Over at BlueCollarMTB I have recently started reviewing a new ‘08 Trek Fuel EX 5.5. Now I won’t be cross posting too much but I do plan on making some comparison and how to’s on a few parts that I think are great for upgrades.

The first one that I am pretty excited about is riding a Fox Float R. I currently ride a Fox Float RP3 which has all the Pro Pedal adjustments, which when climbing are great but I tend to hit the little blue switch with my leg by accident and be in fully opened or Pro Pedal mode when I don’t need to be. And it’s a few grams lighter!!!!!!

At the other end of suspension is the Rock Shox Tora 289 with U- Turn from 85-130mm. This is the entry level of the Tora forks. The fork has a good amount of adjustable features with the U-Turn and rebound adjustment. For 2007 you could change out the coil depending on your weight and riding style, I would think that the same spring can be used on the 2008. Most of RockShox parts are interchangeable within a model line which would mean that the fork could have a lockout added on. I’ve never ridden a fork with U-Turn and it’s been awhile since I’ve ridden a coil sprung fork in general. Hopefully the spring is good for my weight and I won’t have to order a new one. It seems like it is a great fork for the money, but is a little on the porker side of it all. All these things I will look into as I ride the bike more.

Finally there are the Avid BB5’s. Disc brakes are a great upgrade - I was once told that you can only go as fast as your brakes will stop you. Cable actuated brakes are the cheapest and most user friendly way to get into disc brakes. If you can use your current wheels and brake levers you are looking under $60 per wheel. I’ve always used BB7’s for their ease of set up and long term adjustment, but the BB5’s seem to setup very well so far.