Santa Cruz Bicycles

Chameleon 29 R Mountain Bike

The Chameleon is a perennial favorite for its lively feel and adaptability to a wide variety of trail ecosystems, ranging from smooth-buffed singletrack to steep, rocky descents that would normally overwhelm a racier hardtail. The 8th gen Chameleon is longer, lower, and slacker than ever with its lengthy front end, low-slung bottom bracket, and relaxed 65-degree head tube angle. The Chameleon has evolved into a fun-loving trail bike that's compatible with multiple wheel sizes and moonlights as a practical solution for long-distance bikepacking missions. Offered here as a 29er, we can roll faster down the trail and absolutely steamroll rocks and roots standing in our way thanks to the 29-inch wheel's larger angle of attack.

The Chameleon is designed to be a more utilitarian, low-maintenance trail bike, so it's made from aluminum for optimal strength-to-weight, but without the added cost of carbon. This gives the Chameleon broader appeal than many of the full-suspension bikes in Santa Cruz's line, which is great considering it lowers the bar to entry for riders on a budget. This R-spec build kit gives us a nice selection of parts, including a 130-millimeter Fox Rhythm 34 fork for smooth tracking and confident handling over rough trails, SRAM's NX Eagle drivetrain for a low-cost entry into a 1x12 set-up, plus a SDG Tellis dropper post for getting aggressive on rowdy descents. The Santa Cruz Chameleon 29 R Mountain Bike is built for anything and everything we can think up out on the trail.

*Due to a high demand in the global supply chain and bike industry since the start of the pandemic, material weight and exact components are subject to change. We are working diligently to keep tech specs updated, and any adjustments will be of equal or better spec level. If you have any questions, reach out to a Gearhead by chatting online or calling 1-888-276-7130.