Santa Cruz Chameleon: suspension setup & specs
The Santa Cruz Chameleon is a trail hardtail with 130 mm of fork travel. Below you will find all 1 current builds with fork, plus SAG values in millimetres and a tyre pressure table.
Calculate the setup for your Santa Cruz Chameleon →
All builds
Fork, weight and price according to the manufacturer. Wheel size: 29" or MX.
| Build | Fork | Weight | RRP | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R 2023 | FOX Rhythm 34, 130mm (130 mm) | 13.3 kg | €2,499 | Setup → |
How it compares
130 mm at the fork almost exactly matches the 130 mm median of the 17 bikes in the “trail hardtail” category in our database. Within Santa Cruz’s mountain bikes, it sits between the Santa Cruz Blur and the Santa Cruz 5010 on travel. Santa Cruz builds the frame from aluminium.
At 13.3 kg (R 2023 build), the weight is close to the category median of 13.2 kg. The Santa Cruz Chameleon is not a budget bike: even the R 2023 build costs €2,499, while the category median is €2,000. Up front, all builds get a FOX fork.
Setup notes for this spec
- Fork (FOX Rhythm 34, 130mm): air goes in through the valve on top of the left leg. After every change, compress the fork firmly a few times before measuring SAG.
- Rebound: turn the red FOX adjuster fully closed first and count clicks from there – that way you can note settings and restore them later.
- Hardtail: without rear suspension, rear tyre pressure largely decides comfort and traction – it is worth testing in 0.1 bar (1.5 psi) steps.
Target SAG for the Santa Cruz Chameleon
SAG is the share of travel your weight already uses in the riding position. The table gives it straight in millimetres – read the O-ring on the stanchion and adjust the air pressure until it matches. Any figures from Santa Cruz take priority.
130 mm fork (all builds)
| Riding style | Fork SAG |
|---|---|
| XC / touring | 17 % = 22 mm |
| Trail | 20 % = 26 mm |
| Enduro / rough | 22 % = 29 mm |
| Bike park | 20 % = 26 mm |
How to measure SAG is explained in our guide SAG setup.
Tyre pressure starting values
For 2.40″ wide tyres, tubeless with a trail casing. With an inner tube about 0.2 bar (2.9 psi) more, with an insert about 0.1 bar (1.5 psi) less. Stock tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF WT, 3C MaxxGrip, EXO, TR / Maxxis Aggressor WT, EXO, TR.
| Ready-to-ride weight | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 1.43 bar (21 psi) | 1.63 bar (24 psi) |
| 70 kg | 1.55 bar (22 psi) | 1.75 bar (25 psi) |
| 80 kg | 1.67 bar (24 psi) | 1.87 bar (27 psi) |
| 90 kg | 1.79 bar (26 psi) | 1.99 bar (29 psi) |
| 100 kg | 1.91 bar (28 psi) | 2.11 bar (31 psi) |
| 110 kg | 2.03 bar (29 psi) | 2.23 bar (32 psi) |
| 120 kg | 2.15 bar (31 psi) | 2.35 bar (34 psi) |
Air pressure in the fork
The sticker on the fork and the manufacturers’ setup charts give you a first pressure. Our calculator is more precise and suggests rebound too – always check the result via SAG.