
Santa Cruz Bronson Old v. New
Mountain bikes have come a long way in the last decade. Just about everything has changed from different wheel sizes, radical geometry numbers and even electronic shifting. Comparing bikes from the mid-2010s to the current model year, it's easier to find more differences than similarities! We recently had a 2016 Santa Cruz Bronson V2 with the same paint job (albeit slightly faded) as the new 2025 model roll through the service department. With the release of the new Bronson V5 we thought it would be fun to take a peek at the history of this beloved bike and see how much it has changed in a relatively short time.

History
First introduced in 2013, The Santa Cruz Bronson quickly became a flagship model for the brand and celebrated for its versatility and performance. Named after a street near the Santa Cruz headquarters, the Bronson was the company’s first 27.5-inch wheel trail bike, marking a shift in the industry toward mid-sized wheels. Designed to tackle everything from rugged descents to technical climbs, the Bronson offered a perfect balance of agility and stability.

Over the years, the Bronson has undergone several updates, incorporating advancements in geometry, suspension design, and adapting to the current market of high-end components. These advancements have kept the Bronson at the cutting edge of mountain bike technology and reinforced Santa Cruz’s commitment to enhancing performance and adaptability in their trail bikes.
Geometry
The geometry of the Bronson has evolved significantly between 2016 and 2025. The 2016 Bronson featured a head tube angle of approximately 66-67 degrees creating an agile, but stable platform for all-mountain riding. In comparison, the new V5, the Bronson has a much slacker head tube angle of 63.9-64.3 degrees and adopts a mixed-wheel (mullet) setup, combining a 29-inch front wheel with a 27.5-inch rear wheel to enhance stability while maintaining the bikes agile handling.

The seat-tube angle also changed dramatically, increasing from around 73 degrees with the V2 to a steeper 78.4 degrees with the V5, greatly improving climbing efficiency. Additionally, the reach and wheelbase grew significantly, with the 2025 model’s extended reach (over 480 mm in size large) and longer wheelbase enhancing stability at speed. These updates highlight the Bronson’s shift toward a more aggressive, enduro-focused design.
Suspension
Santa Cruz has been consistently refining their suspension platform over the years and with this current model year has released their newest version of their VPP (virtual pivot point) platform. Both bikes utilize this approach but implement it in slightly different ways.

The V2 Bronson features Santa Cruz’s older VPP design where the shock is mounted to the top tube. This newest generation of Bronson features the most refined version of VPP to date. This refined VPP makes for an excellent ride by maximizing small bump sensitivity and greatly reducing pedal kickback.
Components
Groupsets have changed a lot since 2016 as well. While this particular Bronson has been upgraded to a SRAM GX 12-speed drivetrain, the bike originally would have come with an 11-speed drivetrain and even has the option to run a front derailleur! In comparison the 2025 Bronson across all models is coming with a 12-speed drivetrain and the mid-tier to higher-end models are coming stock with SRAM’s new bomb-proof transmission drivetrains.

Mountain bike brakes have also seen significant advancements in recent years. Compared to the 2016 SRAM Guide R, the 2025 SRAM Maven offers much greater power, consistency, and control.

Ride characteristics
On paper it's difficult to immediately understand how these changes in geometry, suspension and components will affect the riders experience out on the trail, but they do make for some pretty drastic differences. Bikes from a few years ago with their smaller wheels, steeper head tube angles and shorter reaches will have very sharp, snappy handling. The downside of this short, steep geometry is that the bike will not be as stable. Current geometry with longer reaches and slacker head tube angles make for a bike that can carry speed through rougher terrain much easier and overall makes for a smoother ride. In addition, advancements in drivetrain performance with wider gear ranges paired with steeper seat tube angles make for a much more efficient and pleasant climbing experience.

Combine advanced geometry with high end components and excellent suspension performance and you've got a bike that allows the rider to go faster, feel more confident and experience less fatigue than ever before. We recently had the pleasure of taking the new Bronson V5 out for a ride and can attest to just how good it is. Check out what we thought in our recent ride review!
Nine years makes a huge difference when it comes to mountain bike design. The second generation of the Santa Cruz Bronson was an iconic bike at the time of its release and still remains an instantly recognizable design. While this bike was amazing in its day, innovations in geometry, suspension and components have further enhanced what a mountain bike is capable of. With the newest generation of the Bronson, Santa Cruz further improves on their platform and creates a bike that is more refined, comfortable and capable than ever before.