40mm wide carbon wheels make for a stiff, light, package The wheels are tubeless ready as are the tires, you’d be a fool to run tubes on this bike. The boost hubs allow for the wheel to be super stiff laterally as well which is critical for a bike that can rail corners as fast as the Stache can. With such a lightweight combination you would never know you’re on rubber as big as you are as the wheel spin up effortlessly. The wheels that the Chupacabras are mounted to are Bontrager’s new Line Pro 40 carbon hoops with bontrager hubs that look and sound suspiciously like DT240s. Despite the small knobs the Chupacabras have near limitless traction. Due to the amazing traction the bike climbs like a billy goat! A couple of the hardest hills in town, Prime Rib and the east entrance to Cambodia are extremely challenging or impossible on most bikes but the Stache climbs them both with ease. I’ve yet to run out of tire in the front. The only time I’ve skidded is when I grabbed way too much rear brake on a descent just to see what would happen. When you first look at the tires you wonder how they can possibly hook up but due to the large surface area and low tire pressure, (11 front, 12 rear) they are impossible to break loose. The tires that come with the Stache are the Bontrager Chupacabras and let me tell you, they are amazing. The elevated chainstay allows for an impossibly short and stiff rear end with the ability to run 29+, 27.5+ and 29 tires. Many companies are exploiting the modern geometry which results in bikes that climb like xc rigs and descend with the confidence of a full blown 140mm trail bike. The third thing that should be noted on the Stache is the longer top tube with a slacker head angle. They accomplished this by using boost hub spacing and and assymetric chainstay design that actually goes above the chain line on the drive side of the bike. Trek has managed to get the chainstay length down to 420mm, that is 22mm shorter than my cross country race bike’s chainstay. The idea behind this tire size is an increase in traction as well as a noticeable increase in the roll over ability when you hit roots and rocks on the trails. The first and most obvious thing that sets this bike apart from virtually everything else on the market are the large 29+ tires. Now that the most common questions are out of the way let’s start with what makes the bike unique. How much does it cost? This model retails for $6249.99 but there are many models in the lineup to cater to every budget. Is it slow? It must be slow with those tires! I’ll touch on this one later. How big are those tires? 29×3″ on 40mm wheels. Not as light as an xc race rocket, remember, this is a trail bike!ĭoes it ride like a fatbike? Not even close. Is it heavy? I wouldn’t say so, it’s about 27 lbs ready to go. Not one ride has gone by where I haven’t been stopped multiple times by curious onlookers with a variety of questions. I’ve only put 150km on the bike so far so this won’t be a full blown review, it will be a first impressions post on the bike. You need to enable JavaScript to run this app.Recently I picked up a 2017 Trek Stache 9.8 with the idea that it would be my trail bike for next year. Local to Colorado? Come visit us at our Louisville, CO Bike Store! If you’re looking for a high-tech ride that is efficient and rides over everything, the Stache has the bars you want to grab. 2017 brought out a carbon-fiber frame, and since, aluminum and carbon-fiber versions have been available, providing cross-country speed on a low-key trail platform. There was even a rigid-fork version, the Stache 5, for old-school simplicity and cutting-edge practical tech. The current monster configuration, 1x only, debuted in 2016, with Boost spacing, 3.0” tires and a raised right chainstay. A trail-oriented hardtail with 1x and 2x versions available. The Stache arrived in 2013 with 2.3” tires, a 120mm travel fork, and an aluminum frame. Sliding dropouts allow the rear wheel to get tucked tightly underneath for efficiency, and a reactive ride, down to 405mm even with 3” tires, and a way to run it as a single-speed. The bike scoots up climbs thanks to a lightweight frame and rigid rear. 3.0” tires offer compliance and incredible grip. The Trek Stache is a 29+ hardtail with a 120mm fork and sliding dropouts.
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