Carbon full-suspension electric mountain bike Trek Fuel+ EX 9.7 lichen green, size S: TQ HPR60 580 Wh, 19.73 kg in M

Trek Fuel+ EX 9.7 Lichen Green in size S: a lightweight e-MTB for smaller riders

Offered here in size S, for riders from 155 to 165 cm, the Trek Fuel+ EX 9.7 Gen 2 combines an OCLV Mountain carbon frame, the TQ HPR60 motor with its 580 Wh battery, a 150 mm Fox Rhythm 36 fork and mixed wheels: 29 inch at the front, 27.5 inch at the rear with a 2.60 tyre. Trek quotes 19.73 kg in size M, the lowest published weight in the Fuel+ EX range. Its Lichen Green/Keswick Green Splatter finish speckles a pale lichen green with fir-green splashes.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the shorter mountain biker who struggles to find a full-suspension electric mountain bike that fits, and who wants discreet assist rather than a hefty machine. It also suits lighter riders, for whom a 60 Nm motor is more than enough to get up the slopes of the Caroux.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV carbon, Trek's signature. On this Fuel+ EX 9.7, Trek applies to the e-MTB the moulding method it pioneered in 1992: the fibre layers are pressed under heat until no voids remain between them. The Mountain variant thickens the lay-up where rocks and landings hit. The result is a frame that houses the motor and a removable battery while staying slim, covered by Trek's lifetime warranty.

Put simply: this 9.7 is the gateway to the carbon Fuel+ EX, with Fox Rhythm and Performance series suspension, an Eagle 70 drivetrain and the same motor as the more expensive versions. At a claimed 19.73 kg in M, it is the lightest Fuel+ EX for which Trek publishes a weight.

For a smaller rider, every kilo of the bike weighs more heavily on the handling: lifting the front, getting out of a rut, bringing the bike back into line. The compact, quiet TQ HPR60 motor gives the Fuel+ EX a silhouette close to a conventional trail bike, and the 27.5 inch rear wheel frees up room behind the saddle on steep slopes.

The SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type drivetrain mounts directly to the UDH hanger and its 10-52 cassette offers a very low gear; combined with the motor's 60 Nm, it lets you get up rocky ramps without standing on the pedals. Like any European e-bike, the assist is capped at 250 W rated and cuts out at 25 km/h.

Which Fuel+ should you choose?

Our take: at 19.73 kg in M, this 9.7 weighs 1.35 kg less than the aluminium Fuel+ EX 8 (21.08 kg) and even beats the better-suspended 9.8 XT (20.10 kg). For a smaller rider, this combination of weight and carbon is the main argument.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? As a Trek retailer in Béziers, we set up the suspension on your Fuel+ EX for your weight, update the TQ motor and explain battery care when we hand the bike over.

Please note that the specifications may be changed without prior notice by the manufacturer, based on the availability of components and other factors.