trek top fuel team issue

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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2005 Trek Top Fuel 110 Team Issue - Repair and Restomod

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• Start date Jun 23, 2023

Is it wrong to use non period decals?

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• Jun 23, 2023

Senior Retro Guru

Great progress, looking forward to seeing more. Always quite satisfying having to engineer the necessary solutions to repairs and upgrades.  

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• Jun 25, 2023

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Rider Files 52: Fuel’s Full Story. Sort Of…

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2023 Trek Top Fuel 7 Review

Are you looking for a bike that will take your riding to the next level? The 2023 Trek Top Fuel 7 is one of the most stylish and advanced cross-country mountain bikes on the market. But is it worth the money?

With its lightweight design, modern geometry, and top-of-the-line components, there’s no doubt that the 2023 Trek Top Fuel 7 is meant for serious riders who crave an edge over the competition.

The 120mm RockShox 35 Gold RL front fork and 185mm Fox Performance Float DPS rear shock offer impressive responsiveness while maintaining low weight.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the features of Trek’s 2023 Top Fuel 7 and discuss how it can help you tackle any terrain with confidence. Read on to find out whether it’s worth investing in this high-end mountain bike!

The Trek Top Fuel 7 is an all-mountain bike with a lightweight aluminum frame that has been optimized for pure speed and adventure.

This model packs powerful components for an excellent value, plus the advanced suspension platform allows riders to tackle any terrain or conditions with confidence. Keep reading for an in-depth review of this bike’s components, performance, and overall value.

The 2023 Trek Top Fuel 7 is the perfect bikepacking companion. This lightweight aluminum frame utilizes Trek’s magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, providing a smooth, efficient ride on any terrain you face.

Built with a Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain and 29″” wheels, the Top Fuel 7 enables quick acceleration while still offering great traction and confident turning. 

The frame also features Boost 148/110 hubs, an integrated chainstay protector, and three water bottle mounts for maximum convenience on your next adventure.

– Lightweight Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame provides efficient riding and reliable strength.

– RockShox 35 Gold RL, DebonAir spring front fork with Motion Control damper, lockout, and 120mm of travel

– Fox Performance Float DPS, 185mm x 50mm rear shock

– Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain featuring a 30t chainring and 10-51t cassette offers responsive shifting across the large range.

– 29” wheels wrapped in Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 29.x2.40” tires for fast acceleration but with great agility in cornering and descending.

– Boost 148/110 hubs increase stiffness for more control on varied terrain

– Integrated chainstay protector prevents scratches to frame and components from long rides

– Internal frame storage makes it easy to ditch the pack and still carry your ride essentials.

The Trek Top Fuel 7 features a hydroformed Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame designed to deliver a lightweight yet durable frame that is ready to go anywhere. It has Trek’s ABP Convert downtube boost spacing which gives you more control when cornering on a wide range of trail surfaces.

The Trek Top Fuel 7 comes with 29” Bontrager Line Comp 30, Tubeless Ready wheelset with Bontrager XR4 Team Issue tires for added grip in loose corners. 

The rear wheel is built with Rapid Drive 108, 6-bolt brake disk, Boost 148 spacing, and a 12mm thru axle while the front wheel is made with Boost 110 spacing, and a 15mm thru axle.

The Top Fuel 7 offers top shelf componentry including Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, XT 1×12 drivetrain, 10-51t cassette, RockShox 35 Gold RL fork, Fox Performance Float DPS shock and 30t Shimano Deore crankset. These components give you all the power and control you need to tackle the toughest trail conditions out there.

Performance

On the trail the Top Fuel 7 feels fast and responsive due to its lightweight frame and powerful componentry. 

The RockShox fork provides 120mm of travel in front and the Fox Float shock out back allows you to absorb big hits without skipping a beat while at the same time providing stability on rocky technical terrain. 

You can rest easy knowing your bike will hold up even under tough mountain biking conditions – no matter where your adventure takes you!

With a retail price of $3,529.99 USD, the Trek Top Fuel 7 is an incredible value considering what it delivers in terms of performance and componentry. 

You get top shelf quality without breaking the bank, making this bike ideal for riders looking for their first full-suspension mountain bike that won’t disappoint even after years of hard use on any kind of terrain you can imagine!

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a reliable all-mountain rig at an affordable price then look no further than the Trek Top Fuel 7. 

Its lightweight aluminum frame combined with some impressive components make it capable of taking on almost any type of terrain confidently while still delivering blistering speed when needed. 

Plus, it’s got great value built into it – making it perfect for entry level riders wanting their first full suspension mountain bike!

Order online and have it shipped to your local dealer for final assembly!!

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Trek Top Fuel 8 review: a progressive rather than podiuming XC machine

Trek’s top fuel delivers superlative short-travel suspension performance but it’s definitely a trail bike not an xc bike.

BikePerfect Verdict

Awesome suspension, agile swagger, grippy kit and practical frame updates build a brilliant rally bike, but high weight buries any XC aspirations

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

Why trust BikePerfect Our cycling experts have decades of testing experience. We'll always share our unbiased opinions on bikes and gear. Find out more about how we test.

Top Fuel used to be Trek’s out-and-out best full-suspension mountain bike for racing, but with the soft-tail Supercaliber under its sponsored riders now, the Top Fuel has developed a burly rather than race character. 

The latest frame, suspension and spec changes to the 8 make the most of its short-travel agility and gripped tenacity to create a proper rally racer. Excess weight shows on climbs and acceleration though.

Design and geometry

The alloy Top Fuel frame not only has the same geometry, shock and suspension layout as its carbon counterpart but Trek’s engineers have also worked super-hard to give it the same extensive, updated feature lineup. That includes the lever-locked trapdoor into the down tube for internal storage, threaded bottom bracket shell with chain guide tabs. The Knock Block 2.0 inset now allows 72-degrees of steering lock (not 58-degrees as before) or you can fit a blank insert for full rotation if the bars aren’t slammed. 

In fact, it’s one of those bikes where we continually found ourselves riding how we always want to ride, not how we actually ride. That inevitably builds into an addictive upward spiral of confidence and insolent speed that often ended with us snapping at the heels of more expensive longer travel bikes even on really rowdy trails. Picking a larger, longer frame will settle it even more at speed, but for flow trails, it was refreshing to really rip those big Bontrager side tire lugs round on a compact, close combat chassis. Just be careful you don’t get too carried away, as however good it feels, less travel inevitably means the tires are having to cope with more impact force and we soon put a couple of splits in the rear tire despite the ‘inner strength’ casing.

When that happens the narrow neck of the storage hatch can make getting your spare tube out awkward and the high cage position means you won’t get a large bottle in either. There’s space for a 2.5in tire in the rear swingarm which pivots co-axially around the rear axle according to Trek’s ‘Active Braking Pivot’ wisdom. While it limits choice, the switch to a 34.9mm seatpost size should mean stiffer, smoother dropper action, especially on larger frame sizes which get up to a 200mm shaft stock. The new trunnion style shock pivots more smoothly and is the right way up now compared to last year’s inverted shocks. That means the MinoLink geometry flip chip to change angles by 0.5-degrees is now at the base of the shock but it’s still easy to get too. Significantly all RockShox spec Trek bikes from the 8 upwards get the same ‘Ultimate RCT’ spec Deluxe rear shock.

The alloy frame is a kilo heavier (3.74kg vs 2.7kg) than the carbon option according to Trek’s weights. This saves you $1,400/£1,500 if you buy the frame separately, although it still retails for $2,319.99/£2,350. Those numbers prove it’s neither affordable or light for a bike that you’ll find listed in the XC section of Trek's website, not the trail pages. In fact, the 130mm Fuel EX Al frame is the same weight although that doesn't have internal storage.

A 66/66.4-degree head tube definitely suggests progressive riding rather than traditional podium hunting vibes too. The 465/469mm reach on our M/L size is more trad than rad though so riders after a stretch should make use of the short 450mm seat tube and opt for the L with a 480/484 reach. All bikes get the same 76/76.4-degree seat tube angle and 434/435mm chainstay length though so while having six (S-XXL) sizes is great, the balance is definitely centered around the M - M/L - L models.

Components and build 

The Top Fuel 8 is the most expensive alloy bike, above the 7 at $3,529.99/£3,200 and the 5 at $2,629.99/£2,700 (we don’t know what 6 did to offend them but its missing from the line-up), but below the carbon-framed 9.7 at $4,229.99/£4,700.

The highlights of the package are the lightweight SID fork (albeit with the simplest Rush Damper) and Shimano XT rear mech and shifters. The Bontrager XR4 tires are some of our favorite welterweight all-rounders too. The SLX crank is a great piece with a 30T ring for easy climbing, but muscle Mary’s will find a 36T fits the frame too. You get a 150mm Trans-X dropper with a Bontrager Arvada saddle on top and 35mm diameter Bontrager Elite 45mm stem and 780mm wide bar.

Deore four-pot brakes just about do the job adequately via 180/160mm rotors but together with the wide rim tubeless Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels they’re an obvious area where extra weight creeps in and adds up to nearly 14.5kg without pedals. 

Performance

Add that weight to chunky treaded, relatively grippy tires and however Trek categorizes the Top Fuel, the 8 clearly isn’t the best choice for charging climbs and ripping round simple XC laps. Now we’ve got rid of the people who’ll likely love the 12.2kg Trek Supercaliber for the same money, we can start talking about what the Top Fuel does do really well – and that’s riding properly rowdy.

While bikes like the Evil Following , Santa Cruz Tallboy , and Norco Optic have already established that short-travel bikes can feel awesome, the Top Fuel definitely goes into the small travel, BIG capability hall of fame. Like most of its peers, it doesn’t squander initial shock movement and can feel slightly sharp in the car park unless you drop tire pressures low. 

Once moving though it’s both amazingly fluid and connected over ruts and roots whether climbing janky tech or sucking onto stutter bump/root ripple turns or off-camber high lines. The wheel path and rear pivot position mean there’s minimal pull back through the pedals as it hoovers up chunder so you can stay on the gas without getting jacked or stalled out. While we’re always suspicious of acronyms and a 160mm rotor doesn’t generate much torque anyway, the braking performance of the ABP rear end is impressively grippy compared to the same hardware on other bikes. 

The RCT damper also has plus and minus low-speed compression settings to fine-tune support sensitivity depending on personal/terrain preferences. Even in the plus setting the mid-stroke mobility does mean you’ll want to flick into the much firmer ‘pedal’ mode if you’re stood up slow cadence churning on a climb or don’t want distracting bounce on long smooth climbs. The SID fork gets a similar firming option via the fork top lever though we rarely touched it unless we were really hanging on a road climb.

While the superlative suspension performance is definitely the heart of the Top Fuel’s ‘have a go hero’ character, the rest of the bike definitely exploits it rather than squandering it. The alloy frame might be heavy but it’s seriously stout when it comes to squaring up to the trail when things get punchy.

While the simpler Rush damper starts to get seasick and inconsistent well before the back end, the 35mm stanchions do a great job of staying on track. Shorter travel means less dive too and together with well-balanced cockpit dimensions and steering angle gives a really predictable and tenacious target lock.

Despite the hefty weight and relatively slow rear hub engagement the fact you can keep the power down or brake really late meant the Top Fuel always felt hyped to be hitting trails and tweaking lines as fast as possible. The shorter M/L size made it a proper joyride on tighter, twistier trails but you can still drive it really hard, heels down, feet level through turns and it loves to pump downslopes.

Trek’s Top Fuel 8 is a brilliant example of just how good short-travel suspension can feel, and less stroke always means a more responsive, visceral ride than a leggier bike. The geometry and proper trail tires really let you exploit the hooligan that’s hiding in the frame along with your pump, tool and spare tube too. 

As much as we’ve loved ripping around the trails on it, there’s no doubt it’s heavier and harder to accelerate/elevate than we’d like for its supposed XC/downcountry range placement though. If you’re about the overall vibe, not outright velocity, that doesn’t matter though.

Test conditions

• Temperature: -2 to 8 degrees
• Surface: Mixed blue-black trail center, moorland tracks, off-piste wooded tech and DH

Tech Specs: Trek Top Fuel 8

• Price: $3,829.99 / £3,850
• Model: Trek Top Fuel 8
• Discipline: XC/downcountry/trail
• Head angle:  66/66.4-degrees
• Frame material: Alpha Platinum Aluminium
• Weight: 14.46kg
• Wheel size: 29 x 2.4in 
• Suspension: RockShox SID 120mm travel, 44mm offset/RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT 120mm travel
• Drivetrain:  Shimano XT M8100 mech and shifter. Shimano SLX M7100, 10-51 cassette, chain
• Cranks:  Shimano XT 30T chainset
• Brakes:  Shimano Deore M6000 brakes with 180/160mm rotors
• Cockpit:  Bontrager Line 780mm bar and 45mm stem
• Wheelset:  Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels
• Tires:  Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 29 x 2.4in tires
• Seatpost:  TranzX 150mm dropper post
• Saddle: Bontrager Arvada, steel rail saddle

Guy has been working on Bike Perfect since we launched in 2019. Hatched in Yorkshire he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. He spent a few years working in bike shops and warehouses before starting writing and testing for bike mags in 1996. Since then he’s written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of riding gear. To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, he’s also penned a handful of bike-related books and talks to a GoPro for YouTube, too.

Current rides: Cervelo ZFS-5, Forbidden Druid V2, Specialized Chisel, custom Nicolai enduro tandem, Landescape/Swallow custom gravel tandem

Height: 180cm

Weight: 69kg

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Trek’s Top Fuel Is More Than Just an XC Race Bike

Trek bills the Top Fuel as “fast, versatile ...for the cross country racer, marathon rider, and the Trek Factory Racing World Cup team.” All these things are true. It’s wicked fast and way more versatile than you might think. Like most race-focused bikes (or race-focused anything), the Top Fuel takes a little while to get to know. That’s not a knock, it’s a compliment. Once you earn its respect it'll carry you far and fast.

It’s got normal, 11-42-tooth 11-speed gearing and a 32-tooth front chainring. Fast and light, nothing crazy. XC bikes are designed to disappear between your legs. You don’t want too much thinking going on while trying to beat 50 other caffeine-jacked lunatics off the starting line.

The wheels are boost-ed Bontrager Kovee Pro, OCLV Carbon. They are super light and fabulous for racing. They held up fine on trail rides too, straight and true as the day they came out of the box.

The tires… well… Bontrager XR1 Team Issue are beautiful things but, unless you live in the desert, they’re a bit precious. On smooth, fast courses, they'll probably work great. I threw on Vittoria 2.35 Morsas for muddier rides and 2.25 Mezcals for faster tracks. The Mezcals were better overall than the beefy tire, but still had better tread and a stronger sidewall than the XR1.

The OE carbon stem is 70mm long. I’m mostly legs, short torso and long-ish arms—so I put a 35mm stem on the cockpit. Changing a stem is a cheap, easy way to fit a bike to you. Seems like a small thing, but in XC racing you tend to obsess more about small details like stem length, tires, air pressure, bottle cages, saddle angle, cockpit setup, computer mount and on and on.

The Top Fuel does not come with a dropper at any spec level. It has a super-light carbon seatpost, which helps keep the bike around 24lbs. I did throw on a dropper for one of the more technical races, and was glad I did. Though with the lockout and a dropper, the handlebar felt a bit crowded, but not unmanageable. Truthfully, I did ride a good bit without the dropper and got used to it.

The frame is slick and elegant, as are pretty much all Trek frames. If you buy this bike, you better like black. The carbon front, seatstays and aluminum chainstays are seamlessly integrated. Setting up the fox fork and shock is very quick. Fox’s float components are designed to be plug-and-play.

Now we come to the big leap forward for this 2017 bike. Trek’s Top Fuel experience is about the custom Re:Aktiv shock’s updated regressive valving and its simple, two-position switch. 1) Firm and 2) Locked. Boom, that’s it. When Trek first told me about this I was like “Aw, man. I’m sure it’s a fast, light bike and all...but am I in for two months of taint-punching race riding?”

However, Trek was confident that, aside from smooth courses or situations where you should lock the frame out, the open position was not only supportive, but plush enough for all purpose riding and tough modern XC courses. Of course the bike still has Trek’s proven ABP (active braking pivot) technology and Full Floater shock mount.

I raced the Top Fuel in 4 races, one early season tune-up, one super smooth roadie-fest, one super-technical mudfest called the Chain Stretcher (where they purposefully and willfully set the course to knock roadies out of balance), and one other fast and very flowy one. In the super fast, no-tech tracks, hardtails seemed to have the edge, but for tough tracks, this bike shines. Bright. The Top Fuel keeps peppy and quick all the way through your ride, allowing you to finish strong and have some fun.

Early in its travel, the Re:Aktiv regressive valving maintains a linear and firm shock rate. It then ramps up in mid-stroke to be a bit more progressive. However, at any point in its travel, for medium and big hits, or over rough terrain, the shock opens up and becomes instantly supple. I have absolutely no idea how it knows how to do this, but it knows.

Here’s a quick video on the tech.

Again, the two settings on the handlebar-mounted lockout are either fully locked for both fork and shock or open, which puts the shock in its firm, ‘wonderboy’ mode and opens the fork.

After a few rides, merging the usual firm and open capabilities of a 3-position shock actually makes perfect sense, not to mention massively simplifies everything. I either want to push the gas hard in locked out mode, or I want the shock be firm/open for supple travel when the going gets gnarly.

When you’re pushing hard and concentrating on racing--eyes bleeding, legs burning, your whole body in the pain box--you don’t want to think about three positions.

With a 70-degree head angle, the Top Fuel’s steering is super fast and responsive. This is where the ‘getting to know it’ phase is. The better you can handle a bike the more you’ll enjoy it. Ride it like a champion fencer, cutting and thrusting precisely through a course. While the Top Fuel doesn't have 65-degree head-angle impunity, I never went over the bars or felt sketchy. You just have to slice and punch with some accuracy.

It climbs great (a 74-degree effective seat tube angle helps). Just like an XC bike should. Really, that’s job one for any XC bike, because it’s where races are lost and won. So check that box for this bike and move on.

While the suspension can handle punchy climbs so well, it's still ready for an unexpected log-over, root section or big hit. That's where I found the Top Fuel to have a remarkable advantage over other XC bikes: it’s ability to flow right from fast to tough. Guys on hardtails look like baby giraffes on long root sections but the Top Fuel mashes through with no problems.

The SRAM X01, 11-speed drivetrain was always smooth under the toughest, most demanding (and occasionally ill-advised uphill) shifts. If you’re so inclined, The Top Fuel 9.9 gets you SRAM Eagle, which has 12 speeds and a 50 rather than 42-tooth top cassette ring. Might be nice if you need it, though not having it forces you to push without bailing to a too-easy gear.

The SRAM Level brakes (the lighter, XC race version of their capable Guide brakes) also had no issues. Through the mud and muck they stayed true without rubbing, squealing or fading. They still work like new.

The bike has a Mino-link flip chip, but leave it in the low position. It comes that way, no reason to change it. It’s there if you want to experiment. I didn't touch it.

Because Trek’s jam is making bikes more versatile than their intended design, I took it on a few trail rides. Powering up and keeping speed are, of course, easy on this bike. This is also where the Re:Aktiv tuning gives you the plushness and ability to ride the bike with comfort and a bit more playfulness. The geometry is still racy, so you have to handle it. Descend with precision and you're able to hit any trail you'd normally ride on a longer-travel bike.

The Bottom Line

Once again, Trek has put out a bike that's great at what it's made for, but is also really good at something else. The Top Fuel is, first and foremost, a race bike. It's light, fast and stiff—so go out and race it. Your secret weapon will be how well it handles rougher courses and sections that toss hardtail roadies. It's also really tough, with low-stress brakes and shifting which hold up great on trail rides. Add a dropper and some beefy tires and you've got yourself a short-travel trail bike rocket. It's enjoyable as a precise, not slacked-out, ride.

Frame: OCLV Carbon main frame & seatstay, alloy chainstay, ABP,Mino Link, Carbon Armor Boost 148 & G2 Geometry on 29ers, 100mm travel Fork: Fox Performance 32 Float 100mm travel w/ Grip 2-position remote damper. Shock: Fox Performance Float 100mm travel, RE:aktiv XC 2-position remote damper Wheels: Bontrager Kovee Pro Carbon W/Boost Hubs Tires: Bontrager XR1 Team Issue 2.2 Drivetrain: SRAM X01 w/11-speed 10-42 cassette Crank: SRAM X1 Carbon w/32T Direct Mount X-Sync chainring Brakes: SRAM Level TLM Seatpost: Bontrager Pro, OCLV Carbon It’s Black. All Black. Everywhere. 24lbs $5,199

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Editor-at-Large, IMBA instructor and east-coaster. Raced Trans-Savoie in France, SoCal Enduro and Endurance in Temecula and is psyched for all the great new races in the east. Article Ideas: [email protected]

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Trek Top Fuel 8 review

• Alan Muldoon
• July 27, 2023

Once a lean XC race-focused machine, now a bulked up down-country rig. We test Trek's latest take on its short travel full suspension design.

Trek Top Fuel 8 Credit: Roo Fowler

Product Overview

Overall rating:, trek top fuel 8.

• • 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

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

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 and one of the best down-country bikes on sale. 

A dropper post and sorted cockpit complement the Top Fuel’s playful and poppy nature

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. 

Down tube storage is handy for those riders who are travelling light

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. 

Flip chip in the lower shock mount offers 0.5deg head angle and 8mm BB height adjustment

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. 

The stock RockShox Pike Rush RC fork dishes out 130mm of travel

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 that really matters, right?

• Best mountain bike suspension forks: XC, trail and enduro forks

You need to be equally attentive when setting up the rear suspension. Set to 30% sag, the top-end RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT shock bottoms relatively easily. So if you want to run the shock softer to achieve a lower dynamic BB height, you’re going to need to add volume spacers. As such, we increased the shock pressure and reduced the sag to 27.5%.

This small change alone was enough to prevent premature bottom out, but we could still use all of the available shock stroke when we really needed it. We also ran the low-speed compression setting in the minus position for maximum plushness. In the low geometry setting we measured rear wheel travel at 115mm, which is 5mm less than claimed. 

One of the biggest differences in terms of ride feel between the Lapierre and the Trek, other than sizing, are the wheels. The Bontrager Line 30 rims have a 30mm internal rim width, 5mm more than the Mavic rims on the Lapierre XRM 6.9 we tested the Trek against. This adds to the overall volume of the tyres and the stiffness of the bike. It is also why we dropped the tyre pressures slightly on the Trek, even though we were running the exact same tyres on both bikes. 

Bolted on chainstay protection is a neat and considered touch

With 108 points of engagement the freehub on the Bontrager rear wheel offers rapid, secure engagement, with less chain slack and chain slap as a result. The bike is not totally silent though as there is a little bit of cable rattle, but it will probably disappear when you stuff the BITS storage box to the gills.

The contact points on the Top Fuel 8 are all sorted and while there’s a stack of stem height adjustment, the three 20mm spacers don’t offer any fine tuning of the handlebar height. So swapping one of the 20mm spacers of a 10mm, a 5mm and two 2.5mm spacers, would be our first move before leaving the store.

• How to: ultimate guide to handlebar cockpit set up

Nothing else needs changing though. The mix of Shimano XT and SLX for the 12-speed drivetrain worked flawlessly in the dry, dusty test conditions, where the smaller 30t chainring is a real saviour on long draggy climbs or on days when your legs feel like lead. 

ABP suspension design transforms the seat stay assembly into a floating brake mount

Performance

The steep seat tube angle on the Trek Top Fuel 8 really helps with the pedalling dynamics on steeper climbs and the cockpit is long enough that even with the shorter 45mm stem, you never feel cramped or uncomfortable when climbing. It’s not so steep though, that it feels like the pedals are behind you when sitting down spinning across flatter, rolling singletrack.

Stand up to sprint and the rear suspension on the Trek clearly gets animated, the rocker link flapping around like the tail on an overly excited puppy. So the best approach is to sit and spin up the climbs, as the shock remains remarkably still and lifeless until you encounter a bump. Also if you really want to go for it on smoother climbs, the rear shock has a firmer pedal threshold setting. In short then, gaining elevation on the Top Fuel 8 is relatively straightforward and painless.

Knock Block 2.0 steering lock with 72º steering angle, protects the frame without limiting steering

So, it’s somewhat surprising just how rapidly you can throw those gains away. This bike simply rips the descents. Given the limited travel it still seems to carry speed everywhere, and while bumps that would normally chip away at your momentum are still felt though the chassis, they do not perturb the Trek one bit. It rails corners too. Simply load up the suspension mid-turn, and the Top Fuel has just the right amount of support and extension to keep the front end loaded, before slingshotting you out of the turn faster than you entered it. Combine the raw speed with the balanced weight distribution, and the Top Fuel 8 is a really fun, exciting ride and blisteringly fast too.

Would the Trek Top Fuel 8 be even faster with a genuinely low geometry setting? You bet it would. But we’d settle for a bigger rotor on the SRAM DB8 rear brake, as this bike is so fast in fact, that the 160mm rotor feels wholly inadequate and it looked like it had been tempered after just a couple of rides. 

• Best cross-country XC mountain bikes: hardtail and full suspension

The Top Fuel 8 is at home on fast sweeping singletrack

At 14.89kg (32.83lb), the Trek Top Fuel 8 isn’t that much lighter than a 150mm bike. So if you want one bike to conquer all trails, it wouldn’t be our first choice. It’s still a great 29er trail bike though, and if bike park laps and enduro racing don’t fall under your trail bike remit, the Trek Top Fuel 8 offers a fast, fun and engaging ride. Its poppy playful nature, combined with generous sizing means you never feel limited by the travel for regular trail riding. Yet, it still feels more energetic and efficient under pedalling than than most 150mm bikes. It’s a heady combination that manages to keep both the tempo and fun factor high, without any apparent lows.

Trek Top Fuel 9.9 SSL

Cross-country rocket ship.

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Trek's Top Fuel 9.9 SSL is a bike that hits the target of what a premium-level cross-country race bike should be squarely in its centre, yet it's also capable of more with a few component tweaks and in the hands of a skilled rider. It's oh-so-close to perfection.

Ride & handling: Superlight race rig with Trek's best suspension design yet

The premium build on our top-end 9.9 SSL test model keeps total weight at an impressive 9.81kg (21.63lb) – well in keeping with the competition and lighter than most people's hardtails.

Naturally, the low mass is a boon when ascending and anyone who believes dropping a kilo or two doesn't make much difference in the real world has probably never ridden anything so feathery. 

The lack of weight is noticeable, especially on steeper and more technical climbs, and any racer will quickly extol the virtues of cresting the opening climb with a few seconds' (or minutes') advantage over their rivals. Game on.

The Full Floater suspension is fairly supple off the top yet wholly composed on bigger hits, with superb bottom-out control. There is no mid-stroke wallow,  and the whole package is generally very composed and well controlled – Trek's best short-travel suspension design by a long way.

Cost issues aside, hardcore racers will be hard pressed to find a more complete and purpose-built pure cross-country competition package. The £4,499.99 price tag is too much for most people to swallow, but the £3,149.99 (US$4,949.99) Top Fuel 9.8 provides nearly all of the performance with a bit of extra weight and without the novel two-ring crankset. Less expensive aluminium models are available, too. 

Regardless, one shouldn't pigeonhole the Top Fuel 9.9 SSL as  only a race bike. Slap on a wider low-rise bar, an 11-34T cassette and some fatter rubber and you've got a decent trail bike for smooth riders who value a superlight rig.

Frame: Light, fairly rigid and angles are spot-on, plus unusual integrated seatmast

Frame weight is just 1,950g (4.30lb) – with shock – thanks to a generous helping of Trek's top-shelf OCLV Red carbon fibre technology, full alloy pivot hardware and an all-carbon integrated bottom bracket assembly borrowed from the road-going Madone.

In addition to the grams saved by eliminating the threaded metallic cups, the bottom bracket itself is now lighter as the two cartridge bearings are inserted directly into the precision moulded shell along with a couple of seals and a plastic sleeve in between.

The basic suspension layout hasn't changed drastically since the Fuel's introduction roughly a decade ago but Trek's engineers have massaged the new 100mm configuration so thoroughly as to be practically unrecognisable on the trail. If ever there was an argument that good bicycle rear suspension design is a game of millimetres, this is it.

The well-placed main pivot provides mostly neutral pedaling response (at least when you're not in the big ring) and the asymmetrical aluminium chainstays, stout carbon seatstays, and meaty one-piece EVO forged magnesium rocker link do an excellent job of limiting rear wheel movement to the intended plane even in rocky technical terrain. 

The Trek-exclusive Active Braking Pivot concept at the rear dropouts is surprisingly effective even in this shorter-travel application. Dive hot into a washboarded corner with the rear brake applied and you're treated to minimal skidding or skipping and better traction for a faster exit.

Most impressive, however, is the Full Floater concept whereby both ends of the shock are anchored to dynamic links – at the end of the rocker link up top and on an extension of the chainstays below – for more precise control of suspension leverage ratios throughout the range of travel.

Overall chassis rigidity belies the paltry weight with very good pedaling response, a relatively tight front end and an overall personality that just  feels fast under power.

The down tube takes full advantage of the bottom bracket shell's 90mm width, the top and down tubes are pushed right up to the edges of the integrated head tube, and the top tube is fairly broad throughout its length. 

Front triangle torsional rigidity is very good overall but still seems a half step behind other featherweights such as the Scott Spark – we noticed some off-axis twang when careening through rock gardens – but the Top Fuel's rear suspension performance is better overall.

In this application, light trumps stiff but if you can have 'light and still pretty stiff' coupled with an extra capable rear end, well then that's all the better.

Handling is appropriately quick and well sorted, with a 70-degree head tube angle and a relatively low 32.7cm (12.9in) bottom bracket height perfect for railing corners.

The integrated seatmast – 'semi-integrated' would be more accurate seeing as how there are no hacksaws involved and you still have a conventionally telescoping, though stubby, seatpost up top – is a step or two off the beaten path. 

Though this saves some weight its greatest benefit is the remarkable amount of fore-aft give that is engineered into the design. It's probably best not to attempt a nasty flat landing with your rear end firmly planted on the saddle but the flex noticeably adds to the Top Fuel's buttery feel – and can also make the bike feel a bit bouncy if the rear shock is locked out.

We can't help but wonder if Trek could have achieved a similar effect with a standard 31.6mm-diameter post instead of the proprietary extra-fatso 34.0mm one though, and you have to deal with the usual integrated mast drawbacks. Frequent-flier racers should be prepared to disassemble the Top Fuel a bit more than necessary to fit it in a travel case. 

Equipment: Great spec for World Cups, not so good down the trail centre

Trek's all-out commitment to making the Top Fuel a race bike is evident in a few component choices that might work well on a World Cup course but limit the bike's versatility in the real world.

The narrower crank makes for a noticeable difference in pedalling mechanics but Trek pair the 29T inner ring with an 11-32T Shimano XTR cassette. Trek say this is a result of racer feedback and that an 11-34T would add 20g, but we say the wider range's very marginal penalty would be well worth it to the people who will actually be buying this thing. 

Likewise, we understand that many World Cup racers still opt for narrow flat bars – the Bontrager Race XXX Lite here measures just 580mm across – but bar ends are therefore a virtual necessity and they aren't included. A flat bar with more width would make more sense as that would give buyers more freedom to choose without spending yet more money.

The Bontrager Race XXX Lite foam grips should be scrapped right from the get-go. They rotate and migrate over time, the foam is too soft to provide any useful cushioning and they're not particularly grippy either. 

In spite of appearances, the stock Bontrager Jones XR Team Issue tyres provide surprisingly decent grip on hardpack, rock and good old-fashioned dirt, and the ultra-low profile knobs roll insanely fast on anything short of roofing tar.

Loose conditions are a definite no-no, however, and cornering in general is an exercise in slide control as the overly rounded profile has almost no shoulder to lean on. Moreover, the narrow width virtually demands that they be run tubeless, but again Trek don't include the easily installed kit in the Top Fuel 9.9 SSL's asking price.

Trek wrap those tyres around their new Bontrager Race X Lite Disc wheelset, which includes light scandium-alloy clincher rims, butted stainless steel DT Swiss spokes and new designed-in-house hubs that replace the previous DT Swiss units.

Our rear hub bearings have quickly grown rough and the freehub body occasionally protested with a loud 'pop' under power – something Trek attribute to an overly abundant grease fill from the factory, which might explain the popping but not the bearings.   

The RockShox SID World Cup fork continues to impress, with excellent suspension control throughout the 100mm range and very good steering accuracy.

Out back, the Fox Racing Shox RP23 rear shock on our first prototype offered noticeably better traction and a suppler ride than the DT Swss XR Carbon unit of our later production tester.

Trek say racers prefer the latter's firmer lockout and available remote – fair enough, but be prepared for the hit in small bump compliance and the lack of a lockout blowoff threshold as a result.

As for the XTR trigger shifter, derailleurs and dual hydraulic disc brakes – with 160mm front/140mm rear Center Lock rotors – there's not much to say. The whole lot worked flawlessly and Shimano seem to have expelled the sticky piston demons that once plagued the brake callipers.

Shift quality was smooth and precise and the brakes provided the usual stellar levels of modulation, albeit still with not quite as much power as we'd like. 

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Trek's Top Fuel is Reborn a Fast and Fun Trail Bike

The new Trek Top Fuel Pulls the XC-race stick out of its butt and joins the trail bike party.

The takeaway: You can ride all day without sweating the climbs.

• Reborn as a trail bike, the new Top Fuel has more travel and is more stable.
• Complete builds come with dropper posts and other trail-oriented parts.
• Aluminum frame Top Fuels start at $3,300. The most expensive carbon model is $10,000.

Weight: 24 lb. (9.9, size small)

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Hidden Adjustment

Trek's MinoLink flip chip is hidden in the upper shock mount.

Slippery Gold

This top-end model gets the extra-slippery Kashima Coat legs on its Fox fork.

State Pride

Take a bit of Wisconsin with you wherever you ride.

The Knock Block headset prevents damage to the top and down tubes.

The housing and hoses are clamped to prevent rattle.

From Cross Country to Trail Bike

While the 2019 Top Fuel featured 100mm of travel in the front and back, the new Top Fuel now has 120mm of front suspension and 115mm of rear suspension. They’ve also done away with the floating mount that compressed the shock from both ends. Instead, the lower eyelet is fixed to the downtube, a change that reduces weight and improves stiffness.

Tires are also trending wider across the industry, and the same proves true here. Instead of light and skinny race tires, the new model comes with 29x2.40-inch Bontrager XR3 Team Issue tires designed for a variety of riding conditions. The new Top Fuel 9.9 also has armor to protect the downtube against rock strikes and Trek's Knock Block headset which prevents the bars and fork from twisting backward and damaging the frame.

As for geometry, the new model is slacker and longer than the last, and it has a shorter stem and wider bars than the previous generation. One of the most notable changes, however, is the updated front suspension offset. Trek was arguably the first to get behind an increased offset—specifically 51mm—for their 29ers.

Other brands eventually followed and soon most 29ers were using 51mm offset forks. But the current trend of longer front centers and slacker head angles has reversed this tide, and the offsets are shrinking. Even Trek couldn't fight the reduced-offset trend: the new Top Fuel uses a 44mm offset fork.

All the Bells and Whistles

As a top-of-the-line 9.9 model, our review bike comes with everything you’d ever want on an endurance bike and then some. Last year’s Top Fuel family didn’t feature a single dropper post, but now, every model comes with one. The small starts with a 100mm dropper and from there dropper sizes run all the way up to 170mm on the largest sizes.

The left handlebar grip features a TwistLoc remote that lets you lock out both front and rear suspension with one simple twist. Unlocking it is even easier, you just push a small button with your thumb. I was warned about it prior to riding, to prevent me from accidentally triggering it, but I didn’t find that to be a problem at all. Maybe it’s my small hands, but I think you really have to activate it intentionally. However, near the end of the review period the fork's lockout mechanism began to stick and sometimes wouldn't open.

The bike also comes with Trek’s Mino Link, which is located on the front of the rocker, making it easier to access and change than on previous versions. In the high position, the 9.9 has a quicker-steering vibe. If you want a more stable feel, flipping it to the low position will drop the bottom bracket 8mm, and relax the head angle from 68 to 67.5 degrees.

Right now the Top Fuel 9.9 comes in two color options: All black matte (for those minimalists) or an eye-catching black and teal hybrid with neon green lettering seen here. If you’re thinking of getting the Top Fuel and really want to go all out then you might want to wait until July 25, when the new Top Fuel joins Trek's ProjectOne customizable paint and build program.

You get all of these features, and the bike still only weighs 24 pounds (size small). The only thing the Top Fuel 9.9 doesn’t come with is electronic shifting. For that you’ll want the $10,000 Top Fuel 9.9 AXS with SRAM's Eagle AXS wireless group .

Frame: Carbon Wheel Size: 29-inch Travel: 115mm Shock: Fox Factory Float Fork: Fox Factory 34 Step-Cast, 120mm Drivetrain: 1x12 Crankset: SRAM XX1 Eagle Carbon, 32t Rear Derailleur: SRAM XX1 Eagle Cassette: SRAM XG-1295 Eagle, 10-50 Brakes: SRAM Level Ultimate hydraulic disc, 180mm front/160mm rear rotors Seatpost: Bontrager Line Elite dropper, 100-170mm travel Rims: Bontrager Kovee Pro 30 carbon, tubeless ready Tires: Bontrager XR3 Team Issue 2.4 in., tubeless ready Sizes: S, M, M/L, L, XL

The Top Fuel Family

If this $9,000 9.9 falls outside of your budget, there are three other bikes in the Top Fuel family that you can get for less.

The family starts with the Top Fuel 8 at $3,300. It’s the only aluminum bike in the line-up, and it weighs almost 30.5 pounds (size medium, claimed). It comes with the same amount of travel, a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain, and you’ll even get the TwistLoc remote. For $4,000, you can get the Top Fuel 9.7. You’ll get roughly the same set up as the 8 but with a full carbon frame.

The Top Fuel 9.8 comes in at just over 26 pounds (claimed) for $5,500. You’ll get better components like SRAM GX Eagle, the Bontrager Line Elite Dropper (like the 9.9), and a Fox Performance 34 fork and Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 wheels with carbon rims.

The the 9.9 and the 9.9 AXS get Bontrager Kovee Pro 30 wheels with 108-tooth Rapid Drive hubs, for near-instant engagement. At $10,000, the biggest differences between the 9.9 and the 9.9 AXS are the wireless SRAM Eagle AXS shifters and the wireless RockShox Reverb AXS dropper.

Reshuffling the Trek Full-Suspension Family

Trek has a number of world-class cross country racers on its mountain bike teams. With the Top Fuel no longer a race bike, those riders will need a new XC bike. And it appears one is coming soon. Trek's racers are aboard a new bike with a sock on the top tube covering up a new full suspension design.

With its new trail orientation, the Top Fuel has serious overlap with Trek's current Fuel EX, a 130/130mm trail bike. We expect that will be rectified with a new version of the Fuel EX that will launch later this year. It will likely have more travel than the current Fuel EX, as well as longer geometry, slacker headtube angle, steeper seat angle, a shorter offset fork, a stiffer frame, and will be built with heartier parts.

How It Rides

I took the new Top Fuel to the trails I'd been riding on my personal Trek Fuel EX 5 — a heavier and longer travel bike than this Top Fuel 9.9. The trails I rode during the initial test ride were flowy, with a few technical spots and long climbs.

The biggest thing I noticed? Climbing wasn't nearly as difficult as it was on my personal bike. I wouldn't call it effortless, but the difference was significant. Riding in the "cross country" setup, with the Mino Link set high and the stem flipped in the downward position, the Top Fuel is a quicker steering and faster feeling trail bike. In this form, the bike truly would be great for endurance races like the Breck Epic and BC Bike race.

In the low mode, the bike feels mellower, but still a fast and agile bike. On paper, it has a lot in common with the Yeti SB100 and Santa Cruz Tallboy, which puts the new Top Fuel in very good company.

Taking it on some rocky trails, the Top Fuel tackled them just as well. While it might not have as much suspension as other trail bikes, it can just as easily rip down most technical trails. The 29er wheels and wider tires help the bike roll over obstacles with ease, without taking away from the bike's superb climbing ability.

The new Top Fuel might not be a pure XC-race bike anymore, but it's still precise and very fast. Its new trail orientation makes it a great choice for a rider who wants a fast and light bike with most of the the efficiency of a cross-country race bike, but with bit more versatility and playfulness.

equipment Top Fuel 9.9

When she’s not out riding her mountain bike, Jessica is an editor for Popular Mechanics . She was previously an editor for Bicycling magazine. 

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Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01 2021 in review – From XC-racer to our trail bike group test

“The Top Fuel 9.9 flies through singletrack and rips descents, but it really shines when pushed to its full potential during gruelling endurance races.” That’s what Trek say about the Top Fuel 9.9 X01, but how did it fare against its bigger brother, the Fuel EX?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best mountainbike of 2021 – 22 models in review

115 mm rear travel, 11.5 kg and a lightweight spec. At first glance, the specs of the Top Fuel 9.9 look impressive, but how much fun will you have onboard the carbon rocket from Wisconsin? Just like its bigger EX sibling, the Top Fuel features Trek’s ABP rear linkage, albeit with 15 mm less travel and a standard FOX DPS Factory shock without Trek’s proprietary Thru Shaft technology. On the handlebars, a dual remote lockout controls a 120 mm FOX 34 fork and, together with the brake levers, shifters and dropper remote, makes for a rather crowded and untidy cockpit. Trek include their proprietary Knock Block in the headset, which limits the steering angle and prevents the fork from damaging the frame and cables from ripping in the event of a crash. On the trail, the system doesn’t affect the handling in any way. A large TPU plate on the downtube protects the frame against stray rocks, while a reasonably sized and well-positioned chainstay protector prevents chain slap and paint chips. Unlike other Trek models, the Top Fuel doesn’t feature a storage compartment integrated into the down tube, forcing riders to carry their trail essentials in a backpack or hip pack instead.

The spec of the Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01 – Lightweight components for a true high flyer

The € 8,999 Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01 is specced to ensure a lightweight construction and top efficiency. At 11.5 kg, it’s the lightest bike in our big MTB group test. However, Trek couldn’t achieve this without compromising on trail performance. While the FOX 34 Factory Step-Cast fork, which with its lighter chassis is significantly lighter than a conventional 34, unfortunately, it’s only suitable for particularly light riders. Fast and heavy riders will notice considerable flex in hard corners and compressions, which affects the handling of the bike and dents your confidence. Moreover, hard consecutive hits push the FIT4 damper to its limit. For the tires, Trek spec their own super light Bontrager XR3 Team Issue tires with a puncture-prone casing and shallow tread. While this setup reduces weight and rolling resistance, it generates poor traction in corners and under braking and could potentially result in irreversible damage to the Bontrager Line Elite 30 carbon rims. We recommend upgrading the tires the moment you pick up your bike from the store.

The Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01 is great fun on fast, sporty laps and very comfortable on long tours, where it convinces with a comfortable pedalling position.

For better downhill performance, you should run a robust but fast-rolling semi-slick tire at the rear, paired with a grippy front tire with a more aggressive profile. Braking is taken care of by SRAM G2 RSC brakes with tool-free lever reach and bite point adjustments. The brakes run on small 180/160 mm rotors and tend to overheat easily, requiring strong fingers on long descents. The drivetrain consists of a high-quality SRAM X01 12-speed rear derailleur with a matching shifter but a cheaper (and heavier) SRAM GX 10–52 t cassette. The rest of the spec is made up of Trek’s in-house components, including the 750 mm Bontrager Line Pro carbon handlebars and 170 mm Line dropper post. The remote is combined with the lockout for the fork and shock – if you’re not careful you’ll activate the wrong lever!

Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01

Specifications.

Fork FOX 34 FIT 4 120 mm Rear Shock FOX DPS Factory 115 mm Seatpost Bontrager Line Elite 170 mm Brakes SRAM G2 RSC 180/160 mm Drivetrain SRAM XO1 Eagle 1x12 Stem Bontrager Kovee Pro (35) 70 mm Handlebar Bontrager Line Pro OCVL 750 mm Wheelset Bontrager Line Elite 30 29" Tires Bontrager XR3 Team Issue 2.4

Technical Data

Size S M M/L L XL XXL Weight 11.54 kg

The geometry of the Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01

The Trek Top Fuel is available in six sizes, from S to XXL, which caters to riders between 153 cm to 203 cm tall. Typical for Trek, there’s also an intermediate ML size, which allows many riders to choose between at least two suitable frame sizes. The smallest S size has a modified frame shape with a slight kink in the top tube. A flip-chip in the seat stay allows you to switch between the high and low settings and adapt the geometry of the bike to your needs and preferences. Needless to say, we rode the bike mostly in the low setting, which drops the bottom bracket by 7 mm, slackens the head angle by 0.5 ° and shortens the reach by 5 mm. The size L in the low setting has a reach and seat tube of 470 mm. The reach is in the midfield of our test fleet while the seat tube is on the long side. Despite the low top tube, this restricts the insertion depth of the dropper and thus your freedom of movement, as well as making it hard to upsize if you’re between sizes – what a shame! At 603 mm, the stack height is the lowest in the entire test field. Trek compensate for this by stacking an odd-looking spacer tower under the stem and increasing the handlebar height.

Can the Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01 with its XC-racing DNA convince on the trail?

Uphill, the Top Fuel lives up to its name. The bike is damn fast and the neutral suspension makes it a great option for long rides too. On flat terrain, it convinces with a comfortable pedalling position, which is suitable for both fast, sporty laps and long rides. The Top Fuel accelerates fiercely and is extremely efficient even with the shock fully open. While you’d expect the active rear end to provide plenty of traction on technical uphills, the low-profile tread of the tire causes the rear wheel to spin out of control. On very steep climbs, the bike forces you to actively lean forward, while the slack seat tube angle positions you far back over the rear wheel, causing the front to lift off the ground. Nevertheless, the Top Fuel overtakes its direct competitor, the Merida NINETY-SIX 8000, without breaking a sweat – in all situations. On fire roads, the climb switch ensures extremely stiff suspension, ensuring excellent acceleration together with the lightweight wheelset. Even strong climbers like the YT Izzo and Yeti SB115 struggle to keep up with the American carbon rocket.

If you’re not too fussed about downhill performance, the Top Fuel is a great option for long rides and lots of fun on easy, flowing singletracks – provided you’re running the right set of tires. Nevertheless, its bigger brother, the Fuel EX, is the better all-rounder.

Tuning-tips: more robust tires with more aggressive tread | 180 mm brake rotor at the rear

Downhill, the Top Fuel loses its advantage over the competition, suffering from a significant lack of braking traction and cornering grip – not least because of its tires. As a result, it’s hard to unlock the full potential of the bike without pushing your own limits. While the tall and stiff cockpit conveys huge amounts of confidence, the stiff suspension passes on vibrations and hits to the rider almost unfiltered, making for vague and undefined handling and causing fatigue and arm pump. The Top Fuel shows its strengths on flowing singletracks with flat sections, where it’s intuitive and easy to ride. On faster and rougher trails with big steps, it quickly reaches its limits, falling behind bikes like the Yeti SB115. On very technical descents it also has to admit defeat to its bigger sibling, the Trek Fuel EX. On top of that, the Fuel EX is only slightly slower uphill but offers more reserves downhill and suits a wider range of applications.

Riding Characteristics

Value for money, intended use.

In a direct comparison, the Top Fuel 9.9 X01 has to admit defeat to the Fuel EX. While it has a small advantage uphill, downhill it can’t keep up with the smooth handling and superb suspension performance of its bigger sibling. All in all, the Fuel EX suits a much wider range of application and delivers far more riding fun – even in the significantly cheaper 9.8 GX version we tested. If you’re not too fussed about downhill performance, the Top Fuel is a great option for long rides and still great fun on easy, flowing singletracks – provided you’re running the right set of tires.

• accelerates willingly
• easy, intuitive handling

• Bontrager XR3 tires generate poor traction
• remote cluster in the cockpit area is confusing
• odd-looking spacer tower
• no Trek storage compartment
• very few advantages over the Fuel EX, which suits a much wider range of applications

Find more information here: trekbikes.com

The testfield

Get an overview of the grouptest here: The best mountainbike of 2021 – 22 models in review

All Bikes in this group test: Canyon Neuron CF SLX 9 (Click for review) | Canyon Spectral 29 LTD (Click for review) | Canyon Stoic 4 (Click for review) | FOCUS THRON 6.9 (Click for review) | Ibis Ripmo V2 (Click for review) | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K (Click for review) | MERIDA NINETY-SIX 8000 (Click for review) | Nukeproof Reactor 290C (Click for review) | Orbea Rise M-Team (Click for review) | Propain Hugene (Click for review) | RAAW Jibb XTR Build (Click for review) | Rocky Mountain Instinct C70 (Click for review) | Santa Cruz 5010 X01 (Click for review) | Santa Cruz Tallboy CC X01 (Click for review) | SCOTT Ransom 900 Tuned AXS (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper EVO (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo SL (Click for review) | Trek Fuel EX 9.8 GX (Click for review) | Trek Top Fuel 9.9 X01 | Yeti SB115 TURQ3 (Click for review) | YT IZZO BLAZE 29 (Click for review)

This scale indicates how efficiently the bike climbs. It refers to both simple and technical climbs. Along with the suspension, the riding position and the weight of the bike all play a crucial role. ↩

How does the bike ride and descend? How spritely is the bike, how agile is it through corners, how much fun is it in tight sections and how quickly can it change direction? ↩

Is the bike stable at high speeds? Is it easy to stay in control in demanding terrain? How composed is it on rough trails? Stability is a combination of balanced geometry, good suspension and the right spec. ↩

This is all about how balanced the bike is and particularly about how well it corners. Balanced bikes require little physical effort from the rider and are very predictable. If a bike is unbalanced, the rider has to work hard to weight the front wheel to generate enough grip. However, experienced riders can have a lot of fun even with unbalanced bikes. ↩

How sensitive is the suspension over small bumps? Can it absorb hard impacts and does it soak up repeated hits? Plush suspension not only provides comfort and makes a bike more capable, but it also generates traction. The rating includes the fork and the rear suspension. ↩

This aspect mainly comes down to the suspension. How much pop does it have, does it suck up the rider’s input or is it supportive, and how agile and direct is the bike? ↩

We don’t calculate value for money in an excel spreadsheet or based on how high-end a bike is specced. We are more concerned with how a bike performs on the trail and how the bike benefits the rider. What good are the best components if the bike doesn’t perform well on the trail? Expensive bikes with a lower-end spec can offer very good value for money – provided they excel where it matters. Just as supposedly cheap bikes with good components can get a bad rating if they don’t deliver on the trail. ↩

No, it’s not about racing, it’s about efficiency. Fast, fleet-footed and efficient – those who want to speed along flowy singletrack and gravel roads need a defined and spritely bike that accelerates with ease and efficiency. Nevertheless, reliable components are important too. We interpret XC more like the Americans do: big back-country rides instead of a marathon or XC World Cup with the ultimate in lightweight construction! Uphill-downhill ratio: 80:30 (not everything has to be 100%!) ↩

...also known as mountain biking. Classic singletrack with roots, rocks and ledges – sometimes flowy, sometimes rough. For this, you need a bike with good all-round qualities, whether climbing or descending. Uphill-downhill ratio: 50:50 ↩

Even more extreme and challenging compared to Trail riding, riddled with every kind of obstacle: jumps, gaps, nasty rock gardens, ruts and roots. For this, you need (race)proven equipment that forgives mistakes and wouldn’t look out of place on a stage of the Enduro World Series. Climbing is just a means to an end. Uphill-downhill ratio: 30:70 ↩

Strictly speaking, a 200 mm travel downhill bike is the best choice for merciless tracks with big jumps, drops and the roughest terrain. Those would be the black or double-black-diamond tracks in a bike park. But as some of the EWS pros (including Sam Hill) have proven, it’s the riding skills and not the bike that define what you can ride with it. Climbing? On foot or with a shuttle, please! Uphill-downhill ratio: 10:90 ↩

You can find more info about our rating system in this article: Click here! ↩

Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more .

Words: Peter Walker Photos: various

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About the author.

Peter Walker

As editor-in-chief, Peter is as much a man of action as he is of words. This expert, screw-driver-flexing two wheeled-whizz has many envy-inducing characteristics, including a background in motocross, several EWS race plates to his name, and more than 150 recorded days at Whistler Bike Park. However complex the bike and however steep the trail, he’s probably already nailed it, twice. Oh, and he can do it all on skinny tyres too. When it comes to guiding consumers, Peter cut his teeth at Vancouver’s oldest bike shop and now puts pen to paper on the daily translating this know-how into our editorial plan. When not tearing up Stuttgart’s local trails while testing bikes, he loves nothing more than loading up his self-renovated VW T5 and hitting the road. The fact that he’s a trained paramedic gives his colleagues reassurance out on the trails. So far we haven’t had to call him by his alias ‘Sani Peter’, so here’s hoping he keeps it right side up for the rest of his time here!

Study of modified VVER and typical PWR fuel in the HBWR reactor (Norway)

• Published: 21 December 2012
• Volume 113 , pages 171–178, ( 2013 )

Cite this article

• B. Yu. Volkov 1 ,
• W. Wiesenack 1 ,
• V. V. Yakovlev 2 ,
• E. P. Ryazantsev 2 ,
• A. K. Panyushkin 3 ,
• A. V. Ivanov 3 ,
• O. V. Kryukov 3 ,
• P. I. Lavrenyuk 4 &
• Yu. V. Pimenov 4  

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Two experiments studying the standard and modified VVER fuel fabricated at the Machine-Building Plant (in Elektrostal) and PWR fuel produced according to the typical specifications were performed on the HBWR research reactor (Halden, Norway) from 1995 to 2005. The objective of these experiments was to study the effect of the structural-technological parameters on the behavior of VVER fuel in comparison with the typical PWR fuel. These studies made it possible to expand the in-reactor data base on the behavior of VVER uranium oxide fuel as well as to develop recommendations for improving the technology of its production in order to increase fuel stability under irradiation.

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Fuel for VVER and PWR: Current Status and Prospects

D. L. Zverev, O. B. Samoilov, … S. A. Zotov

Techno-Economic Prognosis for the Manufacture of Fuel Assemblies with Mixed Uranium-Plutonium Fuel for the VVER-SKD Power Reactor

M. V. Kormilitsyn, L. A. Kormilitsyna, … T. D. Shchepetina

PWR Fuel Cycle Increased Enrichment, Combination of Burnable Absorbers

B. Yu. Volkov, E. P. Ryazantsev, V. V. Yakovlev, et al., “Studies of the behavior of VVER and PWR irradiated in the HBWR reactor (Halden, Norway),” At. Énerg. , 111 , No. 6, 342–348 (2011).

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B. Volkov and E. Kolstad, “Review of WWER fuel and material tests in the Halden reactor,” in: 6th Int. Conf. on WWER Fuel Performance, Modelling and Experimental Support , Bulgaria, Albena, Sept. 19–23, 2005, pp. 214–221.

K. Vinjamuru and D. Owen, “Helium fill gas absorption in pressurized UO2 fuel rods during irradiation,” Nucl. Technol ., 47 , No. 1, 119–124 (1980).

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W. Wiesenack and T. Tverberg, “Thermal performance of high burnup fuel – in-pile temperature data and analysis,” in: Int. Topical Meeting on LWR Fuel Performance , Utah, USA, April 10–3, 2000, pp. 626–633.

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Authors and affiliations.

Halden Reactor Project, Halden, Norway

B. Yu. Volkov & W. Wiesenack

National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, Russia

V. V. Yakovlev & E. P. Ryazantsev

Machine-Building Plant, Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia

A. K. Panyushkin, A. V. Ivanov & O. V. Kryukov

TVEL Company, Moscow, Russia

P. I. Lavrenyuk & Yu. V. Pimenov

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Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 113, No. 3, pp. 140–145, September, 2012.

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Volkov, B.Y., Wiesenack, W., Yakovlev, V.V. et al. Study of modified VVER and typical PWR fuel in the HBWR reactor (Norway). At Energy 113 , 171–178 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-012-9613-7

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Received : 14 February 2012

Published : 21 December 2012

Issue Date : January 2013

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-012-9613-7

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Russia establishes special site to fabricate fuel for China’s CFR-600

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A special production site to fabricate fuel for China’s CFR-600 fast reactor under construction has been established at Russia’s Mashinostroitelny Zavod (MSZ - Machine-Building Plant) in Elektrostal (Moscow region), part of Rosatom’s TVEL Fuel Company. 

As part of the project, MSZ had upgraded existing facilities fo the production of fuel for fast reactors, TVEL said on 3 March. Unique equipment has been created and installed, and dummy CFR-600 fuel assemblies have already been manufactured for testing.

The new production site was set up to service an export contract between TVEL and the Chinese company CNLY (part of China National Nuclear Corporation - CNNC) for the supply of uranium fuel for CFR-600 reactors. Construction of the first CFR-600 unit started in Xiapu County, in China's Fujian province in late 2017 followed by the second unit in December 2020. The contract is for the start-up fuel load, as well as refuelling for the first seven years. The start of deliveries is scheduled for 2023.

“The Russian nuclear industry has a unique 40 years of experience in operating fast reactors, as well as in the production of fuel for such facilities,” said TVEL President Natalya Nikipelova. “The Fuel Division of Rosatom is fulfilling its obligations within the framework of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the development of fast reactor technologies. These are unique projects when foreign design fuel is produced in Russia. Since 2010, the first Chinese fast neutron reactor CEFR has been operating on fuel manufactured at the Machine-Building Plant, and for the supply of CFR-600 fuel, a team of specialists from MSZ and TVEL has successfully completed a complex high-tech project to modernise production,” she explained.

A special feature of the new section is its versatility: this equipment will be used to produce fuel intended for both the Chinese CFR-600 and CEFR reactors and the Russian BN-600 reactor of the Beloyarsk NPP. In the near future, the production of standard products for the BN-600 will begin.

The contract for the supply of fuel for the CFR-600 was signed in December 2018 as part of a governmental agreement between Russia and China on cooperation in the construction and operation of a demonstration fast neutron reactor in China. This is part of a wider comprehensive programme of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector over the coming decades. This includes serial construction of the latest Russian NPP power units with generation 3+ VVER-1200 reactors at two sites in China (Tianwan and Xudabao NPPs). A package of intergovernmental documents and framework contracts for these projects was signed in 2018 during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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