The most important piece of the project arrived today, the Chumba Racing VF2 frame, a tapestry of hyroformed aluminum alloy and carbon fiber. (most images clickable).
Ooh, the anticipation has reached its crescendo.
And there it is at last. Like any new project of mine I need to analyze it to death. Which looks to be a lot of fun in this case, this frame has a lot going on. But first things first. I have to weigh it. Not because it is the most important thing, but because I need to do that before I put a single component on the frame. And the frame, fully dressed with quick release, derailleur hanger, shock and all hardware, size medium is 6.1 lbs. A full pound lighter than my Chumba XCL decked out the same way. I am very pleased with that number. In spite of all the marketing claims out there it is hard to find a full suspension frame below 6 pounds, and it usually takes some compromises in stiffness to do it. Only riding will tell for sure, but this frame does feature a lot of Chumba's stiffness tricks.
I love frames that are made with attention to detail. The VF2 does not disappoint.
Lots of frames feature asymmetric chainstays nowadays. The VF2 bottom bracket shell and head tube arrive faced, which is a nice touch. The VF2 uses Chumba's signature wide mounted pivot at the bottom bracket shell. Excellent machining and weld quality are evident throughout.
Chumba pulled out all the stops when it came time to hydroform the top tube and down tube. Their complexity cannot be captured in 2D all that well. The downtube is an amazing design. Many downtubes ovalize to match the bottom bracket shell. This one takes it a step farther: its cross section changes to allow the greatest possible contact between the downtube and the shell. The bottom transitions to a large, wide flat shape on the bottom, allowing a firm embrace on the drivetrain.
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