1ST IMPRESSION
HOW IT RIDES
There’s very little overrun on the TQ motor, but because the pickup is almost instantaneous, it’s not an issue in the same way that it is on, say, the Shimano system. It does favour a higher cadence though, so in that respect it still feels very much like an analogue bike when you set off in too high a gear. Well, at least until you start to climb. On shallow gradients the Fuel EXE has the power to sit right at the 15.5mph/25kph pedal assist limit. There’s also really smooth power delivery when you transition from seated to standing when climbing.
There are three power modes, which I’ll call eco, trail and boost as
Trek neglected to name them. In eco the motor supplies around 100W of additional power, trail hovers around 180W, while boost will comfortably kick out almost 300W, providing you’ve got the legs to keep going. The OLED screen embedded in the top tube is intuitive to use and easy to read. With four display screens you can scroll through all of the regular metrics, which are fully customisable though the Trek Control app.
It’s not until you get the Fuel EXE onto steeper, technical ascents that you really notice the reduced torque. And as the revs decrease and rider effort increases, it’s only then that you notice a soft whirl coming from the TQ motor. In every other situation the Fuel EXE is eerily quiet. So quiet in fact, that the rattle from the BITS tool stashed inside the steerer tube of the new Rockshox Lyrik fork becomes unbearable.
And while I’m not a fan of one-piece carbon bar/stem combos, the Bontrager RSL unit on the top-end Fuel EXE has a profile that perfectly mirrors the back sweep of a regular bar with a 50mm stem. At 820mm wide however, I had to cut it down to 780mm, with the grips fitted, after just one ride. The bar also has a lot of flex engineered into it. And while that may help with the overall ride quality, on occasion, it tends to load up and fire back at you, normally when diving into steeper corners, where you are simultaneously loading up the front end while steering.
Our test bike also came equipped with Airwiz, Rockshox’s pressure indicators for your suspension. And much in the same way that Tyrewiz uses a flashing light system to indicate an operating pressure range, Airwiz does the same for your suspension. Because forks and shocks don’t lose air anything like as rapidly as tyres, I can’t help but feel that Airwiz is a bit of a gimmick. That said, if Airwiz can read the fork and shock pressures in real time, then there’s nothing stopping Rockshox layering on its Shockwiz tech, which would be genuinely useful as it would help simplify suspension set-up. And it’s not like the EXE is lacking suspension technology. The latest Rockshox Lyrik fork sporting the Charger 3 RC2 damper, bleed ports on the back of the lower legs and high-frequency vibration isolating Buttercups that make it feel like you’re running a softer compound front tyre. Out back it gets the new Rockshox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, where the triangle of lines at the base of the shock body indicate that it comes with hydraulic bottom out. Like the fork, the shock has a full complement of damping adjustment, but Trek has been a little too heavy handed with the base tune as I had all of the adjusters wide open and the rebound was still borderline too slow for me, at 80kg.
So the Trek Fuel EXE wasn’t quite as playful as I expected. And in that respect it rode more like a very capable enduro bike than an out-and-out trail bike. It’s incredibly stable, the carbon frame is well damped, solid without feeling overly stiff, and Trek has also nailed the geometry and sizing. Hardly surprising then, that I was able to ride some of my local trails faster than ever before.
Has Trek done enough to convince the hardcore analogue rider that it is time to superchage their ride? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure, the Trek Fuel EXE took my riding to another level.
HIGHS
Dialled geometry and sizing. The handling blurs the line between enduro and trail riding. The TQ motor is easily the quietest to date.
LOWS
Shock tune is a little too firm in compression. BITS tool rattles in the steerer tube. Would benefit from a front tyre with a more pronounced edge.
Head angle Seat angle Eff SA BB height Chainstay Front centre Wheelbase Down tube Seat tube Top tube Reach