[Closed] Wheelbase demo day - how was it for you?

I didn't get along to the demo, but have an EX 8 from there - although a plus size one which I swapped the wheels out for 29" and then shod with a Magic Mary front/Hans Dampf rear. Absolute night and day - the whole bike feels really planted, seems to generate traction on climbs where it has no right to find any and descends like a monster.

I was considering a Slash, but given how rapidly out of control I can get on a lesser machine I am glad I didn't go that way (and it cost a hellish lot more)... and that is with Hope E4s to pull everything back from the brink 😉

Mega 290 and Dune were both on my list too so interesting to see your thoughts on them!

I wish I'd borrowed your wheels for the Fuel EX demo, the stock tyres didn't do it any favours unfortunately.

Nice reviews op,.It was my first demo day and I booked very late, the only bikes left in my size (large ) were a mega 275 -nice, and the new suspension showed up my 3 year old stuff, but it had xt 11 speed and I really wanted to try sram.
Next up was a canondale e bike, never riden one before - very impressed -but I don't think I'd buy one before the motor is lighter and less powerful. ( and cheaper )
Must book early next year, Thanks to Wheelbase for organising.

Another good read , thanks chakaping . I've got a Fuel EX plus on order so good to hear other people's thoughts ... discounted the mega as too much travel for myself.

The stock tyres on the plus are... disappointing. I usually quite like Bontrager tyres, but the plus ones are just too light on the tread, that said - they may be brilliant in the less gloopy weather 😉

Beyond wheels, tyres and brakes I haven't actually changed anything else as yet - but some wider bars and fatter grips may come along sometime.

The Fuel I had before mine wasn't stock, it was a 9.8 with a 1x setup, with Bontrager carbon wheels & the bigger, better G5 tyres so I never experienced the stock setup.

Mine has a set of DT XMC1200's which I run various bigger Maxxis tyres on. 50mm stem, 800mm bars & flat pedals for my standard setup so no feeling of sketchiness really. Lets see how long a sub 26lb trail bike last for a season of racing DH & enduro 🙂

I've had to get my head around riding something a little shorter travel than i've been used to, The only time I really notice the shorter travel is on high speed rough stuff, it gets a bit rowdy & I have to hang on.

Now the ground is firming up, it's getting more interesting. It's f*cking fast - up, along & down. My only real issue is the rear shock. at slower speeds of winter, it felt fine, but faster dryer trails its too soft in open & the ReActiv stuff feels odd in trail mode. It's got a very annoying step in the travel. There isn't much I can do about it in current form - tuners won't touch them.

Currently investigating options but a slightly annoying metric, (but not quite) sized rear shock limits choices (210x52.5 🙄 ).

Tried a Slash but wasn't a fan to be honest. It was too similar to my previous bike, just with bigger wheels.

Hob Nob - Member

It's got a very annoying step in the travel. There isn't much I can do about
it in current form - tuners won't touch them.

Have you tried Polished Racing? I don't know if Pete's done much with the Fuel Ex but he's not scared of the re:activ stuff generally (and he's done retrofits of other shocks into Remedies)

I haven't - hadn't even heard of him to be honest.

Mojo will build me most things they bring in, TF can make a few different options too. Seems a bit crazy to put a coil on it however 🙂

It's Pete Michaliszyn from atherton racing's company, so I think it's a mix of "knows his stuff" and "has a basically unlimited supply of Treks to **** about with to try and make happy athertons". Suits me, I got one of the castoffs for my Remedy after they put X2s in everything 😆

TBH though that shock/bike combo, pretty much standard, is the best suspension I've ever had so I've never considered looking at other shocks. Even the stock setup was pretty bloody good.

Now the ground is firming up, it's getting more interesting. It's f*cking fast - up, along & down. My only real issue is the rear shock. at slower speeds of winter, it felt fine, but faster dryer trails its too soft in open

It's a really fast bike and pedals exceptionally well, I thought. Did seem a bit unsettled in the rocks, but hard for me to tell why with the narrow bar and rubbish tyres.

I think I should have been on a 19.5 really, but after riding the Mega 290 and the Cotic FSers - I think I might end up with something with longer chainstays anyway (against my expectations).

Was up in the lakes for the weekend visiting brother at limefit park,he had booked a cube electric bike for Sunday at 2 thought we would tag along and my son managed to demo an xl intense primer team ,they even lent him a helmet and pedals ,he did not come dressed for the occasion in his dewalt working boots and walking trousers 😀 but really enjoyed it ,I even managed to ride them both around the yard and would buy either of them at the drop of a hat if i won the lottery ,a well organised day that I must book next year .

I ordered the last 21.5 Fuel EX alloy frameset in Europe yesterday. Interested to read your thoughts cha****ng - I have my misgivings about the CS length especially given my height at nearly 6'4". My last couple of bikes (Sultan and Stumpy evo) have CS at 462 and 455, I didn't find it a problem on either of them. Hmmmm. Was going to get the Banshee Prime but there aren't any raw XLs coming into the country so thought I'd go for the cheaper option, hope I don't live to regret it.

Hobnob - can you not add volume reducers to the Reactiv to firm it up in open mode?

Have done some sniffing around now on the shock side of things.

The newer Fuel is apparently fairly linear in design (according to tuners, which goes some way to explaining why it feels the way it does at higher speeds/bigger hits). The step in the suspension in the trail mode is the ReActiv damper bits doing it's thing, a by product of a strong pedaling platform.

For the majority, it may not be such an issue, it's more of an issue the harder/faster rider you are.

Initial suggestion is to run it in open with the biggest volume spacer Fox do. That should give better bottom out and mid stroke support. So, that's the plan at this stage.

Pending the outcome of that, i'll explore other options. Tuning them seems to be literally gutting it, and starting again.

Hob Nob - Member

The step in the suspension in the trail mode is the ReActiv damper bits doing it's thing, a by product of a strong pedaling platform.

Interesting that, it's not something that's an issue in other reactiv shocked bikes I've ridden (inc both the shocks I've had in the Remedy). Unless they've increased the threshold or something, or the changes in teh suspension have had an impact...

For me, the reason reactiv works so well in my bike is that it's actually very hands-off- it has a useful input when it's closed but it opens up at the slightest provocation, so most of the time when you want it off, it's off. You can catch it out with something like a very smooth trail with a big rock in it or something but that's about it, even trail ripples at speed and stuff like that is enough to open it.

thought I'd go for the cheaper option, hope I don't live to regret it.

Seems like a really good bike, I'm sure with a decent build you'll love it.

Waded through most of a 40 page thread on MTBR and don't recall anyone complaining about it so can't be too bad. I hope.

Got Ohlins RXFs, LBs on hopes, E4s, 170mm reverb, 1x10 XT and all that so should be good!

My first ever go on an e-bike. Far more fun than a normal bike with the climbs being even more fun than the descents. Well it's fun at least until you hit the mud. Then you get covered in it.
If you ever thought riding a mountain bike in the mud can be dirty, it's nothing compared to an e-bike with fat tyres and no mudguards. I've never come close to being so covered in shit and it was only an 19 km ride with about half of it on tarmac!
My average moving speed on the e-bike ride was around 20kph on a difficult and hilly lake district route so with hardly any effort its getting me to a similar average speed to a pro on a pedal bike which is what it's all about. So they are great but they really need to be ridden where it isn't muddy.
I'd get one if they ever came down in price. They're around £4500 at the moment & the maintenance costs are going to be mega.