With the sliding drops set at 16-and-a-quarter inches, the Stache is very lively and maneuverable, which is shocking at first since the wheels rolling beneath you are massive. Riding the Stache 29+ brought an instant smile to my face evoking the same feelings of freedom and elation I had my first summer on a mountain bike. So, how does it ride? Frankly, it’s fun as hell. Only something called Project Weird could wind up with the largest production tire diameter and shortest chainstays on the same bike. It isn’t just another hardtail–the new Stache is an off-the-wall experiment gone totally…right. Finally, Bontrager refined the 29+ tire, and the Stache 29+ was born. Then Surly came in with the Knard, leading to the addition of Boost spacing, which Trek was already developing to make better 29-inch wheels. SRAM’s 1×11 drivetrains allowed designers to stick the chainstay where a front derailleur used to go. So, the Chupacabra was born–a 3-inch-wide tire weighing 860 grams, about the same as a 29×2.3 Maxxis Minion II.Īs it was being developed, Project Weird became a magnet for emerging technologies. Trek knew that this 29+ thing would never take off without a better, lighter tire that riders could accelerate and maneuver easily. The Surly Knard led the way as the first production 29+ tire, but it was heavy. Trek was also fortunate to have Bontrager, which Trek owns, helping out with tires. Luckily, Trek was already developing Boost 148 rear and 110 front axle spacing that could accommodate larger rubber. Larger-volume tires were added to the second prototype, but the bike had clearance issues. In the longest position, that’s a full inch shorter than the 2015 Stache 29.Īnother takeaway from prototyping was that short stays are fun, but the tight rear triangle creates a harsh ride. The range they settled on for production, however, is still astoundingly stubby: The sliding dropouts are adjustable from 15.9 to 16.5 inches. By elevating the drive-side chainstay and moving the downtube out of the way, they discovered that ‘too short’ is definitely possible. Needless to say, I was a bit taken aback when first laying eyes on this update of Trek’s popular trail hardtail.ĭevelopment began in the spring of 2012 with a project dubbed ‘Project Weird.’ Trek’s mountain bike group wanted to find out how short they could make the chainstays on a 29er, and if it was possible to go too short. Figuring that 29+ was ridiculous, I assumed that it’d be of the more reasonable 27.5+ variety. When Vernon Felton and I flew to Trek’s headquarters this past March to check out the brand’s secret new bike, all we knew was that it would have plus-size tires. RYAN PALMER | TEST LOCATION: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA I suppose an ankle pad would be an option for a long-term fix.TREK STACHE 9 29+ | $3,880 ($940, FRAME ONLY) | TREKBIKES.COM I spaced out the bottom bracket and pedal a bit, which helped, but it didn’t fully solve the problem. This is because it’s right at the level of my back foot in descending position. The only challenge for me, personally, is that I tended to ding my right ankle on the raised chainstay when giving it too much English or getting bounced around on rocky sections. Plus, it doesn’t fit into any of today’s bike category boxes it’s a one-of-a-kind design and riding experience. It’s reminiscent of those early ‘90s front-suspension hardtails - like my trusty Yeti ARC with a RockShox Mag 21 - but the exaggerated tires and modern technology make it feel right at home on today’s black-diamond flow trails. It’s fun because it harks back to why we started riding in the first place.namely, for fun. There’s no question: the Trek Stache is a blast to ride. When all was assembled, it tipped the scale at 26.5 pounds, which is right in line with a high-end trail bike. Other component choices include the Selle SMP 209 saddle and Chris King NoThreadset headset. Many ways to dial and adjust these brakes on the fly Reed Apparently, this is something you have to get used to with a plus bike in order to get the most out of it. It should be noted that I bottommed the rear tire on the rim on pretty much every ride - often making a loud ping! noise - but never flatted or compromised the rim in any way. Altogether, the set weighs about 1,700 grams, and each tire weighs about 900 grams. The M6 series is designed for trail use, and with an internal width of 40mm, the 640s support tires ranging from 2.8 to 3.2 inches. I sent the XTR hubs to ENVE to be built with its M640 hoops. The wheel choice, then, was pretty clear. It’s a hardtail that you punish like a full-suspension bike for the pure fun of it (with the added benefit of efficient climbing out of the saddle). This isn’t an XC hardtail, nor is it a bike for Strava PRs. One of the themes of this Stache build is that everything needs to be burly.
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