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Chumba XCL / VF2 vs. El Guapo

2K views 30 replies 11 participants last post by  epicjurneez 
Never ridden a Chumba, but FWIW, I have been riding a 5.5 evp for 2 years, and just recently built an '09 El Guapo. I'm fortunate to be in a position to keep both bikes, and I love both of 'em. The 5.5 is more of a snappy, long-travel XC bike (28.5 lbs), and the EG is just a rock solid, roll-over-any-thing-with-ease bike (31.5 lbs). But I have to say, if I had to keep just one, it would be the EG. It's simply more fun to ride, and despite the added weight, its pedaling efficiency blows me away. I've never been a fan of propedal, and other than a few early attempts, never used it on the 5.5. I thought for sure I'd need it on the EG....but the bob is even less noticeable than the vpp set-up. As Wasea04 says, the EG is a very efficient pedaler.

BTW, I'm also in the 225 lb range geared up.
 
As requested, here's my El Guapo. Rather than a full blown AM ride, I aimed more for an "aggressive XC" build....to suit my style of happily tackling the steep, technical stuff, but keeping the airtime to a minimum.

I won't disagree with Wasea that a coil-over suspension on this frame would make the EG come alive on descents like nothing else, but alas, at 48 and 225 lbs, I look forward to the climb as much as the descent, and I'd like to keep it that way for a few more years;)
Unlike my 5.5, I have the sag set to about 30%, which makes for a surprisingly plush ride for air suspension.

My build:
Frame: '09 Large EG
Shock: Fox RP23
Fork: '10 Fox 36 Talas RC2, tapered steerer, 20mm thru axle
Headset: Chris King Devolution
Brakes: Magura Marta SL's, 180mm front & rear
Drivetrain: XTR
Seatpost: Thompson setback
Bars: Easton Monkeylight XC
Wheels: Mavic Crossline
Tires: Kenda Nevegals, 2.35
Seat: WTB Laser
Stem: Easton AM
Pedals: Time (their platform/clipless combo)

The wheelset is pretty much the only weak link in terms of weight. I'm aiming to upgrade to Crossmax SL's, and I'll lose nearly a pound right there, not to mention the improved rotating mass factor.

You gotta love the versatility of this bike. I read about guys going full AM, with coil suspensions, hitting 36-37 lbs, and absolutely raving about how well it still climbs. And on the other hand, I've got one of the most solid, capable, and FUN XC rides around at just over 31 lbs. Not a lot of bikes cover the spectrum like that.

Good luck with your decision.
 

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if you've acheived such a low weight already, you must be on the fence about the sl's. Seems like a good strong match for your weight. The sl's lack of mass seems a bit sketchy to me but you said you don't huck and Djump.
Oops, your right about the SL's, it's the SX's I meant. Yeah, with my weight I try to stay away from the super light stuff. The Crosslines are certainly stout wheels, but I can tell the bike is a bit sluggish because of them....I'd still like to upgrade to a happy medium.

As far as the carbon bars, I've been using monkey lights (again, not the SL version, but the next one up in strength) for years with no problems at all. I ride pretty hard on technical terrain, but little to no hucking, and luckily, not a lot of crashing either.

The El Guapo continues to amaze me with it's climbing ability on technical stuff. Just yesterday afternoon I once again cleaned a very technical, rooty, rutted 20 minute climb that I frequent....one that I could only occasionally clean on my 5.5. This is where I took the EG on my very first ride a few months back....cleaned it then, and have been cleaning it ever since. I knew the EG would dominate the descents, but it kinda defies logic that it outperforms the lighter and highly capable 5.5 EVP on the climbs too.
 
epicjurneez said:
If someone here convinces me to stick to a straight up 1.5 HS I'll need a stem as well.
I was originally considering going with a straight 1.5 steerer fork, until I found out how limited the availability of compatible stems is.

I've got a 32 float on my 5.5, and the 36 Talas on the EG feels much stiffer....helps give the bike that solid feel. But I concur with the observance that there is little to no need for travel adjustment. I'm doing all my climbing fully extended. I lowered it in the middle of a steep climb on one of my first rides, and it felt like I just hit the brakes....very noticeable drag on pedaling effort - but that's a whole other topic of debate here apparently.

Also, I definitely would have gone for a lever adjustable post if I didn't need the setback.
 
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