Review: 2022 Santa Cruz Bronson - Mixed Wheels For Mixed Intentions

We tested the XO1 kit with a CC frame. This gives you a wireless SRAM AXS XO1 drivetrain with carbon cranks, Code RSC brakes, Reserve carbon rims, a Fox 36 Factory fork, and a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate rear shock and Reverb Stealth dropper post.

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Frame Details

The Bronson V4 frame doesn't change that much in appearance compared to the prior version, save the big front wheel. The downtube is slightly steeper because the forward shock mount is lower than before. This does create a kinked downtube, which stands out more due to its enormous volume. I wonder, is Santa Cruz trying to bridge the gap between the look of their eMTBs?

There are no aluminum frame build options, a concept introduced on the previous generation. The choice of the regular C or higher grade CC carbon carries on and reflects in price as you climb the MSRP ladder. The high modulus CC carbon is 200-300g lighter (depending on frame size), even though it's said to offer the same strength and stiffness.

A big change for Bronson lovers is the acceptance of all rear shocks. The shock tunnel has been carved so you can now swap out to a coil shock or an air shock with a larger volume can if you wish.

The internal cable routing caters to those who run their front brake on the right; two ports on the left hand side of the headtube and one on the right. The downtube has a bolt on rubber bottom bracket and shuttle guard, while the chainstay gets the ribbed bumper treatment. The seatstay has a thinner rubber strip and the dropout can use a SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger.

There are no chainstay adjustments or accessory mounts, but you will find ISCG tabs, a threaded BB, and the lower shock mount continues to use bearings that are guarded by a short fender. The lower link rotates a lot around the shock, so those bearings keep things super supple for a longer period of time than regular DU bushings.

Geometry

Geometry is one thing that is expected to change when you build an MX wheeled bike. The stack is 14mm taller on this new frame, but the head tube shrinks from 120mm to 110 in length, obviously to account for the wagon wheel at the helm. Predictably, the reach grows from 459mm to 475, in the high BB setting, which is much for fitting for a size large.

There are five sizes to choose from with the reach ranging from 405mm on the XS to, and 500 on the XL with fixed chainstay lengths altered to match the fit. Santa Cruz achieves this by relocating the pivot placement on the front triangle, so all rear triangles use the same mold.

Chainstays are another measurement to ponder over, as I mentioned they are tuned for each size of frame, ranging from 432mm on the XS to 443 on the XL. Those numbers might seem on the shorter side for you folks hopping on the long chainstay trend, but if you're looking for that high speed stability, maybe the Megatower is the bike you're after.

There is only one adjustment, located on the lower link, to alter the head tube and seat tube angles from 64.7º to 64.5º and 76.9º to 76.5º, respectively.

Suspension Design

Santa Cruz has been fine tuning the VPP suspension for 20 years. They believe this is the best system for the job and have the race pedigree to prove that their bikes can go fast in multiple disciplines of racing.

The travel remains unchanged from the V3 at 150mm of rear wheel travel, but the kinematics are revised to work with a 230mm x 60mm shock, differing from the shorter 210mm x 55mm previously spec’d. Now, the shock tunnel is wide enough to accommodate all air and coil options, with a leverage ratio that works for either.

There is a suspension setup guide on the Santa Cruz website to help you find the comfort and support you are looking for in the Bronson. It's a straightforward chart outlining the sag and shock pressure based on rider weight, and it includes clicks of rebound and compression, as well as the same details for fork setup.

Specifications

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Test Bike Setup


After some experimentation, I ended up running the SuperDeluxe shock at 150 psi, which equated to 30% sag, with the stock two volume spacers still in place.

It was refreshing to see a Fox 36 again since this fork is plenty stiff and suits the Bronson well. A 38mm stanchion fork wouldn't be a wild choice, but the 36 never held me back. With 88 psi and 2 volume spacers, it matched the spirit of the bike; lively, but with enough muscle to save me from poor line choices.

Climbing

All the shocks used in the Bronson build kits have climb switches, even the base model. The lock out is just that; the shock becomes very firm, so it's best saved for smooth surface climbs. The traction is far superior with the switch open to let the shock do its thing and keep the wheel on the ground. I preferred to ascend with shock open, since the trail conditions have been exceptionally dry and loose throughout B.C. this summer.

There's also the fact that the climb switch is difficult to locate without taking your eyes off the trail. That's not the end of the world if you're going to set it at the bottom and unlock it at the top, but if you're the type of rider that likes to adjust things depending on the position and traction you're looking for it could pose a challenge.

I found the climbing position to be comfortable for my 178cm height, although I did end up sliding the seat all the way forward on the rails to get my hips more vertically in line with my feet. The good news is that the actual seat tube angle measures 72.2°, which is much steeper than the previous Bronson, and when the post was fully extended my center of mass didn't end up too far over the rear wheel. The VPP suspension is active without altering the dynamic geometry wildly, and it keeps the BB high near the sag point. This makes lunges and lurches up and over stepped terrain easier to time because you know where the bottom bracket is going to be, and I didn't have any issues with pedal strikes with the 170mm cranks.

The overall relatively light weight (claimed 13.97kg / 30.8lbs for a size medium) made the Bronson zip uphill. I did notice that I was a little more likely to spin the 27.5" wheel on my typical climbing route compared to the bikes with 29" rear wheels I've been riding lately - it was a little easier to overpower the DHRII's grip and get it to break free on the loose, dusty trails.

Descending

There’s no guarantee that this bike will make you link rutted turns like some of the 50/01 crew, but the small rear wheel is undoubtedly easier to change direction. It might not have the same "bump eraser" feel of a full 29er, but this bike wants to party. I found myself looking for different ways to ride the same old trails, basically searching for any bank or bump to carve up or pop off.

The girthy downtube has a sturdy feel without rattling your teeth loose. The ride is definitely on the stiffer side of the spectrum, but that has its merits. Large G-outs are handled well. It tracks true and unwanted frame flex, keeping your body from wiggling left and right. Even with the carbon rims, I didn’t find myself getting bounced off line in rough, off-camber sections or feeling fatigued more than normal on extended descents.

The small bump traction is decent, and the bike remains composed in the mid-stroke, letting you push into turns and compressions in anticipation of the next trail feature. The bike can be ridden by any level of rider comfortably and confidently. As mentioned in the climbing section, the dynamic geometry doesn't change radically. The Bronson goes a good job of not dive too deep into its travel, but those smaller square edge hits do have a tendency to slow you down more than I anticipated.

It wasn't so much the smaller rear wheel getting hung up, but more the suspension taking a little bit of time to get into the mid-stroke. I did experiment with the air pressures and clickers to try and find a solution. I started out with the shock at 157 psi, for 27% sag, but quickly changed this to 150 psi. The firmer setup was a little too harsh over repetitive square edge hits. The bike never settled into the sweet spot, despite increasing the fork pressure to keep the balance front to back. Once the rear shock was sitting at 30% sag, the suspension performance improved overall. The dynamic geometry came to life and I could stay light over stutter bumps, but still get the support I needed to push the bike into a corner or pre-load a jump. I only found the very end of the travel on large hucks, even with two volume spacers, the stock configuration.

It did seem like the ideal window for shock pressure is relatively small; a few psi here or there can make a big difference in how this bike rides If I was spending more time on the Bronson, I would try jumping on the "trail bike with coil shock" bandwagon for their better break away compliance - I have a hunch that would have created the shock feel I was searching for.

Like the positive suspension traits, the 64.5º head tube angle has a role to play in this ability to move the bike around quickly. It's slack, but not that slack, which will help the bike's geometry suit a wide variety of rider types and riding locations. It's worth mentioning that Santa Cruz chooses to mold integrated headset cups into all their frames, which optimizes construction. That's hard to fault, but it does take away the ability to install an angle adjusting headset for those riders who want to do some geometry modification.

How does it compare?

This bike goes toe-to-toe against the Specialized Stumpjumper Evo with its similar travel and angles. The geometry is almost identical when comparing the S4 size to a size large Bronson. Although I rode the Stumpy in a full 29” setup, it can be converted to an MX wheel setup. This paints a picture of who these types of bikes are for; the rider who loves all day missions, covering a wide variety of terrain, but also blasting off side hits on the trail.

The Bronson feels a little more solid, both in frame flex and suspension support, lending to a more lively feel with almost a BMX snap response to it. I wouldn't say that the Stumpy is a flexy bike by any means. It's a very comfortable ride. The more linear suspension did have less support in G-outs through berms and pumping terrain, plus bottom outs were mildly harsher. That FSR suspension took care of the square edge bumps like butter, but it may need some tinkering for those riders who are sending it deep.

One thing the Stumpjumper has is that safe sense of riding “in the bike” ride, likely due to the greater BB drop and being below both axle planes. The ability to ride short or long chainstays, tweak the head angle, and have a choice of either wheel size out back are strong selling points for the Stumpjumper. Some may argue that more adjustments add complication, but Specialized has a well formulated geometry calculator and terrain guide on their website to help you find the perfect balance.

Technical Report

Santa Cruz Reserve 30 rims: The rims had their fair share of impacts and haven't missed a beat. I even had to stop and inspect the bike after an unsuspecting rock made a horrible noise. To my surprise, the rim and tire was intact like it never felt a thing. The spokes are still evenly tensioned and even with the lightweight, foldable tires, they never burped. The wide 30mm internal width produces a square profile to the Maxxis Minion DHF, which I prefer, to sense the shoulder knobs engaging sooner. They have left me impressed for a 490g weight of the 29" rim.

SRAM XO1 AXS drivetrain: This was my first long term test of SRAM's high end wireless shifting. I wanted to dislike the system because I am still a fan of a good old mechanical system, but its reliability and robustness is hard to argue with. Even after a few knocks, the shifting still performed perfectly and adjusting the trim is easy. It's hard to argue with the clean look of one less cable and the battery life is incredible.

SRAM Code RSC brakes: I was stoked to see SRAM's Code RSC brakes on the Bronson, since they have a great power to weight ratio. I do like a brake with a bit more power to progress through the stroke, but they were predictable and reliable. An easy upgrade would be a 200mm rear rotor. The weight difference is only 46g more than the stock 180mm. The front brake does the majority of the work to slow you down, while the rear controls the direction at times. So, you end up dragging the rear brake more and ultimately it heats up just as much or more than the front.

Maxxis EXO tires: Tires are subjective to riding style and terrain. I was impressed that the lightweight EXO casing tires survived the whole time I was testing the Bronson. They endured some nasty shralps and sharp rocks without a burp or a hiccup, although they did bounce and roll a lot when you get them up to speed on hardpacked trails. A more supportive casing like the EXO+ would calm that feeling down and be more suited for the Bronson.

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Pinkbike's Take

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