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Jul 25, 2023

New Trek Fuel EXe eMTB combines TQ motor and aluminium frame

Prices start at £7,075/$7,399 for alloy version of Trek’s electric trail bike This competition is now closed By Oscar Huckle Published: July 14, 2023 at 12:52 pm Trek has announced an alloy-framed

Prices start at £7,075/$7,399 for alloy version of Trek’s electric trail bike

This competition is now closed

By Oscar Huckle

Published: July 14, 2023 at 12:52 pm

Trek has announced an alloy-framed version of its Fuel EXe, bringing the electric mountain bike down to more affordable price points.

The Fuel EXe was initially launched in carbon frame models only. Technical editor-in-chief Robin Weaver found the Trek Fuel EXe 9.9 XX1 AXS to balance its natural motor feel with impressive handling and surefooted geometry.

The new electric mountain bike shares its geometry and 150/140mm travel suspension layout with the carbon models. Trek says you can fit a 160mm fork if you wish, and it’s also coil shock compatible.

There are three models in the alloy Fuel EXe range. They use the same frame which is constructed using Trek’s Alpha Platinum Aluminium tubing and run on TQ’s HPR50 electric bike motor system.

The mid-level-assist system packs 50Nm of torque, with the battery storing 360Wh of juice and the display is integrated into the top tube. TQ claims the battery offers around five hours of ride time in eco mode, or two hours in the highest power setting.

Unlike the carbon version of the bike, the alloy Fuel EXe is compatible with angled headset cups.

This enables you to slacken or steepen the head angle by up to one degree.

The alloy Fuel EXe runs on 29in wheels and like its carbon sibling, is compatible with a mullet wheel set-up, provided you set the Mino Link flip chip to the high position.

The Mino Link adjusts the head tube angle by half a degree and the bottom bracket height by 10mm.

The Fuel EXe 5 starts at £5,175/$5,499/€5,799/AU$8,499.99 and features a RockShox Recon Silver fork, an X-Fusion Pro 2 shock, Tektro HD-M745 brakes and a Shimano Deore drivetrain.

The top-spec Fuel EXe 8 retails for £7,075/$7,399/€7,899/AU$11,499.99 and sports SRAM’s new GX Eagle Transmission groupset, a Fox Rhythm 36 fork and matching Float X Performance shock, SRAM DB8 brakes and Bontrager finishing kit.

The £6,575/$6,599/€6,999/AU$N/A Fuel EXe Alloy 8 XT sits between these two bikes and features a mix of Shimano Deore, XT and SLX drivetrain and brake components. It shares the same suspension components, finishing kit and wheels as the Fuel EXe 8.

Technical writer

Oscar Huckle is a technical writer at BikeRadar. He has been an avid cyclist since his teenage years, initially catching the road cycling bug and riding for a local club. He’s since been indoctrinated into gravel riding and more recently has taken to the dark art of mountain biking. His favourite rides are epic road or gravel routes, and he has also caught the bikepacking bug hard after completing the King Alfred’s Way and West Kernow Way. Oscar has a BA degree in English Literature and Film Studies and has close to a decade of cycling industry experience, initially working in a variety of roles at Evans Cycles before joining Carbon Bike Repair. He is particularly fond of workshop tool exotica and is a proponent of Campagnolo groupsets. Oscar prefers lightweight road and gravel frames with simple tube shapes, rather than the latest trend for aerodynamics and full integration. He is obsessed with keeping up to date with all the latest tech, is fixated with the smallest details and is known for his unique opinions.

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