2023 Trek Fuel EX Initial Review

The new 2023 Trek Fuel EX sees a complete redesign, making it an even more capable mountain bike than ever before. Trek's new Fuel EX can be run as either a dual 29er or Mulleted to run mixed wheel size (29/27.5). Trek Bicycles' team also gives the 2023 Fuel EX a wide range of adjustability in sizing, geometry and suspension adjustment.
Trek set out to design a bike that caters to that wide center of the market the trail bike where most riders spend their time, and where a bike can take many forms. In that goal, they found success. Trek's Fuel EX is a highly adaptable bike that feels comfortable in a really wide variety of terrain but doesn’t confuse itself for anything more or less. Bike riders, rejoice.
Stay tuned for a long term review of the new Fuel EX in the coming months.
#trek #trekfuel #trailriding #trailbike #trailmtb #trekmtb #mountainbike
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[@michaeldiamond7063]

Would love to see a shootout with this bike, hightower, pivot swtichblade, ibis ripmo, Rocky Mountain instinct. stumpy EVO.

[@brighamyates]

You forgot the Transition Sentinel

[@spenceredwards5684]

Same!

[@pj85438]

Heading to the Trek shop today, this thing is SICK, I NEED IT

[@chrislockejr]

I have the 2020 model and love it, but sometimes wish it was a little more slack up front. This looks like it’ll be a great upgrade.

[@mudkayak6305]

can you get the new headset cups and use those to slacken it ?

[@ryangregohara]

This doesn’t even seem like a similar bike other than name to 2020…wow, they really chopped it up.

[@bimmerfan729]

Another awesome review! Looks like a great one from Trek. Like others have said, I think the big question out there is going to be this or the new Hightower!

[@patrixdan2661]

Nice vid. How does it compare to the new 5010 you recently reviewed? And to your Stumpjumper? Thanks in advance and cheers!

[@TheHooniverse]

Yeah, price is bonkers on the Project One with all the goodies, but the general specs sound awesome and like one heck of an upgrade over my 2020 Fuel EX... (still think I want to go Slash though, ha)

[@Intentsrig]

You mentioned stack height. Steeper trails Hightower v3 probably be a bit more stable? Looking at numbers the fex in xl has a lower stack than any of my previous bikes. And I always added spacers under the stem to those bikes. Seems I’d have the biggest seat to bar drop I’ve ever had with this bike as well. Maybe I’m looking to much into it? I like to ride steeper trails when I can.

[@lenolenoleno]

You're not wrong. Trek has not sized the stack anywhere near proportional going from S through to XL. The bigger you go the more grossly understacked this bike is.

[@siebitup]

How would you compare this to your stumpy?

[@MonsterChuck]

This vs SJ Evo??? Heard him mention his own SJ but didn't really compare.

[@wrongsend7106]

Is that bike have the e mtb Specs fox36 or the Standard fox 36?

[@joshhcr225]

But, will they be carrying this new design to the trek fuel ex 5? Hoping so as I’m getting one soon

[@TheLoamWolf]

Don't believe so, 5 is a carry over with 7s and up getting the new design.

[@michaelshepherd9733]

Can it handle whistler bike park?

[@chrisbeasley1493]

RIP The Remedy! 😢

[@yopark]

Sounds like you have an stumpy, which one do you prefer the Fuel EX or the stumpy?

[@MrSupermugen]

its like a proper stumpjumper. basically what the stumpy wanted to be. Stumpy just struggles with heavier riders.

[@klascojoe]

I didn’t look at the trek. What I found local was Santa Cruz, Giant and Specialized. I’m picking up my Levo expert Saturday. Can’t wait!

[@TheLoamWolf]

Congrats on getting yourself a new rig. Enjoy.

[@octodadmtbmartyrichards2862]

Looks like a yt Jeffsy, but probably better for climbing 🧗?

[@mrvwbug4423]

There's some decent builds for a lot less than 10k. The sweet spot currently looks like the 9.7, same build as the alloy EX 8 but only $400 more and under 5 grand, which is unheard of for a carbon bike these days. that build is 36 Rhythm fork, Float X shock, SLX/XT mix for drivetrain, deore 4 pot brakes, and line 30 comp wheels with rapid drive hubs.

[@Mike-up6go]

The bike you are showcasing weighs over a pound and a half more than my aluminum frame 2023 Gen 5 Fuel EX 8. The new Gen 6 Fuel EX 8 weighs over FOUR pounds more than the previous edition Gen 5 Fuel EX 8. Thats absurd......I just dont go for the heavier bike just to get a bit more squish. Price is over four hundred more too. Happy I have my much lighter Gen 5 model. I love Trek bikes but IMHO they really missed it big time with the increases in weight.

[@MrSupermugen]

are commenting this on everything because you jumped the gun an bought a gen 5? lol give me that extra weight and all the strength and adjustabiltiy and travel. thanks

[@plmn93]

I weighed an EX8 XL and it came in at nearly 36 pounds, which is 4.5 pounds heavier than my Gen4 EX8. It does pedal better, but only if I don't use the lockout and boy you can sure feel that weight. I never thought of my Gen 4 as all that sleek, but it sure looks like it next to the chunky Gen 6.

[@jeffmonk515]

Great review! You mentioned that you have a Stumpy. Regular or the EVO? Which do you like better for all around trails…up hill and down hill….your Stumpy or the new Trek Fuel EX?

[@dariodigiulio3758]

I have a Stumpy EVO Alloy, built up about as burly as you can get it (within reason). I'd say the Fuel EX is more geared towards all-round riding, where the EVO has the edge in downhill performance. I'm hoping to do a comparison of the two at some point, stay tuned.

[@MTBActionCam1]

I really appreciate your thorough review on how the bike rides/handles and how the suspension feels. Both positive and negative. This really helps me to know if the bike fits my preferences and terrain. Loam Wolf reviews are one of the few reviews that do this.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Glad you like them!

[@Drogos79]

Killer neutral platform. Yeah, trek was kinda there with older Fuel but now it seems they have it tuned just right. Incremental, non-revolutionary changes but all in right direction. Kinda what they did with top fuel

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thanks for sharing.

[@msobas]

@@TheLoamWolf Considering Fuel 9.8 Axs or Santa Cruz Hightower v3. Which one is better for long trips, with a lot of uphill ? Which one would you choose ?

[@matth8924]

So this or the hightower? Lot more value here, but part of me still lusts for the Santa Cruz

[@Montblanc1986]

Santa Cruz is owned by Pon holdings. Kinda lame. Don’t let branding fool you

[@geoXedge]

@@Montblanc1986 curious what is wrong with pon holdings ? Santa cruz does have their own facilities in Santa cruz and do alot of in house prototyping and have killer trails out side of their warehouse.

[@dariodigiulio3758]

I spoke to this in the video, 7:10

[@LoganNelson]

that nose bonk at 2:01 though

[@dariodigiulio3758]

my finest moment

[@georgiaguardian4696]

Great review! Really like the review style and the details of the first hand riding!

[@clintondavies8098]

Great review nice trails how does it compare to the stumpjumper? 🤔

[@jggutierrez9]

Lost me at 10k.....

[@L4J20]

Fun to "rip trail" that's all I need to hear 🤘

[@V8LC100]

Was loving this until 4:55 - $10k far out...

[@Chris-de2qc]

Thanks for the stumpjumper... I mean fuel ex review!

[@toetaster]

that's a roundabout way to say loamers are fun. also, freehub mag/spencer has the gopro settings and gimble dialed more than everyone else-- the secret sauce is in the comment section on some of their reviews.

[@MarekGrubala]

What is weight on your bike setup?

[@bikenapa505]

Great info and details shared, thanks, very nice work Dario! (hope to see more content from you!)

[@musbox]

This is the most interested I've been in a Trek. Also happy not to see that massive TREK sticker down tube.

[@JP-bv8su]

So what bike on the market today doesn't have their logo on the down tube?

[@musbox]

@@JP-bv8su no problem with companies using their logo...a lot bikes put it in a different location, but I've just always disliked the look of how much theirs sticks out. Less is more for my taste.

[@TheLoamWolf]

The new logo placement is definitley a HUGE improvement over years past. We were never fans either, especially with the way it looks on the Rails.

[@musbox]

@@TheLoamWolf agreed... Much better placement. Thanks for the in-depth review as well. I'm not a huge guy, so I've been really thinking about a mullet set up for my next bike. Nice to see an option like this out there.

[@323johnnybravo]

Trek’s recipe for the last several years has been to wait and see what Specialized does and basically do the same thing. Every new feature here was taken directly from the Stumpy Evo. Would love to see a comparison between the two.

[@heyg7819]

Looks like a nearly 10% increase in price compared to the '22 9.7. Looks like a nice upgrade, but why make it so much heavier? There is no way they sold all the '22 framesets as these were very difficult to find, wonder if any significant number of those will ever see the light of day at a decent price, sadly $3720 on their site today.

[@benjaminschuldt6211]

I have a 2022 Ex 8 and the '23 Ex 8 is 4 pounds heavier. Fox 34 -> Fox 36 adds ~ 1/2 pound. Piggy-back shock adds ~1/4 pound. 31.6mm -> 34.5mm seatpost adds ~1/4 pound. Somehow they added 3 whole pounds to the frame weight. The adjustability of the 2023 is nice but the weight makes me happy I got a 2022 instead.

[@plmn93]

@@benjaminschuldt6211 When you look at them side by side it's easy to see where the weight came from. The Gen 6 frame is very chunky. Not nearly as sleek as the older EXs. I think it was designed with parts commonality with the e-bike in mind.

[@handlealreadytaken]

My riding buddy has been wanting to get a Fuel EX like mine and I kept telling him to wait until the fall. I knew something had to come out since the current model was a few years old. Glad he did as this seems like a good upgrade.

[@jakecampbell8054]

reckon anything might happen to the slash next year as i have noticed worse 2023 spec then 2022 spec even with price increase!

[@Drogos79]

agree on the headset. Lower spec, I am sure will come with traditional bar....a must for me

[@reneh.6551]

Looks much more fun that what Trek has done recently...

[@ej1_drew]

loam wolf always at it with top notch reviews!

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thank you very much!

[@cashanderson6521]

I don’t know if you told us but what is that little lever looking thing above the crank behind the shock?

[@Flourbag]

Could be the optional bottle opener. $275 option

[@dakhemyst]

This is a great review! How tall is Dario sp? wondering about the fit. Was on a large and it felt strange as a large...but that was a parking lot ride. So curious about the sizing. Thanks for this review!

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thank you. Dario is about 6’2 6’3.

[@sammoan7017]

Which way did you end up going? im right in between large and xl as well. have not rode and xl but also felt the large kinda felt weird, ride an xl gen 4 now

[@dakhemyst]

@@sammoan7017 I went with the Large but it felt a little tight in the reach. I also increased the travel to 160mm so that probably changed the numbers. Considering a XL. Other than that, the bike is incredible.

[@allenkvextreme]

i never knew i was a fan of trek until i needed a backup bike and the only thing my shop had in stock was a trek fuel ex so now the fuel ex is my favorite bike for my type of riding.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Awesome to hear.

[@reynemanzano]

22 or 23?

[@AKolpen]

Thank you very much for the review. You ride a LARGE. How tall are you? When riding a large in Gen5, I see that this one is longer wheelbase and reach, but same top tube lenght. So everything may fit, but it would probably be possible to go down a size to ML? Thanks again!

[@timfreeman2603]

Haha, I watched all 10mins until I realised the review is EX not EXe.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Ha ha. We have a video on that one too.

[@Drogos79]

Excellent review. Subed

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thanks and welcome.

[@chrisgravel7157]

OK just looked at specs and pricing. As an owner of a 2022 Slash 8 the new Fuel EX 9.7 in carbon is the same weight as a bone stock Aluminum Slash 8 and a pound heavier than mine with about $600 in upgrades. Even the higher end models are comparable weights to a Slash. I dont get it. I like what they have done but a 8-9K Fuel do it all bike should be well south of 30lbs even with a PNW worthy build. Sure its a great bike but glad I didnt wait and just got a Slash.

[@benjy288]

So trek's supposed trail bike is now slacker then their enduro bike, talk about blurred lines, what will the fuel be like in 10 years time? a 57 degree head angle with 170mm of suspension travel? are we seeing the death of trail bikes as they basically become enduro bikes, there may come a time when if you want a short to mid travel trail bike that isn't super slack then a cross country bike may be your only option.

[@aggieduncan8170]

I just have ordered my 1st full suspension mountain bike Fuel 9.7 Gen 6 . I'm very exited because it will cover easy going downhill at Whistler and Vancouver's trials . Thank You for your review. It was very helpful 😀

[@Stockfish1511]

When can we buy this thing? 9,9 is to much for me. But 9.8 gx axs is way to go.

[@TheLoamWolf]

That is a solid option for sure. They should be in stores now.

[@Stockfish1511]

@@TheLoamWolf I live in sweden. Ill go to a retailer and see if i can grab one. My fingers itching already

[@spongesurf]

How does this bike compare to the new 5010/Furtado?

[@kevinnielsen1356]

5 to 10 grand for a bicycle is outrageous markup. There isn't 1 grand worth of bike there compared to motorcycles

[@Mcfc2Rich]

Love the look of this. You spoke more highly of the Kenevo SL though. Your review is why I bought mine.

[@pikaartdog]

All those adjustability options include seat angle? 😉

[@robhaskins3068]

E=Mtb². Why not the EXe best of both worlds. E=Mtb².

[@thomastfischer]

looks like you're at the bottom of larison, noice

[@topchoice1621]

I’d kill for this bike

[@TheLoamWolf]

It is a sweet machine!!

[@topchoice1621]

@@TheLoamWolf yes it is I want one so bad that I’m thinking about selling my car to get one

[@IIISentorIII]

@@topchoice1621 that's a *top choice* for sure.

[@DavidFDay]

Great review

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thank you.

[@sox7191]

Just pulled the trigger tonight at Pine Mt Sport, if you see a black ex bombing down farewell, you know who it is.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Heck yeah!! Congrats and we’ll be sure to throw a high 5!

[@daytch9485]

Just bought an 2022 ex 8 to try and future proof and I'm a bit PO'ed . I saw they have both gen's listed for '23 ,left overs? I wouldn't have minded the bit more travel but they look like they're coming at a cost of some weight and price. It does look like a quiver killer depending on where you live and style of riding

[@plmn93]

I think I'd prefer the '22. An EX8 in XL comes in at nearly 36 pounds. I'm not a weight weenie, but that's ridiculous for a mid travel bike.

[@GeorgeGates]

Love the color !

[@TheLoamWolf]

Me too!

[@Wafe_NZ]

So was about to pull the trigger and get the 2022 model but will now wait for the 2023 model and whenever it I will arrive here in New Zealand? Great review agree with the limited cockpit options with the all in one bar. Has Trek still gone with the pressed Bottom bracket or hopefully they gone back to screw mount?

[@paulmanias8269]

It now has a threaded BB!

[@garyharmon5386]

Just bought a Fuel 9.8 and I love it. Thanks for the review

[@TheLoamWolf]

Enjoy it

[@joah2652]

Hey I need s bike to get to work do you have giveaways?

[@IIISentorIII]

sry i already giftet 20 of those in my country... when was the last time you gave away 10k to a stranger, Monday?

[@livefreeandshred9818]

All they did was make the top fuel the fuel ex and the fuel ex the 29er remedy

[@TheLoamWolf]

Well then if you wanna call it that, the new Remedy is pretty cool huh.

[@Coolchris158]

They killed the Remedy

[@DavidFoundCo]

Are you getting it or keeping the slash?

[@craigspeirs6639]

is this a fuel ex 5

[@TheLoamWolf]

This is the EX 9.9 AXS

[@klassyken]

Where is the review filmed in front of the river?

[@TheLoamWolf]

Oakridge, OR.

[@klassyken]

@@TheLoamWolf cheers bud, let's hope that fire misses the majority of the trails.

[@mikespike6825]

So another enduro like, they destroyed it

[@benjy288]

A really light build kit? this thing weighs half a kg more then my old 2017 trek slash 9.8, 14.5kg with pedals is pretty heavy for a top of the line $10,750 bike, not to mention their fuel ex 7 gen 6 is almost 1kg heavier than the 2022 slash 7, who would of thought there would come a time when you had to get an enduro bike to save some weight.

[@MasterChronometer]

Much better review than the Santa Cruz one

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thanks. Dario is still new in front of the lens so we appreciate the patience as talking on camera is a lot harder than it seems.

[@cg1983]

A little influence from specialized! But Spec always been ahead !! Evo !!

[@Drogos79]

kinda, maybe...but i feel like it sits exactly in between stumpy and stumpy evo in terms of capabilities. I was actually hoping they would bump it up to 150 and improve pedaling platform. It now really is do it all bike for 90% of riders

[@kwilson4880]

I like it, but it’s a trek