Anyone got a Trek Farley 8 or 9, interested to hear what your views are on the bike. Any negatives or positives?
Does it make a good winter bike? Can it handle the slop?

I’m looking at the 9 but from what I can see the bike is pretty much the same the 8 apart from 26″ on the 8 and 27.5 on the 9.

Don’t know the Farley in particular, but see the plus bikes thread re slop and big tyres. The wider the tyre the more it floats across mud rather than grip through it. Tyre choice is still key, but nothing works as well as a 1.8 mud spike in real mud

Have you got links to the ones you’re looking at? The 8 is an older model, isn’t it? 6 and 8 came out in 2014 and 5, 7, 9, etc. in 2015 with a re-designed frame. I *think* that the 8 is limited to 26×4″ tyres, but the 9 will take 26×5″ tyres or 27.5 x 4″.

If slop means thin, slippery mud, fat bikes are erm… “interesting” (I have a Farley 5, btw.).

It’s the Farley 9 2016 I’m looking at..
What you say about the tyres has been my suspicion. It’s always been known that a slim 1.8 mud tyre will out perform a 2.4 in the mud and slop.
I asked a friend how his fatbike performed In the mud, he’s answer was awesome. But I think that’s influenced by the fact he’s trying to sell his old fatbike..Salsa mukluk.

Got a Trek Farley 9 off Father Christmas :-), bloody good choice , never ridden anything else since, smile after smile which is what I needed as my Mojo was shot, paid £1500 start December Leisure Lakes (deposit then £75 mth for 18 mth interest free credit)then week later it was £1400 so shop around, everyone who sees it loves it!! 5ft 10″ got a medium 17.5″

Fit Bud & Lou and laugh in the face of any sloppy surface!

I asked a friend how his fatbike performed In the mud, he’s answer was awesome.

They’re great on soft ground, or even thick mud, but once you reach ‘slop’ they skate around a bit (IME). Obviously tyres (and tyre pressure) make a big difference. I’ve usually got as much / better traction than friends with “normal” sized tyres (e.g. ~2.3″ Hans Dampfs) – If I’m skating, they’re skating too. The exception is where there’s a thin layer of clay-ish mud over hard ground – fat bike nemesis. I’m sure a skinny mud tyre would out perform both in those circumstances.

The difference with a fat bike is that they can monster truck over all sorts of things, so no matter what way you end up facing, if you’re still on the bike you stand a good chance of being able to ride it out.

Have a Farley 9.6 which is 27.5″ the tyres are amazing in mud and over tree roots best tyres I have ever used they are the Hodag bike handles great for rigid bike cant say the same about the tyres on the Stache 29+ in the mud.

I have a non Trek Fatbike and it’s a relatively new experience for me as we’ve only been together for a few months but I live very close to South Downs Way so me, bike and mud spend a lot of time together.

As others have said tyre pressures are absolutely key, some tyres can feel pants and then a 2psi difference transforms them. I ride the Maxxis FBF and FBF and I am stunned at the muddy climbs I can just peddle up, tmy legs will give way before the traction not quite so good on the more multi purpose tyres it came with but have kept those for summer based fun.

Does it still slide in mud hell yes, does it slide as much as a “normal bike” in my experience not as much but caveat depends on mud types etc Most of the time I’m heading towards the muddiest, steepest trails I can find 🙂 Mostly giggling as I do at daft bike (and only bike) as I peddle upwards.

Can’t recommend a fat bike enough, but you do need to adjust your head to it a little with tyre pressures, everyone asking you about it everywhere you go, your mates taking the piss initially and then asking if they can have a go etc.

James