2022 Trek Top Fuel 8 QUICK TEST | Another DOWNCOUNTRY bike joins the party!

[@MYnextDIYbikePROJECT]

Another great video Olof! You ara continuously tempting my shopping gene to buy an MTB.

[@MTBs]

Cheers mate! Next week there will be another quick test - The brand new Scott Spark, maybe that's something that could be of interest even for a roadie? 😉

[@MYnextDIYbikePROJECT]

@@MTBs Hit me with all you've got! ;)

[@mwinner101]

Thanks for the review. 👍

[@HeyJude-vf3sn]

what is the weight of this bike?

[@MTBs]

Hi! Don’t remember. Around 14 kg I think. Trek has the weight for each version on their website.

[@walterkasper467]

Would there be a lot of peddling difference between the trek and a specialized 2021 stumpjumper 130mm travel. Thanks for the great video. Looking forward to the comparison with the epic evo.

[@MTBs]

Hi Walter! It is always difficult to say when you don't have the two bikes side by side. I experienced both bikes to pedal very well. I don't feel that there is anything holding me back when pedalling the Stumpy. On the steep climbs though I thought that the Top Fuel was surprisingly efficient with almost no pedal bob. With that said, the Stumpy is more confidence inspiring when it gets steeper and it is a bike that you could take to a bike park. My comparison video will be up in only a few days. Cheers!

[@Andyange]

Hi what do you prefer between this bike and the epic evo?

[@MTBs]

I prefer the Top Fuel for my type of riding. It is also cheaper in the AL version (weight penalty) and can be fitted with a 130 mm fork for even more trail focused riding. I really like the Epic Evo too, though. But that bike is more racing focused and I want something more allround. If I should by a Spesh bike it would be the Stumpy or even the Stumpy Evo.

[@Andyange]

@@MTBs The top fuel looks awesome. I already have a long travel trail bike. So I’m looking for a faster downcountry style bike. The Rocky Mountain element or the specialized epic evo comp that you reviewed. Big decision!

[@MTBs]

The Epic Evo is a very fast bike indeed, most likely faster than the Top Fuel. Would love to get hold of a RM Element, seems to be a good blend of low weight, geo and affordability.

[@Robotack1]

Great video... What size did you test & what height are you ... You referenced a size L but then mentioned a 150mm dropper, but apparently the L ships with a 170mm

[@MTBs]

Thanks! I don't rememeber what I said in that video, but the Top Fuel 8 I tested was a M/L which has got a 150 mm dropper. I also did a full review of a Top Fuel 9.9 AXS in size L, that bike has got a 170 mm dropper. It seems as if 170 mm is the new standard for new bike models in size L.

[@Robotack1]

@@MTBs thanks for the informative reply... Since you've ridden both sizes that I've narrowed my choice down to, can I ask your height and your thoughts on the m/l Vs L... Though I know it's a pretty subjective choice!

[@MTBs]

@@Robotack1 Sure! I am 185 cm and M/L felt a bit too short. I sit very well on the L. Since the seat tube angle is so steep and the head angle is so slack on many modern bikes, these angles sort of crush the reach. I have moved from 470 mm in reach as my go to measure to about 485 mm in only a few years. 470 mm today is way to short for me on a trail bike.

[@Robotack1]

@@MTBs sounds good... At 178 I'm Swaying towards m/l

[@mseekles1972]

Nice video! How did the weight of the TF8 effect your ride? It’s about 1 full kg heavier then a X caliber 7. It is also heavier then a Fuel EX8. So not exactly a light and nimble bike. Did it climb okay and feel nimble enough? Or would go advice to go for the carbon 9.8 model?

[@MTBs]

That’s funny, I didn’t once think about the weight until you mentioned it. I also tested the new Scott Spark 910 (carbon) straight after this bike, and I didn’t think about the weight difference. It is only natural that the TF8 is heavier than the smaller hardtail X-caliber. It is even bigger than the Fuel Ex so maybe that’s part of the explanation why it is heavier (only around 0.4 kg heavier). Don’t know what the wheels and tyres weigh, but maybe there is some weight there as well. The TF8 is in no way a sluggish bike, short travel bikes usually never are. And there are so many things that are more important than weight in my opinion, such as seating position and susp kinematics. I only did a short test but the bike pedals surprisingly well uphill. Personally, I would go for aluminium because I usually don’t care that much about weight. I often haul around a 7 kg camera bag, full face helmets and stuff anyway so a carbon bike for the sake of weight savings would be a waste on me. I think it is great that there is an aluminium option, not everyone wants to spend the extra money on fancier material. If you are sensitive to weight and want to participate in races, well of course a carbon bike would not only feel better in terms of weight but also in stiffness I guess. A personal thing this… As I always advice, don’t let a random scrub youtuber make the final decision for you. Go out and test for yourself! At least here in Sweden there are a lot of demo Top Fuels available, and if they are available here they probably are where you live too. Good luck!

[@mseekles1972]

@@MTBs thanks for the great advice, I hope I am able to test with a demo bike

[@Emolokz]

@@mseekles1972 pinkbike reviewed the 2022 top fuel during their 2021 fall field test, there's a lot of solid details about it there. It's the most efficient pedaling bike of all of the downcountry bikes they tested. It seems as though XC race bikes are moving towards 120/120 as well (including the Scott Spark RC race bike). I think one of the only disadvantages this bike may have compared to the Spark might be the raw weight, but it's such an efficient pedaling system that unless you're racing at the pinnacle of the sport, the weight might not even matter. I honestly wonder how this bike would feel if it were set up with narrow gravel tires on one set of wheels, and highly aggressive trail tires on another set of wheels.

[@mseekles1972]

@@Emolokz all reviews and tests are very positive indeed, in the meantime I ordered the TF 2022 9.8 XT. It’s due by next month. Fingers crossed.

[@Emolokz]

@@mseekles1972 yeah, when PB reviewed it, they said the weight really wasn't a detriment, I imagine unless you're doing a pure hillclimb challenge xD

[@klauswalter2969]

All MTB reviews are pointless at the moment because you don‘t get to buy any of these bikes anywhere in the next months. Realy frustrating. I talked to some dealers here in Germany and they have no idea if or when they get the bikes.

[@MTBs]

When it comes to Trek, your best bet is to get a stock bike. If you order a bike for yourself you will have to wait a LONG time. I don't know the situation in Germany, but here in Sweden there actually are a few 2022 Top Fuels in the stores. Not many, but they are there. Call around and maybe you'll find one in your size.

[@Drogos79]

dude...yeah, you went down..ish yeah but i haven't noticed proper test on a downhill trail. It's not so much about grade but speed at which you travel and hit those roots and rocks. Just too mellow ans slow to even start discussing the performance of this bike. Let's see more. Thanks

[@MTBs]

I totally get you, this wasn't a proper test! I only had the bike for a very short period of time and this video is to be viewed as a first impressions video. The takeaway from the "downhill" part really only is that the tyres maybe not work very well in wet descents, that surprised me a bit and made me slow down. Hopefully I will get a proper demo bike from Trek in a few weeks. I cannot promise enduro trails, but the least I can do is to get the speed up and catch some air on some fun trails.

[@Drogos79]

@@MTBs yeah, I have extensive experience with XR4s. Fast rolling, tough to pinch flat and hold corners well in dry. Shit in wet and nothing will hold on wet leafs anyway.

[@Drogos79]

@@MTBs I am particularly interested how rear end behaves on fast hits like bigger roots etc. Fuel EX with same rear triangle design will get out of the way really well so just by uweighting rear wheel slightly you can bust through obstacles with ease. Not so much on my current 21 alloy stumpy with FSR design. Rear end hangs up and feels like an anchor honestly