Santa Cruz Chameleon Carbon C SE+ Reserve

The tin lizard has ascended the evolutionary ladder and is now a fully-imagined carbon fiber creature. It’s Darwinism in action.

We took the fun-loving, shreddy spirit and adjustability of the beloved aluminum Chameleon and added a lighter, faster, more advanced version of the species. It’s a do-it-all hardtail that is as happy making the most of backyard booter (mis)adventures as it is fully-loaded with camp gear and a color-matched dangle mug.

Speaking of color-matched, the carbon chameleon features custom blue Hope hubs and headset on the SE kit making this reptile stand out from the crowd. Two bottle cage mounts, including a triple-bolt cargo cage mount under the downtube mean you can escape from the crowds, too.

The Chameleon changes to suit its environment. Twenty-niner or 27-plus, geared or single-speed, this adaptable hardtail utilizes a suite of simple, swappable dropouts to convert it from aggro trail charger to single-speed racer to husky bikepacking mule, or anything in between.

Depending on setup and skill level, the Chameleon is capable on a wide range of terrain—aggressive trail riding to jump lines to all-around use. Going for maximum speed and rollability? Go 29er. Riding mostly loose terrain? Get some Plus tires that provide traction for days.

The most versatile bike in our range ticks even more boxes.

- Carbon C frame
- Fox 34 Performance 130mm fork
- SRAM GX/X1 Eagle drivetrain
- Santa Cruz Reserve 37 27.5" Carbon rims with Hope Pro4 hubs
- Maxxis tires
- RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper seatpost