Totally agree with this review. Last summer, the Santa Cruz rep came by my shop and let us employees take the new Bronson AXS build out for a spin. I rode it for an hour on one of the most popular cross country loops on Long Island and was pleasantly surprised how fun it was pedaling hard, weaving tight corners, and yet I was eager to huck it off all the side hits I knew of. And to your point, the rep said the bike I rode, was ripping at Mountain Creek the week before when he visited another shop in Jersey. Really a great all-rounder, but not a great value unfortunately.
The spec on the R build SC is absolutely shocking, cheap nasty spec and still a ridiculous price! I got the Orbea Wild FS for £4000 it’s an ebike with Fox factory suspension absolutely amazing! I’ll never go back to SC Rip off bikes !
I agree with the value prop with all of the Santa Cruz bikes. I did recently just get the V4 (non frame storage) for $3,600 which is not too bad for a full carbon fox 36. Over all the bike is pretty sweet North East loam eater.
Sell your and use the money on the V4 MXBronson. Everyone I've talked to has said the V4 vs V2 that the V4 is a massively improved upgrade to the V2. I ride it and I love it.
@@jctrails Thought i was getting old too.. Turns out, just needed to start incorporating lower back excercise and core stability.. Especially if your sitting at your job.. Smash some hyper extensions with pause and hold reps and really get blood flow to that area ..Add in some full body workouts to the mix and watch your biological age reverse in no time...Cheers.
I have 2022 Bronson and been riding since the spring. In my personal opinion, i wouldn't say it's an efficient climber, but effective. It gets the job done. It's slower than the previous bikes i've owned and when the climb gets technical, the back end gets hung up at times. Descending on this bike... super fun and playful. Not has fast if you run a full 29 bike. If you're enduro racer - this bike is not for you. If you like doing epic climbs to hunt for those long DH trails - you'll find yourself behind the pack during the climbs. I don't think this bike is your one trick pony type of bike. I feel that's the hightower. The bronson is a great N+1 bike. I enjoy riding this bike. It can handle the gnar and jank type trails. i've made a few component changes already and looking at MegNeg or the Cascade link.
Nice review! I rode one out in Sedona last month and loved it! I think it's a bike that's well fitted to our Massachusetts/NE terrain. Accelerates quickly up techy sections and nice to have the 29er for big rolls.
I have been riding the Bronson since last October. I’m a Clydesdale on a large and put a Marzocchi Bomber with fox sls spring on it, I’m loving it. I take it to the trails and bike parks and it’s an absolute ripper.
I have this bike in the S kit. It's a beast. First ride I hit 40 mph on the trails which is something I never do. It gives a ton of confidence it's scary.
@@jctrails interesting, thanks. I know you have rode KT plenty of times, that’s where I primarily ride. Out of the tallboy, Hightower and Bronson which would be the best bike in your opinion? I like my current Bronson descending but find it takes a lot of energy to pedal on climbs and tech situations, still do able though don’t get me wrong. I Would like a more all a rounder however to conserve some energy haha
@@Sdm07120 I have not ridden the Tallboy, but I have a 2019 Hightower 2 (X01 CC Build with upgraded fork travel to 160mm) and the new Bronson MX (X01 CC build). I am 5' 10" 205 pounds, and ride about 3500 miles a year. I would say that the Hightower is the very slightly better climber, while the Bronson is the slightly better descender - we are talking very small differences here. For climbing, I think this has more to do with the fact I have lighter tires on the Hightower (Rekon, Dissector with 30mm rims) while I have a (Rekon / DHF on the Bronson with 33 mm rims). The Bronson is also about 2 pounds heavier with the same components. For descending. the Bronson has the slacker fork, and slightly more travel. The stack height is also higher. The bike feels very composed, quiet, and just handles everything you throw at it. The Bronson has better handling in tighter turn situations, and spins up faster in crux situations, where the Hightower is better where you want that extra momentum from the larger back wheel, like charging / blasting straight up a rock garden and you need that extra bit of momentum to clear the last part. One thing to consider also is a smaller back wheel will feel easier to pedal than a 29'er wheel in the same gear - but this also means that everything else equal, you will have to put in a bit of extra effort to keep up with someone with a full 29'er. I was concerned that the back wheel on the Bronson would get hung up more on rocks while climbing, but this hasn't turned out to be the case at all. They have updated the suspension to feel very solid while pedaling, but be compliant when / where it needs to be. The Bronson with the smaller back wheel is easier to manual, bunny hop but not by a huge amount as the wheelbase is a bit longer than the HT (comparing large vs. large). The Bronson feels easier to initiate a turn, and it also feels like you execute tighter turns when you want to. I.e., for me, handling feels more intuitive with the mixed wheel setup, especially for tighter berms. The HT I am more likely to tap the breaks before the turn, while the Bronson, I feel more confident breaking less, which translates to more speed coming out of turns. This really comes down to where you ride mostly, how you ride mostly, and what kind of personality of a bike you prefer. If your trails are biased more towards XC and XC types of climbs with some chunk here and there, then Hightower. If your trails are biased more towards chunky climbs, and descents, or have more berms, I would pick the Bronson. Both bikes though can easily work in those scenarios. They are both fantastic bikes, and if I had to sell one, I would have a hard time choosing.
@@peterduncan9277 great info thank you for sharing! So I have a 2019 Bronson that I’ve enjoyed. My issue is that I really have to earn my descents with some big climbs and or a lot of xc trail to the descents. The Bronson handles the descents with ease and is confidence inspiring it’s been great. But I will admit it takes a lot of my energy to pedal it to the descents and up big climbs and tech climbs. I’d like something that handles those portions of my rides a bit easier. I would give up some of the descending ability for a better pedaling bike as I know everything comes with a trade off but I def want something capable going down as well even if I have to ride it a little differently then I do my Bronson I can learn to do that. I was thinking the Hightower would be a big improvement pedaling and climbing over my bike. Interesting to hear the new Bronson pedals so well. The tall boy intrigues me as I hear it’s a efficient climber and is fast and playful and descends surprisingly well. I just worry I’d miss that extra bit if travel on those chunky descents even that’s only like 10-15% of the time. I’d be curious to hear how much better of a climber the tall boy is over the Hightower and vice versa when it comes to descending. Tough decisions, thanks again for the info.
I have those g2 brakes on my stumpjumper alloy comp and if you dont want to change the brakes out immediately i would suggest some semi metallic pads. Yeah the g2 brakes suck.
I had the G2s on my Hightower. They rode decent for about 9 months and then after that they totally took a dump! Kept having issue after issue. Would never go with those brakes again even tho I like the modulation of SRAM brakes.
@@marklopez5267 Dang, yeah I like the modulation just hate that its weak when you need to stop abruptly. When mine stop working I am replacing them with magura brakes. My sram rotors are already starting to rust lol.
some people will say that a mullet is less "balanced" than a pure 29er or 27.5. Did you find that to be true? did you ever get a feeling of being thrown back because of the big wheel up front, on climbs or descending?
Love the look of the bronson, I'm looking into my first full suspension bike this year and like the idea of a mullet bike, I've heard SC bikes are quite stiff and harsh to ride? Never had a carbon bike so I'm a little scared on how it'll handle rock strikes etc. My local bike shop is a SC dealer so I will get down and try it out for myself soon though. Great review by the way.
Santa Cruz frames are built quite stout, but that does not translate into a harsh ride. I would say an aluminum frame translates more trail chatter than carbon as for rock strikes they can’t take hard direct impacts but can take quite a bit of abuse.
@@flow2tech yeah maybe but they still ride better than the SC although the prices are absolutely ridiculous ££££ ( Yes I know you pay for the name ) but still, the SC Nomad CCXO1 is £9’300 !! Absurd
@@foxruns77 if your going to be riding more flow type trails I would go with the medium, if your pinned down some steep techy Mtns then I would go with the large. If you have long arms you might also want to consider the large.
New 5010 Mx vs Bronson Mx as the all arounder? Trail, bike park, etc. Having a hard time deciding between the two. I don’t want to be underbiked at the bike park nor overbiked on local NY/New England trails.
Totally agree with this review. Last summer, the Santa Cruz rep came by my shop and let us employees take the new Bronson AXS build out for a spin. I rode it for an hour on one of the most popular cross country loops on Long Island and was pleasantly surprised how fun it was pedaling hard, weaving tight corners, and yet I was eager to huck it off all the side hits I knew of. And to your point, the rep said the bike I rode, was ripping at Mountain Creek the week before when he visited another shop in Jersey. Really a great all-rounder, but not a great value unfortunately.
Yeah it sucks that most bike manufacturers have hiked up the prices.
The spec on the R build SC is absolutely shocking, cheap nasty spec and still a ridiculous price! I got the Orbea Wild FS for £4000 it’s an ebike with Fox factory suspension absolutely amazing! I’ll never go back to SC Rip off bikes !
I agree with the value prop with all of the Santa Cruz bikes. I did recently just get the V4 (non frame storage) for $3,600 which is not too bad for a full carbon fox 36. Over all the bike is pretty sweet North East loam eater.
I’m still on the V2. Tempted to upgrade, but mine is still working well. One of these days… thanks for the review!
If it ain’t broke, just ride it 😁
Sell your and use the money on the V4 MXBronson. Everyone I've talked to has said the V4 vs V2 that the V4 is a massively improved upgrade to the V2. I ride it and I love it.
I've had mine for a year and it feels like the most complete all around bike I've ever ridden.
I totally agree
@@jctrails Thought i was getting old too.. Turns out, just needed to start incorporating lower back excercise and core stability.. Especially if your sitting at your job.. Smash some hyper extensions with pause and hold reps and really get blood flow to that area ..Add in some full body workouts to the mix and watch your biological age reverse in no time...Cheers.
I have 2022 Bronson and been riding since the spring. In my personal opinion, i wouldn't say it's an efficient climber, but effective. It gets the job done. It's slower than the previous bikes i've owned and when the climb gets technical, the back end gets hung up at times. Descending on this bike... super fun and playful. Not has fast if you run a full 29 bike. If you're enduro racer - this bike is not for you. If you like doing epic climbs to hunt for those long DH trails - you'll find yourself behind the pack during the climbs. I don't think this bike is your one trick pony type of bike. I feel that's the hightower. The bronson is a great N+1 bike. I enjoy riding this bike. It can handle the gnar and jank type trails. i've made a few component changes already and looking at MegNeg or the Cascade link.
ever get the cascade link? thinking about making a bike trade for the bronson and immediately boosting the travel up to 180-160/170
Nice review! I rode one out in Sedona last month and loved it! I think it's a bike that's well fitted to our Massachusetts/NE terrain. Accelerates quickly up techy sections and nice to have the 29er for big rolls.
Completely agree with Steve!
I have been riding the Bronson since last October. I’m a Clydesdale on a large and put a Marzocchi Bomber with fox sls spring on it, I’m loving it. I take it to the trails and bike parks and it’s an absolute ripper.
I have this bike in the S kit. It's a beast. First ride I hit 40 mph on the trails which is something I never do. It gives a ton of confidence it's scary.
Hell ya! pin it
Love this channel, nice work
Thanks Tim
Thanks for the review. 👍
No problem
Cool channel. So if you could only have one bike, would you go 2022 Bronson or Hightower?
Do you like the Bronson over the Delano peak for a do it all bike?
How does the Hightower compare? I have a 2019 Bronson but want something that peddles a bit better but still descends good.
I would spring for the Bronson it pedals better, turns better, and feels more plush. A winner in pretty much every category.
@@jctrails interesting, thanks. I know you have rode KT plenty of times, that’s where I primarily ride. Out of the tallboy, Hightower and Bronson which would be the best bike in your opinion? I like my current Bronson descending but find it takes a lot of energy to pedal on climbs and tech situations, still do able though don’t get me wrong. I Would like a more all a rounder however to conserve some energy haha
@@Sdm07120 I have not ridden the Tallboy, but I have a 2019 Hightower 2 (X01 CC Build with upgraded fork travel to 160mm) and the new Bronson MX (X01 CC build). I am 5' 10" 205 pounds, and ride about 3500 miles a year. I would say that the Hightower is the very slightly better climber, while the Bronson is the slightly better descender - we are talking very small differences here. For climbing, I think this has more to do with the fact I have lighter tires on the Hightower (Rekon, Dissector with 30mm rims) while I have a (Rekon / DHF on the Bronson with 33 mm rims). The Bronson is also about 2 pounds heavier with the same components. For descending. the Bronson has the slacker fork, and slightly more travel. The stack height is also higher. The bike feels very composed, quiet, and just handles everything you throw at it. The Bronson has better handling in tighter turn situations, and spins up faster in crux situations, where the Hightower is better where you want that extra momentum from the larger back wheel, like charging / blasting straight up a rock garden and you need that extra bit of momentum to clear the last part. One thing to consider also is a smaller back wheel will feel easier to pedal than a 29'er wheel in the same gear - but this also means that everything else equal, you will have to put in a bit of extra effort to keep up with someone with a full 29'er. I was concerned that the back wheel on the Bronson would get hung up more on rocks while climbing, but this hasn't turned out to be the case at all. They have updated the suspension to feel very solid while pedaling, but be compliant when / where it needs to be. The Bronson with the smaller back wheel is easier to manual, bunny hop but not by a huge amount as the wheelbase is a bit longer than the HT (comparing large vs. large). The Bronson feels easier to initiate a turn, and it also feels like you execute tighter turns when you want to. I.e., for me, handling feels more intuitive with the mixed wheel setup, especially for tighter berms. The HT I am more likely to tap the breaks before the turn, while the Bronson, I feel more confident breaking less, which translates to more speed coming out of turns. This really comes down to where you ride mostly, how you ride mostly, and what kind of personality of a bike you prefer. If your trails are biased more towards XC and XC types of climbs with some chunk here and there, then Hightower. If your trails are biased more towards chunky climbs, and descents, or have more berms, I would pick the Bronson. Both bikes though can easily work in those scenarios. They are both fantastic bikes, and if I had to sell one, I would have a hard time choosing.
@@peterduncan9277 great info thank you for sharing! So I have a 2019 Bronson that I’ve enjoyed. My issue is that I really have to earn my descents with some big climbs and or a lot of xc trail to the descents. The Bronson handles the descents with ease and is confidence inspiring it’s been great. But I will admit it takes a lot of my energy to pedal it to the descents and up big climbs and tech climbs. I’d like something that handles those portions of my rides a bit easier. I would give up some of the descending ability for a better pedaling bike as I know everything comes with a trade off but I def want something capable going down as well even if I have to ride it a little differently then I do my Bronson I can learn to do that. I was thinking the Hightower would be a big improvement pedaling and climbing over my bike. Interesting to hear the new Bronson pedals so well. The tall boy intrigues me as I hear it’s a efficient climber and is fast and playful and descends surprisingly well. I just worry I’d miss that extra bit if travel on those chunky descents even that’s only like 10-15% of the time. I’d be curious to hear how much better of a climber the tall boy is over the Hightower and vice versa when it comes to descending. Tough decisions, thanks again for the info.
@@peterduncan9277 what size Bronson MX did you get? I ask because I am 5'9.5" and am torn between getting an M and an L.
Where/what trail is that? Looks hella fun
I have those g2 brakes on my stumpjumper alloy comp and if you dont want to change the brakes out immediately i would suggest some semi metallic pads. Yeah the g2 brakes suck.
I had the G2s on my Hightower. They rode decent for about 9 months and then after that they totally took a dump! Kept having issue after issue. Would never go with those brakes again even tho I like the modulation of SRAM brakes.
@@marklopez5267 Dang, yeah I like the modulation just hate that its weak when you need to stop abruptly. When mine stop working I am replacing them with magura brakes. My sram rotors are already starting to rust lol.
cool vids, thanks!
NP
some people will say that a mullet is less "balanced" than a pure 29er or 27.5. Did you find that to be true? did you ever get a feeling of being thrown back because of the big wheel up front, on climbs or descending?
Love the look of the bronson, I'm looking into my first full suspension bike this year and like the idea of a mullet bike, I've heard SC bikes are quite stiff and harsh to ride? Never had a carbon bike so I'm a little scared on how it'll handle rock strikes etc. My local bike shop is a SC dealer so I will get down and try it out for myself soon though. Great review by the way.
Santa Cruz frames are built quite stout, but that does not translate into a harsh ride. I would say an aluminum frame translates more trail chatter than carbon as for rock strikes they can’t take hard direct impacts but can take quite a bit of abuse.
Santa Cruz Bikes a dream to ride. They are best of the best. You won't find better on this planet.
@@currentsupply that’s garbage 🗑 there are better bikes than SC REVEL ARE BETTER THAN SC dude trust me !
@@pcarts232 Revel geo is dated...
@@flow2tech yeah maybe but they still ride better than the SC although the prices are absolutely ridiculous ££££ ( Yes I know you pay for the name ) but still, the SC Nomad CCXO1 is £9’300 !! Absurd
what better this or trek slash? trek slash even lighter.
Nice vid. What size are you riding? M or L? Thanks in advance?
Medium I’m 5’10”.
Thanks. I am 180 cm which is around 5'11" and I would opt for the size L.
I’m 5’11” and I ride a large 2022 Bronson. Medium felt pretty good and not squished at all but I’m 215lbs so the large felt like a better fit.
@@jctrails Hey, I'm also 5'10" and can not make my mind up between an M or an L,, Did the M feel a little small for you? Should I get the L? Thanks!
@@foxruns77 if your going to be riding more flow type trails I would go with the medium, if your pinned down some steep techy Mtns then I would go with the large. If you have long arms you might also want to consider the large.
It sounds like a mega bike 👍
New 5010 Mx vs Bronson Mx as the all arounder? Trail, bike park, etc. Having a hard time deciding between the two. I don’t want to be underbiked at the bike park nor overbiked on local NY/New England trails.
Bronson if your hitting the bike park.
@@jctrails thx
@@jctrails any experience with the Hightower 3? Comparing that to the Bronson for both trails and bike park.
@@eriknapa5999 not yet hopefully soon
Just swooped one