The Carbon Chameleon is dead long live the aluminium Chameleon

Overpriced with those specs I’m afraid.

Santa Cruz mark up…
can get a rather nice Sonder Signal Ti with SLX groupset for £100 more… know what id do

starting from just £2399

I don’t usually like to criticise specific bike journalists, but please do try to be a bit less gullible in future and take an objective look at the VFM of products.

I’m gonna buy a Nukeproof scout and some Santa Cruz stickers and save myself a fortune.

quite. it’s difficult to see what ‘added value’ santa cruz are bringing with this vs lots of similarly capable hardtails.

Isn’t that a lot of money for a type 5 accessory?

Even the £3k spec is terrible. £3.5k for gx? Is that a finders fee?

Nice looking bike, but that’s a bunch of cash

Always admired chameleons, and only ever made sense to me as a frame. ‘starting from just £2399’ I hear you chuckle!

Top marks to Santa cruz brand and marketing team as they completed this years challenge: ‘make maximum profit from the limited stock of alloy frames we can get this year…’

Why is it the same price in GBP as in USD?

£1GBPis $1.37USD Vat and duty would add 25% so it should be 10-12% less in GBP… which is about what it is on the more expensive models (8%)…but not the entry level?

I don’t usually like to criticise specific bike journalists, but please do try to be a bit less gullible in future and take an objective look at the VFM of products.

1. open press release from Santa Cruz
2. select all, copy and paste

Oh hi, I’m a bike journo.

I note from the link in the story that there is a frame option in the US ($949). I seem to recall when I bought my alloy Chameleon (2017 I think) I paid £650ish for the frame (yes, I bought it at full retail). I’m surprised they’re not offering a frame-only option in the UK, although I wonder if one might appear further down the line. The whole marketing thrust on the SC website, after all, is individual customisation.

Geo changes from its predecessor are interesting too. On the XL bike, there a 5mm increase in reach, a shorter TT and a steeper (by nearly 2 deg) SA, which is going to make for a shorter-feeling bike overall. Curious to see how it rides…

Bought my 2020 Hightower Alloy in Autumn 2019 and built up waaay nicer than the entry level ‘S’ build for the same cost. I kind of didnt want a SC but the old alloy prices were actually really good, and with the suspension frames you are actually getting some value in tech/design/warranty/quality.

Its hard to see where the value is on a pretty normal looking alloy hardtail frame though.

Shame there is no frame only option, I have a 2019 alloy frame which I bought specifically to run as a singlespeed.

Every time I’ve seen someone with a SC over the last couple of years I’ve assumed they’re a bit of a mug.

Every time I’ve seen someone with a SC over the last couple of years I’ve assumed they’re a bit of a mug.

You never know someone’s background, financial situation etc. I bought a new Bronson CC 4 years ago, and never paid what that chameleon would cost. Most of my riding buddies who had SC’s weren’t loaded either, joiners, brickies etc, they just liked the bike and local shop supported them really well.

And as I don’t drink, smoke or spend daft money on mobile phones, designer clothes, I was happy to spend decent cash on a bike.

There’s folk on here with 7 or 8 bikes, and folk that buy new bikes every year, yet they’ll slag someone for buying a tart brand. Pretty judgey that.

At full RRP that bike doesn’t look great value, but then neither are a lot of brands tbh.

The mug comment is interesting, as I do feel SC are taking advantage of their market and I suspect a lot of new mtb riders coming from the upper levels of affluence are automatically drawn to SC, without any real know how or market knowledge. Is that just clever marketing on the part of SC and not people being mugged off as such, as most of the bikes still ride well – just cost a bit too much.

I’m no mug but I do like SC bikes and feel something for the brand having had my first one in 1999 when most people had never heard of them.

As mentioned above, it’s mainly a case of whatever floats your boat. I’m like nobeer as I have no other vices or hobbies so can and do spend a disproportionate amount on cycling kit and bikes compared to Mr average.

Maybe it depends on the individual as well. Some of my mates are very quick and skilled riding, yet couldn’t give two hoots about their bikes brand or condition. Others go way too far making everything match and keeping them clean, moaning for ages when a scratch appears and having to have the latest kit.

I’m somewhere in the middle as I like my bikes to ride well above all, but if they happen to look nice too then a brucey bonus. Don’t worry about surface scratches or keeping them spotless but, also don’t neglect them.

Sometimes it’s worth a few quid extra to make the purchase feel special to you. For me, brands like SC are such purchases as I have history with them, although maybe it is now dwindling a tad for reasons mentioned.

I wouldn’t sneer at anyone’s decision to buy one, its a really nice looking bike.

I’m the proud owner of a Superlight and had a Blur LT at one point too. But I think the Superlight was £1,099 frame only and “D” level builds were under £2k. Admittedly that was 10 years ago but SC were actually pretty good value for a “boutique” brand.

They are clearly doing something right, I don’t doubt they will sell all the Chameleons they make.

Meanwhile I’ll be happy slumming it on my On One Scandal

I still remember quite a few years back on a riding holiday in the States, our guide was looking at a mag i took with me and couldnt believe the prices on the SC advert. I said they are thought of as a boutique brand here, his reply really? Just considered run of the mill over there 🤔

This might help explain what might be going on. Just speculation… I don’t actually know anything, but I have imported bikes.

YEILD HARVESTING.
Make as much profit as possible from a limited resource. If they have only xxxx amount of frames, they can maximise profits by selling as a complete rather than frame only. You can also prioritise markets with the most margin.

TAIWAN TO USA TO UK
A UK distributor really wants its stock to come direct from Taiwan, and not via the USA, as the bikes will attract double import duty. It’s possible the frame only stock may already be in the USA, and not financially viable for the uk.

Like I said, these are just things I have seen before. It’s not factual to this situation.

And it is a good looking bike. Can you still run them single speed?

I shall reiterate a little as I’m certainly of the mind that people should ride what ever they want. I just think they’re too expensive for what you get and, as oldfart says, it’s only the UK that thinks of them as boutique bikes (I ride a battered Bird Aether though, so what do I know).