The Chameleon, as the name suggests, is an adaptable, do-it-all machine. Trail bike, occasional racer or bikepacking load-hauler; geared or singlespeed; 650b- or 29in-wheeled – there’s not much this hardtail can’t do, in theory at least.
The frame
Santa Cruz use their C-level carbon fibre on the Chameleon (an alloy version is also available), which is heavier and cheaper than their CC carbon. The frame gets down tube and chainstay protection, as well as internal cable routing that uses a simple rubber tube to stop rattle. You can swing the rear dropouts to adjust the chainstay length to suit either wheel size, or swap them for singlespeed versions without a mech hanger. The geometry is fairly modern for a hardtail, with the large getting a 456mm reach, 415-430mm chainstays, a…
