Review and vlog of the new Santa Cruz Chameleon hardtail
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- čas přidán 15. 02. 2022
- If you want to learn more about the Santa Cruz Chameleon, these bikes are available and on sale NOW at Jenson USA- hit this link for a great deal on this fine bike: jenson.sjv.io/NkQ9vV (any purchases will directly help support my channel- thanks!).
If you enjoy my riding videos, there are another 40+ riding tutorials that are available only to Patrons: / jeffkendallweed
Steve’s hardtail channel: / @hardtailparty
I installed an Industry Nine Enduro 305 24 spoke wheelset, with carbon rims: bit.ly/2022IndustryNineEnduro...
I wish I had time to install my usual PNW Components cockpit, but alas, this was a quick time with the bike! I LOVE my 760mm Range bars and 50mm stem, Loam grips and dropper remote, and Loam dropper. Check out the PNW stuff here: bit.ly/PNWComponents2022JKW
And BTW, CushCore is an ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER for the hardtail! bit.ly/CushCoreSingleJKW
For a limited time, my community will be able to claim a free LMNT electrolytes sample pack - you only cover the cost of shipping ($5 for US customers). Get your sample pack of LMNT electrolytes by using this link: Http://DrinkLMNT.com/Jeff
Big shout to my sponsors! Thanks to Jenson USA, PNW Components, Industry Nine, and Shimano- and any purchases from the below links to Jenson USA will help support my channel:
Jenson USA: bit.ly/JensonUSAjkw
PNW Components: bit.ly/PNW_JKW
Industry Nine: bit.ly/IndustryNineJKW
Did you know I post a new riding tutorial every month? These are ONLY posted to my Patreon page, so join now to see these rad videos! Here’s the full list of my riding tutorials posted through January 2022:
How to ride light on the bike: / 61941975
Riding technique differences between hardtails and FS: / 60435182
How to rut track: / 59366938
5 tips to make flat trails more fun: / 58058983
5 tips to improve bike control and balance: / 56839920
How to levitate out of corners: / 55607066
Three simple cornering tips: / 54371316
How (and when) to rock roll or drop: / 53126562
How to jump with fluidity- and not DEAD SAILER! / 51914476
How to Lanual: / 50695443
How to climb ledges without a bunny hop: / 49476021
Which brake to use when: / which-brake-to-48108425
Different bikes, different riding techniques: / 46925782
How to ride FLAT PEDALS through the ROCKS: / how-to-ride-flat-45662347
How to ride wet roots and steep chutes: / 44507851
How to ride with style: / how-to-ride-with-43349450
How to jump for height vs distance: / 42202183
Common manual questions answered: / 41006264
How to land jumps: / 39928153
My 3 favorite skills drills: / if-i-could-only-38809964
How to manual: / how-to-manual-37684861
Cutty: / 36579859
Manual a berm: / 35496772
How to ride in Sedona: / 34436065
Switchbacks: / 3-ways-to-33345804
Nosewheelie: / 32742504
Bump jump: / 31881231
Trials basics for trail riders: / 31145344
Tight berms: / 30389457
Aggressive braking: / 29579507
Confidence for mountain biking: / 28817411
Cornering: / 27981205
Flowing/pumping down the trail: / 27288868
Stoppie through turns: / 26296762
Technical climbing: / 25234847
Boost jumps: / 24161821
Bunnyhop: / 23396959
Utilizing the wheelie on the trail: / 23017910
How to wheelie: / 21879606
Join my email newsletter/riding tips/new content digest: eepurl.com/gbSvF9 - Krátké a kreslené filmy
For a limited time, my community will be able to claim a free LMNT electrolytes sample pack - you only cover the cost of shipping ($5 for US customers). Get your sample pack of LMNT electrolytes by using this link: Http://DrinkLMNT.com/Jeff
Jeff, I have been following you for a long time and I absolutely love your positive attitude and super fun riding style. Please can you make a video on cockpit setup and bar height etc. I am trying to figure out what increasing travel, changing stem length and stack height, as well as changing bar rise height will do to the bike and at 5'8 how high is too high, as well as any benifits of staying a bit lower on the front end if I have the flexibility to do so. Currently racing a 2018 specialized enduro 29er and having fun an a pink Santa Cruz Bronson V2. Cheers Jonny
Excellent overview and review. It's been fun seeing you ride it on my local trails.
I absolutely love seeing the mtb channels that I follow mention each other or collaborate! So rad!!
great video 🤙🏼
@@phillipstocksdale6317 Jeff is a great friend.
Thanks Phillip, I'm commenting from Steve's kitchen table right now... true story!
Thanks so much for the loan!!!
Since you two know each other I’d love to see Jeff get some time on the the Maniak some day 😬
Lol, you and Steve have massively different riding styles. You push harder than 99% of riders. Awesome video
Such a cool bike. Love the integrated drone footage. Also really enjoyed the video you did sessioning technical climbs with Steve.
Great to see your subscriber count continuing to climb. This is such an underrated channel. Keep up the great work, Jeff. Love your sincerity and passion.
I have a hard tail and a full suspension (both from vitus) and love them both. I can definitely recommend having both as they are so different to ride and therefore help improve your skills.
HT rider here. Watchin' this video is already fun! Thank you for giving us a glimpse of your ride, dear Jeff! My day has just become happier.
Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines! #KeepBiking
I have the SC Chameleon 27.5+ S+ build, and have ridden it the last 2 yr.s, and I have no regrets buying that bike! It is FUN!! I love the planted feel of the Chameleon, yet fast and poppy!!
I also have a full squish and love mixing it up depending on what I'm riding..
Love your vid.!
I have an old Chameleon from around late 90's to 2000 with XTR V brakes & Marzocchi MXC air forks & I go to work on it every day, love it & it's a keeper, great bike;
Great video review Jeff. You and Steve are awesome!
I love having a hardtail in the quiver! Got 2 actually, as well as a gravel bike. You can take a different bike on the same trail and have a totally different experience! Nice review Jeff.
It’s like watching a choreographed dance when you ride. Makes me realize the amount of work I need🫣
There's ALWAYS a soft spot for a hardtail in my life. 🥳🔥
i live in the pnw. portland, specifically and rocky point is the closest trail system to my house and having other places to ride like cold creek, mt. hood etc etc, things get pretty steep in certain areas so i went all out this year and got a norco range and i plan on DH racing and other things on it and it has been an awesome bike so far but I do definitely need another bike to cover the days that i simply don't need 170mm front and rear with big 223mm rotors that could stop a train. watching you ride, jeff, has really given me lots of encouragement to buy something like a norco optic or transition spur etc. i'm excited for the future, no doubt.
Stumbled onto your channel. I’ve been on Steve’s a lot lately and yours came up in the feed. Very nice job on the review. Great channel! I’m just an old guy staying in shape on a fattie. The Chameleon may be in my future as a summer ride.
“It’s a party without a shock, and your invited” LOL. Sorry Steve, in all fairness I got a Paradox V3 after your raving review. Thanks Jeff!
Awesome point about the two bikes, I run the two bike game right now. XC hardtail and an enduro. Pretty crazy compliment. I think I may swap the hardtail for a slightly more robust hardtail, but I'm not sure about that yet. It's fun to ride a super fast hardtail and it's refreshing after having to push the enduro around so much.
I am watching this for a second time just because I got bit by the Chameleon "bug" after seeing one at my LBS. The Chameleon has always been one of my dream bikes, but being on a budget it's still a dream. Whenever I get my kids through college and have a bit of money again, I will definitely be looking at one. When I do purchase a Chameleon, my current plus hardtail will be my "loaner"
They on sale right now.
Just ordered the MX version! So pumped
Great shots and review. Instant subscription.
Much appreciated! Wish I had a chameleon of my own!
I love it every time you manual and let out that joyful and semi diabolical laugh.
Awe thanks Randall! But diabolical?! 😂 nothing but ✌️ here! 😁 those little wheelies are so fun though, and the challenges of doing them in weird spots is a hoot!
nice video sir and i love the trails...and your bike too
Good stuff as always Jeff. Totally agree with the comment of having two complimenting bikes, if possible. My 28lb 2021 Stumpy feels like a rocket on more tame trails with it's firm-ish suspension and 130mm travel compared to my 33lb Evil Wreckoning with a coil, DD tires and 170mm Zeb. That said, the Wrecker is so much faster, capable and confidence inspiring once the trail points down and gets more gnarly. Nice to have both options depending on the mood.
Awesome riding bro thanks for the info.
man, I sold my Chameleon thinking I had outgrown it and needed a full suspension and boy was I wrong. Per strava, I have yet to beat any of my PRs for climbing and descending on all my local trails proving that the Chameleon really is a versatile bike.
Yup. I have a 2017 Chameleon and a 2018 Switchblade. Lots of my PRs up and down are on the lizard.
Great review of my dream hardtail I hope to own one day 😂
Thumbnail talking HT as budget solution, showing a Santa Cruz bike. Made me smile...
Since when was Santa Cruz "budget"... It's a different world than the one I inhabit.
@Kattrap Santa Cruz is just overpriced
@@wx2999 buying a used chameleon is a budget bike.
@concretehead2790 second that. If you want a yellow hardtail that rips, get the scout!
Consider this: the specialized fuse comp is selling rn in my area for about $2500, the chameleon is going for $2600. Mind you essentially everything about the chameleon is better from the parts spec, to geo, to frame compliance, and chainstay adjustments. For $100 extra over the fuse you get more than $100 in bike.
@@brendanmeyler1641the fuse expert is what im looking at its 2499 if you can find one. Its so hard to decide on a bike
I have a 2020 chameleon 29r, i just upgraded the fork to 140mm Marzocchi bomber z2. I'm kicking myself why I waited 2years to upgrade. Icing on the cake was PNW finally making the 35mm handlebars that i love. That trail is beautiful
Right on Keith, sounds like a fun bike!
wow this is my dream bike. thank you Jeff 👌🏼🤙🏼🤘🏽
Thanks for watching!
I got a carbon Honzo (similar to the Chameleon) last year set up with a 140 fork and damn is it fun. The 140 slacks it out a lot and I can ride a lot of the stuff I'd ride on a trail bike, but it makes the XC trails a lot more fun.
Nice Scott, that sounds like a great bike!!!
Was it at 120mm travel originally?
I have an honzo carbon with a fox 34 120mm travel and it's perfectly balanced to climb and descend but I have the curiosity to try it with a 140 fork.
@@badorx Kona sold them with a 120, but I bought this second hand with a 140 pike. I've never rode it with the 120, but with the 140 the front wheel will wander a bit on steep climbs. The steering is "floppier" than you'd want an XC bike to be, but the 140 makes the geo perfect. I haven't rode a hardtail in years and thought I'd really have to ride it gingerly. With the 140 on it I feel comfortable sending most of the same stuff I do on my trail bike with the exception big drops (ouch my ankles)
@@scottshedeck9119 thank you for your answer, I got my Honzo last year, and it is my first serious front bike. I am still impressed for what this bike is capable. Really fast and confortable in most single track of my area. Love it! It's more a trail bike than an xc.
No wonder I haven't seen you around town lately, missing out on some amazing gold dirt Jeff!
I know, I miss it!!!
One day I will have one. It’s the bike I feel I have to have. I have needed this bike for so many year and always looked look at it. The only other bike I felt I have needed was the transition bottlerocket and I did own that one for a while.
Right on Jay! I really enjoyed the Chameleon.
Awesome video and content Jeff! Which trail was that? Thanks
Have watched this video countless times... that flexing of the caliper is a deal breaker to me...damn.
No one corners like jeff👍
Thanks K!
Great video Jeff. Would love to hear a review from you on a Ragley Mmmbop.
Jeff that was an awesome video. Out of curiosity, are you using Skydio-2? Shots look great.
Hey jeff love the video! With the 29er wheel and mullet dropout did you have to use a post mount adapter on the back wheel?
Budget and Santa Cruz don’t belong in the same sentence 😂 🤣
I disagree with you on that one. Budget describes the level of componentry that you will get for your money when purchasing Santa Cruz!!!
@@TheAllEngineering ik just joking since there bikes are so expensive generally.
@@TheAllEngineering I would have though budget just meant more affordable, and value meant bang for your buck
@@joecexe1 Of which Santa Cruz is neither!!
@@TheAllEngineering agreed xd
nice! long live the chameleon
Crushing it!
Thanks Jeff, this video is perfect timing. I’ve been considering getting a hard tail since I’ve realized I don’t care so much for speed but instead want to focus more on riding better and how to play with the bike on the trail. My hope is having a hardtail would do just that. Do you think its okay to go flats on a hard tail or is clipless generally best?
Hey Bob, I ride flats primarily on my own hardtail, a Chromag Stylus. My bike is MUCH more of a freeride/DH bike than the Chameleon tho. But yeah, totally A-OK to go with flats!
I switched to flats on most of my hardtails in October. It's a learning process,but has been really good to reenforce proper technique where I have started to ride lazy.
Would love to see a review on a truly budget bike like the vitus nucleus vr or carrera fury, something like that.
I don't have a hardtail in my quiver anymore: sending it through the chunk really wasn't good for my ankles. My Ibis Ripley AF is my fun bike now
You ride HT looks very smooth like you're riding fullsus...sick dude...wanna learn it because im hardtail
Thank you, I appreciate that!
@@JeffKendallWeed i love your riding style.look very fun and smooth
Wow nice angle
How tall are you Jeff & what is your inseam length please?
Trying to figure out sizing on this bike. Thanks & congrats on the channel!
Just curious about the drop outs installed? Different options for each wheel size right?
What is the tire combo you are using on this? Also what are some of your favorites on Hardtails?
Would love to see you review a Lynskey Live Wire.
ya gotta love the yellow tho 👌
It's a neat color!!!
I'm in Phoenix looking for a hardtail to complement my Mojo3. Aluminum ht in Phx/Sedona looks harsh. Any thoughts? Got my eye on a Steel Honzo ESD locally but man, that 63 degree h/a seems a bit much for everyday trail riding. Although you would probably love it, Jeff! lol
Shot I'd give my friend the FS and still out shred them on the DH with the HT 😁
@JKW another solid video mate thanks, but what gloves are you wearing there? The black ones.
Thanks Todd! Those are the Giro Cascade that I mentioned in the Endura/winter clothing video. I really like them! I have two pairs, and am considering grabbing a third. bit.ly/GiroCascadeGlove2022JKW
The cheaper sram guides work WAY better with third party pads in them I found (that and I've also found a fair bit of air bubbles in them coming from factory/bike manufacturer - worth a bleed straight out the box IMO). Not sure if you have em in the states/Canada but Nukeproof do really, really nice semi metallic ones that make them feel amazing for endos/ nose mannys and give way more modulation whilst still locking very well AND NEVER SQUEAK!. give em a try if you can get them sent over for not much (they are half the cost of the official sram ones over here)
Looks nice and slack to me, bet it drops well and glad they made an alloy version. Sick riding as usual my man.
P.S Clipless pedals are 100% cheating for trials type riding (even if you have to be pro-AF to use them that way)
Would really like to hear your thoughts on the Commencal Meta HT AM. And do a video. They have a pretty well spec'd version in their Race version that comes stock as a Mullet. in S and Medium sizes.
Perhaps! I’ve been hesitant to work with a brand that doesn’t sell to bike shops like Commencal or YT. I have heard good things about commencal, but YT and canyon get a bad wrap for warranty/durability, which makes me nervous I’d break one. It’d be a very awkward spot to break one of those on camera! That said a hardtail is usually a safe bet to be a solid bike!
@@JeffKendallWeed Their team in Colorado has been very helpful during the ordering and shipping process. They even proactively reached out to me to confirm my order information. I believe they even have a showroom / shop you can check out in Golden, CO but ya it’s a fun bike for me so far but always like to get the more experienced take. Be well.
..... Love my (2017) Cameltoe !
Set up 29 front n back, would like the 27.5 drop-out but they stopped selling it :-/ !
did you get to try Steve's new bike? The Maniak?
Will you be reviewing the Trek Roscoe 9?
Hi nice review and video. You ride so well. How tall are you? Does the size medium fit you well? Im 167 cm do you think a size Medium frame would be good for me?
Would be interested to hear the comparisons between this and the Chromag. Trying to decide between this and a root down. Know they are different bikes (and yours is a stylus so different). Regardless, would be cool to hear how they differ.
Honestly with Santa Cruz warranty and customer service I'd go with the.. ha.ds down
Hey, do you know if you could ride it in 27.5ers without 29er dropouts? How much of an impact would it have on geometry?
Can you fully insert the sdg tellis on the medium?
I just road my Camelon for the first time today on an XC trai,l it felt different from my other Hardtail Specialized Rock Hopper I did a decent ride but going to have to adjust some. PS Im exhausted lol.
Hahaha right on Cedric! Chameleon is a great bike!
I have a Med frame I'm about 5'6 how what's your height?
Greta video!
Hi, Jeff! A complete off-topic. What are your thoughts on integrated headsets (cups are part of the frame)? Seems more and more alloy bikes are going this route and it is sketching me out, should I be worried? Thank you for insight 👍
Hey Rob, I'm not a huge fan, I much prefer having the option of using an Angleset, or heck, any choice of aftermarket headset. I saw minimal problems with the IS headsets that Ibis used to use on the old Mojo/SL, but the adjustability and choice have me preferring the traditional press-in types.
@@JeffKendallWeed thank you!
What a world we live in when a 65 degree HTA trail bike is like “yeah, could be slacker.” Lol. I officially feel old- my first mtb was a Mongoose Hilltopper in 90 with I’m pretty sure 98 degree HTA and a 200 mm stem. 🤣 although, hey Chromo is back in!
Well the slacker HTA works in conjunction with the long wheelbase, short chainstay, and dropper seat post. It allows for the more aggressive, always standing up riding style to be used at its full potential.
@@JeffKendallWeed oh I get it, just cracks me up when I look back. How far we’ve come and how good bikes have become. 🤙
@@JeffKendallWeed agreed. Although in my experience (went from previous gen chameleon to this one) this limits the ability to do all on a single bike. If you can divide your climbs and descents into decisive portions of your ride then you'll love the new chameleon. If you can't, you'll hate it at descending and cornering with the seat up is not as easy with the new geo
Jeff is that a new hydration bag?
How is this bike with 29er wheels for dirt jumping?
Did you ride it as the Mullet at all? Really wanna try my Wideangle as a Mullet, currently 27.5 w 170 fork
Hey Leroy, with the tires on the mullet wheels, it was inevitable that I'd flat on the rocks, so I just skipped them. My own personal hardtail is indeed a mullet, but I wish it were matching 29" wheels.
There's a party without a shock and you're invited.
New tag line for 2022!
Steve got pedal strikes and thought the bb was low with the 70mm bb drop
Love a good HT all I see now is FS E BIKES
Dude! You should go riding with Nate Hills. Your skills are as insane as Nate 🙂💪🚴♀️
I gotta ask…. Because it’s probably the 2 bikes that are compared to each other.
SC chameleon or DV9?
I can't remember the DV9 well enough to have an opinion. Ibis wasn't able to get me one, just a loaner that I had for a few days back in 2018. Not sure if anyone still has any DV9s in stock anymore, either...
For a few years I was on a full rigid and a 125mm/140mm full squish, (Both 26,) but I recently moved up from 26 to 29/27.5+ with a Surly Karate Monkey. I've been contemplating a Ripmo AF, Ripley AF or Devinci Marshall to complement the KM, (And share wheels.) But after your comment about having a HT and a FS focused in different directions, (and something similar that Steve said recently,) I think I'm leaning away from the 120mm Ripley AF and more towards the 130mm Marshall or 147mm Ripmo AF.
Most people that come into the shop aren't going to consider this budget. Budget for the average person is around $600. People that have 2-3k to spend are looking for full suspension. Very seldomly does someone come in and spend $1200 or more on a hard tail. Maybe where you're at it's a different story.
Most mountain bikers would definitely consider a budget hardtail in the $1-1.2k. A frame alone is usually $600-$1000 already. New people to the sport probably consider $600 complete a budget bike, but there's no way any of the $600 bikes will last riding like Jeff in Sedona
@@conman1395 czcams.com/video/B4_p7yX_S7o/video.html
The kid in this video rides some pretty rough trails on a super cheap Jamis. He's probably been riding it for many seasons.
It's so boring to see these kind of comments under every single video where they call a bike over like a 1000 bucks budget. Get over it.
@@conman1395 I agree with you that a $600 limit on budget bikes is pretty excessive, but even if we limit things to trail oriented bikes, I don't think this qualifies as budget. In that category, I would think of trek's roscoe 7, or maybe a giant fathom.
Realistically, first bikes may come in at or under $1000, but a lot of people would still look at $1200-1400 xc hardtails as nice first bikes.
@@joelhenderson3723 I'm not saying a Santa Cruz Chameleon is a budget bike. I already said a budget hard tail is at $1200 which the Chameleon frame is almost at. But if a frame costs $650, a used Yari costs $250 if you're lucky, that brings you to $900. Advent 9 spd gets you a drivetrain for about $150 and now you're at $1050. Wheels can be had for $300 now you're already past $1200 and you don't have a headset, contact points, bottom bracket, etc. So a pre-built bike at $1200 is a pretty damn good deal. I rode a $500 Rockhopper over the same trails my $1100 Trek Stache and my $3800 full suspension bike ride too, but I also taco'd the wheels, had to replace the drivetrain 4 times, and broke tons of chains from it getting caught on stuff after falling off my chain right. And I'm faster up and downhill on my rigid Stache probably because the Suntour XC32 fork was so damn flexy.
Im 256 lbs will this bike hold up
bike looks huge! is that a large or a xL? you look like your 5"9 or so thats my height I'm thinking about the L
That’s a size medium. Fit me great at 5’8”.
What trail at 9:20 ?
I thought you would compare your Chromag more to it.
They are sooooo different, it didn't really seem applicable.
Hi, what's your height, thank you!
"I wish it was slacker.." "I wish it had a 140mm Fox36" "CushCore would be nice"
Me looking at my Stif Squatch in the corner knowing I made the right choice. It's a little bit of a sled but it likes it rough and fast.
What's a Stif Squatch? I have a Chromag Stylus at home, set up with a 150mm 29er fork and a 29er front wheel.
@@JeffKendallWeed which do you prefer? The chromag stylus or the chameleon??
I'm over 50 with shoulder issues and back issues. No way in hell am I going back to a hardtail. You sure do make them look good though.
Jeff don’t take any tips from hard tail party, your style is way better and actually genuine
Budget?!
Higher BB and higher front end are the way to go. I think we disagree on the head tube angle. I say 66 or 67 all day long. Any slacker and it's too slack. Save that stuff for the downhill bikes.
How is it too slack? Where does it limit you? I think that on any mountain bike anything above 65° is obsolete.
@@th_js Slack is for cornering at higher speeds. At normal singletrack speeds (5 - 12ish MPH) a slack bike feels slow and sluggish around corners and you can't easily conquer the tight twisty stuff.
To me, 65 is that point where bikes start to feel sluggish. They feel great when going 20 plus MPH down the side of a mountain, but for all other riding the bikes don't feel right and are a lot more work to maneuver.
It's not that you can't maneuver a slacker bike, it's just that it's not as easy to do so. Being that I ride 95% regular singletrack and often times more technical sections of trail, why do I want a bike designed for a single purpose to point down hill?
What I find interesting is that I have a 20 inch BMX race bike with a 74.5 degree head angle. We get up to 30ish MPH on some tracks and the bikes feel plenty stable going over jumps and such.
This super slack trend is absolutely unnecessary in my opinion. Maybe on a downhill bike, but that's it.
Alu Chameleon lightweight?!
Yea it's over 10lbs lighter than my Chromag Stylus.
As for budget, ha ha it's one of the most expensive hard tail bikes I know??
Since when is $3500 hardtail "budget" ??
Iwont santa cruz...🥰
Why you putting 'Budget Hardtail' in the thumbnail, this bike is £2600. Its literally a high end hardtail, not exactly budget....
Butterfly in the sky
I can fly twice as high
£2300 is not a budget hardtail
There may be a video about this question, but are your drone recordings piloted or one of the auto follow set ups?
Feel bad for you having to ride that awful Sram NX drivetrain😂😂😂
It's like eating junk food and drinking soda
I'm not too sure how 'budget' a $2,500 bike is
Budget hardtail?? Seriously??
This thing is 3x the price of anything that could be classed as a budget bike.
Ha! Clipless is a great way to break your neck.