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I got to play on one up at North Third in Stirling over the weekend. Hilariously good fun!
Nice
What was a standout characteristic?
Highs:
Grip was ridiculously good (I know this was to be expected but I've never ridden a fat-bike before), would have been better to test in the Scottish mud though
For a 29er it was surprisingly nippy on the tight spots the back end was easy to flick round (much more agile than my XC 29er, felt closer to my 26er in that respect)
Climbed OK too.
When it got rocky I had much more bounce in the back end due to the big tyres which was great (again this could be generic to all fat bikes but this is the only one I've ridden).
Lows
Fork doesn't seem to lock at and the high and low compression damping does naff all.
Thanks
Yeah, MTBR go on about the fork
For my riding, the rigid 5 will be fine
I rode it again tonight, and the more I thought about it I thought it didn't really need suspension at the front. Think it would be proper ace as a rigid bike. When does yours arrive?
With a 29+ up front and your weight balance right, a lot can be achieved
Need to check back with shop for del
I've got the Stache 9.
I think the fork is spot on, I experimented with front and rear tyre pressures and found it made quite a difference to the front end in particular.
I run as low as 10psi in the front tyre, and 12psi in the rear (tubeless).
Have to agree that it really is a very good trail bike, can't decide if its my favourite go to bike though.
Regards
Denis
Tried one at the weekend at the CyB enduro. I really, really want one. I grinned pretty much the entire way round the test loop. Quite hard to explain really, it felt like a normal mountain bike (as opposed to a fat bike, which definitely feels like a fat bike) but just let me pedal everywhere, up, over and down, very quickly, throw the bike around and generally have a lot of fun.
It's hard to isolate what is the tyres, what is the geometry etc, but I suppose in the same way a full susser means you don't have to concentrate quite so hard on the soaking up the bumps and can focus on steering, grip and so on, this did the same with the grip and let you focus on throwing it over things.
Perhaps the most noticeable thing was that going back to my solaris (reasonably well tyred itself) felt like the usual step of going down to the cross bike on a rough trail.
Is the Stache 5 the best rigid ride going?
I'm beginning to think so
Mine's 3" B+ rear 29+ front
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Yes I reckon so. 2000 miles so far on mine. Expected the novelty to wear off but it hasn't. Had a "proper" fat bike for a bit but felt like a compromise on everything. The stache in plus form is almost as fast as my light 29er.
My full squish remains gathering dust in the shed.
For my kind of riding it's about as perfect as I think you can get.
Expensive when you pringle rim though. 6 psi is too low 🙂
Pringle? (wreck?)
A lot of fun.
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You're probably too much in new bike mode to think about trying anything else, but 27'5+ Stache 5 is also fun 🙂
I haven't gone back to full 29+ since
i had a ride on one at evans castleford. out of the saddle it felt very flexy. i went with intentions of buying the stache 9 model, it changed my mind.
Hi Ton,was that test ride before you got a jones plus? thinking of getting a plus. How is the jones?
mole, it was mate. been looking at a 29+ for fair while. rode a krampus, which was nice, test ride on a stache, which was flexy, also dont want any suspension.
and i had a bit of a windfall so decided to give a jones a try......one to tick off my 'bikes to try' list.
You happy with it so far ton? gonna get a test ride from keep pedalling in Manchester.
mole, it has not landed yet mate, i will let you know when it does and i have ridden it.
Okay nice one.
Ton - can't imagine there's much in the way of flex in that set-up: boost rear wheel, alu frame with massive BB area, tapered steerer etc
You will get a fair bit of squish in the tyres though
I take it by your user name you are a bit of a unit? :0)
Either that, or you have power like that big-legged german bloke! I'm nearly 15 stone and fairly strong, and the thing I notice most about the stache is the ability to 'carve' sharp turns.....with my salsa, I have to aim, turn, lean to get round the corners, with the stache I just seem to be able to point the bugger where I want and put the power down......obviously only in the dry!
Up until I fell off, without warning, at about 25mph and landed on my knee, I felt the bike was much more capable than me! I still love it, but I treat it differently in the wet to the dry with the chupacabras.....I'm just waiting for a new mud tyre to come out, then it will be perfect.
I've thought about going 650b+, but I think 29+ is what I want......
Have a Stache 7 great bike wheres the Flex??
No flex on mine. I reckon it's pretty stiff.
[url= https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7254/27101250294_a786c6cbc8_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7254/27101250294_a786c6cbc8_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/HhQZw7 ]Chubby Evo now on non borrowed hoops[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexleigh/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr
Bought second hand and ridden for about 400 miles in the 29+ config. Now switched to 27.5+ with a slightly longer fork. I prefer the 27.5+. It's a bit nimbler and doesn't seem to loose much of that awesome roll over you get with the big plus tyres. Can't decide if to keep the 29+ forks/wheels/tyres as one day I might want to go back (or buy something else)
Alex, what plus forks have you been running?
thing is I am a fair bit heavier than you blokes, when riding it out of the saddle, the rear tyre was rubbing on the chainstay every rotation.
nice bike, but like I said, not for me.
Hmm... you are big, but there's a lot of bigger 'Clydes' over there in the US who report no issues
So, what size wheels/tyres, what length CS?
*defense mode*
@clobber - they are Yari's. Currently 120mm, going to extend them to 140mm I think.. good fork, stiff, well damped, not light 😉
29+ Was a Manitou Trk special based on the std Manitou 29er fork. Very light, very adjustable, bit too complex for me 😉
the model i tested was the 29+ with manitou forks, they too were pretty flexy fore and aft. the pikes that were on my enduro felt like a proper strong tough for in comparison.
^ Oh that explains it then
The rigid 5 isn't flexy
I had a Stache 5, wasn't a fan of the plus tyres, so added a suspension fork and normal tyres.
[url= https://flic.kr/p/FvTG6s ]Can't get pic's to work[/url]
It rode a treat but my head was turned by the Cromag Rootdown BA, so I sold the Trek frame and forks on, only to find Shorelines were not bringing the Rootdown in 😥
Luckily a Stache 7 frame showed up on ebay, so we're back in business!
[url= https://flic.kr/p/HhcoF9 ]Still can't get pic's to work![/url]
It's a nice bike, poppy and fun whilst in the woods and really not bad at the boring flat bits to get there either. I might try plus tyres again at some point as I think it was the Chupacabras specifically rather than plus in general that I didn't like, not sure what it would bring that could take me away from a 2.5" Minion though.
not sure what it would bring that could take me away from a 2.5" Minion though.
[url= http://www.bikerumor.com/2016/03/14/tpe16-maxxis-digs-high-roller-ii-minion-plus-sizes-27-5-x-3-8-minion-fat-bike-tires/ ]How about a 29x3 Minion...???[/url]
Yeah, I've seen them, interesting but the 2.5" weighs in about 1kg which I think is about my limit for tyre weight. If the 3" has Exo sidewalls which I think it needs to keep the casing stiff, then it's surely gonna weigh a ton?
but think of the grip...!
True! Would probably allow horizontal cornering 😀 Just brings back memories of Nokian Gazzalodi's (I've got one in the garage!), horrid things!
Right mine's finished! From the standard '9', now running Scraper 27.5 Rims with a Bridger and a Rekon, wider bars, shorter stem, XT rather than SRAM cassette (but still sram shifters/mech) and a Yari fork just extended to 140mm. I absolutely love it.
[url= https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8891/28339266921_3dd3d09b61_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8891/28339266921_3dd3d09b61_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Kbf9Jn ]Enlongened Chubby![/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexleigh/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8588/28339222781_4e57f66f46_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8588/28339222781_4e57f66f46_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/KbeVBk ]Enlongened Chubby![/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexleigh/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr
Just taken a stache 5 2016 out for first ride, stock, still with inner tubes, at 12psi and 85kg my weight... I find I am constantly fighting the steering; is this normal or do I need to change pressure / ditch tubes? The only other times I have felt this on other bikes is on a full suss with either front / rear shock at wrong pressure and the geometry way out or a fork that was too long / wrong offset???! have ridden fully rigid bikes before, this is replacing a kona unit which is dialled and runs on rails. this is my first bike with g2 geo. otherwise its great, did my first mini jump and still grinning from ear to ear, as was after first descent where instead of avoiding the sand pits I just blasted over them, even on a corner while modulating brakes. 🙂 😉 😉
[url= http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/Cam-McCaul-and-the-29-Challenge,32246/sspomer,2 ]Seem pretty capable bikes![/url] (Cam McCaul content)
I'm 71kg and also running 12psi, I'd say you're running too low.
I was initially underwhelmed with my stock 5
It's now 'the one' 😉
What size is your 5? I'm 89Kg's and run 10 front (Maxxis Chronicle) and 11 rear (27.5 Bridger on Scraper)
went for 18.5 virtual, will try a bit more pressure today, swaped the stem round put bar in right position and tightened skewers (no my lbs did not...) lets see. Am not underwhelmed, but do not like a bike I cannot sit up no hands on in principle, a good bike should be balanced imo
Agreed - I needed to make some adjustments to get balanced - layback post, shorter (went to 60) stem, wider, higher bars (Stooge Moto 800 wide with rise and backsweep) to give a more upright position
Other thing I run B+ rear with CS's slammed at 16" which makes the bike turn quicker/faster/easier as well as lowering the rear/BB a tad
Mine's 21.5 and is super fast (and 'light') when in the flow
Keep tweaking
I keep looking at the 5 if anyone spots one sub £1k and in small give me the heads up, looks perfect for my winter bike!
lesuire lakes has them £1040, but only smaller sizes cannot remember how much in head for the hills in Dorking, evans has them £1100 in all sizes.
next task: tubeless wondering whether to tape direct or over rim tape
Just picked up a 2016 Stache 5, sick of reading this bloody thread and I have caved in.
I've ordered some Sun 48mm tape from CRC (tape has mixed reviews), and I think I have some valves lying around. I understand you tape over the rim strips, cborrman.
I'm going to take it out in the woods tonight after dark, so nobody will laugh at me. I'm 5'10 and went 18.5/17.5, car park test says it feels as short as in like it to feel, might want a layback post (don't think I'll be sticking a dropper on it)...