I haven't put a lot of time on the XCL yet and I'm still getting used to it. I took it to Fountainhead Park, VA today for a quick ride. It is one of the more "technical" trails we have here, short, steep hills, with lots of roots, some rocks, and a handfull of logs. I thinks its about 5 miles or so. I have ridden this one a Specialized Enduro, GF 29er, and a Santa Cruz Blur.

The single thing that jumped out as I was riding this trail and the main flaw I have found thus far on the XCL is that it will make you ride like an IDIOT! I was going waaaay too fast for my skill level.

I was flying down hills that on the other bikes would bounce me off the pedals and going at speeds that I wouldn't even think of on the other bikes and barely feeling the roots and rocks. When I would catch my breath from the exhilaration and sensation of flying, the bike would spring up the hills and scream around the corners.

I even bombed down the expert hill with such ease that i had to stop and turn around in disbelief to see if I had just done that.

If you want to push the limits of your riding skills and challenge yourself to be a better rider than this is the bike for you. But please remember to bring some floss or something to clean the bugs from your teeth as you cheese your way around the trails.

Aamzing. Truly amazing. If people get on this bike they will want one.

Go ahead, I dare you...

yup..those chumbas really do push your riding to new levels...i speak from experience also..

It's kinda funny, after returning my demo XCL the other day I was saying the exact same thing to the guys over at Chumba only I was talking about the EVO. I litereally did things on the EVO that I had always shied away from in the past.

I didn't get quite the same feeling on the XCL but I literally had the exact same sentiments rusog had with the XCL about the EVO which is why the EVO is one of my favorite bikes made at the moment.

:)