New Santa Cruz Bronson/5010/Blur (Nomad stylee)

Any further information on the rumoured Santa Cruz Bronson/5010/Blur?
Bronson and 5010 frames reduced at Stif, I tried to buy a green Bronson in large to be told that they’ve sold out and won’t be seeing any more frames from the U.S. until the end of Sept. This has been confirmed by Jungle.
There’s a pic on MTBR of a couple of nomad style frames but with different linkages to the nomad.
SC didn’t discount the frames last time they changed the colour schemes.
Any facts floating around out there?

Any links to those pics?

http://forums.mtbr.com/santa-cruz/when-should-2016-models-roll-out-970968-8.html#post12165852
Here you go.
Would post the pic but never sussed out how to do it!

The front one has a Nomad style front triangle but the shock is mounted like a Bronson/solo.

Bookmarked for reference. My debit card is nervous enough as it is, without talk of new models!

It’s be a shame if they drop the 5010 (or just turn it into another 140mm trail bike) in my opinion. There aren’t many short travel trail bikes with smaller wheels. Probably because there isn’t much demand, but somebody needs to cater to the few who do want such a bike.

The mismatched travel/short travel and slack bike is a weird one.Everyone says how it’s the ideal thing and the perfect do it all bike and it’ll be amazing.
Then no one buys one because they say you might as well just get the longer travel one because there is hardly any difference in weight 😐

somebody needs to cater to the few who do want such a bike

Would you consider paying more to cover the tooling costs for low volume runs?

Whatever the front one is I want to ride it!

It would make sense if they ditched the 125/150 travel and went back to the Blur from a production point of view, especially as the new Nomad reportedly climbs as well as the Bronson with the tweaked vpp.
It would also create a ‘new’ bike to market and create a desire for!
I’m in!

When I first demoed a 5010, I genuinely thought it was 140mm rear. IMO as impressive a bike as the Nomad.

especially as the new Nomad reportedly climbs as well as the Bronson with the tweaked vpp

But how well would a 5010 with the new tweaked vpp climb?

I understand the logic of combining the 5010 and Bronson into one 140mm trail bike, but I keep reading how this longer slacker bike climbs (almost) as well as this shorter steeper alternative but is much more fun on the way down. It’s a persuasive argument, but where does it end? Possibly with you lugging a big bike up the hill and never using it’s capacity on the way down, or is that just me 🙂

I’m sure SC know their market better than me and I suspect that those who care about XC performance are on short travel 29ers anyway, but I would have thought there were enough people who want a small playful bike for it to be worth having one in the line up. Maybe not though. Or maybe they’ll all be removed then introduced as the next big thing #cynic.

I hope they just call it the Blur 🙂 rebirth of a classic.

Some of this ‘climbs as well as’ is a bit subjective I fear. Nomad, 5010 and Bronson all great bikes. I look forward to their next offering. As always it depends on what how you ride. I don’t think there is a ‘one bike to rule them all’.

The Nomad style linkage doesn’t change the kinematics, it just allows shorter chainstays. With the same gearing the Nomad has more anti-squat than the Bronson which has more than the 5010 – basically they’re optimised for 34t, 30t and 26t respectively. The Nomad and 5010 both have a strongly progressive linkage ratio after the sag point whilst the Bronson is more gently progressive, so the 5010 will not feel like it has 25mm less travel than the Bronson.

The big difference between the Nomad and 5010 is not in how they climb, they’ll both be similarly good, but in how the 5010 rides lighter on flatter and smoother trails whilst the Nomad performs better when it’s faster and rougher.

Some of this ‘climbs as well as’ is a bit subjective I fear.

Yes, I’m sure you’re right there. I’ve read a few reviews of bikes with a fair bit of travel or big heavy tyres where the reviewer claims that it climbs really well. I suspect that they are talking about the ability to get up short technical sections, where traction is king. That’s a perfectly fair definition of a climb, but for me a climb is a 30-60 minute effort up a mountain. There may be some rocky or rooty bits, but there is also lots of grinding up on gradients that vary from comfortable to cursing. So, for me, climbing is mostly about efficiency I guess. Well it’s mostly about my fitness, but you know what I mean.

Thanks chief, that made a lot of sense and was really helpful.

I’ve been lusting after a 5010 for probably just over a year now but held back over worries about the expense of carbon coupled with my unfortunate tendency to crash – now relatively rare but still happens in stupid places where it shouldn’t from time to time. I’d discounted the alu model for some reason.

Over that time I’ve easily spent enough on upgrades to a 26erer, new build 650b HT and a sh Fatbike that I could have just bought the 5010 and sod the guilt. I try not to do regret but I do wonder if I should take a lesson from this.

I’m currently enamoured of the Rallon. Which being aluminium kinda mocks my dismissal of the metal 5010. I think some demos in the coming months might be in order.

Matbe Santa Cruz could do a steel one for you? 😉

Just read that there were no Bronsons, 5010s or TBLT at the Santa Cruz booth at interbike this weekend.
Definitely something going on.
Blur revival I reckon, just hope they are not gopping colours!

Lols. Pretty sure SC wouldn’t want to look at steel for a bouncy bike.

What I was meaning was more ‘maybe I should have bought the alu version and ignored the carbon angst’. The fact that I’ve no hesitation accepting the idea of another bike that only comes in alu and is very different in all regards other than number of wheels makes me wonder a bit more exactly what I want out of a FS. Tbh, I’m pretty sure I’d still be in puppy love with an alu 5010 if I’d built one a year ago.

There does seem to be some very confused messages coming from many directions about the 5010 vs Bronson though, and I can’t help feeling a lot of it is down to the idea that’s taken hold that 160mm of suspension is ‘normal’. From what I understand the 5010 is an awesome technical trail and all day bike that’s more than up to most non Alpine riding but that it possibly rewards a cleaner rider. I heard a lot of stories about the Bronson only really coming alive when pressing on, which seems reasonable for a 160mm bike aimed at Enduro racing. I’ve heard a lot of people on trail forums putting them the other way round though and preferring the longer travel. No idea what the sales figures are like but if the 5010 is hardly moving despite lots of people saying they like it, it’s a prime choice to be dropped or changed if there’s any range reorganisation going on.

From what I understand the 5010 is an awesome technical trail and all day bike that’s more than up to most non Alpine riding but that it possibly rewards a cleaner rider.

Depends what you mean by ‘Alpine’. I spent two weeks in the Alps this summer on my 5010. OK, I wasn’t hucking 6ft drops on it but it’s a far more capable bike than its travel would suggest (my husband does do massive jumps on it though :lol:). Not at any point did I feel I needed more bike, but then I’m quite careful about choosing my line, rather than just riding through stuff and hoping for the best. I certainly noticed the low bottom bracket on the rockier stuff in Les Arcs though!

Just read that there were no Bronsons, 5010s or TBLT at the Santa Cruz booth at interbike this weekend.
Definitely something going on.

What’s going on is Eurobike. Interbike is in 2 weeks or so.

all day bike that’s more than up to most non Alpine riding but that it possibly rewards a cleaner rider

No one told Ally….tbf she is mental tho.Only suprise is Finn was’nt in the trailer still attached!

Bronson only really coming alive when pressing on

Id agree. At speed it kinda sucks down onto the trail, VPP I guess. Its a bike you can hit in to the rocky stuff fast knowning it will carry you through. I never felt under biked

worries about the expense of carbon

Carbon is tougher, own one and you will find out. Your never going to own a carbon bike? Lifes too short, I’d not go back now.

certainly noticed the low bottom bracket on the rockier stuff

One reason I went Bronson. Both 5010 and Nomad are lower.

Looking forward to whatever they announce next, will demo and make a choice. Been looking at the Solo for sometime. Maybe with the new bike its time to pull the trigger 🙂

Just got myself a carbon 5010..lovely bike

I took advantage of the discounted 5010 Carbon frames last week, demoed back in 2013 and have fancied one since.

Pleased with my build, done a couple rides now and look forward to getting out a bit more.

Carbon is tougher, own one and you will find out. Your never going to own a carbon bike? Lifes too short, I’d not go back now.

Carbon v alloy nomad destroyed in test rigs

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/santa-cruz-bicycles-test-lab.html

New on here. I expect SC will do something soon to fill their obvious medium travel gap. It will be interesting to see if that means a new bike is added to the current line up or if the solo and Bronson get merged together – the second option would make most business sense. The Solo is probably the ideal bike for the average UK rider but I bet many people are put off by the fact that it’s off trend on geometry and travel for a 27.5 trail bike. Certainly I’ve found myself looking at the norco sight and similar mid travel bikes. Guess I’ll wait to see what happens next at SC now!

One reason I went Bronson. Both 5010 and Nomad are lower.

To be fair though in all of my other riding I prefer the lower centre of gravity. A few rock strikes are a small price to pay.

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That blue is stunning.

Shame, I liked the Orange and Lime green colours. Still it’s good to see that the Solo is still in the range.

Any changes other than the colour?

It’s a completely new frame with Nomad style updates.
Revised swing link layout and offset seat tube to shorten rear end. Presume the front centre/reach is longer. Internal cable routing etc.

Can’t wait to see the Tallboy LT…

If they bring out a Tallboy LT with short chainstays and bright colours I’m going to be in trouble

Cant wait to see the Bronson colours 😯 and if there are any geometry (toptube length) changes.

http://www.bike-treks.co.uk/content/2016-santa-cruz-colours-released.aspx

While my credit card gently weeps

http://www.bike-treks.co.uk/content/2016-santa-cruz-colours-released.aspx

Umm, no 5010…

They’re all the previously announced colour updates – structural updates are still under embargo I think.