the lockout on the rear shock is for climbing. makes the pedalling more efficient. use that for the ups, and fully open for the downs. also the fork is likely to have a compression setting at the top which you can also fully turn to stiffent/ lock the fork for ascending, just remenber to open everything again before heading back down or it'll get a little squirmy! theres loads of videos on YT on setting up the suspension to your preferered style of riding. as for the dropper, its easily a matter of up for the climbs/ no fun, and down for the descents/ all the fun :)

Hi Rusty, if you're having trouble with fatigue in your quads whilst descending, you might benefit from adjusting your posture. In your default/neutral riding position, try to hinge forwards at at your hips, whilst keeping your back flat, with your heels dropped and knees only slightly bent. If you ride with your torso in a more upright position and your knees bent like you're doing a squat, it's really easy to wear out your legs and you'll have much less control over the front of the bike. Hope that makes sense; it's not the easiest thing to describe. I remember watching a really good video by Roxy's Ride and Inspire on the topic, and also on Joy of Bikes (I think), though I'm sure there are many more also available on youtube.

I think a hardtail would've been ideal for that but it depends on how many bikes you want and what kind of riding you want to do. A full suss like that will cope with a lot more technical riding but that may not be something you're interested in. You could make it faster/more efficient by changing the tyres for something lighter and faster rolling but they will have less grip on more technical stuff and may be more prone to punctures. Once you're used to the dropper you'll use it more than you can imagine, so handy when terrain is changeable, also good for getting on and off the bike when you get older and less flexible. You can get smaller, dropper compatible seat packs but they obviously have their limitations. Custom frame bag? Some kind of handlebar bag? There are multi tools that can be stored in the steerer tube, you can get straps for attaching a few bits and pieces to the frame, enduro riders find lots of ways not to carry stuff on their back but you'll probably just have to find the comfiest rucksack for all your bits and pieces and get used to carrying extra weight. Thanks for the videos, I'm a mtber but just got a gravel bike a few months ago for fitness and some variety and your films have given me lots of ideas. Happy to return the favour one way or another.

We usually climb up Broadlaw and follow the fence line North to Meggathead - not much of a track but great fun - South not North 😂

Agree with all the comments on here regarding the suspension lock-outs when climbing. Dropper post up when climbing and down when descending generally. Any time you feel that you need to move around on the bike just drop the post to get the seat out the way. I felt sorry for you on that climb! A bit of a monster. The e-MTB would have flew up there 😂. Well done again Rusty!

Gotta watch for the fashion police, out in the wilds. 😋 Once you're past 50, and wearing lycra, the fashion police give up on you as a lost cause. 😁

The Broad Law descent looks great - it's been on our todo list for a while. The acoustic music has much improved your videos.

The gravel track that starts between Heriot and granites road and heads to fountainhall contained the steepest gravel track I'd done in the borders. From there you can loop around the old trainline to oxton and back over the wind farm. Then the back road to heriot, via Carcant wind farm gravel track. A good spin.

Nice vid Rusty. Based on the video footage I'd say a hardtail XC bike would have hit the sweet spot. Full-sus MTB maybe a bit of overkill?.

I love watching your videos, you ride some really rough stuff sometimes though and I think a nice light carbon hardtail would be ideal for your adventures, the gravel bike looks out of its depth a lot if the time! The full susser is probably overkill, you looked like you found the extra weight hard work!

I could sense the smiles as you did that first descent!!

Have you ever considered a SRAM mullet drivetrain for your gravel bike, being able to have a 38 or 42 tooth front chainring with a 10-52 rear cassette will have you zipping up these climbs with ease 😜 I could give you a go on my 42 chainring with 10-44 cassette setup once I have it up and running if you fancy it?

Another cracking video, my wife is getting really really peeved at the amount of time I spend watching your videos, I really need to get out with you at some point this summer?

I’ve stuck a diatribe on your page but another interesting video.

That climb looked brutal. Cracking effort. Great video 👍

Great video with excellent Frankview footage 👍

i love the good old mtb's even though i ride more gravel bike these days, still have my old trek fuel from 2015, just curious but have you locked the shocks out when not descending ? it does help with the efficiency of pedalling a little bit. oh yes tan walls look very good on that bike

after video comment, don't put a saddle bag on, when you drop the post then compress the suspension you will buzz the bag and destroy it eventually, back packs or hip packs are generally the way to carry stuff on an mtb, the fuel tank on the front is fine, but you may get fashion policed if you put handlebar bags on lol.

Funny, it was a Trek MTB that got me into gravel, my old Superfly hardtail. Only drawback is the flat bar setup on longer days. If it feels slow get rid of those tractor tyres and fit some Terreno XC tyres! Fast fast fast if a bit drifty in corners 😎

I ovalised the top of the head tube on my Camber Evo. TBH I glued in the top bearing and when it fell apart just sold the frame as ‘damaged’ on ebay. It’d done a lot of miles and the last time the swingarm bearings were replaced my mechanic suggested they were all getting a bit ‘baggy’. Wouldn’t have been helped by me running a 140mm fork in it, when it was designed for 100-120…

I'm surprised you went for a full sus, I sometimes use the hardtail with 100mm front travel and it takes me anywhere, much easier to climb with and less weight/maintenance. Still, yours is great on the technical stuff, and fast descents!

Really enjoy your video's, and much appreciate your efforts. Thanks. For the type of terrain you seem to prefer, IMHO it is difficult to get the perfect set up (Gravel v MTB), but on balance I think full sus MTB is the way to go. Heavier yes, but much more forgiving generally, rideable on technical terrain, and you feel less beat up at the end of the day. You are much younger and no doubt fitter than myself, but if considering an EMTB then I would strongly endorse VR_Gamers comments, and go for a full power model. I suspect the range of the Fuel eXe is just too limited for the type of challenge you enjoy, and you do not want to be "out of battery" in the middle of nowhere. As a now an elderly EMTB rider, often solo, I am conscious of how heavy these bikes are, and aware of the problem posed by locked gates, so any mention of these in the ride notes is much appreciated. Keep up the good work.

Target Composites would be worth chatting to if you have damage to your carbon frame.

I knew something was wrong! I must remember to watch your videos on my FireStick, not through my Sky Q box. The scenery is awesome, but the Sky box plays in crap quality by comparison to the FireStick. Aggravating to have those lovely views spoiled by the player, after the effort has been spent on producing video in decent quality.

Broad Law is about the dullest mountain I've walked up but that looks like a great bike ride. What was your average speed like compared to your gravel bike? I'm guessing you might have been slower going up but quite a bit quicker on the down?

Gutsy first ride Rusty on a MTB, Well done, I have an older Fuel Ex, great bikes, although I rarely use it these days, EMTB all the way now, obviously both have their advantages, but when there's climbing to be done the EMTB is the right tool for me, I have no desire to push myself too hard and nothing to prove to anyone or myself, of course full powered EMTB's are heavy, although with the advantage of never having to hike a Bike, I can literally climb any gradient in the UK with a decent surface without risk of injury. I know what your thinking is with the Trek Fuel eXe , lighter is better and you don't need all that power ? No lighter is not always better and yes you do want as much power as possible on an EMTB. My honest opinion is The Fuel ExE is weak sauce when it comes to EMTB's and definitely not worth the asking price for a mid powered 50nm of torque, it's just not enough IMHO, yeah it's a fine bike for terrain with less elevation, but you'll drain the battery very quickly if you max it out on steep climbs, The Trek Rail is a far more powerful EMTB and more versatile too, more range, yeah it's heavier and definitely not as sleek, although you'll go anywhere on the RAIL, equipped with a 750WH battery and the Bosch CX performance, it's a killer combo on any EMTB, not just the TREK RAIL. The eXe is a more specialised EMTB aimed at specific type of rider, I don't know, I could be wrong, but that's not what you really need in my opinion. As for worn carbon in the steerer tube, it's an easy fix for anyone armed with half decent knowledge of carbon rebuilding, you don't really need any specialist tools either, just do some research and you can fix the problem yourself, as long as it's not completely worn through, which of course is potentially dangerous and will require a specialist repair. I've repaired my carbon composite and fibre glass kayaks in the past with great results, they're now stronger than ever, saved myself a fortune too. Finally and honestly, I'd advise you to stay away from any mid powered EMTB. Real power on an EMTB is essential, 50nm isn't great, the most important and crucial factor if you choose a full powered EMTB is, you don't always need to use that power, although it's there when you need it most... and a strong rider like yourself will achieve massive range on a fully powered EMTB run in Eco mode. Sorry for the Book, but I think you'll regret buying a mid powered Fuel eXe and yes I'm speaking from experience 😜 Buyers remorse is real and it can be painful, your wallet will never forgive you, so choose your EMTB wisely. ATB >>>>>>>> FULL POWER EMTB ALL THE WAY. 85NM WoooT