Chumba Racing has been around for a long time, but it’s only recently that its bikes have become readily available in the UK (Sorted Cycles, purveyors of many things American and spangly, bring them in). We’ve currently got an EVO all-mountain device on test, so we didn’t bother riding one of those at Interbike’s Dirt Demo – we took out a Chumba Racing XCL instead.

At first glance it looks a bit like a Psycle Werks Wild Hare (if anyone remembers those…), largely because of the swing-link four-bar suspension layout. A closer look reveals an interesting blend of approaches. The 4.5in of rear travel and 73° seat angle say XC, while the DHX shock, numerous gussets and stout construction point to something all together beefier.

So what’s it for? “Aggressive XC-style riding”, apparently. Which actually makes quite a lot of sense – plenty of people are doing epic rides with lots of climbing and tricky descents, so a relatively light and efficient yet sturdy bike looks like just the ticket.

On the trail it certainly doesn’t feel like a contradiction. That steepish seat angle keeps your weight forward when seated, so it holds a line just fine, but stand up and it feels confidently relaxed. There might not be all that much travel, but it’s well-controlled and you get plenty of warning that it’s about to run out. And the whole thing is certainly stout – there’s nothing flopping about here.

There’s stacks of mud room out back, too, thanks to the wide stance of the seatstay assembly. The downside of that is that you may find yourself constantly brushing your calves on the back end, so you’ll probably want to try one of these before you buy.

Call it aggressive XC, short-travel all-mountain or whatever, the XCL is certainly an interesting proposition. A frame is £1,200 in the UK, so it’s not outrageously priced, either.