SANTA CRUZ ALUMINUM BRONSON REVIEW

 

This last year has been a little unusual for my mountain biking.  I sold the Stumpy EVO to get another bike and it didn’t work out the way I planned and didn’t really have a bike for a while.  Then the wife and I had another baby and with everything going on, it was a bit more difficult to get out.  

 

After a few months of searching, I was able to get the new aluminum Bronson.  Now, I LOVED my EVO, but the Bronson made it a little easier to move on.  I’ve ridden it quite a bit over the last few months and have taken it to Moab, Sedona, Park City, and quite a few local trails here in Utah.  All the Bronson reviews I can find happen to be on the $10,000.00 Carbon dream bike, so I thought I would offer my thoughts on the Aluminum model.  It doesn’t have anything fancy like the XO1 or XX1 drive train, the pike, Kashima coated suspension, or any of the other latest and greatest things that I would assume most people don’t have yet.  I built it with a Shimano XT 2X10 (with SLX crank) drive train and the suspension is the 2014 fox float CTD, flow EX rims, and DTswiss hubs.

 

First off, I am no expert or English major.  There will be grammatical errors and this is my opinion on the bike.  However, I do ride quite a bit on a variety of terrain and have ridden a variety of bikes.  I tried to make myself love the 29er, but after a lot of riding the big wheel, it just never happened.  They were fast, but it looks like I prefer the smaller wheel sizes.

 

Anyway, the short review of this bike is it is awesome. 

 

Getting the bike set-up.

Long story short.. it took me several rides to get it set up.  I’ve heard of people going on a test ride and hating it.  I would understand why they feel this way.  The first half dozen rides, I always felt the need to adjust something on it.  I finally got it dialed and it is a blast to ride.

 

Going UP…

 

This bike is a very capable climber and feels lighter than the 31.8 lbs the scale suggests.  After climbing a lot in both Trail and descend mode, it actually feels better in descend mode unless you like spandex and climbing paved roads.  You can tell a difference in Trail, but if you are into real mtn biking and pedaling over rocks or roots on real trails, it keeps its traction better with the switch to the “D” setting. Even with it in descend mode and you get on the pedals, there is little discernible shock movement or pedal bob. 

 

The Bronson is a good technical climber, but the one drawback with the rear suspension stiffening up while pedaling is over multiple rocky ledges going uphill.  It doesn’t smooth those climbs as well as some other designs.  You can still make the climb, but it isn't as smooth or fun sometimes.  The only place I really noticed was on a couple climbs in Moab and Sedona, but most climbs it hasn't been an issue.  I guess this is a trade off for more efficient pedaling on flats etc were I appreciate the added pedal platform.  With that being said, as long as I have the power to keep pedaling, the bike will keep going.

 

Going DOWN…

 

This is where you really appreciate the Bronson.  The faster you go, the better the bike works.  There are a few rocky descents near my home that people generally avoid when they ride.  I like those kinds of descents and the Bronson just seems to eat up the rocky stuff going down.  I was so surprised the first few times I rode it, I had to get off, push my bike back to the top and re-ride some sections because I thought I had missed hitting some of the roughest places.  It is incredible! 

 

It is crazy smooth and cornering is a blast.  The bike allows you to really exit corners with more speed than I was used to and offers a whole lot of confidence on fast wide open descents. It doesn't matter if it is smooth, rocky, rooty, muddy, dusty or hard, the Bronson loves going fast and will allow you to push a speed you're wife wouldn't be comfortable with.

Other things to consider...

One thing that caught my attention on this bike, other than it looks good, is the ease of maintenance.  You can service all pivots without even taking the drivetrain off and it has a threaded BB instead of stupid pressfit!  That is a huge win.

SC also offers a lifetime warranty on the bearings!  Just send them in and they will send you new ones back.  What other company does that?  None that I can think of.  They also have a 5 year warranty on the frame and lifetime crash replacement deal.  They will get you a super discounted new frame if this one ever breaks..  Which, by looking at the construction, won't ever happen.

This bike will last a long time and if you're like me, this is very important to mention to my wife after spending a few bills on a new bike.

 

Overall Take:

 

If you like going fast and having fun on a solid bike, the Bronson should be on your short list.