Santa Cruz Bicycles

Bronson Carbon 27.5 R Mountain Bike

Ever since the initial release in 2013, the Bronson has been regarded as one of the best all-mountain bikes out there due to its hard-charging trail manners balanced by playful versatility. Equally as capable conquering big days in the alpine backcountry as it is ripping laps at the park or dabbling in enduro racing, the Bronson has been a longtime favorite of ours for more aggressive terrain, or if you're simply looking for a trail bike with a bit of extra travel. The newest version of the Bronson (now in its third generation) receives a new lower-link VPP design inspired by the Nomad, longer and slacker geometry that's also adjustable, and compatibility with up to 2.8in wide "plus" tires in order to meet the increasing versatility riders demand from a modern mountain bike. With these changes, the Bronson Carbon 27.5 R Complete Mountain Bike is ready to tackle big terrain with even more speed, confidence, and of course, fun.

The most noticeable difference with the new Bronson is the transition to a lower-link VPP design like the one found on the Nomad and V10. The bike maintains the same 150mm rear travel as previous generations, but the lower-link VPP allows a more linear suspension curve for better sensitivity throughout the stroke, resulting in better small-bump absorption while retaining good mid-stroke support and smooth bottom-out progression. The revised suspension maintains the same efficient pedaling and climbing performance of previous generations, but increases traction on rough trails and descents, letting you push your limits with more confidence than ever.

The Bronson also sees some significant changes to geometry that push it further into the enduro spectrum. The reach and wheelbase are longer and the head tube is slacker, providing more stability during high-speed sections of trail and long, technical descents. The geometry is also adjustable via a flip-chip in the linkage, allowing you to tune the handling to suit the trail at hand. Of course, Santa Cruz understands that pedaling prowess matters on an all-mountain bike, so they balanced the long and slack geo by steepening the seat tube angle to 75.3-degrees in the high geometry position and 75-degrees in the low position. This puts the rider in a better position for putting power down to the pedals and combined with the inherent efficiency of the VPP platform, the bike tackles tough climbs very well for a bike with six inches of travel.

The last major change is the increased tire clearance on the frame. The new Bronson can accept up to a 2.8in tire. This version comes with a 2.5 up front and 2.4 in the rear for more precision and lower rolling resistance, but if you want the extra rock-crawling capabilities and plushness of the high volume plus tires you have the freedom to do so. For 2.8in tires, it's advised that you run the geometry flip-chip in the high position.

Lucky for all of us, one thing that hasn't changed is the bombproof construction of Santa Cruz's carbon frames, which is a good thing if you're after the legendary strength and unwavering stiffness of their renowned carbon layups. This particular Bronson benefits from the Carbon C layup, which makes for a resoundingly stiff frame for swift acceleration and unflappable composure while sending it across rough terrain. It's backed by Santa Cruz's excellent lifetime warranty, so you'll have extra peace of mind while riding particularly fast on your favorite stretch of trail and shuttling downhill laps on the mountain pass.