Bike set up:
Weight: 36.5.lbs
Med/large frame with DHX-air.
Zoke Z1 light fork. 150mm of travel with ETA/RC2.
Juicy 5 discs, 8" front and back
Easton EA 50 handle bar, Race Face Diabolus 70mm stem. Odi lock on grips.
F.u.n.n. Head Banger headset
Mavic D-521 wheelset, Formula front hub, xt rear. Kenda Nevegal 2.35 tires.
Shimano Hone crankset. 22/32 bash, Specialized mag platform pedals. Shimano 545 clipless.
XTR E-type front derailleur,
Sram X-9 trigger shifters and X-9 medium cage rear derailleur.
Sram PC 991 Chain
XT 11-34 cassette.
WTB post and seat.
I have included some pics and have absolutely no idea what I am doing with a digi cam, so I hope these turned out half decent.
This frame has been getting a fair bit of attention lately and after talking with the lads at Chumba, many times, I decided to go with the Evo for my next heavy duty trail rig. I am 5'10" and weigh around 220-230lbs with gear. I will start by saying, this is a very different bike from anything I have ever been on before. In terms of fit, looks, and function, the Evo is a very unique frame.
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179928&stc=1&d=1152561895
When I first recieved the frame, I thought I got the wrong size, because the center to center tt only measured 22". As the seat post is extended, the tt length effectively increases to the 23.5" tt length. The bike seemed very strange to me with the seat post extended. I felt like I was sitting on the back of the bike and my pedal stroke seemed to feel different. Apparently, these are common observations that first time Evo riders, tend to make. After a few rides, I have become much more comfortable on the bike. I actually like the seat tube design, as it allows the bike to feel much more comfortable when pointed downhill. When you lower the seat post, the seat tucks away in a better position than a conventional seat tube arrangement.
First the good.
My Evo's maiden voyage was on a trail that has a gradual up hill climb that varies from relatively smooth, to loose and rocky. At 36lbs, this is not the fastest climbing build, but still gets you to the top. The Evo exhibits very little pedal bob and is a capable climber for a 6" rig. There is a chainstay pivot on the rear end and the Evo gets good traction, when climbing over roots and loose rock. With a 150mm fork, the front end is a bit light and you will probably have to change your riding position, when the climbing gets steeper. The HA is quite slack on the Evo and is even slacker, I believe, than the published prototype numbers on the website. Forks with A2C heights around 520mm, will still give aggressive geometry on the Evo. Think Pike and Zoke AM 3.
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179912&stc=1&d=1152561283
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179929&stc=1&d=1152562082
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179931&stc=1&d=1152562377
Yes, the Evo climbs pretty well, but it absolutely shines, when riding back down. I was very impressed with the descending abilities of this bike. The trail that I rode has exposed rocky descents, twisty technical single track, and a few rock gardens on the way back down. The Evo is very agile and is the best cornering trail bike that I have been on yet. This is where the stiffness and frame geometry comes into play. Just a tiny bit of body english and the Evo responds instantly. This bike wants to go fast and makes quick work of gnarly rock gardens and roots. I love to flow the dh part of the trail and the Evo makes it pretty easy to do so. Having the Z1 light up front helped to smoot things out. This rig was very stable at speed and absorbs bumps of all sizes, very nicely. I hit a couple of rock drops on the trail, around 3ft high and the Evo sucked them up like a dh bike. The Evo feels very comfortable and intuitive going dh. On rougher trails, a dual ring chain guide would be a nice addition to the Evo. I was picking direct lines over the roughest parts of the trail and the chain was all over the place.
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179935&stc=1&d=1152563172
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179939&stc=1&d=1152563333
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179940&stc=1&d=1152563728
The Bad:
I realize the frame design requires an e-type front derailleur, but these things cause a lot of problems. First, the e-type sits too high up and there is a lack of adjustability. If the derailleur is damaged, the crank arm has to come off. With a standard Front D, you can easily remove it and slide it up and down the seat tube, for quick adjustments. An e-type might make it interesting when a rider wants to put on a chain guide. The bb width is pretty wide and for those that are used to narrow bb widths, the Evo will feel different at first.
The seat tube/tt adjustment might not be for everyone. It takes some getting used to and feels different from anything else I have tried. I do feel it is a very functional design.
Rear tire clearance might be an issue for larger tires. There is adequate clearance for my 2.35 Nevegal.
So far, my impressions of the Evo are very positive and I recommend this bike for the rider who wants a little more bike than their current rig can offer. The Evo is another viable option, in the ever expanding 6" trail bike category. Chumba has come up with a very innovative design that stands out from the rest, with very little compromise. I would like to thank the guys at Chumba for fielding all of my questions and being so helpful. These are the reasons why it is nice to buy from the smaller companies.
I will post another report in a couple of months.
Weight: 36.5.lbs
Med/large frame with DHX-air.
Zoke Z1 light fork. 150mm of travel with ETA/RC2.
Juicy 5 discs, 8" front and back
Easton EA 50 handle bar, Race Face Diabolus 70mm stem. Odi lock on grips.
F.u.n.n. Head Banger headset
Mavic D-521 wheelset, Formula front hub, xt rear. Kenda Nevegal 2.35 tires.
Shimano Hone crankset. 22/32 bash, Specialized mag platform pedals. Shimano 545 clipless.
XTR E-type front derailleur,
Sram X-9 trigger shifters and X-9 medium cage rear derailleur.
Sram PC 991 Chain
XT 11-34 cassette.
WTB post and seat.
I have included some pics and have absolutely no idea what I am doing with a digi cam, so I hope these turned out half decent.
This frame has been getting a fair bit of attention lately and after talking with the lads at Chumba, many times, I decided to go with the Evo for my next heavy duty trail rig. I am 5'10" and weigh around 220-230lbs with gear. I will start by saying, this is a very different bike from anything I have ever been on before. In terms of fit, looks, and function, the Evo is a very unique frame.
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179928&stc=1&d=1152561895
When I first recieved the frame, I thought I got the wrong size, because the center to center tt only measured 22". As the seat post is extended, the tt length effectively increases to the 23.5" tt length. The bike seemed very strange to me with the seat post extended. I felt like I was sitting on the back of the bike and my pedal stroke seemed to feel different. Apparently, these are common observations that first time Evo riders, tend to make. After a few rides, I have become much more comfortable on the bike. I actually like the seat tube design, as it allows the bike to feel much more comfortable when pointed downhill. When you lower the seat post, the seat tucks away in a better position than a conventional seat tube arrangement.
First the good.
My Evo's maiden voyage was on a trail that has a gradual up hill climb that varies from relatively smooth, to loose and rocky. At 36lbs, this is not the fastest climbing build, but still gets you to the top. The Evo exhibits very little pedal bob and is a capable climber for a 6" rig. There is a chainstay pivot on the rear end and the Evo gets good traction, when climbing over roots and loose rock. With a 150mm fork, the front end is a bit light and you will probably have to change your riding position, when the climbing gets steeper. The HA is quite slack on the Evo and is even slacker, I believe, than the published prototype numbers on the website. Forks with A2C heights around 520mm, will still give aggressive geometry on the Evo. Think Pike and Zoke AM 3.
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179912&stc=1&d=1152561283
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179929&stc=1&d=1152562082
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179931&stc=1&d=1152562377
Yes, the Evo climbs pretty well, but it absolutely shines, when riding back down. I was very impressed with the descending abilities of this bike. The trail that I rode has exposed rocky descents, twisty technical single track, and a few rock gardens on the way back down. The Evo is very agile and is the best cornering trail bike that I have been on yet. This is where the stiffness and frame geometry comes into play. Just a tiny bit of body english and the Evo responds instantly. This bike wants to go fast and makes quick work of gnarly rock gardens and roots. I love to flow the dh part of the trail and the Evo makes it pretty easy to do so. Having the Z1 light up front helped to smoot things out. This rig was very stable at speed and absorbs bumps of all sizes, very nicely. I hit a couple of rock drops on the trail, around 3ft high and the Evo sucked them up like a dh bike. The Evo feels very comfortable and intuitive going dh. On rougher trails, a dual ring chain guide would be a nice addition to the Evo. I was picking direct lines over the roughest parts of the trail and the chain was all over the place.
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179935&stc=1&d=1152563172
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179939&stc=1&d=1152563333
http://forums.mtbr.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=179940&stc=1&d=1152563728
The Bad:
I realize the frame design requires an e-type front derailleur, but these things cause a lot of problems. First, the e-type sits too high up and there is a lack of adjustability. If the derailleur is damaged, the crank arm has to come off. With a standard Front D, you can easily remove it and slide it up and down the seat tube, for quick adjustments. An e-type might make it interesting when a rider wants to put on a chain guide. The bb width is pretty wide and for those that are used to narrow bb widths, the Evo will feel different at first.
The seat tube/tt adjustment might not be for everyone. It takes some getting used to and feels different from anything else I have tried. I do feel it is a very functional design.
Rear tire clearance might be an issue for larger tires. There is adequate clearance for my 2.35 Nevegal.
So far, my impressions of the Evo are very positive and I recommend this bike for the rider who wants a little more bike than their current rig can offer. The Evo is another viable option, in the ever expanding 6" trail bike category. Chumba has come up with a very innovative design that stands out from the rest, with very little compromise. I would like to thank the guys at Chumba for fielding all of my questions and being so helpful. These are the reasons why it is nice to buy from the smaller companies.
I will post another report in a couple of months.
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