#Santa cruz chameleon single speed plus#

Their high-quality construction and smooth ride make them an ideal choice. Despite their high price tags, Santa Cruz bikes are still popular among enthusiasts and professionals. Furthermore, the bikes are designed to meet customer specifications before shipment, increasing the cost. A set of VPP suspension frames, a high-end carbon frame, and a top-quality groupset are just a few of the options. Santa Cruz bikes are equipped with unique, custom-made components that can be prohibitively expensive to purchase separately. They are not only produced in low quantities, but they also undergo a lengthy and expensive production process. Santa Cruz mountain bikes are high-end, have a more advanced suspension system, and are made of high-quality materials. Why Santa Cruz Mountain Bikes Are So Expensive If you want a hardtail with the ability to rig two bikes, this is the one for you. Its swappable dropouts are the most significant feature, and its unique design is one of its most appealing aspects. The Chameleon C is without a doubt one of the best hardtails I’ve ridden. As a primary trail bike and bikepacking rig for extended winter travel, it doubled as my primary mountain bike and bikepacking rig for extended trips this season. Despite pedaling for 60 miles per day for nearly seven weeks, the bikepacking rig I used was surprisingly comfortable.

#Santa cruz chameleon single speed plus#

The Carbon Chameleonard felt similar to a 27.5-inch hardtail, with the added benefits of plus tires (traction, floatation, and cushion), as well as the drawbacks of having more rolling resistance. While working on the frame in Pisgah, I kept coming across things I wanted to change, but I simply couldn’t. As a standard 29er, I thoroughly enjoyed riding this bike in Sedona, where the trails are flowy and require deft tech maneuvers.Īfter a while with the Carbon Chameleon frame, it didn’t feel stiff to me, and I’m not sure it’s too stiff at all. This trail has been found on the Black Canyon Trail in Tucson, as well as on trails in Santa Cruz that are edgy and hair-raising. With the tire combo provided by it, I have driven it for over a thousand miles.

The rig is an excellent choice for mountain bikes, and it makes an excellent trail hardtail. The Carbon Chameleonard is intended to be placed between XC and Trail. This bike has a slacker, curved seat tube, and a shorter chainstay length.

This bike is quite different from the Kona Big Honzo CR and Why Cycles S7, two other bikes that caught my attention recently. The Carbon Chameleon’s clever, swappable dropouts allow it to move from 29er to 27+ or be geared for single speeds, similar to the alloy version’s alloy dropouts. The threaded bottom brackets on Santa Cruz mountain bikes are in place for the time being. The Carbon Chameleon is a progressive hardtail with a geometry that Santa Cruz is very proud of. Santa Cruz Bicycles’ Tazmon single-pivot dual suspension bike was introduced in 1994 as a single-suspension model. The Carbon Chameleon was completely tested, with over 1,500 miles of travel on it and 600 of it coming from two bikepacking routes scouting missions. If you want this bike with a 2.5 29er tire, you might need 27mm internal width rims. Light wheels are much more versatile than standard wheels because of their lower rolling weight and a more nimble feel. Carbon wheels are one of the most important upgrades you can make to your trail mountain bike. We’re testing the 29er SE build with custom blue Hope hubs and headset, the Santa Cruz Reserve 27 carbon rims, and a custom blue Hope hub. It can also be configured as a 29er or a 27.5 with a geared or single-speed configuration. You can purchase the Santa Cruz Chameleon C as a frame for $1,599, an S or S+ build for $3,799, or an SE/SE+ for $5,699. Recently, we demonstrated the eighth edition Carbon ( Chameleon C), which takes advantage of the 27.5/30er capabilities. The seventh version, which debuted in 2017, was designed to make the bike more versatile by changing the color from a trail hardtail to a bike that can handle mountain bikes. The Santa Cruz Chameleon is a freeride hardtail and single-speed XC rig that was originally intended to morph between them. The product managers at Santa Cruz have also visited the 2022 model year Chameleon to see the changes. It’s significant that Santa Cruz has decided to stop making the carbon fiber Chameleon and instead make an alloy version, which is more faithful to the original design.