Santa Cruz chameleon... The dream bike has landed!

slight delay in updating this, I havent been able to leave the bike alone! its such a nice ride!

anyway, day off work today so I'll update new pics now before I get the urge to go out on it again!

started off with the skinwall tyres on, after several rides offroad I soon thought about putting the nobby nics back on...











then after a good hack down lordswood in Southampton on Wednesday night it all got a bit muddy!





...then a trip up to the petrol station to use the jetwash last night



although the single 38 tooth renthal ring and MRP device look the business - it isnt very practical for general use, I found myself having to jump off and run/push up hills to keep up with my mate...a front mech/shifter/2 rings (36/22) and a hope bash ring are on their way...!

and now for the spec...

Frame: Santa Cruz Chameleon

Fork: Rockshox Revelation RLT

Headset: Raceface Diablous
Stem: Sunline AM
Handlebar: Renthal Fatbar
Grips: Sunline mushroom

Brakes: Shimano Deore Disc/superstar rotors (203 front, 180 rear)

Shifters: Shimano Shimano SLX
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT
Derailleur Cables: Shimano
Cassette: Shimano XT
Chain: Shimano SLX
Cranks: Shimano Deore
Chainrings: Rental
Chainring bolts: Brand X in gold
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Deore
Pedals: DMR V12

Hub Skewers: Hope
Rims: Mavic 321
Hubs: Hope Bulb?
Nipples: metal ones
Spokes: metal ones
Tyres: Scwalbe Nobby Nics
Tubes: Continental

Saddle: Charge Spoon
Seatpost: Raceface Evolve DH
Seatpost Binder: Crap one at the moment - silver hope one in the post!

Weight: 27.5lbs (approx)

That looks great. I miss my Chameleon because it just did most things pretty well.

I'd stick with the single ring but drop down to a smaller ring; 38tooth is pretty big by modern standards. I run a 34 with an 11-36 cassette and am fine even in the Peaks and I'm far from an athlete! I really like the simplicity and luck of clutter.

Mindmap3":1z5nl63i said:

That looks great. I miss my Chameleon because it just did most things pretty well.

I'd stick with the single ring but drop down to a smaller ring; 38tooth is pretty big by modern standards. I run a 34 with an 11-36 cassette and am fine even in the Peaks and I'm far from an athlete! I really like the simplicity and luck of clutter.

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yeah I was going to do that but I like a slightly larger ring for going a bit faster
I'll give it a go with the front mech and see how it is, may go back to a smaller single ring at a later date...

a slightly longer stem may be on the cards also as I struggle climbing with this one... maybe go for a 70mm hope one in black or something :xmas-cool:

How tall are you? I've always found Santa Cruz to have really short top tubes. I went for a large for my second Chameleon or I doubt I would have never been able to ride up any hills.

With regards to the chainring, I guess it depends on where you live and what you ride, but my DH bikes always went fast enough with a 36tooth ring and my SX gets up to a fair old lick with a 34 tooth ring. It only gets used off road though.

Mindmap3":2owr3u3y said:

How tall are you? I've always found Santa Cruz to have really short top tubes. I went for a large for my second Chameleon or I doubt I would have never been able to ride up any hills.

With regards to the chainring, I guess it depends on where you live and what you ride, but my DH bikes always went fast enough with a 36tooth ring and my SX gets up to a fair old lick with a 34 tooth ring. It only gets used off road though.

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I'm about 5 ft 10, it is tad on the short side but it manuals really well and feels nice and nippy when going fast round corners, I do like a bike when the front end comes up easily
I am going to get a longer seatpost as the one in it is only 300mm and even at its max my legs are still bent, I may also opt for an 80mm stem at a later date

All in all I'm very pleased with it, it should be much better for me when I have the longer post though