Loving life on my new Ex8. Had a break from mtb for a few years (motorbikes took over🤷🏼♂️) and was after a do it all bike. Been on big days out with my downhill crazy friends and chill trail rides with my hard tail buddies, the bike has coped brilliantly. Nice and stiff when it needs to be and progressive enough to never leave me wishing for more travel (so far!). So many great bikes out there but am really happy to be riding this one.
Nailed the feedback IMO. Definitely stiff, fast, and racey. The bike rewards you for pushing it harder and isn’t as comfortable when at cruising speeds. My only complaint is it almost goes too fast for its own good and you find yourself going enduro speeds on gnarly terrain where you overwhelm the 140mm of rear travel. I have it set up mullet which suits the bike well and is awesome for the steeper terrain here in Santa Cruz.
what about the Carbon wheels ? it's worth to buy 9.8 GX ? I got huge dilemma between 9.8 or 9.7 or SC Hightower v3. Looking for all mountain bike and need to well climb. Currently I got Ex8 gen 5- it's amazing but want more fun bike and with new geo.
Owner of a Gen 6 9.8 XT, i feel like this new version is alot more all mountain focus than last gen. Just from a geometry and added travel stand point, this bike gravity capacity has increased like crazy. Still think the gen5 was an awesome bike, but still more of a light trail bike focus. With last gen we could really see how limited the bike was getting when going a little more gnarly on drop rough terrain.
I got huge dilemma between 9.8 or 9.7 or SC Hightower v3. Looking for all mountain bike and need to well climb. Currently I got Ex8 gen 5- it's amazing but want more fun bike and with new geo.Which one would you choose ?
@@msobas i was on the ex 8 gen 5 before my 9.8 gen 6 . Its really 2 different bike. If you want a bike that has more capacity going downhill the new gen 6 is awesome. I really recommand the bike.
I love mine. Got the Alloy, put a carbon handlebar on it. Had to change out the tires and the bottom bracket. Next will be wheels and maybe go for 160 cranks, but other than that its a badass bike. Went 160 on the fork and going to switch to mullet. Got to wait on a warranty repair from fox before that happens but I'm excited to see how playful it will be with the 27.5 in the back.
I’ve kept the very first trek fuel 29er , when it went from 26 to 29 , 2014 I think it is , I use it for fitness rides through non technical terrain, it’s very much a xc bike now .
Love my Fuel EX 8. Didn't think I would ever say that for an analog mtb again😅 Have been riding the Trek Rail 7 the last 3 years and loving it. But I needed a bike that I could use in bike parks, on small trail, share with my girlfriend, so I ended up with the Trek Fuel EX 8 instead of a downhill bike. Unfortunately I just got 2 ride i twice and on the second ride, i slipped on a wet log on a drop and went over the bars head first to the ground.. My back snapped, so I'm not gonna ride for a couple months maybe more.. It's a little sad because I should have bin on multiple trips this year with the new bike.. So the long term review is gonna come later when I'm ready to shred again 🤘 But on those 2 rides I'd have on it, it felt like a dream 😍 I live in Denmark and this bike is the perfect bike for our terrain, and if you wanna go for a more bike park/downhill trip, it can handle that too. I didn't felt that i needed to slam a 27.5" wheel on and a 160mm fork, the standard geometry is perfect. though that i would have needed to do it because my Rail is mullet setup and with 170mm fork, so pretty slag. But i got surprised by the original geometry. Trek hit it perfect 👌
I’ve ridden a Santa Cruz e-Heckler and love it! Your review on that bike was spot on about the playfulness, jumping, and agile handling. The battery life is greater than the Trek fuel exe too. If I purchased the Trek, I’d want to do a mullet setup, a 160mm fork, Maxxis Assegai tires, and get a normal stem/handlebar…that’s a lot of money and work to make it mine.
Yeah, for sure, Trek's been rocking it lately in everything except for those damn house tires. I washed out on a rental Fuel EX, tried them for about a week on the Slash I bought... then I tried them on my hardtail build and washed out half a dozen times. Same story on my light trail bike build. I'm running all MAXXIS now and my girlfriend has no problems at all with her Specialized Butchers/Eliminators. Especially up here in Connecticut/New England, with the dozens of Trek dealerships in the area, I wish they would figure out what they're doing with those Bontragers.
Usually most bikers dump the tires right away unless the bike comes with a non in house tire that's good like Maxxis. In house tires usually are not to great. The XR5 Team Issue is pretty decent but of course Maxxis is so much better. I'm still deciding which Maxxis I'm going to switch too on my Fuel EX gen 6. In the mean time I'm wearing down my XR5's to get my money's worth out of them. So far no problems with them but I don't ride when its wet. First set of tubeless tires, I'm a believer now in Tubeless tires for sure.
@@TwoHeadsBrewing SE is supposed to be their Super Enduro vs XR cross country.. but I haven't been to an Enduro race around here that wasn't blown out mud
I've literally never met anyone who liked the Bontrager tires in general, Trek even specced Maxxis on some builds of the Roscoe. If it were my bike, for what I would use it for (rowdy trail bike/all mountain bike) I'd probably run an EXO Assegai up front and an EXO+ Dissector out back.
@@mrvwbug4423 Yep, not a fan of the XR4's on my Roscoe 9, have a set of Conti Argotal/Kryptotals sitting here ready to go on once the Bonty's wear out a bit more (only have around 130 miles on the bike as I just got it the other week).
In 11+ years of mtn biking, this is the first Trek that has caught my attention and got me thinking. As all-around trail/enduro rider Trek has never been a brand I have spent more than 2 mins looking at. But this is a bike I could definitely own. I think they will attract more riders with this bike. It's a proper All-Mountain bike in the literal sense rather than a burly XC bike (like all the previous generations). The adjustability is awesome - you could set this bike a number of ways. Most of us can't afford multiple bikes. Unfortunately, here in Australia Trek has done what they always do. They've priced their bike at pretty offensive levels for what you get. The top spec bike is $19,000 AUD !!! (remember, it's not an e-bike)....and most of the mid-spec carbon bikes are around $10,000 AUD. That's a lot of coin down under these days. Especially when Canyon, YT, Commencal, Giant, Norco all offer wayyyy more bike for the money...and that's just off the top of my head (at least with spec, if not frame functionality). And our local Trek dealer are a bunch of disinterested lycra-wearing muppets. The LBS experience in Australia has a very patchy reputation. Direct-to-doorstep brands are ultra popular down here these days because everyone has been burned by the incompetent, poorly stocked, ultra expensive LBS. If Trek could stop trying to be some "premium" boutique brand, and realise everyone looks at them the same as the other big, mainstream manufacturers, they would absolutely kill it with this bike (and the new Slash). They need to stop with the ultra-premium pricing crap (leave that to brands like Mondraker or Yeti or Intense or Deviate etc etc).
Same! Ex7 for $3700 normally $5500 .. probs should be 4500 normally though. Would’ve gotten the ex8 but couldn’t find my size anywhere in stock. Ex7 is still solid though and will be upgrading the fork… plus nice as blue colour
Price to performance of these is absolutely horrible in mainland europe. 8600€ for the 9.8 with performance level suspension (basic grip damper), but GX AXS and carbon wheels? Propains Hugene costs less than that with Rockshox flight attendant, reverb axs, GX AXS and Newman carbon wheels. A more reasonable config is closer to 5500€, which is miles better than the 9.7 at nearly 6000€.
Yeah that's what I have now. I test rode a gen 6 and was astonished at how harsh it felt in comparison. I assumed more travel would be plusher but it doesn't feel near as nice. I guess it is a better pedaling platform but with the extra weight it sure didn''t feel any faster.
I have, it bumps up the stack which was the main improvement. Also can now run slightly lower pressures for improved small bump sensitivity without blowing through travel. Doesn’t feel unbalanced at all. Definitely a fan, although I should say I do more enduro type riding.
I’m 5 foot 10” with a 29 inseam. I can barely touch the ground on tip toes on the medium with the seat dropped all the way. Are you using rad to get your preferred length ? If so I would be 444.5 which puts a medium a tad long. Thanks!
imo, in the past, Trek mtns were too long.. rode like a Tug-Boat.. others would call it stability .. but I labeled it Sluggish .. Slow .. the front end pushed wide. There was a real need to "force" it through the corners as if it was a 70 lbs bike rather than the 22 - 25 lbs bike it was. They lacked Flow ... Bad bad news at any price-point. again, just my opinion. Are you saying that has all changed???
I agree. Actually most any bike with a 73 degree seat angle and short chainstay felt this way to me. But the old trek fuel also had an odd suspension feel, felt terrible climbing to me. New geos with 77 seat tube angles and even just 10mm longer chain stays solve this for me. Just push weight down through the BB and lean the bike over and they carve turns.
@@hotdealwire that is confidence inspiring.. but if limited to that, that technique makes for slower turning: slower transition when going from turn to turn, Or am I confusing the point?
@@captnhuffy leaning the bike definitely requires starting turns early, especially with bigger bikes. It also requires more trail real estate, I end up slightly off the trail on some of my local trails built for 26ers.
@@hotdealwire Yup. If I wanted a bicycle that handled like a motorcycle .. well, I'd get a motorcycle and have the benefits of a gas-motor. I have 29'er ..and still rocking the 26'er (xc carbon dually) for the trails and handling attributes you cover. That said: everything is a compromise and I get why some like downhill handling characteristics in a non-downhill bike. Personally I am over the downhill mentality.. imo: even in the bike parks a downhill bike isnt required because the grooming is so extensive.
I live in Reno and those tires suck in the dry as well. Apart from that the bike rips I was on a Gen 1 Bronson before this and hands down this is a much better bike all around. To be fair it's also 9 years newer.
Personally I think the redesign with the new fuel makes the remedy obsolete. With the top fuel being closer to gen 5 fuel geo the move to spread the gen6 fuel out to take remedy’s space. just my opinion
I work at Trek and I've been told it's completely discontinued:( Definitely sad but we did struggle to sell them. People who own them love them though for their playfulness!
I have ridden the Remedy for 8 years. I’m currently on a 2019 Remedy 9.8 (gray with red Lyrik ultimate). I hopped on the new Fuel EX at the local shop… wow. The thing is just as playful as my Remedy, just as easy to manny and pop in the air, yet it’s slacker, longer, and bigger wheels?! I now have a Fuel EX on order. I’m sure in the tightest switchbacks it will be a little more effort getting around the corners compared to the Remedy but where I now live that is not an issue. If it were, I could go mullet! I think Trek took the best of the Remedy and the best of the Fuel EX, mixed it with Slash geo, and made a true bike that can do nearly everything most people need it to do. And it’s not just okay at it either, but really good at everything it does. I’ll let you know if I have to eat my words when my new ride comes in, but I suspect I won’t.
Hey there, been watching your reviews and I'm sure it's been asked and replied...but curious on how tall you are? Like to know for sizing a bike for myself.
Allot of pro specialize people in the comment section instead of being neutral. Specialize makes great bikes as well as Trek. This new Trek bike is a great improvement over its last generation and beat most if not all other trail bikes in its category going uphill in a race. There are video's on youtube showing it doing so. Going against XC bikes is a different story since its not built to be just an XC bike.
The problem is its going to sap your energy quicker because you're pushing extra weight, so you'll be able to handle longer rides on a lighter bike, and have more energy for the downhill , it gained a significant amount of weight over the previous model, personally I would rather have the old model.
It put Trek into a position where they don't have a light-ish trail bike anymore, that's what the Fuel EX was prior to the gen 6 which is more of an all mountain bike designed to take on the HIghtower, Ripmo or Stumpy Evo. The Top Fuel is definitely still firmly a "downcountry" bike not a trail bike.
@@mrvwbug4423 Why would you want a light all mountain bike? Allot of people consider the Top Fuel a racing trail bike. Just gotta be careful on the downhill part. When your looking for a bike good at both uphill and down hill weight isn’t a priority. The Fuel Ex Gen 6 goes uphill faster that its predecessor and also downhill better regardless if it being a little heavier. This has been tested and proven on youtube. I also believe evo is now an enduro bike because of its travel. It is no longer an all mountain bike. Evo was better staying at 150/140 instead of moving to 160/150. Those numbers are moving away from trail bike travels to enduro bike travel numbers.
Anyone feeling like the suspension is "stiff" please do yourself a favor and start using volume reducers in the shock. At 190 with gear Trek tells me I should run 218lbs or something crazy like that which makes it ride with tons of feedback and yet I still blow through all the travel just pumping hard and on pretty much every features. It comes with a .2 spacer, I tried .4, now .6 to get it right. PSI for 30% sag is down to 168lbs and is pretty cush, bottoming out more appropriately with plenty of support for bigger jumps at speed. That doesn't solve the problem of the stiffest bar ever put on a mountain bike but it's a good start.
That's exactly what I found too on test rides. I couldn't believe how terrible the rear end was after reading all the rave reviews. I'm a bit under 190, that's not very heavy for an XL bike IMO. That would help explain it I guess.
If you had the option to buy a fuel ex 5 gen 5 for $2000 or a fuel ex 7 gen 6 for $3000, would you make the upgrade. I have never had a real mtb before, only a 15+ year old trek fuel 70 which the frame broke on me. The trails near me are more xc focus but I still want to explore more downhill places and even some bike parks in the future and really don't want to buy more than one mtb. Any advice?
Hey thanks for the question. If you didn’t mention the desire to explore more DH type trails I would have said, save the $1,000 and buy the last gen. If you are thinking you want to push some limits, get out of your comfort zone a bit and ride burlier terrain, going to a newer gen bike will give you a better platform to grow into… good luck and have fun.
Hey Michael, the EX 5 Gen 5 was my first real mountain bike ever. I didn’t know anything about equipment at the time. It came spec’d with these horrible 35mm wide alloy rims. That combined with the 2.6 XR4 tires made for a very dragged down slow slumbering riding feel out on the trail. Also the new 108 Rapid Drive hub in the Gen 6 EX 7 is way better than the older hub. Those components plus the better drive train (and possibly brakes) on the Gen 6 EX 7 would make the extra $1000 worth it in my opinion. Just double check the specs on the Gen 5 EX 5 before pulling the trigger.
So one thing nobody says here is if this is your first bad a$$ bike. Go to the trek dealer on a Wednesday and ask them how far under msrp they will go. I got my ex 8 gen 6 3600 out the door. Don’t be scared to ask. I also got my gen 3 ex 8 for 2200 back in the day when they were cheaper. End of year sales are good too.
I want this bike but you get so little for the money, to get the equivalent of a $5k specialized stumpy evo would be a $10k trek, at least with the sale prices right now
We haven’t ridden the alloy Fuel EX yet so it’s hard to say for sure. They can both be set up fairly similar for geometry and both high quality frames with good pedaling support, so likely not too much in it.
Yes... Luckily we ended the video just before it imploded on screen! 😂But, in reality, not a practice consumers should regularly do, unless you want to maybe have to service your dropper more frequently.
"It climbs really well" "It's getting closer to VPP." 🤔 Maybe I should demo another VPP bike, because I have absolutely hated climbing on every Santa Cruz or Intense I have ridden. Regardless, the geo options with this bike are pretty nice, and I really dig the info they provide upfront.
Perhaps "Well" isn't the best/clearest descriptor, that's our bad!...Why did you hate climbing them? We don't love climbing VPP bikes in places like Moab, Sedona, or other very rocky/square edge terrain because they are a stiff platform that hangs up a touch and is not the most comfortable. The upside to that, is pedaling efficiency is higher than more comfortable platforms. Hope that clarifies our statement?
Not for me, way too heavy, I use my trail bike on big pedal days, and I'm not doing that on a 16kg bike, which is what their so called affordable models weigh
Yeah the alloy version is on the heavy side for a trail bike, EX8 is like 36lbs, that's more than a Ripmo AF weighs, a bike is intended for probably a bit more enduro-y use than the Fuel EX. My Ripmo AF on DT Swiss FR560s (not a light wheel by any means) is only 35lbs.
@@mrvwbug4423 Yep, even their top model in this video is a bit heavy, 14.7kg with pedals, my upgraded 2019 norco fluid fs1 is 13.8kg with pedals and sealant, its all alloy, and its substantially cheaper too.
"I think trek does a pretty good job staying competitive with their prices." Lol, come on dude. A 5 figure bike and ya'll using the word 'competitive'. Sounds like paid shilling. Looking at this bike on 99spokes the Fuel EX 9.9 is near the bottom of the pack on components vs. price, and you can draw a line horizontally all the way over to the $5,000 level and see bikes comparatively kitted. To say they competitively price their bikes is the biggest boot licking comment I've heard come out of this channel. Shout out to all the dentists shopping for their 5th bike.
There is a difference between competitive and affordable. Is this bike affordable? For most riders, including ourselves, no. Which we also commented on, in this video. If you look at lots of other brands bikes with AXS and similar other components, it’s far from being the most expensive, meaning it’s competitive with other bikes this range. Are their cheaper from DTC brands? Yes. But that’s an entirely different wormhole. Their alloy bikes do have better value and price points. With anything there are pros and cons and if you look at dealer support network, possibly having a year or lifetime of free tuneups from that local shop, then you have an added value incentive. But if you got the impression we got paid to review this bike, or any bike, or that it is without flaw, you are mistaken. Then again if you’re the type who just looks for an excuse to use neat phrases like boot licker, then you’re likely the type who already knows everything there is to know.
@@TheLoamWolf Question: If I send you a bike to review, can you also use the descriptor of "rather impressive" ( 1:27 ) to describe my nearly $11,000 price tag? I need to massage my consumer base into believing that this is acceptable pricing practices. Be sure to let them know that some random bike shop might offer some tune-ups alongside the fleecing. Also, if I wanted to upgrade my marketing deal to the "argue with and insult random commenters" package, how much more is that going to run me? I'm gonna need you guys to defend us from any sane people pointing out the hypocrisy. I'll pay per the insult. Lastly, let me know if you caught any neat phrases that my apparent know-it-all 200 IQ brain has launched over your head and I can simplify it down further for you.
Tk got big mad! We love when commenters insult us, but then find it amazing we don’t thank them for doing so. We give what we get. If you’d like a polite or respectful response when pointing out criticism, which we get plenty of and always welcome, try keeping the insults and name calling out you may be surprised at how people respond differently. 😘
Down tube guard seam nit-picking ... I mean is the yellow frame color just not quite the optimum yellow? Did you want to inspect eh weld points and comment on the soldering? YES ... that was too critical for zero reason. Who TF cares if the seem isn't perfect - also are you looking at the seam after how many people rode the damned thing to test it out and who knows WTF they slammed it into by the time you're doing this review after the fact. Get a screwdriver (or whatever tool) and make an adjustment like you do with literally everything else on the bike. Geez !!!
ALSO - there are 10+ different varieties of the FUEL EX - which specific model is this yellow one you're showcasing. The 7 > 8 > 9 will handle very diofferently from each other; while there are a range of 9s to choose from which likley also have differences.
You say that like aggressive all mountain bikes weren't already a thing, even though the deviate highlander 150 and canyon spectral were out before the evo
@@dantindley5181 I’m talking about the in frame storage , tools in the stem , the adjustable headset cups , the adjustable Geo. Every “new” feature the big bird bike has was taken from specialized, aside from the bar stem combo that was stolen from Scott , and the frame design which was stolen from the old GT force lol. Trek as usual just copy and pasted other brands. 0 innovation.
@@323johnnybravo every bike has internal frame storage at this point, theres nothing new about geo cups, nothing was stolen from anyone. If anything people have been taking thier designs and features from trek
Did what first? Specialized evo now has too much travel. Its now in the Enduro range being at 160/150. Enduro bikes are usually at 170/160. Wish the evo would have stayed as 150/140 like last generation or I would have bought an evo over the new Trek Fuel EX 8 gen 6. The Trek Fuel EX 6 gen is a great bike and a big improvement over the 5th gen. Evo looks like it will be specializes Enduro bike pretty soon the way its going.
@@dantindley5181 lols 😂. Are you serious? Literally every single “new” thing on this bike was on the specialized years ago. As I said earlier specialized did it first, and they are on sale and they aren’t this hideous color. They straight up stole that bar stem combo from the Scott Syncros bar. Look at the frame design it’s from 2018 GT force.
@@lilblaster22 if you where actually a factual person you would have said Rocky Mountain makes the best riding bike… so with that it’s pretty obvious you’re either paid by Specialized or are just very misguided/biased.
Loving life on my new Ex8. Had a break from mtb for a few years (motorbikes took over🤷🏼♂️) and was after a do it all bike. Been on big days out with my downhill crazy friends and chill trail rides with my hard tail buddies, the bike has coped brilliantly. Nice and stiff when it needs to be and progressive enough to never leave me wishing for more travel (so far!).
So many great bikes out there but am really happy to be riding this one.
Great to hear!
Did it come with slx or deore cranks and brakes? Trek list it as having deore but I keep see photos of them with slx and a mate gof one it has slx.
@@brokenlegz ethirteen cranks and SRAM db8 brakes. Supply chain hit hard by covid so they fitted with all sorts of bits and bobs
It just makes sense that motorbikes took over 🤘😎
Bruh I bet most of the people hating on this bike haven't even ridden it smh
People just like to criticize bigger companies rather than appreciate why they have gotten to where they are.
Thanks for reviewing the Trek. I have purchased the Enduro Engineering E-Bike stand. I have found it helpful and others may appreciate a review.
Nailed the feedback IMO. Definitely stiff, fast, and racey. The bike rewards you for pushing it harder and isn’t as comfortable when at cruising speeds. My only complaint is it almost goes too fast for its own good and you find yourself going enduro speeds on gnarly terrain where you overwhelm the 140mm of rear travel. I have it set up mullet which suits the bike well and is awesome for the steeper terrain here in Santa Cruz.
Right on thanks for sharing
what about the Carbon wheels ? it's worth to buy 9.8 GX ? I got huge dilemma between 9.8 or 9.7 or SC Hightower v3. Looking for all mountain bike and need to well climb. Currently I got Ex8 gen 5- it's amazing but want more fun bike and with new geo.
Owner of a Gen 6 9.8 XT, i feel like this new version is alot more all mountain focus than last gen. Just from a geometry and added travel stand point, this bike gravity capacity has increased like crazy. Still think the gen5 was an awesome bike, but still more of a light trail bike focus. With last gen we could really see how limited the bike was getting when going a little more gnarly on drop rough terrain.
I got huge dilemma between 9.8 or 9.7 or SC Hightower v3. Looking for all mountain bike and need to well climb. Currently I got Ex8 gen 5- it's amazing but want more fun bike and with new geo.Which one would you choose ?
@@msobas i was on the ex 8 gen 5 before my 9.8 gen 6 . Its really 2 different bike. If you want a bike that has more capacity going downhill the new gen 6 is awesome. I really recommand the bike.
Your reviews are awesome man 🤘 and your hair style looks like you've been riding real fast right before the video!!! 🫣🤙 Love the channel
Haha I sure try. Thanks for watching and for the support!
I have fuel ex 8 and it’s awesome.
I love mine. Got the Alloy, put a carbon handlebar on it. Had to change out the tires and the bottom bracket. Next will be wheels and maybe go for 160 cranks, but other than that its a badass bike. Went 160 on the fork and going to switch to mullet. Got to wait on a warranty repair from fox before that happens but I'm excited to see how playful it will be with the 27.5 in the back.
@Krankin What brand of cranks did you get? I'd like to get shorter ones. Wish they would put shorter cranks on the XS and S sizes.
I’ve kept the very first trek fuel 29er , when it went from 26 to 29 , 2014 I think it is , I use it for fitness rides through non technical terrain, it’s very much a xc bike now .
I have the 2018 9.8 and it’s awesome. I’d love to try the current one as a comparison.
Love my Fuel EX 8. Didn't think I would ever say that for an analog mtb again😅 Have been riding the Trek Rail 7 the last 3 years and loving it. But I needed a bike that I could use in bike parks, on small trail, share with my girlfriend, so I ended up with the Trek Fuel EX 8 instead of a downhill bike.
Unfortunately I just got 2 ride i twice and on the second ride, i slipped on a wet log on a drop and went over the bars head first to the ground.. My back snapped, so I'm not gonna ride for a couple months maybe more.. It's a little sad because I should have bin on multiple trips this year with the new bike.. So the long term review is gonna come later when I'm ready to shred again 🤘 But on those 2 rides I'd have on it, it felt like a dream 😍
I live in Denmark and this bike is the perfect bike for our terrain, and if you wanna go for a more bike park/downhill trip, it can handle that too. I didn't felt that i needed to slam a 27.5" wheel on and a 160mm fork, the standard geometry is perfect. though that i would have needed to do it because my Rail is mullet setup and with 170mm fork, so pretty slag. But i got surprised by the original geometry. Trek hit it perfect 👌
Did it come with slx or deore cranks and brakes? Trek list it as having deore but I keep see photos of them with slx and a mate gof one it has slx.
how is your back now?
@@dojyr3130 I was lucky, but needed 2 surgeries. But I'm riding again now with no complications 👌😁
I’ve ridden a Santa Cruz e-Heckler and love it! Your review on that bike was spot on about the playfulness, jumping, and agile handling. The battery life is greater than the Trek fuel exe too. If I purchased the Trek, I’d want to do a mullet setup, a 160mm fork, Maxxis Assegai tires, and get a normal stem/handlebar…that’s a lot of money and work to make it mine.
Yeah, for sure, Trek's been rocking it lately in everything except for those damn house tires.
I washed out on a rental Fuel EX, tried them for about a week on the Slash I bought... then I tried them on my hardtail build and washed out half a dozen times. Same story on my light trail bike build. I'm running all MAXXIS now and my girlfriend has no problems at all with her Specialized Butchers/Eliminators.
Especially up here in Connecticut/New England, with the dozens of Trek dealerships in the area, I wish they would figure out what they're doing with those Bontragers.
My last fuel had the XR5 tires, and those are so much better and more suited for this bike. Not sure why they specced the SE5, perhaps to save weight.
Usually most bikers dump the tires right away unless the bike comes with a non in house tire that's good like Maxxis. In house tires usually are not to great. The XR5 Team Issue is pretty decent but of course Maxxis is so much better. I'm still deciding which Maxxis I'm going to switch too on my Fuel EX gen 6. In the mean time I'm wearing down my XR5's to get my money's worth out of them. So far no problems with them but I don't ride when its wet. First set of tubeless tires, I'm a believer now in Tubeless tires for sure.
@@TwoHeadsBrewing SE is supposed to be their Super Enduro vs XR cross country.. but I haven't been to an Enduro race around here that wasn't blown out mud
I've literally never met anyone who liked the Bontrager tires in general, Trek even specced Maxxis on some builds of the Roscoe. If it were my bike, for what I would use it for (rowdy trail bike/all mountain bike) I'd probably run an EXO Assegai up front and an EXO+ Dissector out back.
@@mrvwbug4423 Yep, not a fan of the XR4's on my Roscoe 9, have a set of Conti Argotal/Kryptotals sitting here ready to go on once the Bonty's wear out a bit more (only have around 130 miles on the bike as I just got it the other week).
In 11+ years of mtn biking, this is the first Trek that has caught my attention and got me thinking. As all-around trail/enduro rider Trek has never been a brand I have spent more than 2 mins looking at. But this is a bike I could definitely own. I think they will attract more riders with this bike. It's a proper All-Mountain bike in the literal sense rather than a burly XC bike (like all the previous generations).
The adjustability is awesome - you could set this bike a number of ways. Most of us can't afford multiple bikes.
Unfortunately, here in Australia Trek has done what they always do. They've priced their bike at pretty offensive levels for what you get. The top spec bike is $19,000 AUD !!! (remember, it's not an e-bike)....and most of the mid-spec carbon bikes are around $10,000 AUD. That's a lot of coin down under these days. Especially when Canyon, YT, Commencal, Giant, Norco all offer wayyyy more bike for the money...and that's just off the top of my head (at least with spec, if not frame functionality). And our local Trek dealer are a bunch of disinterested lycra-wearing muppets. The LBS experience in Australia has a very patchy reputation. Direct-to-doorstep brands are ultra popular down here these days because everyone has been burned by the incompetent, poorly stocked, ultra expensive LBS.
If Trek could stop trying to be some "premium" boutique brand, and realise everyone looks at them the same as the other big, mainstream manufacturers, they would absolutely kill it with this bike (and the new Slash). They need to stop with the ultra-premium pricing crap (leave that to brands like Mondraker or Yeti or Intense or Deviate etc etc).
Seem to be some good deals at the moment. I just ordered an Ex 8 reduced by $2,000
Same! Ex7 for $3700 normally $5500 .. probs should be 4500 normally though.
Would’ve gotten the ex8 but couldn’t find my size anywhere in stock. Ex7 is still solid though and will be upgrading the fork… plus nice as blue colour
Same all my bikes are speshes, I'm stuck between this spesh evo or the scott ransom enduro which I lighter and has more travel. So torn
Price to performance of these is absolutely horrible in mainland europe. 8600€ for the 9.8 with performance level suspension (basic grip damper), but GX AXS and carbon wheels? Propains Hugene costs less than that with Rockshox flight attendant, reverb axs, GX AXS and Newman carbon wheels. A more reasonable config is closer to 5500€, which is miles better than the 9.7 at nearly 6000€.
So, the comment about aluminum surprised me since I view all of you as riding such premium bikes. Any reason why? Great work as always
I have the Exe nearly identical frame great design and performance!
I miss the “full floater” system… That was superb!
Yeah that's what I have now. I test rode a gen 6 and was astonished at how harsh it felt in comparison. I assumed more travel would be plusher but it doesn't feel near as nice. I guess it is a better pedaling platform but with the extra weight it sure didn''t feel any faster.
The market for the Xx1 build would probably be the XC kind of person wanting that RSL bar stem
You might be right. Some of the crew like the looks and the angles work for some people, but they’re definitely stiff and not for everyone.
Did you guys ever test it with the optional 160mm air shaft in the fork?
I have, it bumps up the stack which was the main improvement. Also can now run slightly lower pressures for improved small bump sensitivity without blowing through travel. Doesn’t feel unbalanced at all. Definitely a fan, although I should say I do more enduro type riding.
I’m 5 foot 10” with a 29 inseam. I can barely touch the ground on tip toes on the medium with the seat dropped all the way. Are you using rad to get your preferred length ? If so I would be 444.5 which puts a medium a tad long. Thanks!
At 5'11, the M/L was perfect for me
Thanks for sharing.
How does this compare to a Transition- Scout or Sentinel?
imo, in the past, Trek mtns were too long.. rode like a Tug-Boat.. others would call it stability .. but I labeled it Sluggish .. Slow .. the front end pushed wide. There was a real need to "force" it through the corners as if it was a 70 lbs bike rather than the 22 - 25 lbs bike it was. They lacked Flow ... Bad bad news at any price-point. again, just my opinion. Are you saying that has all changed???
It's gotten much longer/slacker actually
I agree. Actually most any bike with a 73 degree seat angle and short chainstay felt this way to me. But the old trek fuel also had an odd suspension feel, felt terrible climbing to me. New geos with 77 seat tube angles and even just 10mm longer chain stays solve this for me. Just push weight down through the BB and lean the bike over and they carve turns.
@@hotdealwire that is confidence inspiring.. but if limited to that, that technique makes for slower turning: slower transition when going from turn to turn, Or am I confusing the point?
@@captnhuffy leaning the bike definitely requires starting turns early, especially with bigger bikes. It also requires more trail real estate, I end up slightly off the trail on some of my local trails built for 26ers.
@@hotdealwire Yup. If I wanted a bicycle that handled like a motorcycle .. well, I'd get a motorcycle and have the benefits of a gas-motor. I have 29'er ..and still rocking the 26'er (xc carbon dually) for the trails and handling attributes you cover. That said: everything is a compromise and I get why some like downhill handling characteristics in a non-downhill bike. Personally I am over the downhill mentality.. imo: even in the bike parks a downhill bike isnt required because the grooming is so extensive.
I live in Reno and those tires suck in the dry as well. Apart from that the bike rips I was on a Gen 1 Bronson before this and hands down this is a much better bike all around. To be fair it's also 9 years newer.
Any news on a new Remedy you think? If even needed with them having the Slash and this new Fuel Ex?
Personally I think the redesign with the new fuel makes the remedy obsolete. With the top fuel being closer to gen 5 fuel geo the move to spread the gen6 fuel out to take remedy’s space.
just my opinion
I work at Trek and I've been told it's completely discontinued:(
Definitely sad but we did struggle to sell them. People who own them love them though for their playfulness!
I have ridden the Remedy for 8 years. I’m currently on a 2019 Remedy 9.8 (gray with red Lyrik ultimate). I hopped on the new Fuel EX at the local shop… wow. The thing is just as playful as my Remedy, just as easy to manny and pop in the air, yet it’s slacker, longer, and bigger wheels?! I now have a Fuel EX on order. I’m sure in the tightest switchbacks it will be a little more effort getting around the corners compared to the Remedy but where I now live that is not an issue. If it were, I could go mullet! I think Trek took the best of the Remedy and the best of the Fuel EX, mixed it with Slash geo, and made a true bike that can do nearly everything most people need it to do. And it’s not just okay at it either, but really good at everything it does.
I’ll let you know if I have to eat my words when my new ride comes in, but I suspect I won’t.
@@callaway5148 Nice! Great reply kid 💪 thanks so much! Ya, I like the idea of Mullet!
Hey there, been watching your reviews and I'm sure it's been asked and replied...but curious on how tall you are?
Like to know for sizing a bike for myself.
Hey thanks for watching. We try to mention it in most reviews but sorry we missed it in this one! Drew is 5’11 and Dario is 6’2.
Allot of pro specialize people in the comment section instead of being neutral. Specialize makes great bikes as well as Trek. This new Trek bike is a great improvement over its last generation and beat most if not all other trail bikes in its category going uphill in a race. There are video's on youtube showing it doing so. Going against XC bikes is a different story since its not built to be just an XC bike.
People like to be partisan in everything.
Safe to say both the Big S and Trek are making great bikes right now. Tough call between the two.
The problem is its going to sap your energy quicker because you're pushing extra weight, so you'll be able to handle longer rides on a lighter bike, and have more energy for the downhill , it gained a significant amount of weight over the previous model, personally I would rather have the old model.
It put Trek into a position where they don't have a light-ish trail bike anymore, that's what the Fuel EX was prior to the gen 6 which is more of an all mountain bike designed to take on the HIghtower, Ripmo or Stumpy Evo. The Top Fuel is definitely still firmly a "downcountry" bike not a trail bike.
@@mrvwbug4423 Why would you want a light all mountain bike? Allot of people consider the Top Fuel a racing trail bike. Just gotta be careful on the downhill part. When your looking for a bike good at both uphill and down hill weight isn’t a priority.
The Fuel Ex Gen 6 goes uphill faster that its predecessor and also downhill better regardless if it being a little heavier. This has been tested and proven on youtube. I also believe evo is now an enduro bike because of its travel. It is no longer an all mountain bike.
Evo was better staying at 150/140 instead of moving to 160/150. Those numbers are moving away from trail bike travels to enduro bike travel numbers.
Fuel ex 8 looks very good. Can you please do a review on the Marin rift zone xr?
1:16 you guys mixed up several different fuel ex gens instead of the different versions of the fuel ex gen 6
Did you guys chop the head tube to run two spacers below the stem?
Is this bike suitable for enduro racing? Maybe with a coilshock for enduro?
What are some alloy bikes you've been liking? I enjoy riding a good alloy or steel bike.
Definitely enjoying Stumpy Evo Alloy, Vitus, Trek Session alloy, YT Jeffsy, Norco to name a few…
@@TheLoamWolf Awesome. I've really been enjoying my Ripmo AF.
Anyone feeling like the suspension is "stiff" please do yourself a favor and start using volume reducers in the shock.
At 190 with gear Trek tells me I should run 218lbs or something crazy like that which makes it ride with tons of feedback and yet I still blow through all the travel just pumping hard and on pretty much every features. It comes with a .2 spacer, I tried .4, now .6 to get it right. PSI for 30% sag is down to 168lbs and is pretty cush, bottoming out more appropriately with plenty of support for bigger jumps at speed.
That doesn't solve the problem of the stiffest bar ever put on a mountain bike but it's a good start.
That's exactly what I found too on test rides. I couldn't believe how terrible the rear end was after reading all the rave reviews. I'm a bit under 190, that's not very heavy for an XL bike IMO. That would help explain it I guess.
Se6 tires are great.. shoulda put one on the front
Can you do a fuel Exe and kenevo sl comparison of which one is better ?
This aluminum frame or stumpy Evo aluminum for upgrade? Coming from 2019 devinci troy frame
If you had the option to buy a fuel ex 5 gen 5 for $2000 or a fuel ex 7 gen 6 for $3000, would you make the upgrade. I have never had a real mtb before, only a 15+ year old trek fuel 70 which the frame broke on me. The trails near me are more xc focus but I still want to explore more downhill places and even some bike parks in the future and really don't want to buy more than one mtb. Any advice?
Hey thanks for the question. If you didn’t mention the desire to explore more DH type trails I would have said, save the $1,000 and buy the last gen. If you are thinking you want to push some limits, get out of your comfort zone a bit and ride burlier terrain, going to a newer gen bike will give you a better platform to grow into… good luck and have fun.
Hey Michael, the EX 5 Gen 5 was my first real mountain bike ever. I didn’t know anything about equipment at the time. It came spec’d with these horrible 35mm wide alloy rims. That combined with the 2.6 XR4 tires made for a very dragged down slow slumbering riding feel out on the trail. Also the new 108 Rapid Drive hub in the Gen 6 EX 7 is way better than the older hub. Those components plus the better drive train (and possibly brakes) on the Gen 6 EX 7 would make the extra $1000 worth it in my opinion. Just double check the specs on the Gen 5 EX 5 before pulling the trigger.
So one thing nobody says here is if this is your first bad a$$ bike. Go to the trek dealer on a Wednesday and ask them how far under msrp they will go. I got my ex 8 gen 6 3600 out the door. Don’t be scared to ask. I also got my gen 3 ex 8 for 2200 back in the day when they were cheaper. End of year sales are good too.
I want this bike but you get so little for the money, to get the equivalent of a $5k specialized stumpy evo would be a $10k trek, at least with the sale prices right now
Best yet 100% 🤘🏻
I love it and great review guys!⚒️⛰🪨🌲🚵♀️🏕️🌵I have a Gen 5 EX 8 and WILL be upgrading vs getting another brand
That is awesome!
Thanks for the Review, is it really Possible the put a 160mm Fork in the Front?
By that i mean if you Can Build the 160 fork on every model
Yes, you can upfork all the Fuel EX and EXe models.
@@TheLoamWolf Thanks 👍🏼
How would the alloy version compare to the Specialized Evo Alloy?
We haven’t ridden the alloy Fuel EX yet so it’s hard to say for sure. They can both be set up fairly similar for geometry and both high quality frames with good pedaling support, so likely not too much in it.
Would this be able to handle black and double black tech
Is the bike clamped at the dropper post with the dropper DOWN?!?
Yes... Luckily we ended the video just before it imploded on screen!
😂But, in reality, not a practice consumers should regularly do, unless you want to maybe have to service your dropper more frequently.
Review a scott ransom 920,theres noth8ng on them
Top Fuel 8 XT or this?
New Norco Fluid FS is almost same geo but 2/3 of price
I still really enjoy my 2021 being closer to an XC bike lol
That is totally fair and we imagine many will feel the same.
Yeah that was the point of the fuel ex
It's supposed to be good for everything! This new one not so much
"It climbs really well" "It's getting closer to VPP." 🤔 Maybe I should demo another VPP bike, because I have absolutely hated climbing on every Santa Cruz or Intense I have ridden. Regardless, the geo options with this bike are pretty nice, and I really dig the info they provide upfront.
Perhaps "Well" isn't the best/clearest descriptor, that's our bad!...Why did you hate climbing them? We don't love climbing VPP bikes in places like Moab, Sedona, or other very rocky/square edge terrain because they are a stiff platform that hangs up a touch and is not the most comfortable. The upside to that, is pedaling efficiency is higher than more comfortable platforms. Hope that clarifies our statement?
For 11 thousand dollars, yeah you could have been much more nitpicky 😅
How do those bad boys wheelie?? Are they hard to too being that they are long? Or can you tweak some of the geo to make it easier?
Not for me, way too heavy, I use my trail bike on big pedal days, and I'm not doing that on a 16kg bike, which is what their so called affordable models weigh
Thanks for sharing. It’s great to hear other people’s opinions on this.
Yeah the alloy version is on the heavy side for a trail bike, EX8 is like 36lbs, that's more than a Ripmo AF weighs, a bike is intended for probably a bit more enduro-y use than the Fuel EX. My Ripmo AF on DT Swiss FR560s (not a light wheel by any means) is only 35lbs.
@@mrvwbug4423 Yep, even their top model in this video is a bit heavy, 14.7kg with pedals, my upgraded 2019 norco fluid fs1 is 13.8kg with pedals and sealant, its all alloy, and its substantially cheaper too.
His hair is better than that trek!😃👍
Haha Thank you!
Correction, they start at$2699.99 for the fuel ex5 and not at $3699.99 which is the fuel ex7
Not quite. The EX 5 still uses the Gen 5 frame whereas the EX 7 uses the latest Gen 6 frame, which we are reviewing in this video.
@@TheLoamWolf yes right you are, they havent updated the fuel ex5, wonder why?
Depending on where you are. In NZ the ex8 is on sale for 3070 USD
Blew by one on my turbo levo the other day on a local climb. It was a brief flash of yellow out of my peripheral view and that was about it.
Lame
Sure😂
Got my Turbo Levo up for sale. Looking at one of these Fuel EX's. Something about there being no challenge makes ebikes boring.
@@zed5129 My husband was trying to talk me into an ebike but I ordered a Fuel Ex 8 instead. Told him I was too young for an ebike.😄 I'm only 66
review of a $10,000 bike, right, bc most of the world has these in their carts ready to
buy 🙄
Check out our budget bike shootout for more affordable bikes!
Competitive 😂😂😂
...With Yeti, Santa Cruz, and Pivot.
"I think trek does a pretty good job staying competitive with their prices."
Lol, come on dude. A 5 figure bike and ya'll using the word 'competitive'. Sounds like paid shilling. Looking at this bike on 99spokes the Fuel EX 9.9 is near the bottom of the pack on components vs. price, and you can draw a line horizontally all the way over to the $5,000 level and see bikes comparatively kitted. To say they competitively price their bikes is the biggest boot licking comment I've heard come out of this channel.
Shout out to all the dentists shopping for their 5th bike.
This needed to be said.
There is a difference between competitive and affordable. Is this bike affordable? For most riders, including ourselves, no. Which we also commented on, in this video. If you look at lots of other brands bikes with AXS and similar other components, it’s far from being the most expensive, meaning it’s competitive with other bikes this range. Are their cheaper from DTC brands? Yes. But that’s an entirely different wormhole.
Their alloy bikes do have better value and price points. With anything there are pros and cons and if you look at dealer support network, possibly having a year or lifetime of free tuneups from that local shop, then you have an added value incentive.
But if you got the impression we got paid to review this bike, or any bike, or that it is without flaw, you are mistaken. Then again if you’re the type who just looks for an excuse to use neat phrases like boot licker, then you’re likely the type who already knows everything there is to know.
@@TheLoamWolf Question: If I send you a bike to review, can you also use the descriptor of "rather impressive" ( 1:27 ) to describe my nearly $11,000 price tag? I need to massage my consumer base into believing that this is acceptable pricing practices. Be sure to let them know that some random bike shop might offer some tune-ups alongside the fleecing.
Also, if I wanted to upgrade my marketing deal to the "argue with and insult random commenters" package, how much more is that going to run me? I'm gonna need you guys to defend us from any sane people pointing out the hypocrisy. I'll pay per the insult.
Lastly, let me know if you caught any neat phrases that my apparent know-it-all 200 IQ brain has launched over your head and I can simplify it down further for you.
Tk got big mad! We love when commenters insult us, but then find it amazing we don’t thank them for doing so.
We give what we get.
If you’d like a polite or respectful response when pointing out criticism, which we get plenty of and always welcome, try keeping the insults and name calling out you may be surprised at how people respond differently. 😘
@@TheLoamWolf 📸
Down tube guard seam nit-picking ... I mean is the yellow frame color just not quite the optimum yellow? Did you want to inspect eh weld points and comment on the soldering? YES ... that was too critical for zero reason. Who TF cares if the seem isn't perfect - also are you looking at the seam after how many people rode the damned thing to test it out and who knows WTF they slammed it into by the time you're doing this review after the fact. Get a screwdriver (or whatever tool) and make an adjustment like you do with literally everything else on the bike. Geez !!!
Guess we found out who applied the down tube guard. 😉😄
ALSO - there are 10+ different varieties of the FUEL EX - which specific model is this yellow one you're showcasing. The 7 > 8 > 9 will handle very diofferently from each other; while there are a range of 9s to choose from which likley also have differences.
The Specialized evo did it first and is on sale. This big bird yellow 🤮
You say that like aggressive all mountain bikes weren't already a thing, even though the deviate highlander 150 and canyon spectral were out before the evo
@@dantindley5181 I’m talking about the in frame storage , tools in the stem , the adjustable headset cups , the adjustable Geo. Every “new” feature the big bird bike has was taken from specialized, aside from the bar stem combo that was stolen from Scott , and the frame design which was stolen from the old GT force lol. Trek as usual just copy and pasted other brands. 0 innovation.
@@323johnnybravo every bike has internal frame storage at this point, theres nothing new about geo cups, nothing was stolen from anyone. If anything people have been taking thier designs and features from trek
Did what first? Specialized evo now has too much travel. Its now in the Enduro range being at 160/150. Enduro bikes are usually at 170/160. Wish the evo would have stayed as 150/140 like last generation or I would have bought an evo over the new Trek Fuel EX 8 gen 6. The Trek Fuel EX 6 gen is a great bike and a big improvement over the 5th gen. Evo looks like it will be specializes Enduro bike pretty soon the way its going.
@@dantindley5181 lols 😂. Are you serious? Literally every single “new” thing on this bike was on the specialized years ago. As I said earlier specialized did it first, and they are on sale and they aren’t this hideous color. They straight up stole that bar stem combo from the Scott Syncros bar. Look at the frame design it’s from 2018 GT force.
Love everything about this bike, except the looks. Looks damn ugly to me to be honest...
AGAIN first comment 😅🎉
You’re on it!! Thanks for watching.
I just don’t like the frame design.
It’s a good bike. But a very ugly bike.
I give Trek a uge thumbs down 😮 Specialized rules!
Meh. That’s an opinion for sure.
@High Octane I stated a fact, but you can have a wrong opinion. It's allowed...
@@lilblaster22 if you where actually a factual person you would have said Rocky Mountain makes the best riding bike… so with that it’s pretty obvious you’re either paid by Specialized or are just very misguided/biased.
@High Octane well, Rocky Mountain is Canadian, so I would never ride a bike that was subject to a dead queen. But you go ahead a knock yourself out...
@@High_Octane Probably rides nothing but specialized so hes pretty ignorant. Every brand has their fanboys. Both Trek and specialized make good bikes.