trek fuel ex 9 2011 specs

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2011 Trek Fuel EX 9

A 26″ aluminum frame full suspension trail bike with high-end components. Compare the full range

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

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5'0" – 5'7"

5'5" – 5'11"

5'9" – 6'3"

6'1" – 6'6"

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[SV_VIMEO id=”48633979″] While most of the mountain bike industry is busy burying the 26″ wheel with barrow loads of big wheels, Trek are one of the few companies who have actually invested in the 26″ trail bike market for 2013. The revamped Fuel EX line up is more capable than ever. It really is the …

An amazingly capable trail bike - there aren't many situations the EX can't handle. Gorgeous construction. Reliable spec and we love the Reverb Stealth seat post! Pretty good value too.

Rear shock tune feels a little too firm when 'Trail' mode is engaged. Fork is noisy. Would be better without a triple ring crankset.

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Oct 2011 · Dan Milner

A perfectly balanced bike that taps new potential through slacker geometry and dialled suspension

Apr 2011 · MBA Action

Trek's top-of-the-line, 4.7-inch-travel, carbon fiber Fuel EX trailbikes have impressed us with their lightweight and plush suspension performance. For

Last updated June 29 Not listed for 2,459 days

2012 Trek Fuel EX 9 Bike (discontinued)

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Specifications

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• 2012 Trek Fuel EX

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• Fuel EX 9.9 X0 AXS T-Type Gen 6

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Pinkbike's 2022 Mountain Bike of the Year

"This is a bike that could be used to head out for a big meandering backcountry adventure one day, roll up to the starting line in a local enduro race the next, or even head into the bike park for a lap or three without missing a beat."

Editor's Choice: Best Mid-Travel Trail Bike

"The burliest, most versatile, and most capable Fuel yet; truly up for whatever you want to ride [...] The updated geometry sits comfortably amongst today's best trail bikes [...] Absolutely shreds right out of the box."

"Our favorite Trek"

"Fuel EX proved itself a happy climber. From slabs to roots and square-edge hits, the Fuel EX handled it masterfully. A damn fine trail bike right out of the box, no matter your riding style."

"Fuel EX is a masterpiece"

"Fuel EX absolutely devours chunky terrain while still retaining the ability to tractor up steep climbs. I have become convinced that a bike with long, stable geometry and mid-level travel really can provide the best of both worlds."

Editor's Choice

"The term ‘quiver killer’ may be old and tired, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about a versatile mountain bike that can handle nearly any terrain [...] Riding the Fuel EX this summer was a treat!"

"Loves to ride fast, both up and down"

"Fuel EX is a highly adaptable bike that feels comfortable in a really wide variety of terrain but doesn’t confuse itself for anything more or less. Bike riders, rejoice."

"Ready for anything"

"Fuel EX's geometry feels ready for just about anything. There's plenty of traction for climbing and a nice fluttery feel on descents, calmly smothing out the trail chatter."

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Trek Bikes Fuel EX 9.9 2011

Reviews / Trail Bikes

• Trail Bikes

At A Glance

When Rou wheeled the new Trek into the office and announced we had got our hands on the first one in the country I thought, great! I quickly relieved him of it and offered to give it a run out. He then chose to mention that it was Tracy Moseley's trail bike, mmmm I thought, maybe some of her skill will rub off on me. As I was setting the bike up I was struck at just how understated it looks, there is no flash livery and few colour coded anodised trick bits. But at £6000 the ultra high spec frame is covered in top of the range kit and leans quietly towards function rather than form.

The heart of the machine is the frame and Trek have been tweaking it for some time now and this years EX 9.9 has been improved once again. Trek have come up with a revamp of their OCLV carbon that has a higher resistance to impact than previous incarnations, they test it by whacking the frame with a pointed anvil... ouch, this simulates a high speed rock strike. This new OCLV Mountain Carbon now extends beyond the main frame with the seat and chain stays now being made of carbon, this has helped trim 100g off the frame weight. Trek were obviously happy with the bikes dimensions, as geometry is the same as last year as are tube lengths.

There is a new rear axle set up with Trek using a 142mm x 12mm ABP Convert system, a conversion kit for 135mm x 9mm is available. The DRCV shock remains and the Fox 32 F-Series Fit RLC 120mm fork has a custom piston/shim set up that the guys at Trek say offers better performance over the standard Fox.

Drivetrain is the top SRAM XX offering with 2 x 10 speed, XX kit covers braking duties too and the wheelset is a lightweight set of DT Swiss XM 1550 Tricon.

The finishing kit is all high end Bontrager.

On our scales without pedals the medium Fuel EX weighed 22.6lbs

On the trail

It is a shame that the first couple of times I got out on the 9.9 conditions hadn’t dictated that speed was not going to be the order of the day. Claggy mud and snow slush could not hide the fact that this bike accelerates quickly for a 120mm rig, effort is transferred to propulsion with aplomb and even after a couple of hours churning through the winter gloop I felt fresh and ready for more. On the second ride out I managed to find some faster and more technical terrain and this is where the Trek really shone, things were still very slippery but the bike has great traction both on the ups and when powering over off camber roots.

Climbing is a doodle on the EX and on undulating trails it is a pure pleasure to ride flat out, speed suits this bike when flying along hillside traverses. When the time comes to head down hill you can push harder than you would think possible, the suspension allows you to keep control for longer than a 120mm bike should, it is at this point that I found myself wishing for a degree of the head angle so that I could just push that little bit more but in truth I was already at mach 2. Speed sums the bike up well, put the pedal down and you instantly feel the power being transferred to the wheels. The stiff frame and excellent suspension set up mean you don’t really lose any energy. This makes it quick and light on the trails with a nimble feel when chucking it round corners.

I am getting used to the 2 x 10 speed format and the shock and fork are excellent, the wheels tracked straight and true so there is nothing wrong with the kit. The frame is stiff, light and strong enough to be hit with a pointed anvil! The combination of the top kit and lighter frame add up to an overall weight loss of around 2lbs, which is impressive. For a 6 grand bike the Trek looks understated, get it out on the trails and really give it some beans and you realise that what you have here is a high end thoroughbred that is as versatile as any bike out there, a lot of money yes but it is a lot of bike!

This review was in Issue 10 of IMB.

Trek Bikes Fuel EX 9.8 27.5

Trek bikes lush carbon 27.5, trek bikes fuel ex 9.8, santa cruz bicycles nickel, rose bikes jabba wood 6, santa cruz bicycles tallboy alloy, transition bikes bandit, trek bikes fuel ex 8, scor 4060 st gx, bold cycles linkin 135, merida bikes ninetysix rc xt.

By George Woodward

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Trek 2011 Fuel EX 9.9

1 Review for 2011 Fuel EX 9.9

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Trek Fuel EX 9 29 review

The Fuel you need to set the trails alight?

Steve Behr / Immediate Media

Great geometry and kit encourage aggressive riding; comfortable and fast on rolling terrain

Seat angle could be steeper for climbing; not the lightest

Trek’s trail 29er sports 130mm travel at each end. There’s a carbon version for the same price, but I opted for the alloy bike due to the lure of posher parts.

• Trek Fuel EX 8.0 Women's 29er mountain bike review
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Trek’s ‘ABP’ (Active Braking Pivot) suspension design puts the rearmost pivot concentric with the wheel axle, rather than on the chainstay. As with Horst Link bikes, such as the Specialized Camber Comp Carbon 29, the rear brake caliper is mounted on the seatstay, so braking forces don’t interfere with the suspension as much as on a traditional single-pivot design.

The frame has a straight down tube, which is claimed to boost stiffness but would normally be in the path of the front wheel. Trek’s ‘Knock Block’ system limits how far the bar can turn, to stop the fork crown contacting the frame. This reduced steering lock isn’t usually noticeable when riding — just don’t try any barspins!

Included in the solid spec is a sensible 760x65mm cockpit, wide Bontrager wheels, SRAM X1 gearing and Guide RS brakes. The Fox shock uses Trek’s Formula One-inspired RE:aktiv damping tune, which is claimed to improve pedalling.

Trek Fuel EX 9 29 ride impression

The Fuel EX needs that clever damping tech. Pedalling stood up with the shock in ‘open’ mode results in a fair amount of bob.

Add a tough, wide wheelset and stiff frame, and the Fuel EX rewards you for chucking it down rocky chutes and stuffing it into corners

Flipping to ‘medium’ cuts down on this a fair bit, and large bumps are absorbed almost as if the shock had been left fully open. This is because of the RE:aktiv tune, which offers quite firm low-speed compression damping, particularly in the ‘medium’ and ‘firm’ modes, but allows the valves to pop open under harder impacts.

While this is handy for pedally descents and technical climbs, it’s not quite the best of both worlds. When sprinting, the firmest mode still permits a little bob, while in the ‘medium’ setting, the shock feels slightly insensitive. Left ‘open’, the suspension performs pretty well over rough ground and absorbs big hits nicely.

The fork’s GRIP damper is less responsive to trail chatter than more expensive units found on bikes such as the Norco Optic C9.2 too, so when battering over really bumpy ground, the 130mm Trek wasn’t quite as smooth as I’d hoped.

Although the cockpit is relatively well-proportioned, I’d fit a shorter stem to get the most out of the long reach, as the Fuel EX felt a touch stretched-out on steep descents. The tyres lack bite in corners too.

SRAM’s Guide RS brakes performed well, helping to push the Trek’s trail chaos confidence.

I used the ‘low’ geometry setting for most of my testing, which gave a confidence-inspiring ride. With a 67-degree head angle and fairly long front centre, the Trek felt like a capable and stable descender.

Add a tough, wide wheelset and stiff frame, and the Fuel EX rewards you for chucking it down rocky chutes and stuffing it into corners.

At 13.9kg it’s on the heavy side, and it’s got the stiff gearing too, making steep, sustained climbs a bit of a chore. More importantly, the ‘low’ setting results in a 74.5-degree effective seat angle. Although this is steeper than bikes such as the Canyon Neuron AL, I found it a little too laidback for attacking technical climbs. Switching to the ‘high’ setting helps, but this also raises the BB and steepens the head angle, losing the Fuel EX its descending edge.

Although it’s not the fastest climber, it’s no slouch. The fast-rolling, high-volume tyres carry speed exceptionally well. With the shock in the firmer settings, it responds well to pumping and pedalling efforts, too. It bowls along flowing trails effortlessly and really comes alive when pointed downhill.

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