Santa Cruz Bronson 5 Gets More Grip, New Frame Look

SHOP SANTA CRUZ BRONSON 5

Bronson: Santa Cruz's one word answer to the question "which bike should I bring?". The Bronson is Santa Cruz's all-around, do everything, one ride to rule them all, goldilocks bike. A long time fan-favourite, the Bronson has enough travel to attack just about any trail and any feature, with geometry and ride characteristics that make it confidence inspiring on the descents, and easy to climb back up again. It's the sort of bike you can grab for any situation and know it's going to be able to handle it. From big alpine missions to days in the bike park. Early morning power hours and after work shuttle laps, choose the Bronson.

The new Bronson 5 marks a departure from previous versions of the bike. Since they moved to the lower link-driven VPP design with the Bronson 3, the changes have been pretty minor. While it still sticks with lower-link VPP, the all-new Bronson 5 marks a big change in aesthetics, and kinematics, making the bike easier to ride, more predictable and more stable. 

What's New with the Bronson 5?

The Bronson 5 has received several updates, with the most noticeable changes being aesthetic. The shock has been repositioned, moving significantly lower and further forward in the frame, which expands the shock tunnel. This tunnel now features a cage-like design. However, these modifications aren’t just about looks—the strategic placement of the shock and links is crucial. The lower link is positioned much closer to the bottom bracket, a change aimed at achieving the desired suspension kinematics, resulting in a more stable and plush ride.

Additionally, both the upper and lower links have been redesigned with considerable weight reduction in mind, now featuring prominent hollow sections. The hollowed-out shock tunnel isn’t just for weight savings; it also simplifies sag adjustments and makes swapping the geo flip chip more convenient. In terms of geometry, the Bronson 5 has been lengthened and made slacker, though the bottom bracket height remains unchanged. We'll explore the geometry and suspension details in more depth later on.

Frame Details

Diving into the specifics of the frame, the revamped design brings a more aggressive and purposeful look—longer and lower, resembling a serious enduro machine rather than a playful jib bike. This shift aligns with Santa Cruz’s aim for the Bronson 5, leaning toward a more capable, performance-focused ride.

Notably, weight-saving measures have been applied to the links and frame, with the CC frames being compatible exclusively with electronic drivetrains. Santa Cruz claims this allowed them to further reduce weight by eliminating tube-in-tube routing, making the CC frames significantly lighter than the C counterparts. C frames still offer mechanical routing, and considering Santa Cruz’s C-level frames outperform many premium models from other brands, they’re a super-solid choice.

Aside from these updates, the frame retains many familiar features, such as tube-in-tube cable routing, Boost 148mm hub spacing, a threaded BSA bottom bracket, a 2-position geo flip chip, a standard eyelet shock, a tapered integrated headset, a 31.6mm seatpost diameter, UDH compatibility, ISCG05 chain guide mount, clearance for 2.5" tires, 180mm post-mount brakes, and a lifetime warranty for the frame

Suspension 

The suspension system on the Bronson 5 has undergone significant changes. Santa Cruz’s engineers have repositioned the lower link, moving it down and forward to sit closer to the bottom bracket. This adjustment aims to reduce anti-squat, which might sound surprising since most brands have been focused on increasing it. But hear me out—this could actually be a positive shift.

Anti-squat describes how much the suspension stiffens during pedalling. A high anti-squat value results in a very stiff suspension platform, theoretically offering maximum efficiency. However, reducing anti-squat allows the suspension to remain more active while pedalling, which in real-world scenarios can lead to better bump absorption and improved grip, especially on uneven terrain.

This change brings two key benefits, the first being that the suspension becomes more active during climbs, providing enhanced grip on loose or uneven surfaces, like technical ascents. This might slightly reduce pedalling efficiency, but it can help prevent energy loss from spinning out. The second being that during descents, there’s less pedal feedback, resulting in a more sensitive and supple suspension that absorbs rough terrain better, increasing stability and confidence.

Geometry

The geometry of the Bronson 5 reflects the updates made to its suspension, with a shift toward a longer and lower stance for increased stability and confidence on the trail. As usual, the Bronson 5 features a 2-position flip chip at the lower shock eyelet, allowing riders to switch between high and low settings. It also features size-specific chainstay lengths and seat tube angles. In a size large, the head tube angle is now 0.6º slacker, sitting at 64.2º/63.9º, while the seat tube angle is 1.3º steeper, at 78.2º/77.9º. Reach has increased by 5mm to 478/480mm, and chainstays have grown by 5mm to 442/443mm.

According to Santa Cruz, the longer chainstays contribute to a more balanced feel, particularly since the mixed wheel setup tends to shift the rider’s weight toward the rear. The extended chainstays help redistribute weight forward, providing better traction on the front wheel and reducing the risk of losing grip or washing out in corners and steep trail sections, resulting in a more balanced ride overall.

Who Is the Bronson 5 For?

The Bronson 5 is the perfect bike for doing a little bit of everything. If you've only got room for one bike in your stable, the Bronson is the perfect candidate as an all-around aggressive trail, all-mountain or light enduro bike. It's ideal for for someone that travels to mountain bike destinations a lot and needs to know that their bike can handle whatever trails they find themselves on.

Intermediate riders will enjoy the Bronson for the stable and confident nature of the bike, smoothing out rough trails and helping you find the confidence to hit new features. Advanced riders will find the bike intuitive and easy to ride, while needing to work a little to find its limits on the gnarliest trails. Its mix of climbing ability and descending performance mean it's equally at home on big days out full of climbing or shorter rides. If in doubt - take a Bronson out.

Spec and Pricing

The Bronson 5 comes in 5 spec levels, including C and CC carbon frame options, with sizes from SM-XXL, and two frame colours - Root Beer and Kalimotxo, as well as a frame-only option. All bikes get Maxxis EXO+ Assegai and Minion DHR II tires in Maxxgrip/Maxxterra compounds. All specs C S and above come with a Fox 36 fork, Float X shock and a OneUp dropper post, while all AXS bikes come with SRAM's ultra-powerful Maven brakes.

Starting at the C R spec, the Bronson gets a Rockshox Lyrik Base fork and Fox Float Rhythm shock, SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain, SRAM DB8 brakes, SDG Tellis dropper, and Reserve 30 TR 6061 alloy wheels on SRAM MTH hubs.

The C S spec upgrades to the Fox performance 36 fork and Float X shock, SRAM GX Eagle mechanical drivetrain, DB8 brakes, OneUp dropper and the same Reserve 30 TR alloy rims, but on DT Swiss 370 hubs.

Moving up to the C GX AXS spec, it gets a Fox Performance Elite 36 fork and Float X shock, GX Transmission drivetrain, Maven Bronze brakes, OneUp dropper post, and Reserve 30 SL 6061 alloy rims on DT Swiss 370 hubs.

The CC XO AXS bike comes with Fox Factory 36 and Float X suspension, SRAM's XO Transmission groupset with Maven Silver brakes, OneUp dropper, and Reserve 30 SL 6069 rims on Industry Nine 1/1 hubs. The CC XO AXS Reserve spec gets the same spec, but upgrades the rims to Reserve 30 HD carbon rims.

SHOP SANTA CRUZ BRONSON 5