Santa Cruz bronson any good?

Looking at going carbon and splashing out on a Santa Cruz bronson as I’ve got a busy year of enduro racing ahead. Is it worth the money though?

My mate has just done over a year on an alloy bronson, and just upgraded to the carbon c version at fairly hefty expense, so I guess it’s all good in his eyes.
I’ve ridden it a few times and for flat out sprinting it’s faster and more direct than my carbon transition covert, but on the big gnarly stuff I’d rather have the covert as it feels more planted.

Yeah on reading some reviews they say it’s not that great when it gets really steep and technical. Maybe it’s something to do with the frame being really stiff. Need to try before buy I think

Get a Nomad instead

Nomad is a grand more which is way too much to spend. Also thinking 165mm travel is not required for the majority of my riding.

The bronson is a fantastic all-round bike, and is my go-to if I don’t know the terrain as it’ll get me out of most of my own cockups, but if I was racing enduro I’d be looking at the yeti SB6c at the moment.

I have one so it must be..

*awaits JCL and the ‘worst bike ever made’ comment…*

Back in the real world, it’s a great bike, thought don’t be swayed away from the nomad purely on travel, as it pedals as well as shorter travel bikes, and has much more ‘enduro friendly’ geometry. I know a few folk who have said the HA is a little steep on the bronson, which an angleset would solve, but is extra faff. Cost wise the nomad frame is only £150 more, depending on which shock you go for.

Even consider the 5010, it’s only 125mm but feels like more (I genuinely thought it was 140mm the first time I rode it) which if you pair with a 140 mm fork makes a decent trail bike that can still handle enduro courses (I’ve raced mine)

If you looking to spend that sort of money, defo have a look at the Pivot Mach 6. Best bike I’ve owned (but of coursed, I would say that) and is an absolute hoot to ride. Used for an Enduro race this year and it was a total blast in The Alps the following week. I got a demo bike for a weekend back in Feb, so demo bikes available. Can’t recommend it enough.

I’m currently riding a lapierre spicy with 160mm of travel. Cracking bike but 2009 model so thought time for good upgrade to last. Given that majority of my riding is in tweed valley I thought bronson would be ideal, however now even more confused with what to get. Done the enduro World Series this year on the lapierre and it flattered my meagre riding ability when things got sketchy but hard work on the pedally sections, hence the reason I was thinking about the Bronson

Man up and get a Kona Process 153, eats Bronsons for elevenses

again hate to sound obvious but what about a demo…..

Well, I ride a lot down that way as well and the Mach 6 is (for me) superb round there. Rattles down the steep stuff brilliantly (and some of that is STEEP) and is a superb climber, like I said, best bike I’ve ever had. Dunno how tall you are, but you can through a leg over it sometime if you fancy it. I got it from Billy Bilsland Cycles in Glasgow, awesome folk and sorted me out with the demo bike etc.

If theyve got rid of The flex in the rear ends of SC carbon triangles then yes I would be sure they’re very good.

Perfect bike for obese beginners. Leverage rate is the opposite of what’s required by an air spring.

Buy a Trance/Reign or if you want to go fast with less effort buy a SJ Evo 29.

If you’re in the Tweed Valley, Alpine have the Bronson in the demo fleet, so you’ll be able to try one with a quick trip down the road.

Sounds like jcl can’t afford a bronson so he will just slag it off instead…

I’m fat, but not a beginner. Does that mean I’m halfway a proper Bronson owner ?

I demo’ed a lot of bikes and the Bronson suited me. It was just ace. So I bought one. Never regretted it.

If your spending that amount of money on a bike, then you would be mad not to demo one. If only to get the strange Santa Cruz sizing sorted for you.

They ride nice and look nice. As most bike do nowadays. Mate has just got one and they seem to do the job well

and JCL has landed 🙂

Gonna head to alpine bikes and give it a demo

Great bike for people who like great bikes despite what the graph drawing brigade think

mikewsmith – Member
again hate to sound obvious but what about a demo…

Probably a bit too much travel, and the double crown will get in the way.

Coat on the way out?

if only to get the strange Santa Cruz sizing sorted for you.

I thought they’d got that squared away this year?

Looking at the dims it looks kinda “right” -and not ridiculously short TT anymore?

Balls, Mr hoppy beat me to it…

Oh hai JCL! *waves* Didn’t expect to see you here!

Who’d win in an awsums off between smurf matt, GW and JCL. It would be hard to call I reckon.

As for the Bronson… Try one

I’ve ridden the Bronson, the Solo/Nifty Len, the Tall Boy and the blur and as a pleb looking for a complete bike I’d say the 5010 is perfect. A great climber with strength and control on the downs.

Sounds like jcl can’t afford a bronson so he will just slag it off instead…

It’s actually one of the few bikes I can get a really good deal on but I choose to pay more for bikes without marketing suspension.

but I choose to pay more for bikes without marketing suspension.

Because Specialized have no massive amount of marketing pretence….

I thought the biggest problem with the Bronson was that a Capra is dam near half the price and just as good if not slightly better?

Santa Cruz tax has a lot to answer for.

Ibis HDR 3 has landed in the UK now too…

I thought the biggest problem with the Bronson was that a Capra is dam near half the price and just as good if not slightly better?

Thats a bit like comparing a ford focus to a bmw 3 series.

I must admit i love mine, do get the shock tuned or if you can afford ccdb inline. Defo for a demo but be prepared to pay after! I took a nomad out on demo to bpw and was slightly disappointed, I felt it should have blown me away but it was only good so for bigger stuff i’ll get a Capra pro get a great speced bike for the same price as the nomad frame.

I’ve had a bronson nearly a year now. Absolutely love it, it’s a great all round bike. Did brilliant on the lake garda trails ( some of which are much harder than anything I’ve ridden in Scotland ) and felt great on the enduro trails at inners yesterday. It’s waaayyy better than my previous bike, trance x1, which I hated.

Agree that getting the shock tuned is a good shout, I originally had a fox float kash and had it tuned by jtech which made a big difference. Just recently traded that in with jtech and got a tuned CCDB air CS. Awesome piece of kit.

I’ve never seen another bike that seems to split opinions so much….that probably tells its own story.

It’s all down to personal preference, try one out and see for yourself.

Jcl i work in a very busy lbs workshop and have to say that I am constantly amazed that no one looks at how a spesh is put together and questions the quality of the build.
The bearings are a tiny spec non angular contact , soft hard ware that the customer has usually already stripped, whole bike has to be stripped to get to the main pivot , double blind bearings in the stays , conical washers to hold everything together I could go on.
Bronson : two Allen keys to service the very high quality angular contact bearings.
Just sayin.

Repeat what has been said, a demo is essential.

From what I can see you either ‘get’ Santa Cruz or you don’t. I demo’d a carbon Tall Boy and didn’t rate it at all. Nothing it did was any better then average and it was all a bit meh.

Mate bought a SC a few years back on reputation, hardly used it and nearly always rode her 2006 Scott instead. Sold it last year, almost as new for a big loss.

Plenty of people seem to like them though.

Being in between sizes for the majority of bike manufacturers is a big part of “getting” Santa Cruz for me. I can get a perfect fitting bike with good geometry and suspension that works perfectly well (despite what the experts say 🙄 . Get a test ride for sizing.

I know he was probably paid to ride it,

but, would you risk you life doing this on an “obese beginners” bike for any amount of money?

As mentioned above all SC bikes seem to split opinions, one man’s meat and all that.