Here we go with the Santa Cruz Bronson 5. This time around, the Bronson sees some subtle yet important refinements. As MX bikes have been around a little longer, we are starting to understand more about their strengths and weaknesses and what would make them better. Santa Cruz has applied some modern MX understanding to the Bronson 5. So stick around to see if it’s the right mtb for you.
So, what’s new about the Bronson 5? At first glance, you’ll probably notice a subtle change in the frame design. The shock tunnel is a bit less of a tunnel these days. The design is much more open. Likely for a bit better access to the shock – that’s a big practicality win in my book. With that, we see the shock get even lower in the frame, not only changing the bike’s kinematic but helping keep the weight low and central. The travel amounts stay the same, but the feel is different. We also see some changes in geometry, namely the head tube angle getting slacker, the wheelbase getting longer, and maybe most importantly, the rear center growing. We will talk about why that’s important in a second here.
In a trend, I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of the CC frame becomes a wireless-only drivetrain frame with no options for routing cable drivetrains. The C frame still has ports for cable drivetrains. I guess there’s an argument to be made for weight savings on the wireless-only frame, but the versatility and practicality losses are a little annoying.
Let’s go ride and take a deep dive. And I apologize for the lack of diverse riding footage. I was able to get out and ride this bike quite a bit, but I only got to film one full ride before I exploded my collarbone.
Santa Cruz Bronson 5 Ride Review
Uphill
The Bronson 5 is very Santa Cruz to its core. It’s a slightly relaxed and casual climber that excels when it comes to providing traction and technical climbing. We’ve got two major changes that impact how the new Bronson climbs: the suspension kinematics and geometry refinements.
Starting with the suspension kinematics, the Bronson 5 has been made more active on the pedals than the previous version. That means there’s going to be a little bit less pedal platform and, subsequently, more pedal bob in favor of more traction control and comfort. There are also benefits on the downhill, and we will get into those in just a minute. Out on the trail, you can feel that more active suspension platform, but I wouldn’t say that the bike is all that less efficient. It still pedals well enough for the category, and the traction improvements help on those steep, loose, and techy climbs. Especially on an MX wheel bike with a smaller rear wheel, I’d take that added traction over efficiency every day of the week. Smaller tires will have a smaller contact patch, which leads to a little bit less traction, so getting more traction from your suspension platform can help counteract that. The Bronson is a great technical climber and efficient enough for bigger rides, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best climber in the category.
Now, we can jump into the geometry refinements. The two biggest things you’ll notice are the steeper seat tube angle and the longer rear center. Both of those will help keep your weight better centered between the wheels. Mullets can tend to have a pretty rearward weight bias, so by increasing the rear center and making the seat tube angle steeper, you can get that weight bias a little more neutral in the seated position. That comes across out on the trail in better traction and control. Your weight will be centered better between the wheels. You also won’t feel like you’re falling off the back of the bike quite as much, especially when things get steep.
The fit on the Bronson is very upright and comfortable. I’m a tall guy and appreciate a tall front end, and I’ll typically run my stem at the top of the steerer tube, but on the Bronson, I needed to lower the bars a spacer or two to keep enough weight over the front wheel. That upright feel is great on longer rides, especially for my old man back and neck. Riders who like a more racy and sporty fit and feel might struggle to get that out of the Bronson; you might not be able to run your bars low enough. The stack height increases by 10mm over the previous version. Putting it at one of the tallest stack heights in the category.
Overall, I’d describe the Bronson as a comfortable and capable climber that shines on steep, loose, and technical terrain. More so than on fast, smooth, and rolling terrain.
Downhill
Now, jumping into the fun part and riding a bike like the Bronson, this part is especially fun. The Bronson isn’t made to be a race bike or to be the fastest bike to the bottom of the mountain. Instead, it’s designed to be the most fun and playful. It’s plenty capable, and the refinements Santa Cruz has made to the suspension and geometry make it one of the best mullets I’ve ridden to date.
As mullets have been around longer, we are starting to learn the intricacies and subtleties that separate them from 29ers. They require different designs to optimize around the different wheel sizes. We’ve started to see a trend of longer chain stay lengths on mullets to help with stability and traction while still offering the agility of a smaller wheel. Granted, a short chain stay would add to the agility factor but at the expense of stability and traction. So, instead, we are finding a sweet spot with a longer rear center and a smaller wheel with a smaller radius that leans over and corners more easily. Plus, there’s the added benefit of butt clearance for shorter riders – not something I know much about, but I’ve heard folks complain about that before.
Starting with the suspension improvements, we see a more active design, allowing for better small bump sensitivity and less pedal feedback. With less anti-squat, there will be less influence from the chain through the pedals, giving you a better suspension feel on small and medium-sized bumps. Of course, one of the trade-offs is pedaling efficiency, but on a 150mm travel bike, that’s a trade-off I’d take every time. This improvement comes across in an ultra-smooth and plush suspension feel that isn’t overly gooey or too easy to blow through. There is still plenty of mid-stroke support, especially given how soft the initial stroke feels. That gives the Bronson a plush yet fun and lively quality. It’s great in small chatter as well as pumping, jumping, and cornering.
Talking about the geometry refinements on the Bronson, the biggest things you’ll notice are the slacker head tube angle, longer chain stays, and longer overall wheelbase, all of which equate to more stability and capability. The Bronson 5 is one of those bikes that you can take on any trail and never feel outgunned. The longer chainstays are particularly important here to help keep the weight bias a little more neutral, something that mullets historically have struggled with. Each size has its own chainstay length, too, which should help riders of all heights have a good front-to-back balance on the Bronson. Even with the longer stays, I still noticed a bit of a rearward weight bias. It came across as me getting pushed rearward on big g-outs and compressions. I had to make a conscious effort to stay over the front of the bike further than I typically do. Lowering the bars on the stem helped with this, too.
The Bronson’s handling is my favorite part about the bike. With the smaller rear wheel, you have a smaller radius from the gub to the ground. This allows the wheel to lean over more easily than a big wheel. It helps keep that rear end feeling lively and snappy around corners. The Bronson feels very easy to dive in and out of tight corners. One of the trails I found the best on was a steep rut track with a lot of high-speed s-curves and chicanes. The Bronson makes it extremely fun to whip the back end around and surf through the rut.
Overall, the Bronson makes a great all-mountain bike that skews toward lively and active riding styles. It’s plenty capable while being fun just about everywhere. It might not have the rolling speed and capability of a full 29er, but it more than makes up for it in fun points.
Santa Cruz Bronson 5 Comparisons
Bronson 5 vs 5010
It makes a lot of sense to compare the Bronson to the 5010. I think Santa Cruz has learned a lot about MX bikes with the new Bronson, and it shows. The front-to-back balance is better with a more neutral weight bias. The longer stays go a long way in helping with better traction and stability by increasing the wheelbase and putting you in a better spot between the wheels. The Bronson obviously is much more capable than the 5010 on the descents. Maybe more than the numbers might suggest. The 5010 is lighter, quicker, and snappier on the climbs, but it is still fairly versatile and capable of handling rough trails.
Bronson 5 vs Ibis Ripmo
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time riding 150mm all-mountain bikes this summer. I’m convinced that’s the best travel amount for anyone who wants a do-it-all bike. The Ripmo is one of those bikes I’ve spent the most time on lately in the category. And while I haven’t ridden the Ripmo in MX mode and won’t be able to for quite a while now, I still think it’s worth comparing these two. The Ripmo feels a little more balanced between uphill and downhill performance than the Bronson. I think it’s slightly more efficient on the pedals but maybe not quite as smooth in rough terrain. It’s every bit as fun as the Bronson, but only in a different way. The Bronson is very quick and zippy in the corners, while the Ripmo is very poppy and easy to get off the ground. Overall, I don’t know if I can say one is more capable than the other. They both get the job done, just in different ways.
Read the Ibis Ripmo Review Here
Who is the Santa Cruz Bronson 5 for?
Like I said earlier, the 150mm travel bike is the one bike I think everyone should have. Unless you’re racing either Enduro or XC, it’s really the only bike you need. The Bronson is easily one of those bikes. It does everything you want it to. It climbs well enough for big days yet rarely feels outgunned.
That said, I think it skews more toward fun and active riding styles. The kind of rider who never gets off the ground or tip-toes through corners might not be getting the most out of it. It really starts to shine as you get more creative with your line choice. It facilitates goofing off and treating every trail like a playground.
I also think that for shorter riders, it could be a better option than a 150mm 29er if it is only for clearance over the rear wheel. So, if you find yourself vertically challenged but don’t really meet the criteria above, I still think this might be a better option than a full 29er.
That’s going to do it for the Bronson 5
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