trek top fuel 8 carbon

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

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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 2022: first ride review

• Danny Milner
• October 7, 2021

Trek Top Fuel 8 morphs from marathon racer to short travel trail ripper, but is there a high-octane ride beneath run-of-the-mill looks?

Trek's Top Fuel 8 offers a high-octane ride Credit: Roo Fowler

Product Overview

Trek top fuel 8.

• Sublime suspension, playful handling, fantastic size range, internal storage
• Not particularly light for the intended use, inconsistent Shimano brakes on our test bike

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

New Trek Top Fuel 8 is a short travel – 120mm travel front and rear – down-country trail bike with internal frame storage for both alloy and carbon models.

The Top Fuel has been a bit of a forgotten model in Trek’s range in recent years. Originally conceived as an XC race bike, it slowly morphed into a marathon bike around 2019, right about when mainstream XC race bikes became mainstream enough, and capable enough to go marathon racing on (see Trek’s Olympic and World Cup winning Supercaliber). Which made the Top Fuel kind of redundant.

Trek Top Fuel need to know

• 29in wheels on most frame sizes, but the XS gets 27.5in wheels
• 10  bike range starts at £2,600 and rises to £11,100
• Six frame sizes available

Trek’s Top Fuel 8 gets new sizing. This is the M/L where there are two sizes below and three sizes above.

Understated, verging on vanilla, there’s nothing aesthetically that’ll make a passing rider rubberneck Trek’s new Top Fuel, but to write off this new short travel ripper at first sight is to make a big mistake. In fact the Top Fuel is the two-wheeled equivalent of a Q car (sleeper to our friends across the pond) – the kind of unassuming, run-of-the-mill executive saloon that flies under the radar, but packs a knock-out punch under the bonnet. The kind of car you use to rob a bank, in other words. But before I elaborate on this bike’s unexpected pace, let’s take a look at what’s new for 2022.

So now the Top Fuel slides sideways for 2022, aiming to slot into the best down-country mountain bikes shortlists. But whatever you call it, it’s trying to balance pedal efficiency with downhill capability in a package that’s more about fun than finishing first.

RockShox Sid fork up front on the Trek Top Fuel 8 boasts 120mm of travel

Backing up this role change is a raft of small but significant revisions to the Top Fuel. Firstly the geometry has seen a wholesale shift towards a better all-round balance between climbing and descending. The head angle has been slackened by 1.5º to 66º (the Mino link lets you steepen it back by 0.5º), and the reach has grown by up to 15mm depending on the frame size. Talking of which, there are now six, yes six, different frame sizes available, from S right up to XXL, making this one of the most comprehensive size ranges on the market. Trek has also steepened both the actual and effective seat tube angles to improve weight distribution for climbing, and it has increased rear wheel travel by 5mm to 120mm.

Trek Top Fuel’s Mino Link moves from the rocker link to the lower shock mount

Geometry adjustment has been a feature on Trek’s bikes for a while now, but for 2022 the Top Fuel’s Mino Link has moved from the rocker link (other Trek’s use locate it in the upper seatstay pivot) to the lower shock mount. The reason for this is that Trek has moved to a Trunnion Mount shock for 2022 – it’s no longer upside down – reducing room at the rocker link. In its new position, the Mino Link is still easy to access and still gives you a head/seat angle change of 0.5º and a BB height variation of 5mm (the reach will also grow very slightly if you put the bike in the high/steep position).

Trek Top Fuel gets the Knock Block steering limiter, but turning radius is now widened to 72º

Moving along, the Knock Block steering limiter has been made slightly less limiting. Previous models used a 58º radius, now that’s been upped to 72º, but the system retains its compatibility with standard stems and there’s clearance for the forks crowns, so it’s more about protecting the top tube from controls if you run a super racy cockpit. Trek has also made the move to a larger diameter 34.9mm dropper post in order to ensure better stiffness and a smoother action with modern long drop posts (some models come with a 200mm dropper on the largest frame sizes).

Trek Top Fuel gets internal frame storage even on the alloy frames

Perhaps the biggest news, however, is that Trek has found a way to incorporate its down tube storage system on the alloy models as well as the carbon ones. Not without some engineering head scratching, due to the difficulty of reinforcing specific areas of an alloy frame, this is a bit of a coup for Trek, since Specialized still doesn’t have SWAT on its alloy bikes. Included with the bike is a bottle cage and a neoprene pencil case inside the frame that can be used to hold your tools and a tube without them rattling around. And while we’re on the subject of rider-friendly features, the BB is now a threaded unit, and the carbon frames get tube-in-tube internal cable routing.

Trek Top Fuel retains ABP for improved suspension under braking

As the most lavishly specced alloy bike in the range, this Top Fuel 8 won’t set any pulses racing with its mix of Shimano XT, SLX and Deore components. However, it’s a functional collection of parts with the multi-release XT shifter being a standout selection, offering precise shifts and a nice rubber pad for thumb traction. The four-piston Shimano M6000 series brakes on our test bike were badly in need of a decent bleed, but offered plenty of power once we’d adjusted to their inconsistent bite point.

And while we’re moaning, we may as well raise the remote for the TranzX dropper post – slippery and difficult to position for ergonomic access, we’d be tempted to upgrade it with something from OneUp, Wolf Tooth or PNW.

Trek Top Fuel 8 2022 gets internal frame storage and RockShox suspension for £3,750

How it rides

Trek has done a clever thing with the Top Fuel. Glance through the spec and you’ll see that there are basically two different shocks used across the entire range depending on whether it runs a RockShox fork or a Fox Fork. That means that the top of the line, XX1 AXS-equipped model at £11,100 will have exactly the same suspension characteristics as the £3,750 model I’m testing here. It’s levelling up in the truest sense, bringing the performance of the best models to the most affordable bikes in the range. And it also means Trek will have dialled the shock tune, since it has only had to do it for two different shocks, and not just the top model then hoped that the ride wasn’t too compromised with a lower-priced unit and a different damper bolted in. So you get a top spec RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RCT shock on this Top Fuel 8 with a pedal platform and three different low-speed compression settings for the open mode.

The 2022 Top Fuel rails turns and loves fast, flowing singletrack

Up front there’s a RockShox SID fork with 35mm upper tubes and a basic Rush RL damper. Adjustments include a sweeping compression lever that gives you open through to locked modes and rebound via the pull-out knob at the base of the right leg.

I set the Top Fuel up with 25% sag at the rear and a firm 87psi in the fork (I weigh 76kg). The shock I ran in the most open of the three settings.

With a low top tube, you can really hunker down and shred turns on the Trek Top Fuel

On the first climb out of the car park it was immediately noticeable how much softer and more comfortable the Top Fuel was than another 120mm travel, RockShox SID-equipped bike I’d ridden the week before. There’s more chassis movement both front and rear, so some energy is lost in the suspension, but it wasn’t so much that I instantly reached down for the pedal platform lever. Aboard the M/L size, the Top Fuel felt compact but not cramped, with a decent seated position over the BB. If you like a long bike and are of average height, definitely look at sizing up to the L frame, which has a 480mm reach, 15mm longer than the bike I rode.

Get out of the saddle in bottom gear to claw up a steep bank and the suspension really extends, which sounds bad, or weird, but actually feels spot on, because it lets the back wheel seems to dig into the dirt rather than spin when traction and power are poised on a knife edge. Bear in mind, as well, that I ran the bike in the most open setting, so changing the low-speed compression in the open mode, or making more use of the pedal platform, will produce a much firmer, sharper response.

But despite its meagre 120mm of travel, the new Trek Top Fuel can be rallied harder than the numbers suggest

My decision to set the Trek Top Fuel 8 up as open as possible was immediately rewarded on the first descent. The grip it generates is impressive, tracing every little contour of the trail with a hyperactive response. It’s incredibly supple, yet it also displayed a spooky ability to gain speed and accelerate just by loading up the suspension through dips and unweighing over crests. There’s a perfect amount of progression, giving up full travel, but never too frequently.

Being on the small side, my M/L Trek Top Fuel 8 was blessed with ridiculous agility. I could sling it into a series of direction changes and without emerging tied in knots, despite its very un-down-country-like 14.46kg weight. It was easy to set up for tight turns and contort through gaps, but the poise of the suspension let me hold it wide open on faster, more open sections. Equally the chassis and wheels seemed to have just the right amount of deflection to increase control in the rough and on off-camber sections without ever feeling like it was disconnected from my inputs.

Not as sharp or ruthlessly efficient as a YT Izzo, softer and more approachable than a Transition Spur, this new Trek Top Fuel brings high-octane entertainment and understated performance to the type of trails most widely ridden in the UK. Even if the looks might not leave a lasting impression, it’s unforgettable to ride. 

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Tested: Trek Top Fuel

Don't call it a race bike. Trek's new Top Fuel is for railing steep fast decents with no course tape in sight.

Takeaway: Trek’s latest edition of the Top Fuel moves from being a big cross country racer and becomes a short travel trail bike. With new longer and slacker geometry, plus 5mm of extra travel, it aims to give riders the efficiency they want for long days while still enabling them to ride more technical trails with confidence.

• Fully guided internal routing in the front triangle plus a 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket simplifies maintenance for both professional and home mechanics.
• The new Top Fuel has clearance for 2.5” tires; which makes perfect sense as even XC racers are now running 2.4” tires as standard.
• The downtube storage compartment is now featured on all Top Fuel models, including the alloy versions. It’s a great feature that often gets nixed on lower priced frame models.

Price: $11,500 Weight: 26.8lbs (size XL) Style: Full suspension 120mm trail bike Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon, internal storage, tapered head tube, Knock Block 2.0, internal guided routing, downtube guard, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ABP, Boost148, 120mm travel Wheel Size: 29” Fork: RockShox SID Ultimate, DebonAir spring, Charger Race Day damper, tapered steerer, 44mm offset, Boost110, 15mm Maxle Stealth, 120mm travel Rear Shock: RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT, 185mm x 50mm Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle AXS, wireless, 12-speed Cranks: SRAM XX1 Eagle, DUB, 55mm chainline, 175mm length Chainring: 30 tooth Cassette: SRAM Eagle XG-1299, 10-52T, 12-speed Brakes: SRAM G2 Ultimate hydraulic disc, carbon levers Front Wheel: Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Mountain Carbon, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, Boost110, 15mm thru axle Rear Wheel: Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Mountain Carbon, Tubeless Ready, Rapid Drive 108, 6-bolt, SRAM XD driver, Boost148, 12mm thru-axle Tires: Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120tpi, 29.x2.40'' Saddle: Bontrager Arvada, austenite rails, 138mm width Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS, 170mm travel, wireless, 34.9mm, 480mm length Handlebar / Stem: Bontrager RSL Integrated handlebar/stem, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm handlebar rise, 820mm width, 0 degree stem rise, 45mm stem length

While XC race bikes were becoming longer travel, yet another new category of mountain bikes started to gain traction with riders: down-country. This new breed of bikes combines elements of longer travel all-mountain and trail bikes (such as slack geometry, more powerful brakes, and heavier casing tires) with shorter travel and lighter-weight frames. Essentially, burly XC bikes that you can ride all day, are efficient climbers, and very capable at descending. This is the approach Trek took with the latest Top Fuel.

The new Top Fuel strikes a similar silhouette to the older model, with a vertically mounted shock layout and Trek’s Active Braking Pivot suspension system; which now delivers an extra 5mm of travel in the rear to match the 120mm travel fork. The Top Fuel’s geometry is in line with other bikes in the emerging down-country category, with the headtube angle becoming 1.5 degrees slacker and reach increasing by 10mm as compared to the previous generation of the bike. The Top Fuel now also has clearance for 2.5 inch tires, for those who want to push traction to the limit.

The new Top Fuel edges ever closer into the territory of its longer travel sibling, the Fuel EX. The updated geometry of the Top Fuel actually makes the Fuel EX look a bit dated in comparison. The two bikes have identical headtube angles, with the Top Fuel having a longer reach and a steeper seat angle as well. You can even fit a 130mm fork on the Top Fuel, which would make it slacker than the Fuel Ex. Basically, the Top Fuel is no longer a race oriented bike. It has now morphed into an efficient trail bike for riders that still want solid pedaling performance to get up the climbs, but who want additional speed, confidence, and control on the descents.

Builds & Pricing

There are a total of nine different Top Fuel builds offered by Trek, plus carbon and alloy framesets. The Top Fuel is also available through Trek’s Project One program, allowing riders to customize everything from components to paint.

We got to test the Top Fuel 9.9 XX1 AXS build, which at $11,050 is (depending on your perspective) either a reasonable price for a modern high end bicycle or completely bonkers. With bikes such as Specialized S-Works Epic EVO coming in at a cool $13,000, and the Scott Spark 900 Ultimate EVO AXS at $14,000, the Top Fuel 9.9 almost seems price conscious.

The cheapest Top Fuel model, the alloy framed Top Fuel 5, features a RockShox Recon fork, X-Fusion X-Pro2 shock, and a Shimano Deore drivetrain at $2,630. The Top Fuel 7 has a Recon Gold fork with a mix of Shimano SLX and XT parts, plus Bontrager Line Comp wheels for $3,530. The Top Fuel 8 is the priciest alloy build at $3,830, with a RockShox SID fork and Deluxe Ultimate shock plus more powerful Shimano M6120 four-piston brakes.

The Top Fuel 9.7 is the most affordable of the carbon builds at $4,230. It uses Fox Rhythm 34 fork with a Float DPS shock and is finished with a mix of Shimano SLX and XT, plus Bontrager Line wheels. The Top Fuel 9.8 has three different versions based on your component preferences. You can go mechanical with SRAM GX or Shimano XT for $7,050 or upgrade to GX AXS for $7,550. All three use RockShox SID Select+ forks and Deluxe Ultimate RCT shocks, along with Bontrager Line Elite 30 wheels. Moving to the top of the price range, for $9,550Trek offers the Top Fuel 9.9 XTR build for Shimano and Fox lovers. It uses Fox Factory level suspension, a full mechanical XTR drivetrain, and Bontrager Line Pro 30 wheels. Riders preferring Rockshox Ultimate level suspension and electronic XX1 AXS shifting will need to spend $11,050 to get the most expensive Top Fuel model, the 9.9 XX1 AXS.

If you’d rather build your bike from the frame up, Trek offers alloy and carbon framesets. The Top Fuel AL frame sells for $2,320 with a Fox Float DPS shock. The carbon frame is priced at $3,720 and includes a Fox Factory Float DPS shock.

Geometry & Fit

The new Top Fuel has received the slacker and longer treatment, and as a result, the head tube angle is now a degree and a half slacker at 66º across the entire size range. Reach grows by 10mm while BB height and chainstay length remain the same from the previous generation.

Trek offers seven different sizes of the Top Fuel, including an M/L option for riders often caught between the medium and the large. With a stock stem length of 45mm on all sizes except an XS, our 6’3 tester felt cramped on the size XL and likely would have benefited from sizing up to an XXL. The issue was resolved with a longer stem, but the most expensive 9.9 builds of the Top Fuel Trek use its integrated Bontrager RSL handlebar and stem combo. It’s easy enough to swap out as it thankfully doesn’t run any lines internally, but it still means riders will need to supply both a bar and a stem to make fit adjustments. As always, it’s highly recommended that you get a test ride in at a shop before buying a new bike if possible.

Ride Impressions

The new Top Fuel is very much a short travel trail bike meant for ripping down burly trails. Thanks to a 40mm increase in wheelbase, a slacker head tube angle, and other geometry changes over its previous version, it feels much more planted and composed on rough and fast descents. It’s a bike that wants to hold a line and stay planted on the ground. This worked well in certain situations, like scrubbing speed on a rough bit of trail heading into a turn. Other times it made me have to fight the bike a bit to make quick line adjustments.

To highlight the new trail bike character of the Top Fuel, Trek has made some component choices to suit the bike's new intended purpose. Opting for four-piston SRAM G2 brakes, as well as grippier XR4 tires, for better control on steep descents. The frame is also beefed up with a larger downtube that now includes a storage compartment for snacks or, more likely, flat-fix tools. The seat tube also grows in diameter to increase stiffness and accommodate a larger diameter 34.9mm dropper post. The remote lockout is also gone from the handlebars – which, perhaps more than any other change, makes the Top Fuel's intent as a trail bike crystal clear.

Trek’s ABP suspension design has had many years of refinement and is a genuine four-bar platform, unlike many 120mm bikes that use a flex pivot. In contrast, all the pivot points on the Top Fuel use sealed bearings, resulting in a suspension setup that feels much more active. The design does a good job of isolating braking from the suspension, resulting in less skipping and bouncing when you’re hard on the brakes in a rough section of trail.

The downside of the Top Fuel’s trail bike transformation is that it’s now a bit heavy. Our premium 9.9 XX1 AXS XL sample came in at nearly 27 lbs. This isn’t wildly heavy for a trail bike, but typically you get a bit more suspension travel with that weight penalty. For reference, the Scott Spark I tested earlier this year has the same amount of suspension travel as the Top Fuel but is a full three pounds lighter. Trek does say that the Top Fuel is compatible with a 130mm fork, and I can’t help but think the new Top Fuel would have made a lot more sense with the increased travel straight from the factory.

After having multiple testers on the Top Fuel over the last few weeks, our consensus has been that the Top Fuel would thrive in a place that has a lot of machine built or well maintained, and steep trails. Trails where you can get the Top Fuel moving fast allow the progressive all-mountain geometry to shine and make the bike feel much more capable than its 120mm of travel would suggest.

The new Top Fuel is undoubtedly more capable than its previous version while maintaining much of its pedaling efficiency. Riders with more than a casual interest in racing should probably look at bikes such as the Scott Spark , Canyon Lux Trail , or Specialized Epic EVO . The Top Fuel is perhaps the ideal bike for riders who want a trail, or even all-mountain, bike geometry experience, but don't want the extra weight or need the extra bit of travel.

Trek Top Fuel 9.9 XX1 AXS

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Trek Top Fuel 8

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Weight / M - 13.65 kg / 30.09 lbs (with tubes)

At a glance

Top Fuel 8 fuses the lightweight efficiency of a cross country bike with the capability and forgiveness of a trail bike. It’s quick, nimble, and dishes out serious fun on flow trails and techy descents alike, with a 120mm RockShox fork, 115mm of rear travel, and a dropper post for getting low on the rough stuff. This bike is fully capable of shredding singletrack, racing grueling endurance events, and even holds its own on the XC course.

Where To Buy

"Racing blood, trail spirit"

"It's devilishly quick, accelerates in a way that makes it seem like my legs actually produce real power. It's stable, planted, and it tracks like it's supposed to. Endurance athletes will be able to remain seated over more terrain, saving precious energy over the long haul, while XC pinners will hook up better on steep technical climbs."

"Super light and fast as hell"

"The new Top Fuel might not be a pure XC-race bike anymore, but it's still precise and very fast. Its new trail orientation makes it a great choice for a rider who wants a fast and light bike with most of the the efficiency of a cross-country race bike, but with bit more versatility and playfulness."

"A little more travel, a lot more aggressive"

"Top Fuel is damn efficient heading up, but when you hit a downhill the bike rides much more like a lightweight trail bike than a purebred XC race machine, and has no hesitation getting a little rowdy if you're willing to let it."

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminum, tapered head tube, Knock Block, Control Freak internal routing, downtube guard, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ABP, Boost148, 115mm travel
• Fork RockShox Recon Gold RL, Solo Air spring, Motion Control damper, TwistLoc remote, tapered steerer, 46mm offset, Boost110, 15mm Maxle Stealth, 120mm travel
• Shock Fox Performance Float, 2-position DPS damper, Bontrager DropLock remote, 190x45mm
• Wheels Front: Bontrager Kovee Comp 23, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, Boost110, 15mm thru axle Rear: Bontrager Kovee Comp 23, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, Shimano 8/9/10 freehub, Boost148, 12mm thru axle
• Chain SRAM NX Eagle, 12 speed
• Crank Size: S SRAM NX Eagle, DUB, 32T steel ring, Boost, 170mm length Size: M, M/L, L, XL, XXL SRAM NX Eagle, DUB, 32T steel ring, Boost, 175mm length
• Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB, 92mm, PressFit
• Rear Derailleur SRAM NX Eagle
• Shifters SRAM NX Eagle, 12 speed
• Brakeset Shimano hydraulic disc, MT501 lever, MT500 caliper
• Handlebar Bontrager Comp, alloy, 31.8mm, 15mm rise, 750mm width
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, steel rails, 138mm width
• Seatpost Size: S Bontrager Line Dropper, 100mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 345mm length Size: M, M/L, L, XL, XXL Bontrager Line Dropper, 150mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 440mm length
• Stem Size: S, M, M/L Size: L, XL, XXL
• Headset Knock Block Integrated, cartridge bearing, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

Q: How much is a 2020 Trek Top Fuel 8?

A 2020 Trek Top Fuel 8 is typically priced around $3,300 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: Where to buy a 2020 Trek Top Fuel 8?

The 2020 Trek Top Fuel 8 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2020 Trek Top Fuel 8 weigh?

A 2020 Trek Top Fuel 8 weights M - 13.65 kg / 30.09 lbs (with tubes).

Q: What size 2020 Trek Top Fuel 8 should I get?

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2022 Trek Top Fuel Review | All-new frame & geometry, with a whole new attitude

The not-so-minor details, 2022 trek top fuel 9.8 xt.

https://www.trekbikes.com/

- Brilliant trail-ripping geometry - Active and supportive suspension - Masses of cornering grip & stability - Refined and practical frame design - Downtube storage is a welcome addition

- Dropper post is sluggish - Wheels are solid but quite heavy - Carbon bars are harsh - Heavier than many of its competitors

Flow reviews the 2022 Trek Top Fuel

The Trek Top Fuel has long been known as the American brand’s flagship full suspension XC race bike, purpose-built to to compete at the very highest level of the sport. In more recent years however, the Top Fuel has steered in a different direction. With the short-travel Supercaliber taking over duties for World Cup XCO racing, Trek has softened the Top Fuel’s serious, race-focused persona, adding travel and bulking it up in the process.

For 2022, the Trek Top Fuel makes its biggest move away from its XC racing roots. Equipped with a brand new frame, an updated suspension design and some thoroughly modern geometry, the Top Fuel aims to retain the pert pedalling performance of its predecessor while significantly boosting its all-round capability. So, has Trek succeeded?

Watch our video review of the new Trek Top Fuel here:

Along with the active ABP suspension design and chunky tyres, there’s an exceptional amount of grip and support on offer for a 120mm travel bike.

Trek Top Fuel overview

Despite being all-new, the Trek Top Fuel retains its position in between the Supercaliber (the 60mm travel XC race bike) and the Fuel EX (the 130mm travel trail bike).

It’s equipped with a 120mm travel fork just like its predecessor, but rear travel has actually lifted by 5mm up to 120mm. This increase has been achieved with a longer stroke shock (50mm vs 45mm), and Trek has also flipped the orientation of the trunnion-mount. The rocker link now drives the shock via two sealed cartridge bearings to improve sensitivity.

You’ll no longer find a dual remote lockout on the Top Fuel, which leads to a vastly cleaner bike with fewer cables occupying your view from the cockpit. Along with the bigger shock, slacker geometry and 2.4in wide tyres, it is without doubt the most trail-oriented Top Fuel we’ve seen yet.

To put it into context, that sees it move away from the likes of the Orbea Oiz TR and the Canyon Lux Trail , and more towards the direction of the Santa Cruz Tallboy and Pivot Trail 429 .

A new, burlier chassis

Though it looks pretty similar, the Trek Top Fuel frame is all-new for 2022. It’s not so much a radical overhaul, but rather a collection of many small refinements that add up to a more practical package.

The chassis is notably beefier than its predecessor, with the seat tube diameter swelling to the new-school 34.9mm size. As well as increasing frame stiffness, the fatter seat tube is also shorter, allowing it to swallow a modern long-stroke dropper post.

The downtube is also larger, and it now features the integrated storage design we’ve seen employed on the latest Fuel EX and Slash. A latch underneath the bottle cage removes the trap door, providing you access within. A neat tool roll is included with the bike so you can carry a spare tube, levers and CO2. You could also fit a lightweight jacket in there along with some snacks.

Trek has updated the Knock Block headset, increasing the available turning radius from 58° to 72°. This provides you with greater freedom of movement on the trail, but still prevents the handlebar controls from smashing into the top tube. If you’re not into it though, the Knock Block is removable.

Also nice to see is a threaded bottom bracket shell for ease of maintenance, and the rear ABP pivot can now be tightened with a cassette tool. Also new for the Top Fuel is guided internal cable routing – poke the cable in at one end, and it’ll pop out the other, no fishing required.

Trail-leaning geometry

The 2022 Trek Top Fuel has received a series of geometry updates over the outgoing model, bringing it up to speed with other boundary-pushers in this travel bracket. Here are the key numbers;

• Head tube angle: 66°
• Seat tube angle: 76°
• Reach: 420mm (S), 450mm (M), 465mm (M/L), 480mm (L), 500mm (XL)
• Rear centre length: 435mm
• BB drop: 36mm

Compared to the old Top Fuel, the head angle has kicked back by 1.5-degrees and the reach measurements have gone up by 10mm. The seat tube angle has also steepened by 1-degree to improve the climbing position, while the chainstay length and BB drop remain the same.

The Top Fuel still features a Mino Link, but it’s now located at the lower shock eyelet. Bikes will come setup from the factory in the Low position. Flipping that into High will lift the BB height by 7mm and steepen the angles by 0.4°.

You can get even rowdier by fitting a 130mm travel fork, which will kick the head angle back to a very-slack 65.6° in the Low position. And for those wanting to push the needle further, there’s clearance to run 2.5in tyres.

Trek Top Fuel price & specs

We’ll see four Trek Top Fuel models coming into Australia this year – two with alloy frames and two with carbon. All Top Fuel models feature the same geometry, suspension design and travel. They’re all equipped with 29in wheels, and there are five frame sizes available from Small through to X-Large (the XS size with 27.5in wheels won’t be available in Australia).

Pricing kicks off at $3,499 AUD for the Top Fuel 5 and goes up to $8,299 AUD for the Top Fuel 9.8 XT that we have on test here. Additionally, Trek will offer a 9.9 spec via the Project One bike builder program.

You can check out the specs and prices for all those models down at the bottom of the page. Right now we’ll be diving straight into our experience of testing this bike here; the Top Fuel 9.8 XT.

• Frame | OCLV Mountain Carbon Fibre, ABP Suspension Design, 120mm Travel
• Fork | RockShox SID Select+, Charger 2 RL Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Elite 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Tyres | Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 2.4in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain | Shimano XT 1×12 w/XT 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano XT 4-Piston w/Ice Tech Rotors
• Bar | Bontrager Line Pro, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, Width: 750mm (S), 780mm (M-XL)
• Stem | Bontrager Line Pro, 45mm Length
• Seatpost | Bontrager Line Elite Dropper, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL)
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada, Austentite Rails
• Confirmed Weight | 12.88kg (Large, Tubeless)
• RRP | $8,299 AUD

This differs from some other brands that utilise a single frame, and simply up-fork and up-shock it to create a slightly longer travel bike (like the Specialized Epic EVO and Orbea Oiz TR). The Top Fuel is not one of those bikes.

Trek Top Fuel sizing & fit

We put the new Trek Top Fuel into the hands of our tester Ben, who owns the current Top Fuel and has also spent considerable time on the Fuel EX. At 181cm tall, Ben’s been riding a size Large across all three bikes.

The Top Fuel is well-proportioned out of the box. The 480mm reach is very long, but it’s balanced nicely with a 50mm stem and the 76° seat tube angle. The Bontrager saddle is totally inoffensive, and we haven’t needed to shunt it into an extreme position just to get it comfortable.

The 760mm wide riser bars are a great match for this bike, and while it may not be totally necessary for all riders, the 170mm stroke dropper post is fashionably long for such a short travel bike.

Suspension & tyre setup

With the anodised sag gradients on the fork and shock, suspension setup is made easy. Weighing 80kg loaded up, Ben’s been running 180psi in the rear shock (26% sag) 80psi in the fork (20% sag).

The factory rebound tune for both the RockShox SID fork and Deluxe shock is quite light, so each rebound dial was set a couple of clicks slower than halfway.

Tubeless rim strips and valves come pre-fitted to the Bontrager wheels, and Trek kindly includes two bottles of sealant with the bike, making tubeless setup the breeze it should be. Pressures were set at 20psi on the front and 22psi on the rear.

Trek Top Fuel weight

Given its swollen proportions, the new Trek Top Fuel has gotten heavier. With the tyres setup tubeless, our test bike came in at 12.88kg without pedals. To put that number into perspective, here’s how it compares to some similarly-priced XC and Trail bikes we’ve recently tested;

• Canyon Lux Trail CF 9 – 11.22kg
• Merida Ninety-Six 8000 – 11.63kg
• Scott Spark 910 – 12.43kg
• Specialized Stumpjumper Pro – 12.84kg
• Trek Top Fuel 9.8 XT – 12.88kg
• Giant Trance Advamced Pro 29 1 – 13.38kg

Trek claims a carbon Top Fuel frame weighs 2.7kg including the rear shock, which puts it on the heavier side of things for a 120mm travel bike. The alloy frame is purportedly a whole kilo heavier again, with a claimed weight of 3.74kg.

The Top Fuel’s rolling stock is also a significant contributor to its overall mass. The Bontrager Line Elite wheels are heavy at 2,071g for the pair (with tubeless strips and valves). Incidentally, these are exactly the same wheels that came on the Slash 9.9 X01 , which is a full-bore enduro race bike.

Trek has also plumped up the rubber. The previous Top Fuel featured semi-slick XR3 tyres, but the new bike is now spec’d with 2.4in wide XR4 Team Issue tyres. They’re not overly heavy at around 800g each, though they do offer significantly better grip across a broader range of conditions.

What does the Trek Top Fuel do well?

From the very first ride the new Trek Top Fuel proved to be easy to get used to, with no quirks to the fit, handling or suspension.

The proportions are significantly broader compared to the outgoing Top Fuel, with the front wheel sticking out much further ahead of the rider. Despite the long reach however, the effective top tube length is basically identical to its predecessor, so the overall cockpit length remains the same.

The steeper seat angle is noticeable though, providing an improved climbing position with your hips placed further over the bottom bracket. As a result, less bum-shuffling is required on stem-chewing ascents.

Pedalling performance is also superb. Despite its burlier exterior, Trek is still prioritising pedal efficiency with the Top Fuel, with the main pivot positioned high and quite far forward of the bottom bracket. Anti-squat is claimed to hover around the 100% mark, and indeed the rear suspension clenches tightly under chain torque, propelling the whole bike forward with minimal energy loss.

Active suspension performance

Despite the trunnion bearing mount and the longer shock stroke, the rear suspension doesn’t feel radically plusher than its predecessor, which already offered great performance. It is noticeably more supportive though, particularly when absorbing square-edge hits at speed, and when returning to earth after boosting off a lip on the trail.

It’s worth noting here that many bikes in the 100-130mm travel bracket make use of a carbon flex-stay design, including the Canyon Lux Trail, Merida Ninety-Six, and Specialized Stumpjumper. As well as being simpler, flex-stay designs are typically lighter too.

In comparison, the Top Fuel sticks with a genuine four-bar platform based around the ABP suspension design. Trek claims the ABP pivot helps to isolate braking forces from the suspension, and indeed it does result in less skipping and skidding when you’re on the brakes on loose, rocky descents.

With all the pivot points rolling on steel ball bearings, the suspension is more active and possesses a more consistent feel to both compression and rebound damping when compared to a flex-stay design. Yes it’s heavier, but the Top Fuel offers notably more active suspension performance, with excellent traction on loose climbs and better reactivity across chattery rock gardens. It’s very impressive for a 120mm travel bike.

Look out Fuel EX!

The geometry is also brilliant, and the handling really sets it apart from the outgoing Top Fuel.

Cornering performance has improved, with more grip courtesy of the longer front end and those XR4 tyres. These are great all-rounders, with a supple casing and surprisingly decent rolling speed given their size and tread pattern.

The new Top Fuel is also much more composed on rough and fast descents. Thanks to the longer reach and slacker head angle, the overall wheelbase length has grown by almost 40mm. That’s huge, and it offers a vastly more planted feel at speed. Along with the big tyres and active suspension, this really is a solid little trail bike.

In fact, the geometry updates kind of make the Fuel EX look a little outdated. The two bikes now share the same head angle, and the Top Fuel has a 10mm longer reach and a steeper seat angle. The front end is quite a bit higher on the Fuel EX though, and that does inspire more confidence on really steep descents.

As mentioned earlier though, it’s possible to fit a 130mm fork to the Top Fuel, which would lift the front end and actually make it slacker than the Fuel EX. Indeed there’s now quite a bit of overlap between the two platforms, leaving us to ponder what could be in store for the next generation Fuel EX.

What does it struggle with?

You’ve likely gathered that the new Trek Top Fuel is more of a muscly trail ripper than a spindly XC featherweight. While it may carry over the name, it’s evolved into quite a different bike compared to its racier ancestors.

The lack of a remote lockout results in a much cleaner cockpit, and we like how it signals the Top Fuel’s commitment to its trail riding intentions. However, it may disappoint those riders and racers who prefer having an instantaneous sprint button at their fingertips.

Indeed with all the updates, and the fact that the new Top Fuel has double the travel of the Supercaliber, there is now an even bigger gap between these two bikes. Riders who are still interested in some part-time XC racing, but aren’t sold on the Supercaliber’s sharp geometry and proprietary IsoStrut suspension design, may be turned off by the Top Fuel’s new attitude.

Of course you could easily inject some speed with some lighter and faster-rolling tyres, like Bontrager’s XR2. There’s also around half a kilo to be saved in the wheelset, which would make a significant difference to the Top Fuel’s acceleration and climbing enthusiasm.

You could also flip the Mino Link into the High position to steepen the angles. In that guise, with lighter wheels and faster tyres, the Top Fuel would make for a comfortable and confidence-inspiring option for those wanting to sign up for the odd endurance race or multi-day event. If you’re serious about your XC racing though, this is not the bike for you – you’ll be wanting to look at the stupendously efficient Supercaliber for such endeavours.

Component highs & lows

The 2022 Trek Fuel 9.8 XT is a solid package out of the box, especially when you consider it comes in $1,600 cheaper than the 2021 model. And that’s with a pretty much identical build kit. How has a new bike gotten cheaper in the midst of a global pandemic and industry-wide component shortages? Heck knows!

There’s not a lot to be said about the Shimano XT groupset – it works, it’s solid, and it’s easy to tune. The I-Spec mounts offer plenty of adjustability for getting the brake and shift levers into the right spot, and the integrated dropper lever is a nice touch too.

The RockShox suspension isn’t quite as sensitive as the Fox equivalent, particularly the SID Select+ fork, which felt a little stickier than we expected. Otherwise the fork and shock perform well, and the ease of setup is great.

The Bontrager dropper post works fine, but the action is sluggish compared to some of its competitors. And while the carbon handlebars offer a nice profile, having spent a lot of time on OneUp handlebars lately, the Bontrager Line Pro feels considerably harsher in comparison.

We’ve had excellent long-term experience with Bontrager’s latest Line Pro & Line Elite carbon wheels , which feature thick carbon beads that are designed to increase impact strength while also reducing the chance of pinch-flats. They’re totally solid and come with an excellent crash-replacement guarantee, while the buzzy 108pt engagement freehub delivers rapid pickup at the pedals. As mentioned earlier though, they are heavy, providing an opportunity to drop significant weight with a wheel upgrade.

Otherwise we’ve been impressed with the frame finish so far. The Mino Link is simple and effective, the Knock Block is totally unnoticeable on the trail, and we’re big fans of the built-in storage from the Burrito Box. Or is it the Kebab Cave? Maybe a Sausage Roll Hole? Sushi Shaft? Cannoli Cavity? Hot Dog Hollow? Spring Roll Room?

Alright, alright! We’ll show ourselves the door…the door that leads into the Spring Roll Room – ha!

Flow’s Verdict

Tying together a whole suite of updates to the frame and suspension design, there are no doubts that the new Trek Top Fuel is a more capable bike than its predecessor. It’s still very efficient, but having adopted a more progressive approach to its geometry, it delivers a significant improvement in stability. Along with the active ABP suspension design and chunky tyres, there’s an exceptional amount of grip and support on offer for a 120mm travel bike.

With all those changes, the Top Fuel moves even further away from the Supercaliber. And for some riders, that gap will be a little too wide.

Trek seems happy to have a clear delineation between the two platforms though. This differs from some other brands that utilise a single frame, and simply up-fork and up-shock it to create a slightly longer travel bike (like the Specialized Epic EVO and Orbea Oiz TR). The Top Fuel is not one of those bikes.

Instead of being a long-legged Supercaliber, it’s really a shrunken-down Fuel EX, albeit one with more contemporary geometry. And having ridden both bikes, unless you really need the extra travel of the Fuel EX, this is arguably the better option.

Sure it may have put off the weight-weenies and lockout-lovers, but there’s no denying that the Top Fuel has broadened its appeal to an even wider range of riders, and we reckon it’s more fun as a result.

2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.9 XTR

• Fork | Fox 34 Step-Cast, Factory Series, FIT4 Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float DPS, Factory Series, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Drivetrain | Shimano XTR 1×12 w/e*thirteen TRS Race Carbon 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano XTR Race 2-Piston w/Ice Tech Rotors
• Bar | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
• Stem | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, Length: 35mm (S), 45mm (M-XL)
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada Pro, Carbon Rails
• RRP | $14,199 AUD

2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.7

• Fork | Fox Rhythm 34, GRIP Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float DPS, Performance Series, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Comp 30, Alloy Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Drivetrain | Shimano SLX/XT 1×12 w/Deore 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano SLX 4-Piston
• Bar | Bontrager Line, 27.5mm Rise, Width: 750mm (S), 780mm (M-XL)
• Stem | Bontrager Elite, 45mm Length
• Seatpost | TranzX Dropper, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL)
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada, Steel Rails
• RRP | $6,299 AUD

2022 Trek Top Fuel 8

• Frame | Alpha Platinum Alloy, ABP Suspension Design, 120mm Travel
• Fork | RockShox SID, Rush RL Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Brakes | Shimano Deore 4-Piston
• RRP | $5,299 AUD

2022 Trek Top Fuel 5

• Fork | RockShox 35 Silver RL, Motion Control Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | X-Fusion Pro 2, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Alloy Hubs & Alex MD35 Rims
• Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 1×12 w/Deore 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano MT200 2-Piston
• Bar | Bontrager Comp, 15mm Rise, 750mm Width
• Stem | Bontrager Rhythm Comp, 50mm Length
• Seatpost | TranzX Dropper, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L-XL)
• RRP | $3,499 AUD
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2023 Trek Top Fuel 8 Review

Looking for a mountain bike that is great on the trails? Do you want something that offers exceptional performance, durability, and quality? Then you should check out the 2023 Trek Top Fuel 8!

The Top Fuel series from Trek has been a long-standing favorite amongst mountain bike enthusiasts around the world.

It’s known for its lightweight frame design and robust capabilities on technical terrain, steep climbs, and fast descents. In 2023, the Trek Top Fuel 8 was released with some new features.

Compared to its predecessors, the 2023 Trek Top Fuel 8 comes with several significant upgrades such as updated suspension technology, a more agile geometry, lighter wheels and tires, etc.

These advancements aim to enhance your overall riding experience by providing a smoother ride while still being able to handle challenging terrains with ease.

If you’re considering buying this bike or just want to learn more about it before making your purchase decision – then read further as we take an in-depth look into this amazing machine!

The 2023 Trek Top Fuel 8 is a highly anticipated release in the mountain bike community. With its sleek design and advanced features, this bike promises to be a game-changer for riders of all skill levels.

But does it live up to the hype? Let’s take a closer look with this review.

The 2023 Trek Top Fuel 8 is the ultimate cross-country mountain bike that combines speed, stability, and performance.

This bike is built with advanced technology and durable components that enhance your riding experience like never before.

– Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame provides exceptional strength and durability.

– RockShox SID featuring DebonAir spring, Rush RL damper, lockout, and 120mm of travel provides a smooth ride on any terrain.

– RockShox Deluxe Ulitmate RCT, 185mm x 50mm of travel to finish off the full suspension monster

– Tubeless-ready Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels wrapped in Bontrager XR4 Team Issue tires provide excellent traction and control while reducing the risk of flats.

– Shimano 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes ensure reliable stopping power in any condition.

– Shimano XT 1×12 drivetrain delivers precise, efficient shifting with a wide gear range.

Design and Features

One of the standout features of the 2023 Trek Top Fuel 8 is its lightweight frame, which is made from Alpha Platinum Aluminum. This material allows for a more comfortable ride without sacrificing durability or strength. 

The bike also comes equipped with a RockShox SID, DebonAir spring front fork and a RockShox Deluxe Ulitmate RCT rear shock, making it easy for riders to customize their experience based on terrain and personal preference.

Performance

On the trail, the Top Fuel 8 performs exceedingly well. The suspension system absorbs bumps and jumps easily, while the lightweight frame allows for nimble maneuverability through technical terrain. 

Its geometry enables riders to remain centered over the bike, giving them additional control over speed and direction.

The components on this bike are top-of-the-line, with a Shimano XT 1×12 drivetrain that provides smooth shifting and consistent performance. 

The 1×12 setup consists of a 30t chainring mounted to a Shimano Deore crankset and paired to a 10-51t cassette. 

The brakes are Shimano 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes that offer reliable stopping power when needed.

Overall, the 2023 Trek Top Fuel 8 is an excellent investment for anyone looking for a high-quality mountain bike that can take on any trail with ease. 

While the price point may be higher than some other models on the market, you get what you pay for in terms of quality and performance.

In conclusion, if you are serious about mountain biking and want one of the best bikes on the market today, then consider investing in a 2023 Trek Top Fuel 8. 

With its lightweight yet durable design, exceptional suspension system, top-of-the-line components, and impeccable performance on any terrain – this bike is sure to impress even experienced riders!

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

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• Rider Notes

2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.8 XT

A 29″ carbon frame full suspension trail bike with high-end components. Compare the full range

Manufacturer Price

Top Fuel 9.8 XT

In Stock: MD/LG & LG

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Based on frame geometry and build specs.

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

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Mar 2022 · Peter Walker

In our big 2022 downcountry group test, we pitted the Trek Top Fuel 9.9 XX1 AXS against 5 of the hottest bikes of the year. Read the full review to find out what it’s capable of and how it stacks up against the competition. Hit the link for the full review and a list with all other bikes in test.

Freedom of movement downhill

Firm and efficient rear suspension generates plenty of traction

Intuitive handling

Practical detail solutions and clean look

Very wide handlebars

Read Review

Mar 2022 · Guy Kesteven

Trek’s Top Fuel delivers superlative short-travel suspension performance but it’s definitely a trail bike not an XC bike

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

Shore Country? Dad Country? No no, this one is "fast trail"

Dec 2021 · Henry Quinney

For a bike that is so capable on the descents, though, the Top Fuel still packs a mighty punch when it comes to gaining elevation..

Great suspension performance

Frame storage

Strong climbing performance

Knockblock isn't as well executed as other brand's versions

Works well when pushing hard, but might not be the most comfortable for all

Oct 2021 · Ryan "Squirrel" LaBar

Adding fire to the Fuel

Oct 2021 · Danny Milner

New Trek Top Fuel 8 is a short travel - 120mm travel front and rear - down-country trail bike with internal frame storage for both alloy and carbon models.

Sublime suspension, playful handling, fantastic size range, internal storage

Not particularly light for the intended use, inconsistent Shimano brakes on our test bike

The Trek Top Fuel has been overhauled for 2022, receiving an all-new frame with integrated storage, plus key updates to the suspension design and geometry. So how does it ride on the trail? And will everyone be pleased with all the changes? Read on for our Trek Top Fuel review.

Brilliant trail-ripping geometry

Active and supportive suspension

Masses of cornering grip & stability

Refined and practical frame design

Downtube storage is a welcome addition

Dropper post is sluggish

Wheels are solid but quite heavy

Carbon bars are harsh

Heavier than many of its competitors

My history of mountain biking started with a little wooden trike, with no pedals and wheels bigger than my head. I moved forward as any child does onto a bigger bike with bigger wheels and pedals. My parents always encouraged me to get outside and ride a bike, although I didn’t like the idea of mountain biking. I knew how to ride a bike; why go any further?

Last updated April 20

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Trek Top Fuel 9.8 review

Super-capable ripper on the racetrack or singletrack

Laurence Crossman-Emms

Ed Thomsett

Makes the climbs fun and rips on the way down; an elegant package with a choice of colours; the six frame sizes span a massive range

A higher front end would give more descending confidence; thin tyres don’t offer much grip or protection; carbon wheels and bar bump up the price without a big impact on performance

Trek’s ambition with the Top Fuel is to combine the best qualities of both cross-country and trail bikes. This genre-bending, 115mm-travel 29er is burlier than its XC thoroughbred, the Supercaliber , but lighter and more agile than the Fuel EX . It promises lightning-fast speeds, whether gravity is on your side or not.

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Trek Top Fuel 9.8 frame

The Top Fuel’s full-carbon frame is obviously a Trek design, with that familiar twin-triangle shape and ABP (Active Braking Pivot) suspension design, where the rearmost pivot is concentric with the rear axle.

As on the rest of Trek’s full-sussers, the ‘Full Floater’ shock mounting of the old Top Fuel is gone. Instead, the Fox DPS air-can mounts directly to the frame at one end and to a magnesium rocker link at the other. Travel has been extended by 15mm for 2020.

In terms of geometry, the Top Fuel is now longer and slacker. Depending on which way you position the Mino Link flip-chip, the head angle can be set at either 67.5 or 68 degrees and the reach varied by 5mm, from 470 to 475mm on the large.

The effective seat-tube angle has been steepened to 75/75.5 degrees. With six sizes, it should be easy to achieve a perfect fit. The details of the frame have been well considered too, from its sleek, flowing lines to the fully-internal cable routing and integrated rubber protection finish.

Plus, Trek’s Knock Block steering-lock stops the fork crown fouling on the down tube.

Trek Top Fuel 9.8 kit

That 115mm-travel, air-sprung rear end is matched to a 120mm Fox 34 Performance fork. A bar-mounted RockShox TwistLoc remote lets you lock out both ends simultaneously, providing a firm pedal platform that’s easy to toggle on or off.

Combine that with a Bontrager Line Elite dropper post, and the Top Fuel switches easily into downhill mode, although a 10mm-shorter stem and slightly wider bar would help the handling.

Shimano’s SLX brakes are good, but it doesn’t take much to find the limits of the 160mm rear rotor and the lever return was a little sluggish.

I found the Bontrager XR3 tyres slightly flimsy too. They’re efficient uphill but the low-profile tread isn’t great on unsurfaced trails and I sliced a hole in the thin casing on a fairly mellow descent.

The bike’s price tag isn’t insignificant either and, while the spec is solid, I’d happily lose the carbon wheelset and bar to save some money.

Trek Top Fuel 9.8 ride impressions

You have to bite your tongue before criticising a bike like this because by its versatile nature it’s never going to be the best of the best in any scenario. With this in mind, there’s very little to fault in the way the Top Fuel rides.

With a poised feeling on the pedals even in the lower/slacker setting, the bike blasts up hills with minimal effort and I rarely found I needed to use the lockout apart from on long fireroads.

As a trail bike, the Top Fuel puts on an impressive show and never faltered, even when hammered into turns or launched off drops. The suspension gives you a solid base to push into and I was surprised after the first ride to discover that it only has 115mm of travel.

The main limiting factor to this downhill prowess is the low front end. When things get steeper, you do notice you’re on a bike that’s also built for going fast up hills. The short head tube and low stack height are clear indicators of this, and while for general trail riding I found them a little low, this does allow the bar to be fully slammed for all-out XC attacks.

Even with the 13-degree-rise stem positioned as high as possible on the steerer, I wouldn’t have minded a little more height. But then, upping the fork travel would blur the lines between the Top Fuel and the longer-travel Fuel EX.

On a bike like this, there are always going to be trade-offs, and opinion is always going to be biased by riding style, but for rapid mile-munching that doesn’t get in the way of enjoyment on the descents, the Top Fuel is hard to beat.

Trek Top Fuel 9.8 geometry (based on high setting for size L)

• Seat angle: 68.5 degrees
• Head angle: 68 degrees
• Chainstay: 43.3cm / 17.05in
• Seat tube: 47cm / 18.5in
• Top tube: 63cm / 24.8in
• Head tube: 10cm / 3.94in
• Fork offset: 4.4cm / 1.73in
• Trail: 10.3cm / 4.06in
• Bottom bracket drop: 2.9cm / 1.14in
• Wheelbase: 1,185mm / 46.65in
• Stack: 59.9cm / 23.58in
• Reach: 47.5cm / 18.7in

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A simple 'twist' improves the engine of clean fuel generation

Researchers have found a way to super-charge the 'engine' of sustainable fuel generation -- by giving the materials a little twist.

The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, are developing low-cost light-harvesting semiconductors that power devices for converting water into clean hydrogen fuel, using just the power of the sun. These semiconducting materials, known as copper oxides, are cheap, abundant and non-toxic, but their performance does not come close to silicon, which dominates the semiconductor market.

However, the researchers found that by growing the copper oxide crystals in a specific orientation so that electric charges move through the crystals at a diagonal, the charges move much faster and further, greatly improving performance. Tests of a copper oxide light harvester, or photocathode, based on this fabrication technique showed a 70% improvement over existing state-of-the-art oxide photocathodes, while also showing greatly improved stability.

The researchers say their results, reported in the journal Nature , show how low-cost materials could be fine-tuned to power the transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean, sustainable fuels that can be stored and used with existing energy infrastructure.

Copper (I) oxide, or cuprous oxide, has been touted as a cheap potential replacement for silicon for years, since it is reasonably effective at capturing sunlight and converting it into electric charge. However, much of that charge tends to get lost, limiting the material's performance.

"Like other oxide semiconductors, cuprous oxide has its intrinsic challenges," said co-first author Dr Linfeng Pan from Cambridge's Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. "One of those challenges is the mismatch between how deep light is absorbed and how far the charges travel within the material, so most of the oxide below the top layer of material is essentially dead space."

"For most solar cell materials, it's defects on the surface of the material that cause a reduction in performance, but with these oxide materials, it's the other way round: the surface is largely fine, but something about the bulk leads to losses," said Professor Sam Stranks, who led the research. "This means the way the crystals are grown is vital to their performance."

To develop cuprous oxides to the point where they can be a credible contender to established photovoltaic materials, they need to be optimised so they can efficiently generate and move electric charges -- made of an electron and a positively-charged electron 'hole' -- when sunlight hits them.

One potential optimisation approach is single-crystal thin films -- very thin slices of material with a highly-ordered crystal structure, which are often used in electronics. However, making these films is normally a complex and time-consuming process.

Using thin film deposition techniques, the researchers were able to grow high-quality cuprous oxide films at ambient pressure and room temperature. By precisely controlling growth and flow rates in the chamber, they were able to 'shift' the crystals into a particular orientation. Then, using high temporal resolution spectroscopic techniques, they were able to observe how the orientation of the crystals affected how efficiently electric charges moved through the material.

"These crystals are basically cubes, and we found that when the electrons move through the cube at a body diagonal, rather than along the face or edge of the cube, they move an order of magnitude further," said Pan. "The further the electrons move, the better the performance."

"Something about that diagonal direction in these materials is magic," said Stranks. "We need to carry out further work to fully understand why and optimise it further, but it has so far resulted in a huge jump in performance." Tests of a cuprous oxide photocathode made using this technique showed an increase in performance of more than 70% over existing state-of-the-art electrodeposited oxide photocathodes.

"In addition to the improved performance, we found that the orientation makes the films much more stable, but factors beyond the bulk properties may be at play," said Pan.

The researchers say that much more research and development is still needed, but this and related families of materials could have a vital role in the energy transition.

"There's still a long way to go, but we're on an exciting trajectory," said Stranks. "There's a lot of interesting science to come from these materials, and it's interesting for me to connect the physics of these materials with their growth, how they form, and ultimately how they perform."

The research was a collaboration with École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Nankai University and Uppsala University. The research was supported in part by the European Research Council, the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Sam Stranks is Professor of Optoelectronics in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Cambridge . The original text of this story is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Pan, L., Dai, L., Burton, O.J. et al. High carrier mobility along the [111] orientation in Cu2O photoelectrodes . Nature , 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07273-8

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Rosatom Starts Life Tests of Third-Generation VVER-440 Nuclear Fuel

• 16 June, 2020 / 13:00

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Russia establishes special site to fabricate fuel for China’s CFR-600

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A special production site to fabricate fuel for China’s CFR-600 fast reactor under construction has been established at Russia’s Mashinostroitelny Zavod (MSZ - Machine-Building Plant) in Elektrostal (Moscow region), part of Rosatom’s TVEL Fuel Company. 

As part of the project, MSZ had upgraded existing facilities fo the production of fuel for fast reactors, TVEL said on 3 March. Unique equipment has been created and installed, and dummy CFR-600 fuel assemblies have already been manufactured for testing.

The new production site was set up to service an export contract between TVEL and the Chinese company CNLY (part of China National Nuclear Corporation - CNNC) for the supply of uranium fuel for CFR-600 reactors. Construction of the first CFR-600 unit started in Xiapu County, in China's Fujian province in late 2017 followed by the second unit in December 2020. The contract is for the start-up fuel load, as well as refuelling for the first seven years. The start of deliveries is scheduled for 2023.

“The Russian nuclear industry has a unique 40 years of experience in operating fast reactors, as well as in the production of fuel for such facilities,” said TVEL President Natalya Nikipelova. “The Fuel Division of Rosatom is fulfilling its obligations within the framework of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the development of fast reactor technologies. These are unique projects when foreign design fuel is produced in Russia. Since 2010, the first Chinese fast neutron reactor CEFR has been operating on fuel manufactured at the Machine-Building Plant, and for the supply of CFR-600 fuel, a team of specialists from MSZ and TVEL has successfully completed a complex high-tech project to modernise production,” she explained.

A special feature of the new section is its versatility: this equipment will be used to produce fuel intended for both the Chinese CFR-600 and CEFR reactors and the Russian BN-600 reactor of the Beloyarsk NPP. In the near future, the production of standard products for the BN-600 will begin.

The contract for the supply of fuel for the CFR-600 was signed in December 2018 as part of a governmental agreement between Russia and China on cooperation in the construction and operation of a demonstration fast neutron reactor in China. This is part of a wider comprehensive programme of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector over the coming decades. This includes serial construction of the latest Russian NPP power units with generation 3+ VVER-1200 reactors at two sites in China (Tianwan and Xudabao NPPs). A package of intergovernmental documents and framework contracts for these projects was signed in 2018 during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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