reduces its already limited compliance with small collisions. Increasing the fork sag will make the head tube angle steeper, but so will reducing the rear suspension sag.
Another temptation is to reduce the fork sag to help provide support to prevent me from passing the extra weight from the front end to the corner correctly, but reducing the sag means the front end rides higher and requires more weight to control it.
When riding at higher speeds or on technical routes, the rather conservative head tube angle, reach, and wheelbase further exacerbate this problem, at least when compared to bicycles like the Specialized Stumpjumper Evo. The tube angle is 63 degrees and the wheelbase is 1,261 mm.
The steeper head tube angle encourages a more back-to-back riding position.
None of this helps you feel confident on steep, fast, or rugged trails, nor does it overcome the high front end.
On those steeper trails, the head angle means some jerks in the steering. This encourages me to lean more backwards than usual, which makes it difficult for me to choose and promise routes without hesitation, and longer, slack bikes do not give rise to any hesitation.
So the front end produced some catch-22, and the perfect setting felt almost impossible to achieve.
This problem can be bypassed by slowing down and focusing on bouncing on trails and technical parts or committing to ride ahead and live with a lively rear end.
I really want not to turn the small hill into a mountain. The height of the Bronson front and the way it rides will suit some riders there-I won't call it a "problem".
In addition, Bronson’s negative characteristics are most obvious when riding rougher, steeper, more technical or faster tracks.
Once I step back a bit and expect its speed to slow down, these characteristics will be significantly reduced. This shows more of the limitations of a bicycle with a 150 mm travel and a 64.5-degree head tube angle than its suspension and geometry. Any inherent design flaws in shape or other aspects.
But Santa Cruz can still do something to help alleviate some of the characteristics I encountered when testing Bronson.
The easiest way to increase the softness of the rear end is to allow buyers to choose to specify coil spring shock absorbers. The gradual nature of the rear end is sufficient to handle linear spring stiffness, but will benefit from the top flexibility of the coil.
Next, providing a lower column (35 mm in stock) will be the cheapest and most effective way to reduce the feel of the front end. I found that the handlebar geometry feels good, so I need to pay attention to finding similar handlebars at a lower height so as not to affect the riding quality of other parts of the bike.
However, a lower barbell will not change the stacking height of the bike, but it will change the position of your hands relative to your feet, and may improve the relationship.
Lowering the chimney a few millimeters and increasing the reach and front center numbers, while relaxing the head tube angle, should also make it feel less front-high.
However, changing the numbers will bring it closer to the nomads, and from a marketing perspective, this may be something Santa Cruz does not want to do. However, I doubt it will open up a lot of potential in Bronson's framework.
Fully racing speed doesn’t seem to be Bronson’s goal (of course, unless your name is Sam Dale, Mark Scott or Jake Ebdon-they all rode Bronson to make an impressive 2021 Endurance World Series in the UK Profound success in the Tweed Valley of Scotland).
On the contrary, it seems to thrive on famous trails in a creative, fun and confident hard ride, in which supportive mid-stroke and generous bottom resistance are its main features.
If you can learn how to make the most of them, then Bronson is a real riding pleasure, just make sure you have the confidence to put enough weight on the front wheels when turning.
Bronson, as Santa Cruz claims, is an excellent bike for almost any type of riding, and I ended up using it in my free time for night explosions after get off work.
It may lack the peculiarities of other products on the market and have some interesting quirks, but riding on most trails is really fun, and once mastered it will make a lot of sense.
Just don't expect it to confidently handle the most extreme terrain of the bell curve, where one of the best endurance bikes or light off-road vehicles may be better.
Alex Evans is BikeRadar's Mountain Bike Technical Editor. He started downhill racing at the age of 11 and then continued to participate in competitions across Europe. At the age of 19, Alex moved to Morzine in the French Alps to work as a bicycle tramp and did a lot of cycling. For eight years, he rode those famous tracks day after day, and he broke more bikes than he remembered. Alex then moved back to the UK, where he took full advantage of his extensive knowledge of mountain biking by working as a feature editor for MBUK magazine. Since working for MBUK, Alex's focus has shifted to bicycle technology. He is one of BikeRadar's chief testers, knows how to push bicycles and products to the limit, and hopes to find the best value-for-money equipment. Alex is also a frequent visitor to BikeRadar Youtube channel and BikeRadar podcast.
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