reading previous comments feels like a lot of people have views without any actual saddle time. i’ve had 1 on loan for 2months & done multiple 5hr rides. its certainly not heavy, 27lbs with dropper post & 2.3tyres.
I really like the way it rides, ploughing thru rough & loose rock sections is amazing. not sure what other bikes people are riding but the b.bracket certainly feels low enough & cornering is precise & fast. as with seemingly all santa cruz you need to upsize. I normally ride a medium, but a medium bronson would be comedy short for me, so this loaner is a large.
theres a couple of issues that no1 else has mentioned, so I will. firstly it feels well made & well finished. bearings are well sealed.
5year frame warranty & lifetime bearing warranty. after owning a sb66 that ate bearings…
I’ve got a couple of negatives, the chainstay tyre clearance is fairly tight, 2.35 hans dampf is the biggest you want in there, or even smaller if you ride in thick mud (they could have made more width tyre clearance as there masses of chainring clearance) the VPP link behind the bottom bracket needs some sort of protector to protect it from rock impacts.
as ever I’d recommend demo test ride for yourself & make up your own mind 🙂