Here is Trek's Farley EX 9.8 fat bike for 2017 - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
This fatty rolls on 27.5-inch wheels instead of the standard fat bike 26ers - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Bontrager's Hodag 27.5x3.8 tires have a big footprint bolstered with small, fast-rolling knobs - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
The 80mm Bonty Wampa rims are tubeless ready and oh yeah they're carbon too - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
The front triangle is Trek's OCLV carbon, the rear is the company's Alpha aluminum - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Trek and Fox teamed up to create the Reaktiv shock - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
The Float shock has three positions and yields 120mm of rear end squish - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Trek's Active Braking Pivot is present - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
A RockShox Bluto RL delivers 120mm of travel up front - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
The Bluto has black decals — so stealthy - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Trek's Carbon Armor protects the down tube from trail shrapnel - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
A press fit 121mm bottom bracket is in the middle and notice how the rear brake hose is perfectly managed - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
SRAM's shifter and brakes control the shifts and the stops. Note: stock versions have an X1 shifter and Guide brakes - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Yes, finally a little housing protection on the rear derailleur cable - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Bontrager's Drop Line post yields 125mm - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
A SRAM X01 rear derailleur snaps through 11 speeds even with a bit of snow clogged in there - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
A carbon Race Face Next crank sends the power via a 30t ring - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Bonty's Line Pro is on stem duty. Note: stock version has a Line stem - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
The carbon Line Pro handlebar is 750mm wide and has a 35mm clamp - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Trek's Control Freak cable routing has the right name, it's super clean and tidy. The Alpha Aluminum references the back end - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
The Bluto features a 15x150mm Maxle Lite thru-axle - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Black and red, the Wampa hubs look a little bit like a certain Swiss brand - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
The whole bike is a very subtle matte black with red matte details - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Carbon, full-sus, 27.5in wheels and narrower rubber, the Farley EX 9.8 blurs the mountain bike/fat bike lines - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Full-suspension and fat tires are still a pretty rare pairing. The argument is that the big, mondo tires rolling single digit air pressures provide all the suspension you need.
The flip side to that argument is that full suspension allows some control to the cushion, thanks to a fork and shock's damping qualities.
Trek's full-suspension Farley EX 9.8 fat bike adds another twist to the conundrum, 27.5-inch wheels.
120mm rear travel with ABP and Full Floater suspension
Fox Float RE:aktiv rear shock
RockShox Bluto RL, 120mm
Bontrager Wampa Carbon 80 SL rims, tubeless ready
150x15 front, 197x12 rear hubs
Bontrager Hodag 27.5x3.8in tires
SRAM X01 rear derailleur, X1 shifter
Race Face Next carbon cranks, 30T narrow/wide ring
SRAM Guide hydraulic discs
Weighs 14.06kg / 31lbs, size 19.5in
Bontrager's Hodag 27.5x3.8 tires have a big footprint bolstered with small, fast-rolling knobs - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Dialed chassis
As you can see from the highlights list above, the Farley EX 9.8 is pretty dialed stock. The nearly all-black build with little red pops of color make it a very attractive bike in my eyes.
There's a country mile of standover thanks to the swoopy top tube and Trek's designers have done a commendable job at keeping the rear suspension tidy and flowing smoothly from the front end to the back.
With fat bikes looking like this, it's easy to say that the days of hobbled together mystery machines is over.
The front triangle is Trek's OCLV carbon, the rear is the company's Alpha aluminum - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Blurring the lines
In addition to this being one of only a few full-sus fat bikes, the Farley EX is also in the rare camp of having 27.5-inch wheeled fattys.
Along with the bigger hoops there are slightly narrower tires, Bontrager's Hodags at 3.8-inches.
This makes me wonder if the Farley will feel more like a mountain bike with playful manners and less plodding.
It also leaves me questioning if the lack of footprint will leave it wanting when traction and floatation are paramount.
The 80mm Bonty Wampa rims are tubeless ready and oh yeah they're carbon too - Russell Eich / Immediate Media
Trek Farley EX 9.8 pricing and availability
Trek makes two versions: the alloy Farley EX 8 model comes with a modest spec at $3,499, while the carbon 9.8 version, which I have in on test, retails for $5,499. They are available now from Trek dealers and at trekbikes.com.
