Nearly all of Santa Cruz’s trail bikes look the same, including the Bronson. Up until now it’s been hard to distinguish its clean aesthetic from the rest of the fleet. A new shock placement brings a revamped shock kinematic and minute alterations to the geometry.
The fifth incarnation of the Bronson is still built around the characteristics that made it so popular – there’s 150mm of rear wheel travel, mixed wheels, and a geometry flip-chip on the lower link to suit a wide variety of trails from jibby jump lines to seriously steep rock faces.
Carbon-only construction doesn’t make the Bronson exactly cheap in comparison to other aluminum competitors, but there is a healthy spread in terms of build kits and frame layup options. Those start at $4,999 USD with the “R” and extend to the premium $8,999 USD “X0 AXS RSV.”
One surprise that will be welcomed by taller riders is the inclusion of a XXL size frame. Unfortunately for smaller riders though, that comes at the cost of the XS frame disappearing from the Bronson lineup.One contentious feature that is found on the Bronson is the lack of shift housing ports, at least on the fancier “C”-carbon frames. Realistically though, the internal routing for gear housing is redundant on X0 AXS equipped Bronsons (the ones that use the C frames) since they use wireless shifting, but it will be frustrating for riders who want to run a cable-actuated rear derailleur.Carrying on from the previous version is the GloveBox downtube storage compartment, rear shock fender and IS headset. A spikier chainstay protector appears to calm down chain rattle, but even more damping could be used here.The rear shock has been relocated to get the kinematics that Santa Cruz was looking for, primarily lowering the anti-squat. In order to do so, the forward shock mount now bolts through the downtube opposed to on top of it. That anti-squat value has been reduced by roughly 30% for the better part of the travel. This should help ease the bike into the start of the travel.Despite the travel staying at 150mm, the new Bronson rides like it has more usable travel, especially at the beginning of the stroke. The shock rides on a bearing mount on the lower link and avoids the trunnion standard at the front, threading into the frame from the non-driveside.Nixing the XS frame from the Bronson line surely wasn’t a hasty decision on Santa Cruz’s part but there will surely be disappointed riders out there. On the other end, the 525mm reach of the XXL frame will appeal to tall riders searching for that mixed-wheel, mid-travel trail bike.Out back, the size LG frames’ chainstays also grow from 438mm on the Bronson V4 (HI) to 442mm on the V5 (HI). Each frame size receives its own chainstay length too, which is always nice to see as the balance is adjusted in conjunction with the reach measurement.In terms of angles, the head angle tips back by about a half degree. That’s adjustable between 63.9 – 64.3-degrees versus the 64.5 – 64.7-degrees of the previous version.The R, S, and GX AXS builds run on the more affordable “C” frame construction and cost $4,999, $5,899, and $6,999 USD, respectively.On our GX AXS bike, we were stoked to see the powerful Maven brake make an appearance in the component list, suiting the gravity-geared geometry. DT Swiss 370 hubs and OneUp’s hot new V3 dropper add value to a quality build that leaves little left to be desired.One running change from this specifications pictured versus printed are the Race Face ARC 30 rims. Santa Cruz’s Reserve 30|HD 6069 aluminum option will replace those as stock equipment.The lighter weight CC frames naturally cost more and are only available in the X0 AXS, and X0 AXS RSV kits which cost $7,999 and $8,999 USD.CC Frame kits will cost $3,899 USD and come in two throw-back colors, Kalimotxo and Root Beer. This price includes a Fox Float X Factory shock too.The first bike I ever reviewed for Pinkbike was the previous generation Bronson. A ton of bikes have come through the garage in those three years, but I distinctly remember the steering of the older Bronson being a tad sharper and the rear wheel taking a little more force to break into the travel.I’ve only had a few rides on this new bike so far but it’s taking me all around Whistler and Squamish without ever ever feeling in over its head. With the new Bronson stretching out and offering a plush off-the-top ride, this does push it towards being a “mini” Nomad of sorts, Santa Cruz’s bigger 170mm freeride and enduro bike. I wouldn’t call it wallowy or unsupportive as it’s a great balance between comfort and control, but it may be less reactive than the Bronson V4.So far, the GloveBox hasn’t made a peep after being subjected to a hefty serving of bike park laps. My only gripe that I’ve picked up on so far is that there is a fair bit of chain slap. I noticed a similar habit of the Nomad and could see a device like the O-Chain Active Spider calming that down.The Bronson will be going up against a mix of hot new trail bikes in the upcoming Fall Field Test later this year. Stay tuned for more coverage on those longer-term impressions and how it compares to other close rivals.…Read more by Matt Beer
