Yeti 575 Chumba XCL shootout

Never ridden a Chumba XCL, and hopefully never will. But I did own a 575 for a year or so. Sold it and got a 5 Spot, couldn't be happier......except maybe with a new DW Spot :-k

 

i did demo the XCL at a chuba demo and it felt pretty good, but i also borrowed a 575 on a couple occasions and thought it felt much better all around. i ride pretty aggressively and had much more confidence on the 575.

 

Ride them both and get the one you like. It shouldn't be too difficult getting demos of either. Are you in Orange County? What size do you need? I'd be willing to meet up and let you ride my small XCL if it fits. Maybe a 575 owner can do the same on the same day?

 

Can't really say anything about Yeti 575 because I never owned one..
I've owned my XCL for about 8 months and an EVO for about a year, the XCL is a great bike, climbs good and descends just as good, feels strong, no flex, is a little heavy than perhaps most bikes in its class, all in all a great bike..
I have never had any issues with neither of my bikes, or customer services, and being a local company makes it a good thing for me..

My .02 cents...

 

Can't believe I forgot to mention this earlier, Turner has frames on the cheap right now, like cheaper than a 575 frame. Call'em up and see what they got:951-677-1711. From what you were looking at, you can't go wrong with either the 5 Spot or the RFX.

 

I know the XCL can be jumped 20+ feet and not break, thats all that matters right ?

 

I will agree with what others have said, Yeti does have great customer service and solid reputation. I'm almost thinking I should have gotten one of the newer 575's now. #-o

"can your trail bike do this?" :lol:
To avoid any problems, I am just going to keep quite.

 

Im pretty sure the bike I have almost built up in my garage can, I'll put a tape on that oaks jump I can hit the asphalt when I charge it

 

I'd love to see video of that!

 

I demoed both, and bought the Yeti 575. To me it feels more nimble and balanced, and while I didn't get to properly dial in the suspension when I tried the Chumba, the handling of the 575 felt more composed and balanced. It also just fit me better. I also had problems with my ankles getting beat up by the wide square-tube seatstays on the Chumba on moderately steep downhills (Lynx, RockIt, etc).

Coming off a 3.5" travel XC bike, I wanted an efficient, long-travel XC design that inspired confidence on descents, and the Yeti fit the bill perfectly. I absolutely love it.

 

It hurts, they built the lip up and it doesnt take as much speed as it used to

 

575 Yeti Rules - At least for Now!

I have ridden rocky mountain, intense and speciliazed. The yeti was a last min. try pushed on to me by a buddy. Test road it and did not feel to much of a difference. I took the plunge and bought the 575. This thing kills. Climbs like a beast. Really helps me on my downhills. I have dropped all of the chutes in Aliso Viejo (not rock-it and lynyx - those are not chutes) that lead down to laguan canyon rd. This thing lets me ride a majoirty of the chutes all the way down. Of course no bike can cruise those chutes without big balls. Some days they are the size of boulders and I just clean the chutes all the way down. Other days......bout' the size of peanuts and I end up walking some drops.

Laguna Cyclery has demo's to try for the day. I ended up buying mine from them and they have always been helpful and quick turn-around on repairs if needed or tune-ups.

Good Luck on the buy.....

 

Interesting thread. I think that the 575 and the XCL are somewhat different animals. The XCL is built to handle a lot more punishment than a bike that uses carbon stays - and a lot of our racers use it as a dirt jump bike also. The XCL passed fatigue and impact testing by EU standards as one of the strongest chassis on market - more so than some of the bikes mentioned - and the XCL was raced throughout the entire NORBA series this year. We've had no failures on the bikes since we've reinforced the stays with the metal struts. The XCL is basically the workhorse of the family. Our new trail bike will be under 6 lbs. with shock and use different materials that might appeal more to the crowd looking for the lighter XC bike. We may be doing a local demo day soon ... will keep everyone posted. However, I'd be more than happy to participate in a head-to-head shootout against any bike vs. the XCL or our new XC bike.

 

Good points from Alan. My 575 by no means feels fragile (frame flex was more obvious on a Kona Kahuna I once had), and the Yeti's carbon stays are optional, but the XCL does have a sturdier feel and seems like it was built to be pretty bombproof. I prefer the handling of the Yeti, but I could make a case for either: Ride and Decide!

 

I have never been a fan of carbon anything on a MTB, except for maybe bars. The carbon chainstays are optional, but the carbon seatstays are mandatory on the '08 575. That was one of the main drawbacks for me when I was looking. Again though, I have many friends who ride this frame and haven't had any problems with the carbon seatstays.

 

I love my 575. I climb better, descend faster and smile a lot more than on my previous 4" Jamis Dakar. I started out building my 575 light, and then went the other way - TALAS 36, DHX Air, DT Swiss EX1750s - still climbs well, even more fun to descend - under 29lbs in an XL. I'm 6'4", 215lbs - no problems. I don't do big drops though, maybe 4 or 5'. I needed a long top-tube and the Yeti fit. I am sure the XCL is a great bike too. Can't go wrong. Ride 'em both. Pick one, enjoy it. See you out there.

 

thanks everyone for your input. unfortunately decisions like this don't come easy and i plan on dedicating a good amount of time researching/demoing, etc.

giant has always been a consideration as well. i really like the lifetime frame warranty and the '08 colors were great... if it weren't for the fug '09 color schemes, high price for a mass produced bike (vs. boutique bikes for the same price) and a 7 inch headtube on the L (i would like to re-use my talas...) they would be higher on my list... i'll have to check out this maestro suspension goodness this weekend on a demo i suppose.

 

Giant bikes are not a deal when you just buy the frame. However if you buy a complete bike, there is no better deal out there that I have found. I have been shopping for a good climbing, 6" trail bike and the Reign is my choice. YMMV.

BTW, you can find new 2009 complete Giant bikes for much less than MSRP. PM me if you want details.

 

If you anywhere close to SD check out Bicycle warehouse, they are blowing out 08 reigns cheap. No larges tho...

 

My biased reply, GO CHUMBA!!

Adrenaline in Orange should stock both, and just take them back to back on a trail you ride frequently. Having ridden both bikes I will try to keep it simple. The Yeti has a lot more manipulations and carbon additions that for me led to a slightly flexier feel. Having some joints secured only by glue and a super light rocker no doubt contributes. The frame has more travel which means to get the most out of it you ought to get a 36 TALAS or lyrik and a 20mm front wheel which could run you an extra grand or so. I bring that up only because the way the 575 pedals dropping the fork and tuning the pro-pedal makes climbing easier.

The XCL on the other hand can sport any 100-140mm fork you might already have and is so stiff that I never even bothered to fiddle with the pro-pedal. In fact after I cleaned a particularly steep section with ease I was shocked to look down and see that I was in the MIDDLE ring:lol:. A lot of folks might think I am just saying it to make a sale but this was one of the reasons I took the gig as outside sales. Not to mention they are the only decent brand that have very deep local roots. There has been a 0% failure rate on the XCL and the frame weighs only 6.2 pounds without the shock. Folks have built them down to 24 lbs ond all the way up to jumping 30 foot gaps. A design that has ten years of development and 14 years of podium history behind it really speaks for itself.

Of course all the opinions ellicited here are going to be biased one way or the other, the best thing is to flog both and see what you prefer. I think the Chumba will cost less in the long run and give you the most reliable performance and more efficient climbing. But then again I not only do I sell the bikes, I also ride them:lol:.....

Happy trails.