I sold a thing and bought a new thing

"You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much" (youcantellafinn) 07/28/2016 at 13:46 • Filed to: None

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So remember this spring when !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ? Well, it sold itself and will be leaving me Monday or Tuesday when a new thing shows up to take its place. The Fuel EX 8 29" is an awesome bike, and I didn’t really have any intentions of selling it. I was planning on maybe upgrading the drivetrain over the winter to 1x11 or maybe 1x12. My bro-in-law got wind of that and he wanted to get a 29er. It made more sense to sell him the EX 8 and upgrade to the Fuel EX 9 than to throw parts at the EX 8. He gave me too good of an offer not to look at new bikes and the LBS gave me too good of a price on a new one to pass it up.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 13:51

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I pre ordered a Super 73 on Kickstarter, 1000W motor but it has pedals so I can take it anywhere. And it holds beer. I’m going to make a rack so my dog can come too.

functionoverfashion > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 14:12

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Awesome, I have a 2014 Fuel Ex5 and long for the upgraded components... nice move.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 14:19

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I would love a new fuel ex9. I’m still ridding a 2012 Trek Rumblefish Pro, which is the spiritual predecessor to the Trek’s 29er trail bikes. It was way ahead of it’s time when it came out and I still ride the shit out of it. I’m probably looking for a new more slack angle 29er next season.

TrustMeImAnEngineer, but I'd rather be an InternationalArtThief > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 14:24

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“Is that 29er?”
“Ugh.”

TheRealBicycleBuck > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 14:28

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Looks like fun. If I had some real hills to throw it at, I might consider getting something with more bounce than what I already own. Louisiana is just way too flat.

Mattbob > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 14:53

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Nice!! I just got a used EX7 a couple months ago, and absolutely love it (it came with a factory level rear shock, so that helps). How much of a difference do you notice between the different levels?

Mattbob > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 07/28/2016 at 14:54

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this seems to have a serious lack of triangles.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Mattbob 07/28/2016 at 14:58

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Yeah it’s designed like the 1970's mini motorbikes. It has a box frame , very strong, hand made in the USA.

RallyWrench > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 15:03

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Dig it. I’d love a Fuel 27.5, killer bikes.

Mattbob > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 07/28/2016 at 15:27

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haha, I love that ad “50Lbs of DYNAMITE!” Sounds like a good time! The pedals on that thing look like they are there just to classify it as a pedal powered vehicle. The ergonomics to pedal look terrible. Would be a blast to fly around on though.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Mattbob 07/28/2016 at 15:35

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I won’t know until next week. The new bike should be ready Monday or Tuesday. It will be interesting to see the difference between the two bikes. The new one EX 9 has a little more travel (130 mm v. 120 mm) and the rear shock looks to be slightly different too. It also comes with the Fox 34 fork instead of the 32 on the EX 8. It should be a much stiffer bike than my old one, and is slightly lighter. I doubt I’ll be able to notice the stiffness difference between the two as I suspect that will be overshadowed by the travel increase and drivetrain differences.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Mattbob 07/28/2016 at 15:37

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Oh for sure I am not riding it for exercise. It’s to take my bulldog places for walks and then when he gives up we can saddle up. There are lots of places I can go nearby that would be silly to take a car, but I live on top of a huge hill. I think my dog would enjoy the ride as well and I can theoretically take this into the national recreation areas where motorcycles are not allowed (pedal when rangers are around). There are some huge hills by the beach/golden gate bridge that are fun but my bulldog will never get that far in, so I might ride into places and walk, then get back on.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > TrustMeImAnEngineer, but I'd rather be an InternationalArtThief 07/28/2016 at 15:38

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Try one. This spring I got the EX8 after riding a Giant Trance 1 for 10 years. The 29er rolls way better, soaks up roots and things way better and climbs better. It does everything better than my old 26" bike even though it is heavier with more travel.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/28/2016 at 15:39

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Nothing wrong with riding an old bike. I just upgraded this spring from my 2006 Giant Trance 1. That got sold to a buddy of mine and it’s still going strong for him.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > RallyWrench 07/28/2016 at 15:41

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They are definitely awesome bikes. Hopefully the new one is just as good as the “old” one.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 07/28/2016 at 15:42

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Looks like a fun thing to tool around on. Not quite enough suspension for the riding I do though.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 15:45

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I’m not sure what I can do about the front forks, I don’t think it has a normal headset. The fat tires can help though. I won’t get too nuts.

TrustMeImAnEngineer, but I'd rather be an InternationalArtThief > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 16:40

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Oh I agree with everything that it does better and I understand how good they are, but one of the core principles of mountain biking is picking a wheel size to be disdainful of! They are just too big for my taste though, I’d maybe go to 650B one day but even that’s unlikely unless it’s a hardtail.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/28/2016 at 22:47

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Gratz on the new bike! Is it a 2016 model? Apparently the rear shock underwent a major overhaul for the new model year since Fox came out with some new tech. I have a ‘15 EX 8 and am happy with it, though I need to replace the handlebars because currently they don’t ‘inspire confidence’. I think it’s the way they’re rotated but it’s nearly a flat bar so maybe I’m just more used to risers.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 07/28/2016 at 22:56

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I’m selling a ‘16 EX 8 and replacing it with a ‘17 EX 9. They both have the re/aktiv rear shock. The suspension is absolutely awesome on the EX 8 and I’m sure will be just as good on the EX 9. I didn’t really plan on getting a new bike this soon, but things kind of fell into place. I sold my ‘06 Giant Trance this spring, I usually hang on to bikes.

The re/aktiv Shock is pretty cool. It was developed by Penske Racing for F1, Trek thought it might work good on bikes so they hooked up with Penske and brought in Fox to sort the packaging and production of it. I have an old post about that I can try to dig up tomorrow.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 07/29/2016 at 07:24

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I found the post I did on the RE:aktiv shocks last year.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/keep-oppo-car-…

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 08/01/2016 at 14:19

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Nice! That’s a sweet looking bike!

After talking to a bunch of friends who ride (including one that works at an LBS in Arizona), doing a ton of research, riding a few models, and visiting a couple of LBS near me I ended up ordering a Trek X Caliber 8 (they didn’t have it in the right size/color at the LBS I decided to buy from). It’ll be here Wednesday or Thursday. I can’t wait to get out riding.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > TheRealBicycleBuck 08/01/2016 at 14:27

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Louisiana is just way too flat.

This is how I feel about Illinois, which is why I ended up going with a nice hardtail.

Well, that and because a good hardtail was much more in my price range. lol

TheRealBicycleBuck > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 08/01/2016 at 14:41

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Unfortunately, being flat doesn’t mean there aren’t some nasty washboards on the trail just waiting to rattle your teeth. Although I started with a hardtail, I discovered the joy of full suspension and bought a cross-country bike with springs on both ends. I just won’t be doing any “sick” drops with it like the OP.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > TheRealBicycleBuck 08/01/2016 at 14:47

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Haha fair enough. Hopefully I don’t run into too much of that.

I got a bunch of opinions, read a ton of reviews, and test rode a few bikes. I really like the Trek X Caliber 8 that I ended up going with, and plenty of people said it should be perfect for the type of riding I plan to do. I mainly plan to do some easier cross country riding, but wanted a bike that could handle some more technical single tracks when I’m able to find them. haha

TheRealBicycleBuck > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 08/01/2016 at 14:59

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Looks nice and gets good reviews.

I don’t think I’ll own another hardtail. I really like being able to park my butt on the seat and just spin through the small rough stuff. Too much time on a road bike, I suppose.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > TheRealBicycleBuck 08/01/2016 at 15:04

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I was considering going with a road bike, lots of guys I work with and a few friends outside of the office ride them. But I grew up BMXing in the Arizona desert, and got into a bit of trail riding before I moved. I just like the versatilty of off-road too much. Haha That being said, if I really get hooked on MTBing a nice FS will be in my future.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 08/01/2016 at 15:12

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Thanks, that looks like a nice ride that you’re picking up too.

I really liked the EX8 that I rode for the first half of the summer, but got too good of a deal on this one and too good of an offer on my old one to pass it up. It will be interesting to see the difference between the two bikes, as there were some fairly significant changes between model years. The 1x11 drivetrain is what I was really interested in, and with the deals on buying and selling it was cheaper to get a new bike than it would have been for me to get parts for the EX8.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 08/01/2016 at 15:18

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If you can only have one bike, then a mountain bike is the way to go. A second set of wheels with slicks makes for a passable road bike without taking up too much space. My MTB did commuting duties during the week and bombed trails on the weekends. It was all I had room (and money) for while I was in college.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 08/01/2016 at 15:21

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Sounds like a winning combination to me!

Francis Chapman > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 05/02/2018 at 01:14

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Congrats on your new bike. That really looks cool! I was also looking for recommendations about getting a new bike. Many recommended a Trek bike, but I ended up buying a Morpheus Bike Conspiracy Standard Build (I got it here: https://www.morpheusbikes.com/product-page/kopie-von-conspiracy-standard-build ). I always look forward to riding it.