This Trail Bike Changes Everything? Trek's NEW "affordable" and "convertible" full suspension MTB
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
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00:00 - Introduction to Trek Fuel EX7
00:59 - Overview of Trail Bikes and Their Evolution
02:01 - Key Features of Trek Fuel EX7
04:21 - Suspension Details and ABP Technology
06:02 - Parts Specification of Trek Fuel EX7
08:01 - Frame Sizes and Wheel Options
10:11 - Final Weigh-In and Closing Thoughts
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You should put the name of the bike in your title because when people search "trek fuel ex 7 reviews" this video won't be coming up.
I just bought a Trek Fuel EX 8 at Landry's Black Friday sale. It's a Gen 5 so not as adjustable but lighter. It's perfect for the style of riding that I do. Thanks for the review! Cheers!
Specialized Stumpjumper EVO alloy is a much better bike with all the same geo setup changes, but what sets it apart is the Fox 36 and Fox Float X s shock instead of the Rockshox 35 and it also comes with mullet setup. I got mine with a mullet config but I can easily slap a 29 wheel at the back if I choose. That bike is a beast and just obliterates rocks and jumps while climbing very easily with little fuss. For the same money as the Trek its a no brainer.
I agree, you cannot go wrong with either bike but I prefer the Stumpjumper EVO as it nails the balanced setup that can really do it all. With the alloy spec you get extremely great components at its price and its hard to argue for anything else.
Gimme RockShox over Fox any day!@@kamr5691
I have the 2023 version of this bike and it’s definitely as close to “do it all” as I can imagine. I always have the headset in the neutral position and with the Mino link in the high position and the shock in the less position flow trails are super fun. Flip the Mino link and the shock and it handles downhill with ease, I was astonished how big of a difference there was in the feel of the bike when flipping the Mino link, the rear shock flip chip doesn’t affect feel but it definitely affects travel on really chunky stuff.
This is the bike for me. Where I live now we have relatively mild trails with some good climbs and fun little descents. Perfect for a trail bike. But when I travel to see my parents 4h away, they have an amazing bike park with some reslly nice downhill trails, nothing too hardcore but I could adjust the geo when I’m there..
I have a 2021 EX 7 and absolutely love it. The suspension, once set up properly, is more than adequate for my skill level of XC riding. The brakes are amazing! The gearing is low enough for any climb and high enough to blast down any fire road at 25+ mph. I have over 1200 miles on it and the only problem I’ve had is the D nut on the swing arm pivot bolt got loose and fell off. Keep an eye on that and consider more thread locking compound on it before it gets lost. Also the paint chips very easily. No need to upgrade to this new model to have a couple of new geometry adjustments that aren’t deal breakers for the average rider. The frame storage is nice though.
Just purchased the Fuel EX 9.8 GX AXS Gen 6 in blue. Looking forward to shredding some trails in Western NC in May.
I have a 2022 EX7 and this is a noticeable step up.
8:02 the cassette is the base deore 6100 model, SLX 7100 use a black aluminum big cog.
The ABP feature is nice. I have it on my Devinci.
So I have the 2023 version of this bike, and my only comments are;
A. I’ve played around with all the adjustments and can’t really tell any difference (you’re findings may differ as I’m not a very good rider)
B. Although initially excited about the in-frame storage, it’s really too small to make much difference (neither a small shock pump or tire pump will fit, only a small multi-tool and an inner tube)
C. Although the TransX dropper works fine, in order to add air to it you have to remove the seat (which is a pain in the butt to me).
These are my only small “complaints” about this bike after about a year of ownership. Thanks for the review as always James.👍🏻
Well, once set up you should only need to add air to the dropper when you service it - & the seat will be removed for that anyway. If you're losing air then you have a faulty dropper.
I bought this exact model 2 weeks ago. Took it to the trails this weekend and I was blown away on how smooth this thing rides, and how much punishment it can take.
First time to your videos-excellent overview of this bike. Curious as to why it weighs so much? Are there a couple of components (fork, wheels, dropper) that stand out as “heavy”.
This bike is heavy compared to Gen 5. 16 kg is a lot difference but nobody talk about it. The Norco fluid fs 1 has a higher spec,costs less and people do complain about the weight...
Still hate the redesign of these; old fuel ex was such a looker now you get this thing - a mash up of a niner and a GT. Not to mention the frame is heavy as hell.
And it weighs 35 lbs!
I have the 2023 in a cool blue in the Ex7 and its a cool do it all bike. Is pretty heavy but I have a friend with the carbon model and its crazily within 3 lbs for half the cost. I didn't love the stock tires but its fine other than that. Weight has not really bothered me.
I bought the Fuel EX 8 in that very nice coppery orange. Love the bike.
I have a question though. It’s my first full suspension. And at the moment it is way more bike than I need but I am hoping to grow into it. But I was lucky enough to have the cash, and more importantly the permission from my better half.
However I have noticed I keep getting pedal strikes when going over rough terrain. Do I need to tinker with the sag on the rear end, change the mino link, or could shelling out for some slightly shorter cranks solve my issue.
Or which I think maybe the most likely thing. Do I need to adjust the way I ride coming from a hard tail?
Yeah a full sus will always have more strikes than a hardtail. Nothing you can really do except try to keep the pedals parallel to the ground and pick clean lines.
Ex 7 you mean before the parts description, cassette is diore, same spec as 2023, i like this bike but blue is nicer
Great Bike I must say. I would love to see it come with a chain-guide and XT Shifter, maybe with an SLX cassette. :)
Any non shuttling ride is going to have way more time spent climbing. So I don’t understand all the emphasis on descending features at the cost of climbing performance.
‘Cause some people get into the sport thinking they’ll be riding Rampage style trails, only to find themselves over biked on local XC trails, (I’ve been that guy…).
A lot of casual all mountain and enduro type riders are packing beer bellies and granny gear up the climbs. Their pride and focus tends to be on technical riding and descending, so they probably don't notice or care about the extra weight. I'm with you though. 36 pounds is a lot of bike to maintain momentum on, especially if you ride in the hills.
It's DEORE M6100 10-51 cassette not an SLX and the chain is a CN-M6100 so the drive train is an entry/mid/high mix. Could have just done a complete SLX drivetrain for the same price and let the buyer choose if they want to swap the jockey wheels to the bearing type instead of bushings for under $50.
Upgrade the cranks to SLX/XT will save you 1/2 pound.
Was hoping you would put some pedals on that and give it a whirl.
Very cool bike but I hate adjusting things, for me all that adjustability is not a plus. My fox shocks alone give me a headache to figure out it all.
Ouch! 35.4 LBS.
Looks like a deore cassette. SLX usually has a black large cog.
yea
Wow, that’s a sweet looking bike but it’s 10 lbs heavier than my 2021 Top Fuel 9.8, me being a cross country rider, I’d prefer the Top Fuel but that’s one beautiful bike!
Just pretend you're 10 pounds lighter
2024 is going to have a ton of great value bikes. Cycling industry is swimming in product.
I would toss on a XT shifter, but everything else is great.
Great review, but you didn't mention the reflectors or the plastic disc behind the cassette..!?
Seriously? Trek is required to install these when building up a bike. Feel free to remove them at your leisure.
I have short legs and that top tube scares me.
FYI - the carbon frameset also has the internal storage section.
Yes indeed, that's why I said it was the first fuel EX aluminum that comes with frame storage.
1. most people do not jump off anything bigger than a 1-2 ft rock
2. most do not go to bike parks, ever
3. most do not rider double black DH trail
4. 99% of the time people ride their local trails, which are mostly xc type or flowy
I've been rocking hartails for the last 20 years, with the latest iteration the Yeti Arc and Turner Nitrous, and I can outclimb and still keep up with all the "enduro bro's" on their 150mm travel bikes. Oh yeah, and I get all the fun manualing over bumps that the enduro bro's can't because their bikes are too big and squishy.
Lol that's cool man. Think most people still prefer full squish regardless
@@DB-sd3cwyou right, squishy is more comfy, more forgiving when you make mistakes, allows you to plow faster downhill without having to pick a line, but they suck when you have to climb (ugh hence many guys are switching over to eMTB's). But after over 20 years in MTB game, I've gone thru many hardtails, XC, trail, enduros, bikes. Hardtails today are more progressive, not like hardtails of 1990s and 2000's, hardtails today can almost do everything a full enduro can (just do it slower) except the black diamonds, and most guys do not see black diamond trail. Here's the thing the industry doesn't tell you about squishy. At some point, all those joints and bearings in those joints, will get loose and/or rattle or squeak, and then you will need to replace all the bearings, which can cost $200 for the bearings itself plus labor if you cannot perform the job yourself. Yep, been there, done that. That's why I'm very weary of used squishy bikes sold 2nd hand.
@WanderingSword idk man. I ride a hardtail and my two main riding buddies ride a giant trance and specialized stumpjumper, both of which easily keep up with me on the trails and the stumpjumper hasn't had any maintenance since 2019 aside from a rare drivetrain cleaning. I bought a hardtail because I had a 2k budget and figured I'd prefer a better kitted hardtail than a cheap full sus but when the time comes, I will absolutely be buying a full squish. The only area where my bike really excels is speed on smooth flat terrain and maaaybe jumps. From my personal experience most hardtail praise seems to be cope.
Did I see a reflector on the seat post?!?!
If you saw it it did its job admirably!
@@IIISentorIII haha no doubt! But during broad daylight?
Impressive. Trek has always been innovative while offering affordable technology.
Very nice but too heavy for the price. What fork is on this bike as that is the 1st or 2nd most important component?
Rockshox 35 Gold RL
I like all those features but as as lightweight rider at 150 lbs, that heavy of a bike will kill my speed. My hardtail full carbon bike weighs 21.8 lbs.
Nice looking rig but with all the configurations, it seems rube goldberg-ish to me. I'm getting old and now only ride a steel ht, so I'm not in the demographic Trek is targeting. Still, I enjoyed your review.
Seems too good to be true...
The wheels are actually the weak spot of the bike. Those are the same rims I’ve seen cracked at the spoke eyelets and imploded freehub mechanism. Trek aluminum frames don’t exactly have a reputation for durability either, we see plenty that come to the shop that are cracked.
Some how it looks very very Similar to a much cheaper bike from Wallmart. Remember the Mongoose XR Pro anyone? I wonder if a decently upgraded XRPRO will compare to the ride quality of this Trek. Maybe someone with the ability will know.
It's about time Shimano put the multi shift function on Deore and SLX shifters. I'd rather bike manufacturers fit an SLX rear mech and an XT shifter if they are trying to save $ on the drivetrain
hey, the noise you're using for the texts are the same noise on a mac if like, theres a crash or error. i keep hearing it and it's getting irritating, maybe find a new sound effect
Probably your computer
Everything changes but the dork disc.
Heavy girl
The problem with this bike is you're going to really struggle going on that 20 mile almost xc style performance ride keeping up with your buddies on those climbs, because it weighs 16kg without pedals, throw some pedals on and it will almost weigh 16 and a half kg, that's the same weight as my brothers 2021 trek slash 7 enduro bike, so they sold it as a convertible bike than can do anything, but its not really, because its way too heavy for a trail bike, its going to accelerate slow, it will drain your energy faster on long rides, it will be hard work climbing, its basically a short travel enduro bike with adjustable geometry, some how the bike gained 1.5kg over the gen 5, if it was the same weight as the gen 5 then they would be on to something.
this is too much bike for my skill level but hey, it's looking mean and lethal.
The only problem I have with Trek is that they are so proprietary. They only use their own brand bars, stems, tires and rims. No matter what price level or model you get, it always comes with Bontrager bars, stems, rim tape, rims and tires…unfortunately after you buy the bike, you end up pulling off all these parts to replace them with better parts from other companies. To use there factory parts on entry level bikes to keep the price down is acceptable…but to charge 9k on a bike without an raceface or renthal carbon bar or stem. That’s why I look at other bikes with Trek being the last I to look into…sorry but for $3200 I could find a better rig.
The high end Treks come with carbon bars and wheels. Please be smarter
Not really sure how that's different from a brand such as Santa cruz or specialized? Often the parts they come with are swapped out for better components as well? At the most popular trail by me I always see YT and polygon bikes with aftermarket raceface, oneup, deity components as well
@@huckfin1598unfortunately they are Bonterager rims and bars…there are so many more brands they could have used that are much better….especially if your paying retail price.
@@DB-sd3cwI agree Specialized and Santa Cruz use there own branded stuff..but Santa Cruz uses other branded parts on there highend bikes…I own a YT and owned a Trek prior to that…I can tell you for fact that I didn’t need to change anything on the YT when I got it…but my Trek…I had to get new bars..a new stem…new tires…because what came on it was crap…and it was highend Remedy.
Move on, see ya not!
Lost me at 2.5 maximum tire width. 2.6 is standard.
My thoughts exactly
That is actually wrong because it's not standard anymore, especially not for those type of bikes.
@@IIISentorIII If it is not a standard, it should be. At least for bigger guys.
I've been riding a hardtail Specialized Fuse with 27.5x3" wheels and 29×2.6" for some years and I loved it.
Not long ago I got a used Ibis ripmo and it came with 2.5" and 2.4" tyres. I thought that I would swap to 2.6", but after some rides I realised that is not necessary, as the rear shock offer enough traction.
@@smontane1 Now I am riding 29x2.5 assegai front and dhr 29x3.0 in the rear. No chance to spin out in the rear with super grip. Very confidence inspiring. Bulldozer effect. But having 29x3.0 in the front is not a good idea - steering becomes very imprecise.
Heh, affordable.
Trek doesn't make affordable things lol.
But at least anything from Trek is generally good.
Rockshox 35 on this bike is disgusting 🤮
Agreed, Trek really jew'd us one that one.
That's the only thing that stopped me from pulling the trigger on this bike, I'll wait till the EX 8 price gets lower
This is why the bike industry is in the dumps
Affordable? 😂. Me on my 1k alloy hardtail and sweating the $$.
Even 1k is a decent chunk of change
트렉은 디자인 왜이리 잘뽑냐..이상적이네.
Effectively old days single pivot rear, with questionable abp rear axle. No thanks
Ehh not really. Even true single pivot suspension has come a long way from where it was back in the day. This is definitely a different setup than traditional single pivot, as well as it's a decade and a half in the marketplace so it's pretty well sorted.
I hate to say this (and it’s not a knock on JTBG) but this is the ugliest front triangle of any modern bike in its class. Literally looks like a Bikes Direct enduro bike. There’s so many angle and thickness changes going on if the front end, it;’s hard to see what the engineers were trying to accomplish. My 2017 FEX looks 10X better. Trek whiffed on this design.
Certainly not a svelt design
4K is not affordable it’s a ducking rip off to the max
Its not good to look at
It's what's inside that counts... Or that's what my mommy told me.
@@Jamesthebikeguy it's what my partner says too
Trek and affordable 🤣 probably one of the brands where you have the worst value when it comes to parts
Affordable... 😅
What high paying job do you have?
Janitor at a subway station
@@Jamesthebikeguy In that case can you get us all a job 🤔