A New Chumba Owner's Review
I mountain bike because it's fun; it's also fantastic exercise that feels great. With a good heavy climb, you earn you a bombing fun descent but first you have to find a bike that does both well. This is the holy grail of mountain biking; the Chumba EVO is a rare gem that achieves it.
Last September it was time to buy a new all-mountain bike. My old bike, an older big-name full suspension, was simply too XC for me. Going down, especially in rock gardens, I was always on the verge of going OTB. It handled a bit like a stiff pogo stick. Not that it had too much rebound, but somehow, it was too bouncy yet too squishy. Worse, for a supposedly light XC bike, climbing was only "ok" -- too much pedal bob.
I tried out several different bikes. Various big name brands, and various styles, from a heavy freerider that was no fun on the flats and climbs, to light and nimble XC bikes. I tried out a big-name heavy duty trail model with a fancy shock (a current incarnation of my old bike). It also had that unusual top-heavy feel. Climbing, the light bike felt out of balance for me. It was hard to keep traction and even with the fancy shock I noticed some pedal bob. Descending: fugheddaboutit. It was only slightly better than the old version I was replacing. I tried several bikes in between. I knew exactly what I was looking for: a trail bike that bombed like the heavy freerider and climbed at least as good as the lighter XC/trail bikes.
To make things more difficult, I'm a stickler for performance and quality, but not flush with cash. Not a great combination. Thing were looking like I might not find the right bike. After hours, days, and weeks of research, I had a list of bike going for $6000 or $5000. My budget closer to $2500. I realized I was going to have to adjust upward… but $5000??? That was beyond what I could get to. Buying used, or just accepting that I would have to live with a lesser bike seemed like the only viable alternatives.
Luckily, it wasn't long before I stumbled upon the Chumba EVO. Chumba, being a boutique brand, was not one of the first names I found. It was while looking at used bikes that I first met and fell for the EVO. Sadly, it was third-party used, almost as expensive as a new bike, there were care issues, and it had a component setup not in line with my ideal preferences.
However.
That bike opened my eyes, and that's when I looked into Chumba. A few months later, I stretched my budget a bit, and had my own, brand new Chumba EVO.
Chumba bikes are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but consider this: for a sane price, competitive with mid-range bikes from the big-name brands, I got a race-proven, top-quality, high-end mountain bike with a component mix that works perfectly for rugged all-mountain use. Simply put, their bikes represent the best value out there.
All the reviews out there for the EVO are true. I have not found a single negative review and, riding one, it's obvious why. This bike is arguably the best all mountain bike money can buy.
Never have I had better climbing on any bike, XC or otherwise, than with the EVO. I almost want to say "buy the EVO for the climbing."
But that would do it injustice because you might be tempted to compare it with the best climbing XC bikes and totally miss the point on the whole reason most of us mountain bike: fast, grin-inducing descents through any terrain. Descending on the EVO is outrageously confidence-inspiring. You see, I'm not a pro, I'm just an average weekend warrior who loves being able to go anywhere, up or down anything, with his bike. I need all the confidence I can get or I'm not going to go some places where a pro might be just as capable to bomb on a hardtail. That's not me. I need a bike that takes care of me. The EVO, surefooted unlike any other, is certainly up to the task.
My Build
- Fox Talas 36 RC
- Cane Creek Double Barrel
- DT Swiss 5.1 340
- XT Deore Crankset
- X9 Rear Serailleur
- Thompson Elite Seatpost and Stem
- FSA Orbit
- Sunline V1 OS 750mm
- Wellgo Magnesium Pedals
- OD Rogues w/Chumba Endcaps and Clamps
- X0 Twist Shifters
- Elixer CR Brakes
I do plan to upgrade some details here and there over time. But this is an excellent starting point.
A word about the suspension. The EVO comes stock with an air-sprung shock. Unless you're a weight weenie (and if you are, then all-mountain isn't really the ideal category for you), go for the Cane Creek Double Barrel upgrade. Alan Kang at Chumba let me try out the CCDB over the winter, and it's such an awesome shock that I realized I had no choice but but to go ahead and upgrade. I can't say enough good things about this shock. O M G
The CCDB coupled with the 2010 Talas 36 RC2 must be experienced. These two shocks do a great job at balancing each other. The Talas with 160mm of full-on travel, can also be travel adjusted, which is a must to fully appreciate the climbing prowess of the EVO. This fork super stiff, and with both high speed and low speed damping, you can get a very plush response with limited inertial or weight-induced effects. The CCDB is also an outstanding performer. I've got it set up so that there is ZERO pedal bob. The EVO feels practically like a hardtail once I sit on it and try to shift my weight around. But as soon as the terrain gets bumpy, the bumps get gobbled up (all bumps, small and huge). Buy it for performance and handling, buy it for comfort. Another note: this shock has the best rebound behavior of any shock I've ever tried. It must be experienced to be believed (unfortunately you do have to configure it for your weight, style, and bike before you can get a good feel for it).
Finally, a HUGE thanks to Alan and Jason at Chumba for their over the top customer service. They've been holding my hand and taking care of me the whole way. Why would anyone go deal with a mega-corp elsewhere when you can support a local manufacturer who has sick/brilliant craftsmanship, cares about the community, offers unheard of service, and gives you a LOT more value for your dollar?
So how about some pictures, right? I took my new baby out to Angeles National Forest and found some nice settings for the bike to frolic and pose for the camera. With the rain we've been having, the scenery was resplendent and the weather that day was picture perfect. It helps that my EVO is not camera shy either, as you can see.
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