Pinkbike presenter Christina Chappetta just returned from the desert in Utah where she was filming
bike checks with the athletes there, but since she just got her hands on Trek's new Top Fuel downcountry machine, we thought it would be the perfect time to turn the tables and do a bike check on her bike.
Christina calls Whistler home, and while she may have spent most of the summer riding the Whistler Bike Park and Whistler trails on the
Trek Session and
Trek Slash, she says she's looking forward to using the 120mm Top Fuel as a training tool this winter and maybe even taking it out on some pedal-heavy sufferfests.
Christina has built it up her size small Top Fuel frame with an assortment of Marzocchi, Shimano, and OneUp components and is looking forward to taking it on some adventures soon.
| Super excited to have a "small" bike back in my life! It's been a long time coming. The Top Fuel will be a great training tool for the long winters here in BC. When I'm too tired or lazy to get out for a pedal, I just look over at this little whipper snapper and get immediately excited. I hope to take it on some grand adventures, big days in the saddle and a few sufferfests as time goes on. Maybe it will even take me on an overnight bikepacking trip. The options are endless with my newest pal.—Christina Chappetta |
Shakedown day as Christina sets up the new Trek Top Fuel on her home trails.
Christina runs 62 psi in her Marzocchi Z2 fork with 2 volume spacers and 13 clicks of rebound from closed. In the rear, Christina is using the Fox Float DPS shock with 131psi and also runs the rebound 13 clicks from closed.
She likes to run a few tokens and spacers so that she can run less pressure while keeping the beginning of the suspension soft but still firm enough to handle big hits and G-outs. She says she generally has to run faster rebound than bigger people because it takes more force for her to get the same result as a heavier rider. She prefers fast and technical trails so having the suspension dialled is crucial.
Brakes are something Christina is particular about. While still runs the 4 piston Shimano XTR brakes on this short travel bike, she did downsize the rotors. She runs a 180mm rotor up front with a 160mm rotor in the rear.
Christina putting the Top Fuel through its paces.
Christina's Pinkbike content is supported by Trek, Marzocchi, Bontrager, Schwalbe, OneUp Components, Shimano, Garmin, Troy Lee Designs, Ride 100%.
My brain decides anything without straight tubes is from 2014 haha.
Fashion goes in cycles but I have to say I really like the transition/norco/raaw design style and these bikes with curvy tunes like like they got melted in the dryer or smashed into a tree.
*=Touch of sarcasm
www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/cross-country-mountain-bikes/top-fuel/c/B311
Can you do Jason Lucas' ultimate Zwift setup for crushing King Kong in the Metaverse?
A top 10 pannier bags with matching kits for an espresso fueled weekend of gravel riding?
Can you review the best tiny brimmed cycling caps coming out in 2022, only organic fair trade non-gmo "green" cotton though?
I love the direction you all are taking this, who needs Radavist when you have Pinkbike! Looking forward to the paywall.
Be safe, be well.
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... certainly not a Trek approved term.
Banshee says you can upfork the Phantom.
I know a guy who upforked his Trance once, and broke the headtube off. In the process, he nearly ripped his scrotum off as well, and needed to go to the hospital to get stitched back up.
Wonder who makes Banshee's frames? I had a Scream back in the day and a Rune recently, great bikes both.
That's what I'm saying, maybe if someone can't afford a more expensive brand, there's the possibility of shopping around and finding something cheaper with similar numbers and quality, which is what the OP is looking for.
But totally yes you are right. If you cannot afford the Spur, you can probably get a similar ride from something cheaper. And I don't really have anything against Giant - I just would recommend not up forking a Trance! Lol
Some of us started riding in the early 00's when more travel was a compensation for good geo
Big dudes and aggressive riders benefit from long-travel bikes: similar energy absorbed per mm
And if you want one bike for the park and local trails, then you still want a bit more travel
Tough choices nowadays - long-travel bikes are getting so good on the uphills that there's less of a penalty to riding a big bike all the time. And on the other hand, short-travel bikes are so capable that you can use them for 95% of your riding. #modernproblems
Front and rear tire at similar pressure rather than front much softer than rear?
Hmm. Interesting. Maybe she is riding much more aggressive than me that such a high tire pressure make sense.