2024 Santa Cruz
CHAMELEON Frame / Aluminum
A 29″ aluminum frame trail frameset.
For This Bike
4'11" – 5'6"
5'4" – 5'11"
5'9" – 6'2"
6'0" – 6'6"
None yet.
Do you have this bike? Help other riders make a decision about which size will work for them by sharing your own size and fit notes.
Jul 2022 · Tom Marvin
Capable and composed, fast and fun, but pricing will put it out of reach of many
Great handling that brings a grin to your face
Soft-compound front tyre boosts control
Tons of versatility
Value is poor
Brakes lack power and suffer on long descents
Deserves thicker-carcass tyres
Jul 2022
The Santa Cruz Chameleon is designed as do-it-all hardtail that’s just as happy being loaded up with bikepacking kit as it is when faced with fast singletrack. During testing, it’s proven to be just as versatile as promised demonstrating incredibly fun trail manners when you're smashing singletrack or munching miles. However, such a capable and engaging ride comes at quite the price.
Jun 2022 · Antony de Heveningham
For the past 25 years the Santa Cruz Chameleon been a tough hardtail that can still be comfortable and light enough for longer rides.
A super versatile frame thanks to agnostic geometry and swappable dropouts
Works well with mixed wheels
A lovely looking frame, particularly with this colour scheme
So-so brakes
So-so fork
Generally poor value for money in this build (go for frame only and build one up instead?)
Mar 2022 · Seanwhite
The much-revered Santa Cruz Chameleon turns 25 in 2022 (much like our beloved MBR magazine). This do-it-all hardtail rolled into production in 1997 and is one of the longest-running model names in this Californian brand’s line, has often been listed among the best hardtail mountain bikes, and is now in its eighth generation. How’s that for heritage? The Chameleon has always had a good dose of in-built versatility, but the design has wandered a touch over the years: morphing into a 160mm forked hard-hitter in 2003 and more recently a bikepacking capable all-rounder with a carbon frame and 27.5in Plus size wheels. Changing with the times and trends? Most certainly, but the latest evolution is pitched squarely as a modern trail hardtail. But however rich its pedigree, with a price tag that now buys you a very capable full suspension bike, how does the new Chameleon stack up? And, more importantly, is it still relevant? Need to know: Latest generation Chameleon has replaceable dropouts for running 29in and MX wheels Alloy frame comes in four sizes with geometry designed around 130mm travel forks Slotted dropouts offer adjustable chainstay length – 428mm to 440mm Three build options with prices starting at £2,399, frame only for £799 The evolution of the Santa Cruz Chameleon Before I attempt to answer those questions, let’s take a closer look at the latest transformation. Now based solely around an aluminium frame and a 130mm fork – in my opinion the sweet spot for suspension travel on a hardtail – the Chameleon uses replaceable dropouts to give two wheel configurations. Switching between these neat dropouts lets you run it as a full 29er or a mullet/MX set up (29in front/27.5in rear) with no change to geometry or bottom bracket height. The dropouts are a sliding design, so there’s also 12mm of horizontal adjustment, giving you the option to run it as a single speed or tweak the effective chainstay length to fine tune the ride feel. Versatile? You bet. And when you add in well executed internal routing, comprehensive chainstay protection, a threaded bottom bracket shell and ISCG 05 chain guide tabs, you’ve got all the boxes ticked for a future-proof ride. There’s also a lifetime warranty on the frame, so you know it’s built to last. When it comes to build kits, Santa Cruz offers three options and two wheel packages, starting at £2,399 for the D spec. I rode the mid-level R spec bike, in 29er guise and in a size XL, the largest of the four available options. With a price tag just shy of £3K it’s serious money for a hardtail and in another league price-wise from category benchmarks like the Canyon Stoic and Whyte 629. The Chameleon is also one of the very few trail-focused aluminium options in a price arena where steel, titanium and carbon frames dominate. Take a look at the spec though and you’ll see SRAM’s tried and tested but unremarkable basic 4-piston Guide T brakes and NX Eagle …Continue reading »
Go anywhere, do anything attitude. Mix and match wheel sizes along with adjustable chainstay length makes it very adaptable. Maxxis MaxxGrip front tyre. Shorter 460mm seat tube length on size XL.
Expensive, given the SRAM NX drivetrain. BB height could be lower. No XXL size for really tall riders
Feb 2022 · Guy Kesteven
The eighth heir to the Santa Cruz alloy aggro hardtail throne is proper all round Chameleon
Very tough but remarkably forgiving frame
Balanced aggro trail geometry
Adjustable dropouts
29 and mullet options
High Control tires and impressive Fox Rhythm fork
High comparative cost
Mostly workable not wonderful kit
Fork needs more pressure than stated
Heavier than we'd like
Dec 2021
After some struggle, Andrew and the Chameleon MX are speaking the same language - if not the same dialect...
Oct 2021 · Logan Watts
Just announced, the 2022 Santa Cruz Chameleon went through a complete metamorphosis, including a whole new geometry and redesigned dropouts. Review here...
Updated geometry that’s a lot of fun for more aggressive trail mountain bikers and still pretty good for all-purpose MTB/mixed-terrain riding
It remains a versatile bike with some nice features and good tire size compatibility—namely three main tire configs (29-plusish/wide trail, mixed, and 27.5+
Excellent new sliding dropout design is easy to use and well-engineered
In 29 x 2.6″ tire mode, it makes an excellent bikepacking rig and all around MTB
Flashy colors photograph well :-)
Fairly heavy build for $3,000, which is expensive compared to other bikes in its class
It’s an aluminum frame, so the Chameleon has a pretty sharp ride on anything smaller than 2.6” tires
Shrunken frame triangle is a bit of a bummer, especially for those of us with longer legs who don’t need the extra-generous standover
| Frame | CHAMELEON Frame / Aluminum Color: Matte Blackout |
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Last updated April 27