Aluminium full-suspension mountain bike Trek Fuel EX 8 Eagle 70 grey S: Fox 150/145 mm, 27.5 rear, 16.89 kg

Trek Fuel EX 8 Lithium Grey in S: a trail bike designed for smaller riders

In size S, the Gen 7 Trek Fuel EX 8 pairs a 29-inch front wheel with a 27.5-inch rear wheel, on an Alpha NEXT Platinum aluminium frame. A 150 mm Fox Rhythm 36 fork, Fox Performance Float X shock for 145 mm, SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type and SRAM DB8 4-piston brakes: Trek quotes 16.89 kg for size M. The Lithium Grey/Trek Black Splatter finish speckles a lithium grey with small black spots.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For riders from 155 to 165 cm who want a real trail bike, not a hastily scaled-down one: teenagers growing into the bike, and smaller riders looking for the same performance as their riding partners.

The LVR workshop view

Alpha aluminium, Trek's expertise. On Trek's alloy scale, the Alpha NEXT Platinum of this Fuel EX 8 sits above the Alpha Platinum of the Procaliber and Slash 8, and well above the Alpha Silver of the Marlin. The frame takes the ideas of the carbon version: interchangeable rocker, adjustable lower shock mount, adjustable progression and down tube hatch. It keeps a threaded BSA 73 bottom bracket and ISCG 05 tabs for a chain guide.

Put simply: aluminium costs 1.64 kg on the frameset compared with OCLV Mountain carbon (4.95 kg versus 3.31 kg in M), but it copes better with rock strikes and car-park tip-overs. On a trail bike that goes out every weekend, it is a sensible choice we are happy to stand behind.

The 27.5-inch rear wheel is no detail: it leaves room behind the saddle when you shift your weight back on steep slopes, where a big wheel would catch the seat of your shorts. The 29-inch front wheel keeps its ease at rolling over steps and roots.

Smaller riders are often lighter: the Fox Float EVOL fork and Float X shock are adjusted by air pressure, so they adapt without changing springs. We set the sag to the rider's real weight and, if needed, slow down the rebound for a bike that stays in contact with the ground.

Which Fuel should you choose?

Our take: the Fuel EX 5 keeps the same geometry with a RockShox Recon fork, for 130 g more. The Fuel EX 9 Eagle 90 steps up in suspension and Maxxis tyres, at 16.58 kg in M.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? As a Trek retailer in Béziers, we set the suspension on your Fuel EX 8 to the rider's weight and adapt the handlebar, levers and saddle for smaller riders.

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