2017 trek top fuel 8 blue book

• Crosscountry
• Rider Notes

2017 Trek Top Fuel 8

A 27.5″ / 29″ aluminum frame full suspension crosscountry bike with upper mid-range components. Compare the full range

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Jul 2018 · Guy Kesteven

Stiff frame and suspension in classic race style, but wheels are slow and ride feel is conservative. Buy if you want an efficient and trusted ride for your money

Stiff frame with suspension tuned for efficient pedalling, reasonable kit for the cash

Conservative rather than combative handling character and overall feel, wheels and tyres undermine rough rolling speed and liveliness

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May 2017 · James Bracey

Swing a leg over the Trek Top Fuel 9 and the first thing you notice is the suspension is keen to get working. It’s a seriously rapid bike on the trails.

Rewarding ride provided by the Re:aktiv suspension.

SRAM X1 groupset performed flawlessly.

Handling is marred by the miniscule bar width.

Tyres are inappropriate for most British conditions.

Apr 2016 · Emily Schaldach

Trek's carbon fiber Top Fuel ruled in mountain biking’s mid-naughties heyday, and now it’s back and better than ever.

Mar 2016 · Christoph Bayer

Trek gave their Top Fuel a revamp for 2016. We've put the Trek Top Fuel 9.8 SL through its paces to see if the performance can match the looks.

Who wouldn’t have expected the updated Trek Top Fuel’s shining point to be climbing? Its predecessor was a World Cup-winning XC race bike and the Top Fuel has now replaced the company’s other race bike, the Superfly. With larger wheels, improved suspension and other updates, the Top Fuel is poised to carry on Trek’s XC race heritage.

The Trek Top Fuel 9.8 SL is a Greyhound designed to cover long distances fast and is tailor-made for über-fit marathon racers.

The reincarnated version of this World Cup-winning XC racer gets modern updates and a hella-fast ride

Turning its focus on its cross-country racing bikes, Trek made some significant changes to its XC line. Most notable is the introduction of the Isospeed coupler in to the Procaliber hardtail line. - Mtbr.com

Last updated July 21 Not listed for 2,450 days

Trek Top Fuel 8 review: a progressive rather than podiuming XC machine

Trek’s top fuel delivers superlative short-travel suspension performance but it’s definitely a trail bike not an xc bike.

BikePerfect Verdict

Awesome suspension, agile swagger, grippy kit and practical frame updates build a brilliant rally bike, but high weight buries any XC aspirations

Infectiously agile and playful vibe

Superlative suspension feel

Seriously tight tracking frame

Trail tough kit

Internal storage

Too heavy for XC racing

Simple fork damper

Tight internal storage access

Yawning gap between this and the Supercaliber

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.

Top Fuel used to be Trek’s out-and-out best full-suspension mountain bike for racing, but with the soft-tail Supercaliber under its sponsored riders now, the Top Fuel has developed a burly rather than race character. 

The latest frame, suspension and spec changes to the 8 make the most of its short-travel agility and gripped tenacity to create a proper rally racer. Excess weight shows on climbs and acceleration though.

Design and geometry

The alloy Top Fuel frame not only has the same geometry, shock and suspension layout as its carbon counterpart but Trek’s engineers have also worked super-hard to give it the same extensive, updated feature lineup. That includes the lever-locked trapdoor into the down tube for internal storage, threaded bottom bracket shell with chain guide tabs. The Knock Block 2.0 inset now allows 72-degrees of steering lock (not 58-degrees as before) or you can fit a blank insert for full rotation if the bars aren’t slammed. 

In fact, it’s one of those bikes where we continually found ourselves riding how we always want to ride, not how we actually ride. That inevitably builds into an addictive upward spiral of confidence and insolent speed that often ended with us snapping at the heels of more expensive longer travel bikes even on really rowdy trails. Picking a larger, longer frame will settle it even more at speed, but for flow trails, it was refreshing to really rip those big Bontrager side tire lugs round on a compact, close combat chassis. Just be careful you don’t get too carried away, as however good it feels, less travel inevitably means the tires are having to cope with more impact force and we soon put a couple of splits in the rear tire despite the ‘inner strength’ casing.

When that happens the narrow neck of the storage hatch can make getting your spare tube out awkward and the high cage position means you won’t get a large bottle in either. There’s space for a 2.5in tire in the rear swingarm which pivots co-axially around the rear axle according to Trek’s ‘Active Braking Pivot’ wisdom. While it limits choice, the switch to a 34.9mm seatpost size should mean stiffer, smoother dropper action, especially on larger frame sizes which get up to a 200mm shaft stock. The new trunnion style shock pivots more smoothly and is the right way up now compared to last year’s inverted shocks. That means the MinoLink geometry flip chip to change angles by 0.5-degrees is now at the base of the shock but it’s still easy to get too. Significantly all RockShox spec Trek bikes from the 8 upwards get the same ‘Ultimate RCT’ spec Deluxe rear shock.

The alloy frame is a kilo heavier (3.74kg vs 2.7kg) than the carbon option according to Trek’s weights. This saves you $1,400/£1,500 if you buy the frame separately, although it still retails for $2,319.99/£2,350. Those numbers prove it’s neither affordable or light for a bike that you’ll find listed in the XC section of Trek's website, not the trail pages. In fact, the 130mm Fuel EX Al frame is the same weight although that doesn't have internal storage.

A 66/66.4-degree head tube definitely suggests progressive riding rather than traditional podium hunting vibes too. The 465/469mm reach on our M/L size is more trad than rad though so riders after a stretch should make use of the short 450mm seat tube and opt for the L with a 480/484 reach. All bikes get the same 76/76.4-degree seat tube angle and 434/435mm chainstay length though so while having six (S-XXL) sizes is great, the balance is definitely centered around the M - M/L - L models.

Components and build 

The Top Fuel 8 is the most expensive alloy bike, above the 7 at $3,529.99/£3,200 and the 5 at $2,629.99/£2,700 (we don’t know what 6 did to offend them but its missing from the line-up), but below the carbon-framed 9.7 at $4,229.99/£4,700.

The highlights of the package are the lightweight SID fork (albeit with the simplest Rush Damper) and Shimano XT rear mech and shifters. The Bontrager XR4 tires are some of our favorite welterweight all-rounders too. The SLX crank is a great piece with a 30T ring for easy climbing, but muscle Mary’s will find a 36T fits the frame too. You get a 150mm Trans-X dropper with a Bontrager Arvada saddle on top and 35mm diameter Bontrager Elite 45mm stem and 780mm wide bar.

Deore four-pot brakes just about do the job adequately via 180/160mm rotors but together with the wide rim tubeless Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels they’re an obvious area where extra weight creeps in and adds up to nearly 14.5kg without pedals. 

Performance

Add that weight to chunky treaded, relatively grippy tires and however Trek categorizes the Top Fuel, the 8 clearly isn’t the best choice for charging climbs and ripping round simple XC laps. Now we’ve got rid of the people who’ll likely love the 12.2kg Trek Supercaliber for the same money, we can start talking about what the Top Fuel does do really well – and that’s riding properly rowdy.

While bikes like the Evil Following , Santa Cruz Tallboy , and Norco Optic have already established that short-travel bikes can feel awesome, the Top Fuel definitely goes into the small travel, BIG capability hall of fame. Like most of its peers, it doesn’t squander initial shock movement and can feel slightly sharp in the car park unless you drop tire pressures low. 

Once moving though it’s both amazingly fluid and connected over ruts and roots whether climbing janky tech or sucking onto stutter bump/root ripple turns or off-camber high lines. The wheel path and rear pivot position mean there’s minimal pull back through the pedals as it hoovers up chunder so you can stay on the gas without getting jacked or stalled out. While we’re always suspicious of acronyms and a 160mm rotor doesn’t generate much torque anyway, the braking performance of the ABP rear end is impressively grippy compared to the same hardware on other bikes. 

The RCT damper also has plus and minus low-speed compression settings to fine-tune support sensitivity depending on personal/terrain preferences. Even in the plus setting the mid-stroke mobility does mean you’ll want to flick into the much firmer ‘pedal’ mode if you’re stood up slow cadence churning on a climb or don’t want distracting bounce on long smooth climbs. The SID fork gets a similar firming option via the fork top lever though we rarely touched it unless we were really hanging on a road climb.

While the superlative suspension performance is definitely the heart of the Top Fuel’s ‘have a go hero’ character, the rest of the bike definitely exploits it rather than squandering it. The alloy frame might be heavy but it’s seriously stout when it comes to squaring up to the trail when things get punchy.

While the simpler Rush damper starts to get seasick and inconsistent well before the back end, the 35mm stanchions do a great job of staying on track. Shorter travel means less dive too and together with well-balanced cockpit dimensions and steering angle gives a really predictable and tenacious target lock.

Despite the hefty weight and relatively slow rear hub engagement the fact you can keep the power down or brake really late meant the Top Fuel always felt hyped to be hitting trails and tweaking lines as fast as possible. The shorter M/L size made it a proper joyride on tighter, twistier trails but you can still drive it really hard, heels down, feet level through turns and it loves to pump downslopes.

Trek’s Top Fuel 8 is a brilliant example of just how good short-travel suspension can feel, and less stroke always means a more responsive, visceral ride than a leggier bike. The geometry and proper trail tires really let you exploit the hooligan that’s hiding in the frame along with your pump, tool and spare tube too. 

As much as we’ve loved ripping around the trails on it, there’s no doubt it’s heavier and harder to accelerate/elevate than we’d like for its supposed XC/downcountry range placement though. If you’re about the overall vibe, not outright velocity, that doesn’t matter though.

Test conditions

• Temperature: -2 to 8 degrees
• Surface: Mixed blue-black trail center, moorland tracks, off-piste wooded tech and DH

Tech Specs: Trek Top Fuel 8

• Price: $3,829.99 / £3,850
• Model: Trek Top Fuel 8
• Discipline: XC/downcountry/trail
• Head angle:  66/66.4-degrees
• Frame material: Alpha Platinum Aluminium
• Weight: 14.46kg
• Wheel size: 29 x 2.4in 
• Suspension: RockShox SID 120mm travel, 44mm offset/RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT 120mm travel
• Drivetrain:  Shimano XT M8100 mech and shifter. Shimano SLX M7100, 10-51 cassette, chain
• Cranks:  Shimano XT 30T chainset
• Brakes:  Shimano Deore M6000 brakes with 180/160mm rotors
• Cockpit:  Bontrager Line 780mm bar and 45mm stem
• Wheelset:  Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels
• Tires:  Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 29 x 2.4in tires
• Seatpost:  TranzX 150mm dropper post
• Saddle: Bontrager Arvada, steel rail 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

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Trek Top Fuel 8 review

The Top Fuel's heritage may be cross-country, but this is a super-capable trail bike with a seriously addictive personality – so much so that it's our Trail Bike of the Year for 2022

Steve Behr / Our Media

Shrugs off limited travel figures on 95% of trails; loves to twist and turn; fast-rolling rubber helps keep speeds high

Fork can twang under heavier riders; you’re occasionally reminded of the 120mm travel

The Trek Top Fuel was updated at the back-end of 2021 and the result is a knock-out bike for all-round trail riding. So much so that, after pitting the Top Fuel against seven of its toughest competitors, it's our Trail Bike of the Year for 2022 .

The Top Fuel may be listed within Trek’s menu of cross-country bikes on the brand’s website but, with 120mm of travel at either end, it certainly has a whiff of ‘ downcountry ’ about it.

And, with a stout 35mm-chassis RockShox SID plugged in up front, tyres with more than a hint of tread and a 66-degree head angle, I wanted to see how far the new Top Fuel pushes into trail territory.

Trek Top Fuel 8 frame and suspension

The frame is constructed from Trek’s Alpha Platinum aluminium, with the main tubes manipulated in shape along their length.

Around the head tube, there’s a broad contact point between head, down and top tubes, while down by the threaded bottom bracket the down tube’s orientation changes to give a flatter, fatter surface for the BB shell to be welded onto.

The down tube houses a storage compartment, into which you’ll fit a multi-tool and tube, located under a door that also holds a bottle cage.

Trek admits that it adds weight, but claims it’s important to have in this category of bike. And, as the weight is relatively low, it adds stability by lowering the overall centre of gravity of bike and rider.

Trek’s contentious Knock Block steering-lock limiter allowed equipped bikes to have a straight down tube to enhance stiffness, and prevented damage from fork top caps on the down tube or low-slung brake levers on the top tube.

But some riders found the 58-degree angle irksome and disliked the compatibility issue caused by choosing to remove the device.

The 2022 Top Fuel features Knock Block 2.0, which has been redesigned to be less extreme and allow an increased steering angle from 58 to 72 degrees.

Top Fuel frames have been designed with more down-tube clearance for fork top caps, doing away with the previously straight, stiffness-promoting down tube found on Knock Block 1.0 bikes.

If both fork top caps clear the down tube and brake levers clear the top tube, Trek says it’s possible for riders to remove the Knock Block 2.0 completely with minimal fuss.

Wheel size is 29in except for the extra-small bike, which comes with 27.5in wheels (and in the 9.8 spec only). All complete bikes come with 2.4in-wide Bontrager tyres, but the frames will take up to a 2.5in, so mud clearance should be ample for UK riding.

Trek uses its APB suspension linkage to give the 120mm of travel. This features a pivot concentric to the rear axle, so is neither a true single-pivot nor four-bar linkage.

The vertically mounted shock is driven by a magnesium rocker link. It’s bulky, to add stiffness, but the use of magnesium saves weight.

The main pivot has been moved forward on the new bike, flattening the anti-squat curve and making it more consistent throughout its travel.

Trek Top Fuel 8 maintenance and durability

Trek hasn’t forgotten the mechanics out there, who will be happy to hear that although the Top Fuel has internally routed cables, Trek has fitted full-length internal sheathing throughout the bike, meaning no fishing around with bent spokes and magnets when it’s time to refresh the outer cables.

Interestingly, Trek has chosen to rid itself of press-fit bottom bracket issues for this bike and return to the venerable old 73mm-wide threaded shell.

While Trek hasn’t commented on the reason for this shift, many feel that the threaded BB is less prone to creaking, and it’s hard to argue with the ease of replacing a threaded BB when compared to its push-fit cousin.

The seat-tube diameter has expanded to the new 34.9mm standard, allowing the next generation of longer dropper posts to be fitted.

The reasoning behind yet another new standard is actually pretty sound. Its girthier chassis boosts stiffness and spreads side-loading more effectively, meaning modern, longer posts retain stiffness when extended, are stronger and experience reduced wear.

According to Trek, the related stiffness improvement in the frame itself (because of the larger-diameter tube and increased surface area at junctions) is “slight”.

Trek is also pleased to extol the burlier nature of the new Top Fuel, by extending warranty coverage to include the fitting of a longer 130mm-travel fork. Making such a move would slacken the head angle and seat tube angle by around 0.5 degrees and raise the bottom bracket by 3mm.

Trek Top Fuel 8 geometry

If you looked at the geometry figures in isolation of the suspension travel and website sub-menu, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a totally modern 140mm trail bike.

The head angle is fairly slack at 66 degrees, while the seat angle is claimed to be 76 degrees. That’s not super-steep, but when your rear end sags less thanks to the reduced travel, its dynamic seat angle should still be pretty pert.

I also measured my test bike, with saddle 71cm above the bottom bracket, at 77.1 degrees – steeper than claimed.

The reach is impressively long at 480mm – a number I’d expect to see on some of the best enduro bikes . This combines with mid-length 435mm chainstays to give a wheelbase of 1,215mm.

The 450mm seat tube is short enough that longer-travel droppers should be within reach of most riders. The size-small bike has a 395mm seat-tube length, for reference.

These figures are for a size large (or 19.5in that Trek also gives) in its low setting. The numbers are similar for the small, medium, medium-large, large, XL and XXL – an impressive spread of sizes.

The Mino Link geometry chip is also provided, which steepens angles by 0.4 degrees, and adds 5mm to the reach. For the purpose of this review, I kept the bike largely in its lower setting.

Trek Top Fuel 8 specifications

Trek has gone to RockShox for the suspension on the Top Fuel 8, with its SID fork stood up front and a Deluxe Ultimate RC at the back. The shock has three main compression modes, from open to firm, as well as three settings in the open mode for even more fine-tuning.

The most open of these options gives a really light feel to the shock, while the most closed feels very close to the middle setting of the shock, with noticeably more compression damping.

Historically, the SID has been a pared-down XC race fork, and the SID SL still holds that baton.

The SID Select, though, is one of the new-generation burly XC/downcountry/light-trail forks that feature lighter-weight chassis, packing in extra stiffness thanks to 35mm (or 34mm in the case of the Fox 34) stanchions.

It maxes out with 120mm travel, and on this model Top Fuel we get the base-level fork that uses the OEM-only Rush RL damper.

With 120mm of travel, it feels stiffer than a 34, but perhaps not quite as stout as a Pike. The damper might be bottom-end, but it’s still smooth, and remarkably well controlled, with plenty of progression and little in the way of spiking.

Shimano is used for the drivetrain, with a mixed group of components. The 30t ring sits on a Deore crankset, an SLX chain tugs on a cassette from the same range, while the shifter and derailleur come from the XT family.

Four-piston non-series brakes from Shimano complete the package.

When it comes to wheels, tyres and finishing kit, Trek’s in-house Bontrager components feature heavily. This includes the Line 30 Comp wheels, shod in 2.4in-wide XR4 Team Issue tyres, and an alloy cockpit.

Trek Top Fuel 8 ride impressions

This bike was tested as part of our 2022 Trail Bike of the Year test. It was pitted against seven other bikes, with travel ranging from 120 to 140mm at the rear, and priced from £3,299 to £3,950.

The bikes were tested all over the UK, from long, steep tracks in South Wales to our regular testing loops in the Forest of Dean, fast rocky tracks in Scotland's Tweed Valley and the fresh-cut loam and rocky outcrops of the Cairngorm National Park.

Bikes were tested back to back, with short repeated loops ensuring differences were easily noticed. An extensive programme of workshop weighing, measuring and general poking about meant every little detail was explored.

I knew the Top Fuel was going to be a good ride from the minute I slung a leg over the 120mm-travel, alloy trail bike’s low-slung top tube. Its geometry felt right from the off, the spec list is up to the task and the suspension is all kit that I’m well versed in testing.

It’s easy to look at the bike from afar and assume this is just another downcountry rig, with its SID fork and short-travel figures. It wasn’t until I’d fired it over some jumps, nosed it down the odd steep chute and slung it through my test loops’ berms that I realised the Top Fuel is, simply put, a bloody brilliant trail bike.

Trek Top Fuel 8 climbing performance

Stab the lever that raises the unremarkable Trans-X dropper, chunk yourself precisely (thanks to Shimano’s excellent shifting even under power) into the biggest cog on the SLX cassette and the Top Fuel climbs like a sticky mountain goat.

The steep seat angle for a short-travel bike is helpful, positioning your hips further forward and centred over the bottom bracket, helping to keep the front wheel planted and pedalling efficient. When combined with the low 30x51t gearing, you can comfortably climb almost anything (traction permitting).

The Bontrager XR4s are a little slick for damp off-piste conditions, with a rounded profile and shallow tread blocks tending to skate over the surface rather than dig in. However, if conditions are dry, they happily transfer power through their mid-depth treads.

The trade-off is they roll fast and are communicative on the limit, letting go predictably. They provide acceptable grip on surfaced trails and leaf mulch, and don’t drag on tarmac.

The shock lockout lever on the Super Deluxe has an uncomfortable-to-operate indexed notch, which snaps open unpredictably, making it feel agricultural to use (especially with cold fingers). However, it does provide a severe but effective platform when climbing. In contrast, the SID Select fork lockout is a rather spongy affair.

Overall, the geometry and crisp Shimano shifting mean it’s easy to winch your way up to the top of a peak.

It does lack the taut eagerness of XC-derived downcountry rigs such as the Scott Spark , which strain at the leash to attack every climb, whereas the Top Fuel prefers to lope along comfortably.

As downcountry bikes go, the Top Fuel’s forward pivot position, placid anti-squat curve and overall build are swayed toward delivering incredible overall performance and stable, low-effort climbing rather than scintillating polka-dot-jersey-esque uphill sprints.

Furthermore, its 14.8kg weight separates it from the most dedicated downcountry bikes, which likely shed a kilo or two.

However, view it as a trail bike, and it knocks the socks off most traditional trail bikes when pointed up a hill.

Trek Top Fuel 8 descending performance

Point it downhill and the flickable chassis is easy to manoeuvre: if you’ve felt over-biked and sluggish on a 140mm trail bike, this is the answer.

Whereas some downcountry bikes are XC race rigs on steroids – devastatingly efficient on trail-centre loops, but unwieldy descenders – the Top Fuel feels as though Trek has tautened and lightened its Remedy trail bike.

Again, look at it as a trail bike, rather than a downcountry bike, and you’ll appreciate that its quality, not quantity, of suspension that often does the bulk of the work when it comes to descending, especially when backed up with really good geometry and decent kit.

While the Top Fuel lacks athletic fervour, it feels exuberant and cheeky, goading you into manuals and riding the trail playfully.

With predictable cornering manners and progressive-feeling rear-suspension kinematics, thanks to its forward pivot point, this bike is devastating on the descents.

Rather than insulating you from every bump, the Top Fuel feels like a bike that works with you, involving the rider in the glory of a corner well hit or an obstacle correctly anticipated. It flatters your moments of brilliance but buffers any mistakes stoically.

Indeed, the level of grip and confidence is so high that it’s not until you get onto rougher black trails or find yourself offline that you need to brace for impact – and remember this isn’t an enduro bike.

This means it’s easy to inadvertently throw the Top Fuel way out of its depth and get carried away with the fun you’re having on the descent.

Over trail-centre features, the bike has an addictive personality. It has pop for days, encouraging you to hop, skip and jump your way over the trail, leaving the ground at every opportunity.

Spy a rocky or rooty take-off, and the Top Fuel seems to want you to bounce the front tyre off the top and pull the bike skyward, before the low BB, and long front end scream to be slung through the following berm as fast as you dare.

Take it to the trees, and the wide Bontrager-branded bars and short stem, and tight 435mm chainstays, work together to ensure direction changes are jet-boat rather than oil tanker in speed, while the bike’s reaction times to pedal inputs put Usain Bolt’s to shame.

Hammer it has hard as you can into jumbled rocks or amassed roots and the fork can twang a bit, but the 120mm back end is also going to struggle when you really batter it through the chunder, despite the shock’s progression later in its stroke.

Spend a little bit of time learning how the bike likes to be ridden and you’ll find yourself hunting out opportunities to jump over these or smooth the line with finesse anyway.

Okay, if you spend your weekends searching out the gnarliest lines, then the Top Fuel might not be for you – but there are other bikes in this category that’ll float your boat.

The four-piston Shimano brakes offer predictable, yet punchy power, so whether you’re grabbing a fistful of stopping power when you’re hauling down the trail, or deftly trying to shimmy down a tight, steep, slow-speed tech-fest, you’re in ultimate control.

Yes, the small rotors do lack some outright power, but at least boosting their size is a quick, easy and cheap way of adding braking grunt.

For the majority of everyday trail riders, the Top Fuel has every trick in the book ready to pull out at a moment’s notice, whether you’re rallying trail centres, carving turns in the woods, or developing your skills on steeper, more technical terrain.

How does the Trek Top Fuel 8 compare with the YT Izzo Core 2?

In terms of a light and fast machine for tackling less technically demanding trails, the YT Izzo Core 2 seems like the obvious comparison.

Both bikes give a spirited fight on the climbs. The Trek is perhaps a little perkier, with a taut back end that doesn’t waste your watts.

The Izzo might not be quite as stable as the Trek under pedalling pressure, and the lockout is a pain to access, but the Maxxis Forekaster tyres zip along with minimal resistance, really making the bike fly up climbs.

Add in a supple early stroke that helps generate grip, and I found the Izzo gave me little to complain about uphill.

Despite very much coming from the downcountry side of things, the Top Fuel 8 is a ripper on the descents. The tyres play a massive part in this, with a more pronounced shoulder tread than the Forekasters on the Izzo. This makes the Top Fuel much more confident when pushing hard on mixed surfaces.

The suspension is a bit of a toss-up here. Fox’s 34 Performance fork on the Izzo is a smooth operator, while the SID feels a little more aggressive in its damping. At the back, though it has less travel, the Trek seems to deal with repeated big hits a little better, though I’d say the Izzo is smoother on low-amplitude chatter.

Trek Top Fuel 8 bottom line

Picking a 120mm-travel bike as my Trail Bike of the Year took a bit of soul searching. The diversity of bikes available aimed at the trail rider is as broad as the trails on which they’re ridden.

But the Top Fuel stole my heart (if not my head) in 2022. A trail bike needs to do it all – climb well, descend with authority, and ask to come back for more and more.

The Top Fuel gets to the top of the hill without making us yearn for our XC rigs, made me grin like a Cheshire cat on fast flow trails and rarely baulked when gradients steepened and a firm grip on bar and brake lever was required to safely navigate to the bottom.

If you want a bike to do it all and trust that it’s quality, not quantity of suspension that does the bulk of the work, give a shorter-travel, more agile bike a shot – you probably won’t regret it.

Trail Bike of the Year 2022 | How we tested

We expect a lot of the modern trail bike, so testing to find this year’s Trail Bike of the Year not only had to be thorough, but incredibly varied, too.

This meant spending one day sitting in the saddle for hours on end ticking off miles of singletrack, and the next blasting down bike park runs, giving the bikes a proper hammering in the process.

Of course, there was a decent amount of everything in the middle, including scrabbling up steep, forested climbs before sliding back down and, quite simply, just playing about in the woods.

Most of our testing took place around the Forest of Dean or in south Wales, with a cheeky trip to Scotland thrown in for good measure.

To come out on top, we wanted a bike that could climb with close to the efficiency of the best cross-country mountain bikes , but still manage to descend with some of the composure you’re likely to find from an enduro bike .

If the bike felt sluggish and lethargic on an all-day epic, or skittish and nervous when tackling a technical descent, then it simply wouldn’t make the cut as this year’s best trail bike .

With such a competitive selection of bikes on test, deciding on the winner happened late in the day. In fact, it wasn’t until we were riding on the final photo shoot that we settled on the 2022 winner, which just goes to show how tough the competition has been.

Our Trail Bike of the Year 2022 contenders are:

• Canyon Spectral 125 CF7
• Cube Stereo 120 HPC TM 29
• Kona Process 134 DL 29
• Nukeproof Reactor 290 Alloy Pro
• Specialized Stumpjumper Comp
• Trek Top Fuel 8
• Vitus Escarpe 29 CRX
• YT Izzo Core 2

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Trek Top Fuel 9.8 2017 Detailed Review

• Bike Reviews
• July 7, 2017
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The Trek Top Fuel 9.8 brought velocity to life, by showing-off it’s pure-bread XC/Marathon charm! Without a second thought, the bike immediately got down to business during our test. Exhibiting its originality, through the way it read the terrain.

The Top Fuel 9.8 is a perfect race bike model from Trek, since it takes absolutely no nonsense on South African soil. Its fast, its efficient, and takes one’s perspective of cross-country racing to a whole new level!

#myTrek = #myTech

The Top Fuel 9.8 OCLV carbon frame had me talking all the way during the test. Its lightweight construction kept my energy levels high on climbs, as I expended less energy dragging the bike, and more energy pushing it to its limits. Trek also made sure that their high performance carbon stayed protected by adding their Carbon Armour along the chain stay and on the down-tube. This also ensures that the frame’s, dicey, aesthetics stay looking good for longer.

While the frame was fully race orientated, it also presented some functional and efficient features. Firstly, the Boost148 technology and G2 geometry gave us the freedom to run wider tyres on the 29er wheels using a larger chain ring, without compromising on pedalling efficiency. Secondly, Trek’s Anti-Brake Pivot system played nicely with the braking system, through adding traction on the wheels. Thirdly, the Top Fuel’s Full Float rear triangle enhanced the 100mm of shock travel and made it feel like 140mm! Going over large drops, were certainly not a problem here!

A Step Cast play-ground…

In addition to Trek’s super lightweight frame, FOX got on-board the Top Fuel train with their Performance 32 Float, Step Cast fork. On the first ride I came to the realisation that things were going to get seriously wild with speed. 100mm of travel kept me speeding up through bumpy sections and not losing momentum. If you ask me, the FOX 32 Float SC shock series was a faultless match-up with Trek. Definitely a shock that understood the needs of a XC racer, just like the frame.

Offset is the new…

My personal favourite in design; Bontrager’s Kovee Pro wheels. Made from OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready, and set with the purpose of making the Top Fuel more stable. What made these wheels so special? Engineered offset spoke bed. Basically, the spoke doesn’t meet the rim in dead centre. Instead, the meeting point has been moved a few millimetres; in doing so, Trek are able to reduce wheel dish. Other advantages that we noticed, was the stiffness off the wheel area, that awarded me with great confidence, through stability.

When RE;aktiv took the floor:

Trek’s RE;aktiv suspension technology never ceased to amaze me. Partnering with FOX’s Performance Float; the rear suspension always acted as it was supposed to. Secure on ascends, open and plush on descends.

What Trek and FOX both understood about XC/Marathon racers, is that they’re usually so focused on winning, and therefore need a bike that takes care of itself. That being said, Trek included a FOX remote lockout system for both shocks. The only draw-back, is that I was forced to adjust both shocks at the same time using one lever, instead of individually. However, I believe Trek used this system to save weight on the Top Fuel 9.8. Perhaps they’ll bring out a separate remote lock-out system for each shock, at a later stage.

All-in-all, RE;aktiv took care of what was important. That being efficient enough to transfer solid amounts of energy through my pedal stroke, while still operating sensitively to knocks from the ground.

Components that bring the competition:

SRAM XO1/X1 drivetrain, with 1X11 setup:   Superb shifting. Would prefer a 1X12 setup though. 32 Tooth chain ring was lightweight, and just excellent!

Bontrager Montrose Elite Saddle: Perfect XC padding. Great for long rides. Promotes fast pedalling!

Bontrager Pro OCLV Carbon Seat-post: Light weight for days…

Bontrager Pro Stem: Racing 7-degree angle. Long enough to entice good handling.

Bontrager Race X Lite, OCLV Carbon Handlebar: 5mm rise was easy on the hands.

SRAM Level TLM Brake Set: A mammoth amount of stopping power. Brilliant!

Total Bike Weight: 17.5″ – 10.84 kg  

The Ride – Exclusive!

The Trek Top Fuel 9.8 was so fast, my mates, almost never caught a glimpse of me on it – living up to its legendary name! Exclusive speed was on the cards, simply because of the low down frame geometry; that kept me ploughing energy into my legs. Therefore, inspiring me to go faster and faster!

Digging deeper into the geometry; the head-tube angle was a prominent 70-degrees, while the seat-tube angle tended towards a slacker type of 68.5-degrees. Both angles, allowed for a riding position that was centred, and that promoted quick reflexes over the handlebars.

Trek based the Top Fuel’s geometry and design, on the fact that being stable, means you can faster. The unique contribution of Bontrager’s Kovee Pro offset rims, aimed for a frame that was completely in line with the wheels. The benefits are entirely noticeable; better climbing being the most prominent. I could shift my body’s centre of mass, as I needed to get traction on the back wheel, without a squabble.

Marathon!   

The marathon characteristic of the Top Fuel 9.8, revealed itself through the bike’s weight on downhills. I felt energetic, when I swung the bike through corners. This was truly a revelation of the bike’s ability to save energy through its light-weight, by allowing my arms to rest. I could simply let the bike flow, and not have to dig in deep to steer.

When those steep technical sections of the track came into sight, we had the energy to push on. This was where the frame’s ability to get me balanced and its aspect of good handling, overlapped. I felt confident to manoeuvre the Top Fuel in-between rocks and roots, and since the geometry encouraged fast pedalling, I was able to power across those technicalities.

The Top Fuel 9.8’s capability to keep my energy levels up, throughout the race track, makes the bike my personal favourite and prime choice for any XC/Marathon race. Plus, it’s really good at making you enjoy dicing your friends uphill!

Definitely a 9 out of 10-star bike!

RRP – R 84 999.00

Trek Top Fuel 9.8 SL

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Smart Green Innovations in Industry 4.0 for Climate Change Risk Management pp 441–449 Cite as

Digital Technologies of the Project “Moscow ‘Smart City—2030’”: The Transport Sector

• Aleksandr A. Matenkov   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3831-1245 3 ,
• Ruslan I. Grin   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4343-9219 3 ,
• Markha K. Muzaeva   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0843-5685 3 &
• Dali A. Tsuraeva   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2445-6729 3  
• First Online: 17 May 2023

424 Accesses

Part of the book series: Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes ((EFEPP))

The research deals with the priority areas of digitalization in the transport sector in interpreting the strategy “Moscow ‘Smart City—2030’.” The research aims to study the priority areas of digitalization of transport flows of the metropolis and the potential impact of digitalization on the functioning of the territory. By applying the methods of content analysis and the regulatory-legal method in the research, the authors assessed the position of the city authorities on the most sought-after areas of innovation in the transport sector and determined the composition of socio-economic benefits of digitalization of the transport sector. The analysis of statistical indicators of the development of the transport sector of the Moscow urban agglomeration has confirmed the growing need to improve the efficiency of transport infrastructure in the broad sense, including an increase in the level of connectivity of the city districts and the level of sustainability of the transport system. The results show certain disproportions between the priority areas of transport development and the actual needs of the urban infrastructure, as well as the presence of significant legal constraints in implementing uncrewed transport concepts. It is demonstrated that there is a certain consensus between the municipal authorities and the population on the issue of assigning the transport sector among the priorities for implementing digital technology. The specifics of the metropolitan area (high concentration of capital and innovation activity) allow for considering Moscow as a model example of the introduction of innovative technologies. In this regard, it is necessary to optimize the legal restrictions on the introduction of innovations in the field of transport (on the model of a legal sandbox, Regulatory Sandbox).

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Government of the Russian Federation (2022) Decree “On approval of the strategy of spatial development of the Russian Federation until 2025” (13 Feb 2019 No. 207-r, as amended on 30 Sep 2022). Moscow, Russia. Retrieved from https://docs.cntd.ru/document/552378463 . Accessed 10 Dec 2022

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Safronchuk MV, Sergeeva MV (2021) The concept of economic growth through digital economy perspective. In: Popkova EG, Sergi BS (eds) Modern global economic system: evolutionary development vs. revolutionary leap. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 1264–1271. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69415-9_138

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Matenkov, A.A., Grin, R.I., Muzaeva, M.K., Tsuraeva, D.A. (2023). Digital Technologies of the Project “Moscow ‘Smart City—2030’”: The Transport Sector. In: Popkova, E.G. (eds) Smart Green Innovations in Industry 4.0 for Climate Change Risk Management. Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28457-1_45

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• Top Fuel 9.8 SL

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Trek Top Fuel 9

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Colour / Viper Red

Size / 15.5" (27.5" wheels); 17.5, 18.5, 19.5, 21.5" (29" wheels)

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminum, ABP, Full Floater, EVO link, E2 tapered head tube, Mino Link, MicroTruss, internal derailleur & dropper post routing, down tube guard, PF92, Boost148 & G2 Geometry on 29ers, 100mm travel
• Wheels Bontrager Mustang Pro, Tubeless Ready, Boost110 front, Boost148 rear (15.5: 142x12 rear)
• Wheel Size 29" 27.5"
• Tires Bontrager XR1 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, 120 tpi, aramid bead, 29x2.20" (15.5: 27.5x2.20")
• Crank SRAM X1 1200, 32T Direct Mount X-Sync
• Rear Derailleur SRAM X1, Roller Bearing Clutch
• Shifters SRAM X1, 11 speed
• Brakeset SRAM Level TLM hydraulic disc
• Handlebar Bontrager Race Lite, 31.8mm, 5mm rise
• Saddle Bontrager Montrose Elite, hollow titanium rails
• Seatpost Bontrager Rhythm Elite, 2-bolt head, 31.6mm, zero offset
• Stem Bontrager Pro, 31.8mm, 7 degree, Blendr compatible
• Headset Integrated, cartridge bearing, sealed, 1-1/8" top, 1.5" bottom

Q: What size wheels does the 2017 Trek Top Fuel 9 have?

The 2017 Trek Top Fuel 9 has 29" and 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2017 Trek Top Fuel 9 should I get?

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