New Santa Cruz Chameleon spotted in the wild!

Has to be a handlebar swapper on slow, seated climbs with that HA.

 

That thing needs a dropper post BADLY!

My roadie and my HT are green, lol.

 

He's no Claudio, @herzalot, but this guy is a riot...

Review of the parts on the bike lasts to about 4:10, when he starts the ride. He gets into a chunkier section of trail at about 7:20...

 

I want that trail!

 

Got it, only better (but short, just one mile, maybe less)

Wait til Monroe Truck Trail dries out and the rock garden is rerouted. Give it another month or so. The bottom blast through the creek bed/rock garden is epic tech (but not difficult). However, if you shuttle the whole thing, you'll have downhill smiles for miles. It's fairly buff and simple but if you go on a weekday, you can let it rip without much concern for other users.

 

Monroe is a great trail... I've been waiting for reports of "all clear" before I head up there again. @Runs with Scissors introduced me to that one, and I even enjoy the road miles all the way to the village.

 

I know a "secret way", done in a way of cooking eggs, by passing thru an experiment, that will connect with Monroe with only a couple of roadie miles to ride....

 

Poached eggs are fantastic

 

Hey... I just re-read this. All of the Highballs are specced with 100mm forks, but the docs say they can go to 120. I haven't seen confirmation on the new Chameleon's max yet.

 

It is on the SC Webpage:


Tech Info
Suspension System Hardtail
Front Derailleur Direct to Frame
Headset/Headtube Integrated (IS41/52)
Seat Post 31.6mm
Fork Compatibility 120mm-140mm
BB Shell Standard
Max Tire Size 3.0"
Brake Types Disc
Water Bottle Mounts 2x bottle cage mounts
Notes Maximum tire size changes with tire diameter: For 27.5+ wheels, you can fit a 3.0" tire. In 29er form, the biggest that will go is a 2.5".

 

I like Santa Cruz. I want to like Chameleons. When I was still banging away at the Floop on my BMX bike, the Chameleon was high on my list when I got the money to buy a "real" bike. But the material scares me. I ended up with the Iron Horse in my userpic instead of a Cham, (Couldn't beat the price,) and it beats the hell out of me. My steel road bike has a nicer ride on 28c tires than the alu hardtail on 2.2 tires. The only comfy hardtails I've ridden were steel.

I'm still highly suspicious of unsuspended alu, but this gives me hope.

 

So it can go pretty big... Not as big as the older ones, but still beefy.

 

True, but the older ones were 26".....and a 6" travel fork on a HT is on the side of overkill.

 

I agree.....I had a 2002 which was still one of the US made frames that required the dropout to run disc brakes.....yeah, that old. I then had 2 more, a 2004 and a 2004.5 that were updated a bit: disc tabs, HT gussets and a heavy duty Seatstay/Seattube yoke....all with square chainstays. The US frame had a better, more compliant ride. The Taiwan frame was stiff for sure. But with 2.35 tires it wasn't so bad.


The new frame minus the extra brace behind the BB looks like it may provide a bit more give than we have seen in the past....then again, that is where my first Highball failed.

 

One of the reviews I read recently made me look at the frame numbers a little more closely. The reviewer sized down in the Chameleon compared to other Santa Cruzes that he's ridden. My large Highball is perfect, but I may want to take a look at a medium Chameleon...

A medium Chameleon seems to have a longer reach than the large Highball.

Highball Reach: Medium 406mm and Large 429mm
Chameleon: Medium 437mm and Large 457

 

I dunno.......size chart is 5'10" - 6'1" for the large.....same as the L HB.

I don't believe that takes in affect the stem length. The reach is 1" longer, but you are going to run a stem that is most likely 35-45mm shorter than what is on the HB.

 

I believe that is the approach Salsa took with the Timberjack, too. A bit more stretched out and spec'd with a short stem.

 

Yes dude! What trails are those? Looks soo fun.

 

The HB is probably more XC and the Chameleon is trail oriented designed to use a ~50mm stem...thus the longer reach. Friend of mine built one up. Real cool looking bike.

 

The first reviews that came out were all gushing over the Chameleon... I think this one may be a little more balanced, and it gives the edge in some categories to the competition.

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/revie...n-bike-2017/santa-cruz-chameleon-r1-plus-2017

 

Who will be the first here to own one? The suspense is killing me...

 

There are a few lower spec builds around on-line, but they have been pretty much sold out since just after the launch. The next batch is supposed to ship in July.

 

Interesting review. The Woodsmoke is the main competition that catches my eye in the "Do-everything-HT" category. Shame they didn't like it. Their review made me look at the Stache more favorably, (Odd, since I usually hate post-US made Treks.) Two of the three primary criticisms of the Cham are a non-issue for me. I like bikes to be a bit more agile/skittish, and I always build frame up, so the lack of a dropper is a non-issue for me. TFP, Faust.

 

Ok.....here are sone things that jump out at me.

1. Don't compare 27.5+ vs. 29 vs. 29+ Not apples to apples.

2. Of course the Special'Ed is gonna climb better. 28t ring vs. 30t ring.

3. Pick your poison. Reba 32mm vs. Fox 34....for the price you gotta go with the Fox.

4. No dropper post....we get it....Spec. Comes with one, at the cost of a smaller fork.

 

I'd rather pick my own dropper anyway. Or maybe if I take one of these bikes out for XC or long ride stuff just get a flex carbon post. I'm fine with a company saving cost by spec'ing a normal post, especially if you get a sweet fork. I wish they still sold framesets, (Frame, fork, plus some other stuff.) I usually want my own wheels, bars, stem, grips, drivetrain, etc, etc...

 

I purchased a frame back in April, but the XL wont be here until late July, early August. I have the fork, drivetrain and cockpit sitting in a pile waiting for a bike to be installed on. When it gets a bit closer to delivery date, I'll get some wheels together for it.

 

Santa Cruz has changed the options for the stock build... Race Face dropper post now included on the upper build, WTB rubber instead of Maxxis, fork stanchions are now black, different Novatec rear hub... And they shaved 1/2 pound off the listed weight.

So... If I placed an order with the bike shop a couple months ago, which one will be delivered? The older specs or the new?

 

Usually specs are subject to change.

That said as long as you don't have to pay a different price since you already agreed on a price when the order was placed.

Most likely this was part of the reason that delivery has been delayed so long....they are in the middle of changing to the 2018 build kits.

 

Forgot that part... Price went up $350 on the upper build. The lower builds are still the same price.

I don't see any differences in the lower build specs, but they are claiming lower weight there, as well. Both 29er builds are in the 26 pound range, and both plus bikes are in the 27 pound range.

 

The Novatech D462 rear hub must be new....in not finding any info on it.

The weight should be a wash. The WTB tires are lighter than the Maxxis, but the dropper post is heavier than the rigid post.