Santa Cruz Chameleon C SE Build. I rode the bike with 120mm, 140mm, and a 160mm fork and I think the happy place for aggressive riding is going to be a 130mm or 140mm fork (or equivalent A-to-C height) with a 120mm fork for XC-trail action or bike packing adventures. Building a frame? I’m glad to see so much thought put into the dropouts- esp love the 142 SS option. For example I’m working on a test of the Rocky Mountain Growler 40 and it’s so capable (bike + upgrades) for ~ the price of a Carbon Chameleon frame that it can only be called awesome (for the money) and even then I’m wondering if some kind of Horizontal dropout/bolt-on hub would add any cost. Santa Cruz Chameleon frame & bikes available at Mike's Bikes. Ride it hard on the trails or take it backpacking for weeks! AM. bicycle frame material alloy aluminum carbon fiber composite scandium steel titanium other/unknown ... Santa Cruz Chameleon XL $2,500 (Plymouth) pic hide … I might try it at 130mm or 140mm at some point. In practice the short offset fork performs best with a shorter stem and handling gets a bit weird trying to jump up to a longer stem - in my case a 60mm and 70mm. The Santa Cruz Chameleon for sale with FREE SHIPPING! Twenty-niner or 27-plus, geared or single-speed, this adaptable hardtail utilizes a suite of swappable dropouts to convert it from aggro trail charger to husky bikepacking mule to anything in between. Santa Cruz will continue to offer the Chameleon with aluminum frame. This is the stuff we wear every day. Santa Cruz, I had a great experience with the Stache (aluminum) and obviously it wins on 29+ tire clearance but I’d be building both options the same - 120mm Manitou Mattoc Pro, 29x3” SE4 on i40 front, 29x2.6” SE5 on i40 rear, stays ~ full long - and absent the need for 29x3”+ rear clearance the Chameleon is my winner. As always, test ride - then decide. As with the aluminum Chameleonthe carbon frame has a ride quality that will surprise riders (including me) whose other frame experiences make steel the default hardtail material. Aluminum, Carbon. I’m currently rigid with 440-ish stays (with current gearing), 1200mm wheelbase, and a ~66 HTA. We'll do everything we can to get you back to riding as fast as possible. I went into a lot more detail on how the drop outs are adjusted in my first look, and I was not surprised that they presented zero issue with movement or noise in use. see all. Honzo Ti is such a nice SS option. It's also a rigid bike, so while the Chameleon is getting shorter and steeper anytime the terrain gets nasty, the Walt stays the same. The dropouts are a bit more involved to adjust than the swingers on the Pivot LES, but all the same they're excellent to use. Santa Cruz Chameleon … The Santa Cruz Chameleon: It's a pack a beer on a ride bike. Tire clearance is also impressive for a carbon bike, especially with the option to run the stays at 415mm with a true 2.3" knobby. I've been wanting to test that out for a while. I am 90% sure my next bike will be an aluminum Chameleon. ***The LES is the only carbon frame with an adjustable dropout system as good as the Chameleon's. The warranty will be in effect for the lifetime of the rim and is available only to the original owner. Enter your email address to get new bike or product announcements, race news from the Syndicate, and more. Use our warranty claim form to file a claim. Using a Problem Solvers Zinger kit I used the stock XD Hope / Reserve wheelset for some of the test period. Comparing static geometry, the wheelbase is 50mm longer as it sits and the head tube angle (HTA) is about a degree slacker. I had the outline for a piece about it and then Crankbrothers totally stole my thunder with their wheel program. Don’t orient off the head tube decal - his was off centre. Eagle, Santa Cruz … I do wonder how the new Zipp moto rims would work. I keep looking at these to replace my Nimble 9 at some point. excellent review as usual Andrew! Perhaps 27.5+ rear and 29+ front to keep the HA similar? An oval 32t will have chain contact with the stay. Thinking about building up a chameleon as a general trail HT. The bike is lively and likes to be pedaled aggressively. In 2019, on local terrain, I couldn't help but wish the Chameleon was a little less snappy and a little more large-and-in-charge. However, registration will make it easier to establish your original ownership and otherwise process your claim. AM. The 2.3" Ardent Race and Minion DHF combo are the perfect spec for a hardtail that's going to be asked to do everything but still knobby enough that the snappiness was surprising. AM. Wanting to go bigger? That's where the love affair ended abruptly, and the reason that I find myself recommending either a frame-only build or the basic Chameleon 'S' for a complete option. Whether a Fox FIT, RockShox, or other, a sealed damper makes for faster and cleaner basic lower service for folks who lean on their hardtails over nasty winter months to keep maintenance down on their full suspension bikes. Then again, the long-legged among us may find that the position is too far over the rear wheel when the 150mm Reverb is at full extension, especially if over-forking the Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Bicycles Bronson Carbon CC 27.5+ X01 Eagle Complete Mountain Bike sale Original price: $7,099.00 Current price: $6,389.00 Original price: $7,099.00 … AM, While I'm used to notably slacker hardtails, I had no problem riding the Chameleon in steeper situations. How did it go? The carbon Santa Cruz Chameleon C is offered as a frame only for $1,599, in S or S+ builds for $3,799, or SE/SE+ for $5,699. You canât wear this stuff but it will make you and your bike radder than ever. A pair of Stan's Crest MK3 rims laced up for max comfort at a light weight, while still being a durable rim, for lighter trail action and some Flows, ARCs, or most likely Blunt rims with inserts for when things get dumb. Choose a 27 x 3" rear tire, 29 x 3" front tire, Mattoc Pro fork, and away I go. Santa Cruz. I have high expectations for this frame. Did you experience any issues with the insertion depth of the upper and lower cups? ... Rare Santa Cruz Chameleon Frame … I do want something that rips a pump track better than my full suspension 29er though. He has tonnes of steerer - certainly the Works is much taller than the ZS44/EC/44 King he was running. gonna go with the marzocchi z1 160mm fork and 29" wheels. It comes with an aluminum or carbon frame, adjustable dropouts, and with 29″ or 27.5+ wheels and tires. What I didn’t try was Reserve +2.6” tire which would have made a big difference. I don’t have enough time on the Ti to compare. For example, wheelbase can be epic long as I’m always standing on steel switchback climbs anyways and a bike is much shorter when leaned over. ... 29 Frame … The tin lizard has ascended the evolutionary ladder and is now a fully-imagined carbon fiber creature. A full-dentist carbon 29er dirt jumper with a 40mm stem, all mountain machine with a 60mm stem, and an aggressive XC race single speed with an 80mm stem. Specs, reviews & prices for the 2020 Santa Cruz Chameleon D+ Aluminum 27.5+. A 70mm stem and 51mm fork offset may be the ticket for a more XC-minded rider. Great bike, but not the same as my rigid Surly (my favorite). Chameleon frame build aluminum or carbon? I don't think there's a competitor on the market that can match what the Chameleon brings to the table in carbon fiber. Either way it'll be a load more versatile than my 10 year old Soulcraft. I've had the opportunity to review some very interesting* takes on the mountain bicycle but I've never found myself wanting to say so much about a bike as pedestrian looking as the carbon Chameleon from Santa Cruz Bicycles. We've designed it around 120mm with a 66º HA unsagged / 67º sagged. I’ve always liked the gear reviews on NSMB but I do believe that they have gone to a new level. Editorial, In a word, the carbon Chameleon has serious potential. Anyone happily running a stock Kona Honzo will be very impressed with the ride quality and geometry of the Chameleon. Both can provide helpful information for puzzling with your bike, torque specs, and exploded diagrams. 2018 Santa Cruz Chameleon 7 XL Aluminum Frame. Chameleon, I have a lot of theories on SS specific hardtail geo. BB drop of 52 rather than 55mm as I run 180mm cranks for SS. Anyone have any experience with this? CURRENT REGION: UNITED STATESCHANGE REGION, This Santa Cruz website uses cookies for example to improve and analyze the website, for social media and to ensure that you see relevant ads. Most places, a medium Chameleon and a box of stems from 40mm-80mm would be my fun do-it-all. Huge selection of mountain bikes from brands such as Trek, Specialized, Giant, Santa Cruz… I read some articles that report the aluminum frame is more comfortable riding than the carbon but also some saying the opposite. If this was a custom frame I'd add 20mm+ to the rear centre and knock 2° off the head angle. **Realistically if I had 3800 USD, or 5700 USD, to spend on a complete hardtail I'd choose something with a lower-end drivetrain and upgrade suspension and brakes. Give your nearest dealer a call to find out more. My 2.6" knobby didn't clear with the stays set at their shortest, but at ~425mm with my single speed setup there was plenty of room. Riding mostly loose terrain? The problem I’ve found with carbon forks is they’re mean as ... in aggressive terrain. The Trace 36 was great at 140mm travel and overkill when cornering at 160mm. Carbon. that's just amazing , as we recently had a discussion about exactly this topic over at the other thread where you were reviewing the works angleset. Going for maximum speed and rollability? The only two features I'd change are the non-Santa-Cruz-Bicycles-level internal cable routing and the drop-in bearing headset. As cheap as I am, I can clearly see where folks would go carbon over aluminum. I mean, Walt could always build you a custom fork to replicate the 120mm - 20% sag suspension fork. It's one of those cases where the companies I'd buy a carbon rim from don't make i40 and the companies that make i40 I'm not interested in buying their rims. My first ride up the road from home was easily my fastest trip to the trail. Let's back up for a moment to talk about a frame-up build. Compatible Bike Type. ... Up for sale is my 2018 Santa Cruz Chameleon frame. Froze the cups overnight and they went in perfectly straight on go #1. DS, As with the aluminum Chameleon, the ride quality engineered into the rear triangle is surprising given my other experiences with the material. The SIR9 frame … We apologise for the inconvenience. Anyone looking for higher ratios is going to need to stick with '34 x Gear' when calculating their inches. I loved riding this thing and put about 2000 miles … I love it but when thunking down tech trails I could go longer and slacker. Power transfer was impressive when hammering up out of the saddle. That would put my 5'9" on a large frame if I was buying the Chameleon for my local trails, mated to a 140mm or even 150mm fork and run with the wheelbase as long as possible. That’s a pity, oval rings for SS and something I wouldn’t want to compromise on. They’re all hardtails (not comparing to suspension bikes for the non-hardtailing reader) and I’d give the compliance a ~ tie between the carbon Chameleon compared to the Honzo ST or the Chameleon aluminum. It's still a hardtail mind you, lots of standing makes for a happy back. Components - Wheels. Do you have any thoughts on ride quality compared to the honzo? I went from dreading having to write this review to having a great experience with the bike with a wheel change that would allow me to buy a slew of other upgrades for the same price. thanks so much for the detailed answer - almost as thorough as your excellent review above :D. Very cool, now I only need to figure out if my fork has enough steerer left, and if so I will go down that route as well with the Honzo Ti. Added bonus of the aluminum is that it’s 32xSS friendly. DS, Apparently SRAM's carbon cranks are the most reliable on the market, but I'll stick with aluminum on my own bikes, thanks. I preferred riding the Chameleon on the relatively faster and more flowy local trails like 7th Secret and Severed Dick. I actually shed a tear thinking that Santa Cruz had blown it with the carbon version of this bike. Which fork is he using, at which travel? Santa Cruz Chameleon Frame: Condition: Used. That’s pretty impressive as the carbon is stiffer under power than the aluminum Chameleon and much, much lighter frame-frame with the Honzo. Geared options use 148mm 'Boost' spacing while the single speed options use 142 spacing to accommodate dedicated singlespeed hubs. Great write up! Proud owner of a new Chameleon? The Reserves are stiff. They seem to be not available anymore, as santa cruz website only shows aluminum frames in red and white. DS, There are lots of great options in other materials, including the aluminum version of the Chameleon which matches the ride quality while remaining much lighter than the equivalent bike in steel. Having modern geometry and a light weight are very attractive. The warranty is void if the part is modified from its original condition in any manner or used outside normal intended use, as determined by Santa Cruz Bicycles in its sole discretion. Test rides and service check-ins will be handled … AM, I also ran the bike with a set of Project 321 hubs on Race Face ARC aluminum rims which was an interesting change in experience. Even folks like me who would always prefer external routing have to admit that their in-moulded channels are as good as it gets. Reserve Would it be a North Shore hardtail test without over-forking the Chameleon? Amazing how a 67° head tube angle sags out to an XC-trail number in 2019. Santa Cruz Chameleon is the world’s #9 best mountain bike (1 rating + 6 experts). It’s lighter, better SS dropouts in use, geo is more over-forking friendly, slacker to begin with, and the planes of stiffness/compliance are more tuned (Stache tuned around elevated stays). My carbon bike has a scratch from a pedal and it drives me crazy that another mistake in the same spot will likely mean a new rear triangle will be needed. The handling of the Chameleon is great, though. For my preferred local riding I'd choose a large (I'm 5'9"). Available in carbon and aluminum, the Chameleon changes to suit its environment. Currently all technical info is located either on the bike archive or under tech support. AJ's experience with the Reserve wheels, on a full suspension bike, was that "the strength to comfort ratio of the Reserves strikes an excellent balance, unmatched by the competition" but my experience, on a hardtail, is that they're as stiff as anything I've ridden. The Santa Cruz Chameleon… It’s Darwinism in action. I really wanted to like the Chameleon but just didn't get on with the low stack height (to me at least) on the large. Do you happen to know which frame size your buddy rides, and how long the fork's steerer tube is? Would be nice to have a carbon chameleon frame/fork combo. When we designed that people were shocked to see a 100mm fork on a 29er. Here we see 'industry standard' internal cable routing for the front triangle. Given the rear brake and derailleur are both routed externally on the rear triangle, I think they would have been best just to route all the cables externally except for a stealthy exit point at the back of the seat tube. You can always access these options at the bottom of every page. Most my personal Honzo riding experience is in the steel Honzo (all generations) and they’re definitely heavy riding and very stiff as steel frames go. But that's only part of the story of a bike, whether purchased in aluminum or carbon, that can be almost anything to anyone. Santa Cruz Bicycles will repair or replace at its option any Reserve rim made by Santa Cruz Bicycles that is damaged or destroyed by riding. Thanks to the single speed-friendly rocker dropouts and do-anything carbon layup it isn't going to win any hardtail weight weenie awards. If you have any other questions or would like to follow up on a warranty claim, contact our Warranty Department. As much as this sounds like a cliché bit of carbon road bike advertising, it's crazy how well the Chameleon demonstrates the material's unique ride quality when combined with good design. DS. Beauty. Black is only an option on the carbon version.. do any of you know of black in aluminum is coming back? Santa Cruz Chameleon C SE+ specification and details While most Santa Cruz bikes come with two carbon options, there’s only the ‘cheaper’ C … Yeap, we're up in your social medias too. Plan to run a 34t for single speed usage. DS. Get some Plus tires that provide traction for days. AM. Would you downsize? We’re testing the 29er SE build with custom blue Hope hubs and headset, Santa Cruz … One option, sticking with the 148 dropouts, is to run a Super Boost spaced ring up front. My opinion is that the Reserve rims, and most carbon rims for that matter, are too stiff for hardtail usage. What is your and your little mechanic's opinion on that one so far? I just pressed a Works Angleset into one yesterday for a buddy (-2*) and it improves descending and out of the saddle climbing if you’re looking for tweaks. Buying complete? And the ever-popular Superlight, with industry leading stand-over height a wheel sizes tailored to rider height. Photo: AM, It's a hammer up the climbs like you're mad bike. The sole remedy available under the foregoing express warranty and all implied warranties is the repair or replacement of defective parts with those of equal or greater value, as determined by Santa Cruz Bicycles in its sole discretion. The problem with long (suspension corrected) steel forks is they can flex rearward until breaking loads. Hardtail, I haven't ridden the latest generation aluminum Chameleon for a long time but I remember its smooth ride. The UK's Cotic Solaris Max,(www.cotic.co.uk) albeit not quite as versatile is right on the money re geometry, very balanced ride with longer chainstays, in steel but not massively heavy. Santa Cruz Chameleon 7 R1 29 kit As well as frame-only, the Chameleon is available in two spec levels: D (£1,699 / $1,699) and R in either 29in … Aluminum Chameleon is the all around bargain (weight / ride / geo / price) but for the drop-in headset which limits the adult-LEGO factor a bit. Any implied warranties (including without limitation the warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purpose) which may not be disclaimed under applicable law are limited in duration to the period set forth above or the applicable statute of limitations, whichever is shorter. Trail Bike Geometry–67.5 degree head angle, 120mm travel fork; 27.5+ or 29, geared or single speed complete; Internal dropper routing; Two water bottle Mounts; Frame weight: 4.6 lbs; 6000-series aluminum… In either case it would be a 2.6" Bontrager SE5 out back for winter and a 2.35" E13 LG1r semi-slick for faster conditions. Ample tire clearance on both sides with 2.3" rubber and the stays set at 415mm. ... shreddy spirit and adjustability of the beloved aluminum Chameleon and added a lighter, faster, more advanced version of the species. DS, I find the Chameleon frame to be totally gorgeous. I'd rather put that money into brakes and a fork. Might you have been happier with the reserve wheel in the back only? So I guess a medium would be great for someone as yourself at 5'9. Free shipping on many items ... Aluminum. I’m not a fan of short rear ends. Unfortunately, the drop-in bearing headset spec means there is no option to put in an angleset or else I could have found my happy place with a -2° headset, 150mm fork, and the stays run full long on a large frame. I figured that no one really needed another GX Eagle review, so after a few rides to get the Chameleon dialed in I went single speed for the rest of the test period. The upper up is 41mm and the lower cup is 52mm. List a bike that you want to sell or trade for free. If WR1 made a i40 rim I would definitely consider the investment for a rear rim (paired with a 2.6" tire) and match it with something alloy up front. Explore the entire Santa Cruz … Anyone considering building a single speed might want to start from a frame set, but I also think I could min-max myself a geared carbon Chameleon to better suit me for 5700 USD* starting with a frame and working with my local shop. Many of our dealers carry a selection of demo bikes. AM, You mentioned that this bike would be a decent DJ bike. You can also run it … As with the aluminum Chameleon the carbon frame has a ride quality that will surprise riders (including me) whose other frame experiences make steel the default hardtail material. The name “Santa Cruz” or “Juliana” appears on the downtube of the bicycle frame… And yet, I look at the entire field and if I was in the market for a carbon hardtail frame this is the only one I'd consider. Prior registration is not required for warranty claims. Ibis DV9 NX Eagle Hardtail Mountain … Features, Whether size medium or large, I think the pedaling position is brilliant for delivering power. It would only be an issue if there was slag or warping from welding in which case the post-production reaming is claimed to not be deep enough. AM, The majority of my Chameleon rides were in the dark where I would have happily traded some playfulness for a bit more stability. I bring it up because if this was 2017, when I rode the aluminum Chameleon, I would be comparing the bike against a Kona Honzo with a similar wheelbase and steeper HTA and I'd be happy with the geometry. **, *Beating the 3800 USD option would be tougher. And yet it doesn't top the charts in any single category. This bike uses integrated headset cups. Santa Cruz Bicycles, Downhill Bike. I know a couple of people talking about doing carbon Chameleon frame-up builds and I think it's one of the more interesting frames on the market in terms of seeing where folks' imaginations take them. Get the latest industry news direct to your inbox. I might even order a second headset for the Smuggler. The carbon Chameleon's paint job is surprisingly polarizing. DS, The most notable upgrades of the Reserve-level build are the wheels and SRAM carbon cranks. Santa Cruz Bicycles was founded in 1993 in a space the size of a single car garage in the Seabright Cannery, in Santa Cruz California. This modern take on the anywhere, anything, any-trail 'mountain bike' could be just what you need. Not at all, a hardtail has to be REALLY compelling to overcome a lack of sliders and be interesting to me. ... Aluminum & Carbon C frame; 29" or 27.5"+ wheels; 120mm or 130mm front travel; SHOP CHAMELEON IN ACTION CRAZY ADAPTABLE. On that note, being that this is a hardtail I'd really like to see a fork with a sealed damper unit. I think any complaints I have about the descending prowess of the Chameleon come down to what I'm used to. Find Bikes in Neola, Iowa with a large selection of new and used bicycles at Local Bike Trader. It's the only carbon hardtail frame on the market that I'd consider; it's an excellent single speed - period; it's a great Tech-C, Shore-XC, etc frame thanks to more-aggressive-than-XC-race geo and for folks who aren't challenging for the pro podium it would be an excellent XC race bike. Our team of riders hunting Enduro World Series races across the globe, from Aspen to Madeira. The Roubion 3a Aluminum is maritime gray and the Furtado 3a Aluminum is fog (light gray). The frame is snappy under hard efforts and the dropouts are excellent so it's a very easy bike to recommend for single speed riding as a blank slate bike. 2017 aluminum owner, riding 30x18 with 120mm fork. Ended: Dec 06, 2020. I ran 180mm XTs for years but went back to 175mm when I started riding Oval. I hate to call the carbon Chameleon a 'jack of all trades' because it's a fully ticketed master of some of them. Santa Cruz Chameleon is one of the most adaptable hardtail bikes around. A fork with a sealed damper is also infinitely more field-serviceable when that creek crossing in the Chilcotin is a lot deeper than expected or your bikepacking rig falls off that Long-tail boat in Thailand. A medium frame with a 120mm fork would also be hyper adapatable. Get the best deals on Santa Cruz Bike Frames when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. *Think Marin's 'unique' looking Wolf Ridge and Trek's 29+ Stache. Compared to similarly high-priced carbon frames, the Chameleon's frame flows together on another level, from how the adjustable drop-outs are received to the way the front triangle flows into the rear. From the World Championship-winning V10 to the beloved Tallboy, we make bikes for … It has a similarly surprising ride quality to efficiency ratio without resorting to much heavier steel construction for a similarly durable bike. The 29er … Santa Cruz Chameleon frame & bikes available at Mike's Bikes. Single Speed, On another note, I saw your insta post regarding the Belter. Ibis DV9 NX Eagle Hardtail Mountain Bike. Photo: DS. Santa Cruz carbon handlebars are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for life from the original date of purchase. Wheel size-specific swappable dropouts maintain the same geometry while allowing the use of 27.5+ or 29er wheels in geared or singlespeed configurations. The foregoing warranty is the sole and exclusive warranty offered by Santa Cruz Bicycles. ... Santa Cruz Chameleon R Aluminum … I've ridden plenty of carbon hardtails that are stiff as f*** up and down and the Chameleon is not one of those. I went Honzo ST for my last mean SS (over the alloy Chameleon) as I wanted to run a -2* angle set and a 170mm fork. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, all other express and implied warranties (including without limitation the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose) are hereby disclaimed. I picked up some xtr m780’s cheap - looks like a shop grom took the proprietary rings off in a rush and when they went to replace discovered cost or availability wasn’t kind. Man, I love how comprehensive and open this review is - thanks! To learn more about cookies, click on, 2 mounts: 1 on downtube and 1 below downtube, Check out the 5010 design for balanced geometry. Or would have it still been uncomfortable just a little less so?
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