![]() 120mm is long for a typical hardtail and the bike feels great floating over the more technical, obstacle-ridden trails that had always bogged down my old 90-100mm bikes. The first thing I noticed about the ride quality was the front suspension The Stache is equipped with 120mm of travel, Fox’s new CTD 3 position damper system, and a tweaked geometry that allows more stability at high speeds. In my opinion this bike has the aesthetic attention to detail usually reserved for full suspension and race bikes. The clear coated raw aluminum and bright green accents oppose each other really well while the internal cable routing gives a real sleek appearance. Aesthetically, the Stache is a very cool looking bike. ![]() Sizes: 15.5”, 17.Late last Summer I began riding a Trek Stache 8 29er mountain bike.It just took a little coaxing, but the Stache could be a lot of fun. It took some extra body English to loft the front wheel and get my weight over the rear wheel when executing moves, such as wheelie-drops. I feel that the 17.5-inch chainstay length (longest of the bikes in this group test) contributed to the bike’s stability, but detracted from its playfulness. I found the Trek Stache more than capable to serve as my main trail bike. The Stache enjoys crushing rock gardens and blasting over roots. The Stache felt solid when railing through corners, not to mention rumbling over rough terrain. When pointed down the hills, the Stache felt stable and capable, just not particularly playful. I could sit and grind up steep climbs without having to execute any advanced gymnastics to keep the front wheel planted and the rear wheel digging in. My riding position was well centered over the bike. At slower speeds, the Stache felt nimble and, thanks to the absence of any front wheel flop, predictable and reassuring. There’s something therapeutic about tooling along, threading tight singletrack and picking through the occasional rock garden. There are plenty of days when I ride to mellow out, clear my head and get away from it all. Repeat as necessary, until size of grin reaches desired level. Getting the most out of fast and flowy trails was best approached by dipping the handlebars to initiate turns, keeping the bike leaned over as it carved through the corner and then snapping the bars back to complete the turn. ![]() You know, butt out of saddle, pedals level, knees and elbows bent slightly. When I was feeling frisky, I found that the best approach was to adopt an athletic “ready” position. Some bikes tend to dictate a specific riding style, while the Stache seemed to politely wait for me to make the first move. But I feel that neutral handling is key to the Stache’s versatility. Dare I describe the Stache’s handling as neutral? I think I just did.įor some, neutral may imply boring. The bike’s handling fell in between those two extremes. I found that the Stache was neither a slack play bike, nor was it a razor-quick race machine. The Bontrager Duster tubeless-ready wheels and meaty Bontrager 29-3 Expert 29×2.3 tires are ready for rough-and-tumble action. Proven Shimano SLX parts include brakes, shifters and front derailleur (there’s an XT upgrade on the rear). The $2,420 Stache 8 comes with a Fox Evolution Series 32 Float fork (with CTD) and a solid 2×10 kit. With pedals and a bottle cage, the Stache 8 weighed in at 27.5 lbs. The total package looks agile and muscular, but not burly. The seat tube has a flattened shape at the bottom for tire/mud clearance (which hardly seems necessary, considering the ample room provided by the 17.52-inch chainstays). Bonus points for ISCG tabs and dropper post routing (including stealth routing). The aluminum frame looks quite robust, thanks to the large hydroformed main tubes, tapered head tube, 142x12mm thru-axle rear and press-fit bottom bracket. The Stache’s 68.6 degree head angle is about a degree slacker than Trek’s 100mm-travel Superfly, and its 12.44-inch BB height is 0.16-inch taller. Rather than give the Stache a substantially different layout, Trek adapted their tried-and-true 29er G2 geometry. The Stache is an all-new addition to Trek’s 2013 lineup, a rugged trail bike designed to be versatile enough to serve as the elusive “one bike that’s does it all.”
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