Submitted by
Jeff Mannion
a Cross Country Rider
from Upstate, NY
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2004
Strengths: Frame is awesome. Best bike going at the price point.
Weaknesses: Judy, Judy, Judy. Most of the rest of the stock components
Bottom Line:
Yes, the stock components are not so good, but if you break and replace before you know it you have a dream bike without laying out tons of cash up-front. I got a tremendous deal on E-bay, basically some guy bought this for his wife and she NEVER rode it. There wasn't even pad marks on the rims. As I break parts I'll replace with the best I can afford at the time, and in the end I'll have a great bike and have paid less than a new stock Fuel 80 would cost...
As for the Cane Creek rear shock I've read a lot of complaints about, I just set it at about 25 pounds over my body weight, and that is the magic spot for me. I don't want it too plush, basically just to eat the big hits. What I'm saying is that if you can get a deal on one like I did you CAN'T go wrong.
Similar Products Used: Had a Sugar 3 for about a year.
Bike Setup: Duke XC, Egg Beaters, rest is stock
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Submitted by
Don Staniszewski
a Cross Country Rider
from Rosevillle, CA
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2003
Strengths: Tough bike, reliable
Weaknesses: Components are not high end, front Rockshox is poor, Cane Creek rear shock is fair
Bottom Line:
This is a great entry to mid-level mountain bike! I replaced just about everything on the bike (brakes, cassette, crank, handlebar, pedals, shocks, wheels, tires,etc.) but did not know enough about what I wanted until I experienced the bike. EVERYTHING on the bike held up just fine - I just needed some experience. I did crack the frame just at the juncture of the seat tube and frame - Trek replaced it in 3 weeks - pretty quick when you hear of Cannondale horror stories.
Bike Setup: XTR shifters, deraileurs, brakes, Marzochi MXPro
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Submitted by
Carlton Lahmann
a Weekend Warrior
from Tallahassee
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2003
Strengths: Rides like a hardtail. No bob.
Weaknesses: It is the loudest bike on the planet. It pops, rattles, creeks and snaps. Literally It feels like the thing is falling apart right out from under you. The frame cracked on me right above the top beed weld on he seat tube and i wasn't taking any five foot drops. I am currently dealing with trek to fix the situation. I will guide you during our travels with this particular issue.
Bottom Line:
I Baught a santa cruz superlight and will probably never go back. If you want a bike that rides like a hardtail, buy a hardtail. If you want a good feeling full suspension bike, I dont recomend the trek fuel. Trek fuel only has 3inchs of rear travel, It has alot of pivots, (that have to be maintained) The frame size runs big. Make sure you have set on one before you buy it. And last but not least. I was in the specialized spring classic race event and there was alot of trek fuels and lot of everything else. The fuels weren't doing the winning.
Strengths: Strong frame, takes anything I throw at it. Very light weight for a full suspension.
Weaknesses: The stock components SUCK! Trek should re-evaluate the lower-end components.
Bottom Line:
I spent $700 in Novenber 2001 for a $1500 bike. I have spent another $600 replacing all the crap that trek put on it. $1300 with top notch components or $1500 for Promax and Alivo? Besides saving me alot of money this has been a great bike. I have a great machine that eats up trail like scooby snacks, and it can take those 5 foot free style drops. Treks tech support is great, even though I did not buy the bike from a dealer. If your looking for a great trail bike that can take big drops from time to time, this frame is for you. I consider my self to be a pretty solid rider and this bike really suits my style. I am 6'4" 170, kinda bean pole. I have laid the bike down in several narly crashes and it has come out un-scaithed. Fuel for life!
Bike Setup: Syncros hardcore headset, Rolf satellites, Cane Creek cloud nine, race face bb and crankset, precision billet rderailleur, shimano xtr fderailleur, maxxis larsen tt and mimo, sram 9.0 power glide cassette, avid ti's, rock shcok judy c with total air inside, Jagwire all round
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Submitted by
marco righetti
a Cross Country Rider
from hamilton scotland UK
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2002
Strengths: this is my follow up review so the strengths are as below
Weaknesses: are as below
Bottom Line:
i reached my target weight with this bike aiming for 23 lbs but obtaining 22.5 lbs,i love this bike particularly the colour scheme,perhaps in the future i might get the full carbon version but we shall see! i really do recommend TREK FUELS especially if you are a xc rider but dont want to feel beat up after a ride.
Submitted by
Tinker
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2002
Strengths: strong frame, great rear shock, no bob, Trek warranty
Weaknesses: poopy fork, poopy crank, poopy brakes
Bottom Line:
This is one sweet ass ride. When I first tested the bike over a year ago, my current ride was a 2000 Kona Caldera (aluminum hardtail). I took the Trek on a test ride over my 1 hour training loop in showroom stock trim with plain old running shoes on and knocked almost 4 minutes off my best time with the Kona. This bike inspires the confidence to test my limits, going up hills pretty fast, and bombing the backside REALLY fast. This bike rides so smooth and effortlessly, it almost feels self-propelled. I'm a fairly big-assed dude (6'1", 245 lbs.), so I had to change the fork and crank almost immediately, the stock units were a bit of a joke. I'm saving right now for Shimano disk brakes, XT hubs and Mavic crossmax rims. After that, this bike will be PERFECT!! If you want a champagne ride on a beer budget, buy this bike!!
Similar Products Used: Gary Fisher Joshua X, Kona Dawg, Jamis Dakar
Bike Setup: Rock Shox Duke Race fork, Race Face crank, Shimano clipless pedals, Easton carbon bar, Chris King headset, Specialized split gel seat
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Submitted by
Scott Shoemaker
a Cross Country Rider
from Kansas city. MO
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2002
Strengths: Almost no bob, strong frame.
Weaknesses: Some stock parts are low end (as to be expected with this price point)such as levers, brakes, crank.
Bottom Line:
Great bike overall, had to ditch the trigger shifters for my trusty srams, the front crank flexed (200 pound rider)so was replaced with Deore. This bike feels great, climbs well and has almost no bob, handles tight stuff just like my hardtail and lets me flyyyyy down the rough stuff.
Fist let me say that this is a preliminary review on the bike. I've been riding road bikes for over 10 years and this is my first major purchase for off-road riding.
First off, this Trek bike is a workhorse. The frame is built strong and getting behind this machine feels like you own something well built. The stock components are good for the entry-level enthusiast, but as your skills improve and your demands grow, you will need to change those components.
Weight, approx. 30 lbs, for the price, seems to be good. Picking up the bike though, does not feel that heavy. I have read articles where this frame has been built as an outright DH machine, others have been extensively built for racing, and the same thing goes for XC.
It seems that what is really needed is a good frame to build upon. I plan on putting this machine through its paces and will come back and present a second review. For now, lets just say that the looks, Treks warranty, and the selected parts should provide me with years of fantastic riding. I love the look and feel of this bike, and if it performs as promised, this means its money well spent.
I hope this bike lives up to its name....I'll be back for round two.
Submitted by
Chili Dog
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2002
Strengths: Large size is nice fit for 6'2" person. Not much bob on uphills. After riding a Gary Fisher Marlin, my performance on uphills has increased significantly on this Fuel 80 (actually a 2002 model). I asked for a 'sale price' on the bike and got it.
Weaknesses: Noisy on downhills, lots of rattles and chain slap. And, on a new bike, don't forget to go over it to make sure all the nuts, bolts and screws are tightened (numerous parts of the front brakes on this one were loose).
Bottom Line:
Great buy for the money. I agree with others that it can climb like a goat. Nice cross country/all around mtn. bike. I would like to change the rims and tires at some point and add marzocchi fork, perhaps get shimano XT. But right off the floor, great bike. I'll see if it's still going in a couple of years, can't afford a Yeti yet. Test out Trek's different sizes before buying. I might also adjust the head for a slightly improved fit.
Similar Products Used: None, first full suspension bike, but tested several before buying this one.
Bike Setup: Manitou black, bontrager cranks, fox air, other bontrager components.
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Submitted by
Bill
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2002
Strengths: Smokin' deal on last years bike. Bike climbs with minimal bob. Almost bought a new disk brake hardtail last year. Thanking my lucky stars.
Weaknesses: V-brakes which I upgraded to XT's a week after I bought the bike. Wasn't crazy about Bontrager AC tires. Battled with the white colour but, have since grown to like it.
Bottom Line:
Best outfitted bike I found in this price range and dressed up as a 90 it's unique in a belly button world. Like to climb and do technical stuff and Trek handles it all well. Like the 100 mm Black on the new Treks but, life's a beer budget.
Similar Products Used: All hard tails. First full susp bike.
Bike Setup: Built like a 90. XT rear and LX front der. Fox float rear shock. LX brake levers with Mega shifters. XT V-brakes, Bontrager Comp crank and SRAM 9 rear cassette. Specialized low rise bars (cut down). IRC Kujo 2.25 front and El Gato 2.25 rear tires. Shimano clipless pedals. Trek no name front hub with Bontrager Corvair rims. Parallax rear hub.
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Maple Ridge, B.C.
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2002
Strengths: nice frame set up for climbing
Weaknesses: Front shocks, pedals and seat
Bottom Line:
Awesome climbing machine. I find climbing with this bike to be easy. Quite often forget I am. Since changing over to disc I've been a little more aggresive. 3 to 4 foot drops pretty big for an old guy. I have blown the seal on my Judy C twice now and lost my front brake because of the leaking oil. Piece of crap. I have since packed it with grease its ok. Saving for a Mars or a Sid ??? If you ride alot a new seat is a must. I ride 150 km week min. and almost died with old seat. Some upgrades are a must but Crane rear shock is wicked. It took me awhile to find my sweeeeet spot but when I did it was like a new bike. take the time to try it at all different settings.With a few more upgrades this is going to be one sweeet ride. Stock its great for beginners and casual riders with upgrades the sky's the limit.(except for those crazy 10 ft plus drop guys)
Bike Setup: Stock but I purchased mavics and avid disc and will upgrade after I am done riding this summer
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Submitted by
BC
a Cross Country Rider
from Lewistown, MT
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2002
Strengths: Incredible climber, and sooo smooth down the other side. Great geometry, I dig the way this bike handles and the responsive steering never leads you a stray. The rear shock is a great ride after you get it dialed in. And, the bike looks great just sitting there, which won't happen once you ride it.
Weaknesses: Front forks are a little soft, and a bike like this should have way better pedals. I ate mud the first time I rode it, and the pedals came off the next day.
Bottom Line:
This bike kicks butt, and does it all. For the money you can't beat this bike. With a few simple upgrades it will ride with anything. A great bike to learn and explore on, it is very forgiving when you make mistakes, and it reacts incredibly well when trying to correct mistakes. If you love to cross country, buy this bike!
Similar Products Used: First full suspension bike. Rode a Fisher Sugar, and a Specialized SJ.
Bike Setup: Stock except for clipless pedals and Pro Taper bars, soon to have a Manitou fork and disc brakes
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Rockville Centre NY
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2002
Strengths: Great frame, light, awsome rear suspension.
Weaknesses: components... JUDY shock sucks,8 speed, crankets isnt too strong, derailers arent too smooth. BB creaks, but was a quick fix with some lube. Im going to upgrade to 9 speed with XT/XTR components soon.
Bottom Line:
Overall good bike for a beginner, maybe with a little extra money put into it. For a racer, I'd defenately go for the 90, 98, or 100.
Bought a Fuel 80 used and wish I would've found MTBR earlier. n00b!!1 Anyway, I'm looking at either trading it in or using it as a beater bike and buying an EX7. If I traded it in, Read More »
