So, I had a 29er Remedy. I loved the bike, it was a proper weapon and got me round the 'Ard Rock at a pace I really shouldn't have been going at. Anyway, despite it being brilliant it was a bit too much bike for my local area hence me selling it to my brother.
Looking at the current Trek line up, the Fuel EX seems to be a similar bike but with a bit less travel which would be ideal, HOWEVER Trek have some mental pricing going on with fairly rubbish spec's to boot. Therefore, whats like a Remedy but cheaper? I had a Spearfish that was a rocketship unless it got technical, so maybe something with similar travel but a bit slacker? I very nearly bought a Whyte T109 but the mud clearance bothered me a bit.
Or should I MTFU and just spend all the monies on the Trek?
Buy the Trek, very impressed with the one I demoed at the weekend, covers ground very quickly and feels a very capable bike. A mate has picked one up recently and can't fault it, struggles to think of where he wouldn't ride it (Bringewood, Bucknell, Wrekin, Off piste FOD, etc)
Mulling over whether to replace the smuggler with one (as a frame swap).
I have to say I think it's hard to beat the big brands on ride quality, even if spec. is a bit penny pinched, Spesh, Trek, Giant, they know what the're doing, they've got huge budgets, they've been doing it the longest. Their bikes might not be the coolest or most exclusive, but they just get the job done so well.
Looks decent that Trek, I thought they'd start from about £13-£1400 but it's a huge amount of money for a decent spec one, and it's still just a Trek.
See, thats just the thing. If its half as good as the remedy, I'll just go buy a rem...I'll buy one. Its just Deore 10 speed and a crap fork on a 2k bike does get to me a bit!
Its just Deore 10 speed and a crap fork on a 2k bike does get to me a bit!
Buy a better specced one then 🙂
Ive got the Fuel Ex 9.8, its great, just buy it, you know you want to...
I was looking at a remedy 9 a couple years ago which was over 3k, I was surprised when I noticed it had bog standard deore cranks on it 😯 I was expecting Xt or at least Slx at that money.
It does seem like some bike specs get worse when a new model is released despite the price going up!
Would a Jeffsy fit you? They're a bit like a Fuel EX but cheaper.
I agree Trek's pricing/spec is a bit poor on some models, you also get lumbered with their dodgy seatpost and probably have to source a new stem and bar.
Frame only option? The Alu frames are fairly reasonably priced at £1400, which includes the headset too.
Enjoying mine, the only slight niggle is the shock is a bit soft for harder/faster riders. It's better with a big spacer in it, but investigating options still to change mine.
Still feel like it's going faster & faster the more I get used to it. It's goes way faster than a 130mm bike should do IMO, which makes it a hell of a lot of fun.
Can't wait to start racing it in a few weeks.
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Focus Vice maybe ?
Perhaps not actually cheaper, but the Cotic FlareMAX is a very deserving alternative IMO.
I preferred the ride to the Fuel EX personally.
Hob Nob - is that the Fuel or the Remedy that comes as a frame only? I could well be interested in the Alu version and building it up myself - I've got all the bits ready to go!
Fuel.
You can buy the alu & carbon frames separately.
Presumably your looking at the 5
I would be a bit dubious about the fork. For reasons I can't explain the terms turnkey doesn't inspire confidence.
As happens I own a an ancient Fuel EX. It has a Recon fork that has never quite as capable as the rest of the bike
But Deore build. Dirty cables a side the Deore stuff just works and works and I don't think XT is immune to dirty cables
If it were my money I'd be looking a used bike I think (Mine was £850 not a huge saving on the £1350 new price but it had only been ridden once and that years XLs were sold out, the new model retailed at £1600 so I was quite happy)
If this helps, i bought a lemond (trek licensed at the time) in 1997? in about 2008 i snapped the frame, trek sent me a new frame and fork, it took a few weeks as it had to be painted and shipped from the states.
About 2 months ago i snapped that warranty frame, in 11 days i had a new frame and forks.
So it might have cost a bit more than the cheapest in 1997, but 20years later they were happy to honour the warranty.
I've also been looking at Fuel EX 29 models.
The range doesn't look great value, although it'd be difficult to build a custom model for significantly less - using the £1,400 2017 frame as a basis.
I see that the 2016 model is available for £1,150.
Buy the Remedy back from your brother, probably the most cost-effective option.
I don't think the Fuel EX 8 or 9.7 models are badly priced. I have had a go on the a Fuel EX 8 it felt really comfortable straight away.
Yeah - I thought the EX 8 was the sweet spot when I got one. I was having serious conversations with myself about blowing out on the 9.8, but it was too much money in the end. The cheaper ones are too compromised on spec, whilst the 8 just hits that workmanlike sweet spot.
It is good. Coming out of injury at the moment so I haven't really been able to really put it through its paces as yet. Hope to get a good session in tomorrow or Thursday though 🙂
Banshee Prime? Or if that's a bit too gnarly despite being 135mm travel there's the Phantom:
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Why don't you look at the Remedy 27.5 rides great my last 3 Remedys were 26" feels even better this one mind each one had got better from 06 to/09/12 now the 17.
When some one thinks that a £1850 build is looking pricey and asks for options do people come along and sugest a bike that costs over £3,000 built and or frame only more than £1850
Its not a big deal and its a free country but I do wonder some times
There's a near mint carbon remedy 29 frame in the classifieds for under 1k if it fits. Nothing to do with me.
I was going to get a prime but there aren't any XL raws coming into the country so am collecting a 21.5 alloy Fuel frame from the LBS tomorrow. Also comes with the stem for 1400 although I'll be using my own, the bontrager stem is for 35mm bars. Think Trek Europe are running low on the framesets in a number of sizes at the mo
I really hope it rides superbly because well, it is only a Trek. The snob in me would have preferred the Banshee
Look for last year's models?
Trek Fuel EX 9.8 27.5 2016 £2800
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I had a carbon 650b Fuel 9.8, sorry to rain on your parade, but didn't like it one bit.
Could never manage to get the rear shifting to be smooth and easy, tried everything, the tortuous cable routing through the frame and eventually through the rear chainstay, action was very stiff.
Could have lived with that, but the DVRC ( or whatever Trek called it) forks and rear shock was awful. Spent loads of money at TFT trying to make it work better, never did.
Just blow through the rear travel, pedal clipping sending me flying into the undergrowth a few times.
Forks were a little better, don't know if Trek continue to plot their own frow these days with propetiety suspension. Even the rear shock dimensions were very non standard.
Excellent reputation on warranty etc, lovely looking bike, not for me.
Unfortunately I would say it was the worst full suss bike I ever had.
Was about three years ago.
Forgot to say.
Niner RIP 9 carbon frames at Stif , very good value , being discounted at the moment.
2017 bike is very different to the previous 2016 model.
Mind you the actual 2017 bike is also very different from supposed numbers on paper too 🙂
Trek bring out their 2018 models pretty early (3 - 4 months or so I think) so maybe if you wait a bit there may be some bargains about , but from what I understand there's limited stock left in certain sizes.
I went with the Fuel EX8 plus, no where near the spec I was originally looking at compared to the Direct German brands ... but I'm impressed with fox rhythm fork and deore brakes (I know they might not be up to everyone's standards) but more importantly the frame is a good fit for me.
Managed to get about a 15% discount which brought it within budget and made me feel better about the spec.
The new fuel is closer to the old remedy 29er than that old fuel pictured above.
test in the mag a month or so back, with 3 big name bikes from Trek, Spesh and Giant. The current Fuel EX got a pretty glowing review...think they said it is the best FS bike Trek have ever made !
The new fuel is closer to the old remedy 29er than that old fuel pictured above.
To be fair (although only with experience of carbon frames) it's probably more apt to describe it as a slightly shorter travel Slash.
Going on my stuck record, buy a remedy 29 frame and shock, can be had for £900 NOS.
To be fair (although only with experience of carbon frames) it's probably more apt to describe it as a slightly shorter travel Slash.Yes head angles seem to be slacker than advertised & BB also lower than advertised on the Trek website.
I think this is even more so on the carbon models.
Mrhoppy - do you know where they are? I could well be tempted by that if I don't go down the Fuel route. Will also have a look at stiff but I imagine Stif's prices (even discounted) are still mega!
I assume a Jeffsy is too short for you then?
You might also want to look at the NS Snabb 29er, the new Norco Sight 29er or wait 'til Orange bring out an affordable version of the Stage 5 (and a dealer discounts them).
Isn't the Jeffsy a lot more travel? (I could answer that myself by looking!).
I'm quite tall at 6ft2 but not fussed about having an overly long reach on the frame. Maybe a Jeffsy might be what I need...
140mm but reviews suggest it pedals very well.
I'd get one as an all-round trail bike myself if they were a bit longer.
I found them at evocycles.co.uk but I've seen the you a pm.
Heading down to evolution cycles in the next hour, can ask if you want?
Wouldn't mind chap, if you could? It's either this or an alloy Tallboy 3!
Sorry, just got back and completely forgot what with new bike excitement and all. Give them a ring, they're friendly fellas. They had a few Trek frames from previous years hanging up, also had a large 2017 Smuggler in green/black for £1200
Cheers chap, will do
When some one thinks that a £1850 build is looking pricey and asks for options do people come along and sugest a bike that costs over £3,000 built and or frame only more than £1850Its not a big deal and its a free country but I do wonder some times
I think it's probably some sort of way of convincing our collective selves that it's OK to spend more money on bikes. If it's said enough times it becomes truth. Like what politicians do.
It's either this or an alloy Tallboy 3!
I'm also thinking along the same lines, but the Tallboy frame is 8 pounds!
Weighed my 21.5 Fuel Ex today and with XTR bb it's 7lb 12oz. XL Banshee Prime is the same, I'm thinking that's what robust alloy frames weigh these days
I was sceptical until i rode our demo fuel EX8, very engaging, fun ride. We have one left from last year in the sale too
Weighed my 21.5 Fuel Ex today and with XTR bb it's 7lb 12oz.
I'm surprised, are XL frames usually significantly heavier?
Have you had a go on one? If not I think you'll be surprised how "light" it pedals.
Dunno guv to be honest. I had thought the Fuel would be more like 7.5 but as you say I have heard they ride light so not too worried. Hopefully finish building it tonight
Strewth - nearly 8lbs for the Tall boy frame? thats madness! I think my Spearfish was 5lb..