Demo Day! Part 3

After riding the two other bikes, I took a bit of a breather and then went back out on the prowl to see what other bikes I could kidnap. Luckily, after positioning myself just right in the crowd, I was able to grab a Top Fuel 9.9 in my size. I jumped on it first thing and rolled over to Fox's tent to get the suspension set up right. I look down and I am taken back by the amount of items across the nice carbon handlebar. It has a lockout switch on each side! At first, my thought is that there are just too many things going on in front of you. I would have to hit the trail to get the verdict though. After some suspension love from Fox, I head out to the trails.

As I am riding out to the trails, I realize that this is going to be my last ride. After looking at my watch, I resolve to take full advantage of this bike and these trails. I want to go fast, catch riders and not see them again. Honestly, I forget about the bike through the first section of trail. I do pick off several people. Carving through singletrack and stomping out of corners, I feel very agile and I am having a blast.

I feel like I should take it back a bit. Sometimes when you have a XC specific bike, you have a fast bike, but you miss that forgiveness of having a full suspension bike. It seemed that when I was riding the Top Fuel, I wasn't being penalized for wanting a "race bike". I wan't taking the abuse that my bike should be able to take for me.

After coming out of the first section of woods, I look back down at my handlebars. I notice the two lock-outs again. I start playing with the on-off buttons. Basically you have a thumb shifter to engage the lock-out and you use the side of your index finger knuckle to disengage it. It seems very simple, but it would require some time to learn not to let your hands float around your handlebar when your lock-out is engaged. It does make it extremely easy to open your suspension back up. I am a rider who usually doesn't mess with his suspension while riding, but I can see how this set up can be a huge advantage for someone who is looking for every edge.

Once I get back into the trails my mind gets back to the task at hand, which is getting through the trails and tracking down anyone I see in front of me. One huge difference I notice between the Fuel EX and the Top Fuel is the quickness. There are a few sections that I have to get around or over and I notice that with the Top Fuel I am quicker through those sections. In paticular there are some off camber roots that I need to get up and over. I lift my front wheel up to place it on top of those roots and the next things I know, my front wheel is over the roots already and the section is already behind me. This bike gets you through the trail fast! I still am a fan of the Fuel EX for an all-around trail bike, but if you are looking for a race rig then this is your bike. It is amazing. If I ever start thinking about MTB racing again, I would get this bike without hesitation.