I’ve come to know the Trek Fuel EX platform over the past few years, with my second review being the 2017 Trek Fuel EX 8 down in You Yangs, the 2018 Trek Fuel EX 9.7 up in Bright, and the history piece I did a few months back leading up to the announcement of the 2020 range. It has been a great trail bike for a while, tangling with the Giant Trance, Scott Spark, Specialized Camber/Stumpjumper and Merida One-Twenty; but at some point you need to push the design forward again to make sure it is relevant in the modern trail bike market. And on paper, Trek have brought in a new Fuel EX to take on the market share for sure. 140mm travel out front, 130mm travel in the rear, carbon models all coming with carbon mainframes and stays, the BITS storage (“not a SWAT” box) in the carbon frames, and the removal of the Full Floater linkage on all bikes being the key points across the range. So what is happening with the new Fuel EX?

Unlike other review sites and groups that test the Fuel EX 9.8 or the AXS equipped Fuel EX 9.9 that show it off to the max, I get to ride possibly my favourite configuration which is the Fuel EX 8 which is the best alloy model you can get. The short headlines are Fox Rhythm 34 and GRIP dampener out front, Fox Performance EVOL shock in the frame, SRAM GX Eagle for the drivetrain and Shimano Deore M6000 hydraulic disc brakes. After that, you have Bontrager Line 30 Comp alloy rims, Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 29×2.6 inch tyres, Bontrager Drop Line dropper post, and Bontrager all the rest of the things. And this all checks through the register at $4,499 AUS ($800 more than the EX 7, $500 less than the EX 9.7), so it stands far apart from its siblings. So where do we go from here?

The 2020 Trek Fuel EX 8 in all its black and gun-metal grey glory!
Front end includes the Fox Rhythm 34 with 140mm of travel, GRIP dampener, and 15mm Kabolt axle, Bontrager Line Comp 30 rims, Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 29×2.6 tyres, and the Shimano M6000 (Deore) on a 203mm rotor. Knockblock headset and Bontrager Line 35 stem as usual.
Left hand is pretty tidy with the rear brake lever and south paw dropper remote sitting nicely together in black.
Right hand possesses the front brake lever and the trigger for the SRAM GX Eagle.
The guts of the bike include the Fox Float EVOL (210x55mm) with three position dampener, a solid mounting point since Full Floater has been surpassed, magnesium rocker link with Mino-Link tabs, Control Freak internal routing coming from the down tube and into the chain stay, and finally the Truvativ cranks. The chunky seat tube adds a lot of rigidity and integrity to the pedalling platform of the Fuel EX range.
Rear end is straight forward as Active Braking Pivot suspension linkage, SRAM GX Eagle 12 speed cassette and derailleur, Shimano M6000 with 180mm rotor, Bontrager Line 30 Comp rim, and the Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 29×2.6 inch tyre.

Standard test procedures in place, where the 15km Spring Gully loop is used to test handling and capabilities, Spring Gully Hot Lap for outright speed, and Harcourt for technical prowess. Outlier tracks will be Pineys for filming an edit for this bike, and the RACV Goldfields Resort Kangaroo Trail which was used for the initial shakedown after picking it up from Ballarat.

 

Deja Vu?

Having ridden some of the previous models, the chassis for the 2020 model doesn’t feel alien. In fact it almost felt exactly the same in the slow speed corners and climbing. Doing some numbers research, it was hard to believe that Trek have somehow recreated the same feel from the older models but made it better? The head angle is 1 degree slacker, the seat tube angle is 9.5 degrees steeper to get you more central on the bike for climbing, and the frame reach (distance from bottom bracket to central axis of steerer tube) is almost 2cm longer. But the effective top tube length, bottom bracket height and stand over height all remain consistent. But what do the numbers imply?

Remembering that we are dealing with a slacker trail bike with 10mm longer fork travel and the seat is now pitched forward to improve traction and manoeuvrability while climbing and cornering, Trek have slightly improved climbing and descending without compromising the “feel”. As with the Surly Karate Monkey piece I did a few months ago, loyal consumers will stick with a brand and chassis because it “feels a certain way”. Some people adore Giant’s Maestro link, others love the feel of chromoly steel. But for the Trek purists or people wanting to get onto a Fuel EX, rest assured it still rides and responds like Fuels of old but now slightly better again.

It felt like “pick up and play” to me where I knew it would hold a stable line through berms and the Knockblock headset would arrest you right before you jackknife the handlebars. So in the best way possible, the 2020 Fuel EX chassis “feels” the same as the 2019 Fuel EX chassis. But then we get into the changes and you appreciate how this bike has progressed.

 

The Trio of Changes

Looking at the specs list for both Fuel EX 8s, everything is near identical for components except for the Rhythm 34 being elongated to 140mm, the Full Floater rear linkage has been scrapped (the Float EVOL has been tuned to accommodate), and the Bontrager XR4s have ballooned to 29×2.6 inches from the 29×2.4. Otherwise, the GX Eagle drivetrain, M6000 disc brakes, cockpit, seatpost, and rims are all the same from 2019. But the three components they have changed have improved the bike’s overall performance.

With 10mm of extra front end travel, yes it does imply that you can send large jumps and drops, but when you’re not defying gravity it provides a more supple ride on choppy surfaces. This is true for all suspension bikes where increased travel can allow for a longer bottom end and a supple ride in the beginning stroke, but for those wanting a great trail bike and don’t want to send massive jumps then the 10mm bonus travel can work for you. The slightly thicker tyres do provide extra traction in berms at the expense of rolling resistance, but they also deal with looser trail surfaces like sand and loam better than previous iterations. Larger volume tyres also provide slightly improved trail dampening properties, so while you don’t have the FIT4 dampener to isolate trail noise through tuning, the chunky XR4 tyres are appreciated for making trail riding smoother. And I’m still not sure how I feel about the Full Floater being made redundant and the shock being tuned to compensate, but the rear end definitely feels stiffer, lighter, and more predictable to whip around.

By changing these three components along with the geometry tweaks, Trek have pushed their mid travel trail bike forward without straying from the riding feel of the previous Fuel EXs. The turn in response on uphill switchbacks feels similar to the 2019, but the rear end feels more predictable thanks to the removal of the Full Floater. The additional travel in the fork makes rock gardens and chattery sections smoother, but the longer fork doesn’t make the front end sluggish. And the fatter tyres work to improve traction under a wider variety of trail surfaces, making this a more versatile trail bike at the expense of rolling resistance.

 

The Beast Unleashed

I know I’ve talked a lot about how it feels like the old Fuel EX yet improved, but this is essential to understanding how well it performs on the trail. This is an incredibly fast and capable bike, the first proof being the Hot Lap timed run. The current leaderboard is:

11:58 2020 Trek Fuel EX 8
12:26 2016 Trek Farley 9 (Warpath)
12:32 2019 Surly Karate Monkey (Kaiju)
12:33 2020 Trek Slash 8
12:55 2016 Giant Stance 27.5 2 (Titan)
13:23 2019 Trek Marlin 4

Kaiju had a really good run on the Hot Lap a week before, so that’s why it’s into third now. The EX 8 set best sector times throughout the lap and felt in control the entire time. It also took out best times on Koolamurt Bridge climb and the Dam Wall Jumps and Drops, indicating it is no slouch on flowing descents and climbs.

On the extended 15km Spring Gully loop, it handled pinch climbs and tech climbs easily; it felt stable while bombing rocky chutes; and it took to sharp corners beautifully on Mitchell’s Trail Reverse and Bathtub Track. For cross country/trail use, it is a well balanced bike with no compromises. If you wanted something that descends better, then just look to the Slash 8. If you want something that climbs better and is lighter to pedal, look to the Top Fuel 8. Because what we have here is the knife’s edge of trail riding where it can climb as well as it descends, and you feel comfortable doing either.

What about wet weather testing? Oh yes, I went out in the rain to test how well this would go when you’d rather be sitting at home watching Antiques Roadshow. The tyres handled the wet pine needles and loam at Castlemaine well, while it also took on the slick wet rock climbs of Harcourt amazingly, both climbing and descending. I think again, Bontrager’s new tyre series can go under-appreciated since it is an in-house component, but these Team Issue XR4s can operate in a very wide range of conditions from loose-on-hardpack up to wet rock and mud. And these tyres come standard on all models of Fuel EX for 2020, so the lowest spec EX 5 and the highest spec 9.9 all have access to these great trail tyres!

The really technical climbing and descending is what you would want from the new Fuel EX. It handles gnarly rock gardens even better than previous years, it is whippable on flowing switchbacks, and the XR4 tyres do well to hook up on rock slab climbs and uphill rock gardens. The only thing I noticed was in “Low” Mino-Link mode, it had a tad more under steer than previous years. With better line choice and some brute force I did get it around the slow tech of Trail 9 at Harcourt, but I couldn’t shake the impression it had left. But this forced me to ask the question, how well does the Mino-Link work? I had never played with it on the 2020 Slash 8 or the 2018 Fuel EX 9.7, so it was about time to see what it was about…

 

The Missing Link?

Takes longer than using Canyon’s Shape Shifter linkage, but cheaper than having two near identical trail bikes. The Mino-Link is something I have discussed on this blog for the intensive purposes of how design iteration is necessary and complex when creating a mountain bike. The Mino-Link barely moves the articulation point of the shock linkage and the seat stay by a centimetre, but boy did I notice the difference. The head and seat tube angles steepened by 0.5 degrees, and the bottom bracket was raised by 7mm. Again, the numbers don’t seem like much but when you look at the bike and ride it, you do notice the difference this mino-r change makes.

The Spring Gully 15km loop clockwise has fast descents with rock gardens, swooping switchbacks and the Hole in the Wall; and the climbs are mostly slow uphill slug fests. Running it anti-clockwise however you need to contend with those same rock gardens and tight switchbacks as climbs. And after taking on the reverse loop with the Mino-Link set to High, I was pleasantly surprised and blown away by how well it performed. The turn in on low speed hairpins was excellent, hopping up ledges felt less sketchy, and my pedaling position felt solid. Since the descending performance didn’t take a nose dive, I honestly believe that the 2020 Fuel EXs should be demoed and sold in the High Mino-Link setting. Not many people have the opportunity to ride park or get shuttled to the top of descents, but the experience of the High setting was superb for cross country and trail riding. So if you intend on riding this at your local cross country trail, do a lap or planned route with it in the (probably) Low setting first and then crank it to the High setting provided you have an adjustable torque wrench rated to 17 Nm. Trust me, it might be the thing that sells you on the Fuel EX and the Mino-Link in general.

 

Conclusion

When I reviewed the Slash 8, I gave it a short review of “stable, yet nimble”. I have expectations about these bikes and then throughout the riding process I see how the bikes perform to my expectations and then if they defy them in some way. With the 2020 Fuel EX 8, it already had the previous expectation of the 2017 and 2018 models I had reviewed. But with geometry tweaks, longer fork travel, and a revised rear suspension linkage the new improvements have benefited the bike rather than making this a “new bike”. And the short consensus is “up and down, it’s fast”. So what do I mean?

“Up and down, it’s fast” is what came to mind about the EX 8 for this review since on the surface, the improvements seemed to aid descending. And while it did perform exceptionally on flowing descents and technical bombs, it also climbed better than ever before which was a great surprise to me. I attribute both of these aspects to the steeper seat post angle, the removal of the Full Floater mechanism, and the chunkier XR4 Team Issues. Moving the centre of mass towards the middle of the bike, reducing the increased flex and weight that came with the Full Floater, and having a greater contact patch that works on a wide variety of trail surfaces makes this respond better on climbs and downhills. And this applies to all models within the Fuel EX range, so no one misses out on the benefit!

The 2020 Trek Fuel EX 8, and in theory the 2020 Fuel EX chassis, receive a phenomenal rating. It is a brilliant trail bike that climbs and descends beautifully, the Mino-Link honestly modifies the handling characteristics for the better, and it has utility across a wide range of tracks and trail surfaces. I do wonder if the M6000 brakes are a bit under-specced for the EX 8, but my criticisms these days seemed to be aimed at brakes a lot so I might need to relearn braking skills… Otherwise, consider demoing any one of the Fuel EX models if you get the chance?

Keep riding and stay awesome!

2019 has been a great year for reviews for this page. Starting things off I had the 2019 Trek Checkpoint SL5 as an introduction to cyclocross, and the King allowed me to review his Purple People Eater (custom Niner Ros 9 single speeder) and the Bitza Bike (custom Surly Karate Monkey single speeder). Approaching winter, I built up my 2019 Surly Karate Monkey single speeder Kaiju and had a lot of fun with that on the trails and on the filming of Sabotage. Before my less than stellar performance at the Golden Triangle Epic thanks to two flat tyres on Warpath, I did get to review a 2019 Trek Top Fuel 8. The dark winter only saw the 2019 Giant Reign 2 receive a review at Bright, and I worked more on product reviews for Crankalicious and researched helmet design in anticipation for the 2020 product season. Spring gave us the 2020 Trek Slash 8 (which is the same as the 2019 model), Krush cleaning products, Michelin Force XC tyres, and 661 Recon knee pads. The spring reviews also marked the beginning of the Facebook page for this review blog and the accompanying YouTube channel. And now with summer and 2020 on the horizon, what do I want to do next and what should I review to help you guys?

Purple People Eater, a custom Niner Ros 9 single speeder built for Bendigo.

The Bitza Bike, a custom Surly Karate Monkey single speeder cobbled together from left over parts. Fork and brakes are dodgy, but that just adds to the fun!

My 2019 Surly Karate Monkey single speeder Kaiju. Plus tyres and fully rigid is ludicrously fun and forces you to learn better line choices…

2019 Trek Top Fuel 8, an great bike for a race like the Golden Triangle Epic!

2019 Giant Reign 2 at Mount Mystic at Bright. Had a blast descending on this.

Crankalicious Pineapple Express (Bike Wash), Limon Velo (Drive Train Cleaner), Gummed Chain Remedy (Chain Cleaner), and Science Friction (Ceramic Chain Lubricant). Top quality product from the UK.

Krush Cleaning Rapid Bike Wash, Ultra Drive Train Degreaser, and Platinum Chain Lube. Excellent value for money, awesome cleaning performance and made here in Australia. Have been using it since.

2020 Trek Slash 8 at Spring Gully. Phenomenal bike that redefined my expectations of a long travel 29er.

Michelin Force XC 27.5×2.25 inch tyres front and back on Titan. Running Bontrager’s new tubeless sealant.

 

First, I would like to work with my local dealers on reviews for other bike manufacturers. Trek bikes and Bontrager products hold a special place in my heart, and the Cyclescape team have supported me since beginning my career and are some of the people that keep me going aside from my partner. So thanks Ben, Matt, Clancy, and the extended team! But I would like to support other local shops so I can recommend people to other bikes rather than “the Trek ______ 8” because knowing what everyone has to offer makes the market a better place. Specialized and Merida are at the top of my list since the Merida e-One Twenty 500 I reviewed in Derby Tasmania last year was phenomenal. Really, it was the most fun I had had on a mountain bike in 2018. Specialized and Bendigo Cycles have a large and welcome presence in the Bendigo riding scene like Cyclescape and Trek, supporting grass roots race series and social group rides. And with two Stumpjumpers joining the TNBC pack, it’s no coincidence that Specialized are making fantastic bikes that people want to take to the trails. I would also like to test Giant and Scott bikes again on the regular, but I would like to get to know the local shops better before ripping around on a new Trance or Spark. So the bike reviews will continue, but perhaps with more variety?

 

This year I started to review assorted products, mostly cleaning products. Winter provides so much gunk and filth to clean off so it was the best time to start testing Crankalicious from the UK and Krush from Australia. But with the 661 Recon knee and elbow pads needing a fully typed review, I would also like to put my two cents on the long term reviews on things that have kept me riding this year. My Bell Super 3R helmet, Birzman multi-tool, Dynaplug, and Thule Easy Fold XT-3 are all items that have worked excellently in the background and have made my riding so much easier and safer. So reviews will come out for these plus anything else that pops up along the way.

 

Trail reviews? A bit touch and go since trails are a subjective topic within mountain biking and riders prefer different things for their skill set. I predominantly sit as a blue grade cross country rider, so it would be unfair if I reviewed a double black diamond down hill park. I would like to share my experiences on certain legal trail networks like I did with Yaugher, but in terms of full reviews like Seth’s Bike Hacks’ bike park reviews I won’t do that within my best intentions. But coming soon will be another fantastic riding location, and I intend to visit trail systems like Moonlight Pines in Castlemaine and Mount Lofty MTB near Redesdale, while going back to You Yangs and Lysterfield Commonwealth Games trails since my skills have progressed since those early days. So something within the realm of Sabotage Files, but a different name… Trail Tales? Trails and Tribulations? I don’t know, work in progress.

 

When I look back on my first few reviews, I cringe at how positive I was at times. Young and naive for sure, I pretty much liked everything and took advantages as face value. But since testing out so many bikes and experiencing a diverse range of prices, components, and geometries, I’m starting to get a feel for what is actually good and what needs to be improved. The 2020 Trek Slash 8 is actually an excellent bike, but when I consider things like the Michelin Force XC tyres or the 2019 Giant Reign 2 I start to observe the short comings and how certain highlights can often over shadow them. And when I review I need to ensure my criticism is constructive and directed fairly, rather than saying “this is terrible, don’t buy it”. If I reviewed the 2020 Giant Stance 29 2, it wouldn’t be fair to compare it to my highly modified 27.5 Giant Stance or to higher class bikes like the 2020 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Carbon Expert. So I hope to improve the fairness of some of these reviews and put forward honest and accurate observations.

 

In the near future, I will release the review content for the 2020 Trek Fuel EX 8! Yes, it took me a while to get approval to test it and one to be in my size, but it was well worth the wait. So keep an eye out for that. Additionally, the 661 Recon pads will get a typed review and final thoughts in a long term test review alongside the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt GPS which popped up in the final review for the Michelin Force XC tyres. The secret project is almost upon us and it will include reviews and trail footage, so keep an eye out for that content!

 

So thank you to everyone that has supported this page in the early days and up until recently. I hope you enjoy these reviews and will remain here as I continue to review more mountain bikes and products for the everyday rider. Keep riding and stay awesome!

 

A bit of a disclaimer, the following product review is not paid for or sponsored. My riding friends donated both of these tyres since none of them ride 27.5 and people were curious to see how they performed. Without this being paid or sponsored, there is no censorship and all opinions are my own.

In the world of mountain bike sales, very few bike manufacturers will deviate from large brands like Maxxis, Schwallbe, or Continential when speccing new models. Sometimes they might use their own in-house tyres like Trek with Bontrager or Specialized with their outstanding range, but very few companies deviate from the big three or an in-house. I can’t remember ever seeing an article for a bike release mentioning Michelin tyres coming standard, or seeing a bike out on the trails with a Michelin tyre fitted front or rear. And these tyres exist openly on Chain Reaction Cycles and in some bike stores, so is there anything wrong with them or are we simply resistant to change from the big three? Time to find out.

 

Michelin introduced their mountain bike tyre range in 2017, offering four tyres (Jet XCR, Force XC, Force AM, and Wild AM) for human bikes and e-MTB, and wheel sizes from 26 inch to 29 inch. First consider how many times have you replaced your car tyres? Now consider how many times you’ve replaced your mountain bike or road bike tyres for something that has more grip, less rolling resistance, is tubeless ready, can take on a wider variety of trail conditions, or because you punctured the side wall? You begin to see why companies like Pirelli, Michelin, and Maxxis who previously focused solely on road vehicles are now edging into the mountain bike tyre market. A road car tyre is meant to be incredibly robust, work within a broad range of conditions for the vehicle (road slicks can’t be used on icy roads, you get the idea), and for the general masses be inexpensive while maintaining a great build quality. However with mountain biking there are young kids racing, university students ripping around back wood enduro loops, and people in their twilight years getting onto a mountain bike for the first time and they all need tyres. And with Michelin being a new brand to the MTB market, veterans of the sport may turn a blind eye to them but what about new comers or curious people such as myself?

Introducing the Michelin Force XC 27.5×2.25 tyre. I set up these tyres on my 2016 Giant Stance 27.5 2 (also known as Titan), to test out how they really perform in a place like Bendigo. Bendigo is not known for double black diamond rock gardens, and in the Spring and Summer time the trail conditions are loose on hard pack or sand. I have ridden here for the past four years on Maxxis Ardent 27.5×2.25 inch tyres and they have never let me down. Whether they were tubed or tubeless, I have never pinch flatted them, burped them, or sliced the carcass open. In fact, they are still in the shed in case these tyres turn out to be awful in the long term. So the Michelins have some work to do.

Installation was… Frustrating. They came in this plastic cardboard packaging secured with binding straps. The problem was the strap was so tight it pinched the bead and when I unfolded the tyre it had noticeable creases in the bead. The tyre also didn’t seem overly pliable, after unfolding it the tyre wanted to buckle inward and not become a round shape. After persisting for two hours and discovering new curse words I could never imagine, my initial tubeless installation was a failure. The tyre wouldn’t seal to the rim and tubeless sealant frothed everywhere. I followed Bike Radar’s instructions of seating them with inner tubes and letting them rest for a few days, then removing the tubes and going for tubeless. The Force tyres then installed easily, my only criticism was that the bead and rim fit was a bit loose. Would this be an indication of things to come?

 

Fast Force-Ward

These tyres possess some great characteristics for a cross country tyre. They have low rolling resistance on loose on hard pack, and didn’t slow on tarmac as much as the Ardents. Running them at the same PSI front and rear as the Ardents, the Force XC tyres required less effort to accelerate and maintain speed. This could be attributed to the 75g per tyre difference (640g Force XC, 715g Ardent), but the central knobs on the Force XC tyres are lower profile than the Ardent’s centre line giving it reduced rolling resistance. But rolling resistance in a straight line is one thing, cornering is another.

Michelin have done well to design the entire tread profile for the tyre and how the knobs increase in size and depth radially, and how the knobs are chevron-ed to provide braking power. Rolling the tyre onto the side felt comfortable and it didn’t feel like it was going to fold underneath me, backing up their claims of reinforced side walls for cross country protection. By having the outer profile grippy and the side walls toughened up, taking on berms and fast off camber corners didn’t feel dicey. The knobs have been angled in such a way that braking on loose-on-hardpack and loam is satisfying and not skid under heavy braking. The knob construction is done in such a way that the outer surface is flexible and has a bit of give but the core seems to be more rigid and durable. This is great for braking, but did present problems later on.

But for general cross country use on loose-on-hardpack, loam, sand, and some rock features, the Force XC does things well when juxtaposed to the Maxxis Ardent of the same volume. The Force XC tyre is faster rolling, while the Ardents possess more grip within the centreline. Both roll onto the side well. But when it comes to more rocky trails, the Force XC started presenting a problem…

 

Rocky Footing

Bendigo does have a few rock features, but they pale in comparison to Harcourt’s La Larr Ba Gauwa and Castlemaine’s Pines Singletrack. La Larr Ba Gauwa having large rock rolls and entire granite slab climbs, and Pineys have chunky rock climbs and drops meant that if these tyres had a problem with harder terrain I wouldn’t need to go to Beechworth to troubleshoot. And boy did they not like rock surfaces!

When riding these more extreme cross country trails with the Ardents, the knobs were soft enough that they sunk into imperfections within the granite surfaces and help claw it up. Or they would squish enough that under heavy pedalling they would keep purchase on rock regardless of how damp, hot or sandy it was. The Force XC tyres were not great on rock surfaces and would brake traction too easily. Tyre manufacturers are always testing new tread compound compositions in order to improve traction, decrease wearing, or grip certain terrain more effectively. And unless you have super secret rubber compounds and knob design that benefit all of the above, you often get a tyre that has excellent traction but wears quickly or mediocre traction but you get that mediocrity for months and years. And the Michelin falls into the later where the knobs feel firm and roll onto the side well, but the traction isn’t mind blowing on hard rock. The knobs would often bend and ping off flat rock faces and under usual climbing loads, they broke traction and caused spin outs. It was strange to think that the same casing that I resisted skidding going down Trail 6 at Harcourt were also spinning up when hauling up rock climbs on Trail 7? And it wasn’t down to technique or lack of experience because I have cleared the Trail 7 climb on Titan with Ardents and my fat bike. The Michelins present themselves as the problem.

And the rock face problem popped up again and again. Steep loose-on-hardpack climbs at Pineys were easily accomplished, but lost a lot of traction on moderate rock climbs or rock ledges. Tight uphill switchbacks at Trail 7 in Harcourt were good, but the rock face climbs at the beginning of Trail 9 and returning climb of Trail 3 were lacklustre. Rock climbs are not a strong suit of the Force XC tyres.

 

Punctual Punctures

Punctures are inevitable in mountain biking and some brands offer better puncture resistance than others. Maxxis Maxx Terra and Specialized GRID casings are regarded as having excellent puncture resistance. The Force XC tyres are okay.

Nothing extraordinary about them, but they are definitely weakest near the centre line. I punctured twice when riding a section called Lipsnot, loose-on-hardpack with odd jagged rock tips poking out. When you’re trying to boost shallow mounds and get up to 40km/hr, a puncture at this speed can hurt if you lose control. Otherwise going through rock gardens in Strathdale, Harcourt and Pines didn’t result in a puncture. The sidewalls are tough and unless you are doing mind-blowing speeds through black diamond rocks gardens, for cross country purposes they hold up well. But if you are going to reinforce some aspect of the tyre and lighten another aspect, might as well be tough sidewall and thin centre line since sidewall tears are harder to repair than pin pricks in the tread. Other brands have perfected their sidewall, knob and casing compositions over the years to maximise traction and puncture resistance. Michelin have performed admirably considering they could have made an ultra-light weight casing that is incredibly grippy like a Formula 1 tyre but then have to replace it every few months or after a minor puncture.

 

What Do We Have?

Looking at both the Maxxis and Michelin Mountain Bike Tyre websites, these are the ranges they offer for “cross country/trail riding” on surfaces applicable to Bendigo and surrounds:

Michelin’s current tyre line up and their purposes

Five common Maxxis tyres used for cross country and trail riding

The tyres reviewed were the Performance range, not Competition Range. And looking at the star ratings they gave their Force XC Performance tyre, I’d say this is fair. The Ardent is their “do-it-all” and I’d say that is fair as well since it doesn’t excel in a certain aspect but at the same time you can depend on it for most riding. The Aspen might draw similar comparisons to the Force XC?

These tyres are best suited to trails like Five Mile where the majority of the trail surface is loose-on-hardpack, wide flat corners, some wooden features, and minimal flat rock surfaces.
The 27.5×2.25 inch fits in well to the rear swing-arm of the Stance, didn’t have any issues with the tread squishing out the sides and rubbing on the stays.
Tread profile is well designed for cross country. After four months of use, the knobs haven’t degraded significantly and haven’t had them shear off under heavy acceleration or braking.

But for the months that I tested this tyre, considered what the Ardent excelled at, where the Force XC proved itself, and the sales information above; the more I agreed with the rating and general purpose. It works well on softer ground where the sturdy knobs can dig in, and where rolling it onto its side means digging into the corner. Take it outside of its comfort zone to bike parks where rock slab climbs and descents are more common, then it doesn’t keep up with the Ardent. This is how you use the Force XC, for fast cross country loops and flow trails, not to conquer rock slabs and massive drops. These tyres would not be ideal for Whistler Blackcomb or Lenzerhide, but for the majority of people getting into cross country and wanting an alternative to Maxxis, Specialized, WTB, or Schwallbe this is an okay choice. In my final video review of the tyres at Five Mile Mountain Bike Park in Moama, they were perfect for the loose-on-hardpack terrain of the 7km cross country loop.

 

Conclusion

The Force XC is an alright tyre. That’s about as true and fair as I can review this tyre. No “phenomenal” rating like the 2020 Trek Slash 8, but not a “could be better” like the 2016 Scott Genius 740. It is simply a tyre that exists and performs to its intended role. It is fast rolling, light weight, and it works best on loose-on-hardpack all the way up to loam and hero dirt. But the knobs are too rigid to grip flat rock properly, they are prone to casing punctures, and the packaging does not make them easy to “inflate and ride” like you may need for a race day mishap. Michelin have done well to develop a tyre that doesn’t suck, but at the same time they have a long way to catch up to the market leaders like Maxxis and Schwallbe, and their direct competition of Pirelli and Continential. The consumer’s pocket will determine if Michelin will stay in the lucrative profit game of mountain bike tyres for long, or if they will fade into obscurity. But I’m glad I tested these tyres and they are alright. Just keep riding and stay awesome!