Southern California Survivor - CHUMBA Racing

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Let’s do this: The Chumba has a wild bent. It’s perfect to take on an epic trail ride with a group who likes to stop now and then and test their nerves. On the XCL you will do things you never used to have the confidence to try.
Southern California Survivor disservice if you don’t use the same 3.9/4.7/5.5-inch-adjustable-travel Fox TALAS fork. The preset air spring setting stays the same regardless of which travel position is used. Even five years after the fact, it’s hard to get over just how brilliant the design is. Our Chumba even Chumba had XCL the most basic R version of the 32 TALAS fork, and we were more than satisfied. HORST’S PIVOT PLACEMENT True Horst-Link rear suspension with a swing-link-guided mac strut offers unparalleled action. It’s suspension that doesn’t need a shock with a platform valve to pedal effectively. If you do add a platform shock, like the Fox ProPedal used on our XCL, watch out! The Fox DHX 5.0 shock is very fun to tune. Start with a main air spring setting that is 5psi under your body weight. Then use ProPedal pressure and reservoir volume to adjust the exact level of pedaling platform. We ended up leaving the ProPedal reservoir set at 90psi and turned the reservoir volume in or out to stiffen or loosen the point at which bumps override the platform threshold. We ran 70psi in the Talas fork’s air spring. The XCL feels extremely responsive when pedaled, yet absorbs everything in its path. It’s 4.5 inches worth of rear suspension that pedals like a 3.1-inch rear end, but takes bumps like it has over five inches of travel. POINT AND SHOOT Regardless of the front suspension travel adjustment, the Chumba’s slack-sounding 69-degree head angle literally turns circles around any other bike out there. It doesn’t demand anything more from the rider than to just steer and pedal in the right direction. The more you ride the XCL, the more you will begin to leave the TALAS at its full 5.5-inch travel setting. The shortest travel setting gives the bike quick steering on busy terrain. It also keeps more of the rider’s weight on the front tire up vertical pitches. Even if you forget to lock the travel down, the Chumba climbs so well it motors right up in the full-travel position anyway. Riders climb so well on the Chumba because of the bike’s perfect steering control and a rear end that refuses to break loose. The XCL elevates traction because the rear suspension always remains active as it absorbs everything in its path. The weight should have bothered us, but it didn’t. This is a 31-pound bike that feels like a 28-pounder. Nice trick, Ted. CHUMBA RUMBLERS We had only one complaint. It was hard to unscrew the DHX shock’s main air spring Schrader valve cap because of how tight it fits in the frame. That’s it. CONTINUE THE MISSION So what is the XCL? Exactly how we tested it—it is a trail bike ideal for ultra-punishing trails. Dry, dusty, rocky, pumice, volcanic, slate, granite and moonscape all describe the surfaces this bike will thrive on. This is not a bike you wrap in padding when transporting. Just throw it in the truck bed and go. Ride it hard and put it away wet. You may be tempted to go for lighter wheels (we did for part of our test). If you ride light on your feet (smoothly landing jump transitions, steering around jagged rocks and not plowing into stuff), using lighter wheels is not out of the question and makes this bike feel even more lively. If you’re a basher, run what we tested. Referring to Ted Tanouye and Chumba as “survivors” is wrong, because that insinuates they are barely holding on in the world of mass-produced mountain bikes. Not true. The Chumba XCL is a nofrills mountain bike that is built to take a beating without inflicting a beating on its rider. It can be configured to fit a wide range of riding styles, and two or three years into ownership, this bike won’t just be surviving—it’ll still be thriving. ❏ 84 www.mbaction.com Hold on: If the Chumba came with a user guide it would say not to let the weight of the XCL influence the ride. Instead, use the SRAM drivetrain as designed and let a low gear do the work for you. Chumba built the XCL to be ridden hard and to last. CHUMBA XCL Price $1699 (frame and shock) Country of origin USA Weight 31.1 pounds Hotline (800) 706-0760 Frame tested Medium (17") Bottom bracket height 13.5" Chainstay length 16.8" Top tube length 23.5" Head angle 69° Seat angle 73° Standover height 31" Wheelbase 43.5" Suspension travel (front) 5.5" Suspension travel (rear) 4.5" Frame material Aluminum Fork Fox 32 TALAS Shock Fox DHX 5.0 Air Rims DT Swiss EX 5.1D Tires WTB MotoRaptor (2.2") Hub DT Swiss 340 Brakes Avid Juicy Seven Brake levers Avid Juicy Seven Crankset FSA V-Drive Shifters SRAM X.9 triggers Front derailleur Shimano XTR Rear derailleur SRAM X.O Chainrings FSA V-Drive (44/32/22) Cassette SRAM PG970 (11-34) Pedals None (tested with Shimano M520)
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Southern California Survivor - CHUMBA Racing

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