Santa Cruz Bicycles

Bronson 2.0 Carbon R Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

With a longer, slacker, and overall more aggressive geometry than the original — and already pretty damn aggressive — Bronson, Santa Cruz's redesigned Bronson 2.0 Carbon R Complete Mountain Bike chews up lines that even its predecessor would have to think twice about. Since the R build kit centers on a curated mix of Shimano XT and SLX components and the frame is around 200g heavier than the top-end Carbon CC model, this particular Bronson 2.0 build brings all-mountain bullying to a more palatable price point. It's by no means an entry-level bike, but it won't require a second mortgage.

Of the body of geometry tweaks, the most impressive alteration may be the head tube, which slacks out by an extra tick on the protractor to drop from 67 to 66 degrees. This change is complemented with a corresponding increase in top tube length, a lower bottom bracket, and a raised lower link — a combination that allows for short-stemmed, point-and-click confidence while traversing lines and dropping steeps that would cause even the previous Bronson to hesitate.

Conversely, the Bronson 2.0's seat tube gets steeper by almost a full degree in order to better position the engine (read: your hips) up over the cranks. The revised geometry keeps you on top of the pedal stroke, and relocated links allow for a shorter chainstay, which makes for more power transferring efficiency. The back end is further stiffened with the new 12 x 148mm axle standard, ensuring that the extra watts produced by the improved pedaling position and shorter chainstays aren't lost to wheel flex. Despite its slacker head tube and longer geometry, the back end changes help the Bronson 2.0 pop over cruxes and maintain diesel speed across hardpack.

The Virtual Pivot Point 3 (VPP3) suspension system represents the latest update to Santa Cruz's classic VPP. Where the old suspension curve described a deep "U," VPP3's curve resembles a flattened check mark, with less dramatic ramping on either end of the arc. The results are that, during the initial stroke, VPP3 boasts increased small bump compliance to keep the tires glued to the trail for more traction while climbing across lumpy trails and root lattices. It also maintains its predecessor's firm feel during accelerations while jockeying for position in a mass start or a finishing sprint. The ramp-up arc doesn't dramatically alter as the shock compresses, so the pedaling platform stays consistent across travel, with less wallowing, bob, and bottom-outs — even when the bottom link activates and the axle's path turns rearward to absorb big hits in the deep end of the travel pool.

As mentioned above, the Bronson Carbon C frame is built with a lower grade of carbon fiber than the top-tier Carbon CC model, which means that more material is required to hit the same levels of durability and stiffness. But it does get there, so — outside of a slight weight gain — there's no trade-off in frame properties. Both triangles are also still constructed as whole, monocoque pieces, so the carbon can be wrapped through junctures and around joints. This eliminates the artificial weak points of bonded frames and actually requires less material in the process. While it's being cured, the frame is compacted from inside and out to eliminate excess material and resin pooling, resulting in more structural integrity and, of course, additional weight savings.