Millimeters Matter
The art and science of suspension on the latest Santa Cruz Bronson
Millimeters Matter
The art and science of suspension on the latest Santa Cruz Bronson
Millimeters Matter
The art and science of suspension on the latest Santa Cruz Bronson
Is it another Bronson?
Yes, it’s the fifth generation of the well known and admired Bronson. But there’s been some big changes. Suspension is where we made the most dramatic advances. It might look similar to everything that comes before it, but in a game where millimeters matter this is really a substantial change.
So what changed?
Now, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m going to acknowledge that we’ve talked about lowering anti-squat a bit over the last few years. Anti-squat, after all, is one of the key attributes that make a mountain bike perform well. Well, we’ve lowered it again – a lot, this time. That’s why the Bronson’s looks have changed so radically – moving the location of the lower link, and the shock down there forward and lower was paramount in getting the anti-squat to the level we had in mind.
Hang on, what is an anti-squat?
Anti-squat refers to how much your pedaling inputs stiffen the suspension. Think of it as yanking your chain, and therefore your pedals, backwards every time you hit a bump.
So anti-squat is bad?
Anti-squat isn’t bad – we need to have some to keep the bike from sinking into its travel when we accelerate. Not enough anti-squat and you have a bike that bobs under power. Too much and the bike will be harsh and not as able to absorb bumps while under power. It’s what creates what we call ‘pedal platform.’ But too much of it makes for feedback through the pedals as the suspension moves. Think of it as yanking your chain, and therefore your pedals, backwards every time you hit a bump. This can be felt plainly while climbing over bumps– it’s like it's trying to stop you from pedaling. But it’s in descending that too much anti-squat becomes a real bummer.
Imagine for a moment you’re riding your local trails. Your feet are in that level position, all of your weight is holding them there – with too much anti-squat the chain is trying to pull your pedals backwards a bit as your suspension moves through its travel (as the wheel encounters lumps, bumps and obstacles), but with all your weight holding your pedals in place, your suspension isn’t free to move, and this is felt as harshness in your suspension, which suuuuuucks.
So what gives?
We’ve worked hard to improve (reduce) anti-squat on our bikes and the result is more traction. With the Bronson, we’ve again optimized and hit the sweet spot for an aggressive, mid-travel, trail bike. It is very, very noticeable in its suspension performance. It’s much more confident, there’s much more traction on offer, and it makes for a very composed descender– in-house, we liken it to a mini Nomad.
So what gives?
We’ve worked hard to improve (reduce) anti-squat on our bikes and the result is more traction. With the Bronson, we’ve again optimized and hit the sweet spot for an aggressive, mid-travel, trail bike. It is very, very noticeable in its suspension performance. It’s much more confident, there’s much more traction on offer, and it makes for a very composed descender– in-house, we liken it to a mini Nomad.
So what gives?
We’ve worked hard to improve (reduce) anti-squat on our bikes and the result is more traction. With the Bronson, we’ve again optimized and hit the sweet spot for an aggressive, mid-travel, trail bike. It is very, very noticeable in its suspension performance. It’s much more confident, there’s much more traction on offer, and it makes for a very composed descender– in-house, we liken it to a mini Nomad.
What are the core traits of the Bronson's suspension?
- Minimal kickback on square-edge hits
- Remains active while pedaling up and across rough, technical terrain
- More sensitivity. The suspension is quite plush off the top, with fluttery small bump performance.
- Leverage rate provides predictable, consistent, progressive support.
How did we do this?
The lower link is now tightly packaged low and forward against the BB to get the kinematic characteristics that we wanted. But as I mentioned earlier, millimeters matter – moving any of these pivots a couple millimeters in any direction makes wild adjustments to the ride quality – often with a lot of compromise or any given improvement. Moving all of them at once takes a lot of care. Getting all these bits to produce the suspension kinematic we’re after, without clearance issues, and to do it with pivot and linkage hardware that meets the durability and serviceability standards we hold ourselves to is not simple. The pivots and links maintain a consistent ride for many years. It’s all very tough, reliable and easy to work on. Plus, owners get a lifetime of replacement pivot bearings, as always.
So how does it ride then?
Confidently. Spacious and secure, the Bronson cradles the rider between the wheels. With that slack head tube angle, there’s a lot of tire in front of you, making for a very balanced ride feel. The suspension is quite plush-off-the-top. Fluttery small bump performance is backed up by predictable, consistent, progressive support. This, coupled with a bit more rear center and way less anti-squat, makes for a lot of traction, which is as evident in off-camber roots as it is in keeping the power down on loose, steep switchbacks. This suspension and this geometry work together to create for a very settled, assured riding buddy, gently whispering ‘You’ve got this. Don’t brake. Go for the side hit. Do it.’ And which might leave you asking your riding buddies to do another lap.
