Thank you very much! If you do, I don't think you will be disappointed in it. The bike just rails! Happy riding!

John, that is awesome. It is a great bike and the PNW bars are a great upgrade to it. Are you still going to get the stem? I am thinking of buying another Fuse and making the one I have into a dirt jumper and park bike.

@@slugmtb Just waiting for the stem to come back in stock. I will change a few other things over time as well but I don't really have to as it's a very solid ride as is. Going to upgrade the fork, brakes and wheels eventually.

Very nice! I love my wheelset that I upgraded last summer. Keep me posted on how everything comes together and enjoy the rest of summer on that thing! It is a great bike!

That is great John A! It is a fantastic and very capable bike! Thanks for watching.

That is great! A new wheelset on mine would be nice. I will have to think about that. Thanks for the comments!

The Fuse Expert is the higher end bike. Better fork and components. They are both great bikes. Just depends on your budget.

Hope you enjoy it!

Haven’t ridden the SRAM but the Deore kit on the ‘21 is quite nice. I did swap out the cranks for Deore and the KMC chain for an XT chain, however. Made a few other tweaks as well to get it a little more dialed but the bike is a great bike that is loads of fun to ride and is highly capable even right out of the gate.

Did your bike come in? Ordered mine in Dec with an ETA of April, but I was bumped to June/July in Canada..

@@kevinhandy2490 not yet...they told me "second week of may" so if I dont hear anything by friday I'm going up there to find out what's up

Thank you! Good luck, she is a sweet ride for sure. I have also seen the new Timberjack and they have made drastic changes to the new 2021. Looks like the bike companies are listening to the riders?? Thanks for watching!

I got the fuse in a large, I am 5’11 and it fits me well. I always thought of myself as a medium frame bike rider. The large felt comfortable and the fuse is a really nice hard tail bike it’s very light compared to full suspension bikes and I have been passing people with more expensive bikes on the uphill. This is a good bike you won’t regret it if you’re looking for a hard tail.

@@Justobserving9291 Hi. Do you know what is the weight of the bike. I mean the expert one, especially, s, size?

@@naydennaydenov4840 My 2020 comp 29 medium is ~32lbs with pedals. Expert might shave a lb or 2 off that.

That is awesome! Same year?

The guy said it was 2019 but I think it might be 2020

Thank you!

Thank you! It definitely has been a great bike. Thanks for watching!

Hey JPhysics, It is a tough call as we are in the size range that we could go with either size. Coming from my history of riding 29ers a large always fit me better. The mediums always felt small, when I bought the Fuse I was looking at how much the bike frames had changed and I thought a medium would fit me better. I was wrong, and should have gone with my gut. I did shorten the stem by 10mm but other than that the bike fits me great! There are many variables such as inseam and torso length. It would be nice if you could try both but I understand why you can't. I had many miles on many 29ers and when I took a short spin on the medium I knew right away that it was off. I felt cramped in the cockpit, even though I had some time away from the bike, my body knew what felt right and it was the large. What is your inseam? Mine is 30 inches. As far as my torso length ( and I was unsure how to measure this ) from my waste to the top of my head is 34 inches. As far as my reach from my armpit to my middle finger is 28 inches. Sorry for the crude measurements. If you are anywhere close to these I would get the large. On a final note, this bike is a real ripper! I hope this helps you in your buying process. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for watching! Ryan

@@slugmtb Your input is invaluable. I went through the same process, same height but my inseam is 32inches, arm to middle finger 28inches, so almost identical. I've asked them to swap sizes in light of this, I really appreciate this. Really looking forward to getting out on it. Cheers Keep up the good work!

@@Jcee4 That is great! Glad I could help you out. Have fun ripping it, when you do get it!

You are welcome!

Thank you for watching, and glad you liked it!

That is awesome! I love those old bikes and have ridden a few and they do have that nostalgic ride to them. I have seen many people rebuild them into a gravel bikes. That would be a fun project! As for the components, the only real difference my be a bit of weight and price tag. I have still not replaced a derailer on my bike and it gets the crap beat out of it. The Fuse is a great bike for all around ridding. And the 1X drive trains are the best in my book! Thanks for watching!

I think you would love the 29er. I have no pedal strike issues on it, unless I was really off on my pedal position when going through the chunky stuff! Thanks for watching!

The fuse are known for being able to switch from 27.5+29 and back

Sweet! I ran a Bomber many years ago and it was a great fork. It liked to be abused that it for sure. Glad you like your Fuse! Keep ripping it!

rossmessi1, I did get the medium at first, thinking that since I had been out of the mountain biking scene for a while, and seeing how they had changed so much, I needed a medium. I had always ridden a large before they started to make the aggressive hardtails, and that was where I went wrong. I would go with a large if that is what you have always purchased. I made the mistake and luckily the LBS worked with me on it. What bike are you currently riding?

@@slugmtb Thanks. It's a scott scale large, but I did ride a large "big al" for short test and size felt normal, but I didn't really find it that fun. So i'm thinking sticking with a similar reach may be more of a playfull ride. I think part of the newer long reach bikes feeling normal seated is due to the more forward saddle. But when standing they feel long. I never felt the need to slide my saddle forward before, so I may just have to slide the saddle back on a modern medium.

@@slugmtb Also have you played around with the chainstay length yet? How do you like it?

Also the way you ride will make a big difference on how you want the bike to play on the trail. As for me I take this thing to the skatepark, dirt jumps etc. and it always does what I need it to. If you can get in a good test ride on one that would be awesome. In the parking lot it is really hard to tell. The medium may need to be the way to go. It really is best to get something that feels right. Let me know what you go with.

Yes I have. It came set up on the longer side of things and I changed that soon after getting it to the short side. I have it almost as short as it can go, right now. For me I can whip it around and it is very playful but I have been riding 29ers for a while. This was a very rowdy setup from what I used to ride. I love it! I have been thinking of making this a dedicated jump bike and then getting the pro for mountain biking? We will see??

In the front I don't see a problem, but the rear would be pretty tight, if you ran into mud you would have a clearance issue. With the rear, it also depends where you are running your axle.

I have the same bike in a medium. I run 2.8 wtb vigilante’s front and rear with the rear slid almost all the way forward. No clearance issues yet. I haven’t run into a ton of sticky mud yet. Mostly wet loam or dry sand here. I believe the fork will accommodate a 3.0 but I don’t think the frame will unless it’s on a 27.5 wheel. I run a ground keeper fender on my fork so I think 2.8 is the max for me.

I’m 6’. 235-240. Forks works fine for me.

When I got the bike I was about 250. I was able to get the fork dialed in no problem. I have lost a few pounds since I got it, and have just been tuning the pressure to my riding style. It will work for you with no issues. I highly recommend this bike.

@@slugmtb sparks, slug, cheers to both of you, looking forward to it!

Hey D, Here is an answer to your question. I had another viewer ask the same question. Hope it helps you out! It is a tough call as we are in the size range that we could go with either size. Coming from my history of riding 29ers, a large always fit me better. The mediums always felt small, when I bought the Fuse I was looking at how much the bike frames had changed and I thought a medium would fit me better. I was wrong and should have gone with my gut. I did shorten the stem by 10mm but other than that the bike fits me great! There are many variables such as inseam and torso length. It would be nice if you could try both but I understand why you can't. I have many miles on many 29ers and when I took a short spin on the medium I knew right away that it was off. I felt cramped in the cockpit, even though I had some time away from the bike, my body knew what felt right and it was the large. What is your inseam? Mine is 30 inches. As far as my torso length ( and I was unsure how to measure this ) from my waist to the top of my head is 34 inches. As far as my reach from my armpit to my middle finger is 28 inches. Sorry for the crude measurements. If you are anywhere close to these I would get the large. On a final note, this bike is a real ripper! I hope this helps you in your buying process. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for watching! Ryan

@@slugmtb Thanks. My height is 5’10”, inseam is 32”. I tried in a shop, looks like for the Fuse either the M or L works, though I also tried the Rockhopper M, which felt small.

Specialized required the other two measurements to decide the size, mine is 18.5” and 3”. The website suggests M, but if I change the first measurement from 18” to 19” then the website suggests L. It is tricky for me, I almost plan to buy a ML x-caliber 8 which is available in my area and seems a right fit for me than the M and L from Specialized.

@@slugmtb How do you think about Fuse’s performance when paddling on pavements as a commute bike? Any noticeable differences from XC bikes?

In the end, the best thing to go for is the bike that fits you the best. There are so many good bikes out there that it is a tough decision to make. I was in the same situation. Good luck!

Let me know how you like it, when you get it. Thanks for watching!

Hey Bill, I thought the stem was great but I did shorten it a bit when I added the PNW bars. I like the shorter stem I have on it now. It is a 40mm stem and the stock for the large was 50mm. I believe they have a shorter stem to help with the technical side of riding along with the offset they use on the forks. If you look at the new Salsa Timberjack, you will see how much it has changed from the 2020 model. They are definitely listening to what people want in a hardtail. They want them to be playful as well as climb and descend well. The fuse is a great bike and I have had no issue with it. It always s feels predictable when pushing the envelope. Thanks for watching! Let me know if you have any other questions. Ryan

@@slugmtb Thanks for the feedback! I'm really torn at this point as to what to plunk my ~$2,000 on. There are so many good options now and, as you said, manufacturers are really listening to riders and responding. Happy trails!

Hey sorry for the late response, I am 5' 10'' and a large fits me well.

If it helps I have the large and I’m 6’. It feels larger than my large Santa Cruz 5010. I think I could have been fine on a medium. Would make it better to play around but I use mine mainly for bike packing and the large works better. Depends on the feel your going for. Fun or planted. Hope that helps.

I am 5' 10" and the large fits me great. I do have a longer torso so that could be the difference. I did start with the medium but I knew it was wrong in the first 5 minutes of riding it. I would really ride both of them for a bit and mess around on them as well at your LBS. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks. I'm 5'9" (and I think fairly evenly proportioned top to bottom). 32" inseam, 20" top of hip to shoulder, 21" top of armpit to wrist. None of the LBS have them in stock to check out and all the ones they're going to get in are already spoken for, but when they get one in they'll let me check it out if I come by before it gets picked up. So unfortunately no chance to compare medium and a large side by side. And if I want one I pretty much just have to put down a deposit/hold and hope they can get it/it fits (it's fully refundable thankfully).

Jeremy, I am now going on my third season with this bike and it is still an outstanding bike! I have changed a few things but they were to suit my style of riding. I have logged many many miles climbing, descending, dirt jumps, and skateparks with even some urban mountain biking in there. This is a very solid bike and I am extremely pleased with it. This bike climbs very well and has never felt bad on any climb no matter how bad it was. It goes down just as well and is very confidence-inspiring. As far as the weight goes it is just fine for me for the way I ride. I would rather have a bike the was just a bit heavier than one that was lighter but that is my personal preference. I do put this bike through some serious stuff! For me, I like to ride aggressively but seriously this bike will do whatever you want if you love to ride a wide variety of terrain. The geometry is great and if you have been looking at other bike companies they are following the new trend of aggressive hardtails that are designed to do everything. If you are more of a cross-country type of rider that likes to go flat out maybe lean more towards a cross-country type of fame. Let me know if you have any further questions. I hope this helps in any decision that you make. I am also working on doing a 3-year review on this as a long-term review. Thanks for watching!

@@slugmtb a big thank you for your answer you invited me I think I will turn to the fuse, now remains more than to find one available in a store.

@@slugmtb is that the braking with the sram level is good I read on forums that many people had trouble with level sensation.

You are welcome and good luck!

I have not had any issues with them. That being said, of course there are way better brakes out there but I have had no issues with mine. I am on my third set of pads for them.

Hey Henry, I am 5' 10" I did shorten the stem to a 40mm rather than the 50mm the bike came with. You may need to have the next size up. You are right on the size range for a large and XL. My bike shop swapped them out for me but I had only 6 road miles on it. Hope they can help you out! Thanks for watching!

@@slugmtb Thank you for getting back. I'll talk to the guys at the shop. Great video

I think it was Ghost Gray but not 100%.

@@slugmtb thanks, i love it!

It is definitely a great bike. When I bought this one, I was also on a set price amount. Glad I did my research. Nothing worse than spending a bunch of money and then not liking it. Maybe you can shock her with a bike, with a 10K price tag. Then she might think it is not that expensive :) Good luck and thanks for watching!

@@slugmtb great idea...maybe I will tell her all bikes are 5k and come up with "check this bike..it's a deal/steal" hahaha. Thanks man

I am 5' 10" with a 30" inseam.The large fits me well.

@@slugmtb my inseam is almost a 34 and I was considering a large. Do you think I should do XL?

What is your overall height? You may need to go one size up depending on that.

@@slugmtb 6’1”

You may want to go up a size. At your local bike shop, do they have both sizes to ride? If so I would. You would be right on the edge of both sizes. What is your riding style? This can also play a big part in how you want the bike to ride. Going a size down will fill a bit more playful but that depends on how you ride.

Nayden, I have not put it on a scale but I believe it is in the 31lb range. That could be lightened up with a tire change to start if you are looking to lighten it up a bit. Thanks for watching!