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Santa Cruz Chameleon 27+

548K views 3K replies 365 participants last post by  laegrim 
#1 ·
#78 ·
Bomboloni barely fits (pictured)... DHRII Plus has a little more room (not pictured)...

First off, all the reviews are spot on... Comfy in the rear, responsive in the crank, and rails hard!!!

Bought the frame and it weighed 5.4 lbs, size M (seat collar removed). 28 lbs on the nose as seen built... Sorry, for the crappy Anthropology shot...

Borrowed the wheels from another bike, as I didn't have any other Boost 29er wheels... Weight is slightly felt when climbing, but it is very stable - 780mm bar with 50mm stem, 120mm 27.5 plus fork... No dabs on the climbs yet though. 30x44 has been just enough...

Bombs down the chunk like my Nimble 9 and reminiscent of my Stache 5 Plus. The rear feels like I'm riding a plus tire, and closely muted like the N9 - close but not the same. Figured the stiff "cheena carbon" rims, i30 with 2.2 Ardent Race, would be jarring, but not at all - 17 psi, 250 lbs geared up.

Looking to setup in all configurations, as the 27.5 plus dropouts were also purchased. 130mm fork in 27.5 plus mode sounds spot on. 29plus rigid was always in my sights too, but will have to wait for a 2.8" 29er or 2.6" 29er for the rear. I really wish that 3.0" fit... Maybe the 2.6" will offset the front enough to get close to the target HT angle - 480mm A-C rigid fork. Doubtful, but maybe I'll try it with 2.2" rear first.

That said, my Stache 5 will be for sale... Rolling chassis: size 17.5, Miami Green, rigid fork and stock wheels... Might have kept the Stache if it was a size 18.5. Reach feels short now after riding the 440mm reach on the SC "lizard"...

I love this bike!!!

Sorry for you guys that have to wait for delivery. Feel free to ask me questions...
 

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#79 ·
Bomboloni barely fits (pictured)... DHRII Plus has a little more room (not pictured)...

First off, all the reviews are spot on... Comfy in the rear, responsive in the crank, and rails hard!!!

Bought the frame and it weighed 5.4 lbs, size M (seat collar removed). 28 lbs on the nose as seen built... Sorry, for the crappy Anthropology shot...

Borrowed the wheels from another bike, as I didn't have any other Boost 29er wheels... Weight is slightly felt when climbing, but it is very stable - 780mm bar with 50mm stem, 120mm 27.5 plus fork... No dabs on the climbs yet though. 30x44 has been just enough...

Bombs down the chunk like my Nimble 9 and reminiscent of my Stache 5 Plus. The rear feels like I'm riding a plus tire, and closely muted like the N9 - close but not the same. Figured the stiff "cheena carbon" rims, i30 with 2.2 Ardent Race, would be jarring, but not at all - 17 psi, 250 lbs geared up.

Looking to setup in all configurations, as the 27.5 plus dropouts were also purchased. 130mm fork in 27.5 plus mode sounds spot on. 29plus rigid was always in my sights too, but will have to wait for a 2.8" 29er or 2.6" 29er for the rear. I really wish that 3.0" fit... Maybe the 2.6" will offset the front enough to get close to the target HT angle - 480mm A-C rigid fork. Doubtful, but maybe I'll try it with 2.2" rear first.

That said, my Stache 5 will be for sale... Rolling chassis: size 17.5, Miami Green, rigid fork and stock wheels... Might have kept the Stache if it was a size 18.5. Reach feels short now after riding the 440mm reach on the SC "lizard"...

I love this bike!!!

Sorry for you guys that have to wait for delivery. Feel free to ask me questions...
envious... can't wait for my small frame to arrive... will build it as 27.5 plus. I already have a Highball as 29'er... what rims are those?
 
#89 ·
got mine ordered as frame only option... dealer in the Philippines said I was one of the first batch to get ordered and arrival in SCB factory/assembly is 1st week of May... it mght take extra long to get it in the Philippines as it comes from Taiwan, then US, then back to the Philippines...
 
#87 ·
My Stache 5 (2016 rigid) is/was fun as hell!!! I stripped all the stock parts and made it my own. I rode it rigid 80% of the time for typical SoCal trails, and would install a Fox 34 for shuttle run rides. Very capable in the fast, flowy, and rocky stuff. However, I discovered the bike was getting twitchy in the steep downs and had to be mindful at times, squishy or rigid. Never crashed, but figured I should have gotten the 18.5 and not 17.5 size. Tried a longer stem, and sliding the wheel all the way back, but it lost some of its flickability. Almost bought a larger frameset but built a Slash instead. Felt weird spending more coin to build an almost identical bike. My Stache would still be in one piece if not for the new Chameleon.

The longer reach of most new bikes really intrigued me, especially because of the scenario with my Stache. First ride with the Lizard blew me away! 29er mode though, with same Fox 34. Railed hard and stable in everything else. Better acceleration than the Stache, but lost the float roll. Felt higher on the Chameleon vs the Stache, where I was more in the bike, than on top. Not sure what the BB height difference is, but handling was not impacted. In terms of comfort when bombing down the chunk, with a 2.2 Ardent race on i30 rim felt very similar to the Stache with 3.0 rubber. It's not the wheel or rubber, but the frame doing its magic. Difficult to quantify, but it's there.

Will try 29plus with a rigid fork To see how it feels. 2.2 in the back to slack it out, and will try 2.6 too. 27.5plus wheels are being built, so I'll get to try it that too.
 
#88 ·
Thanks mate. It's interesting to hear that in certain situations the 2.2 felt similar to the Stache with its 3.0 in terms of comfort. It's great that you're going to be able to try a multitude of different wheel/tyre combos over the next few months.

I love my Stache (a lot!) but the grass is always greener on the other side right? I'd just need to set aside an additional $1500 for all the purple anodized Hope bits in the promo shots, haha.
 
#98 ·
Pretty sure my next bike will be some sort of versatile AM hardtail that can do either 27.5+ or 29" wheels and this one is high on my list to build from the frame. It seems that everything I have access to locally has long waitlists, though.

My wife had better decide what new FS she wants and get that stuff ordered, because she'd get pissed at me for ordering a new bike before she does.

I just specced out a possible build to see what sorts of weights I'd be looking at. I have a number of different industry connections, so thankfully I won't have to pay retail (but that makes it next to impossible to come up with a price list before I start buying stuff). I definitely didn't go weight weenie for the build, but it at least looks reasonably possible to get build weight for a Chameleon frame to around 26lb (MRP Ribbon fork, Arc40 27.5+ rims/I9 hubs, SRAM GX 1x11, Shimano 180/160 brakes, Thomson Covert dropper, DMR Vault pedals, not a drop of carbon in the build).
 
#100 ·
Subscribing here. Thinking about getting one for my wife who rides 3-5 times a year on paths and some hard pack and currently doesn't have a bike. I'm thinking I can set it up as kind of a dirt jump bike for myself although I actually plan not to jump it other than trail stuff but to ride it around town on 20 mile rides. I am currently riding a 24" bmx on these rides and I love it. I also have a new Tallboy 3 and I love that too. I'm thinking either a small or medium Chameleon might fill that gap and do double duty for when my wife wants to ride. Just got off the phone with my LBS and he said the SC rep stopped by 2 weeks ago and said they are all sold out and it's going to be some time before they get more. He's calling to confirm for me.
 
#101 ·
I had a 29 x 2.6 NN delivered for another bike today. I'll drop the wheel in my Chameleon to see if it fits. Hubs aren't boost, but it'll give you an idea of clearance on a wide (42mm outside Nextie Crocodile) rim. Need to post pics of my Chameleon and thoughts as well when it's not 12:30 AM! 😊
 
#111 ·
Rode my D+ model this past weekend in the Mud, Sweat, & Beers race in Traverse City, MI. It's a 21-miler with some short steep climbs, fast two-track, flowy singletrack, and plenty of sand and roots. The only drawback I can find on the bike is just the weight of the wheels when trying to accelerate (I have Bomboloni tires instead of the Rekons, so mine are even heavier), but those plus tires give some amazing traction to hold speed in corners and over bumps. The bike is ridiculously balanced and poised through ups, downs, and turns. Despite this being really my third good ride on the bike, I found it very easy to feel comfortable blasting through sandy and root-filled downhill sections where others were grabbing the brakes (hitting 35mph on one of them! haha). When climbing up some steep sections and making the most of that 42t ring in the back I didn't run into any problems with the front end wandering despite the slacker head angle. The climbing traction of the bike is unreal with that plus tire on the back. When going through turns the bike is easy to set into corners and pedal through to keep the power down. The rider's normal position is very neutral and ready to handle about anything that could be around the next turn.

One other thing I noticed is how great I felt after the race. I didn't feel near as fatigued as I would have expected based on the level of training I had done. I noticed this same thing on my first ride on the bike as well. The combo of the plus tires and the fantastic design work from SC on the back part of the bike make it a really comfortable aluminum hardtail.

The only thing I've really had a minor issue with thus far is getting the seat height right and getting it to stay there. I'm 6'2" and riding a large, and the seat post is almost maxed out to get up to the right height. Additionally, the clamp they provided was slipping a lot on the first couple of rides. I didn't seem to have any trouble with the post sliding down much during the race though, so I must've finally been able to get it tight enough.

If you have any further questions, let me know!
 
#104 ·
I'm fairly new to MTB world and am really close to ordering a SC Chameleon and was wondering if 10% off, no tax and free shipping is a good deal? Also, is the R version worth the upgrade?

This will be my first bike so I am just looking for some advice. Then the other question would be, 27.5+ or 29? Is the frame the same for both setups?

Thanks,

Cameron
 
#105 ·
I think it's a great choice! I also think that's a pretty good deal at least for what I can get it for. In fact I'd love to have you maybe pm me where you plan to get it from so I could possibly order one as well, I would however wait until you order yours. In regards to the R version, I think it's worth the upgrade myself and that's what I plan to order. However that's pretty subjective just like picking which bike is right for where you plan to ride. I have a 27.5+ and love it. I plan to order the 29er version as I don't have one yet. Id spend some time researching between the two. I was told when I bought mine (fairly recently) to go with 27.5+ and then later add a nice set of 29er wheels. Needless to say I love my 27.5+ tires. I do climb a lot and they are unstoppable and plow through everything.
 
#106 ·
I will send you a PM.

Thanks for the reply. Am I correct, that the only difference between the 27.5+ model and the 29er model is the the size of tires? Is there anything else different? Also, are both the 27.5+ and the 29er capable of switching to the smaller/bigger tire?
 
#107 ·
Yes, as far as I believe they are the same except for the wheel size. It's possible the derailleur bracket is different but I can't recall. Yes you can swap between 27.5+ and 29er and I thought I even read somewhere that you can stuff some fairly wide 29ers on it. It's a super flexible setup bike and that's a major reason for my interest.
 
#108 ·
Well since the Chemeleon frame was so much money I found this 2017 NS Eccentric Djambo on pinkbike for 300 bucks, I had parts laying around so I used those and the wheels and tires I was swapping with my Hightower,but I prefer the Hightower in 29er mode more. Anyway here are some pics.
 
#109 ·
Anyone with a bike have any insight on sizing? I'm 5'10" so right on the line between medium/large per Santa Cruz suggested sizing, but I have long arms and I'm fairly flexible. Currently on an '09 Superfly SS Large which lines up similarly with the SC medium but I'm thinking really the only way to tell is to ride both... hard to do when they're sold out everywhere!
 
#112 ·
The Hub in Brevard, NC has a large plus build available or did as of Sunday.
I took that large plus Chameleon for a quick spin on Saturday. I'm usually a medium guy, but occasionally feel good on a large. I'll say that large Chameleon felt pretty good to me. I'm 5'8 with longer arms, so the bike felt pretty good in the tt length department. But I didn't have much ST length exposed...certainly not even enough for a 125mm dropper. I'll bet that a large Chameleon will probably be a good fit for 5'10 with longer arms.
 
#121 ·
I ride a medium 5010 V1 and had problems with the TT with a 50 mm stem and 760 mm HB. I had difficulty leaning back on steed trails... so when I ordered this new Chamelion, opted a small... I'm 5'5, stocky built and in my height it was in the middle of a S and a M, since on paper it said it had longer TT than my medium 5010, i just went on the small frame, hopefully I made the right choice =)
 
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