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Submitted by
Joel
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | anything fun | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | Gericks Sports | | Strengths: | Great Geometry, eccentric bottom bracket, hyrdo-forming, light weight, looks dope. | | Weaknesses: | On the more expensive side of the hardtail spectrum, long wait for the frame, stickered graphics easily damaged. | | Similar Products Used: | Norco Ramopage/Sasquatch, Specialized P3, Brodie Holeshot, ect. | | Bike Setup: | 2008 Chameleon size Med. Fox 36 Float fork, King headset, Thomson stem and post, Holzfeller cranks, Sram drivetrain, single ring up front, Hayes discs. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike if you can only own one! I run mine with a 5" Fox 36 Float fork, and it absolutly matches this bike. As a rider who has a history of destroying bikes, I chose a strong one. The tallish stand-over hight can be a little anoying when doing tricks like no-footed cans, ect, but all in all is a great bike. I ride mine for everything: Freeride, trails, dirtjumps, street/park, everything. If you want one hardtail for everything, I strongly suggest looking at the Chameleon! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mcdtown1
a Weekend Warrior
from SE PA
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Strengths: | dh's, climbing, frame strength, just about everything is positive when it comes to the ride of this frame. Running a uturn rev coil on it and handling is great at all travel lengths. | | Weaknesses: | CHECK THE EBB, mine was not greased and the pinch bolt was misthreaded. This bike has spent over a month being fixed because I am not dishing out cash for a whole new EBB which runs around $125. | | Similar Products Used: | Have an AM FS and HT SS that is XC geometry | | Bike Setup: | SS, REV Uturn, thompson post, WTB PureV, sunline V-one stem, sunline carbon bar, King headset and cogs, Evolve DH cranks, leftover bontrag select wheelset(desperate need of upgrade) BB7 7" | | Bottom Line: | Great bike just check the BB assembly, could be shop error or a fluke but either way it has pissed me off not to ride it because when I did it's a joy. This problem knocks off some chilis
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex Kyriacou
a Cross Country Rider
from Bristol, England
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Forest of dean, sculpture trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | mud-dock cycle works | | Strengths: | The freme is as strong as you'll ever need
You can build it as heavy or as light as you want
Good range ou colour's and size's
Totaly reliable | | Weaknesses: | The track ends take a wile to get used to
There are lighter frames around these days | | Similar Products Used: | Two Kona Nu-Nu's, Kinesis Maxlight, Treck 6700,6600 | | Bike Setup: | Santacruz chamelion lrg Liquid blue. Rock shox Revelation dule air 130mm. Hope: hoops dt swiss ex5.1d, stem 70mm gunsmoke 0 degree rise, grip doctor gunsmoke, Seat post clamp. Easton cnt downhill bars. bontrager lockon grips. Avid Jucy7 team issue brakes 180f 160r. Cain creak head set DMR v8 peddles. Shimano:Deore shifters, Lx f Xt r mec, Hone cranks. E13 DRS chain device. Kenda Navegal 2.1 tyrers. Race face Ride seatpost. WTB sadle. | | Bottom Line: |
Finaly, baring a few small alterations, this is the final build for this bike. I've bin expepimenting with diferent stems latly and hve fonali found the perfect length and rise.
I quickly realised that this was never going to be an xc race machine, so I've gone for an allmountain build, but I didn't want to be riding a tank so I always had 1 eye on keeping wait down as mutch as my budget would alow.
Alot of the more expencive parts were bartered for or aqired hand me downs or teaidins,. A real adventure. and alot more fun than buying one off the peg.
I havn't had mutch off road time as yet, dew to other tings going on, But I'm taking it to France in October.
If it rides off road like it rides on I'll be having a blast.
I can recomend the Chameleon to any one who breaks xc frames or is sick of karting around 6lb diet jummping or freeride frames. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Lescak
a Cross Country Rider
from Stirling, Scotland
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Too many to choose | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | from a mate frame on | | Strengths: | strong frame, horizontal dropouts for sspeed option, versatile | | Similar Products Used: | Cove Stiffee | | Bike Setup: | Rock Shox Psylo's, Mavic 321 discs on xt hubs, high roller back tyre, gravity front | | Bottom Line: | This bike can really do it all as some of the other reviews have pointed out, it really loves to rip up singletrack, and loves being airborne, I do have to say though that I did prefer riding the cove stiffee, as for an all day ride I find the Chameleon can get a little sore on the back, whereas my stiffee didn't. Both were an 18" frame, and similar spec. Can't really complain though, it's a really good all round bike. I bought the frame only, so can't really say about overall value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rdeery
a Cross Country Rider
from Logan, Utah
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Whitepine | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | direct | | Strengths: | Versatility, geometry and strength are all amazing. | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy. My part spec doesn't help with that but it is definitely not the lightest thing out there. Of course its weight is due to its serious strength making it capable of downhill and free-ride action as well. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Hoss | | Bike Setup: | Kris King hubs and headset, WTB Laserdisc dh rims, Fox Talas R adjustable 80-120 mm travel fork, XT shifters and d-rails, Race Face carbon riser, Avid Juicy 5's, Thompson stem and seat post | | Bottom Line: | I call this baby my down-country bike. I can put in thirty miles XC style or do moderate downhill and free-ride type action and it handles all of it better than I do. A fine bike for those of us relegated to a quiver of one. Some day, oh yes some day, when I can afford multiple bikes this hog will be my single speed slayer. Until then though, it is a fabulous bike to take on an all day single track ride one day, to the dirt jumps the next, and out to the ski hill for bombing downhill the next. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MikeE
a Weekend Warrior
from Derby
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Strengths: | Very well balanced and stable, you can trust it. The Lizard loves tight and twisty singletrack. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Many other bikes, none really similar | | Bike Setup: | 08 Ano Red Medium, DTHubs with Mavic rims, Revelation 130 Forks, Middleburn cranks, SS running 32:18, Thompson Stem and Post, Nobby Nic tires, BB7s. | | Bottom Line: | I'm a general trail/xc rider and I'm really enjoying this bike, it's a blast. I specificaly wanted a single speed frame for a long travel fork, and I'm not disappointed. It's a more forgiving frame than I expected, and long rides so far have been no problem. It's not an out and out racer, but neither am I. Very predicatable, secure and sharp handling.
It does seem expensive for a hardtail frame, but it works so well I feel I got good value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kev
a Weekend Warrior
from New York, NY
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Rockypoint/ Stillwell | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$599.00 | | Purchased At: | speedgoat.com (Frame only) | | Strengths: | Bulletproof Strength, Versatility, Comfortable Geometry, Good looks. | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't make espresso. I guess there's less expensive hardtails out there. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Stumpjumper, Kona Cowan | | Bike Setup: | Fox Vanilla fork 140mm travel, juicy 7's, x9 gears and derailers, dt swiss wheels. Geared AM, sometimes dirt park hardtail style | | Bottom Line: | If you only have a budget for one bike and you do more than just XC or if you realized that you're too old to ride a BMX bike (yes, cruisers included), the chameleon's really the best bet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stardumb
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | The Ord | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Geometry. This thing can corner and it can climb. I'm a stand up climber and it isn't too hard to keep the front up and rear from slipping with this bike on steep ascents.
I've taken this thing on great XC rides and some fun singletrack with plenty of flat drops. It fits my riding style plenty. | | Weaknesses: | Weight maybe? I haven't checked the actual weight of the frame but even with its weight for the it being used on FR it climbs like a smoothe mountain goat. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Rockhoppper/stumpjumper and Treks. | | Bike Setup: | Reba Fork (upgrade), FSA xc-300 wheelset (upgrade), xt rear, lx front. Deore cranks. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for whatever you want to do. XC? It's here. AM? It's here as well. Jumps? By all means, i've seen plenty of people use it for that type of riding. You can't go wrong with this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jr Catilo
a Cross Country Rider
from Rockville,MD. USA
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Schaeffer`s Farm | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Private | | Strengths: | Strong,Light,Stiff,Tough | | Weaknesses: | Nothing in mind... | | Bike Setup: | Fox Talas RLC,Hayes El camino disc brakes,XTR on board,Mavic wheelset,Bontrager stem & handelbar,Thomson seatpost. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is AWESOME,Santa Cruz did a good job. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich Auden
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Leigh Woods singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$840.00 | | Purchased At: | Mud Dock, Bristol | | Strengths: | Strong, stiff, low, does everything (really - everything!) inspiring geometry, not too heavy, looks cool - get a black one. | | Weaknesses: | I'm being picky - the horizontal dropouts are kind of interesting to start with, but don't let that put you off as it's quick to get the hang of and the 2008 frame has a different system anyway.
Expensive. But worth it - so worth it. It's about three timesthe price of a dmr sidekick or trailstar, but I reckon it's about three times as good as well. | | Similar Products Used: | Commencal combi disc, ancient Kona hahana. I tried a DMR sidekick and a DMR trailstar whilst shopping for this frame. | | Bike Setup: | rockshox tora forks 130mm (318), short truvative stem, easton risers, lx cranks, sram x7 drivetrain, sun ds2+xc on a commencal hub on the front, DT Swiss ED 5.10 on a dmr revolver hub on the back, LX discs. Quite a heavy setup, built for trail centers,xc riding but able to take downhill and bmx tracks. | | Bottom Line: | Coming from a BMX background, I used to be frustrated whenever I found something to jump off/over/up halfway round a big xc loop. Not any more... this frame has totally changed the way I ride! It's at home anywhere - BMX tracks, all day XC rides, downhill, uphill, manuals and hops on the way to work. The geometry is amazing, the bulid quality is as good as anything I've seen come out of the states, and there's some nice details to cap it all off like the seatstay junction and massive square-section chainstays. The key to it all (I think) is a really slack seat tube angle, which means that the wheelbase is short and your weight is really far off the back, but you still have lots of room up front for climbing. It's not unstable at speed either... somehow all the angles and lengths just work together to produce a frame that does everything without feeling like its compromising anywhere. Technical climbing in the saddle is a bit of a challenge to figure out - as it's quite a short bike and the seat is so far back, you need to be quite delicate balancing the grip and steering. But it's not hard to get the hang of... and if you put a longer stem on it would climb much easier.
I am SO glad i swallowed the cost and bought this frame. i was looking at cheaper dmr's, planet x's and various other do-everything hardtails, but having tried a few bikes this was the only one that really did do everything. It's fun, fast, indestructable, confidence inspiring, versitile and comfortable. I find myself forgetting i even have a bike under me, it's everything I could want in a mountain bike. If i ever break my one I'm getting another without any doubt. If you don't like the idea of full sus or it's too pricey, and you like to ride everything fast and hard without worrying about what your bike is doing, this is for you. Stop thinking about it and buy one! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Santa Cruzer
a Cross Country Rider
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Strengths: | Design, color, looks, robustness | | Weaknesses: | What? | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale, T-Blaze, Diamondback, Kona, Scott, Merida | | Bike Setup: | FSA cockpit, XT & LX sets, Continental 2.3, Bontrager Maverick rims | | Bottom Line: | I'm a XC rider but since I got my lizard, I'm turning into a maniac. This lizard gives me the confidence from jumps, down hills to unpredictable trails. Most of all she climbs too. Never regret purchasing the frame where I transfered all my XC stuffs. Will add AM components soon. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Vail, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Capt Jack's | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | bicycle emporium in auburn, CA | | Strengths: | It's a great climber on loose steeps, fun whippy handling on twisty singletrack, nice bmx'y feel overall. | | Weaknesses: | Not the best choice if you ride a lot of super-rocky bumpy trails, otherwise fine on most XC type trails. | | Similar Products Used: | Marin aluminum hardtail (Pine Mtn???) | | Bike Setup: | RockShox Duke fork, Thompson seatpost, short & steep stem. | | Bottom Line: | Bought this frame and headed to a trail that had a few climbs I'd always considered "unclimbable," and nailed a few of those climbs the first time out with the Chameleon.
If you ride a lot of bmx-ish trails that twist and turn sharply, have a lot of natural berms in them, you'll absolutely love the handling of this frame. My friends routinely drift off of corners that I'm able to hammer through at faster speeds.
If you ride a lot of rough fire road style terrain, or really technical trails with large rocks, logs, etc, save up for a full suspension ride. Otherwise, this is a great bike.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex kyriacou
a Cross Country Rider
from bristol england- uk
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | foreat of dean | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | mud-dock cycle worx | | Strengths: | Great handling, Looks cool, built like a tank, climbs like a goat. | | Weaknesses: | non in the frame, horezontle dropouts take a lile to get used to, | | Similar Products Used: | Kona nu-nu with millenieums | | Bike Setup: | liqued blue, large,2007 frame (one of the last sold in europe). mavic crossride disk,kenda navigal 2.1" raceface ride bars stem and seatpost, avid jucy3 brakes with 185 rotor, shimano deore cranks and shifters, lx,f-mec xt shadow r-mec, and e13 drs | | Bottom Line: | I got this bike about two and a half months ago, when my last bike was stolen, It was strongly recomended to me by Matt Carr at mud-dock in bristol, a shop I have bin going to fo nealy 10 years.
I'd riden one before but felt that it was to mutch of a bike for the kind of riding I do, also this was the first time the bike was afordable to me.
I chose the basic trail pakage for £1300 witch came with the above spec. I like to have a ridable bike so I can upgrade only the bits I need, fortunatly most of the kit is to my standard, even the basic brakes work realy well, I realy feal the power difference over the 165s on my last bike (a race ready maxlight). the only probolem is the rear hub, I have bent the rear disk twice undere heavy braking, (I'm currently saving the cash to up grade to a bolt through hub)as I can't stop the whele from sliding in the trackrnds.
Apart from that all is good.
I've wanted a chameleon for 10 years, now I have one I'm not disepointed, this bike is me! it's the way I ride, if I can ride somthing I will.
This bike lets you do that, 4x dh, fr, dj even xc race, I intend to do the latter next year.
(p.s, don't buy one if you are after a size zero race bike) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Loehr
a Cross Country Rider
from Pittsburgh,PA.... USA
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Bavington,Pa | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Scholls Bike Shop- Westview,PA 15229. | | Strengths: | It is the do it all bike !.
My bike is now a single speed,but wait... its also a 69er !. 29er wheel up front with a Rockshock Reba 100mm travel fork. 26 rear wheel on a surley single speed hub wheel.
| | Weaknesses: | None that I have noticed !. | | Similar Products Used: | My other bike is a multi-geared Gary Fisher 29er Supercaliber. | | Bike Setup: | Rockshocks Reba 29er 100mm travel front fork with lockout.
Hope brakes, stainless steel front and rear rings. Surley hubs. Raceface carbon seat post. Bontrager flat aluminum handlebars,Bontrager no rise stem. Lock on grips.
Kenda Nevegal rear tire and a WTB nano-raptor up front.
| | Bottom Line: | My first single speed and this bike rocks over any log piles like no other.
I suck at climbs with the single speed so I cant be a judge yet ?. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jscrilla
a
from CA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$379.00 | | Purchased At: | Phat Tire | | Strengths: | Fast, light, low center of gravity. A fun BMX bike made sweet love to a XC trail bike and produced this lil' offspring. | | Weaknesses: | Went up in price for 08...booooooo. | | Similar Products Used: | Soma Groove | | Bike Setup: | Fox Float Fork, WTB seat, Mavic Rims, WTB Tires, 22t & 36t Salsa Chain ring with e13 Bashguard and a 9 speed cassette. Mechan. disc brakes. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is the end all for me...it climbs like a dream is lighter than a feather and descends like a beast...in fact I wouldnt recommend anybody getting a full suspension bike since this bike exists....you want cush, sit on a pillow...there are very very very few times in Cali that you absolutely need a full suspension frame. Best of all no linkages, bushings, pivot points to replace clean or tighten just hop on an ride. This bike brought back that single speed asthetic to my geared bike. With the Chameleon you are gauranteed not to miss a single day due to pivot/linkage problems that plague even the best Full suspension frames....get one
PS If your 6 feet tall dont be tempted to get the XL get the large it might seem short at first but the top tube is long and perfect. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony Dale
a Weekend Warrior
from London
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Too many to list.... | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | The Edge Cycleworks | | Strengths: | Jumps, climbs, accelerates, awesome looks, single track dream...all round bike goddess! Very lightweight for a tough hardtail. | | Weaknesses: | None really... | | Similar Products Used: | 2002 Kona Chute, 2006 Cannnondale Chase (awesome jumper, not so good as all round bike), 2003 Azonic DS1, 2005 DMR Trailstar. | | Bike Setup: | 2007 SC Chameleon (free-ride build) | | Bottom Line: | I wanted to change from my Kona Chute to an all round trail/trials/jump/street bike.....I didn't want to get a full sus bike that would make me lazy on the trails. I really liked the snappy light weight manoeuvrability of hardtails. I read many reviews and also rode my friends 2003 SC chameleon, that was it for I was hooked. I didn't think it could be that much better than the Kona Chute, but it was awesome! Much better at everything then the Chute! Simply fun..! Cannot recommend this bike enough, I like it more than my DH bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aman
a Weekend Warrior
from Glousta
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | 400 for the frame, includes shipping | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | ebay for frame and parts | | Strengths: | Amazing geometry for cornering and agility. Stiff as all heck - great power transfer. Climbs like a dream decends like a wet dream. Burly - this frame can take punishment. | | Weaknesses: | I don't often say this - none. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant hardtial - model unknwon, GT Avalanche, old Cannondale hardtail, specialized P3, specialized HardRock,Specialized Enduro 06-07(not sure), Santa Cruz Nomad 07, Cannondale Prophet 3, Gary Ficsher Fat Possum, Cannondale Rush 3,a few others - don't remember | | Bike Setup: | This is my custom heavy duty general purpose assault bike:
Large Chameleon frame in liquid blue, Wheelset - mavic ex 729 - with chris king heavy duty disc Hub rear, Chris king 20mm disc front hub, dh tubes, WTB Decsent 2.5 tires, Avid Code 203 disc brakes front and back, Shimano Saint cranks - 170mm, 38t shimano saint chain ring, e.13 SRS - bash guard, chain tensioner, and guide, 11-34 Sram casset, Sram x9 short cage rear derailer, sram x7 triggr shifters, 50mm stem, chris king headset, DMR cromolly wing bars, DMR trailblade 2 - fully rigid front fork, Gravity dropper turbo - 4 inches(seat post), Saddle WTB Jaxon V | | Bottom Line: | This bike is just plain fun to ride, learn and improve skills on, and tempt fate. I use this bike for trails,urban assault, trials training, and bumming around town. It is rock solid and percise. Hands down, if I could have only one bike this would be it.
I'm a very athletic 6 foot, 210-220 lbs depending on what I ate that day, and where I'm at in my training schedule. This bike takes all the beatings I put on it. Literally hours of static bunny hops, endos, pedal kicks, endurance riding, trail riding etc. It is always ready to go - never had a problem - never derailed the chain. The brakes stop on a dime. The geometry makes this thing eat corners, The few times I have temporarily lost it on steep corners at speed - it easily- naturally lends itself to correction. - the frame is forgiving. An XC guy would find my bike a little on the heavy side - but anyone who has picked it up is amazed by its lightness for what it is.
The geometry is very comfortable for xc riding, tricks, and riding around standing. I built this bike just the way I wanted, I spent time researching parts and pre spec the bike. For me it is the best fit I have ever riden.
Only short comings - they have more to do with my build then the frame - I'd like to have a couple more gears on both sides of the spectrum, The fully rigid DMR fork + the cromoly handle bars can beat the crap out of your arms and shoulders on very bumpy down hills at speed. Those were trade offs though. Less gears - more reliable and tighter chain. Super rigid front - better for trials and tricks.
Over all the chameleon is great - the best frame I've riden to date. There maybe better niche bikes but for all around use this frame may be equaled but not beat. The gravity dropper Turbo kicks ass! I have long legs which means my seat post is usually very high when xc riding or endurance riding - nice to drop the seat 4 inches when going down hill or hopping on the fly, Lets me get my but out over the rear tire and back again without any gymnastics. I use a quick release seat clamp with the gravity dropper this even further extends the versatility. I can raise the saddle for the trek to the riding spot then drop the seat all the way to practice tricks. From the lowered position i can pop up the gravity dropper turbo for rest periods. Although not optimal for leg stroke still alot better then the seat totally dropped.
Bottom line - a versitle and beefy frame that handles like a dream - this bike is more fun then any other in my arsenal. This review may sound to good to be true but once you spend some time on the bike you will see what I mean - by time I mean I few weeks of daily riding on the bike in different terrain - so you get to know it, I'm not talking about a 20 minute demo - alot of bikes are great on a 20 minute demo around the LBS. This frame Rocks! 5 steamy doggie piles for this frame! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Horgan
a Weekend Warrior
from London, England
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Trickle Falls NZ/Glentress Scotland | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$5000.00 | | Purchased At: | Ssockwave, Nottingham, England | | Strengths: | Where do i start??? Quick, controllable steering. Light front end to get over granny ring obstacles without getting too much lift. As the name suggests, will be a ity bity purring kitty when off to get a pint of milk for a pre-ride caffeiene-fest then turns into a spitting, hissing physcho when any rocks, trees, drop offs, jumps etc dare get in it's way and try and slow it down. soaks up everything the off-road world has to offer and leaves you laughing your bits off and wondering 'how the **** did i get away with that one?!?!'. A great forgiving ride for start-out novices and tattoed jump jockeys alike. | | Weaknesses: | Rear horizontal drop-out can be a pain. some brakes(Hope DH4, 160mm rotor)won't allow you ro pull the wheel out horizontally without unbolting caliper first.Rear skewer needs to be super-tight to avoid tyre rubbing chainstays when skewer slips under hard power strokes or big hits.(tho i solved that issue with mine by making a simple aluminium bracket). As with all Santa Cruz, the low bottom bracket, great low c-of-g and cornering, needs a bit of caution when pedalling through rock gardens/ruts. | | Similar Products Used: | Cove Stiffee | | Bike Setup: | Fox 2004 Vanilla 125RL. Hope XC hubs, Mavic X717 rims, Hope Mono m4 front with 180mm floating disc. Hope mono mini rear with 140mm floating disc.Easton Monkeylight Carbon bars, Titec carbon post, Raceface forged cranks with titanium bottom bracket, 20t and 38t front rings, DIY 5speed cassette, 24lb all up weight but chunky enough to attack jumptastic singletrack in French Alps. Mostly Shimano XT drivetrain. | | Bottom Line: | Posted a review in april 2005 after a year of ownership and things just get better and better!!!
As we say in the UK .... 'The Mutt's Nuts!!'
It's soooo versatile and forgiving. One day i can be blitzing my XC mates on 5000ft high lung bursting climbs (Nepal), the next, (err...after a tyre change, a 10,000mile flight and after doning body armor and full faced lid)hassling my DH mates on their Santa Cruz VP3, Yeti 575 and Cannondale Jeckl in the French Alps. I know these guys have all the gear but they certainly have a damn good idea as well.
My chameleon is medium sized and is idea for my 5ft 8inch 137lb bod as is the fox Vanillas with no pre-load, the lighest spring fitted and rebound damping set to the middle click.
I ride most weekends and in the summer get a few cheeky after work blasts midweek and probably clock up a couple of thousand miles a year off road. So in three years that's about 6ooomiles. During that whole time i've had a Santa Cruz Heckler as well. Of those 6,000miles i reckon about...umm...err...5,700miles have been done on the... Chameleon! and the other 300miles were because i was waiting for service items for it so i had to use the Heckler.
i love the chameleon sooo much, it really improves your skills level. As a comparison of it's many talents, last year i rode the 'South Downs Way' in a day. This is a 100mile XC route with 10,000feet of ascent in total. 15hours in the saddle and 7,500 calories burnt. Later in the year,With exactly the same set up, i cleared a 5 metre jump.... that's 16foot, in old fashioned money, in scotland. Of course this was a big mistake....flew aroung a blind corner to find big jump ahead, no time to stop so popped it off the lip and hoped for best.......luckily got enough height and distance to clear.... a real white knuckle ride!
So, don't delay...buy one today!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bambam
a
from Colorado Springs, CO USA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Not telling... | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Stiff, strong, light and fast. Long-travel fork geometry. Short Chainstays. | | Weaknesses: | Nothing comes to mind. | | Similar Products Used: | I've ridden one since 1999, along w/downhill, DJ, freeride, and road bikes. | | Bike Setup: | Truvativ cranks, stem and bars. Thompson post. WTB/DT hubs on Mavic tubeless hoops. Rock Shox Pike Air U-Turn. Code Disc Brakes. Mavic 2.1 High-Rollers. 32x18 gear combination... singles rule! | | Bottom Line: | If you scroll down a ways, you'll find a review I wrote some years ago about a Chameleon. It was red and it was fast. That bike ended up as a dirt jumper, which I sold to buy something else.
Four years later, I got my little red frame back and built it up as an XC singlespeed. The bike still rocked, even though it was missing more paint that it was when I sold it.
I just picked up an 07 Chameleon and I am still impressed - it climbs, it descends, it goes over, around, and through everything. As built up, it's a total joy to ride. Great value, great bike... all around fun! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | The chameleon is strong, stiff, and is a blast to ride from day one. It is also incredibly versatile hence the name. | | Weaknesses: | Horizontal drop outs don't lend to easily to disc brake use while single-speeding, however, it is possible. | | Bike Setup: | Currently single-speed rigid. pace rc-31, hope pro II laced to wtb laserdisc, the usual. | | Bottom Line: | I got the chameleon to be a do-all bike for me. half freeride and half XC, it weighed in at 34lbs and was huckable (20 ft tabletops) and trail ridable with a little effort. Alas, i parted it out for another build, and it sat for a while. now a 22lb rigid single-speed, it is still a kick in the pants. this is a great frame for you if you are not sure what kind of riding is your favorite. i have used it for medium freeriding, DJ/street, heavy trail riding, and light XC. the chameleon does well in every category, but it is best in its current incarnation. It is just plain fun. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dale
a Cross Country Rider
from San Clemente
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Rancho San Clemente trails | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bicycle Store | | Strengths: | Tough as nails. Light. Responsive. | | Weaknesses: | NONE | | Similar Products Used: | - | | Bike Setup: | All XT components, Rock Sock Revolution fork, Thompson Post and head set, Chris King, Avid Juciy 7s, Carbon Riser Monkey Bars, Mavic SL wheels w/ WTB UST Weirwolf tires. | | Bottom Line: | Sweet bike. Super fast. I use it for XC riding mostly. Climbs great, desends better. Very agile and great in corners. This is a really great frame for any type of ridiing. I was not sure if I would like it for XC but it is really holding it's own. Mid 25lbs range w/ Hutchinson UST Pythons, I added some weight to it with the WTB UST Weirwolf tires, but these tire are much better for what I ride than the Pythons. All in all, a really great bike to go really fast with. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken Cox
a Cross Country Rider
from Newark, DE, USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Skills Trail, White Clay Creek S.P. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Very short and stout chainstays. Very laterally stiff. Relatively light weight. Options for running gears or singlespeed. | | Weaknesses: | Fixed rear disk brake mounts. | | Similar Products Used: | Misfit Psycles & Bianchi singlespeeds | | Bike Setup: | Singlespeed!!! Rigid Misfit aluminum fork, Race Face Evolve XC cranks & X-Type BB, Avid Juicy 5 disk brakes, White Industries Freewheel, Race Face bars, stem and seat post, Dirt Rag saddle, Paul hubs, beefy WTB rims, Panaracer Fire XC pro rubber. | | Bottom Line: | After I snapped the downtube of my last singlespeed frame, I went looking for a new SS frame that was reasonably priced and solidly built. I settled on a Chameleon frame, and I couldn't be happier. As a rigid XC singlespeed, my Chameleon provides a great platform to hammer on, as well as to play on my local stunt trail. I was prepared to have some trouble getting proper alignment of the fixed rear disk brake with the sliding dropouts, but everything went together easily running 34x18. A word of caution though - sliding the rear wheel all the way forward WILL cause the tire will run smack into the chainstay yoke. Also, I'm 5'11" and wisely chose the medium sized Chameleon. The big boxy chainstays do get very close to the cranks, but I haven't had any trouble running my feet into them. Lastly, be careful the first time you pull up hard on the bars. With such a short rear end, the bike likes to wheelie - that's a very good thing once you retrain yourself not to pull up too hard. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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