Trail Testing: 29+ Trek Stache 9

With the new Stache being one of the most talked about bikes at Sea Otter 2015 (there must be something to unveiling it to the public in a snowglobe), we made sure we were on the list to receive one right away. We’ve only just begun putting miles in on this unique bike from Trek, but we’re having a blast.

Let’s start with the obvious. “Those tires are massive…but not too massive…” The new Trek Stache runs 29+ tires (a term coined for the combination of 29 x 3-inch tires and 50-millimeter rims). The idea behind this is simple; traction. Lots of it. With the tires being set up tubeless, we’re running pressures around 12 psi. At such pressures, we’re finding plenty of stability in corners, without the fear of blowing off tires, but with the benefit of additional traction. With our dry Southern California corners getting looser by the ride, we’re finding the Trek Stache finding more of a hold in many of the corners our standard trailbikes would not.

Look for the full write-up in an upcoming issue of Mountain Bike Action, but until then, check out some of the details of the bike. Some highlights are the new Manitou Magnum 34 Pro fork, a unique chainstay design, the SUNringle Mulefut rims and Stranglehold dropouts that are designed to simplify singlespeed setup and increase geometry versatility.