Hey guys I am looking for some timely yet unbiased advice.

I have narrowed down my choices to Trek. Numerous circumstances beyond my control have put other potential brands out of question. This is not a question about a brand.

I basically have a decision between a Trek Fuel EX 7 at $1599 and a Trek 8500 at $1899. The Fuel EX as most of you probably know is full suspension whereas the 8500 is a hardtail. Now here is my predicament:

I road bike and mountain bike equally. One day I may ride on some serious trails, while another I may put in 15, 20 or 30 miles on the roads. However, I am a college student so two high end bikes for both purposes is currently out of the question. I am not looking to train or compete. However when I do go out I push myself fast and far so I want a high quality mountain bike.

Recently when I have gone out mountain biking my back has hurt tremendously afterwards. So this had led me to believe that I want a dual suspension bike. Sure it won't be a panacea for all my back problems but it sure will help. However, I am afraid if I switch to a dual-suspension when I go out on the roads I won't be able to book as fast as I would on a hardtail. Is there much difference in speed between a Hardtail and a Full Suspension bike on the road? Is the difference so negligible that it doesn't matter?

Basically all it boils down to is with a dually will I be sacrificing that much speed where it will really matter. Or will the benefits outweigh the loss of speed I will experience? Any advice is highly appreciated.

Sorry for creating a thread specifically for this but I am putting down $2000 on a bike tomorrow so I guess I just wanted some individualized advice. Thanks again.

Consider a thudbuster and a good saddle if you pick a hardtail (around $125 for the two). It won't weigh as much as a FS and it should help eat up some of the back jars you will get on a seat. If you primarily stand up when riding then forget that and look at maybe a Fuel 80.

For me, that is enough to say go for the suspension. I, too, have back issues and when I went to full suspension, it was incredible. Worth every penny and ever loss of efficiency. Though, I didn't ride mine on the road, I would still have gone that route. On the trail, it'll reduce your fatigue so much that long, hard rides will be much more enjoyable for you. If perhaps a little slower. For on road riding, if you work hard to develop a smooth spin, you won't lose much power and when you can afford a road bike (I recommend Ti for back issues!), that smooth spin will really help!

I don't know how the Treks are as I have a Specialized. Even so, I'd say go for the suspension bike. And, it's a bit less expensive, so you can get some goodies for it, too!

What is your reasoning for me getting a Fuel 80 over the Fuel EX7? I'm not doubting you, just curious :)

Thanks man I really appreciate your advise. Thanks everyone.

My vote is for the Fuel EX-7, you can lock out the rear suspension at the shock (there is a knob on it) if you will be doing a lot of stand up hard peddling. I test rode the Feul EX-7 a few weeks ago, nice bike and good looking too! I ended up buying a Giant Trance 3 as it fit my idea of proper geometry better, but this is all personal preference. I know a lot of hardcore hartail guys will disagree, but in my opinion hardtails are people who have not ridden a good FS bike or cannot afford one. At $1,500 you can get a good FS bike or an excelent hardtail. The hardtail will be quicker on a short moderate ride, but I think if comfort is in the quest the FS bike is a no brainer. I won't kid you, comfort is important to me. Yes there is more maintenance on a FS bike.

You said the bike looked good. What color was it? Don't ge me wrong one bit, I dont care about color at all unless it is a direct affront to my sexuality. And judging from the picture at Trek's website of the orange model of the EX7 it looks like it might seem I'm biking to a Culture Club concert rather than hitting the trails.

I once asked an aged but good XC rider what made him choose a DS over a HT. His answer was old age. I turned out to be older than he and I still ride a HT. I have a finicky back but it seems to be ok with my ride.

I still can not find any reason to ride a MTB equipped for MTBin' of any type on the road, especially a DS. Road bikes are designed for road use. Only exception IMO is if it is a short trip to the trailhead.