The new Santa Cruz Chameleon is more versatile than ever

Modern geometry, wheelsize versatility and affordability in this new hardtail

The Santa Cruz Chameleon has been updated with 27.5+ or 29er wheel compatibility

Courtesy

Josh Patterson

Published: March 15, 2017 at 7:01 am

Santa Cruz has redesigned the Chameleon with 27.5+ compatibility and given riders the option to run it as a singlespeed.

Frequent BikeRadar readers may have noticed that we've already covered the debut of this bike through spy shots from a local bike shop.

It turns out that Santa Cruz was so efficient in getting this new bike to dealers that it shipped them a few weeks earlier than expected, which isn’t a bad thing in our book.

Now that we have additional details directly from Santa Cruz, we've updated this article. Here’s what you need to know about this new shape-shifting hardtail.

Santa Cruz Chameleon details

  • Compatible with 27.5+ and 29er wheels and tires
  • Offered in sizes S,M, L and XL
  • Rocker dropouts for geared or singlespeed use
  • Boost axle spacing
  • Complete bike pricing starts at $1599 / £1599, frames retail for $749 / £549 (Australian pricing TBC)
  • Available now

The Chameleon was already the trail hardtail in the Santa Cruz family, with a slack head angle and short chainstays. The previous iteration was based around traditionally-sized 27.5in wheels. Fun fact: this is the seventh generation of the Chameleon.

There's a port on the downtube as well as the seat tube for an internally-routed dropper seatpost
There's a port on the downtube as well as the seat tube for an internally-routed dropper seatpost - Andrew Christman

The new bike is a true changeling, offering riders the option to run 27.5+ or standard 29in wheels and tires. The chainstay length is adjustable between 415 and 430mm.

In keeping with its trail-oriented nature, the Chameleon comes spec’d with a 120mm suspension fork. It has a 67.6-degree head tube angle as a 27.5+ bike which slackens to 67.3-degrees in 29er guise.

The 67.6–67.3 degree head tube angle (depending on wheelsize) is refreshingly slack
The 67.6–67.3 degree head tube angle (depending on wheelsize) is refreshingly slack - Andrew Christman

This minor head tube angle change is a result of the four different modular dropout options for this new bike. Like the chip system Santa Cruz uses on the Tallboy and Hightower, these interchangeable dropouts are intended to preserve the geometry as much as possible between wheel sizes.

The Chameleon comes with uses modular dropouts that allow it to be set up with gears or as a singlespeed
The Chameleon comes with uses modular dropouts that allow it to be set up with gears or as a singlespeed - Courtesy

There are geared 148x12mm versions for 27.5 and 29in wheels and singlespeed versions for 27.5 and 29in wheels in the 142x12mm axle spacing.According to Santa Cruz, the reason the company went with a dedicated singelspeed dropout in 142x12mm is the fact there are very few singlespeed-specific hubs offered in the wider Boost axle spacing.

To be clear: all versions of these dropouts can be used to tension the chain for singlespeed applications, but the two dedicated singelspeed versions do away with the unsightly and unused derailleur hanger that may affect the chi of some singlespeed purists.

The Chameleon can accept a low-direct mount front derailleur
The Chameleon can accept a low-direct mount front derailleur - Andrew Christman

Other frame features include internal routing for a dropper seatpost and dual water bottle mounts on the top and bottom of the downtube.

Josh Patterson

Contributor

Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. He has spent most of his career working in the cycling industry as an athlete, mechanic and journalist. He holds a master's degree in journalism and has more than 20 years of experience as a cyclist and 12 years of experience riding and writing for BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Dirt Rag, RoadBikeReview and Outside Magazine. A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. He considers himself a cycling generalist and enjoys road, gravel and mountain biking in equal measure. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to his love of cycling, Josh is an enthusiastic supporter of brunch, voting rights and the right to repair movement.
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