A new Santa Cruz Bronson promises to be better than ever with subtle updates you’d have to look hard to notice. Still 150/160mm of do-it-all travel, but with more balanced mullet geometry and a tweaked VPP suspension layout that moves its link forward for a smoother ride. Santa Cruz refined their popular carbon all-mountain bike, creating an even better trail bike AND a more capable big mountain shredder…
2024 Santa Cruz Bronson carbon all-mountain bike updated
The California bikemakers’s most-popular all-rounder is the mountain bike for riders who want one bike for blasting local singletrack loops, heading out into the backcountry for all-day trail rides, and dropping into the bikepark for a taste of enduro. The platform has been a solid all-mountain performer for more than 8 years, getting a mullet update in 2022, and internal frame storage the next year.
Now it gets “evolved MX geometry” and an “even better VPP“.
This is the 5th generation Bronson. And honestly, it looks a lot like gens 3 & 4. OK, the new split spars at the bottom of the seattube do actually set this one apart. But it’s really the subtle forward shift of the VPP links that redefine how this bike rides – with a more plush feel and improved traction to soak up the tougher trails mountain bikers are riding these days.
What’s new?
“When you can only have one bike, and your mission is to ride that bike into oblivion then this is the one. From manicured bike parks to blown out loamy berms, alpine lines to backyard trails, the Bronson is as at home in the air as it is in the dirt.”
Santa Cruz reconfigured the long-running layout of the Bronson’s VPP (virtual pivot point) suspension that has defined this all-rounder since 2013. By moving the key lower link forward and the main pivot slightly down, Santa Cruz say they’ve lowered the bike’s anti-squat. The result is a more supple bike that can soak up the big bumps even when you are standing on the pedals and filter out trail chatter even when you are pedaling.
Santa Cruz call it all-around better VPP performance for a better all-rounder bike
“Reduced pedal kickback on square-edge hits. Remains active while pedaling up and across rough, technical terrain. Less anti-squat benefits descending sensitivity due to the reduced pedal kickback associated with standing on the pedals.”
Evolved MX Geometry
The Santa Cruz Bronson is still a 150mm mullet trail bike, paring the smaller 27.5″ rear wheel to 160mm of travel up front and a larger 29″ front wheel. Santa Cruz insist mullet is the way to go for this playful shredder style bike. It benefits from the more agile rear end and more stable front, and a neutral feel “when pointed downhill”. But Santa Cruz also say the mullet setup gives them more freedom to play with rear end length for a more balanced ride.
So now the Bronson gets size-specific chainstays. And it gets proportional geometry across the 5-size range (S-XXL) with even slacker angles. Now the Bronson gets a 63.9° or 64.2° head angle and 77.3-78.4° effective seat angle, depending on whether you pick the LOw or HIgh position at the rear shock mount flip-chip.
In a time of ever-growing frame Reach, the same-size Bronsons aren’t actually longer. But the 27.5-only XS is gone and they add the new XXL at the other end of the spectrum.
Tech details
- Glovebox secure internal frame storage in the downtube under the bottle cage mount
- enclosed fully-guided internal cable routing from the sides of the headtube
- C carbon frames are compatible with mechanical shifting
- CC carbon frames only include internal routing for a rear brake & dropper post – wireless electronic shift-only
- 2.5″ max tire clearance, front & rear
- Boost 148mm spacing
- Post Mount brakes with 200mm front /180mm rear rotors
- ISCG05 chain guide mounts
- BSA Threaded bottom bracket
- Santa Cruz UDH
- IS 1.5″ tapered headset
- Lifetime frame warranty
- Easy-to-source, easy-to-service bearings
2024 Santa Cruz Bronson – Options & availability
The new Bronson now comes in two colors – Kalimotxo pink and Root Beer brown – and in 5 complete bike build options. Or as a $3900 frameset.
Three builds – a $5000 / 5500€ R, $5900 / 6400€ S & the $7000 / 7400€ GX AXS get the more affordable C carbon frame.
While the top two $8000 / 8800€ X0 AXS & $9000 / 10k€ X0 AXS RSV specs get the top-tier CC carbon frame.
As for spec updates, those top 3 new SRAM AXS bikes also get Maven brakes, all but the entry build get Fox 36 forks and Float X rear shocks. And all bikes get all-mountain-ready Maxxis Assegai + DHR II tire combos.
Word is that the Bronson’s Juliana Roubion sister bike won’t be getting the same updates, at least for the time being.
