Trek Farley EXTrek let their Stache 29+ hardtail loose on the world at last year's Sea Otter Classic, a
goofily fun bike that surprised many riders with its capabilities, myself included. This time around big wheels are the theme again, but now Trek has gone ahead and created a line of full suspension fat bikes that roll on 27.5 x 3.8” tires. 26” wheels are still the most common size for fat bikes due to the limited number of extra-fat 27.5” tire options, but Trek didn't let that hold them back – they simply developed their own tire line, and then built the bikes that would fit the new tires.
According to Trek, fat bikes are their fastest growing category, and the most searched term on their web site is 'fat bikes', factors that led them to decide to expand the line to include more than just hardtails. Who's the ideal rider for the Farley EX? It's not necessarily someone who lives in a location that's snowbound most of the year, although it's certainly a good option for those conditions. Instead, Trek sees the Farley EX series as being more versatile, a bike that could serve as someone's primary bike year round, rather than being an N+1, off-season bike.
In addition to further smoothing out rough terrain, the bike's 120mm of front and rear travel makes it easier to keep the undamped rebound created by the big tires in check. The Farley EX uses the same suspension design found throughout Trek's mountain bike line, including the RE:activ shock technology that was developed in conjunction with Penske and Fox.
There will be two versions of the Farley EX, one with a carbon frame one with an aluminum frame. The carbon EX 9.8 comes with Bontrager's Wampa carbon wheels, a RockShox Bluto, and a SRAM X01/X1 drivetrain for $5,500 USD. The alloy version is equipped with a RockShox Bluto, Sun Ringle Mulefut wheels, and a SRAM GX drivetrain for $3,500. Both bikes are expected to be available this August.
Geometry
MENTIONS: @trek
Absolutely loved it. Not sure if devil sits in the wheel size here, something tells me that tyre width plays the biggest role but none the less, I hope my local Trek Factory Store will have this Farley for testing soon. Again, plus sized tyres do make a difference and can be game changers for those of you less fortunate to have a sweet singletrack system but instead can really go beyond the point where trail ends andcan explore the true wild.
Meanwhile, I have 33+ Mountain Bikes, and over the last two years my Farley EX8 has accumulated more hours than all the others put together over the past 5 years...
My EX8 (and now EX9. may not be the quickest or fastest bikes on the market... but I am fairly sure they
*Slow Down The LEAST* meaning that, over most of the terrain in the NorthEast, I have my fastest segments with the EXs because I; Corner Faster, Float Over Roots and Rocks Better, Climb Farther and Faster on Steep or Bumpy Trails, Brake Latter and Less, and (Simply) Have More FUN...
(Which is kinda-sorta what mountain biking is all about, right?!?)
Do NOT Knock Something You Have NOT Tried...
Slower yes fun for sure.
I don't know if you've seen this? forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/bluto-tuning-thread-921527-23.html
I ride my fat bike in the winter on a lot of chunky/rocky trails and have gotten some helpful tuning tips on the Bluto.
Yeah, I'm a member on mtbr and read through that thread. I'm just running a low psi with 4 tokens and it's got the feel i like, but the fork itself is pretty flexy.
In the winter it pretty much stays locked out unless im following a hiker/snow shoe tracks
I think this, the foes and the bucksaw are the only FS fatties i know of that aren't one offs
i have a 140mm trail and a downhill bike both 26". that's enough infact more than most people could justify, most times i have to think "f*ck do i really need this shit". If you can justify anything more superfluous then give some money to charity instead
Different standards duhhh
I was actually hoping to see something like a Stache EX 27.5+. Specialized is the only option, but they have some work to do on the design.
I would definitely like to demo a Farly EX, though.
It's great that more fatbikes are going full sus
Let's get serious
Let's get serious
And fall in love