SC Bronson 2016

Discussion in 'Bike Reviews' started by dustyyoungblood, Nov 18, 2016.


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    "Bronsoning"
    noun
    1.The act of pedaling along over nasty rocks and ruts with reckless abandon while laughing in the face of danger and holding your line.
    2. To crush your PR's over chucky terrain without breaking a sweat.

    It started with a $75 overnight rental from the path. The Bronson was set up real nice build and tuned good. It had minnon tires in wide rims.

    The fit: I am 5-11 3/4 and got a size large. The bike is big, it's a monster!!! But it felt good. The reach was fine and gave me a confident position in the saddle,

    Test ride 1, the Luge: takeing off from cooks as I buzzed down the road with minions I was thinking I might not be able to pedal up the steep road section before the gate. I took the low gear, and I tried to keep my cadence up the hill. Well, no problem, cleaned the hill at a slow pace. Great start, thumbs up for efficient pedaling performance. Motoring along STT I found the bike to complexly destroy all the small bumps. In the saddle in a neutral body position on the moderately uphill, flat and rolling downhill sections the bike just makes and small terrain features disappear. It's an almost ridiculous performance on small bumps keeping traction and lines up and down.

    To put it into perspective, I was riding one handed(sunrise in my face, making a visor with left hand) and the bike mowed the rough stuff no issue. Almost funny.

    There is a short and bit chunkier DH section not to long before the flag. Some loose rock and step features proved to not even phase the Bronson. The negative travel from sag point working really well to make traction in places that I have been loose and sketched on with lesser bikes.

    On the Luge DH it's going well. The cornering is working and I feel comfortable with my body positioning. Bumps and holes getting wiped out and at this point I am thinking "why would I ever need a Nomad if we have a Bronson?" Getting faster and the holes and hits start staking up. What's happening the ride is getting rough and hits feeling harsh???

    And on the worst section of the trail I just barely start to feel the limitation of the bike. I think it's the very progressive ramp up leverage. Sitting deep into the travel and haveing additional hits to absorb can start to get much rougher than I expected. Enough so that I am getting off my lines going into so corners.

    Now don't get me wrong. The bike works really really well!!!!! But there is a point in the travel where repeated hits get rough. Maybe to much rebound dampening???

    Fun factor: I have heard people say the Bronson can be "boring" or "less fun" well, after riding it i totally understand those statements. Riding along the bike gobbles everything up, including trail features you might want to boost off or jump or lay into to preload a corner. This is more of an observation than a complaint. It's not a very lively bike. To much rebound???

    Later this day I went 2 clicks less rebound dampening on front and rear and headed to Whiting ranch for a lunch loop. Pedal up borrego and mustard was fine. I felt confident riding it.

    Down cactus was fun. And with 2 clicks less rebound damper the bike had more life, and was more fun. It did come at a cost though, less traction in the rough and was loose and bouncing more than I would like. the bounce was enough that the rider on my tail let me know it was looking loose!!!!

    Frame design: super stiff design. Links have no flex.
    Super impression build out. Fat guy stamp of approval
     
    Cyclotourist, bvader and Danmtchl like this.
  2. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    OK What the heck while we are waiting for @dustyyoungblood and his new dream machine... and to give him something to drool over...

    My Brand New Bronson Beast...Absolutely Loving It BTW!!
    Amazingly Fun Bike
    MY2106.5 Medium XX1 Build

    IMG_20161015_073758.jpg

    One in the Wild too :)

    IMG_20161105_112405.jpg

    Size:
    Classic I am 5' 10" proto-male-build and thus agonized a bit over Med / Large as we all did, rode side-by side and went with the medium. The new SC medium are about a size larger than V1 (WRSPT reach) and in the end when I am in doubt I chose on the smaller size so I can maneuver. I also rode a Medium Nomad and I really liked the feel / size. The Med New Bronson is a bit longer. After a couple Rides, right choice as I can move it around and when climbing the steeps I am in the correct power position. Though absolutely to each is own on this factor.

    The for some reason I started to agonize a bit more after a couple rides, then I went and rode again (MS->Motorway) did 3600' of climbing, very comfortable etc. and then proceeded to pretty much blitz a PR on a pretty technical trail that I had just seen for the first time in 2 years. Realized after that ride realized ... pretty sure I am on the right bike.

    Model:
    Its the MY 2016.5 XX1 AM Build pretty much stock, lots of nice parts.
    I got a nice deal from my LBS Thank You, The Path in Tustin
    I struggled between this and the X01 (1 model below) 2017 Eagle for about the same price. Hard choice.

    Decided to go for the "4 month older version" and get top-o-line across the board.
    First I will say I have been a Shimano guy for most the last decade... uhh Wow the SRAM XX1 and Guides are very nice.... very nice, did I say very nice? Really liking this build. I put on the a bit smaller chain ring to get the ratio I wanted and ready to go.

    Color
    Truthfully I wanted a little more color so got some ODIs personally inscribed to round it out. Also added a crank booties.

    The Choice
    I got this whole bug after going to Whistler and riding a Medium Nomad and having waaay too much inside the park and outside. I was stunned on how well the new SC bigger bikes climb and loved the long low and slack.. I mean really that bike has no right climbing steep rock and roots like that.... I like to climb as much as descend... and then it turned around and went right down worse root and rocks... it was clear I wanted a more aggressive bike something I could go steeper and rockier and and do some destination riding on. I simply wanted a more aggressive bike!

    I also rode a friends V1 5010... nice Bike! but not quite enough.

    The 3 bikes on my list were Bronson, Recluse and SB5. To be honest... I got itchy, parking lot rides, lots of research, memories of the nomad and just a good deal staring me in the face. I had not owned a Santa Cruz. SO I just pulled the trigger, I bought the bike I wanted not the bike I should have(probably 5010 class which I did ride a few times)... Hows 'Bout Them Apples smile5.gif as I have always demo'd in depth before.

    The Ride
    You have heard it all before....
    So got a couple rides and so far everything I want. And yeah I climbed ~5K the first weekend and yeah... Long ST climb ... climbs just fine make that excellent, check! . And descend, yeah we know how that goes. Day 1 descent a bit too busy a day to really open up plus those shiny new slippery tires (DHRIIs like them) but did just fine, gapped the buds on the way down, got stuck behind a few folks and then got one section ... brought smiles. BUT 2nd ride little more peace and quiet. On a descent that is short (~2min) but choppy and fun .. you know... yeah let it ride. I was 1 sec off all time that has been refined over years and I wasn't even letting loose yet, that's all I needed to know (and still getting the ride tuned in). I think I picked right bike. Been practicing Wheelies and Manuals on it, completely natural on this ride. And people say playful (coming from wrestling a 29), I say careful as it launch at first sight, not sure if it the float X or how I have it tuned, almost over did it with a little flick on a right hop-descending-berm... oh crap half way down to next turn in air. This bike is what I wanted and so much fun already can wait for the next ride. Just crushed the Motorway as well.

    SO yeah I found a bike, a fun bike, there are so many out there right now as the BC guy says, get want you want and what is most fun, I totally agree!

    Nits
    Cable management down by the pivot, working on a solution. Want to put a bottle there some times, I will come back and ask some advice for that. Quick fix because I want to keep it out of my line.
    Nit 2 / Caution: My LBS says they have seen a few bikes that the pivots need to be torqued after just a few break-in rides. Happened to me, audible creak / clunk climbing under load. They took care of it (thanks). So keep your ears out, minor but just in case.


    IMG_20161015_073547.jpg
     
  3. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    @bvader beautiful - and great report! Congrats. :thumbsup:
     
    Mikie and bvader like this.
  4. Triple Black looks GREAT. No hipster neon matching decals here.....
     
    bvader and Mikie like this.
  5. StrandLeper

    StrandLeper Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Timothy M. Ryan
    Current Bike:
    SC Bronson 1x/Pivot 429 1x xtr
    Nice review. Nice bike!
     
    bvader likes this.
  6. scan

    scan iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    fran allas
    Current Bike:
    Scott Spark
    Nice report
    Nice report!!!!!
     
    bvader and Mikie like this.
  7. moto knight

    moto knight Member

    Location:
    Riverside
    Name:
    kyle
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Bronson
    Great report. I'm loving my Bronson V2.
    I'm using a side load bottle cage and it works out pretty good.
     
    bvader likes this.
  8. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Cool, Can you post a pic of it wedge in there with the cables. I have a Lezyne SL
     
    Mikie likes this.
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


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