Trek Top Fuel in Review

The Trek Top Fuel has recently gathered a significant amount of dust. Now, the Americans are finally breathing new life into their classic touring bike. With 130 mm of travel, it remains a trail bike, but one that pushes forward.

The huge advantage of the Trek Top Fuel is undoubtedly: With 5 available frame sizes, everyone from a rider who is 1.50 m tall to a 2-meter giant can find the right fit. The geometry can be adjusted to personal preferences via a flip chip, though it’s clear to us: most riders will ride the Top Fuel in the “Low” position. All frame sizes come stock with 29er wheels, but they can be converted to a mullet setup. Trek also approves the frame for the installation of a 140 mm fork.

With a slack 65.5-degree head angle and a reach of 477 mm in size L, Trek does not exaggerate the trend of making bikes longer and slacker. With a bottom bracket drop of only 32 millimeters and a travel of 130 mm, they also keep it restrained. With the geometry values, Trek relies on familiar dimensions for trail riders, avoiding taking big risks.

The new Trek Top Fuel is available in six different builds at launch. Only the two most affordable models use an aluminum frame. Above the price threshold of 6000 €, Trek opts for carbon as the frame material.

We took a look at all the options. Using the arrow symbol , you can also compare individual models with any other bike from our comprehensive market overview.

Recently, two exciting bikes with a similar focus were introduced: the Canyon Lux Trail and the Specialized Epic Evo. In a large comparative test, we found out how much money you actually need to spend to have fun on gnarly trails.

If you choose a Trek bike, price/performance is not the top priority when buying a bike. After all, the Americans are not known for offering great deals with premium equipment. That’s why our personal top pick from the current Top Fuel line-up is the Trek Top Fuel 9.8 with the GX AXS Transmission setup.

Although the bike costs a whopping 6999 €, it weighs only 13.2 kilos and features Sram’s latest shifting technology. A sleek handlebar-stem unit makes a big impression. However, the wheels and suspension, especially given the price, still have some tuning potential.

It almost seems like the hottest trail bikes all come from the USA. The YT Izzo or the Cube Stereo One22 are well-equipped, but they can’t match the fame and prestige of their U.S. counterparts.

The Santa Cruz Tallboy in comparison and the Specialized Epic Evo were only recently introduced, and they impress with first-class looks and riding characteristics. We’ve set up the hottest comparison, Trek vs. Specialized, in our comparison function so you can check out the details.