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The Vital MTB Crew
Think Wes Anderson
Transition life aquatic!
a hot dog fits into steerer. by this logic that should increase both stiffness and deliciousness.
Saw a bottlerocket in person a couple weeks ago. Perhaps it was a sign.
Looks like Maxxxis is still having trouble with inconsistent casings...lol
Did i miss something? When did DHRIIs start coming in a 2.5?
Pros have been on them for a while, but roughly this time last year.
lol the Ohio location. hilarious. these credit card scam sites are all the same
I’ve been running F&R DHR, just got 2.5’s. Comparing them to the old 2.4’s on the same internal rim, it’s hard to see any difference.
New Trek Fuel's configuration matrix below, added weights and prices below too (I thought Trek was reducing SKU's, but there are still a pile of build options between both bikes!)
Added the official PR with their detailed FAQ and more pics here - https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/three-bikes-one-kind-trek-l…
EX, MX and LX animation (EX has RockShox, MX has Float X and LX has coil)
Trek Fuel+ EX, MX and LX
Trek Fuel and Fuel+ Frame and Bike weights
Trek Fuel and Fuel+ Pricing (USD)
That's just hilarious. Maybe their marketing intern took inspiration from the off roading world🤣 I used to have a Raptor that had dual shocks at all four corners (not mine in the image, but you get the idea)
I want to hate The trek but it looks really good - The amount of options and adjustability I think is a win for the consumer, especially those who want a shortish travel bike but dont want a DH/super enduro when they decide to do the odd park day.
and in NZ it's cheaper than gen 6.
A shortish travel bike with the weight of a DH is what we have here. Not sure I want that.
my gen 7 ex 8 is approx 15.8-15.9kg... thats nowhere near DH bike's... in its burly config the alloy is similar weight to a Pro's enduro bike ... Comparing to my slightly lighter test bike - spectral AL 6(new one) I dont think i can tell a difference... In stock form the 30t ring gets the cranks moving more but i've since swapped to SLX drivetrain with 32T ring and swapped wheels/tyres, fork and some other bits over and according to my ride Data, theres no measurable difference - i certainly didnt feel any difference(this is based on my Daily ride data of a 8km loop that has nearly 400m elevation gain, approx 1300 feet) - It rides up and down better than the data from my gen 6 I had when it came out(similar build)
My DH bike is deep into the 19kg mark.
The weight is getting slaughtered in the other site comments but everyone's missing the fact it's got a coil, 38, big brakes, Transmission... that all adds weight over a normal trail bike setup... and its in the lx setup which has 170mm fork...
The question is why is the fuel now a freeride bike? (Almost)
Started out as an XC bike right? Not complaining but it is weird.
From my perspective I want a mid travel bike everybit as burly as my long travel bikes. I’d also imagine the next top fuel will be 120-140 with similar adjustability for those who are more weight conscious.
Really wish they used the remedy name. But oh well.
Did you just decide to neglect the 13.9kg bike in your argument? Not to mention all the sub 15kg options - that’s how much bikes weigh now man. If you want a lighter one you can put a 1x10 groupset on it, and a rigid post, maybe even 27.5 front and rear.. it might be sub 13 by then.. but I Dont think you’ll do that.
I was wrong. A crab leg belongs in the steerer.
No surprise that the giant hole in the downtube requires thicker tubing and more weight.
And the return of late 80s/early 90s paint schemes!
That paint is sick but the black bit of the front triangle looks like a repair job where they couldn't be arsed matching the paint.
Looks like they do it so the rocker links can all be the same colour.
From the consumer side it definitely looks more complex, but from the manufacturing side even with all these options they have still reduced their SKU's, what was previously three bikes has now been wrapped into one frame, the only parts that change are the Rocker links and lower shock mounts which are pretty small and easy to manufacture.
Before they had three bikes, the Remedy, Gen 5 Slash and Fuel, each with their own corresponding parts, e.g different rocker links, different chainstays, different seatstays, different frames, etc. Now with the new model, you have one frame, one set of seatstays/chainstays, etc.
Now, with the new platform, there's one frame and one set of seatstays/chainstays. This gives them the ability to scale output to meet demand. For example, if they previously had a bunch of Slashes or Remedys sitting around unsold, that production capacity can now be pivoted to make more Fuels if that's what consumers are after. It makes a lot of sense from a business and manufacturing standpoint. The challenging part of getting that system to work is having the scale to implement it, which a company like Trek obviously has. It also dramatically simplifies warranty procedures as rather than having to carry three different frames and sets of frame specific parts all they need is Fuel/Fuel+ parts.
I've said it before in this thread, but I expect more of the big brands to go in this direction. It maintains a wide range of choice for the consumer while reducing the total number of parts that need to be produced. It's similar to how Specialized combined the Stumpy and Stumpy EVO, but this approach feels less compromised. The rider gets much more granular control over the bike's setup with all the built-in adjustment options.
I’m well aware as I’m currently doing it with my Patrol 🙂 I’m saying there should be a build for the thousands of people who bought a YT Tues and would maybe be better served on something that isn’t a DH race bike. Also selfishly I’d like a dual crown Patrol/Spire to show up in rental fleets since I go overseas once a year and don’t bring a bike (that’s how I landed on the Status 170 DH)
fair enough for sure compared to what they used to deal with, but each frame configuration (on fuel) still has 8 different build kits (not including the 2 alloy builds). seems like that could easily be paired down to 4 or 5 per configuration and no one would flinch (except maybe OE partners?).
You nailed it.
I keep coming back to moto and powersports, they’ve long had to figure out how to do more with less. (models, trim levels etc, all with one frame)
When one or two “special” parts unlock a wide range of options, and those parts are easy or cheap to produce compared to the rest of the high-cost product, that’s a huge win. Even if it inflates the perceived SKU count, it’s still efficient.
It’s like Chipotle: 100,000+ burrito combinations, but just a handful of inputs and tight control over the process. Very different than cheesecake factory, even if it looks like there are an equal number of options at either establishment.
Interestingly in Australia (and probably NZ) they are not even selling the LX or MX as separate models. Instead they just have three options to choose from and to go for the MX/LX you have to buy the rocker links (which are $299 NZD).
So for some markets they are dramatically reducing the SKU's they offer. I guess with the American market they must have the scale to offer a wider range of build kits.
I wouldn't be surprised if they basically end up with three key frames:
Next Gen Top Fuel for Cross Country/Downcountry/Trail
Fuel for Trail/All-Mountain/Enduro
Then the Next Gen Slash/Session for Enduro/Downhill. Similar to the latest Orbea Rallon.
I actually saw this on the Slash FB page the other day, apparently it’s a custom 190/190mm travel Gen 6 Slash with custom rocker/lower linkages and dual crown fork.
I imagine a Slashession would be extremely popular since it can be pretty hard to justify a downhill bike for a lot of people, but something that could do both without too many compromises would be pretty compelling.
Absolutely did, saw something about 18,5 kg and that's all I based my comment on. That's how I internet folks. Upon closer inspection it would probably weigh about the same as my old Norco sight in a similar configuration.
… no bike above 10k…
That bike is owned and built by Loris Vergier's ex mechanic while at Trek called Pierre-Alexander Roche. Its got a longer rear shock and custom lower mount. Very tick build withshort cage 7 speed electronic mech