Hey guys, fairly new to this sport and thinking of buying my first full suss bike, looking at loads but drawn to a Fuel Trek Ex 8.

Your thought and opinions are mucho apprecaited !!

Mainly for doing trails etc, but once the fittness is up some decends like I've seen on and read on here….

Cant really go wrong with one of those for general riding.

But beware you will have folk on here telling you to buy a hardtail because you need to build up your skills base before riding an fs but that's a load of pish. If you want to ride a fs ride one.

The EX8 will handle everything that most on here could throw at it.

Great bikes, I've got an EX9 which I'm really pleased with. There's lots of other good bikes out so plenty of choice – if I was looking again I'd consider the Lapierre 140mm (spicy?), Pace RC405, Orange 5 etc

I've had mine for over a year, it's been ridden hard every week, raced with as much success as I can muster and on holiday to the Pyrenees. I really can't fault it in any major way.

Be cheeky and ask if they'll upgrade the front end to QR15, the only upgrade to make it any better.

Have fun

Tim, have you upgraded to QR15? If so, is there a noticeable difference? I've been toying with putting an old pair of Pikes on mine but not got round to it yet. Reckon it'd be ace with 20mm forks.

Yes, I just changed the lowers and yes I was gobsmacked at the difference. I almost put it in to a hedge because it turned that much quicker. 😳

Put the Pikes on, you won't regret it.

I've got one, it's great. You certainly won't go too far wrong with one as a first full suss……….where do you ride?

I've got one too, it's great fun!!
Having a SS Inbred & GT Chavalanche (the Kinesis one) in the stable already, I wanted something that would give me more comfort on rides.
I tested a Spesh Pitch, Lapierre Spicy, a Meta 5, GT Force, and discounted a few others, but the Trek was the only one that felt 'right' as soon as I pedalled off.

Stock tyres are woeful on anything but hardpack though.

test a load, some feel right, other's don't.

ohh, and give it a few years, you'll see the light and be back on a hardtail 🙂

For me:
Giant
Trek
Kona (odd given my hatred of all bikes Canadian)

All felt right, Spesh on the other hand felt rubbish but that could be down to their shocks.

I bought an EX8 last week as my first ever full suspension. I've been out on it twice now and I absolutely love it. I'm just a regular rider with no mega skills – standard XC type riding.

Downhill I feel way more confident than on my hardtail. Uphill I was pleasantly surprised at it's responsiveness with the pro-pedal on if I needed to stomp on it to get up that last little bit of a climb.

You should start to be able to get some deals on them too as the new season bikes come along. I got £150 off mine, but you may get more if you give it a bit of time.

JE James already have the Remedy 8 reduced by £600 in the Sheffield shop.

Great bike, I have had Giant Trance 2 for 3 years and got mine at the start of the summer. 600 miles in and it is still fantastic. You can pick the 2009 on up new for £1600 which makes it a bargain. BUY ONE!

ohh, and give it a few years, you'll see the light and be back on a hardtail

Sooo predictable on this site, no it's not niche and it's not boutique, it's just a bike, it gets you out turning the pedals and having fun and no I will never go back to a hardtail just like I will never wear a hair shirt or live in a mud hut, well not from choice anyway.

Yeah go buy one now!
I bought mine in May and love it. So responsive and a blast on the trails.
It will manage just about anything you throw at it.
I got mine from All Terrain in Shipley and got £200 off for cash plus they swapped the tyres and pedals too!
Fantasic bike

Only one issue though……does anyone else have problems seating the tyres on those rims? Mine are a NIGHT-mare!!!!!