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I'm buying either a discounted 2015 CC or a 2016 CC. Looking for owners of the current generations opinion really. The '15 Frameset is around £800 cheaper which is very attractive but by no means a clincher. I've got 90% of the components ready(from a donor bike) and apart from the odd bits being incompatible I'm good to go. Just unsure on whether to jump,for the new one or grab the bargain '15 CC. I tested one a few weeks ago and loved it. The VPP rear was brilliant in my opinion. Please help guys.
Pitfalls? Multiple threads about plastic dandyhorses at the same time?
Not tried the new Bronson, I've got the 2014. The new frame has a few small changes. Can't see it will make a huge difference. I agere about VPP.
Rear hub is now 148 size, only really change affecting a donor build I think
Sorry teeth grinder. No offence meant. Just wanting to make an informed choice guided by some like minded individuals. You can scan through and not read every post if you may be upset by my multiple threads.
Pitfalls of original Bronson.
Tyre clearance at the back is poor. It'll take as wide as you'd probably want to put on the back in summer conditions no problem. But I found a 2.35 Schwalbe and the local chalky-clay mud could soon lock up my rear in winter.
The VPP suspension design is love hate. I personally love it as it's nice and firm under pedalling but the harder you push the more it'll look after you. Getting the rear shock set up correctly really helps though. It can give you a sudden jolt if you pedal at the point of a large sudden impact and other suspension designs feel more plush when bouncing around.
The VPP design seems to eat shock bushings, well one of them. Although saying that my current ones are lasting about twice as long as previous ones and that includes a summer of racing and a trip to the Alps. My Blur ones and previous ones in the Bronson would only usually last 4 months or so.
The cost. It's a lot of money for something that's not 'cutting edge' assuming the new one is an improvement. For the cost of a Bronson frame you could also get a descent full build like a YT Capra. Is it really that much better or even better at all. Only you can decide.
You'd better be a decent rider otherwise people like teethgrinder here are going to judge you and your bike.
Cheers mate. That's given me food for thought. I've recently bought a new Nuke Mega AM pro and it's very good. Just doesn't give me that little something that I felt when I tested a Bronson a few weeks prior. I immediately felt at home on the SC but the Nuke took a few rides to get somewhere near. It's great(and a little heavy) and the build spec for the cash was fantastic. It's now the donor for whichever SC frame I buy.
You tried the shock bushings from TF tuned? I've just put a set on after 14 months of use. They seem to make the shock smoother. This is entirely subjective I know.
Some won't like my opinion but the major problem with the bronson is that its isn't a 5010 or a nomad. I found the old one (not tried the new one) neither good at pedaling nor descending. It felt compromised on both.
I really wanted to like the bronson but i hated every minute of the 3 days demo I had it for and couldn't wait to give it back. It put me right of looking at 650b bikes but thankfully my nomad rides a lot better (more like a 26er). I spoke to an ex owner about his when I saw him on a nomad and he pretty much word for word said the same as I thought.
The red ones from tf tune Pawsy_Bear were the shortest lived out of all of them. They lasted a month and that was with a newish mounting hardware. But admittedly that was a very wet month and a lot of use. I was surprised when they needed replacing so soon... but I won't brand them rubbish on that one instance.
I've got some cream coloured ones which I think came from Mojo and I've put them in with a new mounting hardware after the red ones had such a short life and they're doing very well. I've got another set of red ones from tf tune in my spares box so I'll give them a second chance...
I had the red ones on a Float X and they lasted 4 Days in the Alps. They looked great and matched the PUSH tuned sticker a treat but yeah definitely expected longer than that.
Fortunately I kept the beige ones in the bag that was returned with the shock and a quick call to TF resulted in new bushings by post the very next day. But as above the VPP loves bushes. Small price to pay though.
I'm not taking the piss out of the bike specifically - I spent a silly amount of money on a Spitfire, more the 3 threads on the same (to my eyes) topic, especially when mods seem to jump on duplicate threads about other topics so often.
For what it's worth, the Spitfire has a lower pivot that seems to be a trap for mud dumped off the rear wheel. Made a shield out of correx and made a massive difference.
And it seems to have also developed play in the rear shock bush; front one is tight still.
Whilst a 5010 will be better for the smoother stuff where you provide most your own momentum and the Nomad is better on the rougher stuff especially where gravity helps you on your way andysredmini. The Bronson must surely fit somewhere between the two and arguably a better all rounder.
A Bronson my be too much for typical British woodland singletrack and not enough for Alpine bike parks. But it covers a lot of ground in between. For me it will cover the two aforementioned at a slight disadvantage but comes into it's element at the more interesting places that you might find in the UK and these are the places I try to ride the most.
So it really depends what the OP is planning on doing on his new bike.
We knew you meant no harm teeth grinder. Since you've brought it up a Spitfire is a super bike I hear. I'm sure uttering the words spitfire will summon chiefgrooveguru to sing it's praises.
You would think that the Bronson would fit nicely between the 5010 and nomad and for some it probably does. You hear the term best of both worlds but in my experience I found it the worst of both. Not a good climber or descender. It wasn't a low specced bike and was set up and running well but it felt so inefficient and energy sapping when pedalling. Also worth mentioning is how short the old one is. I'm normally a medium or large but the large Bronson was far too short for me it felt tiny and very cramped which may contribute to the inefficient pedalling feeling. Best thing to do is try one. Many people love them and it may fit and suit you perfectly.
Whilst a 5010 will be better for the smoother stuff where you provide most your own momentum and the Nomad is better on the rougher stuff especially where gravity helps you on your way andysredmini. The Bronson must surely fit somewhere between the two and arguably a better all rounder.
Which of the three bikes have you ridden?