Well that is a question that was given one possible answer on Wednesday out at Thomson. I was originally planning on doing the group ride from The Bike Store on the road however I had to change plans when nobody showed up(One of the reasons I ride trail, don't have to wait on anyone). So since I had the road tires on the hardtail that wasn't a option, however the Trek Top Fuel 8 was looking pretty sharp sitting on the Saris Themla 3 rack in the store so I hit Charles up to demo it since that was what it was there for. So we put some pedals on it and I headed out to Thomson for a ride. The frame was 17" with about 3.5" of travel all around with mid level components all around except the SWEET Fox RL fork in the front. It is about 2lbs lighter than the Rocky and due to the fact it has 1.5" less travel it has a noticeably lower Stand over height. On the trail the Trek suspension turned Thompson into a fairly smooth trail absorbing all the roots and bumps the trail dished out fairly comparable to the ETSX. The combined weight and suspension set up made this bike handle like it was on rails! I took it through turns as comfortably as the ETSX and while I took it easy on some of the downhill portions, I still maxed out the travel, it felt like it could handle everything the trail had and then some. I felt like I could go faster on the trail due to the lighter weight and good handling capabilities. If I was in the market for a new full suspension that would fit into a XC race season as well as enjoyable riding this bike would definitely be in the running and for the set up it is a pretty good deal at $2500. Since The Bike Store in Warner Robins, or Macon carries Trek you could easily pick one up from either location. Well that is my humble and limited opinion on the bike but don't take my word for it go Demo it for yourself and if you happen to be out there at the same time I am I Will See You on the Trail!
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