I’m about to put together a new bike using the Chumba Wumba XCL 4.5″ travel frame. The owner of Chumba Wumba has been gracious enough to actually lend me his personal bike to get feedback from me, since the frame I’m getting will be customized to my fit and riding style.
Today’s Ride
I took it out to Aliso and Wood Canyons today. For those who are familiar with the trails there, I went up Mathis, down Rock-It, up Cholla and down Meadows. It was total of 18+ miles with about 2000+ ft of climbing. I’ll know the exact numbers as soon as Garmin releases the Edge 305
Today we had a really heavy marine layer and while on the upper ridges, it was almost like a constant light drizzle, which kept the temperatures cool and the trails packed down. After 2.5 hours, 100oz of water and 24oz of Gatorade, I made it back to the car.
So how did it ride?
After experimenting with different suspension settings for the last two weeks, I finally think I got it dialed in. The suspension is stiff and solid. I don’t get any of the flex I normally get when climbing on my Specialized Enduro. The bike tracks excellently on descents and climbing is great.
The craftsmanship is excellent too, as can be expected with any hand-built frame.
So the frame is on order and I’ve been going nuts buying parts online from Jenson USA. They currently have some great end of year clearance items for sale like an XT Rear Derailleur (non-rapid rise!) for $39.
Can’t wait till I get it together. I’ll be sure to update you throughout the entire build process.
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