There's a 45% off deal for this bike on the website, and I'm very tempted to buy it, but the reviews leave me a little skeptical. Are there any opinions out there from anyone who has actually rode the bike or is very familiar with it?
For context, I'm upgrading from an old hardtail to my first full suspension bike. I ride mostly trails in Dallas, so there isn't a huge amount of aggressive trail variety.
I was dead set on buying the Canyon Spectral CF 7, but I saw this deal for the Trek and have been trying to research it all weekend, but there is limited information about this model specifically. All I've really found is that the integrated handlebars are too wide and kind of suck and that the SRAM Code R brakes aren't great either and require a lot of maintenance. The electronic shifting seems awesome, if not also little high maintenance for what I'm used to.
I'd love to get some other opinions though before adding this to my cart.
by ebmocal421
7 Comments
What kind of riding do you do?
It’s a great bike. That’s a damn good deal. Yes the brakes are not great. I’d upgrade them.
This bike absolutely rips. I’ve been in mine for about 2 and a half years and have ridden it all across North America. From the techy climbs in Sedona to the Steep slabs in Whistler, this bike really feels like it can handle a lot of trail.
I’ve had a few issues with creaks and squeaks over the years, but Trek was always good at helping me get to the bottom of any issue and have made food on any warranty issue.
I would pick up this bike in a heartbeat.
I’m on my 3rd Fuel, my second 9.8. I love the model. I bought the Gen 5 version of the 9.8 for the same price about 10 months ago and I kicked myself (just a little) when I saw Gen 6 recently for that price (there are some aspects of the Gen 5 I prefer over the Gen 6 – but that’s just my preference.)
Its a jack of all trades. Efficient both ascending and descending. The AXS is great. I appreciate the electronic shifting the more I ride with it. Super smooth and reliable shifting. I was reluctant because of imagined tech issues but so far it has been almost flawless.
You are getting a full carbon bike with good components and excellent customer support for a great price. I have a feeling we won’t see bike deals like this again for a long time so I would jump on it.
I see several Fuels on the summer Wednesday night group trail ride and they’re always right in there with everyone else. nothing about the Fuel would make me avoid it at all. In fact, for the $4000 sale price it’s a HELL of a great deal on a very very good bike build.
The Codes are require such little maintenance. They are specced on a lot of bikes and people treat them like shit, i don’t think any other brake would perform as well in those conditions.
Might be overkill for Dallas, i do think you have some bike parks in Texas though. A good reason to take some bike trips!
The tyres aren’t great, the integrated stem/bar is an odd choice, the Codes may not be your first choice but they will stop the bike no problem. I haven’t ridden this model but my riding buddy has almost the same bike with a Shimano XT setup, and he loves it, amateur Enduro racing and long XC rides he mostly does.
With that said, I think the XT version (cheaper) is a better bike. Shimano XT brakes I would take every day of the week over SRAM Codes, and while the GX AXS is awesome, the shifting performance isn’t any better than Shimano XT and the mechanical will shift faster through the cassette. This is something I can speak experience on since I have a SC Bronson with GX AXS drivetrain and Code Stealth brakes.
I’ve been eyeing this deal too. Can this bike handle the climbs in the Sierra Nevada foothills?