Carbon full-suspension mountain bike Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XTR: 140/150 mm, Fox Factory, Shimano XTR 12-speed, 13.98 kg

Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XTR: the lightest carbon trail bike of the 6th generation

The Gen 6 Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XTR is an OCLV Mountain carbon full-suspension trail bike, with 140 mm of rear travel, a 150 mm Fox Factory 36 fork and a Shimano XTR 12-speed groupset, weighing 13.98 kg in size M. A one-piece carbon bar-stem, e*thirteen carbon cranks and Line Pro 30 wheels complete a top-flight build. Its Deep Smoke finish, a deep smoked grey that is almost black, stays discreet under the dust.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the experienced mountain biker who links long trail loops with plenty of climbing, pedals up and wants to save energy for the technical descents. It is also aimed at riders who appreciate the precision of a mechanical Shimano cable over an electronic drivetrain that needs charging.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV Mountain carbon, for uncompromising trail riding. On this Gen 6 Fuel EX, Trek uses the mountain bike version of its OCLV carbon: the layup favours impact resistance rather than chasing grams alone, because a trail frame takes hits from rocks. The frame includes a storage hatch, a Mino Link for the geometry and an adjustable leverage ratio. It is covered by Trek's lifetime warranty.

Put simply: 13.98 kg for a 140 / 150 mm bike makes it the lightest Fuel EX in our selection. The carbon plays its part, but the RSL bar-stem, the e*thirteen carbon cranks and the XTR groupset count just as much on the scales.

The Fox Factory 36 GRIP2 offers separate high- and low-speed compression and rebound adjustment: on the slabs and steps of the Caroux, that is what lets you have a fork that is firm under load yet supple over small bumps. We carry out the initial sag and rebound set-up in the workshop, at your real riding weight with kit.

Choosing mechanical XTR with a 10-51 cassette keeps the drivetrain simple: no battery, parts available everywhere, and crisp shifting even with wet gloves. The adjustable head angle headset and the Mino Link let you slacken or steepen the geometry depending on whether you ride mostly in the mountains or on fast-rolling garrigue loops.

Which Fuel EX should you choose?

Our take: 13.98 kg is 800 g less than the 9.9 X0 AXS of the same generation and 1.3 kg less than the Gen 7 Fuel EX 9.8 XT, which in return gains 5 mm of rear travel. For pure lightness, this 9.9 XTR stays ahead.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? As a Trek retailer in Béziers, we build your Fuel EX in the workshop, set the suspension to your weight and take care of servicing the Fox fork and shock.

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