Santa Cruz Bicycles

Bronson Carbon R Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

We're usually loathe to guess what — if any — real-world persons, places, or things inspire the names of bicycle models, but sometimes a given title lines up so well with a bike's function that we can't help but make inferences. The versatility and punching-above-its-weight aggression of Santa Cruz's Bronson Carbon R Complete Mountain Bike evokes the tenacity of the British inmate of the same alias. Like its infamous counterpart, the Bronson doesn't take abuse lying down; rather, it hits back with a slack geometry and 6in of Virtual Pivot Point travel that attach to a specially tuned FOX Float Shock for suspension capabilities that feel closer to bottomless.

The Bronson's virtually unyielding construction is the same for the new model year, with Santa Cruz's industry-leading carbon fiber construction returning for another 12 rounds of all-mountain line crushing. The carbon used in this model is of a slightly lower grade than with the Carbon CC frame, so more material is required to hit the same benchmarks of strength and stiffness. It does hit those marks, but doing so costs the addition of almost 300 additional claimed grams of weight. The upshot is that you get a frame that’s every bit as stiff and strong but with a more palatable price tag. Think of it as a season's worth of race entry fees and a down payment toward future component upgrades.

The frame's two carbon triangles are built as whole pieces rather than glued together from disparate bits. This saves weight and increases structural integrity by allowing Santa Cruz to wrap carbon continuously through and around key junctures. This method reinforces the frame with less material while eliminating the artificial stress points that result from bonded construction methods. Finally, the carbon is also compacted from the inside and the outside for a more even finish that avoids any structural defects, excess material build-up, and resin pooling for — you guessed it — even more weight savings.

The Bronson's Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) suspension platform centers on the two counter-rotating links that govern its travel. The upper link provides most of the rotation as the bike compresses into the sag point for a vertical wheel path that manifests as a firm platform for acceleration and eager small-bump compliance. As the bike compresses deeper, the lower link activates, moving the axle path rearward to lengthen the wheelbase and increase stability during big steps and scrappy rock gardens worthy of the bike's bare-knuckle namesake.

The Bronson's R build kit features a mix of Shimano's XT and SLX drivetrain bits and Deore M615 brakes. This isn't the top-end Fabergé build, designed to impress catalog aficionados at tea. There's no one-by or electronic shifting porcelain prettiness here. Instead, the Bronson Carbon R is the equivalent of a fighter who's soaked his hand wraps in plaster before the fight. And he's coming out swinging.