trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper

Fresh Goods Friday 319

by 21

Grab yourself a cup of tea. Maybe a nice biscuit. Something suitable for dunking, like a rich tea, or a ginger nut. Definitely not a chocolate Hobnob. They just go all melty, and shed little bits into your tea. Frankly, the biscuit choice is the most ridiculous thing about this stunt.

Anyway, now you’ve got your carefully selected biscuit, and your nice cup of tea (except if you live in London, in which case you probably ought to stick to coffee, because unless you’re using water shipped down (no rabbits involved) from Yorkshire, your tea is going to have those weird flaky rainbow scummy bits on the top), it’s time to settle down. Clear a space in your schedule – we recommend blocking your calendar out with ‘Dr’, ‘Solicitor calling’, or ‘Phone consultation – blood test results’: something that will ensure you’re not interrupted. Don’t be hiding in the loo, because tea and toilets just don’t go together, and dunking on the toilet is really really wrong. You need a comfy chair, a quiet corner, somewhere safe to rest your mug between sips and dunks. Ready? Good. Let us go forth, let us immerse ourselves, like a bite sized mini cookie in an oversized mug of tea, in the heart and cockle warming delight that is Fresh Goods Friday!

Trek Fuel EX9 29

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Long-legged 29in full suspension trail bike from Trek.

This is Trek’s brand new Fuel EX 9. It’s a 130mm travel full suspension trail bike that can take either 29 inch or 27.5+ wheels – ours comes spec’d with 29 inch wheels. It sits between the XC racerboy Top Fuel, and the burly All Mountain Remedy. So it’s a trail bike for the masses really.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Ice Ice Baby

This bike is made from ‘Alpha Platinum Aluminium’, which Trek says is continuously cold extruded and butted at multiple points, and gives maximum strength and minimum weight. There are no metallurgists in house, so we’re just going to take their word for it. It sure does look pretty!

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
SRAM 11 speed gearing

10-42 cassette for all your hill climbing needs. This updated model offers more tyre clearance and shorter stays than previous models. Note the steel chainring used on the cranks, which should offer a little more durability and wear resistance than alloy versions.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Mino Link Adjustable Geometry

You can adjust the head angle by half a degree, and the BB height by up to 10mm. Flip the ‘Mino link’ to choose between ‘Rad’ or ‘Radder’.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
RE:activ suspension tuning

Fox Performance Float EVOL rear shock, with Trek’s RE:activ tuning, which promises more effective shock responsiveness to trail conditions through regressive damping. Want to know more? See here.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
ABP = Active Braking Pivot

ABP is designed to allow the suspension to work smoothly even when you’re braking. It’s been a regular sight on Trek mountain bikes for nearly a decade now, and the latest iteration uses the same Full Floater shock mount and the concentric rear pivot.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Boost 148 rear

Wider dropouts (110mm front, 148mm rear) promise the stiffness of a 27.5in wheel with the benefits of a 29in wheels, and Boost 148 at the back lets you run wider tyres and a larger chain ring without affecting the q-factor or pedalling efficiency.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
110mm front drop out

Fox Performance 34 Float fork with 130mm travel. These are the Rhythm models, so they use the GRIP sealed damper cartridge that’s a little simpler and cheaper than Fox’s flagship FIT damper.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
‘Control Freak Cable Management’

The cable management system allows any combination of shift, brake, lockout and dropper post lines to be routed through the frame.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Knock Block

Knock Block to stop you walloping your frame with your bars when you fall off (because let’s face it, we all fall off sometimes).

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
More tidy cable routing.
trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Guide brakes for stoppage. These have a nifty little reach adjust screw for tool free tweaking.
trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Tubeless ready.

Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels that feature (you guessed it!) a 30mm internal width. You could say Bontrager is toeing thline between regular and plus-width rims eh? Eh??

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
29 x 2.40 tyres. Plus-minus?

Bontrager XR3 Expert tyres, front and rear in a bulbous 2.4in width.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
125mm fun popper.

Bontrager released its new Drop Line dropper seat post a few months ago, and it sits proud aboard the Fuel EX 9. Internal cable routing and a slick black finish.

trek fuel ex 9 29 full suspension reaktiv fox 34 float bontrager dropper
Food for thought? Or perhaps, fuel for the trail? Ok, we’ll show ourselves out…

Want to know what this bike is like to ride? Get yourself a copy of Issue 110, out December, which will feature our 3-way group test of the Specialized Camber 29, the Fuel EX 29, and a little number from Giant that you’ll read about very soon… Want a beautiful new issue of Singletrack delivered straight to your door? Why not subscribe here.

Shimano Deore XT 11 Speed Chain

shimano chain 11-speed xt ultegra
It is a snake, not a Christmas tree. It is too early.

A chain to make Wil’s wheels go round. We think he’s ready to move on from the balance bike.

Maxxis Re-Fuse Tyres 27.5 x 2.00

Maxxis Re-fuse tyres

Foldable tubeless optimistic tyres for Chipps’ new bike (see below). Probably shed mud quite well.

Chipps’ Bike

Chipp's handbuilt frame

Chipps has been and made himself this bike at Downland Cycles. He has yet to give it a name. Feel free to suggest some possibilities in the comments section below. Full details of the bike and the course Chipps went on to make it will be in a future edition of the magazine…

DVD: Mountain Biking: The Untold British Story

fgf_319_34 dvd movie
You know you want it…

We are delighted to have taken delivery of DVDs of our super duper movie. Not only does it hold the key to viewing the movie without the need for an internet connection, it also contains EXTRAS.

fgf_319_31
…actually, you NEED it, right?

Extras? No, not underpaid actors with secondary jobs as waiting staff, but extra goodness. Buy this DVD, and you’ll get approximately 20 minutes of extra viewing pleasure:

1:Steve Peat: The Early Years
Steve talks about how he got into MTB in the early days.

2: Drop and Roll tour at Fort William World Cup 2016 with Danny MacAskill
We see some of the amazing stunts of the drop and roll tour up close and personal whilst Danny talks about the whole trails scene.

3: Coed y Brenin: Then and now
The UK’s first trail centre has had a massive impact and MTB ranger Andy Braund talks about its beginnings and its current developments including ” the slab”

4: Tea and Spirituality with Martyn Ashton:
Martyn post accident waxes lyrical about life, the universe and everything!

And the DVD has an English subtitles option. Get it put on your Christmas list. Or just buy it for yourself anyway. £11.99. You’re worth it.

Singletrack Bobble Hat – Rust

fgf_319_36
Hat guaranteed not to attack you, we’ve tamed the others.

New noggin warmers, all the way from Scotland where they’ve been hand made specially for you!

fgf_319_38
You too can look as good as this. Or better.

Made of lovely soft Cashmilion acrylic and double lined for extra cosiness. This is the rust and grey option.

fgf_319_44
Made in Glasgow (the hat, not Wil).

And this is the grey and jade option. Which will you choose? Or will you just get both – one for the shed, and one for best?

Stans’ No Tubes Rim Tape

Stans' No Tubes rim tape
Not for wrapping parcels.

Rim tape in many widths for taping your rims and going tubeless. We shred through a lot of tubeless conversions in the Singletrack Workshop, as we like to set up test bikes sans tubes where possible. And the stuff we use all the time? That’d be this here yellow tape from Stans No Tubes.

Liv Tangle 3/4 Jersey

  • Price: £54.99
  • From: Giant
fgf_319_27
What is this dance manoeuvre that Hannah is attempting to teach us? Is it the ‘Hail Mary’? Or perhaps the ‘Pique-a-boo’?

This jersey has mesh ventilation all down the inside of the arms and down the side of your body. So you can do lots of exercise without getting sweaty. Hannah was given it on the Liv launch, and as she packed rather too lightly, she wore it to ride in – and very comfortable it was too.

Mudhugger Mud Guards

  • Price: £36 FatHugger, £18 Shorty (Front), £23 Rear
  • From: Mudhugger
Mudhugger Mudguard
Do you need a FatHugger?

Mudguards. For guarding you from mud, not keeping your special limited edition mud safe from theft. Available in a range of sizes, right up to the FatHugger for fat bikes. Could well come in handy up until about mid August.

Lezyne Strip Drive Light Set

Lezyne Lights
Strip Drive: Probably a street in Las Vegas

Acquired by Hannah on the Liv launch, these are bright little USB rechargeable commuter lights. Thankfully she didn’t need them in Sedona, because they have this bright orange warm thing in the sky there, instead of lights. You can Google it.

Liv Race Day Socks

  • Price: £11.99
  • From: Giant
Liv Socks
Socks. For feet.

More Liv lovelies. This time it’s feet-gloves, which we’re informed are “socks”. Nice hey!

Osprey Raven

  • Price: £90.00
  • From: Osprey
Osprey Raven backpack
Raven 10

This is the Osprey Raven 10 backpack, and it’s the women’s model. And no, it isn’t made out of women, but rather designed for women. With all the usual technical features you’d hope for in a hydration pack, you can carry 3 litres of water in this one. Oh how nice it would be to have water inside the reservoir in your backpack, rather than being surrounded by it as it falls from the sky. We can dream right?

Endura Cuttle Glasses

  • Price: £37.99
  • From: Endura
Endura glasses
Wil, cropped to make him less scary.

Super hydrophobic glasses with a clear lens for wet weather. Also available in orange so you can find them in the mud/dark/gloom.

Endura glasses
Sometimes people wear glasses to try and look more intelligent.

Endura MT500 Overshoe II

  • Price: £28.99
  • From: Endura
Endura overshoes
Ribbed for your pleasure/grip

These are new to Wil. These are not a thing where he is from. Well, not a thing for riding your bike in anyway. Possibly seen worn in some special interest nightclubs.

Endura overshoes
Pantomime horse?

No Wil! They’re for your feet, not your hands dummy! Mountain bike specific neoprene overshoes to keep your feet warm and dry, with added rubber grippers for walking off the bike.

Endura SingleTrack Knee Protector

  • Price: £49.99
  • From: Endura
Endura kneepads
This is the most difficult pose Wil had to pull off for this week’s FGF shoot. So naturally we made him do it another four times, you know, to make sure we got the shot.

Knee pads which unstrap completely – there’s no sleeve – so you can take them on and off without having to remove your shoes. Memory foam protection for your knees.

Endura BaaBaa Merino Baselayer

  • Price: £42.99
  • From: Endura
Endura BaaBaa baselayer
Baaselaaayer

BaaBaa is Endura’s merino wool range. Which makes of think of this. Which makes us feel warm inside. Unfortunately, through the power of the internet, it also gives us this, which makes us want to throw things.

Endura BaaBaa baselayer
Wil looking surprisingly normal.

Available in both long and short sleeved versions, in orange, black or blue colours, this promises to be a super soft itch-free baselayer. Which should be lovely and warm, which may be why Wil is looking happy in this picture.

Endura BaaBaa baselayer
Flat locked seams, 100% Merino wool.

Endura Pro SL Primaloft Gilet

  • Price: £99.99
  • From: Endura
Endura Gilet
Primaloft puffy bits, not Wil’s ribs.

Windproof, lightweight, packable and insulated gilet for winter riding. Ticks all the boxes.

Endura Gilet
He just can’t help himself, he is 100% Blue Steel.

Sixth Element SE 38 Wheelset, 29er

Sixth Element
Because the sixth element IS carbon. Geddit?

Carbon wheels, built in the UK. These have the standard green decals, which are a special shade of green chosen specifically because it will coordinate with practically every other colour there is. If you want to be all matchy matchy, for an extra fee you can order bespoke coloured decals.

Sixth Element
Laced onto Hope hubs.

These rims have been laced on to Hope Pro 4 hubs – you can also opt for Chris Kings should you so choose.

Sixth Element
38mm external, 32mm internal width

Three widths of rim are available, these are 32mm internal width, which should suit our in house man mountain James. Honestly, his saddle is up somewhere near Hannah’s armpit height, he is huge. He’ll be giving these wheels a good thrashing on all that Hebden tech has to offer.

Endura BaaBaa Merino Skullcap

  • Price: £17.99
  • From: Endura
Endura BaaBaa hat
You want me to go outside WITHOUT a hat?

Cosy little merino skullcap (because you’re not going to get our bobble hats under your helmet, and you might need to keep your ears warm on the trails). Non stinky merino should be good for all you sweaty heads out there too. Because smelly heads are not good.

Broken Riders Organic Cotton T-Shirt

Broken Riders
Wil, a very busy man.

Organic t-shirts with a simple message we could all do to take note of from time to time.

Broken Riders
Stickers, free if you sign up to their newsletter.
Boken Riders
Sound advice.

Also available in a women’s fit, all the Broken Riders t-shirts are ethically sourced as well as made from organic cotton.

Industry Nine Shimano HG Freehub

Industry 9 Shimano freehub body
Industry 9 Shimano freehub body

Wil is going to be attaching this to some wheels he will be testing. Industry Nine offer various axle kits and freehub bodies so you can adapt your kit to different bikes, forks and drivetrains. This one has 6 pawls and 120 points of engagement. Wheeeee….

Timber Bell Prototype

https://vimeo.com/191961182

This particular little dingaling is a prototype with a new fitting for your bars, however the original version is just as dingly and ringly and is available to buy now.

Shimano XC7 Shoes

Price: £169.99
From: Madison
shimano shoes
Teh shiniest.

Stiff shoes, so stiff they have a stiffness rating of 9/12. Designed for the lycra crew – XC and cyclocross racing (who favour stiffy McStiff Stiff shoes, but stretchy bendy lithe McLycra clothes). With Michelin dual density rubber tread for grip, and a carbon midsole for that stiffness. Vroom.

And with that, here endeth the tea break. We hope you didn’t absent mindedly drink that last mouthful of tea-and-biscuit-sludge. Now it’s time to do only that which is necessary to make your way through to the weekend – the consumption of a charity cake, perhaps. The rearranging of the toys on your desk. An inventory of your stationery. Whatever it is that gets you through to the joy that is Saturday, may it pass swiftly and without stress.

To finish off this working week, we’ve got a boppy tune from a Kiwi drum ‘n’ bass band called Shapeshifter. The track is called Electric Dream, and with lyrics including “You shine so bright”, it’s our ode to the slightly underwhelming Super Moon that appeared in our skies earlier this week. Despite the Super Moon only appearing about 14% bigger than normal, it was purportedly 30% brighter than normally. If only the skies weren’t covered in dreary clouds and rain bands so we could have actually seen it…

Peace out team!

Singletrack Weekly Word

Sports Newsletter of the Year finalist at the Publisher Newsletter Awards 2024. Find out why our newsletter is different and give it a go.


Comments (21)

Comments Closed