| Shop if: | You enjoy cruising through the flowing trails and techy descents. |
| Available Size: |
S, M, M/L, L, XL |
| Colors: | Mulsanne Blue |
| Weight: | M – 14.26 kg / 31.44 lbs (with TLR sealant, no tubes) |
| Our Rating: | 4.7/5 |
| Price: | $5,499.99 |
Hailing from America as the best bicycle brand in the country, Trek has established its 1700+ manufacturing units in every corner of the world. Despite this, more than 80% of all Trek bicycles are assembled and manufactured in European and Asian countries. Trek produces bicycles for racing, endurance, road bikes, and many more.
The premium quality bicycles offered by Trek at a reasonable and convenient price have earned the brand the much-desired popularity throughout the world, and people are in love with these bikes.
Trek Top Fuel 8 is the perfect combination of speed of a cross-country bike matching at par with the potential of a full-suspension trail bike. It brings out the fun and adventurous outlook towards riding your bike along the mountainside and gravel roads. This Trek Top Fuel 8 review elucidates the various components, features and specifications, etc., and aims to clarify your doubts.
Technical Specifications:
As the Top Fuel 8 is a premium mountain bike, having proper knowledge about the Trek Top Fuel 8 specs, like drivetrain, wheels, components and frameset., helps the rider decide whether this bike is ideal for them or not.
Frameset
Frame – Alpha Platinum Aluminium, tapered head tube, internal storage, Knock Block 2.0, downtube guard, internal guided routing, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ABP, Boost148, 120 mm travelShock – RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT, 185 mm x 50 mmFork – RockShox SID, DebonAir spring, Rush RL damper, lockout, tapered steerer, 44 mm offset, Boost110, 15 mm Maxle Stealth, 120 mm travelWheelsWheels – Bontrager Line Comp 30, Tubeless ReadyTires – Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120 TPI, 29.x2.40.”DrivetrainShifters – Shimano XT M8100, 12-speedRear derailleur – Shimano XT M8100, long cageCrank – Shimano Deore M6120, 30T ring, 55 mm chain lineBottom bracket – Shimano SM-BB52, 73 mm, threaded external bearingCassette – Shimano SLX M7100, 10-51, 12-speedPedals – N/AComponentsSaddle – Bontrager Arvada, steel rails, 138 mm widthSeatpost – TranzX JD-YSP39, internal routing, 34.9 mmHandlebar – Bontrager Line, alloy, 35 mm, 27.5 mm riseStem – Bontrager Elite, 35 mm, 0-degree, 45 mm lengthHeadset – Knock Block 2.0 Integrated, 72-degree radius (includes infinite-radius chip), sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8” top, 1.5” bottomBrakes- Shimano 4-piston hydraulic disc, M6100 lever, M6120 calliper
Top fuel 8 frame design and size:
The frame of the Top Fuel eight is built from Trek’s Alpha Platinum aluminium, with the primary tubes engineered in shape throughout their length. The down, top, and head tubes all have a wide contact point, and the down tube can be oriented to provide a larger surface for welding the BB shell.
The downtube contains a storage compartment for storing all the tools and other gears. There is also a bottle cage at the bottom of the downtube for placing your water bottle while riding.
Trek admits that all the features incorporated in this bike bring the Trek Top Fuel 8 weight to a hefty 14.26 kg or 31.44 lbs which is essential for a bike in this category. In addition to the weight, this bicycle’s unique design adds extra stability by lowering the rider and bike’s centre of gravity.
Trek’s revolutionary Knock Block steering-lock limiter enables the rider to have a straight down tube even while the brakes are applied. This feature amplifies the stiffness and avoids any damage caused by low-slung brake levers on the top line or fork top caps on the down tube.
The Top Fuel 8 includes the Knock Block 2.0, which increases the steering angle from 58 to an impressive 72 degrees making it less extreme. Trek designed the frame of this bike with increased down-tube clearance for fork top caps, contrary to the down tube present on Knock Block 1.0 cycles, which previously encouraged straight and stiff down tube.
The list given below contains the in-depth evaluation of the rider’s height concerning the size of the Trek Top Fuel 8 2022.
What are the various components included in Trek Top fuel?
Trek has employed the best RockShox suspension on the Top Fuel 8, with its SID fork standing upfront and a luxurious and ideal RC at the rear. The shock has three primary compression modes ranging from open to firm, which can be further subdivided into three settings for even more calibration.
With 120mm of travel, this Trek mountain bike feels much stiffer than the 34 fox rhythm. Despite the damper being on the bottom end, the ride quality of this bicycle is smooth and remarkably well-controlled, with minimal spiking and plenty of progressions.
The drivetrain mainly consists of Shimano along with a bunch of other components. Trek’s in-house Bontrager components heavily feature wheels, tyres, and finishing kits. These components include the 2.4in-wide XR4 Team Issue tyres equipped on the Line 30 Comp wheels and an alloy cockpit.
How does it feel to ride a Fuel 8?
The heavy tires of the Trek Top Fuel 8 provide the desired grip over the treacherous terrains along the mountainsides without affecting the bike’s speed.
The bicycle’s handling is smooth even while braking on the downhill due to the Knock Block 2.0 technology. This technology effectively prevents the handlebar from twisting and turning on the challenging slopes due to the sudden jerks and bumps.
The Top Fuel 8’s geometry feels perfect right from the start and gives the bicycle much-needed stability. The internal routing of the cables provides the bike with a clean and decent look. This feature also prevents the wires from getting damaged during minor accidents.
It’s easy to glance at them from a distance and assume this is just another down country ride due to its short-travel figures and SID fork. You can figure out the true potential of this bike as an excellent trail bike by putting it through the test by making some jumps and nosing it down the unusual steep chute.
What We Like
- Eliminates the limited travel figures on 95% of trails
- Effortless to twist and turn
- Fast-rolling and premium rubber tyres help in maintaining high speeds
- Superlative suspension feel
- Seriously tight tracking frame
- Trail tough kit
- Internal storage
- Playful handling
What We Don’t Like
- The fork often twangs when ridden by heavier riders
- 120mm travel
- Too heavy for XC racing
- Simple fork damper
- Tight internal storage access
Why should you buy a Fuel 8 mountain bike?
The Trek Top fuel 8 is a short-travel trail bike that offers customers a suspension setup proficient in several MTB disciplines and specially designed for endurance events. TwistLoc technology used in this bike simultaneously locks out rear and front shocks for climbs and sprints using a straightforward motion like Grip Shift.
Mino Link allows the rider to make minor adjustments to their geometry quickly and easily, even during the middle of the ride. Trek has employed a straight shot down tube for added stiffness in the rugged and Knock Block frame defense to protect against spinning bars and fork crowns to keep cables and hoses safe without sacrificing the turning radius.
A sleek internal storage compartment gives you plenty of storage area to stow gears and tools.
The RCT damper allows the rider to fine-tune support sensitivity depending on personal/terrain preferences with the help of its ability to have minus plus low-speed compression settings.
So if you want to put your riding skills to the test and experience mountain biking like never before, you should get yourself this fantastic bicycle that is a true embodiment of stability, speed and incredible performance up and down the hill.
Read Also – Best cheap fixed gear bikes
Is the Top fuel 8 Trek bike value for money?
The quality of materials used in the bicycle is top-notch. The rider can easily make the most of the bike in mountain races and other events without compromising on the speed or maneuverability of the bike.
The Top Fuel quickly climbs to the top of the hill without making us long for the XC rigs on fast flow trails. This bicycle rarely hinders when gradients steepen and provide a firm grip on the bar and brake lever to steer to the bottom of the slope safely.
If you fancy a bike that does it all and has excellent build quality, you can give a shorter-travel and more agile bike like the Trek Top Fuel 8 a shot. This bike’s unique features and specifications make it worth every penny you spend.
FAQs:
The Endnote:
Trek’s Top Fuel 8 is an exceptional example of how good short-travel suspension can feel. A minor stroke means a more responsive and spontaneous ride than a leggier bike. The geometry and proper trail tires allow the riders to experience an adventurous and fun ride along the mountains.
As much as we’ve loved riding around the trails on it, there’s no uncertainty that the Trek Top Fuel 8 is heavier and more difficult to accelerate or elevate than one might expect from a supposed XC/down the country range of bicycles. But if you are fond of the overall vibe and feel of the bike and not just the outright velocity, this bicycle will not let you down.
