trek fuel ex 8 2023

Trek Fuel EX 2023 Review | A bigger, musclier & hugely adaptable trail bike

The not-so-minor details.

2023 Trek Fuel EX

https://www.trekbikes.com

$4,999 AUD - $8,999 AUD

- Sturdy, flex-free chassis - Superb geometry with adjustable head angle - Efficient & comfortable climbing performance - Coil shock, big fork & mullet compatibility - Mechanic-friendly frame furnishings - Internal storage

- Frame is on the heavy side - Rear shock tune lacks small-bump suppleness - Rattly rear thru-axle lever

Wil reviews the Trek Fuel EX 2023

Having undergone a ground-up redesign for 2023, the Trek Fuel EX has entered its burliest and biggest travel form yet. This latest model represents the 6th generation of Trek’s popular mid-travel trail bike, with the original having debuted all the way back in 2005. Trail riding has evolved a lot since then, and the new Fuel EX aims to keep up with that evolution by incorporating almost every mod-con you can think of.

Of course it’s big news whenever Trek releases a new Fuel EX, and given how important this bike is for the US brand, we were curious to see how the raft of updates would play out on the trail. We had a bit of an idea, having thoroughly enjoyed riding the electrified Trek Fuel EXe over the past few months. Would the muscle-powered version deliver the same good vibes? And how would it compare to the previous models that have given us so many fond riding memories over the years? We’ve been putting the Trek Fuel EX 2023 to the test to find out!

Watch our video review of the Trek Fuel EX 2023:

Along with the downtube storage, generous frame armour and size-specific chainstays, the Fuel EX appears to pack in almost everything you could possibly want in a modern trail bike.

An overview of the Trek Fuel EX 2023

For 2023, the Trek Fuel EX is built around an entirely new frame that’s produced in carbon and alloy variants. Suspension travel has increased by 10mm at both ends, with the new Fuel EX now sporting a 150mm fork and 140mm of rear travel via the ABP four-bar suspension design.

It’s worth noting that the frame will handle a 160mm travel fork, and thanks to the two-position Mino Link, it can also be run as a mullet. Borrowed from the Session downhill bike, there’s a two-position flip chip at the lower shock mount that offers linear and progressive settings. The latter option is what makes the new Fuel EX coil shock compatible.

On top of that, Trek will be offering aftermarket headset cups to steepen or slacken the head angle by a degree. Along with the downtube storage, generous frame armour and size-specific chainstays, the Fuel EX appears to pack in almost everything you could possibly want in a modern trail bike. It’s certainly an appealing package on paper, and one that’s ready to take on contemporaries like the Specialized Stumpjumper , Merida One-Forty , Canyon Spectral and Giant Trance X .

Trek Fuel EX price & specs

There are a number of different models available in the Trek Fuel EX 2023 lineup, though availability will vary depending on where you are in the world.

In Australia, prices currently range from $4,999 AUD for the Fuel EX 7, and go up to $8,999 AUD for the Fuel EX 9.8 XT model. The cheapest option is actually the Fuel EX 5, though that model carries over the previous generation frame. For a closer look at the specs, prices and all the new details, check out our Trek Fuel EX 2023 overview article for more.

Here we’ll be diving into our experience of testing the Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS model, which will be available in Australia in limited quantities through the custom Project One bike builder. It’s a media bike that was provided to us by Trek, and of course it comes dripping with lots of gold, carbon and wireless bits. However, as usual with our reviews, we won’t be going into detail about the Gucci-level spec. Instead, we’ll be concentrating on the important aspects that are shared throughout the Fuel EX lineup; the frame design, suspension performance and its on-trail handling.

2023 Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS

• Frame |  OCLV Mountain Carbon Fibre, ABP Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
• Fork |  Fox 36, Factory Series, GRIP2 Damper, 44mm Offset, 150mm Travel
• Shock |  Fox Float X, Factory Series, 185x55mm
• Wheels |  Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Tyres |  Bontrager SE5 Team Issue 2.5in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain |  SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS1×12 w/30T Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes |  SRAM Code RSC 4-Piston
• Bar |  Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
• Stem |  Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 45mm Length
• Seatpost |  RockShox Reverb AXS, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL)
• Saddle |  Bontrager Arvada, Austentite Rails
• Confirmed Weight | 14.4kg
• RRP |  $TBC

The chassis feels near-bombproof, and combined with the supportive suspension, powerful brakes and high volume rubber, you’re served up plenty of confidence for pushing the front wheel into steep chutes and over technical A-lines.

Trek Fuel EX size & geometry

From X-Small through to XX-Large, the Trek Fuel EX is produced in no fewer than seven different sizes. Seven! Given that many brands only offer four or sometimes even just three frame sizes, that’s impressive.

The two smallest sizes feature 27.5in wheels, while the Medium and above come standard with 29in wheels. The Small is the only option that is available in either wheelsize.

At 175cm tall I’ve been riding a Medium, which features a 450mm reach. Thanks to the use of short seat tubes, a rider of my height could easily upsize to the M/L size to get a longer 470mm reach. Personally, I’ve found the fit of the Medium to be spot-on.

As for geometry, the Fuel EX features a 64.5° head angle and approximately a 77.5° effective seat tube angle in its stock configuration. The rear centre length varies between sizes, going up to 450mm on the largest frame. On the Medium I’ve been riding, the rear centre is a compact 435mm.

Coming off the Fuel EXe, I found it easy to settle into the Fuel EX. The only modification I needed to perform was to chop the comically wide handlebars from 820mm down to a more reasonable 780mm.

Suspension & tyre setup

Getting the Fuel EX set up is made easy thanks to Trek’s detailed online suspension calculator . Input the bike model and your riding weight, and out spits suggested air pressure and rebound settings for both the fork and shock. It even suggests tyre pressures, giving you a good place to start before hitting the trail. When brands like Canyon struggle to provide any recommendations at all, Trek should be commended for helping riders to get the most out of their bike.

For my 68kg riding weight, Trek suggests setting up the Fox 36 fork slightly softer and slower than usual. Recommended rear shock sag is 29%, and the calculator’s suggestion of 158psi got me to exactly that figure. Initially I set the rebound at 6/15 clicks as recommended, but while everything felt quite balanced front to back, the suspension was a little sluggish and duller than I wanted. Speeding up the rebound by a couple of clicks in both the fork and shock helped to make the whole bike feel a bit more lively, while improving small-bump reactivity.

Although the Bontrager SE5 tyres feature reinforced Core Strength casings, I still fitted a CushCore Pro insert to provide some additional pinch-flat protection and insurance for the carbon rims. Tyre pressures were set as per Trek’s recommendations with 20psi in the front and 22psi in the rear.

Trek Fuel EX weight

Confirmed weight for our Trek Fuel EX test bike is 14.4kg. That’s with the tyres set up tubeless, but without the CushCore insert or pedals.

It’s on the heavier side for a high-end carbon trail bike, though the 2.5in tyres, stocky carbon wheels and AXS components aren’t exactly the lightest going. Of course weights do vary throughout the Fuel EX lineup depending on the spec, and you can see the weights for all the different models in our range overview .

A contributing factor to the overall weight is the new frame, which has gained almost 700g over its predecessor. Trek claims the carbon frame weighs 3.4kg with the rear shock, making it a bit of a porker alongside some of the competition;

• Scott Genius HMX Carbon: 2,249g
• Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon: 2,280g
• Giant Trance X Advanced Pro 29: 2,498g
• Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Carbon: 2,750g
• Canyon Spectral CF: 3,047g
• Trek Fuel EX Carbon: 3,400g

The new alloy Fuel EX frame is heavier again, coming in at a hefty 4.6kg with shock.

Of course weight isn’t everything, and it’s unsurprising that the new frame has gotten heavier given how much longer and slacker it is. Still, for those who are especially concerned by grams, there are certainly lighter options on the market.

What do we dig about the Trek Fuel EX 2023?

With its added heft and updated geometry, the Trek Fuel EX 2023 is no doubt the burliest iteration yet. The chassis feels near-bombproof, and combined with the supportive suspension, powerful brakes and high volume rubber, you’re served up plenty of confidence for pushing the front wheel into steep chutes and over technical A-lines.

Indeed it’s massively capable for a 140mm travel bike, with the slack 64.5° head angle and roomy wheelbase giving it a purposeful stance on the trail. The geometry is superb, with welcome updates that have brought the Fuel EX right up to speed.

The steeper seat angle is particularly noticeable over the old bike, providing a much improved seated position on steep climbs. Pedalling efficiency has also levelled up. Trek has lifted the main pivot above the chainring to increase anti-squat, which helps to reduce pedal-induced bobbing. The Float X shock has a two-position climb switch, but I never once needed to use it while riding off-road since the rear end is so well behaved.

It rips through the turns

Once up to speed on flower singletrack, the taut chassis means the Trek Fuel EX is highly responsive when rounding corners and pushing into berms.

With its boxy downtube, split top tube and the supporting strut for the lower shock mount, the front triangle is heavily braced to resist torsional flex. Along with the wide main pivot and boxy one-piece chainstays, the Fuel EX possesses a strong spine from its shapely head tube to the rear thru-axle. The muscly frame effectively translates handling inputs while resisting lateral deflection through the turns.

Likewise, the short rear end and generous 38mm BB drop are fantastic when threading your way through twisty sections of trail, keeping you connected to the terrain and contributing to the playful ride quality. The low-hanging BB did mean I caught the pedals occasionally, so those who frequent off-piste terrain and technical climbs will want to consider flipping the Mino Link into the High position to indulge in an extra 7mm of pedal clearance.

Otherwise the riding position and weight distribution are totally sorted. The handling is approachable, and the Fuel EX doesn’t demand a whole lot from you as the rider. Compared to the old bike it does need a more concerted lean when entering tighter corners, though this is a part of the natural evolution of modern trail bike geometry. Even if you’re coming off a 5-year old bike, you’ll only need a few rides to get accustomed to the Fuel EX’s steering behaviour.

Trail-tweakable

In addition to the Mino Link, we’ve also been experimenting with the lower shock flip chip on the Trek Fuel EX. Requiring just a single 6mm hex key, it’s a quick adjustment to make trailside, and the change in suspension behaviour is noticeable.

I ended up preferring the ‘Less’ setting, which provides a more linear leverage rate. With the shock set at the recommended sag, this position provides great pedalling support, along with more comfort and activity deeper into the stroke. There’s still a good deal of progression though. Combined with the large bottom-out bumper in the Float X shock, hitting full travel proved to be a well-controlled affair.

One of our fellow testers, who generally spends more time in the air than on the ground, preferred riding in the ‘More’ setting. This increases progression, providing a stronger ramp-up in the latter half of the travel. He also reduced the shock pressure by 5psi to further enhance small-bump compliance, while still being able to enjoy the additional big-hit support. Pedal efficiency isn’t as stable in this setting, but it does mean the Fuel EX takes to jumps like a duck to water, popping off lips enthusiastically and absorbing hard landings with a solid and flex-free touchdown.

One thing to note on the More/Less flip chip is that while you are altering the progression of the air spring, you’re also affecting the damper too. As well as adjusting air pressure, we found we needed to tweak the rebound and low-speed compression settings between the two positions. It is indeed a useful tuning tool, but it doesn’t dispel the need for air volume spacers entirely.

What does it struggle with?

With the Trek Fuel EX adopting a beefier frame, the added weight is noticeable compared to lighter bikes in this category. That’s compounded by the heavy-duty brakes, stocky wheels and chunky tyres, which mean there’s more inertia to overcome during micro-accelerations on an undulating climb.

For those who are looking for a sharper and sprightlier trail bike to whip through the trees along smoother singletrack, the latest Trek Top Fuel will be a better fit. In comparison, the new Fuel EX is a burlier beast that thrives on steeper and more technical terrain.

Curiously, it does feel stiffer than the electrified version, the Fuel EXe . Despite both our test bikes featuring carbon frames with a near-identical build kit, I’ve found the Fuel EX to transmit more trail feedback.

Some of this may be due to structural differences, and perhaps the more favourable sprung-to-unsprung mass ratio on the electric version thanks to the added weight of the motor and and battery. Either way, the Fuel EX doesn’t exactly exude off-camber compliance. As a lighter rider on very rocky terrain, I’ve found myself getting knocked around a little more than I would like.

This sensation reminded me of the Canyon Spectral 125 , which proved to be overly stiff and quite uncomfortable at slower riding speeds. The Fuel EX is more compliant overall than the Spectral 125, but it’s still pretty stiff.

It’s not as supple as Fuel EX models gone by

Contributing to this sensation, the suspension isn’t as plush as previous Fuel EX models, particularly those that featured the Thru Shaft shock. Those bikes did require the rider to make use of the compression lever to provide pedalling support, but it meant that in the open mode the rear end absorbed the terrain like melted butter.

You may have noticed that Trek has been making a conscious move away from proprietary suspension components lately, and that’s coincided with building bikes that offer more neutral pedalling performance. The increased anti-squat is one part of the equation on the new Fuel EX, and the other part is the custom-tuned Float X, which Trek has configured with a digressive compression tune on the main piston. This creates a decent low-speed threshold, which provides a level of support that sits between the Open and Medium settings on the previous RE:aktiv damper.

The result is that you can ride with the shock fully open, and the Fuel EX still offers great stability under pedalling inputs, with no real need to activate the climb switch. If you detest remote lockouts and having to flip shock levers all the time, this will certainly be appealing.

The downside is that the suspension isn’t as supple over smaller rubble and at slower speeds. Along with the stiff chassis and carbon wheels, more of those vibrations are transmitted to the rider. As such, careful consideration with tyre pressure is needed to maximise grip and comfort.

Because there is more support however, the Fuel EX gives your feet a stronger platform to push off of, with greater feedback during high-load scenarios. Indeed the harder and faster you push, the better the Fuel EX responds. In that sense, it’s less of a comfy cruiser like its predecessors, and more of a mid-travel bruiser that loves to ride hard and fast.

Component highs & lows

As a complete bike, the Trek Fuel EX is a solid package that puts the emphasis on capability over light weight.

The Bontrager SE5 tyres are a good example, coming in at 1,100g each on our workshop scales. They roll reasonably well given their weight and size, and we’ve found them to provide consistent grip on rocky, hard-packed soil, which will suit most Aussie trail riders. The tread is a little shallow though, and the compound isn’t the softest, which sees them struggling to latch on when the conditions are wet and loose. We’d prefer something a little stickier and toothier up front, like a Maxxis Minion DHR II with 3C MaxxGrip rubber.

While the carbon Bontrager Line Pro rims are quite stiff, they have proven to be plenty tough. We’ve tested five of these wheelsets across various bikes over the past few years and we’ve not encountered a single issue. The y also come with a two-year crash replacement guarantee, which is great insurance given the hell that you can put this bike through. Furthermore, the frame itself comes with a lifetime warranty for the original owner.

There’s still plenty of real-world protection though, including a generous two-piece armour plate that bolts to the underside of the downtube. There’s also a metal chain-suck guard behind the chainring, and a full-coverage chainstay protector. Along with the fully guided internal cable routing, the Fuel EX is an impressively quiet and rattle-free bike on the trail. Well, except for the rear thru-axle lever, which I removed after the first ride.

Otherwise the finishing details are all sound. The adoption of a bigger 34.9mm seat tube diameter is welcome, as it accommodates a stiffer and stronger dropper post, particularly for the larger sizes. Mechanics will be happy to see a threaded BB shell, and we’re fans of the downtube storage. The trap door has none of the play that we encountered on the last Fuel EX we tested, with a tight fit and a nice lever action.

It’s certainly a high quality chassis, and many riders are likely to appreciate the in-built versatility. We’re looking forward to trying out the adjustable head angle once the aftermarket cups become available, and we’d also be keen to try out the Fuel EX with a coil shock. Setting it up as a mullet will be more straightforward, especially as you only need to buy an air spring to extend the Fox 36 up to 160mm of travel.

Trek Fuel EX vs Specialized Stumpjumper

Alongside the Trek Fuel EX, the Specialized Stumpjumper is one of the most popular and well-known trail bikes in this category. In terms of travel and the overall build, the Fuel EX sits right in between the regular Stumpjumper and the Stumpjumper EVO. However, it’s the regular Stumpy that I’ve been spending the most time on lately, both in its stock configuration and with a burlier mullet setup .

Compared to the Fuel EX, the Stumpjumper has a touch less travel with a 140mm fork and 130mm at the rear. It also uses a simpler suspension layout, with the carbon models employing a flex-stay design. Combined with its slimmer tube profiles, the carbon Stumpjumper frame is very light. Specialized claims it weighs just 2.28kg including the shock, which is over a kilo lighter than a carbon Fuel EX.

This theme extends to the Stumpjumper’s build kit, with Specialized electing for the skinnier Fox 34 over the 36. Along with an in-line shock, lighter brakes, wheels and tyres, there’s a considerable difference in the overall bike weight. For example, the Stumpjumper Pro we tested weighed 12.84kg.

While the geometry is pretty similar between the two bikes, the Specialized Stumpjumper rides much lighter on the trail compared to the Trek Fuel EX. It offers more comfort, with its lithe chassis and smooth suspension performance providing better compliance over rough terrain. It’s quite sporty and sprightly, though its active suspension design does need taming on the climbs by making use of the rear shock’s compression lever.

In comparison, the Fuel EX is more naturally efficient. It’s also more planted at speed, with its sturdy chassis and supportive suspension providing better big-hit capability. It feels more like a short travel enduro bike, which will suit heavier and harder riders.

Both bikes will handle a longer fork and can be set up as a mullet, though Specialized makes a specific link for the Stumpjumper to maintain the stock geometry. There is greater versatility in the Fuel EX chassis, with the option to adjust the head angle and fit a coil shock.

As for value, the Fuel EX offers a more appealing spec package. A Stumpjumper Expert sells for $9,800 AUD and comes with a Fox 34 GRIP2 fork, SRAM G2 brakes, an X01 drivetrain, alloy wheels and handlebars. In comparison, an equivalent Fuel EX 9.8 XT sells for $800 AUD less. It gets a simpler GRIP damper for its Fox 36 fork, though it does feature a piggyback shock, a Shimano XT groupset, a carbon one-piece RSL cockpit and carbon wheels with that 2-year crash replacement guarantee.

Flow’s Verdict

For many trail riders, the Trek Fuel EX 2023 is likely to tick just about every box on your new bike wish list. It’s as up to date as it gets, featuring loads of adjustability, internal storage and a nuanced approach to its size-specific geometry. Along with the increased travel and muscly frame, it offers greater stability and big-hit control over its predecessor, while still being a fun and involving bike to ride on modern flow trails.

It is a bit of a chonker though, so those who are looking for a lightweight and speedy trail bike may be better served by the latest Top Fuel .

The stiff chassis and supportive suspension also mean the Fuel EX tends to transmit more feedback, making it less comfortable to ride over rocky terrain. We’d be curious to try out a lighter shock tune to see how much of a difference that would make to the overall ride quality, but in its stock form the Fuel EX isn’t as plush as competitors like the Giant Trance X and Specialized Stumpjumper .

It is impressively efficient though, and the stable suspension gives you a load of support when you’re really giving it the beans on the descents. In this sense, the Fuel EX is closer in feel and performance to an enduro bike. You’ll still want to look towards the Slash if you’re serious about racing, but outside of the tape the Fuel EX will handle just about everything a modern trail centre or bikepark could throw at it. And for those who really want to up the limits, the adaptable chassis can easily be configured for some pretty aggressive riding.

Indeed for those who are chasing maximum capability without going to a big, spongy enduro bike, the Fuel EX is a mighty appealing option.

You’ll still want to look towards the Slash if you’re serious about racing, but outside of the tape the Fuel EX will handle just about everything a modern trail centre or bikepark could throw at it.

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Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 review

Does Trek's sixth-generation trail flagship live up to the hype?

Great frame, with perfect handling and suspension feel; adjustable geometry and sizing options mean a bike fit for all; happy on any level of trail

Cockpit harshness; mediocre tyres; poor brakes; expensive

The Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 is part of the sixth generation of the US brand’s flagship trail-bike family, launched in 2022. It went live hot on the heels of the aesthetically similar, but motor-assisted Fuel EXe bike.

The Fuel EX family offers 140mm of rear-wheel trave l, paired with 150mm forks, and is targeted at more aggressive trail bike riders. The bulk of the bikes are offered with 29in wheels , the XS frames have 27.5in wheels, while those looking at size-small bikes get the pick of both sizes.

One of the most adjustable bikes on the market, the Fuel EX offers two geometry adjustments, as well as suspension adaptability and mullet compatibility. With an expansive range, covering alloy and carbon models, there are bikes for many pockets.

This EX Gen 6 sits at the top end of the alloy range, and while the spec list isn’t dripping in top-end kit, the selection of parts suggests solid performance should be expected.

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 frame and suspension

The frame uses Trek's Alpha Platinum aluminium, which is butted and hydroformed into the tube shapes the brand desires.

The down tube features a storage port, into which tools, snacks or pumps can be stashed, situated under the bottle cage.

Under the tube is a two-piece rubberised bolt-on protection strip to keep the frame safe. It extends the length of the down tube, which is great to see.

Threaded bottom bracket shells will appeal to home mechanics, while there are ISCG05 mounts around the shell too.

Thick rubberised protection keeps the rear triangle running quietly and the paint chip-free.

A wide 34.9mm seat tube means large-diameter droppers are fitted - a boon when it comes to durability.

Trek uses its ABP (Active Braking Pivot) suspension linkage on the Fuel EX. This places the rear pivot concentric to the rear axle (rather than on the chainstay or seatstay, as on most suspension systems ).

This, Trek says, separates braking forces from the suspension’s action. The idea is that suspension remains active while braking.

Normally, the torque applied to the seatstay by the brake during braking interferes with the suspension, hampering the wheel’s ability to track the ground while slowing down.

Trek says the seatstay, which floats between the rear pivot and the rocker link, separates the two competing forces.

The suspension linkage features a two-position lower shock mount on the frame (the ‘Progression Chip’), enabling you to run a more progressive leverage curve, offering improved bottom-out protection, or the ability to run a coil shock , which is more linear than a standard air shock.

This feature should appeal to more aggressive riders.

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 geometry

Trek has given the Fuel EX plenty of adjustability in terms of the bike’s geometry.

The MinoLink has been seen on numerous Trek bikes. This flip chip in the suspension rocker gives Low and High settings, altering head and seat angles by 0.5 degrees. It also alters the BB height by 8mm.

There are also three headset options – Slack, Neutral and Steep. In Slack (and MinoLink in Low), this offers adjustment from 63.5 degrees to 64.5 degrees (Neutral) up to 65.5 degrees in Steep. There's minimal impact on other areas of the bike's geometry.

Bikes ship with the Neutral headset (and the bike is tested here in Neutral), with a rotatable headset cup available aftermarket, offering the Slack and Steep options.

Finally, in terms of adjustability, if you stick the bike in the Steep setting with a 160mm fork, the Fuel EX can be run as a mullet bike , with a 27.5in wheel in the back.

Overall, the geometry is very modern. Reach figures are long, the head angles are slack and the seat tube angles are steep, at around 78 degrees.

Chainstay lengths alter with size, too, ranging from 435mm to 450mm across the (impressive) eight sizes on offer. These go from XS to S (27.5 or 29in), Medium and Medium Large, Large, XL and XXL.

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 specifications

At £4,350, it’s fair to say the EX 8 doesn’t offer the best value around. However, many of the spec choices are solid, and the alloy chassis is great.

Suspension comes from Fox , in the shape of a Rhythm-level 36 fork with 150mm travel. This comes with the basic GRIP damper, which has a lockout dial on the top of the fork and low-speed rebound adjustment at the bottom.

At the rear, there’s a Float X shock, in its Performance flavour. This has a piggy-back design, giving it a higher oil volume, which in turn improves performance consistency on long descents.

The Performance level largely means there’s less adjustment than its pricier siblings, but you still get a lockout lever.

The drivetrain is a mix of Shimano XT, SLX and Deore, as well as an e*thirteen 9-50t cassette. The brakes on my test bike are the new mineral-oil based DB8 brakes from SRAM, with 200/180mm rotors. Some bikes may come with M6100-level Shimano brakes, though.

Bontrager (Trek’s in-house parts brand), provides the bulk of the finishing kit, from the cockpit to the saddle, as well as its Line 30 Comp wheels, and mid-aggressiveness XR5 Team Issue 29x2.5in tyres.

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 ride impressions

This bike was tested as part of our 2023 Bike of the Year test. It was compared to seven of the best trail bikes , listed later.

I took all the bikes to the same locations and trails for some dedicated back-to-back testing on a wide variety of terrain.

From hand-dug tracks in the woods to trail-centre laps and BikePark Wales’ rocky runs, I ensured the trail bikes were exposed to every type of trail such a bike is likely to be ridden on.

Riding the bikes back to back, usually with four in each testing session, ensured I was able to pick out the finer performance points of each one.

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 climbing performance

The Fuel EX does a solid job when the trails start to ascend.

The seated position is excellent, with a steep seat angle putting you right where you need to be over the cranks when the front wheel is higher than the rear.

When your weight shifts rearward, the suspension doesn’t seem to squat much, either, so the seat angle rarely dips from its steep position too much.

Seated, the suspension is as good as solid when pedalling, with minimal movement of the shock under regular pedalling loads, leading to an efficient feel. The SE5 tyres roll fairly fast, thanks to their low tread height.

Stand up, and you can get the suspension bobbing about, but it doesn’t feel as wallowy as many in this situation, and the lockout lever is within easy reach on smoother drags.

Get to a step up in the trail and the suspension stays static as the rear wheel crests the ledge. Traction on slippery roots from the SE5 rubber could be better too – though the trade-off would likely be some rolling resistance.

When stood, you get the first impression that the chassis is stiff – there’s no spaghetti feeling as you put power through the cranks, and the whole setup feels, simply put, solid.

Despite all this, it’s not the fastest climbing bike ever. It has a reassuringly composed feel, rather than light and flighty, and during testing I never really felt myself being egged on to ramp up the watts to get up the hill faster. It’s a bit of a sit and spin bike.

The Shimano drivetrain is good, with Trek speccing a largely XT groupset. Cassette specs seem to vary, like the brakes, with e*thirteen (as I have) and Shimano SLX being listed.

The e*thirteen’s shifting performance isn’t quite as slick as a Shimano alternative in my experience, but does feel a little quieter when the drivetrain is covered in grit and grime, compared to Deore/SLX cassettes.

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 descending performance

The solidity that was evident on the climbs is almost more so on descents. Trek has made a super-stout chassis that gives the Fuel EX an impressively composed feel on the trail.

It is almost unshakeable, pretty much regardless of the terrain.

The suspension doesn’t have a light, flighty feel, but is nicely damped, offering buckets of traction, whether you’re on the brakes or not, and provides ample isolation from the minutiae detail of the trail, without leaving you feeling entirely disconnected from it. Lighter riders may well find the shock over-damped.

On big hits, after a slightly harsh entry into its travel, the shock is controlled, with a smooth transition towards the bottom of its travel, avoiding any nasty clunks as the shock bottoms out. This is in the normal rather than more progressive shock setting too.

In this, I struggled to get through all the travel, suggesting it may well work better with a coil shock (which is, by its very nature, less progressive at the end of its stroke).

Drop the bike into a corner, and the chassis doesn’t flex, pushing your weight straight onto the tyre’s shoulder in a reassuring manner, and communicating exactly what’s happening through the rubber. It carves corners beautifully.

Fire it through some janky rocks, and the bike seems to shrug off any attempt to push it off-line and you into trouble. It doesn’t display full monster-truck tendencies, but it’s certainly a bike that feels happy being pointed somewhere in the distance and then allowed to get there in as straight a line as possible.

It’s a similar story on rolling trails, too. The suspension enables you to push and pump the bike through undulations, gathering speed, avoiding feeling like you’re trying to compress a marshmallow. Turn the pedals and you’re projected forward with ever-increasing speed.

It even displays ample levels of agility, too – want to add a few air miles to your account? There’s support there to boost off a lip. Keen to whip the rear wheel round a tight bend? It’ll drop its shoulder and scrabble its rubber round when required.

With a 485mm reach (large) and 64.5-degree head angle, the Fuel EX should excel on steep tracks, especially because the Fox Rhythm 36 has a similarly stout chassis and ample support when needed.

However, you do need to trust both the brakes and the tyres in this situation.

The new SRAM DB8 brakes didn’t impress me in testing. They feel wooden through the lever, with a disconnected lever feel, and their power levels are down on both the SRAM G2 and Shimano’s similar offerings.

Given Trek lists both the DB8 and Shimano M6100-series brakes on its spec list, given the choice, I’d opt for the Shimano stoppers.

While I’ve been relatively complimentary of the tyres so far, their performance is outshone by Maxxis tyres on other trail Bike of the Year bikes.

The tread depth is low, and so in sloppier conditions they don’t have the same bite. The slightly more rounded profile means the shoulder tread doesn’t engage the dirt as effectively as other tyres might.

Compared to Maxxis’ 3C MaxxTerra rubber and EXO casing , these tyres can’t compete. They ping over rocks more and have less traction on damp rocks and roots.

Early testing on the loam, mud and roots of the forest left me impressed. But later trips to the high-frequency rocky chatter of BikePark Wales revealed the Trek’s other weaknesses – the stiff frame, Line 30 wheels and oversized bars.

These combined to transmit a whole lot of buzz straight to my hands. Add in under-powered brakes, and arm fatigue was an issue on prolonged rocky descents.

How does the Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 compare to the Merida One-Forty 700?

Trek and Merida each launched great new trail bikes in 2022. Both have clearly concentrated on the quality of their chassis, and target the trail rider who doesn’t want descending performance to be compromised.

The Trek has a very assured feel – it’s calm, composed and really easy to ride. It’s agile and communicative too.

The Merida (in the Long size that I tested) is radical in its shape, and climbs exceptionally well. It has a touch more pedal feedback, but both will tackle steep tech with ease.

Merida pips the Trek, though, thanks to its better tyres and cracking value for money. It’s over £1,000 cheaper, and other than the single-can shock, rather than piggyback, I can’t see where it loses out spec-wise.

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 bottom line

The Fuel EX is undoubtedly a great trail bike, and very nearly made it into my top three for this Bike of the Year category.

It was the rockiest tracks that separated the best from the rest, though, and the stiff front end, as well as questionable value, squeezed the Trek off the podium.

It’s a bike that best rewards an aggressive, rather than passive, riding style.

Treat it right (and maybe get lucky with the brake specs) and you won’t be disappointed by the Fuel EX.

Trail Bike of the Year 2023 | How we tested

This bike was ridden as part of our 2023 Bike of the Year test. It was compared to seven of the best trail bikes .

From hand-dug cheeky tracks in the woods to trail centre laps and Bike Park Wales' rocky runs, I ensured the bikes were exposed to every type of trail such a bike is likely to be ridden on.

Riding the bikes back to back, usually with four bikes in each testing session, ensured I was able to pick out the finer performance points of each one.

Our Trail Bike of the Year contenders

• Cannondale Habit Carbon 3
• Cotic Jeht Mullet Silver SLX
• Marin Rift Zone 27.5 XR
• Merida One-Forty 700
• Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6
• Vitus Escarpe 29 CRS
• Whyte T-140 RS 29
• YT Jeffsy Core 3

Thanks to...

Thanks to our sponsors Crankbrothers , FACOM Tools , MET helmets , Bluegrass Protection , Supernatural Dolceacqua , Le Shuttle and BikePark Wales for their support in making Bike of the Year happen.

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2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 Review

Are you looking for a durable, light-weight mountain bike to conquer the trails? The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 might be just what you need!

Mountain biking is a popular hobby that allows you to explore nature and have an amazing time doing it. With so many bikes on the market, it can be hard to find one that suits your exact needs.

The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 is designed to offer ultimate performance in both climbing and descending.

This review will look at the features of this model and discuss whether they fit into your riding requirements.

We’ll examine various aspects such as its geometry, components, suspension system, and overall design. Read on to learn why this bike may be worth the investment for hardcore mountain bikers!

The Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 is a trail mountain bike that packs plenty of features to offer an incredible experience on the trails.

The lightweight aluminum frame, full-suspension design, and sleek aesthetics make this bike a fantastic option for mountain biking enthusiasts. Read on for our full review of the Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 2023.

The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 is an incredibly durable and powerful mountain bike.

This light-weight aluminum full suspension bike features 140mm of travel, a Shimano 1×12 drivetrain, Shimano 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes, a Fox Rhythm 36 fork, and wide Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels wrapped in Bontrager XR5 Team Issue tires for unbeatable control and traction.

Combining this with updated geometry for better agility and stability at speed, the Fuel EX 8 lets riders confidently tackle any trail.

– Constructed from lightweight Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame.

– Shimano 1×12 drivetrain provides smooth shifting performance.

– Shimano 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes offer powerful stopping power.

– Fox Rhythm 36, Float EVOL air spring 150mm travel fork provides great stability when tackling technical terrain

– Wide Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels wrapped in Bontrager XR5 Team Issue tires provide ample grip on all surfaces.

– Updated geometry offers improved agility and stability at speed across varied terrain types.

The Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 has an extremely lightweight aluminum frame.

Whether you’re navigating technical terrain or taking off down smooth singletrack, its light frame allows you to stay nimble as you maneuver through trails.

Plus, with its attractive matte pennyflake finish, it looks great too!

The bike features a full suspension setup featuring a combined 140mm of travel coming from a Fox Rhythm 36 fork up front and a Fox Performance Float X 185mm x 55mm shock out back, giving you a plush ride that can handle rough terrain and drops confidently.

This suspension setup makes it ideal for those who like to tackle more technical routes or enjoy the descent just as much as the climb.

On the components side, Trek has equipped their Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 with Shimano Deore XT 12 speed drivetrain and 4 piston brakes providing immense power and control over your ride no matter how treacherous it might be. The wide range 10-51t cassette is paired to a 30t chainring, all spun by a Shimano Deore crankset.

It comes with tubeless ready Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels wrapped in XR5 Team Issue 29″x2.50″ tires for maximum grip all-round — making sure you can take on even the most extreme conditions with ease.

Comfort & Convenience

Additionally, this model is fitted with Bontrager’s comfortable Arvada saddle, and mounted to a TranzX dropper post so you won’t have any issues staying comfortable during long rides.

To top off all these features it also comes in weighing only 34.5lbs, not too shabby for an all aluminum full suspension mountain bike!

To conclude our review of the Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 2023 – it’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a reliable trail bike that keeps up with today’s ever changing technology.

Its lightweight frame paired with an efficient full-suspension system will deliver precise handling no matter what type of terrain you choose to explore; coupled with its quality components run by reliable Shimano drivetrains will allow for an unforgettable experience out on the trails.

Order online and have it shipped to your local dealer for final assembly!!

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• Buyers Guide

• Technical Details

• All Mountain

Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 Review

• good down tube protection
• independent look
• many adjustment options
• benchmark bike in this price range
• definately shredable in the downhill
• 25 years warranty
• with 15,65 kg unfortunately a bit heavy

OVERALL BIKE CHECK

The most importanten ratings of the Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 ⬤ in comparison to the competitor bikes of following categorie: (All Mountain up to 4500 €) ⬤ .

VALUE for MONEY CHECK

If you are keen on value for money, this is your chart. It shows you at a glance how many bike you get for 3999 €.

Expirience with the Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6

best alternatives

Je steiler der Winkel des Sitzrohrs ist, desto effizienter können Sie in die Pedale treten.

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminium, integriertes Staufach, verstellbarer Steuersatzwinkel, per Mino Link abstimmbare Geometrie, einstellbare Progression, geführte interne Zugverlegung, Umlenkhebel aus Magnesium, Sitzrohrdurchmesser 34,9 mm, ISCG 05, 55 mm Kettenlin
• Frame Material Aluminium
• Fork Fox Rhythm 36, Float EVOL-Luftfeder, GRIP-Dämpfung, konischer Gabelschaft, 44 mm Vorbiegung, Boost110, 15-mm-Kabolt-Achse, 140 mm Federweg
• Spring Unit air
• Remote-Lockout yes
• Damper FOX Performance Float X, 2-Positionen-Dämpfung, 185 x 55 mm
• Gearrange 510%
• Drivetrain 1x12
• Gear Lever Shimano XT M8100, 12fach
• Rear Derailleur Shimano XT M8100, langer Käfig
• Crank Shimano Deore M6120, 30 Z, 55 mm Kettenlinie, 170 mm Kurbelarmlänge
• Cassette Shimano Deore 10-51
• Chain Shimano SLX M7100, 12fach
• Brake Set Hydraulische 4-Kolben-Scheibenbremse von Shimano, M6100 Bremshebel, M6120 Bremssattel
• Brake Rotors 203/180
• Wheel Set Bontrager Line Comp 30, Tubeless Ready, Rapid Drive 108, 6-Loch-Scheibenaufnahme
• Tires Front Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength-Karkasse, Aramidwulstkern, 60 TPI, 29 x 2.50
• Tires Rear Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength-Karkasse, Aramidwulstkern, 60 TPI, 29 x 2.50
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, Streben aus CrMo-Rohr, 138 mm Breite
• Seat Post TranzX JD-YSP39 interne Zugführung, 34,9 mm
• Stem Bontrager Elite, 35 mm, 0 Grad, 45 mm Länge
• Handle Bar Bontrager Line, Aluminium, 35 mm, 27,5 mm Rise
• Handle Bar Width 760

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Field Test: Trek Fuel EX - Evolution Underlined

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Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Colour / Galactic Grey to Black Fade, Matte Pennyflake

Size / XS 27.5"", SM 27.5", SM 29", MD 29", ML 29", LG 29", XL 29", XXL 29"

Weight / 34 lb 8.0 oz (15,650 g)

At a glance

- ABP (Active Braking Pivot) rear suspension design

- XS has 27.5″” wheels, SM available with 27.5″ or 29″ wheels, MD-XXL have 29″ wheels

- 29″ versions compatible with mixed (“Mullet”) wheel setups (29″ front, 27.5″ rear)

- Geometry adjustable via Mino Link flip chip in rear rocker link pivot

- Geometry adjustable via optional angle-adjust headset cups, for +1° and -1° head tube angle adjustments

- Internal frame storage compartment in down tube; includes Bontrager BITS storage bag

- Guided internal cable routing

- SRAM UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger)

- Includes Bontrager TLR tubeless rim strips, valve stems, and sealant

- Weight given for size MD set up tubeless, Rear suspension leverage rate adjustable via flip chip at lower shock mount:

- Less progressive setting intended for a plusher feel perfect for rugged trails with square-edge bumps

- More progressive setting intended for hitting big features without bottom-out, or to run a coil shock

Where To Buy

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminum, magnesium rocker link; molded chainstay, lower down tube, and shuttle guard protection
• Fork FOX FLOAT 36 Rhythm, EVOL, GRIP damper, 44mm offset, Kabolt thru-axle
• Shock FOX FLOAT X Performance, EVOL, 2-position lever, 185mm length x 55mm stroke
• Hubs Bontrager alloy, sealed bearings, 110x15mm Boost front, 148x12mm Boost rear with Rapid Drive freehub and MICRO SPLINE driver
• Wheels Bontrager Line Comp 30, tubeless ready
• Wheel Size 29" 27.5"
• Spokes Bontrager wheelset
• Tires Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, Inner Strength casing, aramid bead, tubeless ready, 2.5""
• Chain Shimano SLX M7100, 12-speed
• Crank Shimano Deore M6120, 170mm length
• Bottom Bracket Shimano MT501, 73mm English/BSA threaded
• Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore XT M8100, 12-speed, long cage
• Shifters Shimano Deore XT M8100, 12-speed
• Brakeset Shimano Deore M6120, 4-piston, Shimano RT66 6-bolt rotors (203mm front, 180mm rear), Shimano Deore M6100
• Handlebar Bontrager Line, alloy, 27.5mm rise, 35mm clamp diameter, Width: 750mm (XS/SM), 780mm (MD-XXL)
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, hollow chromoly rails, 138mm width
• Seatpost TranzX JD-YSP39 dropper, 34.9mm, Single bolt Drop: 100mm (XS/SM) 150mm (MD/ML) 170mm (LG-XXL)
• Stem Bontrager Elite, 0° rise, 35mm bar clamp, Length: 35mm (XS/SM), 45mm (MD-XXL)
• Grips Bontrager XR Trail Elite, nylon lock-on
• Headset Integrated, cartridge bearings, compatible with optional angle-adjust headset cups

Q: How much is a 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6?

A 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 is typically priced around $4,300 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: How much does a 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 weigh?

A 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 weights 34 lb 8.0 oz (15,650 g).

Q: What size wheels does the 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 have?

The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 has 29" and 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 should I get?

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Trek Fuel EX 8 review – still one of the best trail MTBs?

Trek’s alloy fuel ex trail mountain bike lacks the latest features but is the overall package still a winner.

BikePerfect Verdict

Heavy frame that misses the latest features but still a great package for fast and precise all round mountain biking

Tight, precise frame

Sorted all round handling

Very efficient suspension feel

Durable Shimano kit

Excellent sizing options

Heavy frame

No internal storage

Press fit bottom bracket

Top Fuel is more playful

Why trust BikePerfect Our cycling experts have decades of testing experience. We'll always share our unbiased opinions on bikes and gear. Find out more about how we test.

Trek’s Fuel EX has been one of the best mountain bikes in the world for years, but the alloy-framed 8 is lacking some of the features the latest alloy and carbon Treks. High-durability component spec matches the vibe of a really well-balanced bike. One that plans ahead, hands its homework in early (having double checked it) and rarely puts a wheel wrong or goads you into being silly yourself. So how has Trek done that and is there a better option in the range if you want something short on travel but big on fun?

Design and aesthetics

Trek has been using a rocker link-driven, vertical shock suspension design on its bikes for so long that “Looks like a Trek Session” is a cliche on most MTB forums. No surprise then that the Fuel EX continues the clean looks which leave plenty of room for a big bottle on the down tube and strap-on storage. You don’t get the internal storage of the newer Top Fuel alloy frame though and this older frame still uses a press-fit bottom bracket rather than reverting to a more reliable threaded  format. There are ISCG chain keeper tabs on the BB though, a wider-angle Knock Block steering limiter to stop bars hitting the frame in a crash and rear axle concentric ABP rear suspension pivot. Cunning zip tie tabbed ‘Control Freak’ internal cable routing and rubber frame armor including molded chainstay sleeves keep things quiet. 

You also get the 0.5-degree geometry change ‘Mino Link’ flip chip at the seat stay/rocker pivot. That changes head angle from 65.5- to 65-degrees and effective seat angle from 75.5- to 75-degrees on the Large I tested. Reach also shifts from 475 to 470mm and BB height drops from 346 to 340mm. The big win with choosing a Trek though is the sheer range of sizes from XXS to XXL including a sweet spot ML in the centre. Smaller bikes also run 27.5in wheels for proportional balance, too, although the chainstays are the same length on all frame sizes. The Fuel EX 8 is also available in three different two-tone color options.

Specification

Trek acknowledges that the ‘priority is on the parts’ with the EX 8 and the highlight is an almost complete Shimano XT drivetrain (the chain is SLX). The Fox Float shock is a custom unit, too, using a Penske race car derived RE:aktiv damper setup for a pert-pedaling feel on top of the 130mm travel. The 140mm Fox 34 fork is the stock Rhythm spec though and the Shimano brakes are basic four-piston MT400s. Bontrager’s functional Line component range completes the bike in well-judged, size-specific cockpit options although dropper post strokes are short on the larger sizes. Big volume versions of Bontrager’s XR5 and XR4 tires on Bontrager Line Comp 30mm internal rims put plenty of air between bike and trail for protection, too.

Performance

While the EX8 isn’t light at just under 15kg (a full kilo heavier than Trek claims) it’s in the ballpark for a mid-travel, alloy-framed bike at this price. What really stands out is how well it hides that weight when it comes to pedaling. The big tires don’t drag nearly as much as they look like they might, while the RE:aktiv shock and overall kinematic give it a really clean, crisp and stable platform to put down power from. That means even with three potential low-compression settings to play with, we rarely felt compelled to flick it out of full open unless we were hoofing uphill out of the saddle. Add the clean shifting, top-quality Shimano XT drivetrain and the Fuel EX is a great choice for high-mileage rides and riders. The fast-engaging ‘Rapid Drive’ freehub and relatively high ground clearance are a bonus for anyone who likes to kick hard out of corners or attack rough technical climbs, too. The efficient suspension feel still gives enough sensitivity to track the ground under power and you can drop pressures in the big tires if you’re into a proper ‘crawler/swamper’ feel. 

The 140mm fork/130mm rear travel feels well balanced on the trail and the Grip damper Fox Rhythm repeatedly proved why its our favorite cost-effective fork. Trek’s suspension calculator is accurate enough to get most people sorted on set-up for most situations. The angles and proportions of the model we tested were confident at speed on jumps but still turned in promptly on woodland twisters. Even the basic Shimano brakes feel better than normal through the neutral suspension responses created by the ABP pivot and the 200mm rotor up front boosts power, too.

While you could speed up reactions with a shorter stem, the stock setup probably suits its overall character better. That’s because while it will pop and play off trailside opportunities if you’re in the mood, it does tend to sit on top of an already relatively high ride height rather than sucking down onto the trail and railing. Interestingly that’s a big - and counter intuitive - difference to the Top Fuel 8. With slightly steeper angles, less travel, significantly different suspension kinematic and top-spec RockShox rear shock, Trek’s pocket rocket has an addictively playful charisma that’s very much at odds with it’s ‘XC’ categorization. 

In fact, despite it being heavier we’d probably opt for the Fuel EX for long marathon-style or efficiency-based events, especially as it’s significantly cheaper than its little brother, leaving you more cash for race entries and energy products. Just make sure you keep an eye on the press-fit bottom bracket and get it replaced as soon as it shows any signs of wobble/creak as that can eventually creates frame issues.

Trek’s Fuel range might be a bit backwards when it comes to assigning categories based on travel but the main thing is that the Fuel EX is still a really efficient, enjoyable and fitness/skill flattering all rounder. While it misses out on the internal storage, threaded BB and super-plush playfulness of the Top Fuel, Shimano XT will always bring a lot of hard riding boys (and girls) to the yard. Those are exactly the riders who’ll appreciate just how well this extremely well balanced bike covers ground and keeps a fresh and sharp feel long into the day, and down tough technical sections, too. 

Tech Specs: Trek Fuel EX 8 XT

• Price: $3,929.99 / £3,200
• Discipline: Trail
• Head angle: 66/66.5-degrees
• Frame material: Trek Alpha Platinum Aluminum
• Sizes: XS, S, M, M/L, L (tested) XL, XXL
• Weight: 14.9kg
• Wheel size: 29 x 2.3in
• Suspension (front/rear): Fox Rhythm 34, Float EVOL 140mm travel, 44mm offset/Fox Performance Float EVOL, 3-position RE:aktiv 130mm travel
• Components: Shimano XT 10-51T, 12-speed gearing, shifter, chainset and cassette. Shimano SLX chain. Shimano MT400 brakes with 200/180mm rotors. Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 29 x 2.6in front and Bontrager XR5 Team Issue 29 x 2.5in rear tires on Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels. Bontrager Line 780 x 35mm bar and 50 x 35 mm stem, Bontrager Line Dropper 150mm dropper post, Bontrager Arvada saddle

Guy has been working on Bike Perfect since we launched in 2019. Hatched in Yorkshire he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. He spent a few years working in bike shops and warehouses before starting writing and testing for bike mags in 1996. Since then he’s written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of riding gear. To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, he’s also penned a handful of bike-related books and talks to a GoPro for YouTube, too.

Current rides: Cervelo ZFS-5, Forbidden Druid V2, Specialized Chisel, custom Nicolai enduro tandem, Landescape/Swallow custom gravel tandem

Height: 180cm

Weight: 69kg

• Guy Kesteven Technical-Editor-at-Large

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2023 Trek Fuel EX

Wheel Size: XS: 27.5’’; Small: 27.5’’ and 29’’ options; M through XXL: 29’’; all 29’’ frames also mullet compatible with a 160mm-travel fork

Travel: 140 mm rear / 150 mm front

Material: Aluminum and carbon fiber versions available

Sizes Offered: XS–XXL

• Aluminum frame w/ Fox Float X Performance: $2,600
• Carbon frame w/ Fox Float X Factory: $3,900
• Complete bikes $3,700 to $10,750

Blister’s Measured Weight: 33.1 lb / 15.0 kg (Fuel EX 9.8 XT, size Large)

Reviewer: 6′, 170 lb / 183 cm, 77.1 kg

Test Location: Western Washington

Test Duration: 4 months

Trek’s Fuel EX has long been a popular all-round Trail bike, but the new version looks like a major departure from the bike it replaced, with more suspension travel, dramatically longer / slacker geometry, a ton of new adjustability, and a substantial cosmetic overhaul to go with it. There’s a lot to cover here, so let’s get right into it:

The sixth-generation Fuel EX includes loads of updates, starting with the wild amount of adjustability on offer. The prior-generation bike had a flip chip to toggle between two geometry settings, which the new bike retains, but it adds an optional offset headset that changes the headtube angle by +/- 1.0°, as well as a second flip chip that varies the amount of progression from the rear suspension — more on all that in a minute.

The overall aesthetic design of the frame has also been overhauled to match the new Fuel EXe lightweight e-bike, but Trek’s longstanding ABP suspension design carries over (now producing 140 mm of rear wheel travel, up by 10 mm from the outgoing bike), as does the option for aluminum and carbon frame construction. No matter which frame material you opt for, you get a storage compartment in the downtube, internal cable routing across the board, ample rubber guards on the seatstay, chainstay, and downtube, and a threaded bottom bracket shell. ISCG-05 tabs are also featured, and tire clearance is stated at 2.5’’. Trek’s sometimes-irritating Knock Block headset is nowhere to be found on the new Fuel EX. All sizes can fit a water bottle inside the front triangle, though the size of the bottle is limited on the smaller frame sizes.

The Fuel EX now has a second flip chip that toggles between two different levels of rear suspension progression, which Trek amusingly simply labels “Less” and “More.” It’s essentially the same system that they introduced on the Session last year. In the “More” progression setting, the leverage curve goes from about 2.9:1 to 2.3:1 in a nearly straight line (~21% total progression); the “Less” setting drops the starting leverage ratio to about 2.75:1 (for ~16% overall progression), and the curve flattens off somewhat near bottom-out.

Fit & Geometry

Again, there’s a lot going on here — the new Fuel EX has a huge amount of geometry adjustability between the geometry flip chip (Trek calls it a “Mino Link”), optional offset headset (sold separately), and the option to run the bike with a 27.5’’ rear wheel for a mullet setup (on frame versions designed around a 29’’ front wheel). We’ll get to the full geometry charts in a minute, but to break down the highlights:

• Trek offers the Fuel EX in a whopping seven sizes (XS through XXL, with an “ML” size snuck in the middle). The XS frame is 27.5’’ only, the size Small comes in options for 27.5’’ or 29’’ wheels (each of which gets a dedicated frame — no converting back and forth), and sizes Medium and up are 29ers. All the 29er frames can be run as a mullet with the flip chip in the “High” position (and Trek recommends bumping up to a 160mm-travel fork to raise the bottom bracket a little).
• The headtube angle is 64.5° in what is probably the default position for most people (headset in the neutral position, flip chip in low, which is how Trek will ship the Fuel EX) but you can set it anywhere from 63.5° to 66° depending on how you mix and match the settings with the stock wheel size.
• Going to a mullet configuration on the 29er frames slackens things out to 63.9° in the neutral headset position; you can vary that by one degree in either direction with the offset headset.
• Reach ranges from 400 to 545 mm; all sizes get a 70.8° actual seat tube angle, with the effective measurement starting at over 78° on the smaller sizes and dropping off to 76° by the XXL.
• Chainstay length is 435 mm on the XS through M frames (irrespective of wheel size), 440 mm on the ML and L, and 445 mm on the XL and XXL.

Got all that? The geo chart for the “default” option (stock wheel size, headset in “neutral”, Mino Link in “low”) is below, and you can check out all the other configurations on Trek’s website.

Trek offers the Fuel EX in seven complete builds, and as a frame-only in both aluminum and carbon fiber — a welcome and increasingly-rare option these days. As per usual for Trek, all builds with a non-decimal number feature aluminum frames, while the “9.X” builds are carbon fiber.

[Trek is also continuing to offer the Fuel EX 5 with the prior-generation frame as the most entry-level offering in the range but here we’re covering the builds that are offered on the new sixth-generation frame.]

• Fork: RockShox 35 Gold RL
• Shock: Fox Float DPS Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano SLX shifter, XT derailleur, Deore cassette
• Crank: Shimano Deore
• Brakes: Shimano MT4100 4-piston
• Wheels: Bontrager Line Comp 30
• Dropper Post: TransX
• Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm
• Shock: Fox Float X Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano M6100 lever / M6120 4-piston caliper
• Drivetrain: Shimano SLX w/ XT rear derailleur
• Brakes: Shimano M6120 4-piston
• Fork: Fox 36 Performance
• Crank: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano XT 4-piston
• Wheels: Bontrager Line Elite 30 Carbon
• Dropper Post: Bontrager Line Elite
• Drivetrain: SRAM GX AXS
• Crank: SRAM GX
• Brakes: SRAM Code R
• Fork: Fox 36 Factory
• Shock: Fox Float X Factory
• Drivetrain: Shimano XTR
• Crank: e*thirteen TRS Carbon
• Brakes: Shimano XTR 4-piston
• Wheels: Bontrager Line Pro 30 Carbon
• Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 AXS
• Crank: SRAM XX1
• Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
• Dropper Post: RockShox Reverb AXS

Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About

(1) The old Fuel EX was looking a bit dated, geometry-wise, but that’s not the case with the new one, at all. So how does it stack up to a lot of the other good mid-travel Trail bikes we’ve been on recently, including the Santa Cruz Hightower, Guerrilla Gravity Smash, and Commencal Meta TR?

(2) And how does the wild adjustability of the new Fuel EX pan out on trail? Does it feel like a coherent total package across the range of options, or does it start to get a little quirky at the fringes?

FULL REVIEW

Trek has historically been a little on the conservative side when it comes to the geometry and design of their Trail bikes, so when the new sixth-generation Fuel EX launched last year, it came as a surprise — a 140mm-travel Trail bike that could go as slack as a 63.5° headtube angle, with wild new design language, and a ton of adjustability. Now having spent much of the winter and early spring on the new Fuel EX, it’s indeed quite adaptable and well-rounded — and a bike that we think could work really, really well for a lot of folks.

Fit & Sizing

Trek offers the Fuel EX in seven sizes — XS through XXL, plus an “ML” in the middle — but despite the huge size range and relatively tight steps between sizes (particularly around the middle of the range), Trek’s recommended sizing puts me (6’ / 183 cm tall) squarely on a Large frame, with no overlap onto the ML or XL sizes. And at least for my preferences and proportions, that was definitely the right call. I had an easy time getting comfortable on the Large Fuel EX — and with reach, stack, and effective top tube numbers that are all in my typically preferred range, that wasn’t a surprise.

Interestingly, Trek also lists a recommended inseam range on their sizing chart, and despite being at the bottom end of the range (at 33’’) for the Large frame, I had way more than enough room to swap in a 200 mm dropper post in place of the 170 mm one that came stock. Trek does put a 200 mm post on the XL and XXL frames, and I’m sympathetic to the idea that it’s arguably better to err on the side of shorter (so that you don’t have folks who need to swap the post to be able to ride their desired frame size — it’s easier to live with a shorter-than-ideal one than one that’s too tall, for sure). But I wanted a 200 mm post, and I bet a lot of folks on the Large frame will feel similarly.

The Fuel EX’s massive geometry adjustability is much more focused on handling and ride characteristics than fit, and my overall take on fit and sizing didn’t really change much across the range of options (which I’ll cover in a lot more detail below). There are, of course, changes to the reach, stack, and effective top tube as you tweak things via the Fuel EX’s built-in geo adjustments, but they weren’t dramatic enough to change my assessment of the overall fit. The one slight caveat there is the stack height — the Fuel EX’s is a little on the shorter side, and the high flip chip and/or slacker headset settings both reduce it a little more. It wasn’t so short as to cause me real problems getting the fit sorted out, but I did need to swap in a higher-rise bar to help out, particularly in those lower-stack-height configurations to get things high enough — but as I’ll explain below, I wasn’t a fan of the stock bar and stem anyway, rise considerations notwithstanding.

A lot of Trek’s Trail / Enduro bikes in recent years — including the prior-generation Fuel EX — have skewed more toward the compliant, grippy end of the spectrum at the expense of some efficiency and snappiness under power. The new Fuel EX flips that around. It’s quite an efficient, quick-feeling bike under power, but does a notably good job of keeping a solid chunk of the ultra-planted, grippy nature of the earlier iteration — and again, that’s despite the new Fuel EX gaining 10 mm of travel at both ends.

That’s not to say that the Fuel EX is way off the end of the spectrum in terms of efficiency or anything like that, but I’d put it a solid notch above average for a 140mm-Travel trail bike, and it pulls that off while still being entirely respectable when it comes to grip and compliance under power. It’s a really nice recipe for a well-rounded, versatile bike, and while folks who specifically loved the ultra-plush feeling ride of the earlier Fuel EX might feel like the new one has lost a little bit of the magic, I think the new Fuel EX’s suspension performance under power feels more coherent for the bike’s intended use and is going to work better for more people.

In terms of low-speed handling and technical climbing prowess, the Fuel EX’s wildly adjustable geometry makes it a lot harder to give a concise single answer as to how it performs. I’m mostly going to focus on the neutral headset setting since that’s how the bike ships, and I think it’s how most folks are going to run the Fuel EX (and for what it’s worth, it’s also how I preferred to run things), but I’ll touch on the geometry settings and how they change things in more detail below.

Anyway, around the middle of the range of geometry settings, the Fuel EX’s low-speed handling feels quite intuitive and easy but biased a little more toward offering a big sweet spot that makes it easy to keep both wheels planted and gripping, at the expense of a bit of agility at really low speeds, especially as compared to the prior-generation Fuel EX. The new one is still a pretty good technical climber and feels a lot easier to just sit on and grind without having to work to keep the front wheel planted on really steep climbs, but also isn’t quite as easy to snake through really tight spots. Running the steeper, higher geometry settings speeds up the low-speed handling and adds to pedal clearance in really chunky sections but, of course, comes with tradeoffs in higher-speed descending performance. Again, more on the various geometry settings below.

But overall, I think the Fuel EX is an excellent climber for a 140mm-travel Trail bike. The pedaling position is well sorted, striking a nice balance between a steep-ish seat tube without going so far down that road as to feel awkward pedaling around on flat ground. The suspension feels efficient first and foremost but still offers good traction for that level of efficiency and pep under power, and its handling at lower speeds is predictable and intuitive. It’s quite good, especially if you’re inclined to favor a slightly more efficient pedaling platform over the most compliant and grippy suspension performance under power, but the Fuel EX is overall well-rounded and should suit a lot of people nicely.

On the way back down, the Fuel EX is, again, a really well-rounded, versatile bike that feels at home on a fairly wide spectrum of trails. Its massive adjustability (more on that later) doesn’t hurt either, but I don’t think that most folks are going to be toggling between different settings all that often — rather, I think they’re more likely to find a preferred combination and stick with it.

But especially in the middle part of the settings range (as I’ll explain more below, I found the low flip chip / neutral headset setting to be my personal favorite), the Fuel EX strikes a nice middle ground where it’s solidly stable at speed for a 140mm-travel Trail bike but doesn’t feel like it gives up a huge amount of agility to get there. It’s not the absolute quickest handling ~140mm-travel bike in very tight, super low-speed spots, but can still navigate them just fine, and once you’re moving just a little bit, the Fuel EX’s handling feels super intuitive. Its sweet spot in terms of preferred body positioning is notably wide, especially for what is not a wildly long bike overall, and the Fuel EX hits what I think is a really nice blend of being simultaneously moderately stable while also being reasonably quick handling when you need it to be.

And especially in the lower geometry flip chip setting, the Fuel EX corners really, really well. It offers a combination of having a big sweet spot and a lot of room to move around on the bike — in a way that I tend to associate with longer, more stable Enduro bikes — but does so without being as much work to muscle around as those sorts of bikes; this serves the Fuel EX especially well there. It’s not the absolute easiest bike when it comes to slashing the rear end around and oversteering all over the place, but it’ll do that with a little input, and really shines if you’re more inclined to load up the bike through the pedals and carve your way through corners.

The Fuel EX also feels notably plush and cushy in terms of its suspension performance. As I’ll get into more in the section on the build, below, I think a lot of that is down to the rear shock tune as opposed to anything inherent to the frame itself, but the Fuel EX offers a ton of rear-wheel grip over smaller chatter and doesn’t need to be going very fast or hitting stuff hard for its suspension to open up and feel very forgiving and comfortable. The flip side of that is that I did feel like the stock suspension was a bit quick to blow through the middle part of its travel when speeds picked up, especially in choppy, high-speed sections with a lot of sharp mid-sized hits. I’ll grant that this mostly showed up when I was riding the Fuel EX on trails that most folks break out a bigger Enduro bike for, and that I tend to favor firmer compression tunes and more support over the absolute maximum grip and compliance. So I think a lot of folks will be fine with (or specifically psyched about) the lighter compression damping. But it does feel notably light, especially at higher shaft speeds.

While this doesn’t quite fit cleanly into the “Climbing” or “Descending” categories, the Fuel EX really shines in rolling, varied terrain with a bunch of grade reversals and short ups and downs. I’d attribute this to its combination of (1) good pedaling efficiency for those punchy climbs, (2) well-balanced handling with a huge sweet spot in terms of body positioning that helps avoid getting caught out when the bike hangs up in an awkward spot, and (3) notably good traction and suspension compliance at lower speeds, when you’re not able really load up the bike to generate that grip. And while there are a lot of bikes out there that I’d say similar things about — the Santa Cruz Tallboy comes to mind — what sets the Fuel EX apart is that it’s more stable and capable when you point it down a longer, steeper descent than most of the (generally more compact, shorter-travel) bikes that I’d put in a similar camp on the rolling, punchy trails.

Adjustability

The large amount of geometry adjustability on the Fuel EX is an interesting part of the story of the bike. In short, I think Trek has done a good job of offering a host of adjustments that make substantial differences to how the bike rides, without making the range of settings so broad as to make it easy to wind up in a weird combination that rides poorly.

The two flip chips (a.k.a. “Mino Links” in Trek’s parlance) do about what you’d expect. The low setting makes the Fuel EX feel a little more stable at speed and a little slower handling in tight spots, but the bigger difference is that it puts the rider noticeably lower in the bike — eight millimeters of bottom bracket height is quite a bit — and results in feeling more “in” the bike, particularly in higher-speed corners, at the expense of some pedal clearance and some ease of initiating corners by leaning the bike over with more modest input. The “More” progression setting on the Mino Link (which, again, is separate from the geometry-adjusting one) makes the suspension ramp up a little more aggressively and feel more supportive deep in the travel than the “Less” progressive setting, but that difference is comparatively modest.

I also experimented with the optional offset angle-adjusting headset (which is sold separately for folks who want it) and those results were similarly as expected — slackening the headtube made the Fuel EX more stable at the expense of some nimbleness at lower speeds and also required a slightly more forward weight bias to keep the front wheel gripping properly; going steeper makes the low-speed handling quicker but diminishes the Fuel EX’s stability and composure when you start going faster.

I think Trek has done a nice job of working out adjustment ranges that make a real difference in how the bike rides without going so off the deep end as to introduce particularly quirky behavior at the ends of the spectrum, but I had the hardest time with the steeper headset setting, because the chainstays started to feel a bit long relative to the front-center of the bike. In that configuration, the Fuel EX both preferred a more centered, upright body position to not get too far out over the front end and felt like its sweet spot got substantially smaller. Folks who specifically want a very quick-handling ~140mm-travel Trail bike might still find something to like here, but I think the vast majority of people for whom the Fuel EX is a generally good fit are going to be best suited by the stock neutral headset position. And indeed, for the bike’s intended use, the neutral headset, low / more progressive Mino Link arrangement was my preference most of the time.

Though I don’t think all that many people really need to worry about it, I’m still a fan of the fact that Trek offers a clean, easy-to-use offset headset for the bike for the tinkerers out there. The lower cup does require a headset press to install, so it’s not a super quick-and-easy change that many people are going to want to do often, but it’s not hard to do a couple of times to experiment, and the drop-in top cup never gave me any issues with creaking or anything else.

I also tried a mullet configuration on the Fuel EX briefly, but only in the neutral headset position and with the fork still at the stock 150 mm of travel, rather than the 160 mm configuration that Trek recommends. As per usual for bikes that can toggle back and forth, the mixed-wheel layout made the Fuel EX feel a bit quicker handling (particularly in mid-speed corners), a little less stable in a straight line, and made the rear end feel shorter and easier to slash around. None of those differences were huge, and I personally got along better with the full 29’’ setup (as tends to be my preference) but the Fuel EX feels like a very viable mullet candidate for folks who are inclined to go that route.

The Build & Frame

I reviewed the Fuel EX in the mid-range 9.8 XT build, and for the most part, it’s pretty nice. The Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes are great, and this pair of brakes didn’t give me much trouble with wandering bite point, as is often an issue on Shimano’s brakes in general. Carbon wheels are a rarity at this price point ($6,250), and the Fox 36 / Float X suspension combo is solid, too.

But at least for my preferences, I found the compression tune on the rear shock to feel pretty light, particularly in terms of higher-speed damping. The stock shock feels quite plush and cushy when you start hitting things harder, but gives up more support and composure than I would have preferred, particularly in high-speed, choppy sections of trail. I spoke with Trek about my thoughts re: shock tune, and their response was that they tuned their shocks to work as well as possible for as big a swath of the riding public as they could manage, but that there are inevitably tradeoffs in trying to cater to riders across a range of weights and ability levels — and they’re certainly right about all of that. My take is simply that the Fuel EX’s shock tune feels oriented more toward the lighter-damped, more plush end of the range, and that’s absolutely going to be the right call for at least some folks. Heavier / more aggressive riders, or those who just know that they tend to like firmer compression damping might just need to plan on a shock upgrade or re-valve to get the damper support that they want out of the Fuel EX, and I’m personally in that camp.

I also was emphatically not a fan of the one-piece Bontrager RSL bar and stem combo. It (arguably) looks cool and is very, very light, but the one-piece design means that there’s no way to adjust the handlebar roll and thus the effective sweep, and I found the angles of the stock setup to be quite uncomfortable. Granted, bar roll / sweep is a thing that I think I’m probably unusually picky about, but it really didn’t work for me. Happily, swapping in a conventional bar and stem is easy (and is something that I wind up doing on a lot of review bikes — like I said, I’m picky), but the one-piece design limits adjustability and I think is going to cause more folks problems there than conventional designs.

The in-frame storage on the Fuel EX generally works fine, but the opening isn’t all that big and it’s a bit hard to stuff larger stuff (e.g., a light jacket) in there. It also gave me what has to be the funniest noise issue I’ve ever encountered on a review bike. The Fuel EX that I tested had been ridden prior to getting sent our way, and when I started spending time on it, there was a muffled but noticeable rattle coming from somewhere around the downtube or bottom bracket area. As it turns out, it was a dried-out and quite-hard strawberry gummy that was rattling around in the bottom bracket shell after escaping whatever some previous rider had it stored in.

I don’t think there’s a big moral to the story here, other than to keep whatever you put in your downtube storage in some sort of pouch, whether it’s the included one or a different option of your choosing. In this case, it was mostly just amusing. The only real (but very minor) build quality note I’ve got is that the upper downtube protector started to sag a bit after a little while and looked a little ragged, but that’s hardly the end of the world.

I don’t mean for that to sound like a lot of complaining — overall, I think the build on the Fuel EX 9.8 XT is quite sensible, and generally a solid value for the money. Commenting on the couple of things where I saw room for improvement just feels a lot more noteworthy than rehashing that, yes, the Shimano XT drivetrain still works really well, etc. And while the Fuel EX 9.8 XT that I rode is a pretty good value for money, I think the 9.7 build might actually be the best bang-for-buck option in the line. On the 9.7, you get the same carbon frame, functionally very similar suspension (the Fox 36 Rhythm uses the older-generation chassis and is a little heavier than the newer 36 Performance on the 9.8 XT, but shares the same basic spring and damper design), and a slightly heavier but still strong-performing Shimano Deore / SLX / XT blend drivetrain. The loss of the carbon wheels is the biggest difference between the two at the end of the day, but for $1,550 in savings at retail price, I can live with that.

Comparisons

Here’s how the Fuel EX compares to several other bikes in its class. If you’re curious about other models, aren’t sure where to start in the first place, or have any other gear questions, you can Become a Blister Member , send us a message via the Member Clubhouse , and we’ll help you out one-on-one.

Trek Fuel EX Gen 5

I don’t have a ton of time on the prior-generation Fuel EX (which is still available from Trek, at least for the time being) but I’ve ridden one enough to know that the new sixth-generation version is pretty different. The new Fuel EX is much more stable and composed at speed, less nimble at low speeds in tight spots, and despite gaining 10 mm of suspension travel at both ends, probably pedals more efficiently. The new one is significantly “more” bike in most respects apart from pedaling efficiency.

Santa Cruz Hightower

This is one of the better comparisons here, but there are still some real differences. In the more middle-of-the-range geometry settings, the Fuel EX is a touch more stable at speed but a little less agile than the Hightower. The Fuel EX also pedals more efficiently but doesn’t offer quite as much traction under power.

But none of those differences are great enough to make them unreasonable bikes to cross-shop against each other or make it super cut-and-dried as to who should be on which bike, and they generally feel targeted at similar types of riding and use cases — just with slightly different characteristics. It’s also worth noting that their sizing breaks are a bit different, and there are likely going to be folks who simply fit one better than the other since, for example, the Large Fuel EX fits a little bigger than the Large Hightower.

Santa Cruz Bronson

Pretty different. The Fuel EX pedals a lot more efficiently than the Bronson but feels significantly less plush and cushy on the way back down. The gap in stability between the two isn’t as large as the differences in suspension performance might suggest, though the Bronson is still more bike on that front, too. And even with the Fuel EX set up as a mullet, the Bronson feels more oriented toward a riding style that favors slashing the rear end around and riding with more weight over the front end to facilitate that.

Transition Smuggler

This one’s interesting — the Smuggler and Fuel EX fit and handle pretty similarly, but feel quite different in terms of their suspension performance. The Smuggler feels much more supportive and lively whereas the Fuel EX is more plush and cushy, at the expense of some composure in really fast, rough sections (which, again, I think has more to do with the shock tune than anything to do with the frame itself). Despite the Fuel EX’s extra suspension travel, the two are pretty close in terms of pedaling performance and efficiency, though the Fuel EX definitely has an edge in terms of traction and grip under power.

Pretty different. These two are actually pretty close in terms of where they land on the super-quick handling to super-stable spectrum but differ substantially in a lot of other ways. The Ripmo has more suspension travel, and definitely feels like it — it’s more composed when plowing into rough sections of trail at speed, in particular. But its suspension also feels firmer and more supportive, as compared to the more plush and cushy Fuel EX. The Rimpo also has more of a notable preference for being ridden with a forward stance with some significant weight over the bars, whereas the Fuel EX feels happier being ridden more centered / neutrally, and has a bigger sweet spot in terms of body positioning — though I think some of that is driven by the fact that the Large Fuel EX fits just a bit bigger than the Large Ripmo we reviewed; the Fuel EX fits me better, personally, but that’s going to vary rider to rider.

Overall, the Ripmo feels like a bit more game-on, hard-charging bike whereas the Fuel EX is happier taking things easier, while still having a solid top end when you decide to open it up. In terms of pedaling efficiency, they’re not too far off from each other but I’d give a slight edge to the Fuel EX.

We Are One Arrival 152

Similar story to the Ripmo, but to a greater extent. The Arrival is a much more game-on, descending-focused bike than the Fuel EX and takes more speed and aggression to come alive, but rewards that sort of approach with an impressively stable, composed ride for a bike that’s pretty quick handling (again, when you’re on it and riding hard). The Arrival is also much more supportive and lively in its suspension performance, but less plush and cushy than the Fuel EX.

Orbea Occam LT

Also pretty different. Despite having 10 mm more rear wheel travel, the Occam LT pedals even better than the Fuel EX and feels especially sharp-handling and quick, whereas the Fuel EX is a little more stable at speed, especially in rougher terrain, but not as agile. The Fuel EX is also much more plush and forgiving in terms of its suspension performance at lower speeds but is far less nimble and pop-y than the Occam LT.

In terms of its handling and ride character, the Occam LT feels like a shorter-travel bike than it actually is, just one that’s got the extra compliance of a 150mm-travel bike when you really need it. The Fuel EX feels like “more” bike despite having a touch less suspension travel.

Orbea Rallon

The Rallon, on the other hand, is way more bike than the Fuel EX — more stable, more composed in rough sections, not as quick handling, and so on. It’s one of the most versatile, most efficient-pedaling Enduro bikes we’ve ever tested, but it still is a modern Enduro bike. The Rallon is impressively close to the Fuel EX in terms of pedaling efficiency, given that it’s got 20 mm of extra travel at each end, but the Fuel EX still wins out there. The two aren’t too far off from each other in terms of small-bump sensitivity, either, but the Fuel EX feels more plush and eager to use a lot of its travel at lower speeds and with mellower riding, whereas the Rallon is a lot more composed and supportive when you start hitting stuff harder.

The Fuel EX and Rallon do remind me of each other somewhat in terms of the way they fit and in the cornering styles they excel at most strongly — both are especially good when loading the bike up through the pedals, getting both wheels to grip hard, and carve through mid-speed, well-supported corners in particular — but the Rallon is much more bike in most respects.

Who’s It For?

The new Fuel EX is an excellent all-rounder Trail bike, especially for people who favor a slightly softer, more supple suspension setup but still want a bike that pedals quite efficiently. It’s very versatile in terms its preferred riding style(s), has a big sweet spot in terms of body positioning and approach, and offers a really nice blend of solid stability and reasonably quick handling, plus a whole lot of adjustability to dial it in to your liking. Heavier and/or more aggressive riders might find the stock suspension tune to be somewhat lightly damped for their preferences — and I’d count myself among those people — but if you’d prefer a more plush, cushy ride, or are willing to put some work into getting the suspension tuned, there’s a lot to like here.

Bottom Line

The new Fuel EX is an especially well-rounded and versatile Trail bike that we can see working for a lot of different riders — especially since it has such a broad range of frame adjustments on offer. Riders who tend to favor firmer, more supportive compression tunes are likely to find the stock setup to be a bit lightly damped, but plenty of other folks are likely to appreciate the plush, smooth ride. And though I didn’t have the opportunity to test this hypothesis, I don’t think there’s anything inherent to the frame design that would stop folks who want a firmer compression tune from getting there via aftermarket tuning or a shock swap.

I want to be careful not to make too big a deal out of the shock tune — it wasn’t quite what I wanted, but I also definitely tend to prefer firmer, more supportive compression damping and I think that the stock setup will work great for a ton of people. And I really, really like the Fuel EX otherwise — it’s an impressively versatile bike that I was able to have a great time riding on a ton of different sorts of trails and one that I would be happy to take most places in the world as my one bike and not feel like I was missing out. And it’s one that I’ve already recommended to a bunch of Blister Members who’ve reached out looking for an all-rounder one-bike quiver, because the Fuel EX is a really good one.

2 comments on “2023 Trek Fuel EX”

Great review, did you manage to get the 200mm dropper in all the way? I am thinking of getting a 200 on my size large.

Yeah, pretty easily. I run a ~780 mm seat height (center of BB to top of the seat, on 170 mm cranks).

Trek has a good seatpost insertion guide in the service manual on their site. It is worth noting that the aluminum frames have a little less insertion than the carbon ones — 265 mm vs. 281 mm for the size Large of both.

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Down to earth, out of this world First there was the forest. Next came the trail. And then there were mountain bikes. Hardtails for hammering. Full suspensions for crushing. Short travel whips. Long travel steeds. High powered e-bikes. Now — there’s Fuel EXe. Evolved to break the mold, bridge the gap, and elevate your ride with quiet assist that all but disappears in the woods. Fuel EXe is everything you’ve been craving on the singletrack. It’s a full suspension e-mountain bike that flattens climbs and pushes you farther on every ride, without interrupting the way you experience the trail. It’s your best trail ride ever, with extra Fuel in the tank.

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Natural look. Natural ride. Surprisingly electric.

Noise 0.12tu.

Tonality units - barely perceivable

Assist Up to 20 mph

Range 2-5 hrs / 360wh.

3-7.5 hrs with 160Wh extender

Torque 50nm

The 100 greatest innovations of 2022.

“Trek Fuel EXe is the best new “SL,” or superlight ebike, blurring the line between purely human-powered and pedal-assist bikes.”

Innovation of the year: TQ-HPR50 Motor

“That tiny harmonic pin ring drive unit is the golden goose of e-bike motors.”

• See the TQ-HPR50 motor

Design & Innovation Award 2023

“Trek Fuel EXe ushers in a new generation of Light-eMTBs, combining the nimble handling of an analogue mountain bike with the motor support of an ebike.”

TIME Best Inventions of 2023

Fuel EXe's natural-feeling assist and stealthy good looks earned it a coveted spot on TIME's Best Inventions of 2023 list. From TIME. © 2023 TIME USA LLC All rights reserved. Used under license.

Nothing else like it Most e-bike motors use gears and belts to move you forward — but belts and gears lash, slip, rattle, and wear out over time. That disconnects you from the ride. Fuel EXe uses an award-winning motor unlike anything else — the TQ’s HPR50 harmonic pin ring transmission. HPR50 is not only smaller and lighter than traditional e-bike motors, but it also uses fewer moving parts, so it’s smoother, quieter, and more durable, too. You get more of the ride experience without any downside.

• learn more about the TQ HPR50

Less is more

When we’re on the trail and connecting with nature, we don’t want to hear more than the sound of our tires on the dirt, the wind through the trees, and the hoots and hollers of our riding crew. Up until now, e-bikes have pulled us away from that experience with high-pitched motors that take us out of the element. Fuel EXe is different. It’s not only quieter—it’s less annoying.

Tonality (sound perception)

When it comes to sound, decibels don’t tell the whole story. Sounds like a ripping current of a river or wind rustling through trees might measure in as quite loud, but they don’t distract us from the ride. That has everything to do with something called tonality. Simply put, tonality is the measurement of how annoying and perceivable a sound is. It’s the difference between the crunch of leaves under your tire, and a squeaking brake rotor.

Cadence and tonality

Tonality is measured in tonality units, or tu for short. Sounds that measure under 0.1tu aren’t perceivable to the human ear, while sounds over 0.4tu are grating and annoying. Fuel EXe’s motor is tuned for tone, measuring in under 0.2tu—five times less perceivable than other light-assist bikes—so you can forgo the annoying whine of most e-bike motors to stay in the moment and connected with nature while you ride.

Data recorded in an anechoic chamber using a calibrated B&K 4966-h-041 microphone and Siemens SCADAS data acquisition unit with an acoustically-isolated Wahoo Kickr trainer set to 300W total resistance and bikes in maximum assist mode. Microphone was located 1 m laterally from the bottom bracket and 1.7 m off the floor (head height) and sampled at 51,200 Hz. Tonality calculated in Siemens Testlab Neo according to the ECMA-74:2019 standard.

While some e-bikes feel cumbersome and bulky, Fuel EXe is light, nimble, and playful, just as a trail bike should be. Its capable geometry is fine-tuned for barreling into berms and making light work of tech trails, lacing turns through tight aspens, and gnawing through rowdy rock gardens. Instead of being flung uphill like a rocket launcher, Fuel EXe’s assist feels natural, barely there — like an extension of your own power, so you can ride just like you would on a traditional mountain bike.

Built like a trail bike. Rips like a trail bike.

Fuel EXe is built with trail bike geometry that’s slack and capable out front with a 65-degree head tube angle.

A 77-degree seat tube angle keeps you perched for punchy climbs and long pedal fests up fire roads.

With a compact motor, Fuel EXe’s chainstays are able to stay tight at just 440mm, keeping the ride nimble and playful.

Carbon or alloy – the choice is yours

Now with both carbon and aluminum offerings, Fuel EXe offers incredible electric performance to meet your needs and budget. Test your mettle with Fuel EXe Alloy or go ultra light and lively with Fuel EXe Carbon.

Dialed for how you ride

Mino Link lets you quickly adjust your geometry, so your bike is always tuned for the terrain and your riding style. Plus, you can take geometry tweaks even further with adjustable angle headset cups on Fuel EXe Alloy (sold separately).

Simple battery solution

In-tube battery storage keeps your battery securely stashed while you ride, but simple to remove with just an hex wrench.

Non-stop suspension

Trek’s exclusive Active Braking Pivot keeps your suspension active while you’re braking (which is often when you need it most).

Hammer out big mile days with Range Extender. This compact bottle-shaped back up battery offers 160Wh of power that extends the distance you can ride by 44%. It tucks neatly in your existing bottle cage for simple connection to the charge port, which is located high on the down tube to stay clear from mud and make charging up simple. No additional hardware swapping needed. Just toss it in the existing cage, plug in, and go.

Tuned to you

You’re in control with three completely adjustable motor tune settings that can be easily tweaked on the fly. Quickly adapt your Fuel EXe to your terrain or riding style from the Trek Central app.

Plan your ride

Map out the perfect ride with easy-to-use maps and let the app show you how far you’ll make it with your current battery level.

See your stats

Keep track of the hours you spend in the saddle, the distance you ride, battery usage, and calories burned with activity tracking.

Make history

Scroll through a complete history of your rides and work towards new goals with ride history that logs every ride automatically when your Fuel EXe is paired to the Trek Central app.

Plays well with others

Pair your Trek Central app with Strava and Komoot to seamlessly communicate ride details and automatically log your rides across different apps.

Which is right for you?

Want an e-MTB that doesn’t hold back on power? Rail is the choice for riders who want to blast up climbs effortlessly with a full powered steed. It’s built for those who consider the trail their second home and want a ride that rips as hard as its non-electric siblings.

• Shop Rail with smart system

Looking for a balance of power and natural ride feel? Fuel EXe offers smooth assist that doesn’t overdo it. With just enough power to make climbing a breeze, and a lightweight, nimble ride that feels like a traditional trail bike, Fuel EXe is the go-to for those who want an e-bike that doesn’t look like an e-bike.

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Almost 500,000 troops killed or injured so far in Ukraine war, US officials say – as it happened

This live blog has now closed, you can read more on this story here

• 18 Aug 2023 Closing summary
• 18 Aug 2023 Russia bans 54 British nationals from entering country
• 18 Aug 2023 Almost 500,000 troops killed or injured since the war began, US officials say
• 18 Aug 2023 Report: Russia recruited operatives online to target weapons crossing Poland
• 18 Aug 2023 US to do 'everything' possible to support Ukraine
• 18 Aug 2023 US says F-16s will be sent to Ukraine after pilot training
• 18 Aug 2023 Summary of the day so far
• 18 Aug 2023 Limited power across several regions after damage to a thermal power plant in Donetsk oblast
• 18 Aug 2023 Workers begin to restore electricity to parts of Kherson oblast
• 18 Aug 2023 Russian media reporting huge fire at oil terminal
• 18 Aug 2023 Damage at expo centre in Moscow after Russian forces shoot down Ukrainian drone
• 18 Aug 2023 US confirms ‘full support’ for F-16 transfer
• 18 Aug 2023 Russian officials claim drones targeting Black Sea Fleet destroyed
• 18 Aug 2023 Ukrainian drone shot down over Moscow, damaging building
• 18 Aug 2023 Opening summary

Almost 500,000 troops killed or injured since the war began, US officials say

The total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the war in Ukraine began last February is nearing 500,000, the New York Times reports, citing US officials.

The officials told the Times that Russia’s military casualties are approaching 300,000. The number includes as many as 120,000 deaths and 170,000 to 180,000 injured troops. The officials said figures on the Ukrainian side were at close to 70,000 killed and 100,000 to 120,000 wounded.

Estimates put the number of Ukrainian troops at about 500,000, including active-duty, reserve and paramilitary troops. Russia has almost three times that figure, with 1,330,000 active duty, reserve and paramilitary troops.

Closing summary

This blog is now closing. Below is a roundup of today’s stories:

US officials have said the total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the war in Ukraine began last February is nearing 500,000, according to a New York Times report . The officials told the Times that Russia’s military casualties were approaching 300,000. The number included as many as 120,000 deaths and between 170,000 and 180,000 injured troops. The officials said figures on the Ukrainian side were close to 70,000 killed and between 100,000 and 120,000 wounded.

Russian forces have destroyed Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow and its Black Sea fleet. Russia’s defence ministry said its air force had downed a Ukrainian drone over the capital at about 4am (1am GMT) on Friday. Footage showed damage to an expo centre on the Krasnopresnenskaya embankment of the Moskva River, 100 metres (328 ft) from Moscow city. Meanwhile, according to the ministry, Russian navy patrol ships in the Black Sea shot down a drone late on Thursday night about 237km (147 miles) south-west of Sevastopol, the base of its fleet on the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula.

The US said Ukrainian pilot training on F-16s would be followed by a transfer of jets to the country. Speaking at a press conference, Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, said: “What we did this week is formalised through a letter from Secretary Blinken to his counterparts in Europe, that upon the completion of that training, the United States would be prepared in consultation with Congress to approve third-party transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine .”

A coalition of 11 countries is due to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 jets this month in Denmark. The training was agreed a day after Ukraine said that, based on current timelines, it would not be able to operate the jets by autumn or winter.

Russia has banned entry to 54 British nationals, including the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, Karim Khan, and the defence minister Annabel Goldie, in response to UK sanctions against its citizens and enterprises. A number of correspondents from the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph were also on the travel ban list.

A large fire was burning on Friday at the Russian Novorossiysk fuel oil terminal in Novorossiysk, one of the largest Black Sea ports which is located about 107 miles (172km) from Crimea. It was unclear whether the fire was caused by a Ukrainian drone strike.

The thermal power plant in the Donetsk oblast was operating today at a reduced capacity because of shelling that damaged the electricity line , said Ukraine’s energy ministry. More than 14,000 people remained without electricity in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. In the Kherson oblast, where Russians destroyed the Kahovska dam two months ago, about 11,000 people remained without power.

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces estimat ed that Russian troops lost 460 personnel on Thursday, bringing their total estimate of Russian personnel killed since the invasion to 256,510.

One civilian was injured and private houses, farm buildings and gas pipelines were damaged in the Russian shelling of the Kherson oblast in the early hours of Friday, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said.

Russian Telegram channels report ed that a Ukrainian flag was hoisted in front of the Federal Security Service building in Nizhny Nogorod , a city located about 264 miles (425km) east of Moscow. The flag was quickly removed.

Sweden has approved a €270m (£230m) security assistance package for Ukraine , said Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s minister of defence.

Russia bans 54 British nationals from entering country

Russia has banned entry to 54 British nationals, including the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, Karim Khan, and the defence minister Annabel Goldie , in response to UK sanctions against its citizens and enterprises, Reuters reports, citing the Russian foreign ministry.

The ICC issued arrest warrants in March for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin , accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine , charges Moscow denies.

A number of correspondents from the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph were also on the travel ban list.

The ministry said it would continue expanding the list in retaliation for sanctions.

Dmytro Kuleba , Ukraine’s foreign minister, said he spoke with the foreign minister from the Republic of Guinea, Morissanda Kouyaté, on Friday about ways to strengthen “cooperation in trade, education, and international organisations” between the two countries.

In the first-ever call between foreign ministers of Ukraine and the Republic of Guinea, Dr. @Morissanda Kouyaté and I discussed ways to strengthen 🇺🇦🇬🇳 cooperation in trade, education, and international organizations. — Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) August 18, 2023

Canada is imposing sanctions on 15 Russian individuals and three entities in what Ottawa said was a response to rising levels of human rights violations and violence faced by political opponents and critics in Russia , Reuters reports, citing the foreign ministry.

The sanctioned individuals and entities are senior officials of the Russian government, judiciary and investigative committee, as well as federally funded courts, the ministry said in a statement.

A senior Moldovan official has called Russia’s decision to deny entry of officials from the country regrettable, Reuters reports.

“This is not the first time the Russian authorities have resorted to such measures,” said Igor Zakharov , a communications adviser to Moldova’s foreign minister.

“The Republic of Moldova is determined to resist destabilising actions,” he added.

Russia banned entry to several Moldovan officials after Moldova’s “unfriendly” decision to expel 22 Russian diplomats, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.

Report: Russia recruited operatives online to target weapons crossing Poland

The Washington Post is reporting that Polish authorities believe that Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, was recruiting people in online job ads to disrupt shipments of weapons to Ukraine that were passing through the country.

From the report:

The cryptic job listings began appearing online early this year. The tasks were menial — posting fliers or hanging signs in public spaces — and the pay meager. But for a handful of refugees from eastern Ukraine, the promise of quick cash was too good to pass up. Respondents soon realized there was a catch: The jobs involved distributing pro-Russian propaganda on behalf of an anonymous employer. For those willing to complete the assignments anyway, the work then took a more ominous turn. Within weeks, recruits were tasked with scouting Polish seaports, placing cameras along railways and hiding tracking devices in military cargo, according to Polish investigators. Then, in March, came startling new orders to derail trains carrying weapons to Ukraine.

The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Though the threat was eliminated, an investigator told the Washington Post that a “broader threat remained. Russia’s spy services remained active in Poland, he said, and “will try to eliminate the mistakes they made”.

Here are some of the latest images of Ukraine coming in from the agencies:

US to do 'everything' possible to support Ukraine

Jake Sullivan , the US national security adviser, affirmed at a press conference today the US’s position on continuing to support Ukraine .

“We’re doing everything we can to support Ukraine, and its counteroffensive,” he said. “We’re not going to handicap the outcome. We’re not going to predict what’s going to happen because this war has been inherently unpredictable. That’s all I can say today other than I believe and have confidence in the capacity, and especially the bravery, of Ukrainian fighters to continue to make progress on the battlefield.”

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