[VERT1]

Starting up this thread as quite a few of is are waiting in anticipation for the release of this bike.

Nothing has been announced yet but based on what trek has released already and what other manufacturers are doing with similar bikes here are some assumptions on what the bike could be.

Rumored for August release

135mm or 140mm rear travel, 140mm front Travel, compatible with 150mm front fork

Full Carbon frame for 9.7, 9.8, 9.9 models

Price increase on 2019 model

Sram NX eagle on 8 and 9.7, GX eagle on 9.8

No full floater, same design as Top Fuel and Remedy

Slacker head angle, steeper seat angle, longer top tube, longer reach, short stem, wide bars, shorter seat tube

2.5-2.6" tires



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[aaroncob]

Starting up this thread as quite a few of is are waiting in anticipation for the release of this bike.

Sram NX eagle on 8 and 9.7, GX eagle on 9.8

If there's a price increase on the FEX8 and they spec it with Sram NX that will be a downgrade to the 2019 model. I'm holding out for the 8 but will look else where if they spec it with the crappy NX.

 

[David R]

Slacker head angle, steeper seat angle, longer top tube, longer reach, short stem, wide bars

and shorter seat tube!

 

[jpec29]

and shorter seat tube!

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[VERT1]

Starting up this thread as quite a few of is are waiting in anticipation for the release of this bike.

Sram NX eagle on 8 and 9.7, GX eagle on 9.8

If there's a price increase on the FEX8 and they spec it with Sram NX that will be a downgrade to the 2019 model. I'm holding out for the 8 but will look else where if they spec it with the crappy NX.

I'm hoping they dont too, but that's what they did with the Top Fuel. Hopefully we dont see SX on any of the bikes!

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[kosmo]

I'd be thrilled with basically the current Fuel EX, "stretched" to 135 or 140 in the back, with similar treatment up front.

Hey Fox, how about debuting a 34 fork with the fabulous Grip2 damper on the 2020 Fuel EX?!

 

[brent701]

Starting up this thread as quite a few of is are waiting in anticipation for the release of this bike.

Nothing has been announced yet but based on what trek has released already and what other manufacturers are doing with similar bikes here are some assumptions on what the bike could be.

Rumored for August release

135mm or 140mm rear travel, 140mm front Travel, compatible with 150mm front fork

Full Carbon frame for 9.7, 9.8, 9.9 models

Price increase on 2019 model

Sram NX eagle on 8 and 9.7, GX eagle on 9.8

No full floater, same design as Top Fuel and Remedy

Slacker head angle, steeper seat angle, longer top tube, longer reach, short stem, wide bars, shorter seat tube

2.5-2.6" tires



Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I don't see a reason for slacker HA or a larger travel increase The current 27.5+ is 66.6* and 29er is around 67.5 * the current slash is 65.6* (HA is just one listed number off their site. I know there is 2)
140 in the rear 150 front? your 10mm short of it being a remedy or slash.

The Yeti SB130 is a 150/130 trail bike.

 

[David R]

Lots of people pulling the spacer out of the DPX2 and essentially making it a 150/138mm trail bike too.

I don't disagree that 150/130 is/would be rad, it's what I'm running on my current bike (with 27.5" wheels) but Trek don't seem as sold on the "reverse mullet" as the likes of Yeti, Transition etc. With the hype and popularity of bikes like the Hightower/Offering/Ripmo/etc etc that "goldilocks" zone between enduro and trail is becoming a pretty hotly contested part of the market so a slight bump in travel for the Fuel EX kinda makes sense. 140/140 stock with the option to run 150/140 would be the go, and because of that I'd be disappointed to see a 34 up front as AFAIK it can't be bumped up to 150mm travel with a simple change of internals.

 

[dave_rh]

With the hype and popularity of bikes like the Hightower/Offering/Ripmo/etc etc that "goldilocks" zone between enduro and trail is becoming a pretty hotly contested part of the market so a slight bump in travel for the Fuel EX kinda makes sense.

It does seem that the media hype is around long travel trail bikes these days. The fuel Ex 9 in 2016 130mm front/120mm rear travel guise seemed to be a swiss army knife bike that just did everything from XC marathon to almost enduro.

I actually think that the 2019 Top fuel was not replaced, it was killed. Its actual real XC racer replacement is the as-yet unreleased flex-stay supercaliber.

Trek has realised that its too hard for a FEX bike to do so many things different things well. So, the 2017-2019 FEX has really become 2 bikes in 2020:
Short travel Top Fuel
Long travel (unreleased) FEX.

 

[pctloper]

My biggest hope is the geo does not get too extreme. I have ridden the Pivot T429 with a STA of 74.6 and got along with it well. Then bikes with 76 STA ---say Ripley/HT and it just does not work------puts too much pressure on my hands and aggravates my arthritis.
And they shorten the seated ETT too much for my long legs---

The slacker HT angles do not seem to be as noticeable----anything from 66-67 seems to feel the same

So hoping Trek does not go full west coast geo--even while I can see the Pacific ocean

 

[jpec29]

My biggest hope is the geo does not get too extreme. I have ridden the Pivot T429 with a STA of 74.6 and got along with it well. Then bikes with 76 STA ---say Ripley/HT and it just does not work------puts too much pressure on my hands and aggravates my arthritis.
And they shorten the seated ETT too much for my long legs---

The slacker HT angles do not seem to be as noticeable----anything from 66-67 seems to feel the same

So hoping Trek does not go full west coast geo--even while I can see the Pacific ocean

You hope Trek makes a perfect custom bike for you're aging body?

 

[pctloper]

Of course I hope for this-and you are right I am aging at 65--hopefully slowly--just a different take than some others. Honestly I suspect they will follow the geo trends to the max like the new HT but we will see.

At this point my best choices are the Pivot T429 and the Arktos ST (due to the stack) and we will see on the SC TB in August.

In the meantime I just ride my Pivot Mach 429 Trail and most days wonder what is wrong with me in trying to get another bike as it has few faults for where I ride----primarily Santa Cruz

 

[David R]

It's a lot easier for you to add a set-back post and a few more spacers or high-rise bars than it is for other people to increase the STA or lower the stack height....

 

[luckyguy19]

I'm looking forward to a 140/140 Fuel EX. I had an 18 Fuel EX 8 that I loved, but it was out gunned at the bike park. I moved on to a Slash 8. Its a great park bike but I feel like i'm beating the crap out of it there. Its more than I need (heavy & too much travel) for my daily trails. I think a dedicated downhill bike and a mid travel 29 will be the perfect combo for my riding.

 

[pctloper]

It's a lot easier for you to add a set-back post and a few more spacers or high-rise bars than it is for other people to increase the STA or lower the stack height....

David for sure one can do this but it would move your weight significantly rearward--not where the bike was designed to have it-----fixes fit but the new geo requires more of a bias to weighting the front end---surely results in poor handling. Getting too much weight on the hands --along with tight cockpits is becoming more common feedback in these threads even with those more spry or at least they should be.

Anyhow looking forward to the new bike---most of august I am backpacking in the Sierra's so hopefully it is released when I return---along with the Santa Cruz TB4

 

[j-t-g]

Bringing back the Remedy 29 finally.... just calling it the Fuel EX.

 

[Lone Rager]

^^^ totally.

I've been looking for a new trail bike and see the new Top Fuel it's close but a slightly longer and slacker than my '16 FEX. So, they're bringing back the '16 FEX and calling it a Top Fuel.

 

[dave_rh]

Bringing back the Remedy 29 finally.... just calling it the Fuel EX.

I think they already pretty much did that?

When the 2017 FEX 29er was announced, I recall that it was longer, lower, slacker than the 16 Remedy 29er. Only difference was that it had 10mm less travel. But German bike magazine worked out it real life it actually has almost 146mm of rear travel anyway!

https://www.bike-magazin.de/mountai...18---super-fullys-trek-fuel-ex-98/a37921.html

2020 Top fuel = 2016 Fuel EX
2020 Fuel Ex = 2016 Remedy 29er?

 

[gfourth]

Heres my prediction/wishlist (some will hate this):

- No frame travel increase, except maybe the fork to 140 for 27.5+
- Modern geo updates: +20mm reach, ~66 HTA, 76° STA

IMO geo dictates capability nowadays more than travel. Keep it efficient with shorter travel and light but let it party with modern geo. Essentially on trend with the Giant Advanced Pro 29, Ripley V4, etc.

No sense in adding travel as you start to encroach on slash territory. And then the top fuel retains current Fuel Ex numbers and thus more separation.

As an "Ex Fuel Ex owner" I was happy with the efficiency and quality of travel, yet unhappy with the geo (slack STA, wandering front end, steep head angle).

 

[Kiwi_GR_Biker]

What's all this constant demand for longer reach? If a current model frame size fits you and then they increase the reach by 20mm won't it then not fit/be too big?

I've not been following the trends the last few years and now that I'm reading about new models this seems to come up a lot? Just curious?