The geometry is slacker than the Stache, but even with though Full Stache feels a little floppy at first up front, the feeling quickly goes away after a few hundred yards. Bontrager’s rubber compound finds traction on the slickest of surfaces and the ReAktiv-valved shock stays stable while still absorbing the hits that make it past those big tires. I expected the Full Stache to feel cumbersome at the low speeds required on these trails, but the short chainstays must be working some magic, because in most conditions the Full Stache just feels like getting a skill upgrade. The trails that are rideable are full of lots of slippery rocks, tight turns and low-speed dynamic moves. Not exactly elegant, but how else are you going to fit 29×3 tires into 430 mm chainstays and 130mm of travel? Those chainstays are slightly shorter than the Fuel EX.įew local trails that have been able to stand up to this spring that is the wettest in memory. There is one obvious difference which Trek was nice enough to point out in a bright yellow hue on this otherwise olive drab frame: The frame is aluminum front and rear, with Trek’s Knock Block headset and straight downtube. Same 130mm of front and rear travel, same suspension system (ABP, Mino flip-chip, Full Floater shock, ReAktiv valve shock), similar geometry. To put is maybe too simply, the Full Stache is a 29plus version of Trek’s Fuel EX trail bike. I stopped wondering a few weeks ago when this weird animal of a bike showed up at Dirt Rag HQ. Ever since the introduction of the SE4/XR4 29×3 tire in the Fall of 2017 I’ve been wondering if there might be a bike designed around the capabilities of this tire. They held out well during the course of the ride.Trek’s Stache 29plus hardtail has opened many eyes to the wonderful weirdness of 29plus tires. For this trip, Zach kept to the stock tires as they’re grippy and fast rolling. At the other end of the scale, spinning out in the high gears was rarely an issue. In hindsight, Zach says he’d definitely have preferred a 26T chainring to help tackle some of the trail’s steeper climbs, as well as allowing for some respite during the inevitable afternoon fatigue. The 30T chainring was also swapped out for a 28T, given the load carried, the distance covered, and Colorado’s unforgiving topography. It features a revised geometry for 2017 with even shorter chainstays than before, thanks to both Boost spacing and its now classic elevated driveside chainstay.The stock bike is built with 29+ tires and a carbon wheelset, but you can also fit 27.5+ and 29er tires the Stranglehold adjustable thru axle allows chainstay length to be adjusted.įor the Colorado Trail, Zach swapped out the Bontrager Drop Line 125 for a rigid carbon one, in the interests of reliability and so a standard seat pack could be used. The 9.8 is Trek’s top level Stache and comes with all the carbon trimmings. It makes a great template for what to carry on the Colorado Trail, a balance that reflects his desire to enjoy its incredible, technical trails to the maximum, while still carrying everything required for a complete, relaxing, backcountry experience. Having recently moved from a full suspension rig to a more bikepacking-friendly hardtail, his choice of bike is a clue to his racing background – a full carbon, lightweight setup – and his considered gearlist is well honed from years of backpacking. His cadence never fluctuates and fitness and his bike handling skills never fail to humble and inspire me – he regularly cleans sections of trails that I didn’t imagine could be ridden, with or without bikepacking gear. When it comes to mountain biking, Zach is a precision instrument. In fact, Zach grew up backpacking with his family since the tender age of three! These days, Zach gravites towards the adventurous side of mountain biking, where he puts his skillset as both an incredibly strong rider and his mountain experience to great use along the way, he also spent a couple of years fighting wildfires with the Hotshots, so is no stranger to minimal camping and spending time in remote areas.
Over the years, he’s represented the Rockshox Devo Team and been a member of the US National MTB team, racing internationally.
Trek full stache pro#
In a former life, Zach was a pro mtb racer based in Durango. Jackson-born Zach Shriver is a firefighter who works in Los Alamos, Santa Fe.
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