Santa Cruz Bicycles

Bronson Carbon Mountain Bike Frame

Santa Cruz generated some serious buzz with the Bronson Carbon Mountain Bike Frame. The 27.5-inch wheeled, FOX FLOAT CTD equipped show-stopper has already proven its worth under the Santa Cruz Syndicate race team, so you know it's has what you need to push your limits. And whether you're racing Enduro or just looking to slay your local trails, the Bronson's ready whenever you are.

At the heart of the Bronson's handling is a highly refined VPP suspension platform that's been optimized for mid-sized wheels. It's a suspension platform that's widely beloved among riders in-the-know for its blend of pedaling efficiency and trail-erasing smoothness. VPP employs two aluminum counter-rotating links to achieve this balance. But, you may be wondering how it works? Well, the upper-link provides most of the rotation as the bike compresses into the sag point. This yields a vertical wheel path, which you'll notice in the form of a firm feel during acceleration. As the bike compresses deeper into the suspension, the lower-link activates, moving the axle path rearward. The rearward axle path enables the rear wheel to travel out of the way of impacts. So, the ride remains smooth, not jarring. You'll also find the same collet-style pivot hardware that's become standard for Santa Cruz's suspension bikes. This means that your pivots stay tight and are easily serviceable by home mechanics.

Santa Cruz's industry-leading carbon fiber construction is on display here as well. Both the front and rear triangles are constructed as a whole, rather than bonding them together from sub-assemblies. Not only does this save weight, but it also means that the Bronson is as strong as possible. This is because the fibers remain uninterrupted by seams. In fact, if you were to cut the Bronson in half, you'd find that the inside of the tubes have the same perfectly smooth finish as the outside. This is a result of a construction technique that maximizes the compaction of the layers. The benefit is that it's lighter, because any excess epoxy is squeezed from the frame prior to curing. Accordingly, Santa Cruz finds that this provides the ideal degree of compaction, further enhancing frame strength.

The rear shock is FOX's FLOAT CTD unit features the ultra-durable Kashima coating. While the distinctive gold color is eye catching, the Kashima coating's true benefit is that it's both harder and smoother than standard slider coatings. This equates to a longer wear life, as well as smoother suspension action. FOX's CTD adjustment scheme makes it easy to find your perfect setting, whether you change settings dozens of times a ride, or just set it and forget it. With a nearly locked-out feel, Climb mode provides the most damping. However, it still provides a bit of cushion for unexpected hard hits. Meanwhile, click the damper into the Trail mode, and there's ample low-speed compression in order to keep the bike riding high in the travel. And lastly, Descend mode provides the lightest compression damping for a plush ride.

The Bronson utilizes a 44/56mm headset for compatibility with tapered forks. The rear dropouts accept a 142x12mm thru-axle rear hub, which keeps the frame stiff under power. The 73mm English threaded bottom bracket shell ensures a creak-free crankset and easy service. The frame requires a 30.9mm seatpost and a 34.9 front derailleur, and it's only compatible with 27.5-inch (650b) wheels.

The Santa Cruz Bronson Carbon Mountain Bike Frame is available in four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the colors Gloss Yellow/black/blue and Matte Carbon/orange/blue.

READ OUR REVIEW