Santa Cruz Chameleon #Chameleonclub

Cyclotourist said:
I see a lot of used 27.5 wheelsets on Craigslist. I bought a R+ Chameleon, thinking that a 29er wheelset would be easy/cheap to find. Just the opposite. Lots of 27.5 take off and used wheelsets in Boost size, but not many 29ers.
Anyway, I like the feel of the 27.5 more than the 29er, but appreciate the weight reduction of the 29er overall as well as rotational mass. But those 27.5 plus tires hook up like something crazy and give an awesome cush ride. I can't say one is objectively better, they're just different.
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29er wheels roll better. ‘Nuff said.
 
I’ll admit....I have zero interest in 27.5+

I have a set in the garage that I could throw on the Hightower at any time. Honestly, don’t have a need for the extra traction. I can get up and down most stuff on a 2.35 29er.

I think if you are not confident or comfortable with loose and/techy trails....the 27.5+ ends up being a nice crutch. I’ve even heard bike shops refer to 27.5+ as the wheels for beginners.
 
mtnbikej said:
I’ll admit....I have zero interest in 27.5+

I have a set in the garage that I could throw on the Hightower at any time. Honestly, don’t have a need for the extra traction. I can get up and down most stuff on a 2.35 29er.

I think if you are not confident or comfortable with loose and/techy trails....the 27.5+ ends up being a nice crutch. I’ve even heard bike shops refer to 27.5+ as the wheels for beginners.
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Agreed they are not very enjoyable to ride. Found very little advantage with them. $800 wasted. Blah
 
I bought my Niner as a 27.5 plus because I loved the way they felt when I demoed the bike. Had Jennifer not won a set of boost 29 inch wheels I may have never even tried the bigger wheels on this bike. That being said I do prefer the 29 inch set for the majority of my riding but I also love the feeling of the plus Minions on the chunky stuff.
 
mike said:
Subscribed.

I need to try some 27-plus tires on my Pedalhead. Boost rear, non-boost front. Have a rear Boostinator.

Trail riding on a hardtail not sustainable for my back, Hail Mary to plus tires...
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You're welcome to take the Chameleon for a spin the next time it has gears on!

Edit: You're also welcome to take it for a spin in its single speed incarnation, but that usually doesn't get many takers.
 
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I took a pic of my beloved Chameleon today on a wonderful afternoon spin and thought I’d share with you guys. Because the same pic hasn’t been posted before... I beat to crap out of it today and it didn’t flinch.

B23E6D4A-C759-4E26-A2A7-831932271556.jpeg
 
mtnbikej said:
That’s why I don’t have a LBS.
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I no longer have a LBS. After 20 years of riding I choose local bike shop people, not the shop. One shop may have a great mechanic so if I do need a mechanic, I’ll insist he does the work. Same goes for a salesperson. I’ll stick with the person who treats me right, fair and knows how to communicate.

I’m loyal to these people which in turn helps the shops as well. But, and I’ve expressed this to various shop owners over the years, it’s the employees that make the shop. Not discounts or deals or demos. Those are great and you need to have them to compete but, you won’t develop good regular customers without great employees. You can take that to the bank.
 
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