THE BEST TRAIL BIKE TREK HAS EVER MADE? | 2023 Trek Fuel EX 8 - Gen 6

[@Semprefi]

Someone at Trek deserves a big raise. I don’t remember the last time a company of any kind made this many changes to their product that were each smart and all worked together to make the product vastly better and instantly an industry leader . I love it. Especially in that polished aluminum finish you had here. I’d say it’s as close to being the perfect bike as you can get

[@plmn93]

It's heavy for a trail bike. 4.5 pounds heavier than my gen 4 EX. You definitely feel that. And it's big. It's more like a short travel enduro bike. I guess the Top Fuel is now their true trail bike, but it's not as plush as the old EX was. Actually this isn't as plush either, it's a much firmer ride despite the extra travel. So personally, when I got a chance to ride it I was disappointed and don't really like the direction Trek has gone. But to each their own. It does pedal a bit better and is more versatile if you really need that but it's not for me.

[@BIIIKES]

Fantastic bike. Got to ride one the other day. Thanks for the review!

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

You bet!

[@hudsonquay]

I’m still riding the first generation ex8 29er from 2013. Albeit with new wheels, pike forks, monarch shock, wide carbon handlebars, short stem, dropper post, XT 1x11 transmission, XT brakes. Only the frame is left!

[@chase3253]

I'm on my '15 lime green 27.5 and love it as much as the day I brought it home. I ride it hard and it's never let me down.

[@rgmtb]

Quite the bike. The storage is becoming more popular. There seems to be some sweet upgrades to the design. Nice review 👍

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

I'd have a hard time buying a mtb without storage now.

[@austinpierce6053]

@@Jamesthebikeguy Likewise! It just makes too much sense to have on bikes of these sort :)

[@plmn93]

I tried stuffing a 29" tube in the Aluminum EX frame and while it can be done it's a PITA. So not sure if I really care about it. Seat and frame bags and/or straps are a lot easier to access and you're less likely so crush stuff getting it in and out. Personally I'd rather have a lighter, stronger frame without a hole in it.

[@gazg00]

Love it. Gen 6 looks fantastic.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

I think so too!

[@mtbnoobs]

I would like to see someone do a thorough comparison of the new fuel ex and the stumpjumper evo. How do they compare in real life rather than just the numbers. P.S. they have the same head tube angle in their stock geo setups.

[@spencerimre]

Fuel ex has a little less travel, pedals a little better. Stumpy evo is a bit more plush and active. Other than that, they're pretty much the same, but if you're choosing between one or the other, I would go with the fuel ex. Has the progression adjustment which I think is really cool, and allows you to run many different shocks. Another big thing: the stumpy evo eats shocks. The strut mount is just a a little off center, so with coil shocks, it puts twisting/shearing forces on the shaft, causing them to be damaged/fail prematurely. For some people, the lack of ability to run a coil won't matter, for others, it's a dealbreaker.

[@Bike4adventure]

Beautiful bike! My friend has one on order. Looking forward to see how it rides.

[@Bike4adventure]

@@henaxl My friend loves it!

[@reneh.6551]

Love the reflectors and plastic cassette wheel 😍

[@cessna74]

... or so called dork disc. :)

[@helmutdschulnigg5798]

Thanks for the detailed review! I really like this bike. The bike looks like a perfect allrounder for trail/park. I am currently riding my second TREK Remedy 8 and love this bike so much. It's sad but understandable that TREK discontinued it and released the new FUEL EX a few years ago as its substitute. At the moment i am really happy with playful Remedy which is for me the perfect do it all bike. But in the future i plan to switch to 29inch wheels. I have never ridden a bike with that wheelsize and the FUEL EX 8 seams like a really good deal.

[@danegreer2270]

Love the reflectors

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Safety first 🦺

[@ash3rr]

can't tell if its sarcasm.

[@devonmoyers6337]

Suspension setup almost identical to my Devinci Troy. Great design with the rear pivot concentric to the axle. Sweet ride!

[@bigdonniebrasco]

PEOPLE! Stop complaining about a few pounds! If you aren't tough enough to pedal a few extra pounds, maybe got take a poop before your ride! Problem solved!

[@plmn93]

Don't know about you, but my poops aren't 4-5 pounds. That's a lot of extra weight for an extra 10mm of travel and it is easy to feel. It's a valid complaint. When you look at this side-by-side with the Gen 4 or 5 it looks a lot chunkier than it needs to be.

[@henryvaneyk3769]

Reminds me a lot of the Pyga Hyrax.

[@trailpimp6369]

Looks like a beauty brother ❤

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

I think so too!

[@mrvwbug4423]

For a trail bike that thing is pretty heavy. My Ripmo AF with FR560s only weighs 35lbs. My guess is most of the excess weight is in the frame and wheels. The SLX/XT drivetrain combo is pretty light, The 36 Rhythm fork isn't light, but it's not that bad, a 36 Performance, elite or factory would be lighter as would a Lyrik. Still the sheer amount of adjustability on that frame is insane. I do like that they sell an alloy frame only option, so you can build even the alloy bike to your liking if you want.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

The weight is mostly coming from the basic cockpit components and the huge amount of frame features. Those Line Comp 30 wheels are not light per-say but they are 1,950g so still way under most stock build wheels + plus the hubs are quite nice. An Ibis Ripmo AF rocks about as basic of a frame as a quality MTB gets. No offense meant here, but it utilizes very standard tubing, no frame adjustment, link adjustment, storage, ect. Nothing wrong with that (arguably prob a benefit for many) but it can be lighter because of that. The frame storage on it's own accounts for over 250g, the replaceable headset cups are 100g or so over integrated races, and the list goes on. If you want light it needs to be simple. If you want adjustment, well that comes with weight. As a trail bike, it is heavy. As a Enduro capable bike it's light. As a bike that can do more than one thing, it seems just about right.

[@steven.9263]

Too heavy for a pure trailbike though, really. No way it's gonna keep up with 30ish pound bikes on a climb or long ride.

[@MTBMOR]

My Giant Trance x is only 33 lbs. It's amazing how much the new bikes can handle.

[@Devin717az]

9.8 xt weights 33lbs

[@mrvwbug4423]

@@Devin717az That is really heavy for a carbon trail bike

[@jaysealenduro5618]

I agree, Trek is no doubt the industry leader in almost every category of high performance mtb and road equipped with industry leading and pioneering proprietary Tech. And for trail bike the fuel ex is a great mtb. But for my personal choice I'll prefer the Remedy and for more aggressive i do have an Project 1 Slash.

[@Kinetic_worx]

My only complaint is that it's within a 200g of an equivalent Trek Slash.

[@spencerimre]

slash is gonna get an update soon

[@cliffordrichardc]

very clear

[@MP19861]

This or Top Fuel 8 XT? Basic trails/gravel/park riding. Thank you.

[@Diegutpf]

Top Fuel! I have one. Awesome bike.

[@Gerald-iz7mv]

its still not a carbon frame for that price...? also would be interested to see 2023 trek fuel exe e...

[@franciscoayon9470]

I looking for a first bike,ive seem the marlin,but then i also saw someone selling a 2012 trek fuel ex 7 for 650,what you think it's a better deal

[@plmn93]

I wouldn't buy a full suspension bike that old. Lot of proprietary parts in rear suspensions and they can be very hard to find after 10 years or so.

[@noonster55]

The rear suspension is kinda like an old Santa Cruz MTB suspension, only a lot more versatility.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Huh? Santa Cruz has never used or had a suspension design like ABP. They have used Single Pivot, High Pivots and VPP. All of which are significantly different.

[@zorglub5699]

the lights are very important lmao

[@timmatteson7897]

Don't forget the dork disc!

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Safety First!

[@carpenterbil006]

The giant trance x has still got this beat

[@ashwinamanna2465]

Can you say why? I am looking at the trance x 27.7 and Fuel Ex Gen 6 small 27.5

[@Robin887]

yeah can you say why? Got the same dilemma Trance X vs Gen 6

[@ashwinamanna2465]

@@Robin887 I ended up getting a Gen 6 29er and I love it. To be fair I never got a chance to do a test ride.on a Giant trance x.

[@Robin887]

@@ashwinamanna2465 Can I ask which version ex 5, 7 or 8 you got? I think i will be going on gen 6 also :D mostly because it doesnt has pressift and feels like its worth the money. But ex 7 is way more cheaper than ex 8. So you are happy with the fuel ex? Im so afraid putting money and getting problems asap like creacking etc. Best regards

[@anonymous3249]

Is it compatible with the new SRAM transmission especially the direct mount derailleur ?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Yes it sure is. All of the full-suspension bikes in Trek's lineup use SRAM's UDH - Many of which have for years now. Also worth noting the new Roscoe Hardtail does as well.

[@joshuaandress3666]

Love seeing my bike in videos ❤

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Cheers

[@MazharAliz]

So is weight the problem with this?

[@Elvis68spec]

Very interesting Bike!

[@flashfive23]

Anyone else hate the new frame design!

[@orriechaffin2850]

I like it

[@323johnnybravo]

It’s like an ugly 2018 GT Force. Wish Trek would stop copying GTs designs.

[@lenolenoleno]

Weight isn't everything but geez that's heavy. It's heavier than a RAAW Madonna frameset - a no compromise alloy enduro bike vs. a Fuel Ex with 140mm travel. The Raaw has plenty flips chips etc. No downtube storage (but does have an additional top tube bottle boss storage). The headset cups shouldn't even add to the weight (and is it even worth it? Unlike Specialized where it's all done by hand, you have to press in a new lower cup to make this change. Trek don't even include this headset in the box. The new upper and lower cups needed to make this adjustment cost almost as much as an angleset from Wolf Tooth/Works Components headset except now you're locked into Trek's useless proprietary headset standard...)

[@GustavoAdolfoContrerasSoto]

wait wait wait i remember that... alpha aluminium > alpha Gold > alpha Platinium gen 5 is alpha platium and gen 6 is aluminium? someone explain this to me?

[@cesaralexis73]

Pivot switchback is way better

[@zp2010mo]

To who?

[@daddyduck833]

Don't know how they could get away with pricing it doubled from what the specialized status is...

[@logankurtz1933]

Go look at the stump jumper evo, that’s what this bike is emulating. Same price if not more expensive

[@texaswunderkind]

Every time I go to Trek's website to look at a bike, they are out of pretty much every size and color combination. How effing hard is it to keep products in stock? Are the babies working in the Chinese sweatshops on strike or something?

[@fullsusloditv5495]

nice modern mtb 👍

[@oldkicker8958]

Heavy!

[@skinny8019]

wow...that thing is heavy...ebikes are getting to that weight....though...nice bike....i wouldnt call this a trail bike...i think

[@mikerotchburns1622]

would be nice if it didnt weigh 36 lbs

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Yeah, its put on a few lbs over the years

[@michaelmichaelagnew8503]

34 lbs, but for what it does the weight does not matter its not a racing bike and climbs better than all the other trail bikes in its class. It was tested and on video against the other big name brands including Santa Cruz and others. Just google it you should find it.

[@4discussions825]

It‘s much to heavy to buy….my old Trek and Votec are about 12kg and this was heavy when I bought them.

[@kylelongstaff]

Bruh.. rear reflector on a trail bike... We even take the dork discs off of all Fuels in our store..

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Nah dude safety first

[@Grizzleback07]

Some States require bikes to have reflectors.

[@djg5135]

​@@Jamesthebikeguy reflectors are going to do nothing for you. If you want to be seen you should be using flashers.

[@marksandoval5361]

The Fuex might be the best bike Trek has ever made but it is also the ugliest bike Trek has ever made. The frame just looks cobbled together.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Hmm maybe it's just this color, but I like it's look

[@plmn93]

Looks are subjective. I think it's some pretty amazing metal working. First time I saw one I thought it was carbon until I saw the welds.

[@benjy288]

A 16kg trail bike? no thanks, its almost 2kg heavier than the previous model

[@michaelmichaelagnew8503]

Its like almost 2 lbs heavier than the previous not 4lbs, and its all in making the frame more durable for that down hill stuff.

[@benjy288]

@@michaelmichaelagnew8503 A gen 5 ex8 weighs 13.86kg without pedals, a gen 6 ex8 weighs 15.65 without pedals, so 1.79kg or 3.9lbs heavier, and in regards to the frame, this is supposed to be a trail bike, not an enduro bike, if someone wants a solid heavy duty bike for bombing down trails as fast as possible then they should be looking at the slash, a trail bike is supposed to be a great all rounder.

[@orbea42]

Threaded BBs or nothing. I would rather never ride again than buy a bike with a press fit BB.

[@djg5135]

This bike has a threaded BB.

[@plmn93]

Press fit has never given me problems over seven years now. But yeah, this one is threaded.

[@callaway5148]

I can't take a trail bike review seriously when it has reflectors and a dork disc.

[@rogertheartfuldodger]

Come on. The bike is out of the box. Every rider takes those widgets off before the first ride. By the way, have you ridden this bike?

[@TheJpep2424]

No one takes your comment seriously.

[@thebdceigal]

For real… but Trek always drops dork discs and reflectors on all of their bikes. I think it’s a liability thing?

[@skg901]

This is a bit too inspired from the Vitus Escarpe...😂

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Aside from it having two wheels and also being FS I don't see it. They don't share anything in terms of geo or adjustability. Totally different suspension platforms and the Vitus doesn't have much in the way of frame features. I don't see it, maybe the lower shock mount is catching your eye?

[@BIIIKES]

​@@Jamesthebikeguy Just a Trek hater. They're out there.

[@mohit9374]

Trek copied the features from specialized and design from gt and called it a day.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Certainly took ques from the Stumpjumper, but then again when you combine all the variations, that's the best selling FS mountain bike on the market, so they should have!

[@michaelmichaelagnew8503]

@@Jamesthebikeguy Which StumpJumper are we talking about since they have a stumpJumper for XC, one for Trails, and one for Enduro?

[@tntexplosivefighter]

The obesity pandemic has spread amongst the trek fuel ex🎉😂

[@jshannon2k8]

Not a worthy upgrade from the Gen 5. I'll take the reduced weight all day.

[@michaelmichaelagnew8503]

Have you riden both? Gen 6 goes up faster, as well as down faster than Gen 5. You can't even notice the extra weight. All around a much better bike than the previous generation.

[@zed5129]

Get an XC bike

[@Robin887]

Gen 5 has got one unacceptable con... pressfit

[@plmn93]

​@@Robin887 The pressfit on my 2018 EX has never given me a single issue. Over 5000 hard miles on it at this point.

[@gregsparks]

Sorry, not even close to the Polygon Sisku T8 for the price. Lots of useless dumb gimmicks on the Trek.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

How so?

[@gregsparks]

@@Jamesthebikeguy Price and useless gimmicks.

[@painteater19]

​@@gregsparks the most effectively adjustable mass market frame in the business is full of "dumb gimmicks", ok bud. Show me on this doll where trek hurt you.

[@ArturoMartinez-jn9us]

I went for the ex 8 over the t8. Can’t complain

[@battistaverardi1240]

I have never liked this suspension design. It’s not original and many bikes have this design, Santa Cruz for one. There are much better suspension designs out there. The ultimate is the Jamis Dakar MP2, award winning and totally original!

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

There is literally no other brand that has ABP suspension. The closest is Split Pivot from Dave Weagel and used on a few brands. Santa Cruz uses VPP and that's a wildly different platform, and a Single Pivot on the Blur.

[@battistaverardi1240]

@@Jamesthebikeguy ABP? sorry but that suspension design is garbage. Trek is not known as a mountain bike brand, ask anyone who knows. Even the Jamis EVO blows that out of the water. Jamis was the first company to create a full suspension mountain bike and it is the Dakar which they still make today that has the award winning MP2 suspension. Even the VPP is nothing special, Dakar has been around since 1979, tell me another brand that has been around that long. Specialized came out with the FSR stumpjumper to compete with Jamis in 1982 but to no avail. To many companies coming out with their " patented " suspension design that is nothing but a gimmick.

[@painteater19]

​@@battistaverardi1240 you are out your damn chair if you think Trek isn't "known as a mountain bike brand". ABP, while not as trendy and cool as the DW-link, VPP, or switch infinity suspension designs, is a very effective workhorse for many riders.

[@battistaverardi1240]

@@painteater19 lol, trek is utter trash! Never have won any accolades such as bike of the year or not as well known on the mountain biking scene. I’ve ridden this suspension design and was immediately uncomfortable and coming out of the corners was a disaster. Trek should just stick to hard tails and sell them as budget bikes!

[@terrybull4604]

Isn't the devinci troy pretty much exactly the same suspension design?...I don't agree with this fellas statement. I have been quite happy with my gen 5. thinking of buying the gen 6 but we have alot of pedaling and climbing in my area. Which do you figure climbs better?

[@romma11]

single pivot = chain growth; outdated design

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Unfortunately I don't think you have a solid understanding of axle path and suspension designs. It's worth revisiting suspension designs to consider chain growth, which affects almost all bikes and can be exacerbated by travel and suspension designs. Single pivot or modified single pivot designs tend to have the most consistent axle path curve, while suspension designs such as VPP create a sine wave-like shape. Four-bar linkages like Horst link / FSR are relatively linear up to 90-100mm travel length, but longer travel setups produce a distinct arch. The question is whether chain growth matters. It can impact anti-squat characteristics and extreme circumstances, and used to be an issue before clutched derailleurs were invented. However, on properly designed bikes like this one and most modern suspension designs, including true single pivots, chain growth is typically a non-issue.

[@romma11]

@@Jamesthebikeguy it is simple math even good visualization will do. The fact that they join pivot on axle is the problem compare to horst linkage from specialized for example

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Are you deciding to ignore suspension kinematics then? Sure horst link axle path is relatively straight in a 90mm suspension bike, but not when you get to modern day travels. If it were still the best, why is it Specialized has gone away from it on most bikes? P.s. Horst link was introduced by AMP in 1990. When you talk about outdated, horst link is one of the oldest mountain bikes suspension designs. That by no means indicates whether or not it is still good, as in many cases it is. But when you say outdated, the ABP suspension on this particular bike was patented over 17 years later, so how is that outdated and the other suspension is not?

[@plmn93]

Odd I have not seen one single review mentioning that "problem". I guess you must just be smarter than everybody else to know of problems that nobody else notices.