Santa Cruz Bicycles Bronson 2.0 R1 Complete Mountain Bike 2017

The Bronson 2. 0 R1x Complete Mountain Bike may be Santa Cruz Bicycles' most cost effective enduro sled. The trick to its price per pound alchemy is that, instead of carbon, the frame is made from SC's proprietary aluminum. It may weigh a bit more, but it's also better suited for handling the ins and outs and catastrophic downs of enduro cycling. We're of course specifically thinking of the downs, as in the down and outs when hubris and aggression conspire to send us into lines that outmatch both our bikes and our own skill. The injury of user errors like that tends to be less insulting when your frame bounces back without cracks and damage. Though it's aluminum, the Bronson 2. 0 R1x's frame features the same geometry updates as its most expensive carbon counterpart. Of these, the head tube which slacks out by an extra tick on the protractor to drop from 67 to 66 degrees is arguably the most impressive. This change is complemented with a corresponding increase in top tube length, a lower bottom bracket, and a raised lower link a combination that allows for short stemmed, strike free, point and click confidence while traversing lines and dropping steps that would cause even the previous Bronson to hesitate. It also effectively erases root lattices and moderate rock gutters, letting you mash across terrain that trail, XC, and even other all mountain bikes have to pick through with delicate care. Compared to the 1. 0 version, the Bronson 2. 0's seat tube gets steeper by almost a full degree for better positioning over the cranks. The revised geometry keeps you on top of the pedal stroke, and relocated links allow for a shorter chainstay, which makes for more efficient power transfer. The back end is further stiffened with the 12 x 148mm Boost axle standard, ensuring that the extra watts produced by the improved pedaling position and shorter chainstays aren't lost to wheel flex. Despite its slacker head tube and longer geometry, the back end configuration helps..