Santa Cruz bronson or solo

divingmoose

I have booked a demo day for both of the above and decided on the spec of bike regardless of which model I choose it is as follows
Build 1: Bos 150mm deville AM + Bos Kirk

Build 2: Rockshox Pike 150mm + Fox Float CTD Kashima

Rest of both builds:

Frame – 5010 Carbon C XL or L Black/white/blue or Orange/green/blue

Raceface Next SL 30t chainset (integrated ring)
New Shimano XTR 11 speed gearing
Joystick Binary 800mm width x 20mm rise Carbon 35mm clamp Bar + Joystick 35mm clamp 50mm length digger stem
Joystick lock on grips
Joystick Binary feather saddle
KS Lev integra post + Southpaw lever
Hope Tech Enduro wheelset
Maxxis high roller II 2.3 3C front/ 60a rear tyres set up tubeless
Latest Shimano XTR trail brakes with 160/180mm rotors
Hope headset
What's your thoughts guys

Antm81

You sure Santa Cruz will provide a warranty on the frame if you're running 150mm forkson the solo, they only recommend 120-140mm?

BloggingFit

I'd stay away from the BOS until their CS and warranty fulfilment is far quicker and more efficient. Any issues are going to take time to resolve and is the main reason I decided against using them for my current Nomad build. Pike and CCDB Inline could be a good combination.

The rest of the components are down to personal preference so there is no right or wrong. I would perhaps look into an alternative wheelset option that is lighter and just as strong, especially if you take the 5010 route, as there are better rim options available and not all necessarily carbon.

rockmonkeysc

For me it would be the Solo with a 140mm Marzocchi 350ncr and CCDB inline. I much prefer shorter travel, hard riding bikes to big enduro bikes.

Dick Scruttock

Raceface Next SL 30t chainset (integrated ring) < Buy a Wolftooth ring for a 49mm chainline ala SRAM.
New Shimano XTR 11 speed gearing < Sram 10-42 Cassette works with new XTR for greater gear spread.
Joystick Binary 800mm width x 20mm rise Carbon 35mm clamp Bar + Joystick 35mm clamp 50mm length digger stem
Joystick lock on grips
Joystick Binary feather saddle
KS Lev integra post + Southpaw lever < Go Reverb, I have a 150mm integra but a reverb is better.
Hope Tech Enduro wheelset < So Stans Flow of Chinese carbon rims with hope hubs.
Maxxis high roller II 2.3 3C front/ 60a rear tyres set up tubeless
Latest Shimano XTR trail brakes with 160/180mm rotors
Hope headset

Put my opinion in on the bits I would change. I'd also avoid BOS like the plague, don't listen to what a shop tells you, just look and see what people have suffered if warranty work is needed. I know Jungle can service them but they have to return to France for warranty work. If TF tuned cannot make BOS work what hope has anywhere else. You can have the best product in the world by a country mile but without back up you might as well have anything!

divingmoose

Cheers guys,
I understand that stif cycles are now a certified warranty and service centre so hopefully this will quicken any issues up with Bos forks. They get a great write up and reading that a lot of faults were earlier models

rockmonkeysc

Stif are a warranty centre but it's always been Bos themselves who have been the problem. They are hopeless at supplying parts to service centres and when products go back to them for warranty repairs they are gone for months.
They aren't really any better than the best offerings from Fox, Rockshox or Marzocchi. I would definitely avoid them.

shindig

I have a solo aluminuim with 140mm pikes, CCDB inline and hope hoops. The rest of the kit (hope brakes, sram X9 2 x 9spd and dropper) is from my Nickel, which I damaged after falling off and the the bike hitting a ver sharp rock. The Solo is brilliant, however I have spent a long time setting up the forks and rear shocks as I have been bottoming out quite a lot on 2 - 3 foot drop offs. Had to add two bottomless tokens to the pikes and a large spacer to the CCDB. I have never bottomed out suspension before, but the bike makes a whole world of difference to my confidence levels. This bike is a lot of fun. Sometimes though I do wonder if the bronson would have been better for my new style of riding.

FlagshipBike

I would go with the Solo with the BOS set up. The travel you lose going from the Bronson to the Solo will be made up for in the suppleness of the suspension. I wouldn't worry about the BOS warranty issues, they have a warranty center in Las Vegas and anything going to and from France goes 2 day air. Not sure where you are located, but I know Art's is selling BOS forks and shocks online here in the states and will work with you on warranty issues.

The one issue that BOS was having was there was an internal bur in the fork causing one of the seals to fail leading to air going into the negative air spring (if I remember correctly). This issue from what I've heard has been resolved.

I've ridden both the Bronson (owned one for a year) and demoed a 5010. I preferred the 5010 because of its ability to pedal a bit better and I really couldn't notice the shorter travel in the rear. Although I would agree with your set up of putting a longer fork on there.

Best of luck with your decision and congrats on getting a rad new bike regardless.

divingmoose

Thanks guys and I will be well and truly shitting myself handing that sort of money over for a push bike but you only live once

tobamory

Hi, i bought my solo from Stif last year when it was Solo not 5010, upgraded the front forks to 140mm kashima and the Bikes been bulletproof for over a year now, I went Alloy as i was trying to save some cash.

I also took out a Carbon Bronson which i liked also, as the guys say id prob stick with Fox or Pike if i was building it, and go XT XTR or whatever your budget allows, I removed the 3rd ring and went 2 10 with a hope bash guard, as i found i never really used the outer and the extra clearance prob does help.

My brother whos a close friend of Ed Oxley mentioned Ed had just bought a full carbon Solo full XTR etc, Eds kinda a bike guru so knowing he rides one makes me feel warm and fuzzy LOL.

My wife now wants my Solo as she loves it, but i will now use this need to buy another , and most probably buy the Nomad for the massive travel big drop stuff....

My money would be with the Solo Moose, Rob and Al at Stif know the score i think Rob rides a carbon solo, mega bikes, very capable and after 10 or so trail centres, and dropping off the front of Studley pke a few times shes still going strong....

FYI ive done many trial centres and also followed my brother around hebden bridge on some insane downhill that only fools would do,, the bike coped amazingly, my brother was on his Orange Blood.

Moose you can also do Interest Free Credit with Stif on the Santa Cruz, so should them ENVE wheels take your fancy, just do it that way, 15% deposot i think then spread it over 3 years but pay it off soon as you want. Its all automatied too, you could actually apply instore and the machine tell you instantly and tells Stif same time so its kinda like a cash deal anyway, no silly forms anymore and waiting on postamn

paul.skibum

I ride a Bronson Carbon in Whistler witha 160mm pike and monarch plus (the Monarch would be my choice over the Fox Kashima but the CCDBA would be an acceptable alternative too) but if I were in the UK I'd have a Solo with a 130mm Pike.