First Ride: Trek's New Fuel EX Has More Travel & More Adjustments
The Fuel EX name first showed up in Trek's catalog way back in 2005 with just 100mm of suspension, but, like other long-lived models, every iteration since has either gained travel, gotten slacker and longer, or received other updates to make it a more capable trail bike. Seventeen years on and the 2023 Fuel EX gets a similar treatment, with an all-new 140mm-travel frame paired with a 150mm fork and sporting much more adjustable geometry.
For riders looking to get even more out of their trail bike, that adaptability even extends to it being compatible with a 27.5" rear wheel and a coil-sprung shock. And just in case you hadn't noticed, it sure looks a lot like their also-new Fuel EX-e.
For riders looking to get even more out of their trail bike, that adaptability even extends to it being compatible with a 27.5" rear wheel and a coil-sprung shock. And just in case you hadn't noticed, it sure looks a lot like their also-new Fuel EX-e.
2023 Fuel EX Details
• Intended use: Trail riding
• Travel: 140mm rear / 150mm front
• Frame material: Aluminum, carbon fiber
• Wheels: 27.5" and 29"
• Sizes: XS - XXL
• Reach: 400 - 545mm
• Weight: TBA
• Price: $2,699 - $10,749 USD
• www.trekbikes.com
• Intended use: Trail riding
• Travel: 140mm rear / 150mm front
• Frame material: Aluminum, carbon fiber
• Wheels: 27.5" and 29"
• Sizes: XS - XXL
• Reach: 400 - 545mm
• Weight: TBA
• Price: $2,699 - $10,749 USD
• www.trekbikes.com
The 2023 Fuel EX gets all new frames in both aluminum and carbon flavors.
Frame Details
The Fuel EX's frame is entirely new and looks quite different from the bike it's replacing, especially the meatier front-end and more complicated design at the seat tube and bottom bracket area. There's also a lot more adjustability built-in to the new frame, including aftermarket angle-adjusting headset cups, two shock positions, coil-shock compatibility, and flip-chip pivot hardware that you can read about below.
The new bike still uses ABP suspension, but it gets 140mm of travel (a 10mm increase) and more adjustability.
Suspension: When it comes to the Fuel EX's back end, there are a few things you'll recognize and a couple you won't. Starting with what's new, Trek has bumped the travel on both ends up 10mm compared to the previous version, with 140mm being paired with a 150mm fork making this the biggest Fuel EX ever. And while none of the eight complete bikes come stock from Trek with one fitted, it's also the first version that's compatible with coil-sprung shocks. Helping on that front is a flip-chip at the lower shock mount that tweaks the leverage curve; one setting adds bottom-out resistance or works better with a coil, while the other is less progressive to suit an air can's inherently rising spring rate.
You probably won't be surprised to see Trek's ABP suspension layout on the back of the new Fuel EX. Those three letters are short for 'Active Braking Pivot' that describes the claimed advantages far more succinctly than I ever could. Instead of a Horst Link or having the pivot on the chainstay, ABP rotates concentrically around the hub axle.
The rear pivot rotates concentrically around the hub axle.
You can run an air or coil spring, and this flip-chip lets you increase the progression if you need it.
Wheel sizes: Trek is selling the Fuel EX with both 27.5" and 29" wheels, putting the former on both the extra-small and small-sized bikes. They're also doing a small-sized frame on 29" wheels, while medium, medium/large, large, extra-large, and extra-extra-large will call come on 29" wheels.
And if you want to put a 27.5" wheel on the back of your Fuel EX, you can also do that thanks to all this adjustability. With the smaller wheel lowering the bike, Trek says you'll need to run a 160mm-travel fork and have the Mino Links set to the high position to keep the bottom bracket from feeling too close to the ground.
Increased Adjustability: If you're familiar with Trek's full-suspension bikes, you've probably already seen the flip-chip pivot hardware that connects the seatstays to the rocker link. Trek calls these the Mino Links and you'll find an updated version on this bike that offers the same 0.5-degree head angle and 8mm of bottom bracket height adjustment. I've always thought those were relatively conservative changes to the geometry, but a larger variance would require a more independent adjustment...
The new headset cups let you run the bike as slack as 63.5-degrees or as steep as 66-degrees. Our test bike came with Trek's hidden multi-tool.
That's precisely what Trek has done for 2023, with Trek offering headset cups that can be swapped out to change the steering angle by a degree in either direction. The stock cups supply a 64.5-degree head angle, but those who want to go slacker (or steeper) can buy a set of cups that does both. You install them one way for 63.5-degrees or the other way for 65.5-degrees. The upper cup will drop in, Trek says, but you'll need a headset press for the lower one.
Those three head angle options and two Mino Link settings make for six geometry set-ups, which is why Trek has a new geo configurator tool on their website to help you sort out where to put what. They suggest using the Mino Links to fine-tune things: "You can install the headset cups in the slack position and use the Mino high setting to maintain BB height and avoid pedal strikes, all while keeping a 64-degree head tube angle. Need even higher and steeper? Use the Mino high setting and the steep head tube cup setting for a 66-degree head tube angle."
The Mino Link hardware provides 0.5-degree and 8mm of bottom bracket height adjustment.
Other details: There's also a 34.9mm seat tube, a threaded bottom bracket shell with an ISCG-05 chain guide mount around it, and the world's longest downtube protector that should prevent damage from both rocks and tailgates. It's also nice to see full-length internal housing guides from front to back that should make maintenance easy while also giving the frame a tidy look. The downtube storage compartment has been carried over to the new design, of course, and they also added it to the new aluminum Fuel EX frame as well.
While it seems like Trek has put all the things onto the latest Fuel EX, there's one that they left off: Knock Block. The headset-integrated steering stop is designed to keep fork crowns from smashing into the straight downtube (that Trek says makes for a stiffer frame) on some of their bikes, but the 2023 Fuel EX has gone back to a curvy downtube that provides plenty of clearance. This is a good thing.
Geometry
There are no surprises when it comes to what's changed: the new Fuel EX gets a longer wheelbase, longer reach, a steeper seat angle, and a slacker head angle.
Up front, the previous Fuel EX could be set as slack as 66-degrees with its 140mm-travel fork, whereas the new bike can be relaxed all the way to 63.5-degrees if you're using the aftermarket headset cups explained above. Are your trails too flat and slow for that number? You can also steepen the bike up to 66-degrees using the same cups, all without drastically messing with the bike's seat angle. Speaking of seat angle, those are steeper across the board, with the large sitting at 77.2 versus the old large's 75.5-degree number.
There are six different geometry settings. This is with a 150mm fork and set to Mino low.
Front-end length has grown a bit as well, with our large-sized test bike being 485mm (Mino low) versus 470mm for the old bike. It starts at 400mm for the smallest bike and goes all the way out to 545mm for the biggest size. Effective top tube length has done the opposite, however, going from 634mm to 626mm for a large due to the steeper seat angle.
This is also the first Fuel EX that gets size-specific chainstays, and four lengths are used between the extra-small and extra-extra-large sizes. Much like Norco does, Trek accomplishes this by using slightly different main pivot locations rather than manufacturing different chainstays; extra-small to medium sizes get a 435mm rear-end, medium-large and large 440mm, extra-large 445mm, and the big boi has 450mm chainstays.
The aluminum EX 8 costs $4,300 USD and comes with a Fox Rhythm 36 fork, an XT drivetrain, and Deore four-piston brakes.
9 (ish) Fuel EX Models
There are nine different 2023 Fuel EX models that range in price from $2,699.99 to $10,749.99 USD, but only eight of them are new bikes. That first price is for the EX 5 that's actually a carry-over using last year's aluminum frame, which means it has 130mm of travel and a 140mm fork in the shape of a RockShox Recon Silver.
The $4,699 USD EX 9.7 is the lowest priced carbon Fuel EX.
$10,749 USD will get you the top-of-the-line 9.9 XX1 AXS.
The new bikes start with the aluminum EX 7 which costs $3,700 and aluminum EX 8 that goes for $4,300 USD. These get the same features as the pricier carbon bikes, including the storage compartment, angle-adjusting headset, and coil-compatibility. The EX 8, spec'd with Fox Rhythm 36 fork, an XT drivetrain, and Deore four-piston brakes, looks like a smart choice. Carbon fiber shows up next with the EX 9.7 which gets a similar-ish spec but costs $4,700 USD.
If you have more than twice that to spend, the 9.9 XX1 AXS gets all the expensive parts and will set you back $10,749 USD.
Ride Impressions
 | I was able to sneak away from the hustle and bustle of Crankworx Whistler to get in a ride on the new Fuel EX. There's an aggressive trail bike Field Test in the works, so this yellow machine will be battling it out against other similar contenders in the near future. The downhill portion of that first ride started off with a steep, chunky section of trail filled with rocky stair steps, followed by a blind drop into a very dusty chute. Luckily I'd spent a few extra minutes bedding in the brake pads beforehand, and the tricky move went off without a hitch. In its stock configuration the Fuel EX's geometry feels ready for just about anything – nothing about the fit or handling of the bike immediately struck me as being out of place. There's plenty of traction on tap for climbing, but there's also more support than the old Fuel EX – it's not as eager to sink into its travel, with a better platform to push against when standing up out of the saddle. The fact that the amount of progression can be increased without opening up the shock is also a nice feature – that first ride was in the more linear mode, and since then I've switched to the progressive setting in order to get more end-stroke ramp up. I'm able to use full travel when necessary, but the extra progression helps keep a few more millimeters in reserve for bigger hits. That grip on the climbs translates over onto the descents, where the Fuel EX has a nice fluttery feel, calmly smoothing out the trail chatter. I did notice that the integrated bar / stem combo felt stiffer than I would have preferred. Granted, my hands were a bit beaten up from several really big days of riding earlier in the week, but I wasn't the only rider who noted the extra-stiff feel. The Fuel EX does feel like a bigger, more capable bike than its predecessor, which isn't exactly surprising considering that it has 10mm more travel to go along with that longer and slacker geometry. Realistically, the new Top Fuel has trail manners that are closer to the previous version of the Fuel EX, and the 2023 Fuel EX rides more like an updated, big-wheeled Remedy. With so many adjustments and possible configurations it's going to take more than a few rides to really figure out the Fuel EX's strengths and weaknesses. We'll dig deeper in the upcoming Field Test, and I'll also be putting together a mixed-wheel version with a 160mm fork to see how it holds up over the long term. |
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
- Chainstays vary by frame size
- Wheelsize varies by frame size
- Knock block is gone
- Adjustable headset
- Adjustable progression
- Adjustable bb-drop
- 34.9 seatpost
- threaded bb
Would definitely give this a demo
No headset cable routing!
2007 Specialized Stumpjumper: i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjgzWDEwMjQ=/z/sf0AAOSwUH5aUntp/$_86.JPG
2008 Trek Fuel: coresites-cdn-adm.imgix.net/bikemagic_new/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/trek08_fuelex_side_hi-680x423.jpg?fit=crop&w=680&h=423
What’s amazing is that we are swimming in a sea of comments that “it looks like a “blah, blah, blah, not specialized” and they clearly copied the Stumpy evo concept to a T.
But whatever. It actually looks awesome! And as much as I hate to admit it Specialized are still at the forefront of innovation.
I’m not defending it as some Trek fanboy and don’t have a problem with them doing away with it if that’s what their engineers decided to go with with the new model. I just don’t understand all of the venom on PB.
This dad approves
the way the rear shock attaches to the bottom bracket is Troy 2021... copy-paste.
What are Devinci 's lawyers waiting for?
Drop the drivetrain from XT to SLX and up-spec the suspension please Trek!
Whats up with that Rythm, 6k bike and have to throw in another 1k on a fork.
You guys really need to get onto some different terrain. On many New England/East Coast trails, 8mm of BB height is HUGE. Can mean the different between pedaling everywhere vs like 60% of the time just ratcheting (or just trying to carry momentum and probably failing to). Even the 4-6mm of adjustment on Santa Cruzes and Specialized is enough to allow _much more_ pedaling, proven by me switching my Stumpy to low and hating life and then back to high and not even noticing. Granted I'm used to high on these trails and I could eventually get used to low, but I would have way less fun in low while dealing with just a 5mm lower BB.
I've even talked to other locals and many wish for a kind of East Coast specific build: [strong] bash-guards as stock (and/or a return to 104 BCD cranks with an "outside" position for a bash-ring, for the very strongest configuration), more adjustments for BB height (maybe "normal" and "high", instead of "too low" and "still to low"), and DD/DH casing and/or inserts on the rear wheel as stock, for example.
I’d say there’s a large contingent of riders on the East Coast that are looking for a bike that is quick handling, but can also handle larger hits and drops. We have some tight trails and when the bikes get slacked out and low, maneuvering some of these trails can get troublesome.
I’m searching myself for the East Coast all arounder.
Hump
Why can't they just make the ESTA on the bigger sizes steeper to accommodate the taller seat height?
I'm on 535mm reach now and at 6'6" it's fine but I'm still running a 50mm stem. I'd try 545 to be able to go back to a 35mm stem. The XXL has a very reasonable wheelbase considering the long rear center and huge reach, still manages to be 2.5cm shorter than my XL Geometron G1.
Yeah I know it's not riding it up in the hills but damn it really is that good.
Definitely feels and rides like a "big wheeled Remedy."
Probably won't be buying that Slash now.
So, this is now a solid contender for my shopping list.
However everything else about this bike looks just great. I don't even dislike the appearance.
Design an e-bike, remove the motor call it a mountain bike. RIP to any R+D for actual mountain bikes I guess
So far it was mostly E-Bikes recycling real bikes frames and geos?
Looks like a Remedy.
A $4k aluminum frame with decent parts-looks like a winner!!!
www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/fuel-ex/fuel-ex-c-frameset-gen-6/p/37141/?colorCode=black_grey
Reverse Components does a 10mm tall race. I'm guessing this should work, without you having to buy a new fork.
I also really dig that they removed the knock block, press fit BB, GIANT LOGO, and ReAktiv shock. Just took a good bike and made it a great bike for pretty much any trail.
It is now the "mini" Stumpy EVO, as it slots between the normal stumpy, and the stumpy EVO in travel.
Both Stumpy and Fuel EX7 have been an amazing bikes
If pressing in a new angle set is adjustability then every bike should claim such.
Apparently the motor only puts out a sustained 150W watts too. I'm seething.
Yyea yea
I’ll hold your beer for ya
Riding two generations of my loved trek Remedy for the past 10yrs, this will be definitely the end of my Partnership with trek.
How can you throw away this unique Design and build a bike like this, which is uglier than any noname bike!??
Byebye Trek!