2020 Santa Cruz Carbon Chameleon Review
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Cons:
- Extremely lightweight
- Great resale value
- Excellent geometry
- Fast acceleration
- Extremely efficient
- Playful geometry
Cons:
- Expensive
- Stiff ride
- While the geometry is playful, it isn't very modern (steepish head angle, slack seat angle)
- Extremely frustrating cable routing
- Frame design severely limits chainring size and singlespeed options
Who it's for:
- People who must have carbon
- Heavier riders
- People looking for maximum stiffness under acceleration
- those who want a bmx/dirt jump feel on their cabon hardtail
Who it's NOT for
- Singlespeeders
- People who often swap brakes
- Light riders
My full thoughts on the 2020 Santa Cruz Carbon Chameleon
today we are reviewing the Santa Cruz carbon chameleon I used to have a size small santa cruz chameleon aluminum and i love that thing the head angle was a little bit steep for some of the stuff that i like to do but overall was a fantastic bike recently I got my hands on a carbon one and I've been wondering is the carbon one better than the aluminum one who would benefit from each does it ride stiffer does it ride softer is it much lighter today we're gonna answer all those questions all this bikes definitely stiffer than the aluminum one instantly knows Wow even on these night carbon wheels that I love that are super soft they're not soft on this bike I was actually wondering I was wondering if these wheels would just make every hard tail feel compliant the answer is an emphatic no this does not feel compliant it's Sprint's like a rocket ship this is the stiffest carbon hard tail I've ever written
I've had it at the pump track and I had a lot of fun on that pump so well and it is nice and light wow this is stiff and
this is harsher than the common salt and that's saying something well let some air out of the tires because this is painting my fillings out
all this bike is every bit as playful as I remember this box so fun the back end is perfect on this except for the stiffness just feels like a dirt jumper
this is how our tails should be in the back fronts a little twitchy with that sixty seven and a half degree head angle I'm running a 134 I've got my seat slammed all the way forward because I like a steep seat tube and this does not have a steep seat tube without it being slid all the way forward you feel like it wants to wheelie all the time and the weights too far back I feel like this frame needs a refresh been a few years and even when it came out it wasn't extremely aggressive or modern it needs a 65 to 66 degree head angle and a steeper seat tube angle and don't touch the rear because the rear is perfect but actually I'm liking the aluminum one better than the carbon one because that aluminum one roads so compliant it was just such a great feel but the carbon one is overly stiff it transfers a lot of vibrations to your feet and it's great on super smooth stuff to pump but on chattery stuff like this man it beats you up whereas the aluminum one doesn't feels a little steep on that stuff you have to stand up and
yep kind of pushed through it and manual out of everything because otherwise the front end gets hung up on stuff all right I'll let about three psi up I made a big difference
still large but it's eating me up less
that's why I love plus tires often the bikes I am not making lines my bike is taking lines for me this bike wants to play but it's not composed enough to dive into this with speed this bike just wants to manual everywhere I love it it's too stiff and sketchy how stiff it is yeah mana head angle is freaky when you drop down drops it wants to tuck behind you instead of stay out in front you so used to slack bites it's hard to go back for most drills however this will be adequate and great chameleons really is a super fun bike insane value for the money with the part spec they're paying a lot for that Santa Cruz name but you're also paying for a great geometry aside from that head angle and like I said if you're on flatter stuff or more Rolly stuff not let you like this the head angle is probably just about right for you I think 66 would be perfect on this and I don't think a 140 fork would make this ride better it just works I totally feel like I'm on a BMX bike on the trails I feel like a kid again it's a special bike I'm still loving these night wheels they're so special but they're not taking us out I love the acceleration of this frame you just get on it and man it takes off
that's one thing about a carbon frame it's kind of freaky knowing that a rock or an impact could break it but Santa Cruz has a great warranty in this smooth rolling stuff
but stiff frame is a benefit because you just get on it and goes yeah since it's so smooth there's no rocks to beat you up so this is one of the most playful bikes I've ever ridden I love the playful factory
and for this type of riding the head angle is just fine it's when you get into steeper pledge your stuff that we wrote earlier today oh that's it all right I've had a few rides on this bike now and let me tell you where it really excels pump tracks dual slalom tracks jumps smooth stuff that you just want to pump and fly and feel like a kid again it is amazing at that for a single speed I would recommend going the aluminum route the aluminum chainstay does not dip that far and you don't need a 34 tooth I would definitely run aluminum in fact I would run aluminum for almost everything the aluminum bike is more forgiving it doesn't beat you up as much it's cheaper it takes a beating if a rock flings into it it doesn't matter and I think it's the better bike now if you're on really smooth stuff and you want instant power transfer this has that way better when you get on it and sprint it doesn't flex anywhere it just turns that into forward motion and that is a really cool feeling especially single speed I mean it's not an XC bike if you want an XC bike they make an XC hardtail that's carbon that'll be great for that so I don't really know who the chameleon carbon is for it's for people who feel the allure of carbon and want a carbon bike maybe want a little bit lighter bike but the ride quality is not better than the aluminum one the ride quality is better on the aluminum bike in my opinion man this has been a really interesting exercise that is the stiffest carbon frame I've ridden stiffer than the Diamondback seeker stiffer than the Ibis db9 and aside from the weight savings I don't feel like it's an upgrade over the aluminum one that was a big shock to me I don't like the internal cable routing I don't like that it's only internal in the front half if you're gonna go internal go all the way and run it all the way to the back I don't like how close that gets for single speeding I do like that it has is CG tabs I wish the head angle was a little bit slacker it's a little bit scary for rowdy stuff I think a 120 to 130 fork is the right amount to run on this you can over fork it make it a little bit slacker but I think it actually takes away from what this bike does so well this is probably the most playful bike I've ever ridden it wants to pop off things and wants to Manuel wants to wheelie wants to bunnyhop and it does it so willingly it makes you feel like a kid again the Santa Cruz chameleon is a fantastic bike it's overpriced for the spec that you get your money doesn't go very far but when we're comparing hardtails I'd rather have something like this with low-end spec like NX Eagle instead of a different bike that's way less fun with the best of the best with full xtr and Fox Factory I don't care because the full xcr doesn't make it ride more fun it just makes it shift a little better the frame is what makes it ride fun and this is a super fun frame if santa cruz ever makes a slacker one of these or one that can accept an angle set it will probably become my favorite bike I've said that a few times it is so good especially the back half that front half all it needs is a little bit slacker so it's not so sketchy at speed and down drops and stuff and man it will be a perfect bike I would give this bike a ten out of ten for climbing ten out of ten for playfulness 9 out of 10 for steering just a little bit nervous and on the descents I'm gonna give it an 8 out of 10 unless it's just flow this is probably the best bike for flow how would I compare this to the Ibis db9 the db9 feels like it could go a little bit farther on a 40-mile day but I think I would pick this in aluminum over the db9 it's just more fun and that's what hard tails are all about for me if you take yourself seriously and you're racing and really pushing the clock the db9 is gonna be the better bike but if you just want to have fun Manny Santa Cruz chameleons are fantastic bikes and even though they're a little bit more expensive I love them they are very very fun and the second I got back on this it reminded me of what I loved about the other one that I rode I don't think the carbon chameleon is the way to go it's overpriced it doesn't have fantastic features and the ride quality is not better than the aluminum so I'd rather take something that's more durable cheaper maybe a little bit heavier but that rides a lot better and doesn't meet me up so there you have it is carbon better it depends it depends on what you want it to do for really stiff sprinting and really tight pumping and real energy efficiency the carbon is great but for everyday trail riding and goofing off and pushing this beyond what it's meant to do I think aluminum is the way to go and that's just talking about the chameleon every bike is different some carbon frames are nice and soft some are really harsh and stiff like this and some are in between like the dv9 if you learn something and you find it valuable for me to compare bikes like this consider supporting the channel by becoming a patron for as little as five dollars a month you can make a big difference and really impact this channel and help shape its future thanks for watching there's a party in the mountains and you're invited
I've had it at the pump track and I had a lot of fun on that pump so well and it is nice and light wow this is stiff and
this is harsher than the common salt and that's saying something well let some air out of the tires because this is painting my fillings out
all this bike is every bit as playful as I remember this box so fun the back end is perfect on this except for the stiffness just feels like a dirt jumper
this is how our tails should be in the back fronts a little twitchy with that sixty seven and a half degree head angle I'm running a 134 I've got my seat slammed all the way forward because I like a steep seat tube and this does not have a steep seat tube without it being slid all the way forward you feel like it wants to wheelie all the time and the weights too far back I feel like this frame needs a refresh been a few years and even when it came out it wasn't extremely aggressive or modern it needs a 65 to 66 degree head angle and a steeper seat tube angle and don't touch the rear because the rear is perfect but actually I'm liking the aluminum one better than the carbon one because that aluminum one roads so compliant it was just such a great feel but the carbon one is overly stiff it transfers a lot of vibrations to your feet and it's great on super smooth stuff to pump but on chattery stuff like this man it beats you up whereas the aluminum one doesn't feels a little steep on that stuff you have to stand up and
yep kind of pushed through it and manual out of everything because otherwise the front end gets hung up on stuff all right I'll let about three psi up I made a big difference
still large but it's eating me up less
that's why I love plus tires often the bikes I am not making lines my bike is taking lines for me this bike wants to play but it's not composed enough to dive into this with speed this bike just wants to manual everywhere I love it it's too stiff and sketchy how stiff it is yeah mana head angle is freaky when you drop down drops it wants to tuck behind you instead of stay out in front you so used to slack bites it's hard to go back for most drills however this will be adequate and great chameleons really is a super fun bike insane value for the money with the part spec they're paying a lot for that Santa Cruz name but you're also paying for a great geometry aside from that head angle and like I said if you're on flatter stuff or more Rolly stuff not let you like this the head angle is probably just about right for you I think 66 would be perfect on this and I don't think a 140 fork would make this ride better it just works I totally feel like I'm on a BMX bike on the trails I feel like a kid again it's a special bike I'm still loving these night wheels they're so special but they're not taking us out I love the acceleration of this frame you just get on it and man it takes off
that's one thing about a carbon frame it's kind of freaky knowing that a rock or an impact could break it but Santa Cruz has a great warranty in this smooth rolling stuff
but stiff frame is a benefit because you just get on it and goes yeah since it's so smooth there's no rocks to beat you up so this is one of the most playful bikes I've ever ridden I love the playful factory
and for this type of riding the head angle is just fine it's when you get into steeper pledge your stuff that we wrote earlier today oh that's it all right I've had a few rides on this bike now and let me tell you where it really excels pump tracks dual slalom tracks jumps smooth stuff that you just want to pump and fly and feel like a kid again it is amazing at that for a single speed I would recommend going the aluminum route the aluminum chainstay does not dip that far and you don't need a 34 tooth I would definitely run aluminum in fact I would run aluminum for almost everything the aluminum bike is more forgiving it doesn't beat you up as much it's cheaper it takes a beating if a rock flings into it it doesn't matter and I think it's the better bike now if you're on really smooth stuff and you want instant power transfer this has that way better when you get on it and sprint it doesn't flex anywhere it just turns that into forward motion and that is a really cool feeling especially single speed I mean it's not an XC bike if you want an XC bike they make an XC hardtail that's carbon that'll be great for that so I don't really know who the chameleon carbon is for it's for people who feel the allure of carbon and want a carbon bike maybe want a little bit lighter bike but the ride quality is not better than the aluminum one the ride quality is better on the aluminum bike in my opinion man this has been a really interesting exercise that is the stiffest carbon frame I've ridden stiffer than the Diamondback seeker stiffer than the Ibis db9 and aside from the weight savings I don't feel like it's an upgrade over the aluminum one that was a big shock to me I don't like the internal cable routing I don't like that it's only internal in the front half if you're gonna go internal go all the way and run it all the way to the back I don't like how close that gets for single speeding I do like that it has is CG tabs I wish the head angle was a little bit slacker it's a little bit scary for rowdy stuff I think a 120 to 130 fork is the right amount to run on this you can over fork it make it a little bit slacker but I think it actually takes away from what this bike does so well this is probably the most playful bike I've ever ridden it wants to pop off things and wants to Manuel wants to wheelie wants to bunnyhop and it does it so willingly it makes you feel like a kid again the Santa Cruz chameleon is a fantastic bike it's overpriced for the spec that you get your money doesn't go very far but when we're comparing hardtails I'd rather have something like this with low-end spec like NX Eagle instead of a different bike that's way less fun with the best of the best with full xtr and Fox Factory I don't care because the full xcr doesn't make it ride more fun it just makes it shift a little better the frame is what makes it ride fun and this is a super fun frame if santa cruz ever makes a slacker one of these or one that can accept an angle set it will probably become my favorite bike I've said that a few times it is so good especially the back half that front half all it needs is a little bit slacker so it's not so sketchy at speed and down drops and stuff and man it will be a perfect bike I would give this bike a ten out of ten for climbing ten out of ten for playfulness 9 out of 10 for steering just a little bit nervous and on the descents I'm gonna give it an 8 out of 10 unless it's just flow this is probably the best bike for flow how would I compare this to the Ibis db9 the db9 feels like it could go a little bit farther on a 40-mile day but I think I would pick this in aluminum over the db9 it's just more fun and that's what hard tails are all about for me if you take yourself seriously and you're racing and really pushing the clock the db9 is gonna be the better bike but if you just want to have fun Manny Santa Cruz chameleons are fantastic bikes and even though they're a little bit more expensive I love them they are very very fun and the second I got back on this it reminded me of what I loved about the other one that I rode I don't think the carbon chameleon is the way to go it's overpriced it doesn't have fantastic features and the ride quality is not better than the aluminum so I'd rather take something that's more durable cheaper maybe a little bit heavier but that rides a lot better and doesn't meet me up so there you have it is carbon better it depends it depends on what you want it to do for really stiff sprinting and really tight pumping and real energy efficiency the carbon is great but for everyday trail riding and goofing off and pushing this beyond what it's meant to do I think aluminum is the way to go and that's just talking about the chameleon every bike is different some carbon frames are nice and soft some are really harsh and stiff like this and some are in between like the dv9 if you learn something and you find it valuable for me to compare bikes like this consider supporting the channel by becoming a patron for as little as five dollars a month you can make a big difference and really impact this channel and help shape its future thanks for watching there's a party in the mountains and you're invited