It wasn’t long after announcing our partnership with Santa Cruz, that our demo bike specialist, Stellan, began scheming up this eye-catching Bronson build. Responsible for keeping our fleet of demo bikes fresh and functional, he has first-hand experience as to which components can truly withstand a season's worth of abuse. As someone who can be quite demanding on components himself, this all-new Bronson was built up with reliability in mind.
Stellan started this build with a Bronson SRAM 90 C complete, making select component upgrades to elevate its ride quality even further. A size large carbon C frame outfitted with SRAM’s Eagle 90 Transmission groupset, Reserve 30|HD wheels, and a full OneUp cockpit gave him a strong foundation to work off of. The most notable upgrades have been to the suspension and brakes, opting for the combination of a Rockshox ZEB and Vivid Ultimate coil, along with the addition of Hayes Dominion A4 brakes. No stranger to the Sea-to-Sky corridor and its relentless steeps and rocky terrain, Stellan's Bronson is a proper all-mountain bike capable of ticking off the region's most committing features.
Bike Details
Frame: Santa Cruz Bronson
Size: Large
Wheels: Reserve 30|HD Alloy / DT Swiss 370 / Sapim Race Butted Spokes
Tires: Maxxis Assegai MG EXO+ 29 x 2.5 / Maxxis DHR II MT EXO+ 29 x 2.4
Drivetrain: SRAM 90 Transmission Groupset / SRAM 90 170mm Crankset, 32t Chainring
Brakes: Hayes Dominio A4 / 200mm HS2 Rotor F/R
Cockpit: OneUp Alloy 35mm rise, 760mm wide / OneUp stem 42mm / Santa Cruz House Grips
Seatpost/Saddle: OneUp V3 dropper 210mm / Specialized Power Comp Mimic 155mm / Aenomaly Constructs Switchgrade 2.0 Evo
Pedals: PNW Loam GEN 2 Pedal
Shock: RockShox Vivid Coil Ultimate 230mm x 57.5mm
(Spring: 450 HSC: -1)
Fork: RockShox ZEB Ultimate 160mm
(PSI: 70 HSC: -1 LSC: +7 LSR: 6 Spacers: 3)
Why did Santa Cruz stand out to you?
I’ve always heard about their high-quality frames and attention to detail, and the geometry numbers for the Bronson were in line with what I was looking to try.
What made you choose the Bronson over either the HighTower or Nomad?
I’ve been a fan of mullet bikes since I first tried one, so it was a pretty easy decision choosing this over the full 29” HighTower for that reason alone. My previous bike had 170mm travel, so I wanted to try something a bit more versatile and well-rounded.
I tried the Nomad and the Bronson definitely pedals a little better and the updated VPP seemed like it tracked better on the rear wheel. Generally, just less feedback through my feet; it felt more predictable, and the bike hugged the ground more.
What was your reasoning for swapping to RockShox suspension and Hayes brakes?
The Hayes Dominion brakes have been a staple on most of my bikes recently. I love how easy the bleed process is, and their consistency and lever feel. In terms of the RockShox, I had heard a lot of good things about the ZEB and have been a fan of coil shocks recently. The ZEB was easy to set up, and each click of compression and rebound makes a noticeable difference compared to some other brands I’ve run.
How does the Vivid Coil compare to the stock Fox Float X?
The Vivid Coil has significantly more adjustment compared to the performance Float X, which only had a rebound adjustment. The coil has HBO, high and low-speed compression, and rebound adjustments, so there is definitely more opportunity to fine-tune it. Especially for a bike in the 150mm travel range that I’m going to ride across a variety of terrain, I can better fine-tune the bike how I want to.
How does the Santa Cruz Bronson compare to your previous Transition Spire?
Almost hard to compare, since they are in different categories. Pedaling is definitely an improvement on the Bronson, but it doesn’t necessarily feel limited on the descents. You need to revisit how you ride a line, adding a bit of creativity to how you tackle the super steep, gnarly, chunky stuff compared to the Spire. For the average trail ride, the Bronson is definitely snappier and livelier, which is fun because you aren’t going to be riding DH-level terrain all the time.
If you could ride anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
I’d probably go to Squamish. That is definitely my favorite zone to ride right now because they have a fantastic mix of rock slabs and hero dirt. Those are my two favorite kinds of riding, and you can do them both in the same spot up there.
