Trek Fuel EX 5 All Mountain Full Suspension

4.03/5

(34 Reviews)

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MSRP : $1819.99

Product Description

rom race day to all day, you need a trail bike that's light and agile, yet commanding and capable. The Fuel EX is the do-it-all trail machine you can count on time and again.

Frame: Alpha Platinum Aluminum w/ABP, Full Floater, magnesium EVO Link, replaceable derailleur hanger, 120mm travel
Front Suspension: RockShox Recon Silver TK w/coil spring, preload, rebound, TurnKey lockout, alloy steerer, 120mm travel
Rear Shock: RockShox Ario RL w/lockout, rebound; 7.25x2.0"
Saddle: Bontrager Evoke 1
Handlebars: Bontrager Low Riser, 31.8mm, 15mm rise, 9 degree sweep

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Reviews 1 - 15 (34 Reviews Total)

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Submitted by Xclover

Date Reviewed: March 9, 2013

Strengths:    Good new full floater trek own system when compare with the price old model 2011 is the best worth component when compare with 2012 onward .
Well track. For all day mountain ride .

Weaknesses:    Heavy but acceptable good design new suspension system worth for money

Bottom Line:

Ride it !

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Submitted by kevbot

Date Reviewed: October 15, 2012

Strengths:    Downhill stability, ride, shocks,

Weaknesses:    Weight, RELIABILITY, components

Bottom Line:

In one sentence: This is a great all around bike that performs well, when it works. Overall, I have not been satisfied with my purchase of this bike. My main issue with it has been reliability. I owned a Trek hardtail past but it seems like ever since they have begun outsourcing their manufacturing to China, their quality has gone downhill. I have had trouble will almost every component on the bike, except for the frame and shocks. The brakes squeal constantly. Both derailleurs will not stay in gear, especially the rear. I have had to replace the whole crank just because I had bent all three chain rings. Not from collisions, but from just applying high torque. It got to the point where had to take the cheaper rings off of my old bike, which ended up lasting much longer than the original, more expensive sram rings. When I fork over almost two grand for a bike, I expect it to complete a ride, but it seems to me that I am being limited by this bike as I am spending more time fixing it than riding it.

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Submitted by Lauren a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: June 13, 2012

Strengths:    Great price point for this bike. It keeps impressing me.

Weaknesses:    It is a heavy bike. Stock tires are wearing fast and are cheap (they bog down something terrible in mud). Front shock: spring coil.

Bottom Line:

This is my first FS bike. I've got the 2010 model (blue) and I am on my second season with it (also my 2nd season mountain biking). The more I ride it, the more I love it and realize how burly it is. Goes over anything (I can keep up w/ my BF on his Yeti 575 on the downs, no problem). I'm starting to think about upgrades: clipless pedals, new tires and maybe Santa will bring me a new front air shock. It's been a great entry-level bike for me and I would recommend it for anyone looking to get into the sport. I know it's a man's bike, but as a 5'11", 150lb female rider, I haven't had a problem with it. I live and ride in the CO rockies so our trails are mostly dry, rocky and rooty. Lots of ups and downs and this thing can handle it all.

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Favorite Trail:   Baker's Tank

Price Paid:    $1300.00

Purchased At:   Mountain Sports Outl

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Submitted by Andrew Gelder

Date Reviewed: May 28, 2012

Strengths:    Agile and responsive on conering and deals with bumpy ground quite well.

Weaknesses:    Shocks are not as good as the frame but upgrades could sort this for the more discerning rider.

Bottom Line:

A good ride that is not compromised by the price of the bike, a brilliant entry level machine!!

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Submitted by Mellowyellow01 a All Mountain Rider

Date Reviewed: May 9, 2012

Strengths:    Stout bike, barrels downhill like it has nothing to fear. Built for abuse.

Weaknesses:    Stout bike = HEAVY my 21.5 frame weighs in at 32lbs. Not sure if this is common but my hayes brakes have had issues since day one.

Bottom Line:

If it wasn't for the brake issue I would have been able to add another chili pepper. It has been a good bike for me to learn on, has taken some pretty hard hits and just keeps on rolling. I wish I knew better when I bought it (and also had the funds) and I would have got a higher level of this bike for the better componets.

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Favorite Trail:   Santos John brown

Price Paid:    $1699.00

Purchased At:   Ocala's Bicycle Shop

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Submitted by jessetoronto

Date Reviewed: April 18, 2012

Strengths:    This was my first F/S bike, and it was a very very good investment. 12 months on $300 Hard tail as a beginner made me appreciate what this TREK 5 could do for me. I ride XC/ALL Mountain and this bike performs great.

Weaknesses:    Its heavy, Juicy 5 Brakes are amazing at first but have to be adjusted and aligned constantly. Grips were crap. It also feels like either the bike, or the crank chanber sit a little too low to the ground. I realized this as I would scrape and bottom out places my buddiers with inferior bike did. Tires are also pretty cheap for the bile.

Bottom Line:

Great entry level All Mountain'bike

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Submitted by gomcdonald a Cross Country Rider from Grass Valley CA

Date Reviewed: October 22, 2011

Strengths:    Good rear suspension great frame fair brakes.
Great overall bike.

Weaknesses:    The brakes and tires and its heavy. I got a lot of flats and then I changed them and did not have as much trouble. The brakes needed constant realignment. The bike weighs 32 pounds!

Bottom Line:

Great overall bike. I have ridden Northstar and Downieville and done some dirt jumping and I have not had any trouble. I replaced the fork about a month ago with a 2012 Fox Float and it rides a lot better now.

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Favorite Trail:   Hole in the Gound

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $1200.00

Purchased At:   Bicycle Emporium

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Submitted by The Boz a Cross Country Rider from Provo, UT

Date Reviewed: October 8, 2011

Strengths:    Affordable all-suspension. All-around mountain bike handles multiple types of terrain well.

Weaknesses:    Grips are cheap and slip off, tires are cheap and wear out quick.

Bottom Line:

This is a fantastic entry-level all around suspension bike. It was my first full suspension bike and it was a blast descending with it, it soaks up the trail well. Of course, when you buy a bike at this price point, you can't expect the best components or to be very light. The thing is I had so much fun on this bike that now I'm really into mountain biking, and I want to upgrade to a 29er with better components. If you are really into climbing, this bike isn't the best choice. I'm 6'3" 180 lbs, and if I stand up on this bike the rear tire slips out on steep climbs, and seated I often lift the front tire off the ground on steep climbs. For someone like me that is bigger and does a lot of climbing and XC riding, I should have bought more of a cross-country singletrack bike, and I'm now looking at 29ers. I didn't realize that "all mountain" mountain bikes were meant for a fair amount of downhill, which I don't really do. In addition if you plan on riding a lot, you might want to go for a better component set. In sum its a great entry level full-suspension bike. For taller riders that do a lot of climbing, you might consider a 29er. And if you are really going to put a lot of weekly miles on your bike, go for a higher end component set.

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Favorite Trail:   Alpine Loop Trail System

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $1272.00

Purchased At:   Mad Dog Cycles

Bike Setup:   Upgraded to Bontrager lock-on grips and Schwalbe Fat Albert rear tire.

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Submitted by Timmycheese a Cross Country Rider from Colorado Springs

Date Reviewed: April 3, 2011

Strengths:    Great Suspension, Fairly lightweight, Powerful brakes

Weaknesses:    Brakes tend to squeal, rear derailleur makes lots of noise when going over heavy bumps (such as stairs), Tires are useless

Bottom Line:

I should first mention this: I am coming from a target bike that was overweight, weak, and had a useless suspension, so anything I mention here may be slightly exaggerated.

Overall, the bike has been great to me. A shifter trigger broke a little while ago (covered by SRAM's warranty) , but I'm sure that's very uncommon. The suspension is very balanced, with plenty of adjustability. If it says anything, the fork has saved me from wrecking while going uncontrollably fast toward, then hitting a curb. I love the "Matte Blue", which is unfortunately gone now, because I have a 2010 model (which is sold out in all stores by now). The thing handles jumps like a champ, and seems strong enough to do so. My biggest complaint, though, is that it didn't come with usable tires. The tread just doesn't grip when you try to do anything that would need it.. gotta ride slowly because of it. (It loses one flamin' chili because of this, and the ludicrously loud front brake)

Hope this short review helps!

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Favorite Trail:   Palmer Park

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $1300.00

Purchased At:   Bicycle Village

Bike Setup:   Standard Fuel EX 5 (with a speedometer)

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Submitted by tunnelz a Weekend Warrior from San Diego, CA

Date Reviewed: February 3, 2011

Strengths:    Awesome frame, color matter blue, hydraulic brakes, front/rear suspension, geometry, power train

Weaknesses:    The SRAM shifters took a little getting use to with dual thumb action. Tires needs to be upgraded.

Bottom Line:

Love the 2010 Fuel EX5! My type of bike. I wanted a good entry-level full suspension bike with a good frame that I can upgrade components at a later date (if needed). The only upgrade I am considering is tubeless tires but I can wait a few hundred miles. The stock tires doesn't expel mud that well.

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Favorite Trail:   PQ tunnels

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $905.00

Purchased At:   ebay

Similar Products Used:   Giant Yukon

Bike Setup:   Stock

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Submitted by shiftless89 a Cross Country Rider from Bangkok, Thailand

Date Reviewed: November 25, 2010

Strengths:    Frame is fantastic lateraly stiff, very plush, shared with higher end models. Color is great I get a lot of comments on it. Fork performs exceptionaly well (Coil/Oil)

Weaknesses:    tires, weight, Mid line componenents, stock grips

Bottom Line:

I decided to get back into MTB's after 5 years off (used to manage bikes shops / race) I became appalled at the going prices for high end equipment, really who "needs" a 10k+ bike. Is your name Lance? (My budget allows for any level of bike, still I like the best fun for my money) I tried several and decided on the 2011 Fuel EX5. Bang for the buck this bike is a dream. I'm 6'2" @ 215lbs. This bike handles everything I throw at it. I don't do big air, but I am fast and keep my wheels down in places most won't. This thing climbs better than my old Merlin and descends with best of them. I was very surprised by the great performance of the Recon silver fork, matched by the Fox rear RP2; smooth 120mm travel and the lockout works. Wheels/hubs are ok, tires are lacking corner grip, but excel at loose rocky climbs and descents. They also seem to resist thorns fairly well. Components are "ok", they do what they are supposed to do (all X5 SRAM, will upgrade only when it breaks). The Juicy 3's stop very well (my size bike has 185mm rotors front and rear) and don't seem to fade (down hills here are not that big). I did not care for the grips, I like them a little thicker and locked on. It’s a little hefty, so am I. It does seem very durable. This is an ideal bike for anyone wanting a well designed comfortable great performing bike with a REALISTIC price tag. Weight weenie racer boys need not apply (I will be scraping them off my phat tires)

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Favorite Trail:   whole country

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $1899.00

Purchased At:   Probike Thailand

Similar Products Used:   Merlin, Klein, Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, Surly, Kona, Fisher, Serrota (30+ bikes over 25 years)

Bike Setup:   2011 19.5" EX5 Stock with exception of SDG Bel-air saddle, lock on grips (will be converting to tubeless)

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Submitted by egjaylink a Weekend Warrior from Indianapolis

Date Reviewed: November 2, 2010

Strengths:    I decided to make the plunge and get a full suspension, hydrolic disk brake bike that could handle the rigors of the trails in Brown County Indiana. After almost 100 miles this bike has performed flawless for me. The 2010 model had a host of upgrades from the 2009 that makes this in my research the top entry level full suspension bike on the market.

Weaknesses:    I am still looking for one.

Bottom Line:

I did several months of research before buying the 2010 Trek Fuel EX 5. I have absolutely no regrets at all. For an entry level bike, this is one sweet piece of equipment!

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Favorite Trail:   Brown County State Park, Nashville, IN

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $1199.00

Purchased At:   A1 Cyclery in Indy

Similar Products Used:   none

Bike Setup:   standard

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Submitted by gary a Racer from gwent

Date Reviewed: August 14, 2010

Strengths:    love the frame the active braking pivot works well and it corners like a house fly but not with the bontrager tyres on they are pants

Weaknesses:    the tyres even though they were rubbish i still used them and the only thing they were good for was throwing for my dog to fetch and the stem was just too long so change it for a race face evolve am and it made all the difference but i suppose thats down to personal preference

Bottom Line:

this bike is excellent entry level bike some very simple operation and you got a bike that can hold its own against the best of them ive give this one hell of a thrashing and apart from snapping a few spokes in the back wheel it been great. top bike for the money

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Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $1250.00

Purchased At:   leisure lakes bikes

Bike Setup:   i just change the stem and bars droped the stem to a 80mm race face and i changed the bars to a set of spank b stick 700mm wide and put new tyres on

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Submitted by st739 a Weekend Warrior from caernarfon north wales

Date Reviewed: May 20, 2010

Strengths:    everything cant fault it

Weaknesses:    nothing yet

Bottom Line:

I started on the kona and loved that bike then decided to go for the fuel ex5.Its my first full suss bike and what a diffrence it is.The front forks soak every thing up i throw at it the the fox full floater at the back the same.The avid juicy3 are amazing if your reading this and not sure what to do just do it

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Favorite Trail:   marin betwys-y-coed

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $1600.00

Purchased At:   alex jones cycles wr

Similar Products Used:   kona cinder kone

Bike Setup:   standard

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Submitted by rr1024 a Weekend Warrior from rr1024@gmail.com

Date Reviewed: April 27, 2010

Strengths:    Love the breaks and suspension and shifting is fantastic

Weaknesses:    Tires are kind of week, this should come standard with Kevlar Tires when you pay this kind of price.

Bottom Line:

So far I totally love it, except the fact I can get a flat tire so easily just road riding.

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Favorite Trail:   Livermore LLNL Trail

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $1500.00

Purchased At:   LivermoreCyclery

Similar Products Used:   Mongoose

Bike Setup:   My bike had lots of cool upgrades

Reviews 1 - 15 (34 Reviews Total)

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Trek Fuel EX 5 All Mountain Full Suspension

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