There are bikes with longer front centers out there, but the Bronson's 445mm reach (on a size large), 433mm chainstays, and 66° head angle is a recipe for a very balanced ride, a bike that feels just as at home ripping along on a smooth flow trail as it does dropping into steep chutes. The 150mm of rear travel is very well managed, with a sporty feel that makes it easy to pop from one side of the trail to the other - this is a bike that seems to encourage searching out those bonus features for even more chances to get airborne and sideways.įrom Squamish's long rock faces to the rooty loam in my neck of the woods, no matter what trail I headed down I seemed to always end up at the bottom faster than I'd expected, a goofy grin plastered across my face. Mixing suspension brands isn't the most common practice, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, and the Bronson's RockShox Pike and Fox Float X played well together out on the trail.
From Squamish's long rock races to the rooty loam in my neck of the woods, no matter what trail I headed down I seemed to always end up at the bottom faster than I'd expected, a goofy grin plastered across my face. The pink machine ended up taking it all in stride, and I found myself constantly impressed by its handling. The Bronson proved to be extremely capable in that type of terrain, but I was curious how it would handle the steeper and looser trails of the Pacific Northwest.
#Santa cruz bronson full
My first rides aboard the Bronson took place in Downieville, California, where the trails are hardpacked, full of blisteringly fast sections interspersed with chunky rock gardens. The Bronson can easily take on everything from flow trails to steep, rowdy lines without any trouble. As it turns out, it's no slouch on the descents either. There are plenty of bikes out there that can get up a hill without too much fuss, especially now that nearly every shock has some sort of low-speed compression lever, but the Bronson is in the upper echelon of bikes in this category when it comes to climbing performance. The Bronson has a very balanced feel, and whether I was trying to make my way through a tricky sequence of wet roots, or navigating an extra-tight uphill switchback that wasn't built with bikes in mind, it never felt awkward or unwieldy. Rather than hindering its uphill performance, the updated geometry makes for an even more comfortable climbing position thanks to the combination of a steeper seat tube angle and a longer reach. The revised suspension layout combined with the Float X's EVOL air sleeve makes a noticeable difference when it comes to climbing traction – the initial portion of the shock's stroke is more supple, which helps keep the rear wheel glued to the ground on technical climbs.Īs modern bikes get longer and slacker their slow speed handling can suffer, but that simply isn't the case with the Bronson. Out on the trail the Bronson has the crisp pedaling performance that's the hallmark of the VPP suspension design, and whether seated or standing the bike feels very efficient, with minimal bobbing even with the Float X in the fully open position.
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