I just picked up one a month ago. Now granted I stepped up from a 20 year old Cannondale F400 but wow this bike is amazing. So smooth and easy to ride on my local trails. My body thanks me every time out. Just one small over sight on your part the rear tire is 2.4" not 2.6" like the front
Yo I’m speaking typing right now I just seen this at a bike shop really didn’t pay attention to it because the price tag but I’m bout to go buy it honestly, I was looking at the EX7 and typed it into my phone and just seem like 2019 but I think it was a 2021 but either way I think I want the EX8 and it’s like the pink purple red one awesome I’m gonna wait till tomorrow till this other bike shop opens which is close to that one and yeah I went to other couple bike shops today And they were bare bones shit, but yeah EX 8 xt For life I didn’t test Ride it, but coming from my kind of beat up Marlin 4, Yeah it probably feels like gold laugh out loud let me know if you guys laugh out loud
I have this bike and I love it my only complaint is that my brake seals were defective but I had my lbs owner call Shimano and they upgraded me to a mt501 lever and caliper for free
Just got one, same spec as video I believe but XL. Weight is 15.5kg. My first full suspension, love it so far. You can tell the whole thing works well together.
How does the geo feel? I'm 6'2 33 inseam and the large was too small so ordered an xl. Should get it any day. Worried I'm going to be laid right out on it.
@@terrybull4604 feels good but I don't have experience of other similar bikes. I'm 6'2" and 34" so probably relatively long legs for my height and the bike feels fine. Definitely not too much reach.
Hopefully this winter when its cold and I cant video outside I would like to put together some comparision opinion of bikes I have already videoed. So subscribe and stay tuned.
Because pedal choice is personal prefeance. You might want X style and the next guy Y style pedals. So the brands know not to waste $100 worth of the bike price on something you might through away.
@@McRemmyBaby You know what, I also forgot I had a bash guard, a fender and a bell installed at the time I commented lol. I like mine too, the bike doesn't feel heavy though. It feels stable on the rough though.
@@Robin_Hood381 ima wait till this is i. Stock or something light/similar, honestly I’m all about weight for some reason lol, fuck full suspension n all that! Speed n lightweight Yo these bikes with everything on is low 20lbs Think these giant frames are like 2lbs carbon lol fuck Fuck trek lmao 30lb monsters! 😂😞
@@McRemmyBaby Yeah this is a good bike; So far, I could hit everything on it around my local. If you want something lighter, you either got to pay more for a carbon framed bike or get an XC mountain bike which can get pretty expensive as well if you want something super light.
@@coffeemuncher01 I decided to get a membership to the indoor bike park for the winter season rather than a new bike. Going to spend another year on a Hardtail….. it’s all good 🤙
There are dozens of styles of pedals, and hundreds of manufacturers. So it would be a waste for the bike company to guess at what style and brand you are already using, or want to use in the future.
The biggest complaint I have with my '18 EX7 is the Reba fork. It's just too flexible for a trail bike and I've never been able to dial it in, it's too firm yet still bottoms fairly easily. Nice to see they have bumped it up to 35mm stanchions and 140mm of travel, that should, in theory, make for better performance.
Something I have not been able to find about the aluminum trek Fuel Ex. How progressive is the rear suspension? Is it a good fit to a coil shock? The closest info I have found is that Leverage ratio is 2.7 (starts at a 3.0 and ends at 2.5). The progressive rate is 15%. Trek comment is that they were focused on having a good mid-stroke experience. The problem...I don't know what this info means. I am 245 lbs and cannot get the rear shock settled (even using the shock wiz) not matter what I do. It is extremely stuff and uncomfortable or I'm blowing through suspension on regular trailing riding.
I’m deciding between a Trek Fuel Ex 7, a Canyon Torque 5, and a Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy. I ride to school, but I also do a lot of hard street and trail jumps, drops, and “huck to flat”s. The Canyon’s longer travel makes it seem better for the hard jumps, but the Trek and Specialized’s weight and feel make them seem better for the trail riding I do. How does the Trek and Specialized hold up on big jumps and drops, and how does the Canyon climb?
G'day mate , this is cyclepath from down under . Was wondering if you could help me .I'm about to upgrade the forks on my new hardtail . Can't decide between rockshox Judy or fox 34 s. What would your advice be ?
I have Fuel ex 8 XT 2020. I love that bike, it is soo capable. I have 2 questions. Have you ever try to update rear shock on your Fuel ex to piggy-back shock? I'm wondering is it necessary to change any other part besides rear shock, for example those bushings around which rear shock is rotating... And also if you want to remove cables from frame, you need to cut off zip tie on downtube (trek cable control freak). How can you put new zip tie around new cables and place everything like it was? It looks like very complicated because there is no guide inside downtube which will direct new zip tie when you put it inside frame... Thanks in advance.
Couple of thoughts. First, I have not done a piggyback or even thought about it since at least for my riding this shock is holding up quite well. The control freak is "freakishly" easy to do. So simple. If you watch my build video of this bike I show how to do it and part of what makes these Fuels so good is how easy they are to work on.
Can you pls provide me link of that video of your and tell me at what minute you are adjusting cables with control freak in downtube. Thanks in advance 🙂
I was in the same boat however I just went and put some money down on a EX7 because 1 they had it and 2 Scott has been horrible about getting their bikes to the U. S. dealers, my local Scott dealer doesn't know when they would get a 940 or 950 in. I like the remote lockout on the Scott mountain bikes i had actually added it to my Salsa Spearfish that I use to race. Since 2016 I've been riding a Trek Stache 5 that I have upgraded just about everything on it's super nice but after 20/25 miles of mountain biking on it my lower back hurts bad.
The Trek Fuel EX is a pretty perfect all around platform. Capable enough, but not so "big" that is is cumbersome. Good choice for someone's first real MTB. The 7 is a better value than the 5 so for her I bet she would like it.
So I've seen many videos on the EX 7, and it's like every video, the brakes on the bike change. In this video, it has the Sram Level T brakes, but in others it has the Shimano brakes. I'm a Sram guy, and I want the Sram brakes. Is it like a country specific thing? Or are there just two different versions of the EX 7 with different brakes? Thanks!
@@Jamesthebikeguy Its noted in official Trek site Fuel ex 7 Total weight M - 15.05 kg so maybe the made mistake there, but I donť thing so. Anyway if its true this is really big weight difference with minimal changes.
Money constrantes really wouldnt make you choose between these two since they are similiarly priced given a EX 8 and a Remedy 8 kind of comparison. The Fuel EX is more trail and speedier, the Remedy is more enduro and nimble. Depends on the rider.
I own both a remedy 9.8 and a fuel ex 9.8 and I ride my remedy more than the fuel. The remedy is for sure a faster more aggressive bike. If you’re less experienced or are only ever doing light enduro/trail/xc rides, then you’d like the fuel ex better (maybe even the top fuel). Money wise I’m not sure what James is talking about as the remedy 8 is $600 more than the fuel ex 8 so that is something to consider.
@@edgilbert8366 no it does not. I literally looked after you made this comment: This is word for what what’s stated on the Fuel EX7 page: “Shimano hydraulic disc, MT4100 lever, MT410 caliper”
Hi, I'm little bit confused about weight I mean Is the weighed weight 30.95 really correct ? Because someone below wrote that size M weighs 34.4 lbs so how is it ??..
You have ridden them back to back, same trail, same day, same setup? I would be hard pressed if blind folded to feel any difference between the two in terms of suppleness.
@@Jamesthebikeguy yes. I had the full floater and then I got the new one and in my experience the older model felt plusher in the rear riding my everyday trails.
Check out my 2nd channel: Jr's Gasoline Alley where I review R/Cs Cars and DIYs - th-cam.com/channels/pRReJABfwDGgsfSTYiItUg.html
This is the review we need
for the fuel ex 8
I wish. I have not been able to get my hands on one yet.
I just picked up one a month ago. Now granted I stepped up from a 20 year old Cannondale F400 but wow this bike is amazing. So smooth and easy to ride on my local trails. My body thanks me every time out. Just one small over sight on your part the rear tire is 2.4" not 2.6" like the front
Right on!
man, it's simply amazing how aluminum and mountain bikes have evolved. 14 Kg is what my old full sus XC bike weights, and it has no dropper post 😂
Got an EX 8 XT last week, excellent bike
Congrats, nice ride!
Yo I’m speaking typing right now I just seen this at a bike shop really didn’t pay attention to it because the price tag but I’m bout to go buy it honestly, I was looking at the EX7 and typed it into my phone and just seem like 2019 but I think it was a 2021 but either way I think I want the EX8 and it’s like the pink purple red one awesome I’m gonna wait till tomorrow till this other bike shop opens which is close to that one and yeah I went to other couple bike shops today And they were bare bones shit, but yeah EX 8 xt For life I didn’t test Ride it, but coming from my kind of beat up Marlin 4, Yeah it probably feels like gold laugh out loud let me know if you guys laugh out loud
Great video James! Love TREK! Just put out a video on the 2021 Top Fuel 😀
I'll check it out!
I have this bike and I love it my only complaint is that my brake seals were defective but I had my lbs owner call Shimano and they upgraded me to a mt501 lever and caliper for free
Nice
This was by far an excellent review. I wish other item reviews were organized.
I absolutely love this bike I’m gonna get it soon
Siiick!
Just got one, same spec as video I believe but XL. Weight is 15.5kg. My first full suspension, love it so far. You can tell the whole thing works well together.
Very nice!
How does the geo feel? I'm 6'2 33 inseam and the large was too small so ordered an xl. Should get it any day. Worried I'm going to be laid right out on it.
@@terrybull4604 feels good but I don't have experience of other similar bikes. I'm 6'2" and 34" so probably relatively long legs for my height and the bike feels fine. Definitely not too much reach.
@@markturnbull6249 thanks Mark!
I love my 2019 ex 8 bet this one is just as good
How is it for downhill? 1 to 10?
@@jairox I have not taken it to a park I live in Southern Michigan. But I would say 7
Hi James. Great review as usual Sir. Thank you for your time and efforts.
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
I have a rakan 1.3 and I'm getting an ex7 in a week.. I'm excited to add to the collection and see how this handles in comparison.
Love that low standover height.
For sure.
Im getting the same bike wanted to see how it work awesome thanks dude
I have a hardtail 69er and it weighs a little less. Impressive considering the3 69er is super light
I've probably watched this video like 5 times now this month while comparing the ex7 to others
Lol
Can you do the trek fuel ex5, thanx.
PLEASE!
I love this bike
I upgraded to a sram axis which needed a new hub. Does this mean I was also upgraded to 108t?
That's i think the biggest dork disc I've ever seen
lol
Thanks for the review, looks like a solid bike. Can you explain about the 30 dollar hub upgrade you mentioned?
Sure thing, check out my how-to here: th-cam.com/video/rWrL7rkpuQE/w-d-xo.html
Can you do a video comparing the ex 5 vs ex7
Hopefully this winter when its cold and I cant video outside I would like to put together some comparision opinion of bikes I have already videoed. So subscribe and stay tuned.
Stupid question. WHy do new bikes come without pedals?
Because pedal choice is personal prefeance. You might want X style and the next guy Y style pedals. So the brands know not to waste $100 worth of the bike price on something you might through away.
Dude, I got a medium and its weighing 34.4 lbs? I have some one up resin pedals on it... wtf?
I really like it but isn’t it heavy? lol
@@McRemmyBaby You know what, I also forgot I had a bash guard, a fender and a bell installed at the time I commented lol. I like mine too, the bike doesn't feel heavy though. It feels stable on the rough though.
@@Robin_Hood381 ima wait till this is i. Stock or something light/similar, honestly I’m all about weight for some reason lol, fuck full suspension n all that!
Speed n lightweight
Yo these bikes with everything on is low 20lbs
Think these giant frames are like 2lbs carbon lol fuck
Fuck trek lmao 30lb monsters! 😂😞
@@McRemmyBaby Yeah this is a good bike; So far, I could hit everything on it around my local. If you want something lighter, you either got to pay more for a carbon framed bike or get an XC mountain bike which can get pretty expensive as well if you want something super light.
Currently have a Roscoe7 now. I want a full sus but man, I might look for a pre owned i duno… I really want this tho!
Same man. Shit expensive 😂
@@coffeemuncher01 I decided to get a membership to the indoor bike park for the winter season rather than a new bike. Going to spend another year on a Hardtail….. it’s all good 🤙
@@mtbridersanonymous9152 i in australia so there isnt really to bad of a winter season😂
This would be ideal for my location and riding
Where do you like to ride?
What kind of stand you used to keep the bike up in this video?.
Thanks from Hialeah Florida.
Did you get it stock with the sram brakes?
That is how this bike came
Cool video
Thank You!
You're welcome!
I’m just getting in onto the mountain biking, so can you answer where are the pedals at?
Most mid to high level bikes do not come with pedals
@@Jamesthebikeguy thanks for the reply 👍 what’s the point of buying pedals separately if you don’t mind me asking?
There are dozens of styles of pedals, and hundreds of manufacturers. So it would be a waste for the bike company to guess at what style and brand you are already using, or want to use in the future.
Perfect for emergency earthquake supple
The biggest complaint I have with my '18 EX7 is the Reba fork. It's just too flexible for a trail bike and I've never been able to dial it in, it's too firm yet still bottoms fairly easily. Nice to see they have bumped it up to 35mm stanchions and 140mm of travel, that should, in theory, make for better performance.
Yeah the 35 is more than stiff enough for most riders on this bike. Huge upgrade over the 32 on your reba.
Which one do you recommend the specialized stumpjumper comp alloy or the trek fuel ex 7 ?
Depends on your riding style I personally like the ex 7
Something I have not been able to find about the aluminum trek Fuel Ex. How progressive is the rear suspension? Is it a good fit to a coil shock? The closest info I have found is that Leverage ratio is 2.7 (starts at a 3.0 and ends at 2.5). The progressive rate is 15%. Trek comment is that they were focused on having a good mid-stroke experience. The problem...I don't know what this info means. I am 245 lbs and cannot get the rear shock settled (even using the shock wiz) not matter what I do. It is extremely stuff and uncomfortable or I'm blowing through suspension on regular trailing riding.
Can you do a fuel ex 5
Already filmed it, but won't be posting that for prob a month or two
I’m deciding between a Trek Fuel Ex 7, a Canyon Torque 5, and a Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy. I ride to school, but I also do a lot of hard street and trail jumps, drops, and “huck to flat”s. The Canyon’s longer travel makes it seem better for the hard jumps, but the Trek and Specialized’s weight and feel make them seem better for the trail riding I do. How does the Trek and Specialized hold up on big jumps and drops, and how does the Canyon climb?
Kinda depends on your weight. Are you 100 kg + i would go for longer travel
How is it for downhill 1 to 10? In your opinion
8
Very helpful :D
Glad it helped!
G'day mate , this is cyclepath from down under . Was wondering if you could help me .I'm about to upgrade the forks on my new hardtail . Can't decide between rockshox Judy or fox 34 s. What would your advice be ?
Fox 34 is a nicer fork
Nice one!
Thank you! Cheers!
I have Fuel ex 8 XT 2020. I love that bike, it is soo capable. I have 2 questions.
Have you ever try to update rear shock on your Fuel ex to piggy-back shock?
I'm wondering is it necessary to change any other part besides rear shock, for example those bushings around which rear shock is rotating...
And also if you want to remove cables from frame, you need to cut off zip tie on downtube (trek cable control freak). How can you put new zip tie around new cables and place everything like it was?
It looks like very complicated because there is no guide inside downtube which will direct new zip tie when you put it inside frame...
Thanks in advance.
Couple of thoughts. First, I have not done a piggyback or even thought about it since at least for my riding this shock is holding up quite well.
The control freak is "freakishly" easy to do. So simple. If you watch my build video of this bike I show how to do it and part of what makes these Fuels so good is how easy they are to work on.
Can you pls provide me link of that video of your and tell me at what minute you are adjusting cables with control freak in downtube.
Thanks in advance 🙂
Last year model was 15kg isn’t the 2021 the same?
I just got the bike today! Where can I find the hub that you recommended?
The bike already has the hub, just needs the parts. Watch my how-to video here: th-cam.com/video/rWrL7rkpuQE/w-d-xo.html
I'm not sure if i should choose between this bike and the Scott Genius 950, what do you think is better?
I was in the same boat however I just went and put some money down on a EX7 because 1 they had it and 2 Scott has been horrible about getting their bikes to the U. S. dealers, my local Scott dealer doesn't know when they would get a 940 or 950 in. I like the remote lockout on the Scott mountain bikes i had actually added it to my Salsa Spearfish that I use to race. Since 2016 I've been riding a Trek Stache 5 that I have upgraded just about everything on it's super nice but after 20/25 miles of mountain biking on it my lower back hurts bad.
Trying to get my wife into mtb, this ex 7 or the polygon t7 would be a great bike for her.
The marin rift zone is great for beginners.
The Trek Fuel EX is a pretty perfect all around platform. Capable enough, but not so "big" that is is cumbersome. Good choice for someone's first real MTB. The 7 is a better value than the 5 so for her I bet she would like it.
The T8 is a great value for the money. It has a better spec than the T7 and is still less than the EX 7
So I've seen many videos on the EX 7, and it's like every video, the brakes on the bike change. In this video, it has the Sram Level T brakes, but in others it has the Shimano brakes. I'm a Sram guy, and I want the Sram brakes. Is it like a country specific thing? Or are there just two different versions of the EX 7 with different brakes? Thanks!
Depends on what was available at the time of manufacture
Will 29x2.8 tires fit on the front catala?
Wht size are the tires?
how much did it cost you bro
Its quite impressive that weight of model 2021 is almost 1Kg lighter then 2020 how is it possible?
I never weighted the 2020 version, so it would suprise me if the 2021 was that much of a weight reduction with minimal changes.
@@Jamesthebikeguy Its noted in official Trek site Fuel ex 7 Total weight M - 15.05 kg so maybe the made mistake there, but I donť thing so. Anyway if its true this is really big weight difference with minimal changes.
Hi there. What's the upgrade that it talks about at 6:25?
I own this bike but i am still a newbie.
This is the link (titlecard) th-cam.com/video/LSkpCdj7C7s/w-d-xo.html
Cual es el precio?
How does it compare against a REMEDY (besides the wheels size)? What would you choose if you had no money constraints (between Fuel EX and REMEDY)?
Money constrantes really wouldnt make you choose between these two since they are similiarly priced given a EX 8 and a Remedy 8 kind of comparison. The Fuel EX is more trail and speedier, the Remedy is more enduro and nimble. Depends on the rider.
I own both a remedy 9.8 and a fuel ex 9.8 and I ride my remedy more than the fuel. The remedy is for sure a faster more aggressive bike. If you’re less experienced or are only ever doing light enduro/trail/xc rides, then you’d like the fuel ex better (maybe even the top fuel). Money wise I’m not sure what James is talking about as the remedy 8 is $600 more than the fuel ex 8 so that is something to consider.
I have a fuel ex 5 on order. In your opinion is this worth $800 more?
I think so. The Wheels and Fork alone make it worth it
Does the shock get stiff when you pedal? And is the frame pretty durable?
If you mean does it have anti-squat characteristics then the answer is yes
@@Jamesthebikeguy What is anti-squat? If you don’t mind me asking. Does it offer a good pedaling efficiency?
How did you get SRAM and Level Brakes Levers? Trek lists for the 2021 Fuel EX 7 to have a Shimano Setup...
I don't know, thats what it came with.
According to their website the EX 5 comes with Shimano and the EX 7 comes with SRAM
@@edgilbert8366 no it does not. I literally looked after you made this comment:
This is word for what what’s stated on the Fuel EX7 page:
“Shimano hydraulic disc, MT4100 lever, MT410 caliper”
They might have it listed incorrectly. Mine are definitely SRAM.
Can one increase the chainring size greater than 32 teeth?
It fits up to a 34 tooth chainring.
Hi, I'm little bit confused about weight I mean Is the weighed weight 30.95 really correct ? Because someone below wrote that size M weighs 34.4 lbs so how is it ??..
All I can tell you is what this weighed on my scale.
@@Jamesthebikeguy I get it but are you shure that Your scale shows correctly?
I love trek... Uffff this bike is tooo expensive
Is that weight with or without tubes?
With tubes
I dont know...I prefered the suppleness of the full floater
You have ridden them back to back, same trail, same day, same setup? I would be hard pressed if blind folded to feel any difference between the two in terms of suppleness.
@@Jamesthebikeguy yes. I had the full floater and then I got the new one and in my experience the older model felt plusher in the rear riding my everyday trails.
Is it hard to upgrade the rear hub?
Not at all.
This or a stumjumper alloy?
Ooh that's a tough call. Either one is pretty sweet
i have the exact bike and it came with shimano breaks?!
Nice!
Maybe they’ve had to make swaps depending on availability. I picked up my Fuel ex 7 last month and it has the SRAM Level T.
On what category this bike?
Trail/All Mountain
Review? These aren't reviews, you just read the bike's page in the website
Lol 😂
Totally.
สวยงามอยากได้
l'm disagree with you for the price, the fork is bad !!!
Okay
I saw this bike crack in half in real life from just a simple crash
Highly doubt that. Aluminum does not fail that way, nor are these prone to failure.
@@Jamesthebikeguy think whatever you want but i know what i saw ;)
Is it compatible with 36 FLOAT 29 150mm
I don't think Trek technically claims 150mm will works, but plenty of people have added 10mm of travel