E.T.'s Comments

Hey David,

I did not get a chance to try a Medium. I went for the large as it had a similar reach and seat tube dimensions to my current rides.

If you were coming off a medium before and were comfortable on the bike, I'd think you'd enjoy the Bronson in a medium with a 55-60mm stem. The large would be a huge difference compared to your current setup. It's your call. I don't think you could go wrong with either at your height, but from what I'm hearing, I would probably recommend a medium.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Evan

I personally really like the Tennis Yellow, but both look good.

I think if you prefer to be stealth then Matte Carbon, if you prefer to be loud then Tennis Yellow. It's up to you.

I'm 100% on clips on the trail bike. Dirt jump on flats and mix it up (both clips and flats) on the downhill bike.

One thing to note (don't quote me on this) is that I recall the Santa Cruz boys saying that the frame is optimized around a 32-34 tooth ring. My guess is that the bike will tractor up climbs with ease spinning seated in a 22-24 tooth granny. It would have slightly more anti-squat (due to the gearing), but shouldn't be so much so that you get awkward pedal feedback.

Again, I'll have to ride it and get back to you about this. Your guess is as good as mine at this point...

Hey Luc,

That is an excellent question!

They did have Bronson's set up with triple rings however I did not get a chance to ride on one of these. I'll see if I can get some time on one with a granny gear to get you an answer.

Thanks,

Evan

Hey filthyanimal,

My experience on the Yeti SB-66 amounts to one day on the medium alloy bike set up with full XTR, Easton Haven Carbon wheels, and a Fox 36 160 fork.

Build kit aside, I choose the Bronson for aggressive trail riding/enduro racing and here is why...

We spend A LOT of time in the saddle! Although the Yeti pedals very efficiently with great anti-squat characteristics, the slack 71.7 seat angle (with a Fox 34 150) combined with the fairly short 17" chainstays puts me in too rearward of a position for efficient climbing. It made it a bit of a chore keeping the front wheel down and tracking up steep sustained climbs. This feeling was exaggerated further by the higher axle-to-crown measurement of the Fox 36 160 on my test bike.

When the going gets rough, steep, and fast my choice is still the Bronson. The Santa Cruz has very unique braking and suspension characteristics that seems to be more active deep in the stroke compared to the Yeti and most other trail bikes I have ridden. This helps to maintain traction, control, and smoothness of the suspension when things get gnarly.

As for carrying speed...the Bronson takes the cake with its larger wheels and unique suspension action. I was and still am surprised by the way the bike carries speed through bumps big and small.

But don't take my word for it...Get out there and try both bikes! Ultimately it is up to you which bike is better suited for your riding style and personal preferences.

One last thing to note about the two bikes:

Yeti SB-66C frame: $3,200 weight: 6lbs
Santa Cruz Bronson frame: $2,699 weight 5.3lbs (roughly 0.20lb change per size, so 5.5lbs for the size large)

Hope this answers your questions.

Cheers,

Evan

Hey Lee,

Those are great questions!

My Stumpjumper EVO is the 26" version built with Easton Haven Carbon wheels and my dream kit.

Wheel size plays a role in the awesome ride of the Bronson, but I can't say exactly what amount. My best guess would be 25-30%. It is definitely not just the wheels!

It's the combination of everything that makes the Bronson such a great bike (wheel size, geometry, suspension design, shock tuning, suspension travel, materials, weight, stiffness, balance, etc.). You'll have to ride one to see for yourself what I'm talking about.

Will you be at the Otter? If so, we should meet up.

Cheers,

Evan

What Veach said...try them both! I did and they are both great bikes. I really enjoy everything about the Bronson. It pedals well, climbs well, corners well, jumps well, etc. etc...It ticks ALL the boxes for me and that is a rarity.

dirty booger - The California Enduro Series will be open to all those that want to race.

With the enduro at Demo Forest it was extremely tough to narrow down 177 entrants to 50 (due to permits). Telling 127 people that they couldn't race wasn't something I wanted to do, but it had to be done.

The races will be throughout all of California (from North to South) and will be announced in January 2013.

My XCX Cranks have been absolutely awesome! Very stiff, very light, very smooth, and they didn't break the bank. Can't wait to try out the new TRS cranks in the future. Keep up the good work guys!

Too bad it's the same dates as the Trans-Provence! I'd be into it if it wasn't.