Product Description
Brand |
Santa Cruz Bicycles |
Category |
MOUNTAIN |
Seller |
Backcountry |
These days versatility is the name of the game, and Santa Cruz isn't about to let that stop at full-suspension rigs, which explains a lot about the Chameleon 27. 5+ D Complete Mountain Bike. This jack-of-all-trades hardtail stands as one of the longest running bikes in Santa Cruz's lineup, and is a perennial favorite among us here in the office. In 2017 it was hit with a massive geometry update that went by way of the longer-slacker trends, making the Chameleon the ideal shapeshifter for charging down a variety of trails from rocky descents, to flowy wooded singletrack, and even a couple smatterings of backcountry bikepacking thrown into the mix. Its crafted with a low-slung 12. 4-inch bottom bracket, a moderately slack 67. 5 head tube that doesn't compromise confidence for agility, and robust aluminum that's designed to handle it all. This year Santa Cruz ups the game on the D+ build, with new SRAM SX Eagle groupset that keeps your budget in mind, while offering a whopping 12-gears to hit the trail. Originally conceived as a heavy-duty trail bike that could handle the rigors of bike parks and slalom courses, the Chameleon has evolved into a fun-loving trail bike that's compatible with multiple wheel sizes and moonlights as a practical solution for long-distance bikepacking missions. It's offered here as a 27. 5+ trail bike for voluminous traction and greater compliance over rugged trails with its 2. 8-inch Maxxis Rekon Tires, but it can be run as a fast-rolling 29er with its interchangeable dropouts. Also, these interchangeable dropouts allow you to swap out the gears for single-speed use, should you desire a no-nonsense drivetrain or live in an area without major elevation changes. Note, you'll need to purchase separate dropouts if you'd like to convert it to singlespeed use or a 29er. Seeing the Chameleon is designed to be a more utilitarian, low-maintenance trail bike, it's made from aluminum for optimal strength-to-weight, but without the added cost of car...
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