#2017 21.5 TREK STACHE 5 MANUALS#
#2017 21.5 TREK STACHE 5 FULL#
#2017 21.5 TREK STACHE 5 PRO#

As Tom Marvin, tech editor of BikeRadar’s sister print publication, What Mountain Bike, puts it, “It’s not a bike that likes to be sprinted on.” Crux moves where you need a sudden burst of forward thrust can be particularly challenging – hampered in no small part by the woefully slow-engaging DT Swiss rear hub.

Steady-state climbing at moderate speeds isn’t so bad as a result but it’s impossible not to notice the extra effort required to extract quick surges in speed. That’s about 800g of extra weight as compared to a typical 27.5in trail bike setup but it feels like much more when you consider the exponentially amplified rotational inertia effects of the Stache 9’s larger-diameter wheels. Sun-Ringlé says each rim weighs 655g, the actual weight of the tires is nearly 900g apiece, and each tube is upwards of 400g (although thankfully, it’s easy to convert to tubeless). The Bontrager Chupacabra tires roll quickly but there’s no escaping their substantial weight and inertia something with slightly grippier rubber and a more pronounced cornering knobs would yield truly insane traction

something with slightly grippier rubber and a more pronounced cornering knobs would yield truly insane traction: some of the advantages of the 3in tires’ huge footprint is squandered by the medium-density rubber compound and minimal shoulder tread. Some of the advantages of the 3in tires’ huge footprint is squandered by the medium-density rubber compound and minimal shoulder tread. The bike isn’t especially hefty as far as trail bikes go with an actual static weight of 12.26kg (27.03lb, 17.5in size, tubeless, without pedals) but its substantial rotational weight can make it feel much heavier. Between the terrain-flattening ability of the bigger and higher-volume wheel-and-tyre package and the extra cornering traction, you basically have to slow down a lot less than usual but you still have to get all that mass rolling initially. Remember that friend you had in college? The big dude who dwarfed the rest of you in height and weight but could still keep up and was always the life of the party? That’s pretty much the Stache 9 in a nutshell. Overall, the one word that best describes the Stache 9 is ‘fun’. The front end is reasonably long, the head tube angle usefully slack, and the bottom bracket is quite low – and let’s not forget about the additional stabilising effect of all that rotational inertia.

#2017 21.5 TREK STACHE 5 MANUALS#

It’s a piece of cake to flick the bike from corner to corner and even though the balance point is higher up off the ground, that ultra-short rear end still makes it far easier to loft the front end for bunnyhops and manuals than you might think.ĭespite that agility, the Stache 9 is still confidently stable at warp speed. That stubby overall length makes the Stache 9 surprisingly manoeuvrable in tight quarters and unlike with most full-blown fat bikes, at no time does anything feel weird through the bars. The rear end is ridiculously short and makes for correspondingly ridiculous manoeuvrability The elevated driveside chainstay allows for an ultra-short rear end – down to a truly insane 405mm if you’re ok with minimal mud clearance: the elevated driveside chainstay allows for an ultra-short rear end – down to a truly insane 405mm if you’re ok with minimal mud clearance

#2017 21.5 TREK STACHE 5 FULL#

In its shortest setting, the chainstays measure a miniscule 405mm from bottom bracket to rear axle – a full 3cm shorter than a full-suspension Trek Fuel EX 29er trail bike with the same decrease in wheelbase. Those big meats are just one of the two characteristics that define the Stache 9’s personality, though the other is its rather unique frame geometry.ĭespite having wheels that are two inches bigger in diameter, the Stache 9’s radically shaped frame yields a hyper-compact and adjustable rear end. The lack of similar movement out back (plus the tyres’ minimal tread) makes the back end occasionally prone to kicking out but all things considered, it’s generally quite controllable and yields heaps of tail-out hooliganism.

#2017 21.5 TREK STACHE 5 PRO#

Manitou is back! The Magnum Pro fork is fantastic The manitou magnum pro fork is a superb match for the 3in tires, offering a supple feel off the top and well controlled bottom-out that essentially cancels out the bounciness of the higher tire volume – at least up front: the manitou magnum pro fork is a superb match for the 3in tires, offering a supple feel off the top and well controlled bottom-out that essentially cancels out the bounciness of the higher tire volume – at least up front

2017 21.5 trek stache 5