Santa Cruz Bronson Carbon - Custom

paul.skibum

Got this back from local service agents for Fox:

The "Evolution" series of forks are lower cost, or "price point," forks that are available for OE-spec. They use a good quality Fox chassis and air system, with a cheap Open-Bath damper that offers limited performance compared to Fox's bled damper (FIT) offerings.

The only option we would have to improve on the Evolution damper (whether your fork is 2014 or 2013) would be to install a Fox FIT damper. A CTD-FIT-Adjust damper is $350 + tax in addition to a full service.

I can order a Pike through Whistler mountain (as a guide for them) for $600 plus tax. If I order a pike I'd kinda like to go for a Monarch+ RC3 to match ends up and ditch the Fox stuff altogether. Call it a grand or £600 for the pair - might get something back on the OEM parts.

Cqc

The Fox shocks are less bad than the oem forks. I wouldn't bother getting a new shock, but definitely get the pike fork

Dick Scruttock

paul.skibum wrote:

I can order a Pike through Whistler mountain (as a guide for them) for $600 plus tax. If I order a pike I'd kinda like to go for a Monarch+ RC3 to match ends up and ditch the Fox stuff altogether. Call it a grand or £600 for the pair - might get something back on the OEM parts.

I would go for forks first then look at the shock, unless you can get a better deal on them both together?. Does it have a CTD evolution shock as standard?

Also IIRC you would need a L/L tune monarch which is something people have not been able to get in the past. I believe SC are about to release a few updates on the bronson/solo, likely new colours and RS and CC shock and fork options on full builds. I would wait and see what shock tune they have on the RS shock on them and go for the same.

paul.skibum

No progress on job front so no progress on fork front but I have picked up this 40mm stem to change things up front and hopefully give me an improved position on the bike:


Off for a ride now on some reasonably familiar trails to feel the difference.

declan1

So you're a guide at Whistler? That's one of my dream jobs (what I imagine it to be, anyway)...

paul.skibum

declan1 wrote:

So you're a guide at Whistler? That's one of my dream jobs (what I imagine it to be, anyway)...

I have a job as a guide but havent had any work yet - plus as I only have my level 1 guide I really only get beginner and plodder groups - no bad thing but hours and pay are not going to set your world alight. I am looking for something else as I cant live on air. Might get some hours next week as holidays start but I dont ride the park a lot generally - prefer a pedal up to get down.

declan1

paul.skibum wrote:

declan1 wrote:

So you're a guide at Whistler? That's one of my dream jobs (what I imagine it to be, anyway)...

I have a job as a guide but havent had any work yet - plus as I only have my level 1 guide I really only get beginner and plodder groups - no bad thing but hours and pay are not going to set your world alight. I am looking for something else as I cant live on air. Might get some hours next week as holidays start but I dont ride the park a lot generally - prefer a pedal up to get down.

Is it as good as everyone says over there? Even though I'm not into downhilling (yet) it looks like a great place to live. Do you need really good skills to be a guide or is it just showing people where to go?

paul.skibum

You want to be a decent rider to be a guide but you don't need to be a riding god - I definitely ain't!

I am not a DH rider - I have a pass but have barely ridden in the park and not on any gnar. But the valley trails are many and varied. I have ridden greens to blacks and they go to some pretty hard levels, the double blacks hit a new level of hardcore that I dont think are matched in the UK at all.

I would love to do some longer back country riding sometime too.

paul.skibum

Oh and shorter stem is good but I am definitely going to replace the forks as soon as I can.

I have a plan to put the Fox Evo's in a nice box lined with dog sh*t and send it back to its makers by way of my critique of their performance. On any given trail they either skip horrendously over small bumps interfering with wheel tracking and braking or occasionally they will hit a bump big enough to blow 80% of the travel without warning - WTF?

I run U turn Recons with a 9mm QR on my hardtail and they are a better fork than these fox floats. Who cares about fork flex when they dont track the terrain?

paul.skibum

Damn - just seen the new colours for the Bronson and both are sweet, plus there is a build kit with a Pike, CCDBA and nice general spec for the same RRP as I paid...why I oughta.......

paul.skibum

Quick update - spent a bit of time tinkering with pressures and rebound in the fork and rear shock - getting better performance out of them but the fork in particular still feels poor compared to my expectations.

Got a few things on order - Lev Integra dropper post although getting used to riding without one now! Also got a 1 x 10 set up on the way - narrow wide ring (30T), new XT shifter and mech, cassette and chain as well as a One Up Components 42t and 16t for the cassette.

Going to get a narrow wide for the hardtail and shift the 10 speed SLX stuff from the Bronson to the hardtail and the hardtails shifter, mech and cassette to the Big Hit to finally ditch the hated SRAM gears on that - trickle down upgrades or hand-me-down-upgrades?!

Hope to get the stuff through in the next 7 days - updates with pics to follow.

BloggingFit

I found leaving my forks in decent the whole time helped loads. I settled on around 70 psi - 75 psi range with 11 clicks out weighing in at 83kg - 84kg if it helps.

paul.skibum

On steep BC descents the descend mode just collapses through the travel - a succession of steppy roots/rocks can leave you very quickly with no travel on the front - I am running 75 psi (70kg) but have it set to slower rebound (7 clicks from slowest) as I find it gives more composure and stops the fork over reacting to small bumps.

Everyone I spoke to with Fox forks here, even Factory level ones and the two local fox tuners suggest running in Trail except for one guy I know who frankly always takes the contrary view to everyone else - he weighs about 60kg and runs higher pressures than me and sticks it in descend.

BloggingFit

I think the performance versions are a bit more supportive in that respect but then I'm not subjecting them to the prolonged terrain that you have up in BC. Bizarrely I find they appear to work better on my Hardtail rather then my FS. Having ridden them and my Pike back to back over the same trails the difference is like chalk and cheese.

paul.skibum

I cant comment on that - all I know is my old Recon's on my hardtail and the Marz Bombers they replaced were better than these Floats.....

declan1

paul.skibum wrote:

I cant comment on that - all I know is my old Recon's on my hardtail and the Marz Bombers they replaced were better than these Floats.....

Everyone did tell you to get rid of them at the beginning of the thread

paul.skibum

Pikes will be ordered at the end of August I think - gotta try and get them while still working for the bike park so I can get a cheap deal - $750 for pikes I think (under 500 quid?) But that's a fair chunk of my current wage! Woudl love to order the DBA too but not sure I can justify it and the rear float is not "that" bad.

BloggingFit

You can always justify a DBA but yeah, the float isn't all bad.

paul.skibum

Lev Integra arrived:




(Outgoing post is 336g so weight is up a shade)




Cluttered bar - might have to go to ODI grips to make use of the lever acting as the collar of a bar end, but the 1x10 conversion on its way will ease the strain too.

Initial impression (I pressed the button and sat on the seat!) is.......it works!

Dick Scruttock

Thats better!

Let me know how you get on with it, I know earlier Integras did not work well on the Bronson as the housing moved and not the inner cable for actuation at the post end. They changed it later so the inner cable moved and they are meant to be spot on now. If it works well then I might get a 150mm dropper for my Solo.

ej2320

The Lev really looks awesome, let us know what it's like

paul.skibum

First ride tomorrow - reports to follow.

russyh

Paul,
Don't know how the euro to CAD is at the moment or how much postage is, but I just ordered a set of these. Cheapest I have ever seen.

http://www.alltricks.com/mtb/forks/fork ... 72325.html

paul.skibum

The 27.5 fork is a little more on that site but its 100 bucks less than CRC in dollars still and cheaper than the cost price from a wholesaler here (the best price I can get) - a high cost item like that coming into Canada I would be hit by import costs which would put it over the wholesale price I can get here though - good shout for European types though - Felix.London might be keen to see it!

ej2320

Russyh wrote:

Paul,
Don't know how the euro to CAD is at the moment or how much postage is, but I just ordered a set of these. Cheapest I have ever seen.

http://www.alltricks.com/mtb/forks/fork ... 72325.html

Sorry to go off topic

Have you received your forks okay?
They have some good prices on Reverbs

felix.london

paul.skibum wrote:

Felix.London might be keen to see it!

I've gotta €10 discount voucher from these guys

That fork sounds truly awful. I'd be tempted to get a used Domain 318 off Pinkbike to tide you over til you can get the Pike, then sell it on. "collapses through the travel"...that sh1t's gonna ruin your summer dude!

russyh

ej2320 wrote:

Russyh wrote:

Paul,
Don't know how the euro to CAD is at the moment or how much postage is, but I just ordered a set of these. Cheapest I have ever seen.

http://www.alltricks.com/mtb/forks/fork ... 72325.html

Sorry to go off topic

Have you received your forks okay?
They have some good prices on Reverbs

No Mate, i only ordered last night, its due to be with me on the 29th. Paid by paypal and by credit card so all base covered. There is also a 5% discount code: SOL5

They are OEM, so dont come with pump etc, star nut etc. but even so the cheapest i have seen to date. Makes people asking £500 for a second hand set look expensive!!!!

ej2320

With that code the reverb stealth is about £175!
Very temping

The fork is a good price, just bear in mind it's the RC and not the RCT3 version.. Still good just slightly different internals I think

A quick search seems to suggest they are 100% legit

paul.skibum

felix.london wrote:

paul.skibum wrote:

Felix.London might be keen to see it!

I've gotta €10 discount voucher from these guys

That fork sounds truly awful. I'd be tempted to get a used Domain 318 off Pinkbike to tide you over til you can get the Pike, then sell it on. "collapses through the travel"...that sh1t's gonna ruin your summer dude!

Been looking at Pinkbike for options but the only 27.5 forks on there within 100km of Whistler are Fox CTD's of various models - was looking at a Factory FIT CTD Float off a Remedy - listed as new but figured that at 2/3rds of the price of the Pike I'd be better waiting a few weeks more and get the Pike.

BloggingFit

I had these on mine. Get the Pike instead.