If you fancy the fox 140 floats (what I would choose) I have a couple of 2010 sets for sale at very good prices 🙂

I can have word with Jon to see if he could let you use the VF2 they have on demo/test?

Jon from Singletrack did the Passportes du Soleil on our demo Chumba VF2 this year, look out for a review in STW at some point.

Isn't "holeshot" the feeling after a particularly long ride?

That is certainly how mine feels 🙂

Yet to see exact geo, but will do very soon along with a price. If anyone is really interested drop me an email as there won't be too many available.

Holeshot is the name of a bike that Brodie Bikes have been making for a many a year (at least 2003).

Why would that be? If it's because it looks like the Dialled bikes frames, i think i have seen many bikes over the years with a seat brace, made of Ti and capabable of using long forks, no? 🙂

Chumba VF2 with CCDB. Buy a VF2 frame throughout this month and get the CCDB for just £150 upgrade charge, same with the XCL if your budget is smaller 🙂

http://www.progressive-bikes.co.uk

Sorry to drag this back to the top, but i have just recived a bit of info about the new Ti Holeshot, looks to be a great frame and available to pre order (with Progressive Bikes!) in the next few weeks! Based around a 6" fork with a nice long TT and slack HA looks to have well sorted geo for a classic UK long travel hard tail.

The Brodie 2008-2010 Cruzado XC Ti frame was a real work of art and little known over here, but the few that did buy the frame were really impressed with the quality of workmanship and Ti tube set used.

There will also be a Cyclo cross and road Ti frame.

I think Hope do a 25×70?

Nicky Christy, ever heard of Canfield bikes? In particular the Jedi?

They are awesome frames (did i just type awesome?) and seeing as i have just taken on Canfield Brothers frames i have access to a few extra large frames. Seriously, have a look at them, Canfield really know there DH/FR onions.

http://www.canfieldbrothers.com/products/formula-1-jedi

braylee8, thanks for your kind words, means a lot 🙂

You have picked some nice bikes there, though the orange stands out as the only single pivot.

The VF2 is a versatile bike, you can run 160mm up front if you so desire. Jon from STW has my VF2 for test as we speak, and did the pass portes du soleil on it, so that gives you an idea of the bikes capabilites. It is equally at home as a 27LB ish all day bike though set at 140mm travel at the front. If you would like discuss the VF2 more drop me an email @ simon @ progressive – bikes.co.uk, i have some great deals on the frames atm.

Out of the other frames you have chosen i would have a good look at the Nicolai, build quality is excellent and a good tried and tested suspenion design and really stiff to boot!

Chumba F5, proper bit of over engineering 🙂 Got a few frames at £1200 as well 😉

I went last year, just for the day and it was quite enjoyable, certainly a good move away from the old jumble sale NEC days. I can imagine camping there for the weekend to be quite fun!

I have just taken delivery of a load of elixir 5's for a few demo bikes. Not tried them yet but they look nice 🙂

Got some going spare at good prices if you fancy the elixirs.

I was looking at some of the Cube and Modraker offerings in The Bike Tree in Sheffield the other week, look nice and good value. Don't know the models though.

I could laways build you a Chumba XCL for around £2k also, with Fox Floats, Hope wheels, Thomson etc.

Chumba Vf2! Like a Zesty, but betterer 😉

Chumba Vf2, 127mm of travel. Can be built to around 25lb and is also very versatile.

race mode – The Aussie distributor for Chumba built this Vf2 for what they call 'Super D' racing, which i think is like a mix of XC and downhill. He runs a 120mm fork rather than the normal 140mm most run and seems to like it a lot.

The Chumba VF2 is 127mm at the rear with a 68 HA at 140mm with a 13.5" BB height and will weight between 28-30lb with a reasonable spec.

Then 36's this year will also be RLC rather than RC2, if that means anything to you 🙂

As loco said the new kashima coating stuff is only available on after market forks.

Drop me an email and i'll see what i can about a swap for a large frame, presuming you want to keep the VF2?

Lots of points contribute to why they are expensive. Small scale production is one of the main reasons. For example i know that if Chumba were to increase their production run by 4 times the cost of the frames would reduce the cost and sales price by a very good amount, but they simply don't sell enough to warrant the extra volume.

R&D is expensive, but it doesn't have to be prohibitively so, especially for the small companies who can do small prototype stuff from a work shop (as Chumba do).

Of course there is also supply and demand, everyone wants an Orange 5, Lapierre, other flavour of the month bikes, thats why they hold their value well in the shops, not many sticker discounts to be had keeps the prices in check and demand high, couple that with small runs of production and it contributes to expensive full suspension bikes and frames.

waaaaaaah, nobody looks at my ad? 🙁

If you like the look of the Zesty then you might like the Chumba VF2. Similar type of bike but the VF2 is more 'boutique' if that is important to you 🙂 5" travel, carbon rear end, very stiff and really versatile. I run my own VF2 with a Cane Creek double barrel and Fox Van forks and it it great for all types of riding.

I have an offer on the VF2 frames at the moment, £1950 for a rolling chassis deal, everything you need expect for drive train, buy an SLX group set from merlin and away you go!

Here is my VF2 (not the best picture) which is soon to be reviewed by STW!

I might have a small Chumba xcl for around £650, as new too!

My 2011 Stock arrives in a few days, anyone interested in the 36's drop me a mail for a quote!

I have heard that the van is to be replaced by something called Alps? This was a while ago mind….

Ton, thought you wasn't so keen the HX2?

The 32 Van is being replaced with something else i think from what i have heard?

My 36 2011 forks are on the way, eta 10-14 days!

Didzy2009, drop me an email at info @ progressive – bikes.co.uk

oxnop, yep posted on Friday so should be with you today or tomorrow.

No worries 🙂

I 'might' have a brand new large Chumba HX2 available for £375. Will know for sure tonight.

mmm, interesting. Might have to rethink if the reliability is such an issue.

Thanks for the feedback, exactly what i wanted!

Chumba XCL, very versatile with different rockers available to suit type of riding, bomb proof without being heavy and really well made!

Just about to recieve my new full build kits for the XCL, Fox Float Qr 15 RLC, Mavic Crossride 15 QR's, Elixir 5 brakes, sram/truvative drivetrain and finishing kit all for £2199

ruminant, are you taking the belly? 😉

I really enjoyed the whole show and end was just right. Why should everything always be explained? The link posted above by boardinbob sums it up pretty well imo 🙂

What about Commencals and Lapierres failing every five minutes? Trek downtubes being dented easily? Rubbish R&D is it? Spesh shocks failing?

those bikes are built to be lightweight and relatively cheap, something has to give and it is usually results in thin tubes. Turner and Intense both charge around the same for a frame as Commencal and lapeirre do for full bikes, so hardly a fair comparison.

Cost is a factor when MTB company decide to move to the far east, but only because usually the companies country of origin can not simply supply the expertise at an affordable cost and in some cases not even get what they want from tubes sets etc in their own country.

It's just not as simple as saying that they move just to protect profit margins.

Thanks for the info! Had a look at Aptana and coda, both look just the jog, just need to work out how to use them!