So I have finally narrowed it down to 3 frames, the 2008 Turner 5spot, RFX or the Chumba XCL. I cannot find a single bad thing written about any of them. I realize you guys are going to be in favor of Turner, so help me narrow it down to two frames (The Chumba and one of the Turners)
I just need to figure out which one is the best fit. I really don’t care about looks that much, I like they way these 3 frames each look in their own way. It more about performance & durability.
Turner 5 Spot
5.5 inches of travel, and will work perfectly with the parts from my existing bike. I can also re-use my 4 month of DHX 5 Coil on this frame. 5.5 inches of travel is probably perfect for the way I ride and where I ride
Turner RFX
Beefier than the Spot, but still pretty light. It would allow me a growing room if I decide to get more aggressive with my riding. I will need to get a new fork or run my existing 145mm Nixon with a spacer to get the geo where it should be until I can afford a new fork.
Chumba XCL
Beefier than the Spot, but only 5” of travel. But it is also slacker with a 68 HA. Even though it has less rear travel I would put this right in between the Spot & RXF in regards to the amount of abuse it can handle. It would probably be better descending than the Spot.
First thing I need to do is really figure out how much travel I need. I don’t see myself ever going really big on any stunts. The biggest drop I ever see myself doing is 4 to 5 feet with a nice transition. I hit a 42” drop back in November and that is the largest I have ever done. But I do love flying down technical DH’s and want to get better at rollers. With that in mind the RFX may be the best choice. Another though is that I could run a spacer on my fork to slacken out the HA on the Spot. It would still climb well and would be a little better on the DH’s. Keep in mind that I live in New England and ride technical single track (rocky, rooty) and nothing is flat. You are doing a technical climb or a technical decent. I don’t really care about how fast I make the climb, just that the bike will be able to get up the technical stuff. But I do care about how it will handle going down. I love to go fast on the DH and would prefer to not have to worry too much about my line.
I just need to figure out which one is the best fit. I really don’t care about looks that much, I like they way these 3 frames each look in their own way. It more about performance & durability.
Turner 5 Spot
5.5 inches of travel, and will work perfectly with the parts from my existing bike. I can also re-use my 4 month of DHX 5 Coil on this frame. 5.5 inches of travel is probably perfect for the way I ride and where I ride
Turner RFX
Beefier than the Spot, but still pretty light. It would allow me a growing room if I decide to get more aggressive with my riding. I will need to get a new fork or run my existing 145mm Nixon with a spacer to get the geo where it should be until I can afford a new fork.
Chumba XCL
Beefier than the Spot, but only 5” of travel. But it is also slacker with a 68 HA. Even though it has less rear travel I would put this right in between the Spot & RXF in regards to the amount of abuse it can handle. It would probably be better descending than the Spot.
First thing I need to do is really figure out how much travel I need. I don’t see myself ever going really big on any stunts. The biggest drop I ever see myself doing is 4 to 5 feet with a nice transition. I hit a 42” drop back in November and that is the largest I have ever done. But I do love flying down technical DH’s and want to get better at rollers. With that in mind the RFX may be the best choice. Another though is that I could run a spacer on my fork to slacken out the HA on the Spot. It would still climb well and would be a little better on the DH’s. Keep in mind that I live in New England and ride technical single track (rocky, rooty) and nothing is flat. You are doing a technical climb or a technical decent. I don’t really care about how fast I make the climb, just that the bike will be able to get up the technical stuff. But I do care about how it will handle going down. I love to go fast on the DH and would prefer to not have to worry too much about my line.