trek top fuel 9.9 ssl 2011

pinkmoon

Hello,
I'm new in this forum.
I have a big problem with my mtb.
the front end of the complete bike lacks stiffness as mentioned in the bike radar review http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/review-trek-bikes-top-fuel-9-9-ssl-11-42463/
I changed handlebar, stem and wheel as suggested in the review but the bike still not give me the right feeling.
Two things:
1. Can steering dumper be helpfull? https://ssl.hostingplatform.com/hopey.org/product-info.php

2. In the review http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/review-trek-bikes-top-fuel-9-9-ssl-11-42463/ Travis Brown, Trek product tester, quote “I think all of our paradigms for stiffness are changing based on [today’s] forks and axles,” said Brown. “I have that bike, but I ride it with a 15mm fork. Set up that way, I feel like that frame, torsionally, is a little better than a [Fuel] EX.”

I don't speak a good English and what means "I ride with a 15mm fork", does he changed the fork?

Any other suggestion is welcome and many thanks for your answers.

Giuseppe

rockmonkeysc

A steering damper will do nothing for you.
A fork and wheel with a 15mm axle would help.
What are the symptoms you notice to make you think flex is a problem?

njee20

Agree with RM, steering damper will do nothing.

What is actually wrong with the bike? I had one of those Top Fuels, and really rated it. I had much lighter wheels on it too and never struggled with stiffness issues, in fact it had a much stiffer front end than the 2010 one I had. 15mm thru axle will definitely add stiffness, but you are starting with a lightweight XC race bike.

pinkmoon

Thank you for the answer and sorry for my replay.

My English is not good and it is difficult to explain the symptoms, anyway, there are two things:

1. The shimming. Charging rock gardens at medium to high speed, the bike felt like it was bending and same sensation of flex somewhere between handlebar and tire tread could be felt when muscling the bike up steep, rocky and technical terrain, particularly when torque was applied – for example, as the front wheel fell into a hole and the rider tried to correct.
Let me say in a dangerous way.

2. Sensation of front lightness. When you go down off road with gravel for example the front of the bike gives the feeling of spin out and don't trasmits confidence.

What I have done:
1. Wheels more rigid: DT swiss tricon tubeless with (now I know what it is) 15 mm x axle (only front)
2. Tires Continental X King 2.2
3. Aluminium stem more rigid

At the end something better but the problem still remain.

I asked to other frends who have XC and nobody has that problem.
Just to have an example I had a Mondraker Foxy all mountain with Continental RaceKing 2.0 and it was very easy to guide and stable in every condition.

It seems so strange to me that a bike so expensive, the top of the range could gave this feeling even if it is a light xc.

I hope you can understand my english and thank you both for answers and advices.

Giuseppe

rockmonkeysc

Sounds like the problem is that you have gone from a nice stable trail bike to a super sharp and less stable xc race bike. It also sounds like there's a combination of poor bike set up and poor riding.

bob6397

I suspect that the tyres aren't helping either - Those conti's are fast, yes. But massively grippy? No. I would recommend upgrading to a slightly knobblier front tyre at least - that should in part sort out your front end lack of grip..

bob6397

ilovedirt

Sounds like you should have stuck with the Foxy.
You bought a lightweight, steep angled XC race bike, and it handles exactly like a lightweight, steep angled XC bike should.

pinkmoon

Thank you for the answers.
Maybe you are right and if true I have to say that that bike is more difficult to ride compared to the Foxy and more scary.
The last tentative is to change the tire, the front at list.
What tires do you suggest to have a better grip?

rockmonkeysc

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19691555#p19691555]pinkmoon[/url] wrote:

Maybe you are right and if true I have to say that that bike is more difficult to ride compared to the Foxy and more scary.

What else did you expect when you bought an XC race bike?
A talanted xc racer can ride one of them very, very quickly but your average punter will find it hard work and very twitchy.

pinkmoon

Maybe you are right and I'm not a pro but I ride mtb since more than 10 years and I tried also xc even not so "race" as that one and nothing had these symptons.
It seems that only 2011/2012 models have this, read the bikeradar review at the link in my first post.
Thanks anyway for all comment and advise .

rockmonkeysc

All Top Fuels are fairly hardcore race bikes, not just 2011/2012.

ilovedirt

Yep, the current model will also be a less confident descender than a Foxy. Why did you buy it, if you don't mind my asking?

Tyres are probably one of the first things you should have changed, what do you have on there now?

pinkmoon

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19692016#p19692016]ilovedirt[/url] wrote:

Yep, the current model will also be a less confident descender than a Foxy. Why did you buy it, if you don't mind my asking?

Tyres are probably one of the first things you should have changed, what do you have on there now?

I bought it because of the lightness, very fast to climb, very easy to bring in shoulder if I have to but I didn't suppose the other symptoms.

Now I have Continental X King 2.2, what do you suggest?

ilovedirt

Depends a lot on the compound, but something like a Conti Trail King would be better. Something with some decent sticky rubber on the front helps a lot - don't go for cheap tyres.

pinkmoon

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19692165#p19692165]ilovedirt[/url] wrote:

Depends a lot on the compound, but something like a Conti Trail King would be better. Something with some decent sticky rubber on the front helps a lot - don't go for cheap tyres.

kenda nevegal 2.1, what do you think?

rockmonkeysc

Nevagals are the worst tyres I have used. Bontrager XR4 or Specialized Purgatory are both good.
Tyres will make a small difference to stability, but not much.

ilovedirt

More like nevagrip