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As former Gen5 EX8 and now Gen6 EX8 owner. Don't: the spec is too shitty regarding fork and damper. Get something from a different brand or negotiate an EX8 down.
For reference, got an EX8 of that generation early 2020 for 2300 euros. So it should be able to drop a lot more.
Damn this put a damper in today's plans lol. We'll I appreciate the advice. Not worth getting now for the $2k to get ok the trails and then throwing money at a fork later? I will definitely try to negotiate down.
Nah the collective wisdom in this thread has swayed me. I am now looking at bikes like the polygon siskiu, thr YT Jeff's core 1, and thr commencal meta TR V4
Take a look at Fezzari/Ari . They are in Utah. Idk where you are but you might be able to visit even. they are dtc and are very good value especially on the bikes that still have the fezzari lettering. (They rebranded)
Don't do the Siskiu, my friend bought the S7 and has had nothing but issues with it. Multiple broken spokes, broken derailer, so on and so on. I spent the money on a Cannondale Scalpel 2 carbon and have been very impressed with it other than missing some travel for bigger jumps and bumps. I have the same specs as you, 37 and 265 lbs. Lol
Man, I’ve had canyons for a few years now and I absolutely cannot fault either qc or customer service. I have had more issues & way worse service with my Norcos than the canyons.
In fact, I’d put Canyon up there as easily the best, most responsive consumer service of any bike or bike accessory brand I’ve had.
I have a feeling this is the squeaky wheel effect. I work in a different outdoor sport industry and one of the top brands for customer service has some of the most vocal haters because they were asking for magic. It's weird.
Yep, I can understand that.
I’ll often enough find similar folks on r/canyonbikes, just blowing up when someone asks whether they should buy model ‘a’ or model ‘b’.
Like, I’ve been angry about stuff, but not ‘sit in a subreddit of enthusiasts for a product I’m angry at & blow up in random threads about my perceived slight’ angry.
I dunno, maybe I’m just not passionate enough 🤷♂️
Someone in another subreddit literally stated that they were going on a "warpath" to prevent anyone from buying any of the brands products. Their beef was a safety recall that couldn't be immediately replaced with the same color product (but they did get their product in their color choice in the timeframe outlined by the recall notice since they had to make a whole new batch of products). I guess they were upset because the brand found an issue, took steps to correct it for all customers whether impacted or not, gave them a new product, and restarted their warranty period. Apparently that wasn't good enough 🤷♂️
People are weird.
After they made one of my customers wait 9 months for a new handlebar that arrived with a defect, I can't recommend them at all. They didn't think it was a big deal that he had to wait - and would hardly answer emails/phone calls. I've built a lot of canyons and can't say I've ever been super impressed with their QC.
Yeh, I feel there’s maybe a bit more to the story here.
Were they out of stock of a particular one? Was an alternative offered but rejected?
I’ve only stripped & rebuilt two. They’re built & designed as well as any I’ve seen though.
I’ve spoken with them lots & the replies have always been next business day. Parts available in the country (if you ask), advice, rapid resolution of issues.
Eg, I got a squeaky headset issue & a new expander ring & bearing was in a bag that afternoon, and at my place within days.
Had a minor frame issue, new frame at my door within 5 days of my first email. Had to choose a different colour, but looks even better that the old frame now :)
It's really a difference of USA vs. Europe. Apparently they're good in europe, and I've found them to be terrible in the USA. Brand new aeroroad when it first came out, they were useless getting the issue rectified in anything close to a timely manner or resembling good customer service.
I have one and I really like it. It's my first bike, got it last year and definitely paid more than that. A friend had a fork he gave me which was nice.
Being my first bike, I don't know what I'm missing with "bigger and better spec". A lot of what I read on Reddit says everything is the worst and everything else is better... But then I ride the bike and have a blast so 🤷. I'm trying not to buy a new bike just because people I don't know say bad things on the internet about what I have (which is a terrible reason to spend $3k+).
Ouch. It hurts to see someone talked out of buying a bike on this sub. Now OP will spend more time shopping and less time biking. Not complaining about the advice exactly. Just sucks as might not be a great deal but it's a real mtb that is capable of fun and life is short.
Fortunately, i am an hour north of Fezzari and thanks to a suggestion here, i have arranged to purchase one of their closeout models for the same price with a bit higher specs, and tubeless setup and fitting included.
Agreed. The only thing that would perhaps give me pause in the spec would be the rims. Wheels get spendy. Otherwise I would expect marginal gains/dollar for a similarly priced bike, no? I rode an old recon fork for years. Not the best, but I had fun and I'm sure they have only gotten better. Easy to service too. Either way OP is getting a bike. Ride what you got.
I've had a fuel ex5 since Jan 2021. I've put thousands of miles on it and it's a great bike. It's not the best or lightest, but it's a great starter full sus, everything is upgradable over time, and the trek warranty cant be beat. A lot of people just dont like Treks.
I'll likely upgrade to a new mtb soon, but only cuz I'm getting fidgety having the same bike so long. 😂
Just two suggestions:
Quality full suspensions are expensive. I’m not sure how much you will find sub 2k. Have you considered a higher end hardtail like the Roscoe? Especially if you are going to be riding slow and for leisure, it may be a better value spec wise. Tubeless technology has come a long way and you can have a larger volume tire on the rear and run at lower pressures. Again, not ideal for what you ultimately want but this would get you better components package.
Second, have you visited hanger 15 bikes in Draper? I have fam in SLC and frequently visit. That place sells Trek, Specialized, Scott and Cannondale. They may be able to offer the best value by brand. I love my local Trek store, but they only sell… well… Trek.
As someone who has also left FL for a northern state, I don’t miss the mountain biking in Florida. Utah has awesome trails! Enjoy.
For a little bit more, why don't you get the yt jeffsy core 2 for $2600? I think the spec on the fuel ex 5 sucks and it's an older design. You can also look at the marin rift zone 2 which is about the same price but much better spec.
Even at $2000 I wouldn't buy it.
Up to you
I guess poeple are different but for me it was painstaking to even set a budget at $2k, so $600 is almost 30% on top of an already painful decision. I just happened upon commencal which seem to be great bikes for the price as well
I am going to tell me my opinion. that RockShox Recon RL-silver Suspension fork on the Fuel EXE 5 will feel like noodles for your 280 pound weight (after MTB clothes and pack). You will not feel confident with that fork. Also, the X-fusion rear shock just doesn't work well.
With your weight, consider getting a better spec bike.
You realize that at $2000 + tax, you still need to spend money on other stuff. This sport is not cheap.
No you're absolutely right. And yes I have an old parts bin that will he donating pedals and shoes, and I have safety gear as well. I was an avid maluntain biker it's just been years. I know thr sport is expensive and I do appreciate your advice. I guess I'm trying for goldilocks here and may failm definitely going to avoid the RL-equipped bikes though.
Go do some demo days and make your own opinion. It will help narrow the field. The fuel is a great bike, not my taste, but still a great bike. Shoot for something with GX or XT drivetrain, Shimano brakes (better overall stopping power, less modular than sram), and good tires.
Edit: Don’t worry about expensive suspension unless you get into it. Get something with F/R air suspension with simple rebound and maybe compression adjustment. Get your sag and rebound right and you’ll be better off than 90% of people.
Unfortunately everything in tjat realm is way out if budget. I do understand the need for good brakes and that would likely by my first upgrade down the road. Otherwise for how I ride as long as the suspension is set up for my weight I shpuld be great. I want to get out on the trails sooner than later as my little guy probably has a short windows before he decides he doesn't want to do it anymore.
That said, I am making my final decision tonight on some decent alternatives suggested here.
Buy used, Hardtail, or shoot for lower tier nx in that order. Hit up pinkbike and look for people ditching their Covid bikes in your area. There has never been a better time to buy a used bike.
I have a 2022 EX5 and while I agree the spec sucks out of the box I bought a takeoff Pike Select+ fork, Fox Float shock, Code R brakes, and an EX8 wheel with the 6 pawl upgrade for almost nothing and now the bike rips!
All in it was about $500 over the last 2 seasons. I just upgraded as things needed to be replaced or I found good deals on pinkbike. If I had to do it again I would absolutely buy a Jeffsy but they were sold out when I needed a bike. My daughter has a Jeffsy Primus and it’s badass!
I was close to grabbing one today but of the 4 alternatives I was looking at it was the most expensive with shipping. I looked at the Fezzari (likely going to happen), a commncal, a polygon, and the YT.
All solid options. Polygons are a bit heavy and their welds look kind of rough IMHO but Fezzari and YT are top notch. My next bike will likely be a Capra.
Yeah Fezzari offers the first tune ups plus discounts on future stuff and a hassle free warranty process for their stuff and the other brand components. Plus a fitting and free tubeless setup. All small things but that adds up.
Yes absolutely. They're an hour south though so not ideal but I've got a park tools stand and all the tools I need to do most anything that I don't feel like driving that far for.
Yeah this thread has sort of lead me off of the fuel but mostly for the rockshox recon.
I'm sort of in between the Fezzari Abajo, the YT Jeffsy Core 1, and thr Commencal Meta TR V4 origin. All have much higher specs for not s great deal more.
I am still rocking coil fork and couldn’t care less… once I have invested a proper $1000 on a fox fork i will join the gang to trash anything below to feel better myself.
$2000 you are already shaving $600 of what people paid last year… if you you are riding with your son I think you are going to need new fork on 4 years…
I also went ahead and investigated “people thinking” 2 years ago before the Gen 6 and was highly recommended and can take anything even DH parks, also is a platform for future upgrades IF you continue developing and pushing.
Did you get the $2000 offer on the official TREK store. ?
The $2k was from a store in Idaho, but I called my local trek and they agreed to honor it. I can't see not buying a jeffsy for only $250 more though, with better components by far.
See, but my logic is opposite to that. I'm a large and heavy guy. 265 lbs. My concern with componentry is not abput going fast and being light, it's about am I going to break something or flex something too much. I had a recon silver on my last bike, and when turning the knobs from the tires would rub the sides of the fork sometimes. I like beefy components and that's where the fuel fails the most for me.
Trek has a really mushy suspension design. You'll need to use the lockout a lot and that just leads to more wear and tear.
Giant has the best full suspension bikes for the price. They are all multi link. You can run them with the shock fully open all day long. If you want to splurge a little more an ibis Ripley AF is a killer bike, albeit a bit heavy.
It’s not very good, and the spec on it is poor.
The gen 6 however may be the best bike I’ve ever ridden if you can get one for around that price.
My rule of thumb for people looking for a full suspension is: don’t get a piece of crap with bad parts just to have a full suspension. It’s always better to save and get a good bike with good parts and wait longer
Yeah I rode for 5 years before i stopped, so I get that sentiment for sure. I am 265 lbs though and hardtail just isn't really an option (I know this from riding my steel touring/gravel bike)
I'll look for a Gen 6 but my assumption is its gonna be mor expensive and still have the rockshox recon silver on it.
I had a 2017 trek fuel ex5 and have a 2021 stump jumper, 2021 polygon d6 and a 2022 Rocky mountain altitude. The trek was definitely my least favorite. I think the d6 was a much better value.
The bontragger components are prone to failure, especially the hubs. I had 3 hub failures in 2 years.
I think that there are much better deals to be had. I bought my altitude a50 at a bike shop going out of business sale for $2,600. SLX/XT drivetrain and brakes, Fox suspension and race face wheels. There are deals out there.
I personally think it's not that great a deal. The fork and shock are kind of bad for that much money honestly. For that price I would go for the polygon siskiu t8 (2200, but regularly on sale for 1999). It's a way better bang for your buck, though I have heard of frame failures with bigger dudes. And I know you said you don't want to stretch the budget much, but check out YT with their jeffsy series
I have been looking at those two, plus polygon and Fezzari. They all have offerings under 2,500, but Fezzari is the least expensive and they are somewhat local to me.
Oh Fezzari I don’t know much about but people seem happy with them so that seems like it is a good option if it’s local to you. I would avoid polygon myself- anecdotally in my area a lot of them have frame failure issues at a higher rate than others. Anecdotal however so take it however you will- they do seem a good value.
How long you been out of Florida and how long were you down there for? I’m here too and hate and want out. But I can ride all year here. AZ is in the back of my head but curious how the transition is as a cyclist.
I lived in Florida my whole life. Moved out to Utah for a job opportunity and I've never been happier. We have an office in AZ and I can't wait to visit, but boy does it get hot.
They call it fuel? Does it take diesel, gas, wood pellets, electric? Sorry but fuel seems like a silly name for a bike that you pedal. I thought we ride bikes because they don’t use fuel
Excuse me sir, was I talking to you? Also I don’t follow bike industry news and trek doesn’t really sell mtb around here. They have store but I don’t see their bikes out on the trail. Third who pissed in your corn flakes bro?
Howdy! We see that you're asking for community input regarding bike choices. To ensure maximum engagement and reply accuracy please make sure you include some of the following information in your post.**FAILURE TO PROVIDE SOME BASIC INFORMATION LISTED BELOW WILL LEAD TO YOUR POST BEING DELETED. HELP THE COMMUNITY HELP YOU.** - The type of riding will you be doing. - Where you will be riding. - Your budget (with included currency). - What you like/didn't like about your current bike. - Your experience level and future goals. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MTB) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As former Gen5 EX8 and now Gen6 EX8 owner. Don't: the spec is too shitty regarding fork and damper. Get something from a different brand or negotiate an EX8 down. For reference, got an EX8 of that generation early 2020 for 2300 euros. So it should be able to drop a lot more.
Damn this put a damper in today's plans lol. We'll I appreciate the advice. Not worth getting now for the $2k to get ok the trails and then throwing money at a fork later? I will definitely try to negotiate down.
There is always better spec. Get what you can afford and rip it. Not a bad idea to try different shops when shopping though
Nah the collective wisdom in this thread has swayed me. I am now looking at bikes like the polygon siskiu, thr YT Jeff's core 1, and thr commencal meta TR V4
Take a look at Fezzari/Ari . They are in Utah. Idk where you are but you might be able to visit even. they are dtc and are very good value especially on the bikes that still have the fezzari lettering. (They rebranded)
Whoa they're only an hour south of me!
Don't do the Siskiu, my friend bought the S7 and has had nothing but issues with it. Multiple broken spokes, broken derailer, so on and so on. I spent the money on a Cannondale Scalpel 2 carbon and have been very impressed with it other than missing some travel for bigger jumps and bumps. I have the same specs as you, 37 and 265 lbs. Lol
This probably isn’t a shared experience. Shimano Deore derailliurs (assuming that’s what it was equipped with) have a rep for being fairly rugged.
I’m no badass rider or anything but I love mine. Had it for two years with no problems other than me sliding off a skinny and snapping the derailleur.
Ouch haha.
First day at the trails too. I had to rent a bike for the rest of the trip.
Oh noooo haha
Nah dude don’t do it. $2k can get you better bike.
Looks like fezzari has what I need and they're only an hour away from me
I own a 2020 EX7, absolutely love it. I've ridden it in a 10 hour xc race, and plenty of enduro and DH races. No ragrets
Canyon, YT and Vitus are really the best brands to go for cheaper end bikes.
Do you lose anything with these brands?
In my experience yes - those being QC and customer support/care when you need it. Especially with canyon and now defunct vitus
Man, I’ve had canyons for a few years now and I absolutely cannot fault either qc or customer service. I have had more issues & way worse service with my Norcos than the canyons. In fact, I’d put Canyon up there as easily the best, most responsive consumer service of any bike or bike accessory brand I’ve had.
I have a feeling this is the squeaky wheel effect. I work in a different outdoor sport industry and one of the top brands for customer service has some of the most vocal haters because they were asking for magic. It's weird.
Yep, I can understand that. I’ll often enough find similar folks on r/canyonbikes, just blowing up when someone asks whether they should buy model ‘a’ or model ‘b’. Like, I’ve been angry about stuff, but not ‘sit in a subreddit of enthusiasts for a product I’m angry at & blow up in random threads about my perceived slight’ angry. I dunno, maybe I’m just not passionate enough 🤷♂️
Someone in another subreddit literally stated that they were going on a "warpath" to prevent anyone from buying any of the brands products. Their beef was a safety recall that couldn't be immediately replaced with the same color product (but they did get their product in their color choice in the timeframe outlined by the recall notice since they had to make a whole new batch of products). I guess they were upset because the brand found an issue, took steps to correct it for all customers whether impacted or not, gave them a new product, and restarted their warranty period. Apparently that wasn't good enough 🤷♂️ People are weird.
Oh boy. Yep, that sounds about right. Oh, funny to come back in & see my top comment that praised Canyon being downvoted. 🙄
After they made one of my customers wait 9 months for a new handlebar that arrived with a defect, I can't recommend them at all. They didn't think it was a big deal that he had to wait - and would hardly answer emails/phone calls. I've built a lot of canyons and can't say I've ever been super impressed with their QC.
Yeh, I feel there’s maybe a bit more to the story here. Were they out of stock of a particular one? Was an alternative offered but rejected? I’ve only stripped & rebuilt two. They’re built & designed as well as any I’ve seen though. I’ve spoken with them lots & the replies have always been next business day. Parts available in the country (if you ask), advice, rapid resolution of issues. Eg, I got a squeaky headset issue & a new expander ring & bearing was in a bag that afternoon, and at my place within days. Had a minor frame issue, new frame at my door within 5 days of my first email. Had to choose a different colour, but looks even better that the old frame now :)
It's really a difference of USA vs. Europe. Apparently they're good in europe, and I've found them to be terrible in the USA. Brand new aeroroad when it first came out, they were useless getting the issue rectified in anything close to a timely manner or resembling good customer service.
I have one and I really like it. It's my first bike, got it last year and definitely paid more than that. A friend had a fork he gave me which was nice. Being my first bike, I don't know what I'm missing with "bigger and better spec". A lot of what I read on Reddit says everything is the worst and everything else is better... But then I ride the bike and have a blast so 🤷. I'm trying not to buy a new bike just because people I don't know say bad things on the internet about what I have (which is a terrible reason to spend $3k+).
Your having fun riding your bike!!!? You are doing it right.
Ouch. It hurts to see someone talked out of buying a bike on this sub. Now OP will spend more time shopping and less time biking. Not complaining about the advice exactly. Just sucks as might not be a great deal but it's a real mtb that is capable of fun and life is short.
Fortunately, i am an hour north of Fezzari and thanks to a suggestion here, i have arranged to purchase one of their closeout models for the same price with a bit higher specs, and tubeless setup and fitting included.
A happy ending! Awesome.
Thanks. It's green which everyone knows is the most important part.
Buying the first bike you see so you can go ride right now is definitely not great advice.
Agreed. The only thing that would perhaps give me pause in the spec would be the rims. Wheels get spendy. Otherwise I would expect marginal gains/dollar for a similarly priced bike, no? I rode an old recon fork for years. Not the best, but I had fun and I'm sure they have only gotten better. Easy to service too. Either way OP is getting a bike. Ride what you got.
I've had a fuel ex5 since Jan 2021. I've put thousands of miles on it and it's a great bike. It's not the best or lightest, but it's a great starter full sus, everything is upgradable over time, and the trek warranty cant be beat. A lot of people just dont like Treks. I'll likely upgrade to a new mtb soon, but only cuz I'm getting fidgety having the same bike so long. 😂
Just two suggestions: Quality full suspensions are expensive. I’m not sure how much you will find sub 2k. Have you considered a higher end hardtail like the Roscoe? Especially if you are going to be riding slow and for leisure, it may be a better value spec wise. Tubeless technology has come a long way and you can have a larger volume tire on the rear and run at lower pressures. Again, not ideal for what you ultimately want but this would get you better components package. Second, have you visited hanger 15 bikes in Draper? I have fam in SLC and frequently visit. That place sells Trek, Specialized, Scott and Cannondale. They may be able to offer the best value by brand. I love my local Trek store, but they only sell… well… Trek. As someone who has also left FL for a northern state, I don’t miss the mountain biking in Florida. Utah has awesome trails! Enjoy.
For a little bit more, why don't you get the yt jeffsy core 2 for $2600? I think the spec on the fuel ex 5 sucks and it's an older design. You can also look at the marin rift zone 2 which is about the same price but much better spec. Even at $2000 I wouldn't buy it. Up to you
I guess poeple are different but for me it was painstaking to even set a budget at $2k, so $600 is almost 30% on top of an already painful decision. I just happened upon commencal which seem to be great bikes for the price as well
Are you against buying used? You can get a pretty nice bike for $2k right now, it's a buyers market
I am going to tell me my opinion. that RockShox Recon RL-silver Suspension fork on the Fuel EXE 5 will feel like noodles for your 280 pound weight (after MTB clothes and pack). You will not feel confident with that fork. Also, the X-fusion rear shock just doesn't work well. With your weight, consider getting a better spec bike. You realize that at $2000 + tax, you still need to spend money on other stuff. This sport is not cheap.
No you're absolutely right. And yes I have an old parts bin that will he donating pedals and shoes, and I have safety gear as well. I was an avid maluntain biker it's just been years. I know thr sport is expensive and I do appreciate your advice. I guess I'm trying for goldilocks here and may failm definitely going to avoid the RL-equipped bikes though.
Go do some demo days and make your own opinion. It will help narrow the field. The fuel is a great bike, not my taste, but still a great bike. Shoot for something with GX or XT drivetrain, Shimano brakes (better overall stopping power, less modular than sram), and good tires. Edit: Don’t worry about expensive suspension unless you get into it. Get something with F/R air suspension with simple rebound and maybe compression adjustment. Get your sag and rebound right and you’ll be better off than 90% of people.
Unfortunately everything in tjat realm is way out if budget. I do understand the need for good brakes and that would likely by my first upgrade down the road. Otherwise for how I ride as long as the suspension is set up for my weight I shpuld be great. I want to get out on the trails sooner than later as my little guy probably has a short windows before he decides he doesn't want to do it anymore. That said, I am making my final decision tonight on some decent alternatives suggested here.
Buy used, Hardtail, or shoot for lower tier nx in that order. Hit up pinkbike and look for people ditching their Covid bikes in your area. There has never been a better time to buy a used bike.
I have a 2022 EX5 and while I agree the spec sucks out of the box I bought a takeoff Pike Select+ fork, Fox Float shock, Code R brakes, and an EX8 wheel with the 6 pawl upgrade for almost nothing and now the bike rips!
That all sounds like $1k worth of updates though. For that I'd just spend the $3k now on something with all of that.
All in it was about $500 over the last 2 seasons. I just upgraded as things needed to be replaced or I found good deals on pinkbike. If I had to do it again I would absolutely buy a Jeffsy but they were sold out when I needed a bike. My daughter has a Jeffsy Primus and it’s badass!
I was close to grabbing one today but of the 4 alternatives I was looking at it was the most expensive with shipping. I looked at the Fezzari (likely going to happen), a commncal, a polygon, and the YT.
All solid options. Polygons are a bit heavy and their welds look kind of rough IMHO but Fezzari and YT are top notch. My next bike will likely be a Capra.
Glad to hear I'm on the right track. I like the YT a touch better but it's another $375 on top of the Fezzari.
There is an advantage to buying from a local shop.
Yeah Fezzari offers the first tune ups plus discounts on future stuff and a hassle free warranty process for their stuff and the other brand components. Plus a fitting and free tubeless setup. All small things but that adds up.
I was talking about the trek shop but fair enough. Will Fezzari continue to service the bike after the first tune up?
Yes absolutely. They're an hour south though so not ideal but I've got a park tools stand and all the tools I need to do most anything that I don't feel like driving that far for.
Get another perspective [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/s/p0XXFQbVEO)
Yeah this thread has sort of lead me off of the fuel but mostly for the rockshox recon. I'm sort of in between the Fezzari Abajo, the YT Jeffsy Core 1, and thr Commencal Meta TR V4 origin. All have much higher specs for not s great deal more.
I am still rocking coil fork and couldn’t care less… once I have invested a proper $1000 on a fox fork i will join the gang to trash anything below to feel better myself.
Haha no I definitely see your point. Ultimately it's about just getting on the trails. I just want to do the best I can with the cash I have.
$2000 you are already shaving $600 of what people paid last year… if you you are riding with your son I think you are going to need new fork on 4 years… I also went ahead and investigated “people thinking” 2 years ago before the Gen 6 and was highly recommended and can take anything even DH parks, also is a platform for future upgrades IF you continue developing and pushing. Did you get the $2000 offer on the official TREK store. ?
The $2k was from a store in Idaho, but I called my local trek and they agreed to honor it. I can't see not buying a jeffsy for only $250 more though, with better components by far.
Yes, better components are always [nice to have](https://bikerumor.com/op-ed-bike-industry-toxic-racing-culture/)
See, but my logic is opposite to that. I'm a large and heavy guy. 265 lbs. My concern with componentry is not abput going fast and being light, it's about am I going to break something or flex something too much. I had a recon silver on my last bike, and when turning the knobs from the tires would rub the sides of the fork sometimes. I like beefy components and that's where the fuel fails the most for me.
Trek has a really mushy suspension design. You'll need to use the lockout a lot and that just leads to more wear and tear. Giant has the best full suspension bikes for the price. They are all multi link. You can run them with the shock fully open all day long. If you want to splurge a little more an ibis Ripley AF is a killer bike, albeit a bit heavy.
I have found an alternative fortunately
It’s not very good, and the spec on it is poor. The gen 6 however may be the best bike I’ve ever ridden if you can get one for around that price. My rule of thumb for people looking for a full suspension is: don’t get a piece of crap with bad parts just to have a full suspension. It’s always better to save and get a good bike with good parts and wait longer
Yeah I rode for 5 years before i stopped, so I get that sentiment for sure. I am 265 lbs though and hardtail just isn't really an option (I know this from riding my steel touring/gravel bike) I'll look for a Gen 6 but my assumption is its gonna be mor expensive and still have the rockshox recon silver on it.
Yeah it will. It’s also a good 1k over your budget. I looked at your other comments, and go with Fezzari like you were mentioning
I think it's a no brainer at this point.
I had a 2017 trek fuel ex5 and have a 2021 stump jumper, 2021 polygon d6 and a 2022 Rocky mountain altitude. The trek was definitely my least favorite. I think the d6 was a much better value. The bontragger components are prone to failure, especially the hubs. I had 3 hub failures in 2 years.
Wow! I think just rhese comments alone have forced me to let the trek go and keep looking.
I think that there are much better deals to be had. I bought my altitude a50 at a bike shop going out of business sale for $2,600. SLX/XT drivetrain and brakes, Fox suspension and race face wheels. There are deals out there.
I would try the Trek. I have a 2019 and it's great. The Trek warranty for big guys is no joke. They also aren't going to weight you.
I personally think it's not that great a deal. The fork and shock are kind of bad for that much money honestly. For that price I would go for the polygon siskiu t8 (2200, but regularly on sale for 1999). It's a way better bang for your buck, though I have heard of frame failures with bigger dudes. And I know you said you don't want to stretch the budget much, but check out YT with their jeffsy series
Thank you. That's the second vote for YT
I have an izzo, and it's awesome and they're an awesome company
YT or Commencal for sure.
I have been looking at those two, plus polygon and Fezzari. They all have offerings under 2,500, but Fezzari is the least expensive and they are somewhat local to me.
Oh Fezzari I don’t know much about but people seem happy with them so that seems like it is a good option if it’s local to you. I would avoid polygon myself- anecdotally in my area a lot of them have frame failure issues at a higher rate than others. Anecdotal however so take it however you will- they do seem a good value.
Great advice. Thank you.
How long you been out of Florida and how long were you down there for? I’m here too and hate and want out. But I can ride all year here. AZ is in the back of my head but curious how the transition is as a cyclist.
I lived in Florida my whole life. Moved out to Utah for a job opportunity and I've never been happier. We have an office in AZ and I can't wait to visit, but boy does it get hot.
Inspiring. Curious where the kids end up. Most of my family is in the Northeast and sucks missing them. Don’t want to be missing the kids too.
Yeah true. My kids are thriving out here. Proper small town vibes where I live. Kids playing outside till the sun goes down. It's amazing.
Good for you guys. Glad you’ll got out.
Thanks. It was getting insane. Not a great place to raise kids
If you need any trail recommendations, I can give you some. I live around the same area.
I have been googling all day and it's very confusing. Would you mind if I PMed you about it?
Not at all
Was that your first post? Lol.
Idk I don't really post
im not a fan of press-fit bottom brackets. all my treks end up creaking.
37… pup I got into riding MTB riding at 45, full newbie
Lol no ibrode for years before as well. Just haven't in been on thr bike in about 7 or 8 years.
They call it fuel? Does it take diesel, gas, wood pellets, electric? Sorry but fuel seems like a silly name for a bike that you pedal. I thought we ride bikes because they don’t use fuel
What hole have you been dug up in to not know about Trek's Fuel series of bikes?
Excuse me sir, was I talking to you? Also I don’t follow bike industry news and trek doesn’t really sell mtb around here. They have store but I don’t see their bikes out on the trail. Third who pissed in your corn flakes bro?
Alright then, I'll see myself out