Santa Cruz details were thin on the pitch in the press kit on their Cameleon 2022, the American brand’s all-rounder.
However, they made it clear that this bike is as versatile as the name suggests. Santa Cruz has stayed true to its roots since it first introduced the bike in 1997. It remains a thrasher for everything from grand touring to single-speed town, limited only by your imagination.
Following broader industry trends, the geometry of the new Chamelon has become a bit longer, lower and looser.
It’s now only available with a 29-inch front wheel, but the bike is still officially compatible with a 27.5-inch rear wheel if you want to try a mule setup. The new Santa Cruz Chameleon is only available with an aluminum frame at this time.
The reach has increased by 8mm on small, medium, and large mounts, while the extra-large gets a more subtle 3mm increase.
The most significant change is the angle of the head tube, which decreases by 2.3 degrees and now sits at 65 degrees ready to be shredded. The seat tube angle has been beefed up to 74.3 degrees, an increase of 1.5 degrees over the outgoing model.
More subtle changes see the bottom bracket shell of the 29er Chameleon drop 1mm to a drop of 56mm. On the mule version of the bike (and there is a 40mm drop on the MX bike (mixed wheels).
While the Chameleon retains its changeable dropouts, chainstay length has been increased on newer bikes, with the option of running them at either 425mm or 437mm. This should give the bike more stability and help keep the weight distribution balanced with the longer spans.
Finally, the seat tubes are shorted, which means you should be able to use longer seatposts. The small size loses 5mm and now measures 380mm. There are 10mm removed from the bracket, 20mm from the large and 30mm from the extra large, measuring 405mm, 430mm and 460mm respectively.
Santa Cruz Chameleon 2022 frame details
Many details remain the same for the new frame, and you can still choose to tune it to a single speed thanks to the changeable dropouts or adjust the rear center geometry to your preference.
There is a standard water bottle holder inside the front triangle, while the triple brackets under the down tube add the ability to secure whatever you need if you plan to think outside the box and get out of your way. venture further.
There is semi-internal cable routing and 1X drivetrain only with ISGC O5 tabs to mount a guide bar if desired.
Santa Cruz 2022 Chameleon models and prices
Santa Cruz produces three models of this new aluminum chameleon, the D, R and S, all available in MX or 29-inch wheel options and in all four sizes: small, medium, large and extra-large.
Santa Cruz Chameleon D MX / 29
- Framework Aluminum 29 / MX Hardtail
- Fork RockShox Recon RL, 130mm
- Transmission SRAM X1 Eagle DUB, 30 tooth cranks, SRAM SX Eagle mechanism, SRAM NX Eagle shifter, SRAM PG1230, 12 speed, 11-50, cassette, SRAM SX Eagle chain
- Dropper SDG Tellis dropper
- Brakes SRAM level, 180mm rotors
- Pair of wheels WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 29 ″ rims, SRAM MTH hubs, Sapim Race spokes, Maxxis Minion DHF 29 ″ x2.5in, 3C, MaxxGrip, EXO, TR (f), Maxxis Aggressor, 29 ″ x2.5in WT, EXO, TR ® tires
- Price £ 2,399 / $ 2,399 / € 2,449
Santa Cruz Chameleon R MX / 29
- Framework Aluminum 29 / MX Hardtail
- Fork Fox 34 Rhythm, 130 mm
- Transmission SRAM Descendant Eagle DUB 30 tooth crankset, SRAM NX Eagle mechanism, SRAM NX Eagle shifter, SRAM PG1230, 12 speed, 11-50, cassette, SRAM NX Eagle chain
- Brakes SRAM Guide T, 180mm rotors
- Dropper SDG Tellis dropper
- Pair of wheels RaceFace AR Offset 30 rims, SRAM MTH hubs, Sapim Race spokes, Maxxis Minion DHF 29 ″ x2.5in, 3C, MaxxGrip, EXO, TR (f), Maxxis Aggressor, 29 ″ /27.52.5in WT, EXO, TR ® tires
- Price £ 2,999 / $ 2,949 / € 3,099
Santa Cruz Chameleon S MX / 29
- Framework Aluminum 29 / MX Hardtail
- Fork, Fox 34 Performance, 130 mm
- Transmission SRAM GX Eagle
- Brakes SRAM G2 R rotors, 180mm
- Dropper RockShox Reverb Stealth
- Pair of wheels RaceFace AR Offset 30 rims, DT Swiss 370 hubs, Sapim Race spokes, Maxxis Minion DHF 29 ″ x2.5in, 3C, Maxx-Grip, EXO, TR (f), Maxxis Aggressor, 29 ″ /27.5brooke2.5in WT, EXO , TR ® tires
- Price £ 3,499 / $ 3,749 / € 3,749
