# Trek Lush or Fuel EX for my wife?



## jgdblue (Apr 24, 2015)

Looking for recommendations from people here who probably have a good viewpoint on this. We are shopping for a bike for my wife. She is about 5-6, and seems to fit well on a 2012 Fuel EX 17.5 26er. She has a long reach and longer legs, so it seems to negate some of the benefits of a women's specific design. That being said, I have an opportunity to buy either a Trek Lush SL or a Fuel EX 9 at a good price. 

From your experience, is the women's specific thing really all it's cracked up to be?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

...depends on the rider and the bike... really. 
Have her demo both.


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

Which year Lush and Fuel? I've ridden both and can shed some light.


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## jgdblue (Apr 24, 2015)

littlebird said:


> Which year Lush and Fuel? I've ridden both and can shed some light.


They would both be 2015.


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

To be honest, I find the newer Lushes to be super twitchy in the front end. I rode a 2012 for several years and loved it, but the 650B redesign (in 2014, I think?) did not improve the bike. I would not recommend it, unfortunately. 

If she fits properly on a Fuel EX, I'd go with that for sure.


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## dbdg (Nov 6, 2014)

I have a fuel, and love it!


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## silvascape (Sep 11, 2014)

I have a 2015 fuel and love it but have not tried the Lush to compare.


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## jgdblue (Apr 24, 2015)

Thank you everyone, there were no Lush models anywhere around us to try. She rode my 27.5 Fuel EX 9.8 and she liked it even though it was one size too big for her. We ended up buying her a new 2015 Fuel EX 9 in 27.5. I ordered a 30T chainring so she had a granny gear, I think she'll really like the simplicity of the 1X drivetrain. I think the fuel was a good choice, one of the things she likes is the stability of the wider (720 mm) bars.


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## jgdblue (Apr 24, 2015)

We bought her a virtual 17.5 (actual 16.5). The next size smaller was virtual 15.5 (actual 14.5), which was too small, she has a long inseam and long arms/short torso. In order to get the proper seat height on the 15.5/14.5, the seat post was nearly out of the seat tube and several inches higher than the handlebars. 

If need be we can swap in a shorter stem and or cut a little off the bars.


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## jgdblue (Apr 24, 2015)

Stripes said:


> Your shop should include at least a basic fit. Make sure they do that for you.


Will do, thank you.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

jgdblue said:


> From your experience, is the women's specific thing really all it's cracked up to be?


My wife doesn't think so except for some clothing choices and being particular about saddles. We are same height and share the same MTBs.

My suggestion would be delay the gratification and let her try different things including different styles or types of bikes. The bike my wife loves is not what shop people seem to push for women. She doesn't care about weight and usually goes for our relatively heavy and basic steel AM type hard tail. I believe it's the confidence inspiring geometry more than anything else. I say don't discount letting your wife figure out what she likes because in our case my wife's riding more than she's done in years, including going on rides by herself.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

jgdblue said:


> ...If need be we can swap in a shorter stem and or cut a little off the bars.


If it's of any help, I bought an 18.5" 2015 EX 8 this summer and as a 5'-8" guy, I found the width and style of the bars put my wrists at a less than ideal angle (uncomfortable) but otherwise liked the width.

My answer was to put a Salsa Bend 2 bar on it. The increased back sweep makes it much better for me. I have an Answer ProTaper 20/20 Enduro Carbon Bar on order to see what a little more rise does for me.


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