I’ve been riding a 2010 Stumpjumper Elite since April and am really enjoying it. Next summer I’m taking five months off work for a tour of Scotland and northern England. Yorkshire, the Lakes, 7stanes and the Cairgorms are all on the list.
I’m not sure about riding genres but I always ride off-road, I do ride pretty aggressively, I love a could’ve-died-there descent and I tend to ride for three or four hours per ride.

My question is a broad one but I think I’ll need a beefier bike. Will I? What should I take a look at?

Trek Fuel EX.
No better bike out there IMO. Real do-it-all bike.
You might also consider the remedy if you want a bit more travel…

No, a 140 bike will munch up all of that like a fat girl munches cake.

Stumpjumper sounds just right. I reckon thats what I’d choose, about the right compromise in travel, angles, suspension, marketing jargon etc ..

I was about to suggest you could get QR15 lowers for your (fox?) fork, but thinking about it, do SJers still have those 9mm DT thru-bolts on the front?

Dropper post?

Do ’10 SJers come with pretty narrow bars (660mm IIRC?), mayve a touch wider might be nice, 685mm, 700mm?

Maybe consider fatter tyres (and tubes if you go much fatter) to make it feel like it has more travel (but not OTT sticky), though the stock purgatory/captain* would seem a pretty good balance?
*perhaps something without such a defined centre tread?

Of course, all only if you ‘think’ you need/want to beef up the bike a touch

Just been checking out Treks. Ended up staring down a Remedy 9.9! More than I need and could justify spending though! I think my budget would be around 3k.
I’m still learning about bike anatomy and terminology but my Stumpy has a Talas fork. What’s this QR15 or 9mm DT thru-bolt business. I’m assuming it’s about whether the wheels axles threads through holes in the fork or drops into open-ended whats-names? Through being the better option? For rigidity?
Yeah, the handlebars are 660mm. Would wider bars really make much difference then? I’m quite keen on making sure my bars are definitely tough enough for whatever they may need to be rather than super-light and only just burly enough!

If you’re going to be doing a lot of trail centres consider trying a few demo bikes. The Hub at Glentress have a good selection, not sure about other places. Stick to what you’ve got to begin with. Something with 100mm of travel is enough most of the time but if you are riding some of the rockier trails in the Lakes or Scotland then you might want a bit more. Depends on what the trails are like that you ride normally.

OP, you don’t need a new bike for the riding you have mentioned. Nor do you need a different fork.

Buy the one you like and feel comfortable on.

Chunkier tyres maybe………….the bike is perfectly able.

You defiantly do not NEED any more bike underneath you. Take that from somebody who has spent a week in the Alps on a 120mm Stumpjumper, and rides the places you are planning on a 100mm 2004 model. Any more than you have will be a downgrade when it come to all round ability – assuming you plan to ride up the hills that is.

Definately demo some bikes. You’ll probably find that many aren’t as good as, or don’t feel as good as your own bike. The others wont be sufficiently better to justify spending a grand+. Stumpys are good bikes.

Thanks for all the advice! I shall stick to my Stumpy and spend some dollar on suitable bike clothing for the wind/rain/cold of next summer instead!