![]() If the Trek Stache looks like a bike that would be fun where you ride then it's probably one of the most fun bikes for where you ride. We're well over a decade removed from the idea that everyone needs a burly bike with lots of travel and as much as I'm passionate about hardtails with bleeding edge slack head tube angles, hugely aggressive (slow rolling) tires and DH brakes, I recognize that that's not an ideal setup for most places. Maximizing the Stache experience is all about being honest about where and how the bike will be ridden. ![]() Or maybe call it $3000 (USD) with an X-Fusion Manic dropper post and the air system in the fork upgraded to Manitou's awesome Dorado air system. It is dialed out of the box and I think it offers a lot of value for $2700 (USD). Location dependent I could definitely see it being my only bike - with a 3" DHF 3c on tap for road trips and I know a lot of riders for whom it would be a great second bike. It sacrifices some level of intuitiveness for a very clean appearance and excellent performance and after I'd used it once it was fast to adjust the wheelbase at home in the shop. I did play around with the Trek's wheelbase via their Strangehold system. ![]() This is unfortunate because the conditions where it shines parallel perfect trails for one gear riding. Unfortunately, the stock XD driver wheel and a lack of a Boost replacement of sufficient rim width prevented me from testing the Stache as a single speed. The ultimate mix of traction, support and comfort comes from airing the tires down until they feel a bit squirrely pushing into corners and then adding a few pumps of air at a time until they don't. At this point, I was bottoming the ultra supple Chupacabra tires onto the rims more often than I would have liked on my personal bike but the ride quality was excellent. With the Huck Norris system installed I kept the air pressure in the same zone and rode on with a feeling of impunity. The Chupacabra tires perform best with pressure in the mid-to-low teens.
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