MY24 Chameleon S MatteBlackout
MY22 Chameleon S Blue
MY22 Chameleon S Yellow

Chameleon 8 MY24

2023 - 2024

Built for...whatever

We made the Chameleon for riders who like to sculpt their ideal bike, and aren’t afraid to experiment. Whether 29er or mixed, geared or fixed, multiple major configuration transformations are made easy via the interchangeable dropouts. The low slung top tube and progressive geometry means this bike blends into whatever surroundings you place it. From raucous short-cuts across town to skipping the city altogether. It turns itself to trail exploration with the flip of an Allen key, thanks to the triple-bolt cargo cage mount under the downtube and standard bottle mount within the frame.

Aluminum Aluminum
Front (MM) 130
Rear (MM) 0
Wheel Size 29/MX
Shop Spare Parts

Model Specs

Front Derailleur Mount No compatibility
Headset Integrated (IS41/52)
Seat Post Diameter 31.6mm
Seat Clamp Diameter 36.4mm
Fork Compatibility 130mm - 140mm
Bottom Bracket Shell 73mm Threaded
Max Tire Clearance 29"x2.6" | 27.5"x2.8"
Max Chainring Size 34t
Water Bottle Mounts 2
Fork Offset 42mm
Chainguide_standard ISCG-05
Rear Brake Mount Post Mount 180

Build Kits

Select a Build Kit

Weight 31 lbs / 14.06 kg
Material Aluminum
Wheel Size 29
Fork RockShox Recon Silver RL, 130mm
Rear Derailleur SRAM SX Eagle, 12spd
Right Shifter SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
Cassette SRAM PG1230, 12spd, 11-50t
Chain SRAM SX Eagle, 12spd
Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB
Headset FSA IS-2/47/42 ACB -or- Cane Creek 10
Rear Tire Maxxis Aggressor 29"x2.5"WT, EXO
Front Tire Maxxis Minion DHF 29"x2.5"WT, 3C MaxxGrip, EXO
Front Hub SRAM MTH 716, 15x110, Torque Cap, 6-Bolt 32h
Front Rim WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 29"
Rear Hub SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, HG, 6-Bolt, 32h
Rear Rim WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 29"
Front Rotor Avid Centerline, 180mm
Rear Rotor Avid Centerline, 180mm
Brakes SRAM Level
Crankset SRAM X1 Eagle 148 DUB, 32t
Handlebars RaceFace Ride
Stem RaceFace Chester
Saddle WTB Silverado Medium, Steel -or- WTB Volt
Seatpost SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6
Grips / Bar Tape Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips
Weight 29.28 lbs / 13.28 kg
Material Aluminum
Wheel Size 29
Fork FOX Rhythm 34 Float, 130mm
Rear Derailleur SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
Right Shifter SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
Cassette SRAM PG1230, 12spd, 11-50t
Chain SRAM NX Eagle, 12spd
Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB
Headset FSA IS-2/47/42 ACB -or- Cane Creek 10
Rear Tire Maxxis Aggressor 29"x2.5"WT, EXO
Front Tire Maxxis Minion DHF 29"x2.5"WT, 3C MaxxGrip, EXO
Front Hub SRAM MTH 716, 15x110, 6-Bolt, 32h
Front Rim RaceFace AR Offset 30 29"
Rear Hub SRAM MTH 746, 12x148, HG, 6-Bolt, 32h
Rear Rim RaceFace AR Offset 30 29"
Front Rotor Avid Centerline, 180mm
Rear Rotor Avid Centerline, 180mm
Brakes SRAM G2 R
Crankset SRAM Descendant Eagle 148 DUB 32t
Handlebars Burgtec Alloy Bar
Stem Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm
Saddle WTB Silverado Medium, CroMo
Seatpost SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6
Grips / Bar Tape Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips
Weight 28.64 lbs / 12.99 kg
Material Aluminum
Wheel Size 29
Fork FOX 34 Float Performance, 130mm
Rear Derailleur SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd
Right Shifter SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd
Cassette SRAM XG1275 Eagle, 12spd, 10-50t
Chain SRAM GX Eagle, 12spd
Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB 68/73mm Threaded BB
Headset Cane Creek 40 IS Integrated Headset
Rear Tire Maxxis Aggressor 29"x2.5"WT, EXO
Front Tire Maxxis Minion DHF 29"x2.5"WT, 3C MaxxGrip, EXO
Front Hub DT Swiss 370, 15x110, 6-Bolt, 28h
Front Rim RaceFace AR Offeset 30, 29"
Rear Hub DT Swis 370, 12x148, XD, 6-Bolt, 36t, 28h
Rear Rim RaceFace AR Offeset 30, 29"
Front Rotor Avid Centerline, 180mm
Rear Rotor Avid Centerline, 180mm
Brakes SRAM G2 R
Crankset SRAM GX Eagle 148 DUB 32t
Handlebars Burgtec Alloy Bar
Stem Burgtec Enduro MK3, 42mm
Saddle WTB Silverado Medium, CroMo
Seatpost OneUp V2 Dropper Post, 31.6
Grips / Bar Tape Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips
Weight 5.63 lbs / 2.55 kg
Material Aluminum
Wheel Size 29

Geometry

All units are in millimeters or degrees.
s m l xl
Reach 420 445 465 490
Stack 620.1 629.2 638.2 647.3
Head tube angle 65.0° 65.0° 65.0° 65.0°
Seat Tube Length 380 405 430 460
Front Center 729.4 758.6 782.8 812.1
BB Height 315 315 315 315
BB Drop 56/40 56/40 56/40 56/40
Wheelbase 1154.4 1183.6 1207.8 1237.1
Rear Center 425-437 425-437 425-437 425-437
Head Tube Length 100 110 120 130
Top Tube Length 596.1 621.3 643.4 668.8
Seat Tube Angle 74.1° 74.3° 74.4° 74.6°
Standover Height 682 682 686 708

Size Guide

Small
152cm 5'0" - 165cm 5'5" Reach: 420mm
Medium
165cm 5'5" - 177cm 5'10" Reach: 445mm
Large
177cm 5'10" - 185cm 6'1" Reach: 465mm
X-Large
185cm 6'1" - 198cm 6'6" Reach: 490mm

Transmission Setup

Frame Size Dropout position Setup Key Setup Cog 32T 34T 36T
Small MID A 7 116 118 118
Medium MID A 7 116 118 118
Large MID A 7 116 118 118
XLarge MID A 7 116 118 118

Exploded Diagrams

Seat Collar, Head Badge, and Cable Grommets
label part_number quantity name blurb
A 67-19217 1 Head Tube Badge Clean frame surface, center on headtube
B 26-17015 2 Hose Grommet
C 26-20124 3 M5x16 Water Bottle screw Apply grease to threads
D 26-21361 1 Hose Grommet Single
Exploded Diagram of Chameleon
Bottle Cage Bolts and Cable Grommet
label part_number quantity name blurb
B 26-17015 1 Hose Grommet
C 26-20124 2 M5x16 Water Bottle screw Apply grease to threads
Exploded Diagram of Chameleon
Rear Dropouts, Rear Axle, and Chainstay Protector
label part_number quantity name blurb torque
A 08-22209 1 Rear axle 12x173.7 Apply grease to shaft and threads
B 23-23491 1 SCB UDH Interchangeable with Sram UDH
C 26-23492 1 SCB UDH screw Reverse thread 20 Nm
D 26-22596 4 M8x16 SHCS Apply Loctite 242 to threads 20 Nm
E 30-22589 1 Chainstay Protector
F 26-22594 4 M8 Square Nut
G 26-22595 2 M5x25 SHCS Grease Threads
H 23-22592 1 Cham8 Dropout NDS 275
I 23-22593 1 Cham8 Dropout DS 275
J 23-22590 1 Cham8 Dropout NDS 29
K 23-22591 1 Cham8 Dropout DS 29
Exploded Diagram of Chameleon

Manuals & Files

If you're looking for more information about your bike check our the Santa Cruz Bicycles Owner's Manual.

FAQs

For proper chain clearance, we recommend a 30t or larger chainring when used as a singlespeed.

Yes, the Chameleon has sliding dropouts that provide 12mm of chainstay length adjustment. These can be used for geometry adjustment or for tensioning the chain on a singlespeed setup. The dropouts are only available in 148x12 and use the SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger.

There are two sets of dropouts- one set for a 27.5" rear wheel and another for a 29" rear wheel. You just need to order/install the dropout set that you want, and switch the wheel itself of course.

The Chameleon is not designed for a 27.5" front wheel, but you could make it work with a ~150mm travel fork if that's what you want to do.

We recommend 42-44mm offset 29" forks for the Chameleon

An MX bike will definitely handle differently than a full 27.5 bike. The main difference you'll feel is a more stable and confident front end. The turning will be a bit slower than a 27.5, but the payoff is a more secure feeling in corners and more traction. Due to the taller front axle height and improved roll-over of the large wheel, your chances of stuffing the front wheel or going over the bars is vastly diminished. Use this security to ride challenging terrain with a more aggressive and dynamic body position.

29" bikes provide a ton of front wheel grip- this is partially due to the front wheel itself, but also due to the axle height of the rear wheel which works to keep the front end weighted. This creates a natural position on lower-angle terrain but requires body position and/or setup adjustments to achieve any sort of rearward bias.

On an MX bike, the bias is more rearward. This gives a very natural feeling on steep descents, but requires some body position and setup consideration for a balanced feel on flatter terrain. Compared to a 29er, a slightly lower handlebar and a more forward-biased suspension setup will make an MX bike feel more like what you're used to. Additionally, using the Hi BB setting will lend itself to a more front biased feel. Using these tuning parameters will help you find the sweet spot for your terrain and preference.


You'll know you have it dialed when it feels like you're never making large bodyweight shifts to either lift the front end or keep it stuck to the ground.

Mixed wheels provide the stability and traction of a 29" front wheel with the agility of a 27.5" rear wheel. The smaller rear wheel and its comparatively lower axle height allows the rider to more easily unweight the front wheel- this makes for confident yet agile handling on the steepest of descents.