Originally Posted by crash13
Tires make a difference! What size brand tires are you currently using? Try a set of Kenda Nevagal 1.95's or a similar fast rolling lightweight XC tire...Depending on trail conditions you might want to bump up the tire pressure to 40psi...You WILL notice a difference. But, there are trade offs with a smaller, harder tire...especially in cornering speed and through rocky, bumpy technical sections of trail.
I'd say play around with tires and pressure first...
I am using Bontrager tubeless 2.25 Race tire but just got some new ones and I was using 2.1 wide prior but they didn't have them in stock so I just got them. Maybe Bontrager makes a 1.95 tubeless but I am not sure.
Originally Posted by dminor
Stick with your FS. Pound-for-pound, FS is faster; and even giving up some weight advantage, you will be as fast or faster on your Fuel.
I borrowed my son's hardtail for a couple seasons of XC racing and, even though it was light, it was not what I would call fun. It beat the crap out of me.
I know and maybe I really don't care about a few seconds when I am sure the FS gives me a pretty plush ride and the geometry is great and it climbs as well. This is just a thought I had to explore if nothing else and I do like the looks of the 8500, just plain and simple. I started thinking what if when I was seldomly passed last night by a local trail club rider on an old Schwinn Homegrown hardtail but I am not in my best condition yet and can run the same trail 10 minutes faster by last years times. i could see owning both since I am into this sport but I don't like things sitting collecting dust either. I thank everyone for some great comments and suggestions so far, this forum RULES
