I have had this bike for a while now, but I have not had a great opportunity to take it out for a trail ride. This morning, I drove to Pocatello with a general plan to ride the Chinese Peak-Blackrock Trail System from the trailhead on Buckskin Road to the top of Chinese Peak. The trail began to climb almost immediately on a rutted two-track. It was not long before the climb became leg-breakingly steep and I was pushing the bike more than riding. I suffered through a mile or so and jumped off on a trail to the south which looked significantly more rideable. It eventually dead-ended at a fence line and I improvised for a while on poor quality singletrack, cow trails, and pure bushwhacking. Eventually, I ended up at the Chinese Peak trailhead (pictured) at the east end of Barton Road. This is the most direct access to Chinese Peak on a good gravel road.
One of two things happened early on, I don’t know which. Either I got off route, or the ride was more difficult than I had anticipated. I did not love the pointless ride that I went on, but it did provide one thing--a range of conditions to demo the new bike. I probably can’t add much to the published reviews of the new Fuel EX beyond validating what has already been reported. It climbs well, floats over small to mid-sized bumps, and is very stable at speed with no significant negatives.
Returning to the trailhead by way of American Road, I met a young man, shirtless, running fast. I was a little nostalgic for a moment. As a student in Pocatello 35 years ago, American Road was one of my running staples. In those days, it was unpaved, and I believe unnamed, high above any development on Pocatello’s Southeast Bench.
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