2022 trek top fuel 9.8 weight

2022 Trek Top Fuel Review | All-new frame & geometry, with a whole new attitude

The not-so-minor details, 2022 trek top fuel 9.8 xt.

https://www.trekbikes.com/

- Brilliant trail-ripping geometry - Active and supportive suspension - Masses of cornering grip & stability - Refined and practical frame design - Downtube storage is a welcome addition

- Dropper post is sluggish - Wheels are solid but quite heavy - Carbon bars are harsh - Heavier than many of its competitors

Flow reviews the 2022 Trek Top Fuel

The Trek Top Fuel has long been known as the American brand’s flagship full suspension XC race bike, purpose-built to to compete at the very highest level of the sport. In more recent years however, the Top Fuel has steered in a different direction. With the short-travel Supercaliber taking over duties for World Cup XCO racing, Trek has softened the Top Fuel’s serious, race-focused persona, adding travel and bulking it up in the process.

For 2022, the Trek Top Fuel makes its biggest move away from its XC racing roots. Equipped with a brand new frame, an updated suspension design and some thoroughly modern geometry, the Top Fuel aims to retain the pert pedalling performance of its predecessor while significantly boosting its all-round capability. So, has Trek succeeded?

Watch our video review of the new Trek Top Fuel here:

Along with the active ABP suspension design and chunky tyres, there’s an exceptional amount of grip and support on offer for a 120mm travel bike.

Trek Top Fuel overview

Despite being all-new, the Trek Top Fuel retains its position in between the Supercaliber (the 60mm travel XC race bike) and the Fuel EX (the 130mm travel trail bike).

It’s equipped with a 120mm travel fork just like its predecessor, but rear travel has actually lifted by 5mm up to 120mm. This increase has been achieved with a longer stroke shock (50mm vs 45mm), and Trek has also flipped the orientation of the trunnion-mount. The rocker link now drives the shock via two sealed cartridge bearings to improve sensitivity.

You’ll no longer find a dual remote lockout on the Top Fuel, which leads to a vastly cleaner bike with fewer cables occupying your view from the cockpit. Along with the bigger shock, slacker geometry and 2.4in wide tyres, it is without doubt the most trail-oriented Top Fuel we’ve seen yet.

To put it into context, that sees it move away from the likes of the Orbea Oiz TR and the Canyon Lux Trail , and more towards the direction of the Santa Cruz Tallboy and Pivot Trail 429 .

A new, burlier chassis

Though it looks pretty similar, the Trek Top Fuel frame is all-new for 2022. It’s not so much a radical overhaul, but rather a collection of many small refinements that add up to a more practical package.

The chassis is notably beefier than its predecessor, with the seat tube diameter swelling to the new-school 34.9mm size. As well as increasing frame stiffness, the fatter seat tube is also shorter, allowing it to swallow a modern long-stroke dropper post.

The downtube is also larger, and it now features the integrated storage design we’ve seen employed on the latest Fuel EX and Slash. A latch underneath the bottle cage removes the trap door, providing you access within. A neat tool roll is included with the bike so you can carry a spare tube, levers and CO2. You could also fit a lightweight jacket in there along with some snacks.

Trek has updated the Knock Block headset, increasing the available turning radius from 58° to 72°. This provides you with greater freedom of movement on the trail, but still prevents the handlebar controls from smashing into the top tube. If you’re not into it though, the Knock Block is removable.

Also nice to see is a threaded bottom bracket shell for ease of maintenance, and the rear ABP pivot can now be tightened with a cassette tool. Also new for the Top Fuel is guided internal cable routing – poke the cable in at one end, and it’ll pop out the other, no fishing required.

Trail-leaning geometry

The 2022 Trek Top Fuel has received a series of geometry updates over the outgoing model, bringing it up to speed with other boundary-pushers in this travel bracket. Here are the key numbers;

• Head tube angle: 66°
• Seat tube angle: 76°
• Reach: 420mm (S), 450mm (M), 465mm (M/L), 480mm (L), 500mm (XL)
• Rear centre length: 435mm
• BB drop: 36mm

Compared to the old Top Fuel, the head angle has kicked back by 1.5-degrees and the reach measurements have gone up by 10mm. The seat tube angle has also steepened by 1-degree to improve the climbing position, while the chainstay length and BB drop remain the same.

The Top Fuel still features a Mino Link, but it’s now located at the lower shock eyelet. Bikes will come setup from the factory in the Low position. Flipping that into High will lift the BB height by 7mm and steepen the angles by 0.4°.

You can get even rowdier by fitting a 130mm travel fork, which will kick the head angle back to a very-slack 65.6° in the Low position. And for those wanting to push the needle further, there’s clearance to run 2.5in tyres.

Trek Top Fuel price & specs

We’ll see four Trek Top Fuel models coming into Australia this year – two with alloy frames and two with carbon. All Top Fuel models feature the same geometry, suspension design and travel. They’re all equipped with 29in wheels, and there are five frame sizes available from Small through to X-Large (the XS size with 27.5in wheels won’t be available in Australia).

Pricing kicks off at $3,499 AUD for the Top Fuel 5 and goes up to $8,299 AUD for the Top Fuel 9.8 XT that we have on test here. Additionally, Trek will offer a 9.9 spec via the Project One bike builder program.

You can check out the specs and prices for all those models down at the bottom of the page. Right now we’ll be diving straight into our experience of testing this bike here; the Top Fuel 9.8 XT.

• Frame | OCLV Mountain Carbon Fibre, ABP Suspension Design, 120mm Travel
• Fork | RockShox SID Select+, Charger 2 RL Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Elite 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Tyres | Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 2.4in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain | Shimano XT 1×12 w/XT 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano XT 4-Piston w/Ice Tech Rotors
• Bar | Bontrager Line Pro, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, Width: 750mm (S), 780mm (M-XL)
• Stem | Bontrager Line Pro, 45mm Length
• Seatpost | Bontrager Line Elite Dropper, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL)
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada, Austentite Rails
• Confirmed Weight | 12.88kg (Large, Tubeless)
• RRP | $8,299 AUD

This differs from some other brands that utilise a single frame, and simply up-fork and up-shock it to create a slightly longer travel bike (like the Specialized Epic EVO and Orbea Oiz TR). The Top Fuel is not one of those bikes.

Trek Top Fuel sizing & fit

We put the new Trek Top Fuel into the hands of our tester Ben, who owns the current Top Fuel and has also spent considerable time on the Fuel EX. At 181cm tall, Ben’s been riding a size Large across all three bikes.

The Top Fuel is well-proportioned out of the box. The 480mm reach is very long, but it’s balanced nicely with a 50mm stem and the 76° seat tube angle. The Bontrager saddle is totally inoffensive, and we haven’t needed to shunt it into an extreme position just to get it comfortable.

The 760mm wide riser bars are a great match for this bike, and while it may not be totally necessary for all riders, the 170mm stroke dropper post is fashionably long for such a short travel bike.

Suspension & tyre setup

With the anodised sag gradients on the fork and shock, suspension setup is made easy. Weighing 80kg loaded up, Ben’s been running 180psi in the rear shock (26% sag) 80psi in the fork (20% sag).

The factory rebound tune for both the RockShox SID fork and Deluxe shock is quite light, so each rebound dial was set a couple of clicks slower than halfway.

Tubeless rim strips and valves come pre-fitted to the Bontrager wheels, and Trek kindly includes two bottles of sealant with the bike, making tubeless setup the breeze it should be. Pressures were set at 20psi on the front and 22psi on the rear.

Trek Top Fuel weight

Given its swollen proportions, the new Trek Top Fuel has gotten heavier. With the tyres setup tubeless, our test bike came in at 12.88kg without pedals. To put that number into perspective, here’s how it compares to some similarly-priced XC and Trail bikes we’ve recently tested;

• Canyon Lux Trail CF 9 – 11.22kg
• Merida Ninety-Six 8000 – 11.63kg
• Scott Spark 910 – 12.43kg
• Specialized Stumpjumper Pro – 12.84kg
• Trek Top Fuel 9.8 XT – 12.88kg
• Giant Trance Advamced Pro 29 1 – 13.38kg

Trek claims a carbon Top Fuel frame weighs 2.7kg including the rear shock, which puts it on the heavier side of things for a 120mm travel bike. The alloy frame is purportedly a whole kilo heavier again, with a claimed weight of 3.74kg.

The Top Fuel’s rolling stock is also a significant contributor to its overall mass. The Bontrager Line Elite wheels are heavy at 2,071g for the pair (with tubeless strips and valves). Incidentally, these are exactly the same wheels that came on the Slash 9.9 X01 , which is a full-bore enduro race bike.

Trek has also plumped up the rubber. The previous Top Fuel featured semi-slick XR3 tyres, but the new bike is now spec’d with 2.4in wide XR4 Team Issue tyres. They’re not overly heavy at around 800g each, though they do offer significantly better grip across a broader range of conditions.

What does the Trek Top Fuel do well?

From the very first ride the new Trek Top Fuel proved to be easy to get used to, with no quirks to the fit, handling or suspension.

The proportions are significantly broader compared to the outgoing Top Fuel, with the front wheel sticking out much further ahead of the rider. Despite the long reach however, the effective top tube length is basically identical to its predecessor, so the overall cockpit length remains the same.

The steeper seat angle is noticeable though, providing an improved climbing position with your hips placed further over the bottom bracket. As a result, less bum-shuffling is required on stem-chewing ascents.

Pedalling performance is also superb. Despite its burlier exterior, Trek is still prioritising pedal efficiency with the Top Fuel, with the main pivot positioned high and quite far forward of the bottom bracket. Anti-squat is claimed to hover around the 100% mark, and indeed the rear suspension clenches tightly under chain torque, propelling the whole bike forward with minimal energy loss.

Active suspension performance

Despite the trunnion bearing mount and the longer shock stroke, the rear suspension doesn’t feel radically plusher than its predecessor, which already offered great performance. It is noticeably more supportive though, particularly when absorbing square-edge hits at speed, and when returning to earth after boosting off a lip on the trail.

It’s worth noting here that many bikes in the 100-130mm travel bracket make use of a carbon flex-stay design, including the Canyon Lux Trail, Merida Ninety-Six, and Specialized Stumpjumper. As well as being simpler, flex-stay designs are typically lighter too.

In comparison, the Top Fuel sticks with a genuine four-bar platform based around the ABP suspension design. Trek claims the ABP pivot helps to isolate braking forces from the suspension, and indeed it does result in less skipping and skidding when you’re on the brakes on loose, rocky descents.

With all the pivot points rolling on steel ball bearings, the suspension is more active and possesses a more consistent feel to both compression and rebound damping when compared to a flex-stay design. Yes it’s heavier, but the Top Fuel offers notably more active suspension performance, with excellent traction on loose climbs and better reactivity across chattery rock gardens. It’s very impressive for a 120mm travel bike.

Look out Fuel EX!

The geometry is also brilliant, and the handling really sets it apart from the outgoing Top Fuel.

Cornering performance has improved, with more grip courtesy of the longer front end and those XR4 tyres. These are great all-rounders, with a supple casing and surprisingly decent rolling speed given their size and tread pattern.

The new Top Fuel is also much more composed on rough and fast descents. Thanks to the longer reach and slacker head angle, the overall wheelbase length has grown by almost 40mm. That’s huge, and it offers a vastly more planted feel at speed. Along with the big tyres and active suspension, this really is a solid little trail bike.

In fact, the geometry updates kind of make the Fuel EX look a little outdated. The two bikes now share the same head angle, and the Top Fuel has a 10mm longer reach and a steeper seat angle. The front end is quite a bit higher on the Fuel EX though, and that does inspire more confidence on really steep descents.

As mentioned earlier though, it’s possible to fit a 130mm fork to the Top Fuel, which would lift the front end and actually make it slacker than the Fuel EX. Indeed there’s now quite a bit of overlap between the two platforms, leaving us to ponder what could be in store for the next generation Fuel EX.

What does it struggle with?

You’ve likely gathered that the new Trek Top Fuel is more of a muscly trail ripper than a spindly XC featherweight. While it may carry over the name, it’s evolved into quite a different bike compared to its racier ancestors.

The lack of a remote lockout results in a much cleaner cockpit, and we like how it signals the Top Fuel’s commitment to its trail riding intentions. However, it may disappoint those riders and racers who prefer having an instantaneous sprint button at their fingertips.

Indeed with all the updates, and the fact that the new Top Fuel has double the travel of the Supercaliber, there is now an even bigger gap between these two bikes. Riders who are still interested in some part-time XC racing, but aren’t sold on the Supercaliber’s sharp geometry and proprietary IsoStrut suspension design, may be turned off by the Top Fuel’s new attitude.

Of course you could easily inject some speed with some lighter and faster-rolling tyres, like Bontrager’s XR2. There’s also around half a kilo to be saved in the wheelset, which would make a significant difference to the Top Fuel’s acceleration and climbing enthusiasm.

You could also flip the Mino Link into the High position to steepen the angles. In that guise, with lighter wheels and faster tyres, the Top Fuel would make for a comfortable and confidence-inspiring option for those wanting to sign up for the odd endurance race or multi-day event. If you’re serious about your XC racing though, this is not the bike for you – you’ll be wanting to look at the stupendously efficient Supercaliber for such endeavours.

Component highs & lows

The 2022 Trek Fuel 9.8 XT is a solid package out of the box, especially when you consider it comes in $1,600 cheaper than the 2021 model. And that’s with a pretty much identical build kit. How has a new bike gotten cheaper in the midst of a global pandemic and industry-wide component shortages? Heck knows!

There’s not a lot to be said about the Shimano XT groupset – it works, it’s solid, and it’s easy to tune. The I-Spec mounts offer plenty of adjustability for getting the brake and shift levers into the right spot, and the integrated dropper lever is a nice touch too.

The RockShox suspension isn’t quite as sensitive as the Fox equivalent, particularly the SID Select+ fork, which felt a little stickier than we expected. Otherwise the fork and shock perform well, and the ease of setup is great.

The Bontrager dropper post works fine, but the action is sluggish compared to some of its competitors. And while the carbon handlebars offer a nice profile, having spent a lot of time on OneUp handlebars lately, the Bontrager Line Pro feels considerably harsher in comparison.

We’ve had excellent long-term experience with Bontrager’s latest Line Pro & Line Elite carbon wheels , which feature thick carbon beads that are designed to increase impact strength while also reducing the chance of pinch-flats. They’re totally solid and come with an excellent crash-replacement guarantee, while the buzzy 108pt engagement freehub delivers rapid pickup at the pedals. As mentioned earlier though, they are heavy, providing an opportunity to drop significant weight with a wheel upgrade.

Otherwise we’ve been impressed with the frame finish so far. The Mino Link is simple and effective, the Knock Block is totally unnoticeable on the trail, and we’re big fans of the built-in storage from the Burrito Box. Or is it the Kebab Cave? Maybe a Sausage Roll Hole? Sushi Shaft? Cannoli Cavity? Hot Dog Hollow? Spring Roll Room?

Alright, alright! We’ll show ourselves the door…the door that leads into the Spring Roll Room – ha!

Flow’s Verdict

Tying together a whole suite of updates to the frame and suspension design, there are no doubts that the new Trek Top Fuel is a more capable bike than its predecessor. It’s still very efficient, but having adopted a more progressive approach to its geometry, it delivers a significant improvement in stability. Along with the active ABP suspension design and chunky tyres, there’s an exceptional amount of grip and support on offer for a 120mm travel bike.

With all those changes, the Top Fuel moves even further away from the Supercaliber. And for some riders, that gap will be a little too wide.

Trek seems happy to have a clear delineation between the two platforms though. This differs from some other brands that utilise a single frame, and simply up-fork and up-shock it to create a slightly longer travel bike (like the Specialized Epic EVO and Orbea Oiz TR). The Top Fuel is not one of those bikes.

Instead of being a long-legged Supercaliber, it’s really a shrunken-down Fuel EX, albeit one with more contemporary geometry. And having ridden both bikes, unless you really need the extra travel of the Fuel EX, this is arguably the better option.

Sure it may have put off the weight-weenies and lockout-lovers, but there’s no denying that the Top Fuel has broadened its appeal to an even wider range of riders, and we reckon it’s more fun as a result.

2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.9 XTR

• Fork | Fox 34 Step-Cast, Factory Series, FIT4 Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float DPS, Factory Series, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Drivetrain | Shimano XTR 1×12 w/e*thirteen TRS Race Carbon 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano XTR Race 2-Piston w/Ice Tech Rotors
• Bar | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
• Stem | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, Length: 35mm (S), 45mm (M-XL)
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada Pro, Carbon Rails
• RRP | $14,199 AUD

2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.7

• Fork | Fox Rhythm 34, GRIP Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float DPS, Performance Series, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Comp 30, Alloy Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Drivetrain | Shimano SLX/XT 1×12 w/Deore 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano SLX 4-Piston
• Bar | Bontrager Line, 27.5mm Rise, Width: 750mm (S), 780mm (M-XL)
• Stem | Bontrager Elite, 45mm Length
• Seatpost | TranzX Dropper, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL)
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada, Steel Rails
• RRP | $6,299 AUD

2022 Trek Top Fuel 8

• Frame | Alpha Platinum Alloy, ABP Suspension Design, 120mm Travel
• Fork | RockShox SID, Rush RL Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Brakes | Shimano Deore 4-Piston
• RRP | $5,299 AUD

2022 Trek Top Fuel 5

• Fork | RockShox 35 Silver RL, Motion Control Damper, 44mm Offset, 120mm Travel
• Shock | X-Fusion Pro 2, 185x50mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Alloy Hubs & Alex MD35 Rims
• Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 1×12 w/Deore 30T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano MT200 2-Piston
• Bar | Bontrager Comp, 15mm Rise, 750mm Width
• Stem | Bontrager Rhythm Comp, 50mm Length
• Seatpost | TranzX Dropper, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L-XL)
• RRP | $3,499 AUD
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2022 Trek Top Fuel

Wheel Size:

• XS: 27.5’’
• S–XXL: 29’’

Travel: 120 mm rear / 120 mm front

Material: Aluminum and Carbon versions available

• Aluminum frame w/ Fox DPS Performance shock : $2,300 USD / $2,900 CAD
• Carbon frame w/ Fox DPS Factory shock: $3,700 USD / $4,600 CAD
• Complete bikes $2,600 to $11,000 USD / $3,450 to $14,650 CAD; see below for details

When Trek first launched the Top Fuel in 2004, it was a dedicated XC race bike, and it stayed in that camp through several subsequent generations. In 2019, Trek nudged the Top Fuel a bit closer to the Trail category since the Supercaliber took over as their XC race full-suspension bike, but with just 115 mm of rear travel and XC-oriented geometry, that Top Fuel didn’t stray too far from its roots.

However, the all-new 2022 Top Fuel looks to add a big dose of Trail-bike capability, and features a bunch of interesting design details, too.

The overall layout of the Top Fuel hasn’t changed much from the prior iteration. It still uses Trek’s ABP suspension layout (a four-bar arrangement with a pivot concentric to the rear axle) with a vertically-oriented shock, and it’s still available in both aluminum and carbon versions. Both feature threaded bottom bracket shells, internal cable routing, and a storage port in the downtube. A water bottle does fit inside the front triangle on all sizes, but Trek says the XS is limited to a 15-oz one, and the Small can only accommodate a 20-oz bottle.

Both frame versions also feature Trek’s Knock Block 2.0 steering limiter, which has now increased the turning range to 72 degrees. Trek originally introduced the system to allow for a bigger downtube that would interfere with the fork crown if the bars got turned too far, but the new Top Fuel has no such limitation. Similar to the latest Trek Slash , the Knock Block system carries over on the Top Fuel to protect the cables from getting yanked on in a crash, but it can be removed if desired. There’s also ample rubber protection on the chainstay, seatstay, and downtube. A flip chip (Trek calls it a “Mino Link”) toggles between two geometry positions, which we’ll outline in more detail below.

Fit & Geometry

One of the most exciting details about the Top Fuel is that it’s offered in a whopping seven different frame sizes, ranging from XS through XXL, with a M/L snuck in the middle. This means that there’s both an especially wide range of sizes available, and that the jumps between sizes are a little tighter than average in the middle part of the range. And like we just saw from Rocky Mountain on their new Element — a bike that is squarely in competition with the new Top Fuel — the XS size Top Fuel gets 27.5’’ wheels, while the rest of the range rolls on 29’’ ones. That makes a lot of sense, for all the same reasons that we talked about in our First Look of the Element — shorter riders generally have less butt-to-tire clearance, and a shorter front wheel and fork makes it a lot easier for shorter folks to appropriately weight the front wheel, too.

The Top Fuel’s headtube angle sits at 66° in all sizes, and that’s paired with a 76° effective seat tube angle and 435 mm chainstays across the board. Reach ranges from a very short 400 mm to 520 mm across the size range. Interestingly, instead of doing neat 20 mm jumps between each size, Trek opted for a 30 mm jump between the Small to Medium, then tightened things to 15 mm between the Medium to M/L and the M/L to Large (the M/L frame’s reach clocks in at 465 mm). All those numbers are stated in the low position with the stock 120mm-travel fork; the high position steepens things by 0.4°, and Trek also condones running a 130mm-travel fork, which slackens both angles by 0.5°. For reference, here’s the full geometry chart:

There’s a huge range of geometry in modern ~120mm-travel bikes, from heavily XC-derived models to quite aggressive options (usually spec’d with a longer-travel fork), and the new Top Fuel sits somewhere in the middle of that range. Given how Trek has talked about the bike, that makes a lot of sense — this is supposed to be a bike for people who want a very sprightly, efficient bike with a solid dose of downhill capability for when things get rougher, and the Top Fuel slots in neatly there. It’s notably similar to the Transition Spur and Pivot Trail 429 , and just a touch less aggressive than the brand new Rocky Mountain Element and Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol — all strong contenders in this category.

Trek offers the Top Fuel in nine different builds, with prices ranging from $2,600 to $11,000, and there’s a great range of SRAM and Shimano options across a big spectrum of price points. And bonus points to Trek for sticking to Shimano on the least expensive few options — as we’ve discussed several times this past year , SRAM’s mid-to-high-end options work great, but Shimano has a clear advantage on the more budget-oriented end of the spectrum.

For reference, the complete build options are as follows:

• Fork: RockShox Recon Silver RL
• Shock: X-Fusion Pro 2
• Drivetrain: Shimano Deore
• Crankset: Shimano MT512
• Brakes: Shimano MT200
• Wheels: Bontrager Alloy
• Dropper Post: TransX
• Fork: RockShox Recon Gold 130 mm
• Shock: Fox DPS Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano SLX shifter / XT derailleur / Deore cassette
• Crankset: Shimano Deore
• Brakes: Shimano MT4100
• Wheels: Bontrager Line Comp 30
• Fork: RockShox SID
• Shock: Fox Float DPS Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT w/ SLX cassette
• Brakes: Shimano M6100
• Fork: Fox 34 Rhythm
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT w / SLX cassette
• Fork: RockShox SID Select+
• Shock: RockShox Deluxe Ultimate
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT
• Crankset: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano XT 4-piston
• Wheels: Bontrager Line Elite 30 Carbon
• Dropper Post: Bontrager Line Elite
• Drivetrain: SRAM GX
• Crankset: SRAM GX
• Brakes: SRAM G2 RS
• Drivetrain: SRAM GX AXS
• Fork: Fox 34 Factory Step Cast
• Shock: Fox Float DPS Factory
• Drivetrain: Shimano XTR
• Crankset: e*Thirteen TRS Race
• Brakes: Shimano XTR 2-piston
• Wheels: Bontrager Line Pro 30 Carbon
• Fork: RockShox SID Ultimate
• Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 AXS
• Crankset: SRAM XX1
• Brakes: SRAM G2 Ultimate
• Dropper Post: RockShox Reverb AXS

Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About

(1) On paper, the Top Fuel looks like it’ll slot in somewhere between the most XC-derived 120mm-travel bikes and the most aggressive options in the class, but does that prove true on the trail?

(2) As shorter-travel Trail bikes get more and more capable, should more people who’d previously be shopping in a longer-travel category be looking at these sorts of options, including the Top Fuel?

Bottom Line (For Now)

Trek looks to have done a great job of modernizing their longstanding Top Fuel model, and in turn, bridging the gap between the Supercaliper XC race bike and the Fuel EX Trail offering. We’re hoping to get on one to see how it stacks up in a rapidly-growing field of contenders in that space, and will have a full review to come if we can make it happen.

2 comments on “2022 Trek Top Fuel”

Looks like a good all round option for up and down performance. I’d like to try it with a 130 mm fork in the high setting.

I have the 2022 Fuel EX7, I’m a xc type rider and do about one 50 mile ride per week on this bike. I went with the EX model because I like having the extra travel, however I wish I would have gotten the EX8 XT model and then just changed out the wheels and shifting for Sram GX 12 speed. The NX Sram has the DUB crankset and bottom bracket and there’s no thread together bottom bracket for this setup and the NX cassette is a boat anchor. So far I’ve put on lighter tires, seat post, and cassette and having a much lighter wheelset built for it now. I thought I would have been using the shock leavers but I just leave those full open 99% of the time these bikes handle great.

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Trek Top Fuel 9.8 Review

The Top Fuel has been a staple in Trek’s line-up for many years now and its target market has always been those XC racers and enthusiasts wanting a full suspension option. However, the development of the Supercalibre as Trek’s pre-eminent XC race weapon has given the Wisconsin-based brand room to ex-pand the Top Fuel’s horizons and push it into the hotly contested, ‘downcountry’ category.

For those of you living under a rock for the past few years, the downcountry moniker has been given to the increasingly popular segment that takes the XC characteristics of a light, short-travel bike and blends them with the aggressive geometry and suspension design of more downhill oriented bikes. The result is  a versatile bike capable of riding uphill at near XC pace and descending more demanding trails with composure. The 2022 Top Fuel is a perfect example of this new breed.

Compared to its former model, the new Top Fuel comes with a beefed-up version of the OCLV carbon frame and a new shock mounting position that allows for an extra 5mm of travel, allowing for a balanced 120mm of travel front and rear. The geometry also gets a kick in the downhill direction with a slacker 66° head angle and a longer 450mm reach (for a medium frame).

Another new feature is Trek’s integrated frame storage compartment – a lever under the bottle cage opens a trapdoor, providing you access to a recess within the downtube. There you’ll find a neat tool roll with pre-made pockets for a tube, levers and a CO2 bottle.

Our test model was the carbon-framed 9.8 XT, which sits a step down from the top-of-the- line 9.9, but still comes with an excellent complement of components—the Rockshox SID fork and Deluxe Ultimate RCT shock pro- vide great cushioning, the XT drivetrain and brakes are hard to fault, then everything else gets the Bontrager treatment.

A set of Line Elite 30 carbon wheels shoed with team 2.4” XR4 tyres and carbon handle- bars complete the lightweight build kit, giving our medium test rig a rider-ready weight of just under 13kg.

At 176cm tall I instantly felt at home on the medium Top Fuel, but as I headed off on my first ride, I was unsure what to expect from this 120mm race-bred whippet. While I really enjoy pushing the limits of the 130mm-travel bike in my shed, this was my first foray into anything smaller, and, in the spirit of any good review, I wanted to see what it was capable of.

The carbon thoroughbred powered up the first hill, giving me the illusion that I was a snarling beast of an athlete. In fact, the climb- ing prowess of the Top Fuel, with its improved seat tube angle, never wavered during the entire test. At the same time, I knew this was an area where the Top Fuel would excel; I was more interested in exploring how it would handle the ‘down’ bit of downcountry.

To start, I erred on the side of caution and eased the Trek into some fast, undulating flow trails to get a feel for things. Straight out of the gate the Top Fuel pushed me into the attack position and enticed me to be push harder. I complied, and with nothing but smooth trail in front of me, the bike’s race pedigree shone through. This thing was fast, really fast (Strava later informed me that those two warm-up laps were my fastest-ever on that trail).

Again, I’d had an inkling that the Fuel would be rapid on that style of trail, so I wasn’t that surprised by the way it held speed. What impressed me more was its handling and how balanced it felt.

However, smooth flow trails are one thing, but it was time to push the limits further and venture into some burlier terrain. Once again the Top Fuel impressed. Although it rode with the composure of a much bigger travel bike, although I did have to temper its natural race instincts and pick some more realistic lines from where it tried to coax me to go. Its light weight, small travel and short chain stays meant it was as agile a 29er as I’d ridden, and Trek’s choice to spec it with its mid-aggressive XR4 team tyres added another layer of confidence when things got spicier.

With that said, the limits of the 120mm SID fork weren’t hard to find in the rowdier terrain. While the back end handled most things I could throw at it, my arms and shoulders took a beating trying to control the front. The fork’s shortcomings seemed to be compounded by the back end’s liveliness, constantly popping me forward onto the short fork.

It’s worth pointing out that there’s a limit to how plush you can tune 120mm of rear travel and not bottom it out, so it naturally ramps up very hard at the bottom of the stroke. These  rougher trails were a great test and put the limits into perspective, but perhaps these limits here were more based on my expectations rather than on the bike’s ability. The Top Fuel easily handled all the trails I rode; it was more my mindset that needed adjusting, as this wasn’t a big-travel enduro bike.

Overall, my mind was opened to the capabilities of a 120mm bike, and I was genuinely amazed at the Top Fuel’s speed and handling, but was there anything I would change?

I think that depends on which side of the ‘downcountry’ scale you sit. If you’re on the ‘country’ side, then no, the Top Fuel is a race- ready machine that can handle the rowdiest trails you’re likely to encounter. For those looking to push the boundaries on the ‘down’ side of things, I’d suggest beefing up the front end. Luckily there’s one very interesting fact that I’ve kept quiet about until now—the Top Fuel frame is specced to handle a bigger 130mm fork! If I was choosing my dream build  for this speed machine, I would look at putting a 130mm Pike or Fox 34 on the front and I’d send the little Deluxe Ultimate shock to my local suspension guru for some custom tuning to maximise every millimetre of its performance.

Trek’s latest iteration of the Top Fuel is a huge leap forward in versatility over its predecessors, opening the door to more adventurous trail riding, while retaining its XC pedigree. I think this is a great move by Trek, as I doubt (apart from the most hardcore gram-shaving racers) there’re many XC enthusiasts who wouldn’t mind a bit of extra help for the downs, and, God forbid, a dropper post.

For anyone else who could be in the market for a short-travel bike to mix things up on our fitness rides, the Top Fuel would go toe-to-toe with any of the top boutique downcountry weapons on the market.

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Results have arrived, trek top fuel 9.8 xt mountain bike - 2022, small, item #bmt29387, condition: certified pre-owned what's this, fit range: 5'0" - 5'6" sizing guide, every certified pre-owned bike passes our multi-point inspection.

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A Do-It-All XC Bike

A classic in Trek’s lineup, the Top Fuel is for the rider looking to shred local trails and dip their toes in racing. It’s more relaxed than the Supercaliber, and more XC-oriented than the Fuel EX. Does today's ride get a little sketchier then yesterdays? Flip the mino link to tip the head and seat tube back and lower the BB for a more all-mountain feel. Its lightweight carbon frame will have you smiling the whole ride.

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Trek Top Fuel 9.8 XT 2022

About the Trek Top Fuel 9.8 XT 2022

The Trek Top Fuel 9.8 XT 2022 is a Full suspension Trail Mountain Bike with a carbon frame. Equipped with a Shimano XT drivetrain of 12 gears (1x12). Its features include dropper seatpost, boost 110 , and boost 148. The bike weighs approximately 12,61 kg.

Dropper seatpost

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Trek Top Fuel 9.8 GX Review

• rides excellent in the downhill
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OVERALL BIKE CHECK

The most importanten ratings of the Top Fuel 9.8 GX ⬤ in comparison to the competitor bikes of following categorie: (Downcountry-Bike up to 8000 €) ⬤ .

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Je steiler der Winkel des Sitzrohrs ist, desto effizienter können Sie in die Pedale treten.

• Frame Fuel carbon frame
• Frame Material Carbon
• Fork RockShox SID Select+, DebonAir spring, Charger 2 RL damper, tapered steerer, 44mm offset, Boost110, 15mm Maxle Stealth, 120mm travel
• Spring Unit air
• Remote-Lockout yes
• Damper RockShox Deluxe Ulitmate RCT, 185mm x 50mm
• Gearrange 520%
• Drivetrain 1x12
• Gear Lever SRAM GX Eagle, 12 speed
• Rear Derailleur SRAM GX Eagle
• Crank Size: S, M, M/L, L, SRAM GX Eagle, DUB MTB Wide, 30T, 55mm chainline, 170 length; Size: XL, SRAM GX Eagle, DUB MTB Wide, 30T, 55mm chainline, 175 length
• Cassette SRAM Eagle XG-1275, 10-52, 12 speed
• Chain SRAM GX Eagle, 12 speed
• Brake Set SRAM G2 RS 4-piston hydraulic disc
• Brake Rotors 180/160
• Wheel Set Bontrager Line Elite 30, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, Boost110, 15mm thru axle
• Tires Front Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120tpi, 29.x2.40''
• Tires Rear Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120tpi, 29.x2.40''
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, austenite rails, 138mm width
• Seat Post Size: S, Bontrager Line Elite Dropper, 100mm travel, MaxFlow, internal routing, 34.9mm, 345mm length; Size: M, M/L, Bontrager Line Elite Dropper, 150mm travel, MaxFlow, internal routing, 34.9mm, 440mm length; Size: L, Bontrager Line Elite Dropper, 170mm t
• Stem Bontrager Line Pro, 35mm, Knock Block, Blendr compatible, 0 degree, 45mm length
• Handle Bar Size: S, Bontrager Line Pro, OCLV Carbon, 35mm, 15mm rise, 750mm width; Size: M, M/L, L, XL, Bontrager Line Pro, OCLV Carbon, 35mm, 27.5mm rise, 780mm width
• Handle Bar Width 780
• Head Set Knock Block 2 Integrated, 72-degree radius (includes infinite-radius chip), sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

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2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.8 GX AXS Bike (discontinued)

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Specifications

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Trek's All-New 2022 Top Fuel (press release)

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Trek Top Fuel 8 review

The Top Fuel's heritage may be cross-country, but this is a super-capable trail bike with a seriously addictive personality – so much so that it's our Trail Bike of the Year for 2022

Steve Behr / Our Media

Shrugs off limited travel figures on 95% of trails; loves to twist and turn; fast-rolling rubber helps keep speeds high

Fork can twang under heavier riders; you’re occasionally reminded of the 120mm travel

The Trek Top Fuel was updated at the back-end of 2021 and the result is a knock-out bike for all-round trail riding. So much so that, after pitting the Top Fuel against seven of its toughest competitors, it's our Trail Bike of the Year for 2022 .

The Top Fuel may be listed within Trek’s menu of cross-country bikes on the brand’s website but, with 120mm of travel at either end, it certainly has a whiff of ‘ downcountry ’ about it.

And, with a stout 35mm-chassis RockShox SID plugged in up front, tyres with more than a hint of tread and a 66-degree head angle, I wanted to see how far the new Top Fuel pushes into trail territory.

Trek Top Fuel 8 frame and suspension

The frame is constructed from Trek’s Alpha Platinum aluminium, with the main tubes manipulated in shape along their length.

Around the head tube, there’s a broad contact point between head, down and top tubes, while down by the threaded bottom bracket the down tube’s orientation changes to give a flatter, fatter surface for the BB shell to be welded onto.

The down tube houses a storage compartment, into which you’ll fit a multi-tool and tube, located under a door that also holds a bottle cage.

Trek admits that it adds weight, but claims it’s important to have in this category of bike. And, as the weight is relatively low, it adds stability by lowering the overall centre of gravity of bike and rider.

Trek’s contentious Knock Block steering-lock limiter allowed equipped bikes to have a straight down tube to enhance stiffness, and prevented damage from fork top caps on the down tube or low-slung brake levers on the top tube.

But some riders found the 58-degree angle irksome and disliked the compatibility issue caused by choosing to remove the device.

The 2022 Top Fuel features Knock Block 2.0, which has been redesigned to be less extreme and allow an increased steering angle from 58 to 72 degrees.

Top Fuel frames have been designed with more down-tube clearance for fork top caps, doing away with the previously straight, stiffness-promoting down tube found on Knock Block 1.0 bikes.

If both fork top caps clear the down tube and brake levers clear the top tube, Trek says it’s possible for riders to remove the Knock Block 2.0 completely with minimal fuss.

Wheel size is 29in except for the extra-small bike, which comes with 27.5in wheels (and in the 9.8 spec only). All complete bikes come with 2.4in-wide Bontrager tyres, but the frames will take up to a 2.5in, so mud clearance should be ample for UK riding.

Trek uses its APB suspension linkage to give the 120mm of travel. This features a pivot concentric to the rear axle, so is neither a true single-pivot nor four-bar linkage.

The vertically mounted shock is driven by a magnesium rocker link. It’s bulky, to add stiffness, but the use of magnesium saves weight.

The main pivot has been moved forward on the new bike, flattening the anti-squat curve and making it more consistent throughout its travel.

Trek Top Fuel 8 maintenance and durability

Trek hasn’t forgotten the mechanics out there, who will be happy to hear that although the Top Fuel has internally routed cables, Trek has fitted full-length internal sheathing throughout the bike, meaning no fishing around with bent spokes and magnets when it’s time to refresh the outer cables.

Interestingly, Trek has chosen to rid itself of press-fit bottom bracket issues for this bike and return to the venerable old 73mm-wide threaded shell.

While Trek hasn’t commented on the reason for this shift, many feel that the threaded BB is less prone to creaking, and it’s hard to argue with the ease of replacing a threaded BB when compared to its push-fit cousin.

The seat-tube diameter has expanded to the new 34.9mm standard, allowing the next generation of longer dropper posts to be fitted.

The reasoning behind yet another new standard is actually pretty sound. Its girthier chassis boosts stiffness and spreads side-loading more effectively, meaning modern, longer posts retain stiffness when extended, are stronger and experience reduced wear.

According to Trek, the related stiffness improvement in the frame itself (because of the larger-diameter tube and increased surface area at junctions) is “slight”.

Trek is also pleased to extol the burlier nature of the new Top Fuel, by extending warranty coverage to include the fitting of a longer 130mm-travel fork. Making such a move would slacken the head angle and seat tube angle by around 0.5 degrees and raise the bottom bracket by 3mm.

Trek Top Fuel 8 geometry

If you looked at the geometry figures in isolation of the suspension travel and website sub-menu, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a totally modern 140mm trail bike.

The head angle is fairly slack at 66 degrees, while the seat angle is claimed to be 76 degrees. That’s not super-steep, but when your rear end sags less thanks to the reduced travel, its dynamic seat angle should still be pretty pert.

I also measured my test bike, with saddle 71cm above the bottom bracket, at 77.1 degrees – steeper than claimed.

The reach is impressively long at 480mm – a number I’d expect to see on some of the best enduro bikes . This combines with mid-length 435mm chainstays to give a wheelbase of 1,215mm.

The 450mm seat tube is short enough that longer-travel droppers should be within reach of most riders. The size-small bike has a 395mm seat-tube length, for reference.

These figures are for a size large (or 19.5in that Trek also gives) in its low setting. The numbers are similar for the small, medium, medium-large, large, XL and XXL – an impressive spread of sizes.

The Mino Link geometry chip is also provided, which steepens angles by 0.4 degrees, and adds 5mm to the reach. For the purpose of this review, I kept the bike largely in its lower setting.

Trek Top Fuel 8 specifications

Trek has gone to RockShox for the suspension on the Top Fuel 8, with its SID fork stood up front and a Deluxe Ultimate RC at the back. The shock has three main compression modes, from open to firm, as well as three settings in the open mode for even more fine-tuning.

The most open of these options gives a really light feel to the shock, while the most closed feels very close to the middle setting of the shock, with noticeably more compression damping.

Historically, the SID has been a pared-down XC race fork, and the SID SL still holds that baton.

The SID Select, though, is one of the new-generation burly XC/downcountry/light-trail forks that feature lighter-weight chassis, packing in extra stiffness thanks to 35mm (or 34mm in the case of the Fox 34) stanchions.

It maxes out with 120mm travel, and on this model Top Fuel we get the base-level fork that uses the OEM-only Rush RL damper.

With 120mm of travel, it feels stiffer than a 34, but perhaps not quite as stout as a Pike. The damper might be bottom-end, but it’s still smooth, and remarkably well controlled, with plenty of progression and little in the way of spiking.

Shimano is used for the drivetrain, with a mixed group of components. The 30t ring sits on a Deore crankset, an SLX chain tugs on a cassette from the same range, while the shifter and derailleur come from the XT family.

Four-piston non-series brakes from Shimano complete the package.

When it comes to wheels, tyres and finishing kit, Trek’s in-house Bontrager components feature heavily. This includes the Line 30 Comp wheels, shod in 2.4in-wide XR4 Team Issue tyres, and an alloy cockpit.

Trek Top Fuel 8 ride impressions

This bike was tested as part of our 2022 Trail Bike of the Year test. It was pitted against seven other bikes, with travel ranging from 120 to 140mm at the rear, and priced from £3,299 to £3,950.

The bikes were tested all over the UK, from long, steep tracks in South Wales to our regular testing loops in the Forest of Dean, fast rocky tracks in Scotland's Tweed Valley and the fresh-cut loam and rocky outcrops of the Cairngorm National Park.

Bikes were tested back to back, with short repeated loops ensuring differences were easily noticed. An extensive programme of workshop weighing, measuring and general poking about meant every little detail was explored.

I knew the Top Fuel was going to be a good ride from the minute I slung a leg over the 120mm-travel, alloy trail bike’s low-slung top tube. Its geometry felt right from the off, the spec list is up to the task and the suspension is all kit that I’m well versed in testing.

It’s easy to look at the bike from afar and assume this is just another downcountry rig, with its SID fork and short-travel figures. It wasn’t until I’d fired it over some jumps, nosed it down the odd steep chute and slung it through my test loops’ berms that I realised the Top Fuel is, simply put, a bloody brilliant trail bike.

Trek Top Fuel 8 climbing performance

Stab the lever that raises the unremarkable Trans-X dropper, chunk yourself precisely (thanks to Shimano’s excellent shifting even under power) into the biggest cog on the SLX cassette and the Top Fuel climbs like a sticky mountain goat.

The steep seat angle for a short-travel bike is helpful, positioning your hips further forward and centred over the bottom bracket, helping to keep the front wheel planted and pedalling efficient. When combined with the low 30x51t gearing, you can comfortably climb almost anything (traction permitting).

The Bontrager XR4s are a little slick for damp off-piste conditions, with a rounded profile and shallow tread blocks tending to skate over the surface rather than dig in. However, if conditions are dry, they happily transfer power through their mid-depth treads.

The trade-off is they roll fast and are communicative on the limit, letting go predictably. They provide acceptable grip on surfaced trails and leaf mulch, and don’t drag on tarmac.

The shock lockout lever on the Super Deluxe has an uncomfortable-to-operate indexed notch, which snaps open unpredictably, making it feel agricultural to use (especially with cold fingers). However, it does provide a severe but effective platform when climbing. In contrast, the SID Select fork lockout is a rather spongy affair.

Overall, the geometry and crisp Shimano shifting mean it’s easy to winch your way up to the top of a peak.

It does lack the taut eagerness of XC-derived downcountry rigs such as the Scott Spark , which strain at the leash to attack every climb, whereas the Top Fuel prefers to lope along comfortably.

As downcountry bikes go, the Top Fuel’s forward pivot position, placid anti-squat curve and overall build are swayed toward delivering incredible overall performance and stable, low-effort climbing rather than scintillating polka-dot-jersey-esque uphill sprints.

Furthermore, its 14.8kg weight separates it from the most dedicated downcountry bikes, which likely shed a kilo or two.

However, view it as a trail bike, and it knocks the socks off most traditional trail bikes when pointed up a hill.

Trek Top Fuel 8 descending performance

Point it downhill and the flickable chassis is easy to manoeuvre: if you’ve felt over-biked and sluggish on a 140mm trail bike, this is the answer.

Whereas some downcountry bikes are XC race rigs on steroids – devastatingly efficient on trail-centre loops, but unwieldy descenders – the Top Fuel feels as though Trek has tautened and lightened its Remedy trail bike.

Again, look at it as a trail bike, rather than a downcountry bike, and you’ll appreciate that its quality, not quantity, of suspension that often does the bulk of the work when it comes to descending, especially when backed up with really good geometry and decent kit.

While the Top Fuel lacks athletic fervour, it feels exuberant and cheeky, goading you into manuals and riding the trail playfully.

With predictable cornering manners and progressive-feeling rear-suspension kinematics, thanks to its forward pivot point, this bike is devastating on the descents.

Rather than insulating you from every bump, the Top Fuel feels like a bike that works with you, involving the rider in the glory of a corner well hit or an obstacle correctly anticipated. It flatters your moments of brilliance but buffers any mistakes stoically.

Indeed, the level of grip and confidence is so high that it’s not until you get onto rougher black trails or find yourself offline that you need to brace for impact – and remember this isn’t an enduro bike.

This means it’s easy to inadvertently throw the Top Fuel way out of its depth and get carried away with the fun you’re having on the descent.

Over trail-centre features, the bike has an addictive personality. It has pop for days, encouraging you to hop, skip and jump your way over the trail, leaving the ground at every opportunity.

Spy a rocky or rooty take-off, and the Top Fuel seems to want you to bounce the front tyre off the top and pull the bike skyward, before the low BB, and long front end scream to be slung through the following berm as fast as you dare.

Take it to the trees, and the wide Bontrager-branded bars and short stem, and tight 435mm chainstays, work together to ensure direction changes are jet-boat rather than oil tanker in speed, while the bike’s reaction times to pedal inputs put Usain Bolt’s to shame.

Hammer it has hard as you can into jumbled rocks or amassed roots and the fork can twang a bit, but the 120mm back end is also going to struggle when you really batter it through the chunder, despite the shock’s progression later in its stroke.

Spend a little bit of time learning how the bike likes to be ridden and you’ll find yourself hunting out opportunities to jump over these or smooth the line with finesse anyway.

Okay, if you spend your weekends searching out the gnarliest lines, then the Top Fuel might not be for you – but there are other bikes in this category that’ll float your boat.

The four-piston Shimano brakes offer predictable, yet punchy power, so whether you’re grabbing a fistful of stopping power when you’re hauling down the trail, or deftly trying to shimmy down a tight, steep, slow-speed tech-fest, you’re in ultimate control.

Yes, the small rotors do lack some outright power, but at least boosting their size is a quick, easy and cheap way of adding braking grunt.

For the majority of everyday trail riders, the Top Fuel has every trick in the book ready to pull out at a moment’s notice, whether you’re rallying trail centres, carving turns in the woods, or developing your skills on steeper, more technical terrain.

How does the Trek Top Fuel 8 compare with the YT Izzo Core 2?

In terms of a light and fast machine for tackling less technically demanding trails, the YT Izzo Core 2 seems like the obvious comparison.

Both bikes give a spirited fight on the climbs. The Trek is perhaps a little perkier, with a taut back end that doesn’t waste your watts.

The Izzo might not be quite as stable as the Trek under pedalling pressure, and the lockout is a pain to access, but the Maxxis Forekaster tyres zip along with minimal resistance, really making the bike fly up climbs.

Add in a supple early stroke that helps generate grip, and I found the Izzo gave me little to complain about uphill.

Despite very much coming from the downcountry side of things, the Top Fuel 8 is a ripper on the descents. The tyres play a massive part in this, with a more pronounced shoulder tread than the Forekasters on the Izzo. This makes the Top Fuel much more confident when pushing hard on mixed surfaces.

The suspension is a bit of a toss-up here. Fox’s 34 Performance fork on the Izzo is a smooth operator, while the SID feels a little more aggressive in its damping. At the back, though it has less travel, the Trek seems to deal with repeated big hits a little better, though I’d say the Izzo is smoother on low-amplitude chatter.

Trek Top Fuel 8 bottom line

Picking a 120mm-travel bike as my Trail Bike of the Year took a bit of soul searching. The diversity of bikes available aimed at the trail rider is as broad as the trails on which they’re ridden.

But the Top Fuel stole my heart (if not my head) in 2022. A trail bike needs to do it all – climb well, descend with authority, and ask to come back for more and more.

The Top Fuel gets to the top of the hill without making us yearn for our XC rigs, made me grin like a Cheshire cat on fast flow trails and rarely baulked when gradients steepened and a firm grip on bar and brake lever was required to safely navigate to the bottom.

If you want a bike to do it all and trust that it’s quality, not quantity of suspension that does the bulk of the work, give a shorter-travel, more agile bike a shot – you probably won’t regret it.

Trail Bike of the Year 2022 | How we tested

We expect a lot of the modern trail bike, so testing to find this year’s Trail Bike of the Year not only had to be thorough, but incredibly varied, too.

This meant spending one day sitting in the saddle for hours on end ticking off miles of singletrack, and the next blasting down bike park runs, giving the bikes a proper hammering in the process.

Of course, there was a decent amount of everything in the middle, including scrabbling up steep, forested climbs before sliding back down and, quite simply, just playing about in the woods.

Most of our testing took place around the Forest of Dean or in south Wales, with a cheeky trip to Scotland thrown in for good measure.

To come out on top, we wanted a bike that could climb with close to the efficiency of the best cross-country mountain bikes , but still manage to descend with some of the composure you’re likely to find from an enduro bike .

If the bike felt sluggish and lethargic on an all-day epic, or skittish and nervous when tackling a technical descent, then it simply wouldn’t make the cut as this year’s best trail bike .

With such a competitive selection of bikes on test, deciding on the winner happened late in the day. In fact, it wasn’t until we were riding on the final photo shoot that we settled on the 2022 winner, which just goes to show how tough the competition has been.

Our Trail Bike of the Year 2022 contenders are:

• Canyon Spectral 125 CF7
• Cube Stereo 120 HPC TM 29
• Kona Process 134 DL 29
• Nukeproof Reactor 290 Alloy Pro
• Specialized Stumpjumper Comp
• Trek Top Fuel 8
• Vitus Escarpe 29 CRX
• YT Izzo Core 2

Thanks to our sponsors MET Helmets , Bluegrass Protection and BikePark Wales for their support in making Bike of the Year happen.

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2023 Trek Top Fuel 9.8 XT

A 29″ carbon frame full suspension trail bike with high-end components. Compare the full range

Manufacturer Price

Top Fuel 9.8 XT

In Stock: SM, MD, MD/LG, LG, & XL

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Based on frame geometry and build specs.

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

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Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.

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5'1" – 5'6"

5'8" – 5'11"

6'1" – 6'6"

Do you have this bike? Help other riders make a decision about which size will work for them by sharing your own size and fit notes. Report your fit

Jul 2023 · Alan Muldoon

Think Top Fuel, and the image of a XC race bike instantly springs to mind. But like a faded polaroid tucked into the corner for a dusty picture frame, it’s not an accurate representation of the current design. With the Fuel EX increasing in travel, the Top Fuel has been swept along in its backdraft and seen in high definition, it’s now a capable 29er trail bike with modern sizing and 120mm travel.  Trek offers the new Top Fuel in carbon and alloy options, where the Top Fuel 8 tested here is the high-end alloy build. Regardless of frame material all Top Fuels come with integrated downtube storage. And while the quick release hatch under the bottle cage isn’t big enough to cram a three course lunch into the frame, there’s enough space for a tube, multi-tool, a few snacks and a lightweight jacket.  Frame Trek always offers a comprehensive size range; and with frame options from S to XXL, with a tweener M/L option too, the Top Fuel 8 is no exception. It also has geometry adjustment, but rather than having Trek’s signature Mino Link on the seat stay pivot, the Top Fuel has a flip chip at the lower shock mount. In the low setting this gives a relatively tall 340mm BB height for a 120mm bike, which is probably the only carryover from its race-bike roots – designed to let you keep the cranks spinning, and the speed high at all times. Best down-country mountain-bike: short travel full-suspension The rest of the Top Fuel’s vital stats are on the money though, where a slack 65.6º head angle and steep 77.2º effective seat tube angle make it easy to hammer up the climbs and shred the descents.  It’s built solid too, the complete bike tipping the scales at 14.89kg. It also comes with a combined rider and bike weight limit of 136kg (300lb) so it’s clearly no wet noodle. Yes, it’s not the lightest for a 120mm bike, and not far off what you’d expect for a 150mm bike, but that’s the price you pay for integrated storage, as the alloy down tube needs reinforcing when you cut a hole in it. Thankfully, the Top Fuel 8 rides light, as there’s less travel to pull through to get the bike off the ground, so it offers a different ride experience to modern long-travel trail bikes which tend to have one eye on enduro racing.  Suspension There are no sag gradients on the 130mm travel RockShox Pike fork, which we assume is down to cost saving, but set-up is still really straightforward with a tape measure to hand. And while the Pike has a reputation for having a sporty, firmer tune, the basic RC version on the Trek felt smooth and composed in all situations. Yes, the RC damper has a very wide range of rebound adjustment, but there’s only a small range that’s actually usable, but it is enough to get the rebound just so; and that’s all …Continue reading »

Poppy, playful and efficient. Available in six frame sizes. Internal down tube storage. Mino Link flip chip allows geometry tweaks.

Needs a 180mm rear rotor. Accurate rear shock set up is crucial. A solid build so not the lightest in its class.

Read Review

Mar 2022 · Peter Walker

In our big 2022 downcountry group test, we pitted the Trek Top Fuel 9.9 XX1 AXS against 5 of the hottest bikes of the year. Read the full review to find out what it’s capable of and how it stacks up against the competition. Hit the link for the full review and a list with all other bikes in test.

Freedom of movement downhill

Firm and efficient rear suspension generates plenty of traction

Intuitive handling

Practical detail solutions and clean look

Very wide handlebars

Mar 2022 · Guy Kesteven

Trek’s Top Fuel delivers superlative short-travel suspension performance but it’s definitely a trail bike not an XC bike

Infectiously agile and playful vibe

Superlative suspension feel

Seriously tight tracking frame

Trail tough kit

Internal storage

Too heavy for XC racing

Simple fork damper

Tight internal storage access

Yawning gap between this and the Supercaliber

Shore Country? Dad Country? No no, this one is "fast trail"

Dec 2021 · Henry Quinney

For a bike that is so capable on the descents, though, the Top Fuel still packs a mighty punch when it comes to gaining elevation..

Great suspension performance

Frame storage

Strong climbing performance

Knockblock isn't as well executed as other brand's versions

Works well when pushing hard, but might not be the most comfortable for all

Oct 2021 · Ryan "Squirrel" LaBar

Adding fire to the Fuel

The Trek Top Fuel has been overhauled for 2022, receiving an all-new frame with integrated storage, plus key updates to the suspension design and geometry. So how does it ride on the trail? And will everyone be pleased with all the changes? Read on for our Trek Top Fuel review.

Brilliant trail-ripping geometry

Active and supportive suspension

Masses of cornering grip & stability

Refined and practical frame design

Downtube storage is a welcome addition

Dropper post is sluggish

Wheels are solid but quite heavy

Carbon bars are harsh

Heavier than many of its competitors

My history of mountain biking started with a little wooden trike, with no pedals and wheels bigger than my head. I moved forward as any child does onto a bigger bike with bigger wheels and pedals. My parents always encouraged me to get outside and ride a bike, although I didn’t like the idea of mountain biking. I knew how to ride a bike; why go any further?

Last updated May 11

• Top Fuel 9.8 XT - 2022, Medium

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Trek Top Fuel 9.7

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Colour / Blue Smoke/Alpine/Quicksilver Fade, Matte Raw Carbon

Size / XS (high, low), SM (high, low), MD (high, low), ML (high, low), LG (high, low), XL (high, low)

At a glance

- ABP (Active Braking Pivot) suspension system

- XS has 27.5″ wheels; SM-XL have 29″ wheels

- Geometry adjustable via Mino Link flip chip in lower shock mount

- Control Freak internal cable routing

- Internal frame storage via down tube opening

- Includes Bontrager BITS Internal Frame Storage Bag

- Knock Block 2.0 headset limits rotation of handlebars in event of crash

- Includes Bontrager TLR rim strips, tubeless valves, and sealant

Where To Buy

Specifications

• Frame OCLV Mountain Carbon main frame and stays, magnesium rocker link, molded down tube and chainstay protection
• Fork FOX FLOAT 34 Rhythm, EVOL, GRIP damper 44mm offset, Kabolt axle, 120mm
• Shock FOX FLOAT DPS Performance, 3-position damper, 185mm x 50mm
• Hubs Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheelset, 110x15mm Boost front, 148x12mm Boost rear with 54-tooth Rapid Drive freehub and MICRO SPLINE driver
• Wheels Bontrager Line Comp 30, tubeless ready
• Wheel Size 29" 27.5"
• Spokes Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheelset
• Tires Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, tubeless ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120 TPI, 2.4"
• Chain 434mm, 435mm, None, Shimano Deore M6120, 30 tooth, Shimano SLX M7100, 12-speed
• Crank Shimano Deore M6120, Length: 170mm (XS-LG), 175mm (XL)
• Bottom Bracket 340mm (15mm drop), 336mm (20mm drop), 343mm (31mm drop), 338mm (36mm drop), Shimano BB52, 73mm English/BSA threaded
• Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore XT M8100, 12-speed, long cage
• Shifters Shimano Deore XT M8100, 12-speed
• Brakeset Shimano Deore M6100, 2-piston, Shimano RT66 6-bolt rotors (180mm front, 160mm rear), Shimano Deore M6100
• Handlebar Bontrager Line, alloy, 27.5mm rise, 35mm clamp diameter, Width: 750mm (XS/SM), 780mm (MD-XL)
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, steel rails, 138mm width
• Seatpost TranzX JD-YSP39 dropper, 34.9mm, Single bolt, 34.9mm, Single bolt Drop: 100mm (XS/SM) 150mm (MD/ML) 170mm (LG/XL)
• Stem Bontrager Elite, 45mm length, 0° rise, 35mm bar clamp
• Grips Bontrager XR Trail Comp, nylon lock-on
• Headset Trek Knock Block 2.0 Integrated, 72° radius (includes infinite radius chip), sealed cartridge bearings

Q: How much is a 2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.7?

A 2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.7 is typically priced around $4,200 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: What size wheels does the 2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.7 have?

The 2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.7 has 29" and 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2022 Trek Top Fuel 9.7 should I get?

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