Aluminium full-suspension mountain bike Trek Fuel EX 8 Eagle 70 bronze: Fox Rhythm 36, 800 mm bar, 16.58 kg

Trek Fuel EX 8 Wild Mushroom: the big loops of the Montagne Noire

The Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 7 brings together an Alpha NEXT Platinum aluminium frame, a 150 mm Fox Rhythm 36 fork, a Fox Float X shock for 145 mm, a SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type drivetrain and an 800 mm Race Face Aeffect handlebar. Trek quotes 16.58 kg in size M for this version. Its Wild Mushroom/Trek Black colour pairs a brown bronze, the colour of wild mushrooms, with black details.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the mountain biker who heads out for the day, strings together 40 to 60 km loops with plenty of climbing and wants a bike that is as efficient uphill as it is at ease on technical descents. It will suit the rider who goes out alone or in a small group, far from cars, in the hills of the hinterland.

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 800 mm bar gives plenty of leverage to place the bike in the tight switchbacks of the Montagne Noire forests; if you have narrow shoulders, we cut it to the right width in the workshop. The 45 mm stem keeps the steering lively despite that width.

On a long ride, the 10-52 cassette lets you keep a smooth cadence on track climbs that last several kilometres. The down tube hatch takes an inner tube and tools: all that is left is to pack water and bars in your bag or pocket.

Which Fuel should you choose?

Our take: at 16.58 kg in M, this Fuel EX 8 weighs the same as the Fuel EX 9 Eagle 90, which adds RockShox Ultimate suspension and Maxxis tyres. Compared with the Fuel EX 5, it saves 300 g and gains a much more precise fork.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? As a Trek dealer in Béziers, we adjust the cockpit of your Fuel EX 8 to your build and recommend great loops in the hinterland.

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