SPOTTED: General Manger Jeff Craven and his custom Fuel EX in their natural co-habitat.
Jeff joins a growing number of riders who are choosing versatility over all-out performance in a narrow domain. The Fuel EX fits this profile perfectly, with its balanced geometry and 140/130mm suspension platform. Living in Hood River, OR, you'd have a hard time designing a bike more purpose built for our trail systems. Whether flowing down Gran Prix, or hammering up El Dorado with Strava running, the Fuel EX is the ultimate trail bike for riders who want one bike to be able to ride pretty much anywhere.
Jeff made a few tweaks to Trek's 9.8 platform to suit his riding style. For starters, a Rockshox Pike Ultimate up front helps keep the front end tracking even in ridiculously loose mid-summer moon dust conditions. Jeff keeps the fork set up at 140mm of travel, keeping the bike's geometry balanced and neutral. We've seen some riders opt for the 150mm fork option, but Jeff didn't want to slacken the bike out beyond the current "Low" mino-link setting. Keeping it stock retains the bike's aggressive pedaling capabilities and doesn't seem to hold Jeff back at all when he's mobbing down Trail 140 at 6AM to beat the heat. God speed, Jeff.
The all-new Teravail Kessel's keep things rubber side down.
Massive 29 x 2.6" tires front and rear help contribute to this bike's bottomless feel on rowdy descents.
Jeff opted for the new GX AXS upgrade kit by SRAM. #BUZZ
No navigation necessary here, just pure data. Knock Block keeps the fork crown from smacking into the down tube. The Bontrager Line Carbon bars at 780mm provide a stable platform for descending, while still offering plenty of clearance through the trees.