[Closed] trek fuel ex 2012

I have a 2012 fuel ex, very nice, change to a slightly slacker head angle has upped the handling a notch (long low and slack, whats not to like)

The Drcv fork, i had misgivings about this after all the reviews, however several 100kms i'm really liking it, for what its worth, two observations about it (1) it seems to sit higher in its stroke, which for me anyway, improves the handling (2) i weigh 60kg and have always struggled to get a fork running right, the drcv helps

I do know that one of the TF guys is running one (and hes a fair bit heavier) and has made as slight mod to the valve (slightly bigger hole i think, but best ask them direct)

Cheers, sounds good.

Is the BB nice and low then?

Just to reuse a cliche - go and try one first. The context - I have only ever ridden trek mtbs and have never had a problem. Imagined the fuel ex was a natural choice for my next bike ( or a stumpy). Tried both and couldn't get on with either. Crashed both demos more times than my old trek HT on the same runs and shattered my confidence (ok slight hyperbole there! ). Tried XC set ups and flew down the same trails! So the old old story of horses for courses.

Mate bought one and loves it and bizarrely does more XC on it than anything that steep or tricky!!

Reviews tell a very different story to my experience which is enough to reenforced the demo message to me.

I have the 2012 EX9 - test rode the 8 first and thought it ideal for the riding I do - North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales and occasional trail centre visits. I tried the 18.5 and 19.5 and bought the bigger bike and put a shorter stem on straight away. Mine has the DRCV FIT Kashima coated fork which was 1 reason to buy the 9 and it works well for me. I have a number of bikes but since I got this in March I have ridden nothing else - in fact I have sold 2!! The only minor issue I had was punctures cos the sidewalls on the tyres are quite thin but since changing them to tubeless I have had no more problems. a great bike - give one a try.

There is also a plate on the seatstays you can flip to change the BB and HA.

APB doesn't need a specific hub but does use a longer QR skewer.

Does the 7 come with a DRCV fork? My remedy 7 didn't.

Thanks guys. It would be an insurance replacement so demoing is a problem - but I have had a quick go on a mate's bike a few years ago and liked it a lot.

I would probably be changing most (or possibly all) of the components so the 7 makes most sense for me I reckon.

Eh up. I'm in the process of building up a 2011 ex 9, which is exactly the same as the 2012.

It's an upgrade from my current 2009 ex 8 which has been great. Really smashed it down some rocky lakeland trails and it's taken everything I've thrown at it.

Can't comment on the fork as I'm going to put some rebas on, but hub wise I'll be running hope pro 2 evos, as it has a 12 x 142 mm maxle on the rear with a 20 mm on the rebas.

Similar to what I was thinking tbh, Perfect frame for a Reba Team/RLT ti with a maxle.

What rims are you going for?

Great minds and all that, that's exactly the fork I'll be putting on. I'll report back how it gets on. Only a 1 1/8th steerer though, so using a hope race reducer.

Going for mavic 521 ( standard issue, cba with tubeless ) Had a set of 321 of hope xc which are still good and true despite my 14 st and bad line choices.

Bit heavier, but I'm no mincer on the dh. If you're a lighter, more careful rider, then the 717s are a great choice, ran them on a hardtail with pro 2 and xc tires, really suprised by how light, but capable they were.

The only other thing I would say about the trek, is the same as everyone else, which is swap out the cockpit for shorter stem (60 - 80mm) and wider bars. Really makes it come alive when you point it downwards.

Can any owners advise on sizing for these please? I'm 5ft 8.5in and have a 31in inside leg.

Basically my legs are a bit short for my body but not laughably short.

Looks like the 17.5in would be best, as the 605mm TT on the 18.5 sounds very long (17.5 is 590mm) - but I'd want to do a fair bit of pedalling on it.

I'd be using a shorter stem and wider bars than stock, so a demo might not help much anyway.

regarding the sizing - personally, I think you might be better off with the 17.5". I'm 6' with 34" inside leg and I used to ride a 18.5" EX8, which I preferred with a stem 20mm shorter than stock. Even with the shorter stem (and slightly wider bars), it was still roomy/comfy enough for longer rides.

HTH

Thanks, I'm definitely leaning that way. I'd have a 60mm stem and 711mm or 725mm bar.

Sizing on the 17.5 looks close enough to other bikes I have owned and enjoyed.