Trek Stache 7 29+ : Review and First Impressions

Описание: I finally got it! The 2017 Trek Stache 7 caught my eye a couple of months ago but I needed to sell my Trek Superfly and my Cannondale Jekyll before I could go for it. I have been looking at plus tire bikes for over a year now and have ridden several different versions.

A plus or midfat tire certainly has its pros and cons but for someone like me who loves the efficiency and feel of a hardtail but is looking for added comfort and all conditions traction they seem to be a great choice. The best part about the Slash is that it can easily run a normal 29er or even a 27.5 plus for a change in ride.

While I enjoy groomed trails as much as anyone most of my riding is heading out into the wilderness on trails that either see very few mountain bikes or very few people in general. All of these things made a bike like the Stache a perfect fit. I already knew that I loved the handling of the Trek Superfly and the Stache feels very much like a slightly slacker slightly stouter version of that bike.

In addition to all of my "normal" mountain bike riding I am seriously considering riding the Arizona Trail from North to South in October/November of 2017. The Arizona Trail is passable but it traverses a huge variety of terrain and includes a great deal of hike-a-bike. For this reason the reliable, efficient and easy to pack hardtail is ideal. The 29 plus tires should lessen the jarring my body takes and in conjunction with the ultra low gearing of the 1x11 there should be slightly less hike-a-bike than if I had taken my Superfly.

For those who are not familiar with Manitou and Sunringle. Both companies have been around for a long time and while they produce a lower volume than RockShox Fox or Sram they tend to make an excellent product. Both companies are owned by Hayes and so when Hayes set out to make some of the industries first 29+ components they used Manitou and Sun Ringle to execute that.

The fork travel is up 10mm from last year's Stache and the wheels from Sun Ringle are different as well. Both of those changes are positives in my book.

The bike weighs almost exactly 29lbs the way I have it set up with tubeless. Before setting it up tubeless it weighed just over 31lbs. Considering the only thing not included with the bike to go tubeless is the actual sealant there is no reason for new owners to wait to make the conversion. The wheels are pre taped, there are tubeless valves in the bikes and both the wheels and tires are designed to be tubeless ready.

If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments down below, check out Wild Outdoor Living on Facebook and instagram and as always please subscribe.

For an awesome video of the Stache getting thrashed by one of the best check out the 29+ Challenge video    • Cam McCaul and the 29+ Challenge