ColourWhiteBlack
SizeSmallMedium Large X Large
Santa Cruz Chameleon Like the Heckler, V10 and Superlight, the Chameleon is a classic in the Santa Cruz Bike lineup that has built quite the reputation over the years for being a solid, high quality choice for mountain bikers looking at a versatile hardtail. It represents stunning value, especially in the age of "carbon this", "tapered that" and brings a beautiful simplicity to a market that is dominated by expensive dual suspension superbikes. Built around Santa Cruz's balanced off-road geometry, the Chameleon frame is put together with a combination of multi-shaped 6069 butted Aluminum tubes that ensures everything is laterally stiff and capable of taking up to a 160mm fork up front, while removing excess material to keep frame weight under 5 lbs. You can use a 100mm fork up front too (and anywhere in between) if you're after a more XC style bike with sharper angles and quicker steering for tight singletrack, though around 130mm will give you the best balance of the frames abilities. The short and snappy chainstays will bring an eye-opening amount of zip to riders used to riding full-squish bikes, with the short rear-end providing instant acceleration and a nimbleness on the climbs that just can't be beaten. Bearing in mind the frames ability to last you a very long time, Santa Cruz Bicycles have kept everything nice 'n' standard on the Chameleon, like the regular 1 1/8" head tube, 135mm dropouts and threaded BB shell that will give you years of service as components come and go. If you're looking for the very latest in cutting-edge suspension and frame technology - you're probably better off looking at options like the Blur TR or the Highball Carbon - but if you're after a simple, tough and reliable frame that you will be able to rely on for many seasons to come no matter what componentry you decide to throw on it, the Chameleon will adapt to any setup and any riding style. From Santa Cruz: “It can’t change color, and it’s made out of metal, but the name is still appropriate. With a super stiff, sharp handling aluminum frame designed to run forks with anywhere from 100 to 160mm travel, an eccentric bottom bracket allowing for either geared or singlespeed use, enough beef to handle some hard abuse, but still light enough to climb like it means business, the Chameleon can be built up to do whatever you want.” Eccentric Bottom Bracket During early inceptions of this classic hardtail, Santa Cruz recognized that many riders were setting up their Chameleons as an All Mountain singlespeed bike, with all sorts of ghetto derailleur-style tensioners used on the back to take up chain slack. There seemed to be some kind of odd connection between the skill involved in riding a hardtail on really technical trails next to your buddies on far more expensive full suspension rigs, and the fitness required for muscling a one-gear bike up steep inclines and soul destroying fireroad climbs. Taking on board this reputation for versatility and the obvious need for singlespeed compatibility, the latest incarnation of the Chameleon now uses an EBB. A very clever device indeed, the EBB or "Eccentric Bottom Bracket" on the Chameleon frame is designed to provide you with adjustable chain tension without need for sliding dropouts or single speed tensioners. By simply loosening 2 hex key bolts and rotating the internal bottom bracket shell, the rider is able to take up any chain slack and use their Chameleon as a single speed bike. As there are no sliding dropouts or moving parts at the hub end, you don't have to constantly adjust your disc brake caliper every time you tension the chain, and rear wheel removal is just the same as a regular geared bike. If you're planning on running your Chameleon with gears - no sweat, as the frame uses standard vertical dropouts and a derailleur hanger for bolting on as many speeds as you like. Sizing - Small: Suits riders between 5' and 5'5" - Medium: Suits riders between 5'5" and 5'10" - Large: Suits riders between 5'10" and 6'2" - X Large: Suits riders between 6'2" and 6'6" Frame Geometry: The Santa Cruz Chameleon features:
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