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Most people are probably not interested but I'd been wanting a stache for ages and had asked about them before on the forums and now I finally have one I thought I would put my thoughts up for anyone else who has also been thinking about one.
I picked up a Stache 9 off of Ebay. Always a risk but at £720 it was well worth a go. Turns out to have done probably less than 100 miles and even has a brand new set of minions for it as well!
This bike is awesome. As with fat bikes, tyre pressures are critical. It felt a little harsh to start at 13/14 psi but running at 12 is the sweet spot for me. I love my fat bike but was worried they would be too similar but they aren't. My fatbike build it light and it's a quick bike but it still feels bigger than a normal bike, the stache doesn't. Handling wise it's like a regular hardtail. It feels very nimble and the short back end is a big part of what makes it feel so playful. It's a manual machine. The wheels take a little extra effort to get up to speed compared to a smaller wheel but it's a hardtail so it still feels more immediate than a full sus. Once they get going though the momentum you can carry is HUGE. At an average trail centre it is incredibly fast and unless it's seriously nasty I would say on a par with a full sus. With the big wheels and excellent fork you can work, you can let those big wheels skip over stuff in a way a smaller wheel just can't.
It certainly has the big wheel momentum thing that the fat bike has but it doesn't quite have the seemingly unlimited traction of a fatbike. It also doesn't quite have the fun clown bike feel of the fatbike although I think it's ultimately a bit quicker and a bit lighter.
To sum things up, if any one has been curious about a Trek Stache then I would strongly advise you pick one up. Second hand these things are a steal and most importantly just so much fun! Unless your riding is full on hard core all the time (which for 95% of us isn't the case) it's the sort of bike more people should be riding, it's more capable than many would think and just fun fun fun.
John
I'd echo a lot of that. 29+ is brilliant 🙂
Stache 9.6 owner here. Love mine.
Pretty light for what it is: ~ 28lbs.
I have a rigid Stache 5 and love it! The spec has improved vastly since it came home, but it’s a peach, and imo one of the best looking bikes ever made!
I had one and got rid of it. Lovely looking bike and nice to ride, but I just had never ending unsealable punctures and wrecked tyres. Think that was due to tyre availability at the time though.
Most of my riding kit is covered in dried out sealant now too. That stuff is nigh on impossible to remove.
Had mine 3 years now, no plans on changing it. It's a proper giggle to ride.
I liked mine. Ran it 29+ for a bit then 27+. Preferred it 27+ in the tight twisty trails local to me. But 29+ it was definitely between a hardcore hardtail and a mini fatbike as the OP says. The Chronicle wasn’t my favourite all conditions tyre but it was better than the bonty chub…. whatever they were called it came with.
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I think 29+ is a great format, just that it doesn't fit with what some in the bike industry want - particularly when they wanted to push everyone to 650B and B+.
Spotted a pair of Stache 5's at Sutton Bank yesterday, I wish I'd taken mine and as really didn't need any suspension more than a fat tyre.
Have a 9.7 they are great Hardtails handle so well most of that is due to the short back end I would say they are better than 100mm Full suss never understand why they don't sell many in this country if someone is buying a hardtail for leisure use why not get one of these but they don't and a lot of people don't ride from home weird I do like the more travel on them now compared to the Stache 7 I had in 2016.
I have a 5 that only really has the original wheels on it. It now has Revelation forks with 150mm travel, 40mm stem and 800mm bars and a dropper. I've put some light bits on it and occasionally use it with normal 29er wheels, usually in the depths of winter or for racing.
I use for everything from the new trails at Innerleithen that follow the fall line to XC racing and it handles it all excellently. It'd be no use at a race with the stock tyres on but the plus tyres are such a laugh- they work really well in big rocky terrain but also let you climb some really silly things. For some reason I get way, way fewer punctures with them than with 27.5+ tyres. When I tried them I punctured almost every ride.
I was sad to see that Trek have pulled most of the range from the UK. There's only one complete bike left, and the 1120 but that's two and a half grand for something with the same spec as the Stache 5 that was £1300 two years ago!
The Full Stache looks insane. I'd love a go on one.
+1 chuffing awesome bikes. I've been lucky enough to ride some nice bikes over the years but my Stache still leaves me with a massive grin on my face. Great for everything from multi day bike packing epics to rocky descents. I've found XR4s offer a good balance between a bit more grip without the silly drag of a DHF.
I like mine and I love the Bonty Chupachup tyres. Ok riding into the rougher stuff at the likes of Glentress needs some caution and they are usless in slimy mud downhill but suprisingly good in mud uphill. My fat bike could be chucked into anything with abandon and the tyres were bulletproof at ~4psi but running these at ~8psi (look about 12psi on the track pump gauge) they do ding the rim sometimes. Finesse reaps rewards and gives the ability to climb ridiculous climbs and along cambers. The Chupas are light and fast too and for me a heavier stronger tyre will stop it being what I like.
Rigid 5 and changed gears and brakes from spares in the garage and put a dropper on.
Pleased to see so much love! Having nailed the tyre pressures I've now nailed stem length as well. I bought a 50mm in preperation for it but just didn't like it at all. 80mm sounds too long but it's really not and it rides so much better than the 50 so there will be a 2 ride old Thomson X4 coming up cheap soon! I have a 70mm on the way as I think that will be the sweet spot. It's a stock bike but I put a 36t ratchet and an oval ring on it and last night it felt it's fastest yet. I think it's quicker than my full sus everywhere at the local trail centre (Haldon). It's the quickest bike this year on the main descent! It will be really interesting to see how it performs on the harder end of the spectrum somewhere like Gawton.
I've seen many a review call this a niche bike. A bike that would be an interesting 2nd or 3rd bike but I have found it to be anything but. I think it's the most convincing "one bike quiver" I've ever ridden. Perhaps if you lived in Whistler this wouldn't be the case but most of us don't.
Anyone even remotely curious should ride one!
John
This is mine. I'd agree that it's more of a one hardtail to rule them all than an n+1 bike. I'd not go without my big full sus for big days in the mountains or downhill tracks in the summer but the Stache is excellent at almost everything else.
Stache 5 here.... Looks like the above. Did put it for sale for a while whilst I was having a moment but after riding again it really is a great do it all bike.
Running 120 magnums up front and a minion dhr / bonty chap combo. It's really good... Had the vee bulldozer for a bit but hated the self steer.
Rides much better with a really short stem (40mm) and longer bars. I think the stock stem was something like 80mm and always felt too long.
Only issue I find with the stache is the rear end is pretty flexy when stomping on pedals (I flick between geared and ss with the strangle hold dropouts).
Oh and the mulefut OEM wheels weight as much as small planet but hey weight really should not be a consideration with this kind of bike.
It's a keeper for sure until my bones and back can't take it anymore 🙂