Submitted by
markc535
a Racer
from Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2010
Strengths: Super Light, Climbs great, Decends well, great cornering
Weaknesses: XTR M960 Crankset is possibly the hardest piece of equipment on the planet to modify or get anything for!
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike. I race on this bike and it has lead me to many victories. You can always be confident in the bike and its abilities. Climbs incredibly, decends well and is comfortable in all conditions. Would reccomend this bike to anyone. Its great
Strengths: Light weight - 25lbs - for the size (XL)
Weaknesses: Shimano xtr m960 chainrings - proprietary and expensive.
Rear carbon swingarm is known for cracking, however I rode it like that for years before replacing it.
Bottom Line:
Well rounded endurance racing steed. The '02 is obviously dated at this point, but a steal if you are just getting into racing and can find one in good shape.
Bike Setup: Easton setback seatpost, ergon grips. XT front derailleur, xtr m952 rear derailleur, xt750 cassette. Bontrager race lite wheelset. SID race titanium front shock, Fox Float RL rear shock.
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Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2008
Strengths: Fast, quick handling, bomb proof frame and pivots. Rides like a hard tail.
Weaknesses: Chain suck, Rides like a hard tail.
Bottom Line:
This is a great tight single track bike with race quick steering. I have used and abused this bike for over 6 years and I can't kill it. The pivot has never been serviced and only requires a little minor tightening about once a year. The only thing that this bike doesn't do well, for what I'm looking for in a bike, is handle rough trails like Porcupine Rim or other trails better suited to a long travel bike. It'll do them, but you'll come home wishing for more suspension travel.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Raven, Rocky Mountain Element TO, Turner Sultan 69er, Intense Spyder 69er
Bike Setup: Fox FLR80, xt/xtr shift/der, Raceface cranks, DT Swiss Onyx hubs with XR 4.1 rims, Avid BB7 brakes
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Submitted by
Tommy
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2007
Strengths: light, fast, nice disign and very good materials( titianum, zr 9000 alu enz,)
Weaknesses: i once broken my rear link, because lock up forgotten. Head-set
Bottom Line:
This bike is so good and i had a lott fun rinding whit it. A lot off maintence it's normal i think my next bike is gonna be a turner nitroux it's the fuel 100 big brother. I still used it for competitions.
Bike Setup: xtr 2007, hydrolic brakes, everything; exept xt crank+Q-rings. Bontrager xXx stem flat handelbar stuf, twister head sett. Fox 80 fork
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Submitted by
Jonas Neeser
a Cross Country Rider
from Pocatello, Idaho
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2006
Strengths: Fast
Weaknesses: Chainsuck, chain gets caught in chainstay
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. It is a good bike to buy if you want fast rather than plush. I have a lot of miles on my bike but it is still going strong and although it is old it is not obsolete. The rear triangle recently cracked and Trek, through my LBS, replaced it no questions asked.
Submitted by
Jonas Neeser
a Cross Country Rider
from Pocatello, Idaho
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2006
Strengths: light and fast
Weaknesses: chain suck
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. I have put a lot of miles on it and it is still in good shape and still fast. My LBS noticed the frame was cracked in an aluminum section of the carbon rear triangle. Trek replaced the carbon rear triangle free, no questions asked, no hassles. It is a race bike, not a trail bike. It is made for speed more than comfort.
i work at a shop in my town in florida for 2 years.in my time a the shop i have seen 3 fuel break 2 in front of me in the trail. we now a a small colection of about 6-7 frames all broken. even thought the bike is carbon fiber the truth of it is that they ARE NOT LIGHT BIKES. i don't care who u r weigh ur frame its fat if u want a light race bike buy a hard tail or a salsa the treks design is horriable BUSHINGS should never have been put it the bikes they r used just to keep the weight down and make the bike cheaper to build on the top fuels u need to cheak ur carbon rocker arms because the will ovalize in time they do not have metal incerts in those rocker arms ur accually ridding on the carbon so stupid.also the swing arms seem to have a bad habbit of shifting over on the bikes causing the rocker arms to rub the frame so take a close look at ur bike befor u ride it next time. it will also throw ur chain alignment way off trek even tryed to "fix" this problem by yes belive this or not sending us diffrent bushing sizes that u would use to SHIM it back into place.once agin so stupid. and i don't know how many of u have ever completly taken the bike apart but when u tighen the rear swing arm to the torque setting suggested by trek u can't hardly move the damn rear end so don't. then they say not to use grease to make them work better?!the only good thing about them is they always warrenty the bikes prob. because they know they suck. bottom line they are to heavy yes i said it and too cheaply design to make up for being that heavy.salsa's full supension frame have all sealed bearings and scandium frames and they r way lighter.know this carbon fiber in my opinion is just bling bling right now u can get alloy bike stiffer lighter and cheaper and that dosn't just go for frames i am talking about everything cranks handle bars ect so befor u buy ur next up grade no matter what it is do ur homework on it and be open minded to other options. p.s. Gary Fisher bike rule the world GO Fisher!!
Similar Products Used: would never use a trek only fisher
Bike Setup: cake marlin soon fat possum and king fisher
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Submitted by
Dr. Dan Batchelor
a Racer
from Roswell, Georgia, USA, Earth
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2005
Strengths: Lightweight, direct power transfer with very little loss of energy, carbon absorbs lots of shock, climbs likes its on steroids, front lockout is dreamy. Its a babe magnet.
Bike Setup: Stock except for Maxxis Larsen UST tires
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Submitted by
Kevin Conolly
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2004
Strengths: Weight, balance, acceleration
Weaknesses: irritating creak from the BB, both with old and new crankset
Bottom Line:
A sponsored racer upgraded to a later model and his '02 Fuel 100 was sold as a ex-demo for 1/2 price. Wooo Hooooo! My first Full Sus after 3 years on a soft tail. What a difference! This bike is very nimble and responsive and rides best when riden fast. After the upgrade to '04 XTR the bike weighs in around 23 1/2 pounds.
You can be more aggressive with this bike because it's very nimble and responsive. You can make a last minute change and still nail a tough section of the trail. Good climber and no issues descending. Obviously it's not for hucking or freeriding but the average rider on the average trail should have no dramas.
I've done all day epic rides with no soreness afterwards. (Middle aged riders take note.) I like the extended top tubes of the Trek bikes. I'm 6'0" and weigh around 185 pounds. My arms are long for my body size.
The bike seems to be quicker than my friend's '03 Epic.
This is the last year of the aluminum front triangle for the Fuel 100. If you can live without a carbon fibre front and find one of these used get it. You'll get most of the benefit of the Fuel without the steep price.
Bike Setup: Upgraded via weight shaving (example: Wipperman chain) by previous owner, a sponsored racer. I upgraded the drive train to full '04 XTR (v-brakes) 4 mos. ago.
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Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2004
Strengths: Light, strong, comfortable in all-around riding, climbs great, rolls over obstacles real nice - good balance and torque to push during low momentum.
Can handle heavy/big riders.
Trek's name, reputation, and guarantee.
Weaknesses: A note about Fuel 100 chainsuck: Chain suck is one common problem I've noticed experienced by many 100 owners...as per so many comments below. I can also confirm this is mostly due to the frame design. Usually happened to me when climbing and the shock is compressing...best way to bypass this is to NOT shift during a climb - which is a no-no anyway, right?!? So, be sure to shift down in preparation for your climb when the rear shock is under little to no compression force. This will keep the chain stay from bobbing and catching the chain to suck it up between the frame and front rings behind the bottom bracket. If you do experience chain suck, lay your chest(weight) over your saddle facing down toward the front cranks. Place thumb on top of the chain by the chain suck and push down with thumb as you compress the shock.
Bottom Line:
The combination of my Fuel 100 and NC trails are just about more than I can stand!! I've tripled my mileage since moving to NC....The Fuel 100 is a big part of that!
I have learned even more about the bike and the way it rides - put the Panaracers on and WOOHOO! hang on!! Those bad-boys love the terrain up here. The combination tells me that this bike is getting dialed in just right!
This bike is truly worth the money and I wouldn't change it for the world - it feels more like an extension of myself now!
Similar Products Used: Trek ST120 I've forgotten all the rest since getting my Fuel 100!!
Bike Setup: Race Face Next Chris King hubs and headset XTR D's, shifters/brakes Mavic Ceramic Rims Easton Carbon bars and seatpost RockShox Sid w/blackbox carbon crown Bonty Saddle Thomson stem Tires: Front Panaracer Fire XC 2.10 Rear Panaracer Trailblazer 2.10
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Submitted by
jap perez
a Cross Country Rider
from Miami Beach, Fl. USA
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2004
Strengths: Very light and nimble, quick and responsive. Great looking bike. Good components options (bontrager)
Weaknesses: Feels too light sometimes when ridden hard, breaking is also weak mostly on downhills.
Bottom Line:
Great all around bike, I also use it for training on road. Tends to get loose, especially on tight trails due to the lightness of the bike, takes getting used to. Great upgrade for someone looking to get serious about the sport, not for recreational use once or twice a week use, bike is made to be ridden.
This bike rocks!! Light, fast, responsive. The Avid Ti brakes are phenomenal...who needs discs when these are coupled to ceramic coated rims? Very racy geometry is great in singletrack...watch out for technical descents though--the short cockpit makes these tricky. Put some Wildgripper comps on this bike and it's a rocket.
Bike Setup: Stock, soon to add Thomson seatpost, '03 XTR crankset, and remote lockouts
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Submitted by
Bill Stovall
a Racer
from Marietta, GA
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2003
Strengths: Strong light-weight frame with a geometry that can out-perform just about anything. The suspension, when properly dialed in is also awsome. The Bonty stuff is pretty high end as well. Does this thing LOOK super fast or what? Many riders get out of my way just because it looks like a race bike.
Weaknesses: The chain suck and chain drop problems on the bike is ridiculous. It happens when changing from the middle chain ring to the little one. The problem is that you have to do this type of shifting quite often when you are about to hit an unexpected steep climb. I have not seen one of these bikes that hasn't had its paint scraped off by the chain in the chain stay area. Not to be a winer(sp), but this problem has made me lose a little confidence when I'm about to dash up a climb. Front and Rear Derailer need constant adjustment. I have broken spokes in the rear Bonty twice in 30 days.
Bottom Line:
This Bike Rocks. After upgrading from a pretty decent mongoose('98) and an excellent GT I-drive (2001 2.0), I am convinced that this bike definately race inspired. It can and will outperform just about anything out there. If you get this bike and don't win a race, it aint the bikes fault-believe me I know.
SUSPENSION
I should start out by saying that I am nearly 230 lbs during the off-season and 215 lbs during the race season(and not fat). So this was a real concern for me. I think the suspension on this bike is outstanding if properly dialed in. It is stiff enough to support my weight and I don't notice any bobbing when I am seated. If I need to eliminate any bobbing when I am out of the saddle(such as the Oak Mountain and Ducktown fireroad climbs) I can simply lock out both front and back. By the way, who needs remote lock out anyway. That's like a remote control for your car stereo. If you are that lazy, you need't be riding. On balance, however, the bike takes corners, technical sections and down hills like a dream. Minimal bouncing, good tractions and abailty to negoitiate obstacles are all characteristic of this baby! It predictabilty also helps you do one heck of a wheelie!
COMPONENTS
Mostly Bonty Race Lite stuff. I beleive that it is all pretty high end and would not replace it unless you have a hole burning in your pocket. It's strong, light weight and goes with the color scheme. You also have some of the best that money can buy in the Avid Ti brakes, Crane Creek(Dia Compe) headset, and Time Carbon pedals.
DRIVE TRAIN
This is good stuff for most riders. After all of the reviews slammed the Bonty Crankset for chain suck and then experiencing it myself the first time riding this Bike, I swapped in my fairly new Shimano XT's. Unfortunately this has not helped the chain suck problem, so maybe its not the cranks or shifters, as much as frame design. When dialed in the system does work great. You can't beat XTR rear derailers. Maybe I need to consider upgrading to XTR all around.
WHEELSET
I am told that this wheelset is on of the best that money can buy for most riders. The sealed bearings hubs are great. The ceramic coat finish (which is no longer available on Bontragers) works excellent with the Avid Ti brakes. This thing will throw you over the bars if you are not careful-no need for discs here. They are also some of strongest and lightest wheels out there. I have however, broken spokes on two recent occasions in the rear-I believe to be because of my weight because I was not riding hard at all. Even then, after repalcing the spokes the wheels remained completely true. I do have a 3 strikes rule so these may be up on ebay.
Bottom line, I stongly recommend this bike if you are an intermediate to expert cross country racer who can afford it. I would not recommed this bike for casual trail cruisng. The bike is just not that comfortableIt would be like your grandmother bying a fully stout Muscle car for Sunday morning grocery shopping- it just wouldn't be right.
Similar Products Used: GF Sugar 1- Thanks to King JP, Mongoose- Everyone has to start somewhere, GT Avalance- Thanks to King T, GT i Drive 2.0- May it rest in peace, Titus Switchblade- Thanks to the other Bill
Bike Setup: Stock except I have swapped out the Botrager Cranks in favor of Shimano XT.
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Submitted by
steve schriver
a Cross Country Rider
from panorama city, ca. usa
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2003
Strengths: light,fast,durable,and efficient
Weaknesses: tubeless system stinks
Bottom Line:
I'm 5'10" and weigh almost 200 lb's (not fat). The bike has been pretty near bulletproof. I have had occasional chain suck, but, back pedalling has always solved the problem quickly. This is a great bike to climb on. I never lock out the rear shock on the trails as it is rock solid. The Sid on front works well though it does bob a little on steep, rocky climbs. If you want a good challenge, take it up Brand in Glendale and down the La Tuna singletrack. If there are any weeknesses in the bike, you'll find them. I still havn't! AMF. Stevo
Bike Setup: stock with the exception of tires, anything but stock. I've also changed out the seat. The crank will get changed as soon as the Bonty dies.
Strengths: Light and responsive. I weigh 200+ and this bike is pretty strong for its weight(24.75lbs!!!). Great transitional ride - handles everything very well and evenly: comfortable on cross country terrain, screams on the declines, stable when pushing the envelope, decent long climber up to about 40-45 degree inclines(partly depending on terrain and the rider technique). Short climbs of 60+ degrees attained - the full suspension conforms to the transition well. The full lockouts are easy to adjust and gets you as rigid as you want at almost hard tail weight! Best of both worlds.
Weaknesses: Frame easily takes on water from the seat tube and its a pain to dry out. LBS hooked me up with a tire tube "home remedy" to cover the seat clamp - it's a shame to see that on something as sweet as the Fuel 100...but Function before Flash is the final word when you get down to it. Two times had issues with chain suck - ate up the paint job(@ size of a quarter) on the stay.
Bottom Line:
While the new 2003 Fuel 100's have replaced the front triangle of the frame from the 9000 alloy to TREK Carbon (I think it's the OCLV?), the 2002 is definitely recommended. It just looks fast - makes you want to ride whether around the block or any trail that you can handle. This is equipment that is up for any challange that I have thrown at it. If you get the rocks off riding in driving rain and mud(I'm not crazy about that), this may not be for you. But everything else, I have been impressed with the nimble performance of my Trek Fuel on just about any terrain! I have a shot at a move to NC, which will increase this Fuel 100's mileage tenfold!!!
Similar Products Used: Trek ST120 Fuel 90(demo'd) Kona(demo'd) Sugar(demo'd)
Bike Setup: Race Face Carbon Cranks / RF Rings /"Signature" FR B.B. XTR Front/Rear D, 9 sp. Cassette, and Brakes King Hubs and headset Easton Carbon Bars(Monkey Risers) and seat post Rock Shox Sid Carbon Front Shock Factory Fox Rear Shock Time Carbon Titan Clipless Pedals Mavic 517 Ceramics WTB Raptor Tires (Where weight can be shaved, weenie!)
