- Motor
- TQ HPR50
- Battery
- 360Wh
- Fork Travel
- 150 mm
- Rear Travel
- 140 mm
- Weight
- 20.5 kg for the Fuel EXe 8 XT without pedals
- Price
- €5.499-7.499
About one year ago, Trek launched a new lightweight emtb with a carbon frame. It was equipped with the mild and silent TQ HPR50 motor and a 360 Wh battery. The 2023 Trek Fuel EXe felt so natural on the trails. Natural because the motor was barely audible. Natural because the motor activated and deactivated almost unnoticeably. And stealth, most people won’t ever know they’re looking at an ebike.
Watch or review of the Fuel EXe 8 XT or keep reading below.
The new alloy frames have the same geometry as the carbon ones. The new bikes have the same Mino Link chip for adjustable geometry. In the original, Low setting, we get a head tube angle of just under 65*, seat tube angle is just shy of 77*. The 440 mm chainstays contributes to a 1.248 mm wheelbase for size L. That’s perfect for us at just over 180 cm height.
The lean Rockshox Sektor Silver 150 mm fork isn’t particularily stable at high speeds. And the 140 mm travel X-Fusion Pro 2 appears to be a basic shock. But the Tektro M745 brakes and the 12-speed Shimano Deore gears are solid. The 29x2.4” Bontrager Gunnison tyres are new to us. We expect they’re better at rolling fast than gripping. That makes sense on a model made for comfortable rides and less for speed and excitement.
I don't think most superlight emtbs actually are superlight. Sure, there are some bikes approaching 16 kg, that’s superlight I’d say. The rest of those bikes I simply refer to as “lightweight”, mild and lightweight. 20.5 kg is light for an emtb. Still, there are emtbs with full-fat motors and big batteries weighing just a little more. But these aren’t “mild”. They’re more noisy, and their motors will color the riding experience.
The not too burly and not that soft Bontrager XR5 tyres are surprisingly fast-rolling. It’s an unusual experience for us pedaling so much above the cut-off speed. And it’s so much fun. In many situations, the mild Trek Fuel EXe inspires us to do most of the work ourselves. Sure, the alloy Fuel EXe is heavier than the carbon version, but am I having less fun? I didn’t have the opportunity to ride the two versions side-by-side, but I get the same sensation riding the new alloy bike. This is inspiring, intense and fun.
The alloy Fuel EXe reminds us a lot of the carbon version. Sure, it’s noticeably heavier lifting the bike up on the bike rack. But the bank account will also be noticeably fuller if you go aluminium over carbon. The alloy EXe is a great bike, it allows more people to get a taste of a mild lightweight emtb. We do miss a slightly cheaper and sensibly spec'ed Trek Fuel EXe 7 though.
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Watch or review of the Fuel EXe 8 XT or keep reading below.
The new alloy frames have the same geometry as the carbon ones. The new bikes have the same Mino Link chip for adjustable geometry. In the original, Low setting, we get a head tube angle of just under 65*, seat tube angle is just shy of 77*. The 440 mm chainstays contributes to a 1.248 mm wheelbase for size L. That’s perfect for us at just over 180 cm height.
Fuel Exe 5 - lightweight at a lower price point
The alloy frame makes the Fuel EXe significantly cheaper. The entry level Trek Fuel EXe 5 comes in at €5.499 / £5.175. If your desire is to experience nature riding a nice and stealthy bike, the Fuel EXe 5 is a good candidate.The lean Rockshox Sektor Silver 150 mm fork isn’t particularily stable at high speeds. And the 140 mm travel X-Fusion Pro 2 appears to be a basic shock. But the Tektro M745 brakes and the 12-speed Shimano Deore gears are solid. The 29x2.4” Bontrager Gunnison tyres are new to us. We expect they’re better at rolling fast than gripping. That makes sense on a model made for comfortable rides and less for speed and excitement.
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Two Fuel EXe Eights
Go with one of the two Fuel EXe 8 models if you prefer speed on the trails. Both have the same, nice Fox Rhythm 36 150 mm fork and 140 mm travel Fox Performance Float X shock. And they both get the 29x2.5” Bontrager XR5 Team Issue tyres.|
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Trek Fuel EXe 8 XT
The cheaper of the eights is the Fuel EXe 8 XT with a €6.999 / £6.575 price tag. The Shimano Deore M6120 dual caliper brakes are solid. Drivetrain is the 12-speed Shimano XT with the nice XT shifter.|
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Trek Fuel EXe 8 GX AXS
€7.499 / £7.075 will buy you the Fuel EXe with the new Sram GX AXS Transmission drivetrain. Here you get a 12-speed rear derailleur that attaches to the frame without a derailleur hanger. This model too comes with dual caliper brakes, namely the Sram DB8.|
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Riding the Trek Fuel EXe 8 XT
Prior to the release, we got to ride the Shimano XT equipped Fuel EXe 8. The first thing we checked was the weight. The scale read 20.5 kg without pedals, about 1.5 kg more than the top-of-the line Fuel EXe 9.9 AXS carbon. Is that lightweight? Does this bike belong to the “superlight emtb” category?I don't think most superlight emtbs actually are superlight. Sure, there are some bikes approaching 16 kg, that’s superlight I’d say. The rest of those bikes I simply refer to as “lightweight”, mild and lightweight. 20.5 kg is light for an emtb. Still, there are emtbs with full-fat motors and big batteries weighing just a little more. But these aren’t “mild”. They’re more noisy, and their motors will color the riding experience.
Quick on the climbs?
Do you need a powerful motor to have a fast emtb? It definitely is an advantage on the climbs. Riding along side full power emtbs, the Fuel EXe immediately lags behind on the climbs. The EXe is of course fast compared to an analogue bike. You have the option to relax on the climbs, riding at “analogue speeds” you’ll reach the top fresh and rested. The Fuel EXe has long enough chainstays and a steep enough seat tube angle to ride properly steep ascents.Quick on the flat!
25 kph on flat, straight trails isn’t very fast. A big powerful motor isn’t much help riding at above cut-off speeds. In those situations, I prefer a small and light motor with little pedaling resistance.The not too burly and not that soft Bontrager XR5 tyres are surprisingly fast-rolling. It’s an unusual experience for us pedaling so much above the cut-off speed. And it’s so much fun. In many situations, the mild Trek Fuel EXe inspires us to do most of the work ourselves. Sure, the alloy Fuel EXe is heavier than the carbon version, but am I having less fun? I didn’t have the opportunity to ride the two versions side-by-side, but I get the same sensation riding the new alloy bike. This is inspiring, intense and fun.
What about descending?
I believe the Fuel EXe 8 is equally as fast as the carbon Fuel EXe 9.9 AXS while descending. Could it be the 8 is a tad quicker? Could it be the slightly higher weight makes for a more confidence inspiring descender? The Fuel EXe feels stable, and it could keep up with the full power emtbs on fast descents. Mind you, we rode bone dry trails. The Bonty XR5s might be holding the bike back in wet and slippery conditions. Still, they're nice tyres for this kind of bike.Return of the Limp-mode
We had almost forgot about it, but the Fuel EXe 8 reminded us about the limp-mode. The manufacturer decided to prevent the bike suddenly coming to a stop with an empty battery. Therefore, the motor will enter limp mode at 10% battery remaining. I guess it’s nice having the opportunity to get home with some motor assistance. Very little motor assistance actually. But we were monitoring remaining range and planned the trip accordingly. We think we should be able to go deeper before the the bike enters limp-mode and the assistance pretty much disappears.|
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Conclusion
This isn’t a burly enduro bike, but I must say it’s a capable descender. The Fuel EXe is an all-mountain trail bike with a moderate amount of suspension travel. It really shines on fast trails, sections where you go above the cut-off speed. I’d prefer the Fuel EXe over any analogue bike when climbing, but it’s no “free lunch” going up. You don’t get the full-fat ebike experience on the ascents.|
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The alloy Fuel EXe reminds us a lot of the carbon version. Sure, it’s noticeably heavier lifting the bike up on the bike rack. But the bank account will also be noticeably fuller if you go aluminium over carbon. The alloy EXe is a great bike, it allows more people to get a taste of a mild lightweight emtb. We do miss a slightly cheaper and sensibly spec'ed Trek Fuel EXe 7 though.
