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TREK FARLEY EX 9.8 TEST

Trek farley ex 9.8.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?

The Farley EX is a four-season mountain bike built for ripping loose summer trails or diving head first into a winter snowstorm. It’s packed with high-performance suspension that lets the EX feel at home on gnarlier sections, and its larger-than-normal, 27.5-inch fat tires kept the Farley rolling fast on smooth and flowy trails. The EX has a long list of carbon parts to drool over, and its proprietary Trek technologies give it an edge over other bikes in its category.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?

Trek constructed the Farley EX 9.8 from OCLV (Optimum Compaction Low Void) carbon along with alloy chainstays, 197x12mm rear hub spacing and 120 millimeters of travel. The rear end of the Farley has all the high-tech features we’ve come to expect from a Trek full-suspension mountain bike, including ABP (Active Braking Pivots), Full Floater suspension, an EVO link (allowing for geometry adjustability), and, of course, the Formula 1-inspired RE:aktiv shock. Trek then incorporated its Control Freak internal cable routing, stout carbon guards and a pair of Trek Wampa carbon wheels. The Farley is topped off with a carbon handlebar, a titanium-railed saddle and an 11-speed drivetrain.

WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?

The Farley EX has plenty of standout features, such as its light-weight carbon frame and its tall, 27.5-inch fat tires, but its rear shock takes the prize for the most performance-enhancing feature. Trek’s RE:aktiv technology was designed in conjunction with Penske Racing—one of the leading developers of custom race car suspension. The result is a shock that makes the rear tire feel firmly planted to the ground over bumps while still being super efficient during climbs. Combine this shock with 3.8-inch-wide tires and you have a bike that truly feels glued to the ground.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?

It took a bit of effort to get the Farley set up just right. We set both the shock and fork to 20-percent sag and started with the rebound knobs in a centered position. Next, we played with different tire pressures to get the best balance of traction and control. Adding too much air pressure caused our Farley to buck like a wild bull, while too little air pressure made the bike’s handling slow and unresponsive. The Farley came alive with a tire pressure of around 9 psi and quickly proved to our test riders that it is a very capable and nimble bike, considering its size.

Moving Out:

The Farley is a fat bike on the surface, but it’s a trailbike at heart. It features 750-millimeter bars and a 70-millimeter stem that complement the ride characteristics of its large air volume tires. The Farley also has a dropper post that all of our test riders welcomed with open arms. The suspension feels buttery smooth, and the 3.8-inch-wide tires soak up small bumps as if they weren’t there. The Farley can even be tossed around in a playful manner, making it an absolute blast to take down the trails.

Judging the Farley’s ability to climb solely on its looks is a bad idea. This bike combines lightweight carbon parts with ultra-efficient suspension and tops it off with huge amounts of traction. The end result is a fat bike that can charge up climbs and battle toe to toe with many trail bikes. We didn’t set any personal records aboard the Farley, yet we rode up sections with ease that we would normally struggle with. The Farley’s suspension worked flawlessly, providing a great pedaling platform, and the 30-tooth chainring gave our riders the ability to spin the pedals up any steep hill.

The Farley has a surprisingly agile feel for a fat-tire machine. Our testers found they could easily dive into corners thanks to its 68.8-degree head tube angle and fairly short 17.4-inch chainstays. The Farley’s ground-hugging tires held traction really well, and the dropper seatpost allowed riders to move their body weight around on the bike. The Farley does require a bit of body language to navigate tight sections of trail, but, compared to other fat-tire machines, this thing is a true ripper.

Descending:

The Farley EX mixes the plush suspension of a trailbike with large air volume tires, resulting in a bike that is capable of running over anything in its path. The bike rolled fast on flowy trails, thanks to 27.5-inch Bontrager Hodag tires, and its dropper seat post allowed our testers to toss the bike around with ease. The 750-millimeter handlebars seemed just right for this bike, and the RE:aktiv technology in the rear shock glued our rear tire to the ground. The Farley EX is a mean-looking machine with the performance to match.

Big tires call for big stopping power. Trek decided to use a pair of SRAM Guide RS brakes to help bring the Farley to a stop, and they offered more than enough power. Trek’s ABP (Active Braking Pivot) suspension design keeps the suspension working to further improve traction, even under hard braking efforts.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?

Out of the box, the Farley EX 9.8 is a dream bike covered head to toe in carbon goodies. We decided to set the wheels up tube- less to avoid pesky pinch flats, but that was the only upgrade this bike needed. An issue with the 27.5-inch fat wheels, however, is that it may be hard to find replacement tires anywhere other than a Trek dealer. We also think this bike might be more vulnerable to the elements and may require more maintenance when riding in snow or mud, since there are more moving parts than on the rigid version. That said, however, riders who want a fat bike for trail riding will find the Farley EX is one of the best tools for the job.

BUYING ADVICE

Fat bikes have long been known for their ability to tackle trails covered in sand or snow, and although the Farley Ex would excel in those conditions, it seems this fat-tire machine was built to hang with the trailbike crowd. Trek designed the Farley EX with all the features we’ve come to expect from its trailbikes and high-end fat bike parts. The result is a bike that is truly fun to ride and much more capable than it appears. Riders seeking the utmost traction and a plush ride will thoroughly enjoy riding the Trek Farley EX.

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2020 Trek Farley 9.8

A 27.5″ carbon frame rigid fat bike with high-end components. Compare the full range

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The Farley EX doesn't need your snow or your sand- but it'll handle it just fine - while being a dirt and rock shredder with little compromise...

Read Review

Jun 2017 · Russell Eich

The most mountain bike feeling fat bike yet. Buy if you want one bike for all seasons, or an extremely stable trail bike, and aren't concerned about pure dry trail performance

Impressive rear suspension, has a very mountain bike feeling, wheelies and manuals with ease

Bluto fork overworked, small tire knobs, busted rear rim

While the Farley EX 9.8 resides within Trek’s fat bike family, its capabilities reach far beyond winter thanks to a unique design. Check out the Mtbr long term review. - Mtbr.com

Mar 2017 · McCoy

Traction To The Max!

Last updated September 11 Not listed for 1,317 days

2018 Trek Farley Ex 9.8 Bike (discontinued)

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Trek Farley EX 9.8 fat bike review

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Trek Farley 9.8 review

Carbon everything and smart design makes for silly-light and surprisingly fast fun

James Huang / Immediate Media

James Huang

Incredibly light, nimble and natural-feeling handling on snow, excellent tubeless carbon rims, remarkably fast, great tire clearance, relatively narrow pedal stance width, no suspension

Stock setup is poorly suited to deep or fresh snow, slow-engaging rear hub, severely limited 27.5in fat tire choices, optional ultra-fat 26in wheelset and tires will cost extra, narrow handlebars, expensive, no suspension

If ever there were a fat bike built for racing, the Trek Farley 9.8 would probably be it. It’s wickedly light (less than 11kg!), configured out of the box for shredding groomed terrain, and with no suspension whatsoever – but lots of carbon fiber – there’s no extra baggage to slow you down. If going fast on snow is your thing, this bike has got you covered.

Wait, did you really just describe a fat bike as 'fast'?!

Seriously, toss aside your preconceived notion that fat bikes are inherently slow, lumbering beasts. Granted, there’s no way to fully disguise the additional rotating mass of a bike with feet this big but this top-end Farley 9.8 model so effectively minimizes that disadvantage that you quickly forget about it.

The 27.5x3.8in tires aren't great in unpacked snow but they're lighter and faster than what's usually found on fat bikes

First off, it’s remarkably light with an actual weight of just 10.82kg (23.84lb) in a 17.5in size without pedals. As a result, the Farley 9.8 is a treat to climb on, gobbling up vertical distance with surprising alacrity and aided in no small part by the bulbous tires’ generous traction. The fully rigid layout efficiently transfers your efforts to the ground, too, with no suspension action to dull the commands from the engine room.

That sensation of speed doesn’t just come about as a result of low weight, either.

Trek has always equipped its Farley fat bikes with narrower-than-typical 3.8in-wide Hodag tires, which imparts a fleeter feel than models more readily equipped to tackle deep snow both in terms of acceleration and handling. This time around, however, Trek has upsized the diameter to match, going with 27.5in wheels instead of the usual 26in ones. Especially when combined with the 9.8’s carbon rims – which lop off another 600g or so per wheel when set up tubeless – the rotating stock ends up lighter and quicker than more voluminous 26in wheels but with a nearly identical total diameter.

Careful frame design leaves room for 26x5in tires but without having to resort to a wide crankset or long chainstays

The forward-looking frame geometry only adds to the Farley 9.8’s sporty demeanor with tight 440mm chainstays – 15mm shorter than the Specialized Fatboy – a moderately long reach, a low bottom bracket, and a comparatively slack 69-degree head tube angle. Just as with similarly progressive-minded trail bikes, the result is excellent stability at higher speeds but with impressive agility at slower ones.

Unlike many fat bikes, there’s also little hint of ‘auto steer’ with a pleasantly light and natural feel through the bars – at least when the tires are inflated for anything other than deep snow – and the short head tube allows for a refreshingly aggressive position should you want it.

The rigid fork is ultralight and can be swapped out to a RockShox Bluto without adversely affecting handling

In eking out that elusive fat bike speed, though, Trek has unfortunately also made some major concessions in terms of deep winter capability as the stock wheels and tires simply don’t have enough volume or a sufficiently aggressive tread to tackle anything other than reasonably packed snow. In sketchier conditions, the 3.8in-wide Hodags just sink and wallow, quickly bogging down like skinny rockered skis in fresh powder.

In fairness, Trek has designed the Farley more for pre-packed winter terrain or even more all-seasons riding in mind and to that end, the formula works pretty well. The clever frame design will also easily swallow the widest 26in fat bike wheels and tires with no significant changes in geometry so you could swap in some bigger shoes should you decide to do some winter exploring – and in fact, Trek supplied a pair of loaner Bontrager Jackalope wheels and matching 26x4.8in tires for this test. As promised, it was a seamless swap and improved the Farley’s wintertime capabilities immensely.

The front end is impressively clean

That said, buying another set of fat bike wheels and tires is an awfully expensive proposition on top of what is already a spendy endeavor, particularly if you want to maintain the premium quality of the rest of the build.

Clever carbon design blends best of fat and skinny

One of the biggest complaints with the previous Farley was its meager tire clearance, which barely accepted the then-stock 26x3.8in tires and certainly had no room for anything bigger. This time around, there’s more than enough Farley to go around with not only space for 26x5in rubber but little compromise otherwise to do so.

The press-fit bottom bracket is protected by a molded rubber guard

Out back, Trek has expectedly moved from the narrower 177mm thru-axle format to the wider 197mm one to better accommodate the bigger tires but the pedal stance width hasn’t changed. Credit goes to the carbon Farley’s crazy-thin chainstay profiles, an outwardly offset narrow/wide direct mount chainring, and a press-fit bottom bracket, which allows for wider chainstay spacing but the same crankset bearing locations as the previously threaded shell – and all without having to lengthen the rear end, either. As such, pedaling the Farley 9.8 thankfully still feels like riding a bike instead of straddling a horse.

Speaking of chainstays, Trek has added into this latest Farley iteration its adjustable Stranglehold dropouts, too. Out of the box, the wheel is set in the forwardmost position but should you desire a longer rear end for more stability, you can easily pull it out to a more generous 460mm.

You can extend the rear wheel back by 20mm for extra stability or keep it at a tight 440mm for more nimble handling

Up front, there’s a featherweight all-carbon rigid fork with 150x15mm thru-axle dropouts and impressively tidy hose routing. Although this particular model prioritizes low weight, the fork offset and axle-to-crown length is designed for trouble-free swapping with a RockShox Bluto suspension fork (or, for that matter, a Lauf Carbonara ).

Other niceties include internal cable routing for all but the rear brake (thank you, Trek!), a removable front derailleur mount, and a molded guard for the down tube and bottom bracket shell. Claimed frame weight is just 1.3kg (2.93lb) – barely heavier than many traditional hardtails – plus 550g for the matching carbon fork.

Carbon, carbon everywhere

It’d be easier to list the major components on the flagship Farley 9.8 that aren’t made of carbon fiber rather than point out the ones that are. Trek uses that black magic pixie dust for not only the frame and fork but also the 77mm-wide (internal width) Wampa hookless and tubeless-ready rims, the 720mm-wide Bontrager Race X Lite bars and matching seatpost, and the rails on the Bontrager Montrose saddle. As further commitments to beating the scale, Trek even specs ESI silicone foam rubber grips and Race Face’s ultralight Next SL carbon crankset.

The Race Face Next SL is a great choice

Other highlights include Bontrager’s workhorse Race X Lite forged aluminum stem, a SRAM X01 1x11 drivetrain, SRAM Guide RS hydraulic disc brakes with quiet-running 160mm Centerline rotors, and an FSA integrated headset for the tapered 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in steerer.

On the whole, there’s little to complain about as Trek’s product manager has basically nailed the spec – assuming what you’re after is an ultralight fat bike suitable for racing. The drivetrain faithfully rattles off gear changes with little fuss, the Race Face bearings have held up impressively well to frozen slush and road spray, and SRAM has in one fell swoop exorcised its disc brake demons with the Guide’s superb control, power, and – finally – reliability.

The carbon flat bar is a bit narrow at 720mm

That said, I still found the bars to be a bit on the narrow side and while I love ESI’s grips as much as anyone (I put them on my personal bikes, in fact), I occasionally wished for something a little stickier for winter-conditions riding. And finally, while I was fine without suspension up front, I frequently pined for a dropper post for the long and often technical descents I regularly deal with here in Colorado.

My only major complaint rests on the rear wheel, which is built around a rather cheap hub that’s frustratingly slow to engage – hardly befitting a fat bike with a price tag this high. It’s not a big deal in most situations but the lazy driver occasionally hampered restarts on steep ascents and definitely irritated any time I needed a quick half-pedal stroke on technical features. Trek already has the very fast-engaging Rapid Drive design in its corporate catalog so hopefully it will get added in here sooner than later.

Wicked good fun

Readers who just don’t get the appeal of fat bikes certainly aren’t going to see much sense in the Farley 9.8. But for those that do – and likely spend an inordinate percentage of the calendar year on one – one test ride on this thing will make nearly every other fat bike seem heavy. The price tag might not make sense to most riders but then again, neither does kitting up and heading out in a winter blizzard, either. As long as you’re okay with the slightly narrow tires’ limitations, this is one of the best performing fat bike options straight out of the box.

For more information, visit www.trekbikes.com .

Full bike specifications:

• Frame: Trek Farley OCLV Mountain Carbon
• Fork: Trek Farley OCLV Mountain Carbon
• Headset: FSA IS-2, 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in tapered
• Stem: Bontrager Race X Lite
• Handlebar: Bontrager Race X Lite flat, 720mm
• Grips: ESI Chunky
• Front brake: SRAM Guide RS w/ 160mm Centerline rotor
• Rear brake: SRAM Guide RS w/ 160mm Centerline rotor
• Brake levers: SRAM Guide RS
• Rear derailleur: SRAM XO1
• Shift lever: SRAM X1 trigger
• Cassette: SRAM XG-1175, 10-42T
• Chain: SRAM PC-1130
• Crankset: Race Face Next SL w/ 30T chainring
• Bottom bracket: Race Face
• Wheelset: Trek Wampa
• Front tire: Bontrager Hodag, tubeless ready, 27.5x3.8in
• Rear tire: Bontrager Hodag, tubeless ready, 27.5x3.8in
• Saddle: Bontrager Montrose Pro
• Seatpost: Bontrager XXX
• Pedals: n/a
• Weight: 10.82kg (23.84lb, 17.5in size, without pedals)

Also consider:

Specialized fatboy expert carbon.

Carbon frame, carbon wheels and a rigid carbon fork create a light fat bike ready and willing to take on any winter endurance expedition. Read our full Specialized Fatboy Expert Carbon review.

Borealis Crestone

A gorgeous carbon frame and front suspension create a sleek companion for go-anywhere, do-anything jaunts on snowy trails and adventures. Read our full Borealis Crestone review.

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Trek Farley Ex 9.8 2018

About the Trek Farley Ex 9.8 2018

The Trek Farley Ex 9.8 2018 is a Full suspension Fatbike Mountain Bike with a carbon frame. Equipped with a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain of 12 gears (1x12). Its features include dropper seatpost, hydraulic disc brakes, and tubeless ready. The bike weighs approximately 15,88 kg.

Dropper seatpost

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Results have arrived, trek farley ex 9.8 21.5" bike - 2017, item #bmt11456, condition: pre-owned used condition with signs of use but functions as intended. backed by tpc's risk-free return policy..

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Trek Farley 9.8

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Weight / M - 12.14 kg / 26.76 lbs (with tubes)

At a glance

Farley 9.8 is the lightest fat bike we make. It has an OCLV Mountain Carbon frame, a carbon fork, carbon wheels, and a 1×12 SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with the widest range of gears for varying terrain. This is a mountain bike with no compromises, and it’s all about going as fast as possible in every season.

Where To Buy

"Why pick anything else?"

"It's fast, handles trails like a boss, and the power transfer when pushing the cranks is nothing but impressive. It's a wonderful combination of smooth and snappy that thrives on the roughest-looking rubble. "

"Wicked good fun! 4.5/5 stars"

"Farley is one of the best-performing fat bike options straight out of the box. Carbon everything and smart design makes for silly-light and surprisingly fast fun. "

"Carbon beauty meets singletrack beast"

"A lightweight, sharp-looking, well-equipped, easy-to-climb, year-round fat bike. It's stiff, stable, and ready to party. The ride quality is amazing. "

Specifications

• Frame OCLV Mountain Carbon, tapered head tube, internal derailleur & dropper post routing, 197x12mm Stranglehold adjustable thru axle dropouts
• Wheels Front: Trek Wampa Carbon 80 SL, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, 150x15mm thru axle Rear: Trek Wampa Carbon 80 SL, Tubeless Ready, 108T Rapid Drive, 6-bolt, SRAM XD driver, 197x12mm thru axle
• Wheel Size 27.5"
• Tires Bontrager Barbegazi, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120 tpi, 27.5x4.50''
• Chain SRAM GX Eagle, 12 speed
• Crank Size: S Truvativ Stylo Carbon Eagle, DUB, 30T alloy FAT 5 ring, 170mm length Size: M, L, XL Truvativ Stylo Carbon Eagle, DUB, 30T alloy FAT 5 ring, 175mm length
• Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB, 121mm, PressFit
• Rear Derailleur SRAM GX Eagle
• Shifters SRAM GX Eagle, 12 speed
• Brakeset SRAM Guide RS hydraulic disc
• Handlebar Bontrager Race X Lite, OCLV Carbon, 31.8mm, 5mm rise, 720mm width
• Seatpost Size: S Bontrager Line Dropper, 100mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 345mm length Size: M, L, XL Bontrager Line Dropper, 125mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 395mm length
• Stem Size: S Bontrager Pro, 31.8mm, 7 degree, Blendr compatible, 70mm length Size: M Bontrager Pro, 31.8mm, 7 degree, Blendr compatible, 80mm length
• Grips ESI Chunky
• Headset FSA IS-2, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

Q: How much is a 2020 Trek Farley 9.8?

A 2020 Trek Farley 9.8 is typically priced around $5,150 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: Where to buy a 2020 Trek Farley 9.8?

The 2020 Trek Farley 9.8 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2020 Trek Farley 9.8 weigh?

A 2020 Trek Farley 9.8 weights M - 12.14 kg / 26.76 lbs (with tubes).

Q: What size wheels does the 2020 Trek Farley 9.8 have?

The 2020 Trek Farley 9.8 has 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2020 Trek Farley 9.8 should I get?

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• Farley EX 9.8

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