Trek Fuel 98

Author
Discussion

MotorsportTom

Original Poster:

3,318 posts

160 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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Please be gentle I don't venture to these parts often, but I've agreed to buy the bike in the title.

Have been told by the seller it's a 2007 model but other than looking and thinking "ooh that's fancy for not much money" I don't really know what I'm looking at.

Can anyone shed any light on a) what I'm buying b) anything in particular to look out for on them and c) whether £350 is a good deal for it. I mean it seems it. Does it seem it?

And of course a thread wouldn't be a decent thread without a couple of pictures.





All help gratefully received, and all flaming for being a moron with no idea about bicycles anymore will be accepted.

daddy cool

3,996 posts

228 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Im torn between saying 1) thats quite a lot of money for a 9 year old bike and 2) if its the top-of-the-range carbon-framed XTR-equipped model then it was a st-hot bike in its day, so should be fine for you to bomb around on now if you are new to mountain biking (which it sounds like, right?)
.
The problem is, if hes maintained it religiously, all good. But if the drivetrain and forks are fubar, you'll spend that money again getting it back to its former glory.
Also, things have moved on a lot in recent years, in terms of geometry, wheel size, fork technology, gearing...
Agreed to buy - from a mate or from ebay?

You could have a look here to identify exactly which bike it is:
http://archive.trekbikes.com/uk/en/2007


Woody

2,187 posts

283 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Agree with the above.
Things have moved on geometry and component wise a hell of a lot since 2007.
Wheel size isn't really an issue - I'd still take a well spec'd 26" over a low end 27.5"

If you're into retro bikes and it's been well maintained then doesn't look too bad.

Also depends on what you're going to be using it for.

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Check the condition of all the suspension bearings, Trek aren't that great at stocking spares for older models. Fine if someone offers an aftermarket kit, but not so good if they specced bespoke sizes.

One of my mates snapped a lower swingarm on a 2010 Fuel EX8, Trek really struggled to find one and he ended up with one in a different colour...

AlmostUseful

3,276 posts

199 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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I'd be surprised if that's any newer than '04. Shock detailing looks way older than 2097.

daddy cool

3,996 posts

228 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
AlmostUseful said:
I'd be surprised if that's any newer than '04. Shock detailing looks way older than 2097.
Oooh, you're right - it does indeed look like a 2004:
http://archive.trekbikes.com/uk/en/2004/trek/fuel9...

OP - if its not too late, I think you should put the "tree-fiddy" towards a newer bike...

daddy cool

3,996 posts

228 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
daddy cool said:
Oooh, you're right - it does indeed look like a 2004:
http://archive.trekbikes.com/uk/en/2004/trek/fuel9...

OP - if its not too late, I think you should put the "tree-fiddy" towards a newer bike...
EDIT: Though the OPs bike has discs, and the 2004 bike in the link doesn't... god knows then!

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Just noticed it's got those stupid shimano combined brake lever/gear shifter things which are nearly as bad as gripshift. Glad that didn't become a "thing".

Woody

2,187 posts

283 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
daddy cool said:
EDIT: Though the OPs bike has discs, and the 2004 bike in the link doesn't... god knows then!
Discs look like they were put on later. If you zoom in the bike in the OP has canti mounts on the frame and fork too.

MotorsportTom

Original Poster:

3,318 posts

160 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
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Thanks for all the info folks.

From the link it does indeed look like an 03-04 bike... hmm.

I've agreed to buy it from a work colleague but the only thing that made me think it was worth it is that the CEO (huge cycling nut) was willing to snap his hand off for £350 but then offered it to me when I said I didn't have a bike and wanted one, and he was only buying it to save wrecking his nice one.

It apparently needs forks and shock servicing (re-gassing??) but a guy here used to service suspension so I have no problems with that.

Still unsure whether to go for it or not!

jjlynn27

7,935 posts

108 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
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By the time you fix everything that you need fixing, you might as well get a new bike. You'll fix things, but you'll still have 12 yr old bike.

AlmostUseful

3,276 posts

199 months

Friday 30th September 2016
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Something on them creaks like a bd too.
We used to get them back on warranty all the time when I worked for a trek dealer and could never pin it down to one location, think we decided it was undue flex in the back end wearing pivot axles unevenly but I can't properly recall as it was quite some time ago.

FD3Si

857 posts

143 months

Friday 30th September 2016
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A proper fork and shock overhaul on that is going to cost you at least 300.
£300 + £350 = a far more capable modern hard tail imho.