Review & Images: Randy King

R.I.P. for Roll In Peace. 9 for its 29er wheels. Put it all together and you have RIP 9, for a bike that is made to order for big mountain riding. Big wheels to roll over roots and provide extra traction in loose terrain. 4.5 inches of travel paired with a 120 MM fork to float through the gnarl that comes with the territory on back country trails. Active suspension that feels plush in the rough yet climbs efficiently. It’s the real deal, amigos. And it should be at the top of your list of bikes to ride next.

Niner is dedicated to pushing the envelop of 29er wheeled bikes, and only makes big wheelers. Their stable ranges from steel-framed single speeds to flowing carbon racers to the Kermit-colored WFO 9, a 29er free ride machine.  The RIP 9 is right below the WFO – recommended for XC, enduro and all mountain riding. For years I’ve wanted to ride a “long travel” 29er aimed at the all mountain riding style. The Niner godfather granted my wish with the RIP 9.

Hot Tamale looks good on Niner's RIP 9 XC to All-Mountain rig.

I put the RIP 9 through its paces on Liberty Mountain in Lynchburg, VA. A loop of Lake Trail to cut across to A Trail Too Far before coming back to the bottom of Lake Trail and the long gradual side hill climb back out, dished up narrow side hill singletrack descents, a log ride or two, and the bridges of ATTF with enough climbing to appreciate how efficient the RIP 9’s Constantly Varying Arc (CVA) suspension design is.

The RIP I rode rocked a SRAM XO drive train and brakes, a custom-valved Fox RP-23 shock and a RockShox Reba RLT Ti with a 20 MM through axle. All the parts performed well, and I don’t know if the red anodized bearing caps on the pivots helped functionally or not, but they did look convincing. The Continental Mountain King 2.4 tires did not fuss or fume about doing their job on the ups or the down. In fact, it’s a tribute to the bike and tire combo that RIP didn’t feel sluggish with that big of shoes.

The Niner RIP 9 is a long-legged sailor ready to travel the whole mountain.

Now this may sound strange, but I think the RIP 9 is more efficient and fast feeling than the JET 9, Niner’s full-suspension XC race bike.  The RIP 9 boasted that long-legged seven-league boots feel that some all mountain bikes have. It makes a bike feel like it can go all day over rough terrain, climbing and descending whatever mountains may be in front of its tires.  These bikes are geared toward the “mountain” aspect of all-mountain, and do not seem to be built to be hucked off towering man-made ramps, etc. The Giant Reign (although you could huck that puppy with confidence off of some pretty good rock drops) and Gary Fisher Fat Possum were such bikes.  I tend to prefer this type of rig, since it suits my long distance pursuits and love of technical single track. Since I have a trauma-induced fear of jumping a bike, I’m not looking for the beefiest huckster.

At the end of the day, I did not want to dismount from my size large, Hot Tamale colored RIP 9. It was one of the few bikes that made my “gotta have it” juices start flowing immediately. And to demonstrate just how good this bike is as a “one bike,” Scott – who loves to climb the trails I think of as good descents – was with me that day, and after getting in saddle time on several Niners, we both agreed that the RIP 9 left us wanting more and trying to figure out how to scrounge together the more than $5,000 it would cost to buy our own 29er all mountain bike that was so much fun to ride.

You can check out Niner bikes at your local authorized Niner dealer. My two favorites are Blackwater Bike Shop in Lynchburg, VA and Just the Right Gear in Salem, VA.  Both are located near trail systems that will allow you to really test the capability of the Niner of your choice.

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

Review & Images: Randy King

The 29er version of the Gary Fisher HiFi has been on my to-ride list for some time. Along with my curiosity, I brought some baggage with me into this short-term relationship. My best bike for three years was a 26″ wheel HiFi Deluxe. It helped me up my epic race game and went through 1,000’s of miles of mud and dust before coming to a sudden and calamitous demise when the frame broke in three places. These positive memories and nervousness about durability took turns coloring my opinion about how the big-wheeled version would ride. So, how did it go? Well, a bit like that … a mix of good and not-so-good.

Technically, there is no Gary Fisher HiFi. Gary’s bikes have been drawn into the Trek line-up, and now all that remains on the bike of Gary’s name is a copy of his signature on the frame. Hmmph, I say. I’ve met Gary Fisher (I know, I know, Jeremiah Bishop told me not to name drop), and it didn’t even take those meaningful 60-seconds for me to vote that  Fisher should have his own line-up in the Trek conglomerate.

Along with the bigger wheels, the HiFi Pro I tested sports a few other differences from my former bike. Trek has opened up the suspension linkage design a bit.  The bike also gets some upgrades, moving up to a Fox fork and adding three gears with the SRAM — 10 speed drive train. I tested the HiFi Pro model.

What I loved about my 26″ HiFi was its adapt-to-anything attitude. Above all, it was fun to ride. I am glad to see that this vibe is shared by the big wheel HiFi.

I chose the Witchback trail at Angler’s Ridge in Danville, VA for the test. This is a frequent up-and-down six mile loop with several short but gut-busting climbs and several quick and fast descents.  A mini-rock garden and a small drop-off add to the mix to make it a good test trail for trail and XC bikes.

The HiFi Pro tackles climbs with aplomb and good manners. It is stable and tracks well even on sudden steeps. The Bontrager 29-2 Team Issue tires are a good combination of fast and grippy for a trail bike.  The suspension is definitely more noticeable on climbs than it was on the 26″ HiFi – credit in part to the more open suspension design. It is also noticeable on the descents, where the HiFi has pretty good small-bump compliance without the harsh edge that sometimes plagued the 26″ bike.

What I didn’t like about my 26″ HiFi was its lack of durability. Durability is a key virtue in a bike that one hopes to ride for 100 KM or more at a time, over rough terrain.  The first time the frame broke on my 26″ HiFi, I had to climb the side of a mountain to get cell phone reception, limp for several miles out of the woods on stiff-soled cycling shoes, with a lump the size of a baseball on my thigh from a crash earlier in the ride. Durability is good. Unfortunately, the big-wheeled HiFi seems to bring its fragility with it. After less than 5 miles, I noticed some noise coming from the linkage. Hmm. The bolt that connects the top of the shock to the bike had worked loose.

The 29″ HiFi has 100 MM of travel, compared to the 120 of the 26″ version. And despite what so many say, a 29″ wheel is not the same as suspsension. In another words, I miss that extra 4/5 of an inch of travel. In its absence, it makes the bike feel more racy and less rideable.

Parting thoughts:

The $3,600 Gary Fisher HiFi Pro seems like a viable epic racer or enduro bike, and is up to frequent trail rides. While less “racy” than the Superfly 100, and costing less, it still feels less of a true trail bike than a high-priced bike meant mostly for going fast. A different set of tires and a wider riser bar might correct that, and you can get aboard a HiFi Plus for about $2,300, but stock the HiFi Pro feels like a long distance runner for those who can afford it.

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

Review: Doug King

Photos: Lily Felgenhauer

If you live in the Inland NW and ride a mountain bike, there is only one place for you to spend your Memorial Day Weekend: Round and Round Production’s 24-hour mountain bike race at Riverside State Park in Spokane, WA.  2011 marked the 12^th running of the endurance mountain bike race with more than 850 riders.  Racers compete solo or in teams of 2, 5, or 10 members.  The race starts at noon on Saturday and riders can start their final lap at 11:59 a.m. on Sunday.

The race starts with a Le Mans style 600 meter run to spread the pack out before the first lap.

And They’re Off

Rain had made the course very soggy the week leading up to the race. However, it held off for the weekend, making a well compacted and very fast race course.  The approximately 15-mile course covers a good mix of technical rock garden infested single track, fast smooth single track, and fire roads with a ¾-mile section of pavement thrown-in to bypass the flooded “little Vietnam” section that the course normally runs on.

As the fatigue of lack of sleep and ever-increasing mileage built, riders began to fully understand the local names for different sections; Marakesh Express, Purple Haze, Devil’s Up, and Devil’s Down.

Devil’s Down claims another victim.

Let Not the Pain Stop

Due to the fact that there are so many categories and one has no idea what lap everyone else is on, competitions are pretty much internal or arbitrary.  I found myself in a top gear sprint to the finish at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, against a rider from EMDE Sports, a local development team.  I beat him to the line only to realize two disappointing facts: my team did not have another rider lined up for the final lap and if your team finishes before noon on Sunday you are marked down as a DNF.

“292 going out again” I gasped to the timing folks as I scanned my chip.  I darted off course to our tents and gulped down four partially empty water bottles that belonged to other team mates and the dog and got back on course for the final time.

It was eerily quiet on the final lap.  Giving encouragement to nearly unconscious solo riders was almost the only distraction from the numbness that was spreading up-limb from my toes and fingers.  Fatigue got the best of a Badlands Cycling Team member on the final section of pavement.  When I passed, medics had him back boarded and were sucking teeth out of his airway as he had eaten pavement while trying to grab a power gel before the last 5 miles.

Before the race I had asked my brother for any last minute advice.  He said to develop a mantra.  For most of the race, mine had been “keep pressing,” but it changed to “don’t crash” on that trying final lap.  I decided to stop and loosen my shoes lest I join the count of bodies next to the trail, because at that time I was numb up to my knees.

Parting Thoughts

Our team finished last in the Police, Fire, and Military category.  Yet it was our first year, and most of the team has already asked if we are going to do it again next year … and besides, we were only one lap down from the Olympia FD that won.  Like most endurance sports events, it was kind of fun, kind of painful, makes for great stories, and is very addicting.

Join us at Spokane’s Riverside State Park next year to find out for yourself!

For more info

www.roundandround.com

www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/29/geared-up-for-spin-cycle/

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

Review & Photo: Scott Schekman

This is a continuation of my earlier review of the Salsa Mamasita …  or perhaps just another step forward in my quest for the ideal single speed (for the way I ride).  After I bought a  2009 Salsa Dos Niner frame and built it up as my regular-rider 29er trail bike,  I decided to convert the Mama to a one gear bike to see how it would do.  After several weeks of riding it, I believe I’d summarize it in two words – RACE BIKE.

"Race Bike!" The Mama drops some gears to show off its true lightness of being.

I borrowed all the components from my Redline Flight rigid SS, and then I installed an 80mm Rock Shox Reba up front.

At one time, Salsa did offer this frame as a dedicated single speed frame and called it the Selma. However, it was discontinued along with the Mamasita. Rumor has it Salsa is bringing back a version of the Mamasita, maybe the Selma will make a reappearance too.
The first ride of this frame built in this configuration was destined to be at the Candlers/Liberty Mountain trail system, my local playground. Candlers has almost everything you could want except large rock gardens.

My very first impression was that I under geared it even though I used the same ratio. It is that responsive to pedal input. When I pedal, it leaps forward. This frame puts the power to the ground and that trait is even more noticeable when it’s set up as a SS. No wasted effort here! I think the only thing that might be better is a full carbon frame.

If this might appeal to your inner racer or you are just desiring a responsive single speed it seems eBay or Craigslist  might be your only choice in building up a mean SS race machine from the Salsa Mamasita.

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

The Giant Reign 1 is ready to aim and fire. Photo - BIKEMAGIC.COM

Review: Randy King

Photos & Video: Doug King and Randy King [Coming Soon]

We who live more than a day’s drive to Moab have a choice to make as we prepare for our pilgrimage: Ship the faithful rig that you know like an extension of yourself, or rent a dream machine / fun wagon while you’re in the mountain bike playground? My vote: rent the dream. On my last trip to Moab I rented a Giant Reign 1 for four days of tecchy riding on the rocks, sand and ledges – a.k.a. the gnarl.

Picking a bike built for the style of riding you’re seeking ups the fun factor. Back east I ride a trail bike, a Trek Fuel Ex 9. In Moab, my brother and I seek out the ledges and technical terrain and ride the rocks. We’re not big hucksters, but we do seek out rougher lines and push our personal limits on the gnarl. The Giant Reign 7 is purpose-built for those all-mountain kinds of days.

Friends, you do not want to realize too late that you brought a knife to a gunfight. Not two hours after my first pedal stroke in Moab, I questioned whether I was in over my head. We had climbed Amasa Back and then taken the extension out to Pothole Arch. From there we completed our loop via Rockstacker and Jackson trail.  Less than 200 yards into Rockstacker is when my serious questioning began. The trail dropped over a six-foot-high rock. I almost lost it trying slide down this beast with my bike. Dig dropped in on his older Reign, rolling down the grippy sandstone. Ah, I had brought a gun. I got back on the Reign and committed to be a worthy rider – or at least to remember that I had the firepower for the task at hand. We proceeded to tackle one of the most technically fun trails ever. Rockstacker and Jackson drop down the side of the Colorado River rim on the opposite side of the river from the infamous Portal Trail. Exposure, ledges and slots abound. The Reign was stable on serious steeps, and handles drops precisely – a key when dropping onto a narrow, exposed trail. The Fox suspension performed as I have come to expect of Fox, very competently.

The Reign 1 was competent and bold in the gnarl.

The Giant Reign 1 is a well-designed, well-kitted all-mountain rig. Hung with a Fox DHX Air 5 shock and a Float fork with through-axle, the bike can mix it up with the gnarl. However, it also climbs well for a beef-cake. Getting it up Amasa Back and Bartlett’s Wash was not as much of a chore as I had feared. In fact, it climbed well. The Maestro suspension design has aged well and is efficient under pedaling forces.

The Reign’s components and drivetrain held up well to a week of hard riding and less than tender loving care. Even after an almost total submersion in the creek at the bottom of the Jackson trail, a tumble or two on Killer B trail, and plenty of little ledges and hasty down shifts, the Reign remained in good working order. It did everything you’d expect of an all-mountain bike, and had that extra bit – it was a fun bike to ride.

The Reign is an all-round performer, which is just what I want in an all-mountain bike. Suspension platforms and design can hide heft and make riding a 6-inch (150MM) travel, 30-pound bike up the hill easier. And when the trail turns downhill and the rocks and ledges are coming fast, the Reign will make you happy that it is not too knife-like. It blasts through rough terrain. On the legendary Porcupine Rim descent I powered over the babyheads and off of small ledges, confident that the Reign could make up for minor mistakes on my part.

I liked the Reign. In Moab I loved the Reign. While I don’t know that I’d want to push the extra pounds around for every ride on the local trail system at home, I miss not having that firepower at my disposal when I’m out in the big mountains and it is time to go downhill. And when I go back to Moab, I’ll rent again … It may just be another Giant Reign.

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

Review: Randy King
Photos: Courtesy of Redcloud Productions

The new mountain bike film, The Potential Inside, premiered in Lynchburg, Virginia on March 10, 2011. Liberty University’s Tower Theater hosted the premier of this inspirational film, and several hundred attended the red carpet event and the showing.

The singletrack of Candler's / Liberty Mountain played a pivotal role in the film. PHOTO: REDCLOUD PRODUCTIONS

The film is well produced, and shows off the Blue Ridge Mountains and Central Virginia’s trails and twisty mountain roads. For a local rider who built my riding skills in these hills, it was a joy to see how good The Potential Inside made this area look on the big screen.

The film has a strong faith-based message, and is a Christian film as much as it is a mountain bike film. Director Scotty Curlee, who also wrote the script and stars in the film, does a good job of showing (not telling), and the serious messages conveyed in the movie are not meted out with a heavy hand. I’d summarize it as being a movie about the challenges and ups and downs of both cycling and life, and how we can overcome.

Most who have spent a significant time aboard bikes know that there is a spiritual component to our pursuit – it’s one of the elements that warrant our obsession. The lessons learned striving for hard-to-achieve goals, suffering setbacks and overcoming trials mirror life and our spiritual journeys.

Rookie Jake gets lectured by veteran Chris. PHOTO: REDCLOUD PRODUCTIONS

The Potential Inside is also a cycling film, and features mountain and road riding, with extensive race scenes and in-depth physical performance testing with Hunter Allen.

The dynamic between Jake (Michael Cuddire), who is not young although he is a racing rookie, and Chris (Scotty Curlee), the veteran who is at a loss in how to handle a deep personal loss, is what makes this film standout. As Chris shares from his expertise to help Jake realize his full potential as a mountain bike racer, Jake is able to help Chris come to terms with his deep loss and move forward with his life. Jake’s age – which almost made Chris refuse to coach him – is what makes him believable as someone who has experienced and overcome tragedy in his own life. The dynamic is a well-executed example of Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

The bridges of Blackwater Creek Trail PHOTO: REDCLOUD PRODUCTIONS

I enjoyed watching The Potential Inside. While some of my enjoyment stemmed from seeing someone from my earliest days of mountain biking succeed in achieving their vision (Scotty Curlee was instrumental in LU’s mountain bike club when I attended), and from seeing the trails I know and love on the big screen, I also enjoyed The Potential Inside for its quality storytelling, production and mountain bike scenes. I’ll be picking up several copies of the film for those on my gift list when it goes on sale on April 19, 2011.

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

Quick Hit: Ergon GX-1 Grips

Review and photo: Scott Schekman

You are probably thinking: how the heck can we consider grips part of big mountain riding? Well, considering that grips are one of the three contact points between us and our bikes, and that big mountain riding often encompasses longer rides and epic conditions, including a review on grips seemed to make sense. Especially if they can make a difference in rider comfort or control.

The grips in this Big Mountain Riding Quick Hit test are Ergon’s basic offering for smaller hands-the GX1. No bar ends are included, although they can be found with another model of the same grip, named the GX2. Along with this model for smaller hands, Ergon offers a full line of grips for a range of riding styles and riders.

I have been using these on my geared and single speed rides since 2009. I bought my first pair as I was preparing for big mountain race the Shenandoah 100.  A friend who had completed the ride a few times and was helping me prepare recommended the Ergons. I can honestly say that my hands were one of the few body parts not totally whipped at the completion of the 100-mile epic race.

Through the shape of the paddle section, they actually eliminate the stress on my palms and wrists. My fingers don’t cramp even when I’m riding my single speed with a rigid fork!

It did take a couple of rides to get the position correct on the bars, but once I did they were – as my grand daughter says – SWEET. The only con I have found is that in cold weather,  thick gloves don’t pair well with these grips, as it can be hard to feel comfortable and in control with the grip’s shape.

To summarize: if you don’t find your current grips that comfortable, or you’re looking for a grip to ease the pain of the miles on your palms, give these a try. Your hands, one of your three contact points with the bike, will thank you.

© 2011 Big Mountain Riding

So Simple, So Fun – This Rigid Singlespeed 29er Will Blow You Away

Review and photo by: Scott Schekman

This is a long term review of my first 29er (of hopefully many), the Redline Monocog Flight 29er. This “Mono-cog deluxe” is not to be confused with the straight Redline Monocog. The Flight upgrades the quality of the cromoly frame, adds disc brakes, and sports a better set of wheels than a Plain Jane Monocog.

I bought my Monocog Flight as a complete rigid single speed in early 2008 for only $800. This was the retail price from my LBS, not an internet special. What I got for that price is a 4.75 pound (2.15 KG)  Sanko cromoly steel frame and fork, Ritchey Pro riser bar and seat post, Avid BB5 mechanical brakes, a decent (although heavy) set of wheels, a FSA Alphadrive singlespeed crank set, and a pair of Maxxis Ignitor folding bead tires. A pretty fair deal, I thought.

Clean lines and sturdy welds mark the simple fun of the Flight

For those still on the fence about the big wheel revolution (or the zealous converted looking for a quick ‘Amen’ line) let me begin with a little history of how I came to drink the 29er Kool-Aid before I get to the bike itself. I was riding pretty regularly with a friend who had been on wagon wheel bikes for some time and he had been telling me I should try one. I was somewhat resistant to the idea of these big wheelers since I had heard all the usual complaints; they handled like trucks, they were plagued by slow acceleration, etc. My friend kept after me, and he finally talked me into trying his wife’s 2007 Redline Flight rigid 29er singlespeed. I tried it out at our local trails on Lynchburg, VA’s Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. There were four of us meeting for that fateful afternoon ride. I was blown away and riding on a rigid at that! At that time I was planning on buying a Fisher Hifi demo bike, but it never happened once I had ridden the Redline. Two weeks after riding that Redline I had one of my own. Then I sold both of my 26ers and also bought a Salsa Mamasita frame, which I built up with gears and a Reba fork to go in the quiver with the Flight SS.

I have found the Redline Monocog Flight 29er to be an extremely versatile bike. I have ridden it configured as a rigid single speed, a geared rigid, and have softened up a bit with a Reba suspension fork. Right now it is back in rigid SS mode. The flexible Flight’s next use will probably be with taller gearing and shoed with cyclocross tires for some paved and gravel roads excursions. A pretty flexible cycle, wouldn’t you agree?

The Monocog Flight's sliding dropouts

Piloting the Flight on single track, the first thing that I noticed was the accurate steering (with a rigid fork) and the good ride for no suspension. Pedaling responsiveness is good – not as good as the Salsa Mamasita, but the Redline is not advertised as a race bike. I did race it once when it had gears and a Reba and it carried itself quite well. For most of its life my Monocog Flight has been set up as a rigid SS, and that seems to suit it well. I switched to a tubeless wheelset and a fatter front tire so I could run lower air pressures for some cushion, but I am 54 years old and not as flexible as I used to be. The Monocog Flight frame uses sliders on the chain stays instead of an eccentric bottom bracket to tension the chain. They’ve worked well, and I have not had them slip since new.

Tight trail switchbacks? No problem. Fast sweeping turns? The Flight’s got ‘em. Rooty, rocky trails? If you remember this is full rigid and line choice is critical to keeping momentum, the Redline Monocog Flight will back up its BMX heritage in its bombproofness. Every time I rode this bike for the first year I was always smiling because it’s just that fun.

I think for a budget single speed 29er it is a tremendous deal; it does everything it should and does it all well. In the market for a 29er single speed? The Redline Flight deserves a serious look.

© 2010 Big Mountain Riding

Number 9, Number 9 – Fuel EX 9 is Another Soldier in Trek’s Quiet Revolution

Review: Randy King
Photo: Trek Bicycle Co.

MORE PHOTOS COMING SOON

I have a new squeeze.  It wasn’t my choice to move on, but sometimes one member of the relationship just wants out, and the other half is left to pick up the pieces. That’s where I was when my 2007 Gary Fisher HiFi Deluxe broke in three places. Trek and my LBS, Bikes Unlimited in Lynchburg, promised to replace it under warranty. While this took longer than expected – more than two months – I won in the end, getting a 2011 Trek Fuel EX 9 frame.

Pretty to look at, fun to ride: 2011 Fuel EX 9. Photo courtesy of Trek

Onto the frame went my Fox TALAS fork, XT rear derailleur, LX front derailleur, Avid Juicy 5 brakes, Thomson seat post, Bontrager Race riser bar and stem and wheels, SPD pedals, and a new Shimano SLX crankset and arms and new Aheadset. Built up so, the bike tips the scales right at 30 pounds (13.6 KG). I would guess that in its from-the-factory kit, the Fuel EX 9 weighs around 27-28 pounds.

I was excited to get the Fuel EX 9, with its Fox DRCV RP-23 shock, which I first had ridden on a 2010 Fuel EX 9.9 and loved. The 9’s “nude aluminum” finish also hooked me.  For the first time in a long time, I started dreaming about color-matching parts and how to bling out my bike. The days drug out while I waited for the word that it had arrived and been rebuilt.

Finally I got the newbie’s tires onto the trail.  Bikes Unlimited, with the on-again-off-again style that plagues their work, had put the wrong air pressure in the shock, and had not test rode the bike, so the cables were not tight. My first ride was like cruising on a barcolounger. So much plush! Unfortunately it did not shift or climb so well.

I looked up the owners manual online and got the air pressure closer on the shock. Now it was an efficient climber, but some of the fun was gone. After a few rides, I left for a week in Moab, where I rode a Giant Reign 7 with the Fox DHX Air shock. I came back East, took off on my Fuel EX 9 (back from the Bike Medic shop with all the cables tightened and the bolts wrenched) and felt like I was aboard a rigid – on a 5″ travel bike.  Time to use all of those knobs that festooned both my TALAS RLC and the DRCV RP-23 with Boost Valve.  After fiddling with compression and slow rebound and the boost valve, I came up  with settings I liked better.

It’s winter now, and my riding is more about getting outdoors and having fun, versus about training or the sheer miles. So, I like the softer settings. I took the Trek Fuel EX 9 to Lynchburg’s Peaks View Park to ride the improved trails. The plusher suspension setting survived casing the landing on Dusty Bottoms, the 32″ vertical ramp that is one of the the park’s Three Amigos (a 12″, 22″ and 32″ set of well-built ramps), and made the three-foot drop-off on Gorilla Soap trail easy to digest.

Compared to the Gary Fisher HiFi, which excelled as an epic race bike, the Fuel EX 9 has a more active suspension. A glance at their linkage designs highlights the differences. In fact, it’s marvelous how efficient the Fuel EX 9 is on climbs, given a linkage design that looks like a Kona. The extra plush and activeness in the suspension works for me, as it unleashes a bolder, more aggressive riding style. A good big mountain riding bike should act as an extension of the rider, and the less that it causes the rider to hesitate before tackling a line – whether tech climb or gnarly descent – the better the bike. Another piece of technology that works well on the Fuel EX 9 – along with the Fox DRCV shock – is the ABP, Trek’s floating pivot aimed at reducing brake jack. Brake jack was something I only noticed in its absence. I had read about it without understanding it, yet flying down rooty descents at Danville, VA’s Angler’s Ridge park, I can tell the difference in the rear suspension not stacking up under braking. It is just another piece of R&D that pays its way by not seeming to be there at all on the Fuel EX 9.

I’m looking forward to getting my style dialed-in on this new squeeze in time for May’s Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race. I think the Fuel EX 9 will take the edge off the miles and bring grins on epic descents. The bike is trail-oriented. By that I mean that it is an efficient climber with suspension enough to take the edge off roots and rocks and mix it up on small drops and jumps. It is not an all-out XC race machine – a few extra pounds and the more relaxed angles would grow tiresome while sprinting or on competitive climbs.  Nor would I have wanted to trade it for the Giant Reign 7 I rode in Moab – which felt so solid and confident as I dead-sailored it off of rock ledges and powered through rock gardens.

So, what’s the verdict? This is another expensive bit of fun from Trek. Like the Fuel EX 9.9 and the Remedy 8 we reviewed earlier, the Trek Fuel EX 9 rides like cheap fun, belying the science and craftsmanship that it takes to turn out a bike that can do so much so well. A complete bike is priced at more than $3,500.  The technology mostly works in harmony, and gives the rider options to tune the bike to suit several styles – efficient epic racer, or plusher rough-and-ready trail bike, etc.  It is definitely a big mountain riding bike, as well as being just plain fun to ride.

© 2010 Big Mountain Riding

A bike for the season

Review and photos: Randy King

Click on any image in this story to see a larger version

Every dog has its day, and there is no mountain bike perfect for all trails. Yet sometimes you end up on the right trail with the right bike and it’s like puzzle pieces clicking together.  Aha! That’s why they added that component … I see why they made the frame like that … Railing the Giant Trance X4 down the natural sandstone stairs of Phoenix’s National Trail, the bike’s seemingly odd set up and parts mix worked together and shone in operation.

On those sandstone stairs the Giant Trance X4’s Marzocchi Bomber 33R coil fork, eThirteen bash guard, 2.35″ (60MM) tires, 7″ (180MM) front brake rotor and beefy WTB Devo Team saddle all made sense. I was glad they were there for me as I tried to gauge grip, depth, speed and flex on the fly and on less than four hours of sleep.

Giant made waves when it introduced its Maestro suspension design in 2005. Bike magazines raved about the Trance and Reign models, the 100MM (4″) and 140MM (5.5″) travel trail models. I rode the original Trance while shopping for my next big mountain bike. It did everything it was supposed to, but did not inspire. Big Mountain Riding contributor “Dig” King bought a used Reign. He loves the beefy, rough and ready frame and components that handle his rough riding style. It rocked on Porcupine Rim Trail in Moab.  However, he is not a fan of pedaling +30 pounds (13.6 KG) of bike up hills.

Enter the Trance X. It’s sort of an in-between one, as DMB would say, and is a case for 5″ (125 MM) as the best all-around suspension length.  The bike handles itself well on climbs, although it is on the heavy side of 30 pounds.  But this is a time to trust Boris “The Blade” from Snatch, when he said “Heavy is good. Heavy is sign of reliability.”  Heavily built is what you want when picking your way through a gauntlet of sharp-edged rocks and very prickly vegetation. This was my first time riding a legendary Marzocchi fork. The coil 33R felt rock solid, though it shared other characteristics with a rock too. At just over 5 pounds (2.3 KG), the fork adds a lot to the Trance X4’s overall portliness.  It made the bike feel a bit front-heavy. Wheelie drops were not easy for my jet-lagged and sleep-deprived body with 5 pounds of fork and big tires up front. Fortunately, the coil “Zoke” could handle any fudged drop ins.

In the end, the question is would you buy this bike? My answer, your hard-earned bones may be better spent on a higher-model, even if it’s a used one. The Trance X4 is fun, but the weight would get old soon on prolonged climb. I know from my own Fox TALAS fork that lighter air forks can dish up just as much beef as this coil ‘Zoke.  In short, I like it … but it can be even better.

©2010 Big Mountain Riding