We just bought a EXe for my wife, only one ride so far, snow here in Idaho. Im guessing a range extender will be our next purchase. Her previous two bikes were turbo levo's. I ride a non e-bike (Ibis ripley). She can go any of my hard rides and thats been so great. My friends often leave their wives home and mine gets to in these big epic rides. So cool! We also ride double track climbs with my 89 year old Dad on his Levo. On these rides I have to say I feel pretty lucky to ride as hard uphill as I want with my two favorite people. Total game changer for us! So many ways to use these e-bikes.
This bike is a game changer. I work at a Trek dealer. Walked into work the other day, saw the 9.8 XT on the floor. Did a little car park ride and play. Feels so much like a normal bike in its handling easy to manual. Made the Rail that I serviced that day feel like a pig. Haven't had the urge to buy a E bike until now.
@@jamietaylor9410 If you happen to be in Barcelona or near some of their's distributors in UK, Australia, S. Africa or Chile, it would be quiet easy to book a test ride. If you are in the USA, contact World Wide Cyclery since they are doing some demo's right now in few location. Good luck;)
I have a deposit on one and it’s in the shop, but the shop won’t release it without a firmware update. The firmware update requires a hardware dongle that they don’t have yet. The dongle is on order and they are hoping it arrives this week. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I ride it.
I bought a EXe 9.7 model with Shimano gears and Fox suspension which I prefer. $11k Australian. I have 2x full Levo's and a Merida E160 plus a Giant carbon hardtail non ebike. I've ridden it twice but first 1½ hours both times without motor On because it kept feeling SO GOOD 17kg no battery 19kg with. Power from standstill on a steep incline is amazing. It's a mtb and a Emtb. Well done Trek 👏. Beautifully balanced power to weight and geometry .Near silence is absolutely golden. Probably not for heavy riders, stick to full 90Nm Emtbs and eat more salad. At 61kg (I'm nearly back to my birth weight and 68years) it suits me well. Specialized will have to get their act together and the price of the 9.7 is very reasonable for what you get. There's something special about this bike ,feel,silence, balance power delivery and above all ability to love it without the motor On. E=Mtb²
Nice review Rob. This thing is basically science fiction, what we've all dreamed about as young kids...finally here in the flesh. Just looks like a normal bike...Unreal
It sounds like what I NEED. I'm 70 and ride in Utah. I can still go out on 20 mile, 3000' climbs, but it's pushing my HR into dangerous territory to do so. I just need enough to keep it down around 70-80% max. I'm thinking this will do it. And the fact that it comes in at lower cadences is a real plus as well! I currently ride a zero Nm/zero-watt bike, so I'm not sure I understand the comments regarding needing more, unless you're cycling through downhills in the PNW, in which case a full power long travel ebike probably would be a better choice anyway.
I think you are on the right track. I bought a used Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay ebike this spring. I have spent almost 6 years trying to recover from a brain injury (lots of eye, brain and body physio daily), and my newest Doctor suggested I was overdoing things. He said I needed to keep my HR below 130 or 140 bpm, to avoid symptom overload. Using the ebike on the lowest setting, Im happy to report my heart rate stays between 125-140 and my symptoms are much less. I dont get a "hangover" later that day or all of the next day. I sure as hell can't ride like I used to, but thanks to the e-bike I am still able to enjoy a ride with my non e-bike riding buddies. Im looking at the Trek because I dont need full power and the motor is a lot quieter which helps with brain fatigue. The e-bike has been a game changer in my recovery and for my mental health / mood.
I’m 65 and I just can’t keep up with my buddies on my Specialized Sworks regular mountain bike. So I’m going to grab a fuel exe 9.7 They’re all on e-bikes so I give up. But I will never buy a e road bike
I’ve just taken the spacers out of my 9.7 so running a 205x65 stroke shock. Plenty of clearance to frame and rear tyre. Test ride tomorrow. Not sure what travel numbers that gives me. 160mm?
Best overview I've seen. I've not seen any others (so far) so show all the little details like the metal plate to protect again rotor scratching the frame. Or how the Rear Mech works if battery is discharged. Great looking booking. Never been into e-bikes. I am now though! But will have to start saving or sell a kidney or something. The weights and motor sizes are coming down. The prices are not! Still, very impressive looking bike.
Finally finally one company has rediscovered the human friendly design with the remotes haptic&audible feedback. I hate like every control these days be it on bikes, cars etc. has the unfriendly distracting no feedback swipe, softtouch...etc. Love the review Rob...kinda wraps up all my thoughts and questions... Riding a full fat Reign E+ 2022...and am kinda bothered only by the hefty weight in some way... On the fence about stepping over to a machine like the Trek here 🙆♂️🤔🤷♂️ Definitely would love to pedal one before ✌
Fully agreed Rob. The way how badly (STILL) most manufacturers integrate displays and controllers with the cockpit is just beyond comprehension given the price tag for an average e-bike :) For me personally, it's probably one of the most off putting things when changing an acoustic bike for an e-bike.
That small piece of metal isn’t for avoiding scratches when installing the wheels. It’s to stop the brake rotor from grinding the frame due to flex of the wheel and frame. My 9.9 was ground down to where a hole formed. Trek replaced the frame no questions. Great company. 30mph on a downhill section will flex any bike. You’d be shocked to know how much things change shape. I love this bike.
Would be great to see an actual ride with one person on this and another on the Rail, see how they company climbing the same hills, effect required, downhill speed, battery usage over the same route at the same time etc 👍🏻
I did a test on both the Rail and the Fuel Exe. I can say that the power maximum output of the Fuel Exe is like having the assistance of Tour on the Rail. Normal hill climb is fine, whereas a steep hill will make you miss the turbo mode on the Rail. The Fuel Exe does feel like a tad bit heavier dual sus with assistance and the Rail is a real power beast with plenty of power for your needs.
@@link6032 It depends how good of a climber you are - and if the climb is a technical climb or just a steep hill. The Fuel Exe will give you the ability to climb the hills you can normal climb but with less effort because of the motor. If it is a difficult technical climb where you need instance power to boost you over obstacles then the Rail will be better. I really love having the ability to switch over to Turbo to quickly climb back to the top as quickly as I can to restart another downhill / decent.
Im just after buyin the Fuel Exe8. I love it. You video is very good, informative, great detail and knowledge. You high red format is fantastic too. One little flaw I notices is that you recorded the audio at Auto Level, and gain is too high. Every time you speak there is a hiss and the audio level junmps to between -3db and 0db. Just a suggestion for future videos would be to go into the manual setting and adjust the audio to -8 and lock it. youll get perfect quality dilogue then. cheers. love the video.
Before buying a Range extender or extra battery, I recommend going on a few rides in your typical riding area and see how much battery you have left after a typical session. Before buying my 9.7 Exe I was positive I would need an extra battery. But after a month of riding it now (steep climbs, downhill single track, gentle climbs, flat rails to trails, Appalachian mountain fire roads, and hilly single track) I have yet to go below 60% battery remaining after 2.5-3 hours of riding. To provide some perspective, I spend 85% of the time in the lowest assistance setting, maybe 10% in the 2nd highest, and 5% on "boost" if it is a really steep hill or I am just tired. I really love the power delivery and the battery size is perfect - I don't see myself needing a range extender or extra battery. That being said, an option could be to remove the main battery, and only use the range extender battery - this would reduce overall weight and still (for my personal riding) provide enough range. I hope that helps someone:)
Rode a 9.7 build yesterday. Awesome how quiet the motor is. Nice weight if lifting to rack or truck bed is a problem. Otherwise I’m pretty happy with my full fat Turbo Levo. Weight isn’t an issue with a powerful motor (and an advantage on rooty rocky trails). 50nm feels plenty powerful (I rarely use more than 65nm on my levo). All in all an awesome bike
@@maat122 yes. I can easily hear my 2021 Turbo Levo motor (it’s not loud like the SL). This bike’s Fazua motor is so quiet you can barely hear it over the sound of the tires in dirt/gravel. Pretty amazing
Love this bike Rob. They are about $8500.00 US here in the states, however, no availability that I can see as of this month. My only gripe is that the motor needs to be a minimum of 70nm of torque. I use a Yamaha PW-X, and that seems to help with inclines just perfectly. Cheers Rob!!
Great in detailed review, just some additional notes. The 9.9 comes with Line Pro Carbon wheels which uses different carbon than the Line Elite Carbon that are on the 9.8. This is part of the price difference it also uses a different hub, with straight pull spokes. Trek does state that you can install a 160 fork on it but, the Fox 36, Fox 38 and the ZEB all exceed the axle to crown length mentioned in the manual. I'm waiting to hear back from Trek how relevant the axle to crown measurement is.
@@jamietaylor9410 but then it would still be a Lyrik on the 9,8 with 35mm stanchions, I also get pro deals so probably can "upgrade" to a 38 or ZEB for the same money as a longer air shaft 🤪
Thx for a very nice review. Love your videos. I think you would need a 205x65 shock to get 150ish mm travel on the rear. I would love to see you ride it with 160mm fork and super travel (150ish) rear.
@@RobRidesEMTB I was disappointed to see it wasn't 160 / 150 as that's a popular change on the Rise, and I think is the sweet spot. I just bought a 9.8XT and would love to see what you think of the 160 / 150 set up. I was going to wait for the Relay but they still haven't even released the Repeater in Aus. Your killing it mate, 👌
With a 160mm fork how would this stack up against a Kenevo SL when descending? Is it enough for an average-ish rider for BPW black trails, Dyfi, and the gnarlier bike parks? I guess a 160mm fork would put the head angle around 64 degrees, so would it then just come down to rear travel? +1 for being very interested in seeing a 160/150 coil enduro build of this bike - and maybe seeing that ridden on some gnarly blacks! Great video too, it's your view on this bike I was waiting to hear!
No a kanevo is in a different category, having ridden kanevo and levo and levo sl , I highly reccomend you try both alternate bikes on a trail you know . Some days I'd take a levo others a kanevo I'm sorry to say. But I'd definitely ride full fat so the tiny motor in the latest kanevo made me back away instantly. You will know what you prefer , just please ride both before you have regrets.
My bike does make a whining noise and also a small amount of chain slap inside the motor. But I'm now use to it ....I still love my eBike to make up for what father time has taken from me!
I am seeing a second battery strapped to the downtube, would be great if the battery mounting holes went all the way through and use studs and wingnuts to mount.
Please what are the recommended assitance setting for Econ, Med & High on a ride with a mix of steep hills, flats & medium hills. Total k’s about 27 k’s. I am 74 years of age.
I really wish they had gone with the larger Trek logo like the prototype in the video at the 22:36 mark. I bought mine the other day and my one and only gripe is I hate how the Trek logo just kind of looks like an afterthought. Other than that, this is my ideal MTB and I’m so pumped with it!
I actually like the small logo. I like less marketing, unbranded look. Removed all my shock stickers on my satin black olive 9.8 acoustic fuel and replaced with clear ride wrap and it looks slick.
@@reynemanzano If YOU like it, that is all that matters. They are high quality bikes for sure- just out of my price range. Also, after my mTBI, I decided to not ride bikes anymore. They are fun but in no way can I risk whacking my head yet again. Took me out of the game for years. Still not quite the same (vision and balance.) Helmets also do nothing to protect against concussions.
I believe the quote for the XTR at 17.47 KG (38.5 lbs) has been revised to 18.38 KG (40.5 lbs) per Trek website. My goal would be sub 40 pounds with pedals. At 14 oz for pedals the bike would need to be 39 lbs 1oz.
Great effort from Trek! I would like to try a lower powered bike as a comparison to my full fat Phase. Only one thing I've noticed is the rear brake hose looks like it enters the bike on the wrong side! Is it the controller wire flapping about Infront of the head tube? Spoils the look if they've gone to all that effort with bar & stem.... Brilliant video again Rob 👊
I've ridden so many different torque ebikes. My determination is Torque Is King! All the SLs are fine for a nice day out, but a fully fatty ebike is awesome for a day of "real" riding. 😁
@@chrisrae1254true, but in most cases the weight difference doesn't affect much compared to power and capacity which make a big difference when you need them. You can always turn down a full fat and ride twice as long but you can never turn up a low power bike. My full fat handles much better than my Giant TranceX so what's a few lbs? Granted, I don't have a wide range of experience so I'm surely missing something but my guess is that, because it's early, riders are attracted to bikes that are closer to what they are used to. I believe that will give way to reason over time and low power/capacity bikes like this will eventually represent a small niche market. Time will tell. It's nice to see the hardware continually evolving regardless. The market will tell manufacturers what is best with time and riders win regardless.
@@jamietaylor9410 People who buy the less expensive bikes probably aren't ready to shell out that much money so soon and these bikes seem to hold up for a long time. I think it will take a while before the full fats start leaving the low power bikes behind. A guy I ride with already sold his low power bike when I joined the group with a turbo Levo. What do you see as the advantage of a low power low capacity bike? They are lighter but that seems relatively insignificant compared to twice the range or twice the power. Maybe I'm missing something??
some fantastic details, i especially like how a company finally decided to power the derailleur using the internal battery, i would not buy a AXS equipped bike without that, the little plate protecting the frame is nice as well, another US brand has some catching up to do for the first time, even if their display still looks better, and then there is the motor !! wow, so small ! i don’t like the protection under the downturns, it shows that there is a battery there. anyway, this video may start to convince me that i might get this bike, in 3 years when my current bike’s lease is paid for
My hope is that TQ comes out with a more powerful motor that can easily compete with those found in full fat ebikes. Full power with little to no motor noise than the competition. That's the dream, I guess. 👌🏽
Looks like all emtb youtube channels are talking about this bike. and there is very good reason for that. It really has the potential to crush the competition.
Owned a full power (85NM) commencal meta power for two years and went back riding specialized enduro 2021 for exercise reasons, and just rode my friends trek exe 9.7, really on the edge of selling both meta and enduro to get a lightweight emtb, the only thing that needs some adaption was the steep headtube angle on exe comparing to my metapower/enduro. Hope specialized is coming out a new version of Kenevo SL for me to make the move
Great video Rob, Would love to try out a fuel ex e, probs the first time I've wanted an emtb, tried out the rail and loved it but found it too heavy. looking forward to see what they do in the furute with TQ.
I agree I find full fat EMTB like tanks it’s almost like a separate sport to mountain biking this type of emtb definitely has raised my eyebrows though 👍
@@DanEscapes I’ve just ordered the trek 9.5 carbon I found it for £4900 ok some of the spec is questionable I can use some of the money I’ve saved in some upgrades 👍
Regarding power delivery for the Orbea Rise, if you put the EP8rs into profile 2 then power is delivered more aggressively. Yes, there is a little spin up still but nothing that bothers me when I am in trail model in profile 2.
i have just pre ordered one the 9.5 - looking to upgrade suspension - already putting a lyrik 160mm front shock what do you suggest for the rear to lift it to 150mm???
How would this fare in double-duty as a road bike? Specifically range. In an ideal world I find a bike I can use for technical Rocky mtn trails but that my wife could also use, with a switch to slicks, to join me on a regular road bike, for 80-120km road rides.
Just put the kids to bed and finished watching the whole video. The Q&A was fantastic. I think this motor has it for me I currently ride acoustic mtb for the trails and bike parks and a touring hard tail ebike when exploring the countryside but i want something that feels like my acoustic but helps me on the climbs I wish this had more battery but then you used it acoustic so it's not like a heavy full fat.
I have a specialized creo with little battery 360wh and 35nm torque... i'm 88kg and yesterday i've made 2300mt of ascent in eco mode...66km... with engine turn off is just a heavy bdc (14kg) but no drag... perfect on flat land.. light ebike are really great for ones who want to ride and make training... a 750wh battery turn the bike in a motorbike... so i'm on the train of the new segment... don't need 90nm engines.
Hey Rob! I am trying to choose between 2023 Fuel EXe 9.8 (w/ 160mm Zeb Ultimate w/ buttercups and carbon wheels), Forestal Siryon Diode (w/ newly upgraded battery and motor) and 2022 Kenevo SL S-Works. Which one would you recommend? Kenevo Sl S-Works is about $2k more, so I am leaning towards Forestal and Trek more. I currently ride a 2022 Slash 9.9 in medium and could use a larger bike, so I am looking at all these bikes in size L. I am 5'9" w/ 31.5" inseam.
Rob I have a Project for you. Build up a near silent full fat reliable Emtb using 2018 levo carbon frame (the red one you rode) with Orange Fox 38 170mm forks and a top quality coil shock. Get the Brose 1.3 aluminium 90Nm near SILENT powerful smooth and reliable motor rebuilt with waterproof crank seals,upgraded sprag clutch etc by Peter at Performance line bearings with updated firmware. Get wheel size reset legally at 2000 at Specialized dealer (30km power fade out).Fit 29in front wheel .ie mullet. You will ask yourself the Question, "what did Specialized and Brose know in 2018 that they all don't know now " until this Trek Fuel EXe has come along. 🤔. That 1.3 motor has all the same internals as the 2023 Brose but is actually quieter than the TQ at low cadence. Believe me it's true.I have two 2018 Aluminium 👍a 2020 magnesium 👎and one brand new TQ Trek EXe 👍👍👍. The 1.3 Brose aluminium only makes a belt sound above 90 cadence. It a simple challenge to occupy your inquisitive mind and you will really enjoy the result .Emtbs are a Time Machine turning us into gleeful kids again. Turn back time to 2018 and enjoy the results 😎 E=Mtb²
Hi Rob, great review. Have you tried it with a 62.5mm stroke shock yet? Ordering up a coil and would love to eek out a bit more if you can confirm. Thanks
Rob, is there any news on the motor being able to have the torque increased to maybe a 60nm, ( via software tweek) to take on the orbea / other brands that are due to release mid-power bikes ?
Any news from TQ about making bigger motors with higher Nm torques? Is there a size limit to how small or lager they can build their motor for a given performace on a frame?
Hi rob brill review the bike looks ace and a game changer with the near silent motor!! Just a quick question what handle bars and stem did you swap for?? I agree the handle bars looks too wide and the rise way too low.. will be going to my local dealer when it’s released to have a look as I’m stuck between the Levo and this..
You mentioned these are the 2023 zebs and that you have a larger air spring to put in. Is it the 2023 air spring with the buttercups? If so where did you order this part?
Sorry for any confusion - I have a separate 2023 Zeb for testing on another bike. The Fuel EXe comes with 2023 Lyrik with the 2023 air spring and Rockshox sent me a 2023 Lyrik 160 spring 👍
@@RobRidesEMTB thanks for the reply, I only ask because I’m waiting to be able to get the 2023 air spring in a 190 travel for my zebs and so far I can’t see anywhere to get just the air spring
Not really sure how I’d get along with the Scott Syncros stem bar combo, and the 2018 GT force frame seems dated. The quiet motor is really cool though. Tough choice.
@@RobRidesEMTB do you think it would be possable for Sram or a 3rd party to make an adapter that hooks into the shimano ports (I seem to remember there's some on motor)?
Great video, mate! i have been thinking about the Fuel EXe and one question that came into my mind just now is about the motor activation speed when going through rough terrain and rocky / tech areas up hill. How does it activate? There are moments when you let the bike roll and suddenly you need the max torque to climb things. How is it efficiency on such moments? Thanks
We just bought a EXe for my wife, only one ride so far, snow here in Idaho. Im guessing a range extender will be our next purchase. Her previous two bikes were turbo levo's. I ride a non e-bike (Ibis ripley). She can go any of my hard rides and thats been so great. My friends often leave their wives home and mine gets to in these big epic rides. So cool! We also ride double track climbs with my 89 year old Dad on his Levo. On these rides I have to say I feel pretty lucky to ride as hard uphill as I want with my two favorite people. Total game changer for us! So many ways to use these e-bikes.
I did the exact same thing. Wife rides with me. And gets great exercise.
This bike is a game changer. I work at a Trek dealer. Walked into work the other day, saw the 9.8 XT on the floor. Did a little car park ride and play. Feels so much like a normal bike in its handling easy to manual. Made the Rail that I serviced that day feel like a pig. Haven't had the urge to buy a E bike until now.
Thx so much for this Great Shots in 4K in both Vids. Been riding it today at a local shop. Cheers from Germay.
It’s the first EMTB (With decent torque numbers) that is hard to distinguish from a normal ‘push iron.’ I like it.
@@asifitmatters1 I can't find any decent ride reviews on the Forestal. Which is strange as the specs look good.
@@jamietaylor9410 If you happen to be in Barcelona or near some of their's distributors in UK, Australia, S. Africa or Chile, it would be quiet easy to book a test ride. If you are in the USA, contact World Wide Cyclery since they are doing some demo's right now in few location. Good luck;)
I recently noticed that your video quality has improved and i really enjoy watching the videos that you make. Keep up the good work!
Anyone taken delivery of one yet?! Interested in your thoughts if you've have a ride!
I have a deposit on one and it’s in the shop, but the shop won’t release it without a firmware update. The firmware update requires a hardware dongle that they don’t have yet. The dongle is on order and they are hoping it arrives this week. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I ride it.
Year lead time for the AXS version which is just getting boring, I have an XT on order for delivery October (as per your recommendation)
I bought a EXe 9.7 model with Shimano gears and Fox suspension which I prefer. $11k Australian. I have 2x full Levo's and a Merida E160 plus a Giant carbon hardtail non ebike.
I've ridden it twice but first 1½ hours both times without motor On because it kept feeling SO GOOD 17kg no battery 19kg with. Power from standstill on a steep incline is amazing. It's a mtb and a Emtb. Well done Trek 👏. Beautifully balanced power to weight and geometry .Near silence is absolutely golden. Probably not for heavy riders, stick to full 90Nm Emtbs and eat more salad. At 61kg (I'm nearly back to my birth weight and 68years) it suits me well. Specialized will have to get their act together and the price of the 9.7 is very reasonable for what you get. There's something special about this bike ,feel,silence, balance power delivery and above all ability to love it without the motor On. E=Mtb²
@@robhaskins3068 Have you uploaded a video even to show what you have?
@@markwebster243 Haven't got a clue about uploading or gopro but my mate Paul Moir does a few. Sample ua-cam.com/video/3kW5A5dJwIA/v-deo.html
Nice review Rob. This thing is basically science fiction, what we've all dreamed about as young kids...finally here in the flesh. Just looks like a normal bike...Unreal
It sounds like what I NEED. I'm 70 and ride in Utah. I can still go out on 20 mile, 3000' climbs, but it's pushing my HR into dangerous territory to do so. I just need enough to keep it down around 70-80% max. I'm thinking this will do it. And the fact that it comes in at lower cadences is a real plus as well! I currently ride a zero Nm/zero-watt bike, so I'm not sure I understand the comments regarding needing more, unless you're cycling through downhills in the PNW, in which case a full power long travel ebike probably would be a better choice anyway.
I think you are on the right track. I bought a used Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay ebike this spring. I have spent almost 6 years trying to recover from a brain injury (lots of eye, brain and body physio daily), and my newest Doctor suggested I was overdoing things. He said I needed to keep my HR below 130 or 140 bpm, to avoid symptom overload. Using the ebike on the lowest setting, Im happy to report my heart rate stays between 125-140 and my symptoms are much less. I dont get a "hangover" later that day or all of the next day. I sure as hell can't ride like I used to, but thanks to the e-bike I am still able to enjoy a ride with my non e-bike riding buddies. Im looking at the Trek because I dont need full power and the motor is a lot quieter which helps with brain fatigue. The e-bike has been a game changer in my recovery and for my mental health / mood.
I’m 65 and I just can’t keep up with my buddies on my Specialized Sworks regular mountain bike. So I’m going to grab a fuel exe 9.7
They’re all on e-bikes so I give up. But I will never buy a e road bike
A big yes for me keen to see the enduro weapon review with a larger coil rear shock !
I’ve just taken the spacers out of my 9.7 so running a 205x65 stroke shock. Plenty of clearance to frame and rear tyre. Test ride tomorrow. Not sure what travel numbers that gives me. 160mm?
About 151mm travel (2.33 leverage ratio multiplied by stroke)
@@RobRidesEMTB 160/150 is the sweet spot! Thanks
@@chrisrae1254 Chris, what were the results of your testing with the 205x65? any issues under hard flex?
@@86309 no nothing but positives on this set up. My coil is set to 205x62.5 now but. 146mm is enough for my riding areas
Thanks
Just seen this! Thanks you SO MUCH!!
Love the down to earth connected view ! Answered all my thoughts !
You know you want that 9.8 XT haha
@@RobRidesEMTB What camera are you using?
Sony A7SIII 👍
@@RobRidesEMTB thank you! I love your videos!
My first ebike I reckon 😍
Best overview I've seen. I've not seen any others (so far) so show all the little details like the metal plate to protect again rotor scratching the frame. Or how the Rear Mech works if battery is discharged. Great looking booking. Never been into e-bikes. I am now though! But will have to start saving or sell a kidney or something. The weights and motor sizes are coming down. The prices are not! Still, very impressive looking bike.
Your video quality is some of the best I've seen. 🏁
Finally finally one company has rediscovered the human friendly design with the remotes haptic&audible feedback. I hate like every control these days be it on bikes, cars etc. has the unfriendly distracting no feedback swipe, softtouch...etc.
Love the review Rob...kinda wraps up all my thoughts and questions...
Riding a full fat Reign E+ 2022...and am kinda bothered only by the hefty weight in some way...
On the fence about stepping over to a machine like the Trek here 🙆♂️🤔🤷♂️
Definitely would love to pedal one before ✌
incredible bike, demo’d one the other week my one turned up yesterday 👌
Great information Rob. Many thanks.
Outstanding explanation, its definitely great for Trek, still Luving the Turbo Levo Pro with Cascade Link 170 f / 165 r
Fantastic video, good work mate. Thank you
The little details on this bike are truly thoughtful and not found on every rig... That AXS battery dongle is genius. Well done Trek.
Fully agreed Rob. The way how badly (STILL) most manufacturers integrate displays and controllers with the cockpit is just beyond comprehension given the price tag for an average e-bike :) For me personally, it's probably one of the most off putting things when changing an acoustic bike for an e-bike.
The bosch kiox is mounted in the same place as this display
That small piece of metal isn’t for avoiding scratches when installing the wheels. It’s to stop the brake rotor from grinding the frame due to flex of the wheel and frame.
My 9.9 was ground down to where a hole formed.
Trek replaced the frame no questions.
Great company.
30mph on a downhill section will flex any bike.
You’d be shocked to know how much things change shape.
I love this bike.
Man this rig looks slick, I love those bars and that display is in such a great location, easy to see and not easy to damage
The ultimate EMTB is in this weight class IMHO! Hope they come down in price a bit in the near future. Thanks Rob!
Front triangle looks a little like the Kona 153
Bars look great BUT! Bar roll is important for each rider to get the bike setup for how you like.
I ordered a 9.5 the other day super excited my first emtb
Would be great to see an actual ride with one person on this and another on the Rail, see how they company climbing the same hills, effect required, downhill speed, battery usage over the same route at the same time etc 👍🏻
I did a test on both the Rail and the Fuel Exe. I can say that the power maximum output of the Fuel Exe is like having the assistance of Tour on the Rail. Normal hill climb is fine, whereas a steep hill will make you miss the turbo mode on the Rail. The Fuel Exe does feel like a tad bit heavier dual sus with assistance and the Rail is a real power beast with plenty of power for your needs.
@@akaworld thanks, so can you climb the same sort of steep hills ?, Or does the lack of turbo/emtb mean it's not possible to ride the same route
@@link6032 It depends how good of a climber you are - and if the climb is a technical climb or just a steep hill. The Fuel Exe will give you the ability to climb the hills you can normal climb but with less effort because of the motor. If it is a difficult technical climb where you need instance power to boost you over obstacles then the Rail will be better. I really love having the ability to switch over to Turbo to quickly climb back to the top as quickly as I can to restart another downhill / decent.
I’m 64 , my rail was an excellent purchase for me . A little heavy but the power is awesome 😎
Im just after buyin the Fuel Exe8. I love it. You video is very good, informative, great detail and knowledge. You high red format is fantastic too. One little flaw I notices is that you recorded the audio at Auto Level, and gain is too high. Every time you speak there is a hiss and the audio level junmps to between -3db and 0db. Just a suggestion for future videos would be to go into the manual setting and adjust the audio to -8 and lock it. youll get perfect quality dilogue then. cheers. love the video.
Have you tried the Fazu powered Transition? A comparison with the Trek would be great.
Before buying a Range extender or extra battery, I recommend going on a few rides in your typical riding area and see how much battery you have left after a typical session. Before buying my 9.7 Exe I was positive I would need an extra battery. But after a month of riding it now (steep climbs, downhill single track, gentle climbs, flat rails to trails, Appalachian mountain fire roads, and hilly single track) I have yet to go below 60% battery remaining after 2.5-3 hours of riding. To provide some perspective, I spend 85% of the time in the lowest assistance setting, maybe 10% in the 2nd highest, and 5% on "boost" if it is a really steep hill or I am just tired. I really love the power delivery and the battery size is perfect - I don't see myself needing a range extender or extra battery. That being said, an option could be to remove the main battery, and only use the range extender battery - this would reduce overall weight and still (for my personal riding) provide enough range. I hope that helps someone:)
Nice and thorough video, thanks!
Thanks for this. Answers all my questions. I think this is my next bike…
Yes absolutely do a 160 Fork + a Coil please !!
I wanted you to sell a bicycle
Rode a 9.7 build yesterday. Awesome how quiet the motor is. Nice weight if lifting to rack or truck bed is a problem. Otherwise I’m pretty happy with my full fat Turbo Levo. Weight isn’t an issue with a powerful motor (and an advantage on rooty rocky trails). 50nm feels plenty powerful (I rarely use more than 65nm on my levo). All in all an awesome bike
Motor is quieter than Turbo Levo?
@@maat122 yes. I can easily hear my 2021 Turbo Levo motor (it’s not loud like the SL). This bike’s Fazua motor is so quiet you can barely hear it over the sound of the tires in dirt/gravel. Pretty amazing
@@PaulMoody thanks. but si not a fazua motor. Si TQ motor 😌
@@maat122 you’re right - my confusion. Still it’s nearly silent.
Love this bike Rob. They are about $8500.00 US here in the states, however, no availability that I can see as of this month. My only gripe is that the motor needs to be a minimum of 70nm of torque. I use a Yamaha PW-X, and that seems to help with inclines just perfectly. Cheers Rob!!
$6,500 for the low spec 9.5 model. Though I think the 9.7 will be the most popular model for $7,600.
Great in detailed review, just some additional notes. The 9.9 comes with Line Pro Carbon wheels which uses different carbon than the Line Elite Carbon that are on the 9.8. This is part of the price difference it also uses a different hub, with straight pull spokes.
Trek does state that you can install a 160 fork on it but, the Fox 36, Fox 38 and the ZEB all exceed the axle to crown length mentioned in the manual. I'm waiting to hear back from Trek how relevant the axle to crown measurement is.
That is good to know, I didnt realise that the 9.8 models have a different carbon wheelset. Thanks for sharing.
You could just swap the 150mm air shaft out for a 160mm, and save $$$ on replacing the fork
@@RobRidesEMTB no worries, I ride (and sell) a lot of Trek bikes so this is something I need to know lol
@@jamietaylor9410 but then it would still be a Lyrik on the 9,8 with 35mm stanchions, I also get pro deals so probably can "upgrade" to a 38 or ZEB for the same money as a longer air shaft 🤪
@@VancouverTrailShredders Fair enough
Love this as a one bike to rule them all, however, I love a full power derestricted eMTB to compliment my MTB.
@E Bandit sounds dangerous 😆
Thx for a very nice review. Love your videos. I think you would need a 205x65 shock to get 150ish mm travel on the rear. I would love to see you ride it with 160mm fork and super travel (150ish) rear.
Hi Carsten - correct, its got a leverage ratio of 2.33 so a 65m stroke will give approx 151mm of travel at the back.
@@RobRidesEMTB I was disappointed to see it wasn't 160 / 150 as that's a popular change on the Rise, and I think is the sweet spot. I just bought a 9.8XT and would love to see what you think of the 160 / 150 set up.
I was going to wait for the Relay but they still haven't even released the Repeater in Aus.
Your killing it mate, 👌
gorgeous bike!
With a 160mm fork how would this stack up against a Kenevo SL when descending? Is it enough for an average-ish rider for BPW black trails, Dyfi, and the gnarlier bike parks? I guess a 160mm fork would put the head angle around 64 degrees, so would it then just come down to rear travel?
+1 for being very interested in seeing a 160/150 coil enduro build of this bike - and maybe seeing that ridden on some gnarly blacks!
Great video too, it's your view on this bike I was waiting to hear!
No a kanevo is in a different category, having ridden kanevo and levo and levo sl , I highly reccomend you try both alternate bikes on a trail you know . Some days I'd take a levo others a kanevo I'm sorry to say. But I'd definitely ride full fat so the tiny motor in the latest kanevo made me back away instantly. You will know what you prefer , just please ride both before you have regrets.
@10:29 you have a chainring bolt missing 😂
My bike does make a whining noise and also a small amount of chain slap inside the motor. But I'm now use to it ....I still love my eBike to make up for what father time has taken from me!
I am seeing a second battery strapped to the downtube, would be great if the battery mounting holes went all the way through and use studs and wingnuts to mount.
Rob, great review - please do a enduro (Slash!) video!! cheers
Please what are the recommended assitance setting for Econ, Med & High on a ride with a mix of steep hills, flats & medium hills. Total k’s about 27 k’s. I am 74 years of age.
I really wish they had gone with the larger Trek logo like the prototype in the video at the 22:36 mark. I bought mine the other day and my one and only gripe is I hate how the Trek logo just kind of looks like an afterthought. Other than that, this is my ideal MTB and I’m so pumped with it!
Yes- larger logo looks sweet.
I actually like the small logo. I like less marketing, unbranded look. Removed all my shock stickers on my satin black olive 9.8 acoustic fuel and replaced with clear ride wrap and it looks slick.
@@reynemanzano If YOU like it, that is all that matters. They are high quality bikes for sure- just out of my price range. Also, after my mTBI, I decided to not ride bikes anymore. They are fun but in no way can I risk whacking my head yet again. Took me out of the game for years. Still not quite the same (vision and balance.) Helmets also do nothing to protect against concussions.
I believe the quote for the XTR at 17.47 KG (38.5 lbs) has been revised to 18.38 KG (40.5 lbs) per Trek website. My goal would be sub 40 pounds with pedals. At 14 oz for pedals the bike would need to be 39 lbs 1oz.
"you can´t grow bars". True but with lock-on grips you can extend them upto 3cm on each side (lock ring on the inside).
hi what is the range for the Trek Fuel EXe 9.5 ?
Great effort from Trek! I would like to try a lower powered bike as a comparison to my full fat Phase. Only one thing I've noticed is the rear brake hose looks like it enters the bike on the wrong side! Is it the controller wire flapping about Infront of the head tube? Spoils the look if they've gone to all that effort with bar & stem.... Brilliant video again Rob 👊
I've ridden so many different torque ebikes. My determination is Torque Is King! All the SLs are fine for a nice day out, but a fully fatty ebike is awesome for a day of "real" riding. 😁
Exactly. I believe these lower power bikes will be flooding EBAY in a few years after people learn this lesson first hand.
@@shophacks depends want u want to ride and how you ride. Definition of a day of “real” rising is open to opinion and interpretation
@@chrisrae1254true, but in most cases the weight difference doesn't affect much compared to power and capacity which make a big difference when you need them. You can always turn down a full fat and ride twice as long but you can never turn up a low power bike. My full fat handles much better than my Giant TranceX so what's a few lbs?
Granted, I don't have a wide range of experience so I'm surely missing something but my guess is that, because it's early, riders are attracted to bikes that are closer to what they are used to. I believe that will give way to reason over time and low power/capacity bikes like this will eventually represent a small niche market.
Time will tell. It's nice to see the hardware continually evolving regardless. The market will tell manufacturers what is best with time and riders win regardless.
I can see almost no Orbea Rise bikes for sale and they have been out for years
@@jamietaylor9410
People who buy the less expensive bikes probably aren't ready to shell out that much money so soon and these bikes seem to hold up for a long time.
I think it will take a while before the full fats start leaving the low power bikes behind. A guy I ride with already sold his low power bike when I joined the group with a turbo Levo.
What do you see as the advantage of a low power low capacity bike? They are lighter but that seems relatively insignificant compared to twice the range or twice the power. Maybe I'm missing something??
some fantastic details, i especially like how a company finally decided to power the derailleur using the internal battery, i would not buy a AXS equipped bike without that, the little plate protecting the frame is nice as well, another US brand has some catching up to do for the first time, even if their display still looks better, and then there is the motor !! wow, so small ! i don’t like the protection under the downturns, it shows that there is a battery there. anyway, this video may start to convince me that i might get this bike, in 3 years when my current bike’s lease is paid for
People lease bikes? I've never heard of that.
@@tonyrobinson1623 companies not people, e bikes, deductable at 120% from taxable income
Hi Rob, that is beautiful scenery, where did you film this? Thanks.
My hope is that TQ comes out with a more powerful motor that can easily compete with those found in full fat ebikes.
Full power with little to no motor noise than the competition. That's the dream, I guess. 👌🏽
Trek is already on board with TQ. Maybe with the next version of the Rail. I just hope the TQ holds up.
Tq has a 120nm motor on Haibike for 2-3 years now
@@mtbmike9866 but it wasn't so great as this new one . 90nm at 60 rpm would be perfect
What camera are you using? Amazing video and exceptional quality?
Looks like all emtb youtube channels are talking about this bike. and there is very good reason for that. It really has the potential to crush the competition.
@Rob - you should come with some details about the issues that are developing on this motor too...
Great review, thanks! The rims are not the same on the XT. They are one step down from the pros.
Owned a full power (85NM) commencal meta power for two years and went back riding specialized enduro 2021 for exercise reasons, and just rode my friends trek exe 9.7, really on the edge of selling both meta and enduro to get a lightweight emtb, the only thing that needs some adaption was the steep headtube angle on exe comparing to my metapower/enduro. Hope specialized is coming out a new version of Kenevo SL for me to make the move
The new Levo SL has been out for a few months now did you get one in the end ? 👍
WOW AMAZING!!
Is the front brake really on the right handlebar or did you switch it ala motorcycle style?
Thanks for the amazing review
Rob.
A year later and now with an alloy version has there been a firmware update for 27.5”?
Do you know how (or if) cutting those bars down to make them narrower effects the celebrated vibration damping characteristics of those bars?
Superb quality video 📹 👌
Great work
Great video Rob, Would love to try out a fuel ex e, probs the first time I've wanted an emtb, tried out the rail and loved it but found it too heavy. looking forward to see what they do in the furute with TQ.
I agree I find full fat EMTB like tanks it’s almost like a separate sport to mountain biking this type of emtb definitely has raised my eyebrows though 👍
@@davefreeman9347 I’ve seen they’ve released an aluminium version. Might see if I can try one out.
@@DanEscapes I’ve just ordered the trek 9.5 carbon I found it for £4900 ok some of the spec is questionable I can use some of the money I’ve saved in some upgrades 👍
At 10:29, see missing one of the 4 screws that secure chainring to front spider. Yikes!
Regarding power delivery for the Orbea Rise, if you put the EP8rs into profile 2 then power is delivered more aggressively. Yes, there is a little spin up still but nothing that bothers me when I am in trail model in profile 2.
i have just pre ordered one the 9.5 - looking to upgrade suspension - already putting a lyrik 160mm front shock what do you suggest for the rear to lift it to 150mm???
I’d love more information on the range of the exe. Compared to the rise or specialized SL?
Thanks for another great video Rob. Is the motor any narrower than others? How does the Q -factor compare?
Will you be doing a comparison video for all light weight EMTB including the Pivot shuttle SL and Rise and/or best of 2022 Light EMTB?
Hi. love your video!! Where can I find the telescopic holder of the bike i see in the video?
It’s a fishing rod rest!
Amazon or ebay 👍
@Rob Rides EMTB thanks
How would this fare in double-duty as a road bike? Specifically range. In an ideal world I find a bike I can use for technical Rocky mtn trails but that my wife could also use, with a switch to slicks, to join me on a regular road bike, for 80-120km road rides.
Anyone notice at 10:30 the missing chainring bolt
Is it possible to buy the axs wire to main battery somewhere? Would i fit a bike with gx axs and bosch system? Can't find any info on it.
So Rob the bottom spec 9.5 exe or the orbea rise h30. I can't pic they both seem great.
tough one! that Rise is great! Big battery, 60Nm too!
Just put the kids to bed and finished watching the whole video. The Q&A was fantastic. I think this motor has it for me I currently ride acoustic mtb for the trails and bike parks and a touring hard tail ebike when exploring the countryside but i want something that feels like my acoustic but helps me on the climbs I wish this had more battery but then you used it acoustic so it's not like a heavy full fat.
@@RobRidesEMTB What camera are you using?
Hey Rob any word if ion batteries are out lithium iron will be in for safty
I have a specialized creo with little battery 360wh and 35nm torque... i'm 88kg and yesterday i've made 2300mt of ascent in eco mode...66km... with engine turn off is just a heavy bdc (14kg) but no drag... perfect on flat land.. light ebike are really great for ones who want to ride and make training... a 750wh battery turn the bike in a motorbike... so i'm on the train of the new segment... don't need 90nm engines.
Can you use not emtb fork specs on that fuel exe . ????
Are there any new features on the Alloy 2024 model that the Carbon 2023 model doesn’t have?
Where'd you shoot the overview? It's beautiful
Quantocks Hills, Somerset, South West UK 👍
Hey Rob! I am trying to choose between 2023 Fuel EXe 9.8 (w/ 160mm Zeb Ultimate w/ buttercups and carbon wheels), Forestal Siryon Diode (w/ newly upgraded battery and motor) and 2022 Kenevo SL S-Works. Which one would you recommend? Kenevo Sl S-Works is about $2k more, so I am leaning towards Forestal and Trek more. I currently ride a 2022 Slash 9.9 in medium and could use a larger bike, so I am looking at all these bikes in size L. I am 5'9" w/ 31.5" inseam.
I might have missed this but what is the wee square bit on the bottom of your valves?
Rob I have a Project for you. Build up a near silent full fat reliable Emtb using 2018 levo carbon frame (the red one you rode) with Orange Fox 38 170mm forks and a top quality coil shock. Get the Brose 1.3 aluminium 90Nm near SILENT powerful smooth and reliable motor rebuilt with waterproof crank seals,upgraded sprag clutch etc by Peter at Performance line bearings with updated firmware. Get wheel size reset legally at 2000 at Specialized dealer (30km power fade out).Fit 29in front wheel .ie mullet.
You will ask yourself the Question, "what did Specialized and Brose know in 2018 that they all don't know now " until this Trek Fuel EXe has come along. 🤔. That 1.3 motor has all the same internals as the 2023 Brose but is actually quieter than the TQ at low cadence. Believe me it's true.I have two 2018 Aluminium 👍a 2020 magnesium 👎and one brand new TQ Trek EXe 👍👍👍. The 1.3 Brose aluminium only makes a belt sound above 90 cadence.
It a simple challenge to occupy your inquisitive mind and you will really enjoy the result .Emtbs are a Time Machine turning us into gleeful kids again. Turn back time to 2018 and enjoy the results 😎 E=Mtb²
Hi Rob, great review. Have you tried it with a 62.5mm stroke shock yet? Ordering up a coil and would love to eek out a bit more if you can confirm. Thanks
looks awesome , but man i thought my yamaha torc was expensive used at 2800. this thing is more than a NICE motorcycle.
Finally, an expensive bike with a bike stand! LOL. Thanks for the review.
Nice image quality.
Rob, is there any news on the motor being able to have the torque increased to maybe a 60nm, ( via software tweek) to take on the orbea / other brands that are due to release mid-power bikes ?
Very likely they could do it, but I doubt they will. It will probably introduce more noise.
@@RobRidesEMTB and maybe hurt durability.
Any news from TQ about making bigger motors with higher Nm torques? Is there a size limit to how small or lager they can build their motor for a given performace on a frame?
Honestly I'd be more interested then if the motor was just a tad bigger and the battery not the smallest I've seen since looking at commuter models...
Hi rob brill review the bike looks ace and a game changer with the near silent motor!! Just a quick question what handle bars and stem did you swap for?? I agree the handle bars looks too wide and the rise way too low.. will be going to my local dealer when it’s released to have a look as I’m stuck between the Levo and this..
You mentioned these are the 2023 zebs and that you have a larger air spring to put in. Is it the 2023 air spring with the buttercups? If so where did you order this part?
Sorry for any confusion - I have a separate 2023 Zeb for testing on another bike. The Fuel EXe comes with 2023 Lyrik with the 2023 air spring and Rockshox sent me a 2023 Lyrik 160 spring 👍
@@RobRidesEMTB thanks for the reply, I only ask because I’m waiting to be able to get the 2023 air spring in a 190 travel for my zebs and so far I can’t see anywhere to get just the air spring
I have the Kenevo SL. Wonder which suits best if you change fork to 160 and about 150 back. Yes, of course different bikes, but... :)
Awesome content Rob. Big fan from India. A react will really make my day. Thank youuuu😇😇
Thanks for watching! Look forward to coming to India, hopefully next year 👊
@@RobRidesEMTB What camera are you using?
When will see the Pole Voima review?
Not really sure how I’d get along with the Scott Syncros stem bar combo, and the 2018 GT force frame seems dated. The quiet motor is really cool though. Tough choice.
Lol what are you talking about?
What about that axs battery adapter? lets hear more about who made it? Do you think someone will make one to plug into a shimano battery...
Made by SRAM
@@RobRidesEMTB do you think it would be possable for Sram or a 3rd party to make an adapter that hooks into the shimano ports (I seem to remember there's some on motor)?
How does this pedal when the battery dies?
Like a normal Bike.
where is the bolt ?
Great video, mate! i have been thinking about the Fuel EXe and one question that came into my mind just now is about the motor activation speed when going through rough terrain and rocky / tech areas up hill. How does it activate? There are moments when you let the bike roll and suddenly you need the max torque to climb things. How is it efficiency on such moments? Thanks
Looking forward for a comparison with the Rotwild RE 375 PRO