Santa Cruz Bicycles Chameleon 29 D Mountain Bike

Why We Like The Chameleon 29 D Mountain Bike

The Chameleon has always been an adaptable bike, be it trail riding, dirt jumps, or an urban session, the Chameleon lives up to its namesake by being the one bike we can take out knowing we’ll have fun wherever we end up. Now in its 8th generation, the Chameleon remains a jack-of-all-trades type of steed, but comes with a host of refinements to keep it in the running with modern trail hardtails. It’s available with either 29-inch wheels or mixed-wheel setup, with this version being 29er front and rear, kitted out with Santa Cruz’s base-level build kit that gets the job done without draining our whole season’s riding budget.

The 8th gen Chameleon is much slacker than its predecessor, coming with a 65-degree head tube and a low-slung top tube that lets us carry speed with confidence, paired with short chainstays to maintain the agility we’ve always enjoyed from the Chameleon. The bike can be setup geared or single-speed like past models, but the dropout system has been greatly simplified and is more user-friendly than ever. It’s also poised to be a great steed for bikepacking, as it comes with a triple-bolt bottle mount on the downtube for a wide range of cargo-carrying options. And as always, buying a Santa Cruz means you get their industry-leading lifetime warranty, letting us enjoy our Chameleons for years to come knowing Santa Cruz has our backs.

Details

• The 8th generation Chameleon is a versatile modern hardtail
• 29-inch wheels front & rear for steamrolling over obstacles
• Aluminum frame for no-nonsense durability
• Progressive geometry provides stable, confident handling
• Triple-bolt bottle mount opens up your carrying options
• Can be setup single-speed, geared, and with a 27.5in rear wheel
• Simplified dropout and derailleur hanger system

Tech Specs

• Frame Material: aluminum
• Suspension: hardtail
• Fork: RockShox Recon RL
• Front Travel: 130mm
• Headset: Cane Creek 10 IS
• Shifters: SRAM NX Eagle
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM SX Eagle
• ISCG Tabs: ISCG-05
• Crankset: SRAM X1 Eagle 148 DUB
• Chainring Sizes: 30t
• Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB BSA (English threaded)
• Cassette: SRAM PG-1230 NX Eagle
• Cassette Range: 11 – 50t
• Chain: SRAM SX Eagle
• Brakeset: SRAM Level
• Brake Type: 2-piston hydraulic
• Rotors: Avid Centerline
• Rotor Size: 180mm
• Handlebar: Race Face Ride
• Grips: Santa Cruz House Grips OR Burgtec Bartender Pro Grip Minnaar
• Stem: Race Face Chester
• Saddle: WTB Silverado Comp
• Seatpost: SDG Tellis Dropper
• Wheelset: [rims] WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0
• Hubs: [front] SRAM MTH 716, Torque Cap, 32h, [rear] SRAM MTH 746, 32h
• Front Axle: 15 x 110mm Boost
• Rear Axle: 12 x 148mm Boost
• Tire Clearance: 29 x 2.6in, 27.5 x 2.8in
• Tires: [front] Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxGrip EXO TR, [rear] Maxxis Aggressor EXO TR
• Tire Size: 29 x 2.5in
• Pedals: not included
• Extras: 3-boss mount for cargo, chainstay protector
• Claimed Weight: 31lb
• Activity: trail
• Manufacturer Warranty: [frame] lifetime