First Look: Trek Fuel EXe | A new category of eMTB
Trek’s latest creation is a mid-power, do-it-all, eMTB.
The Fuel EXe champions a whole new category in the mountain bike world.
While many electric bikes chase more power and bigger batteries, Fuel EXe offers mid-level assist from a system that’s very compact and light. In fact, Trek says it’s so quiet that it’s barely noticeable. “It’s a new category of eMTB,” says John Riley, Trek’s head of mountain bike development. “We’ve had some amazing products over the years but this one is really special. It’s something that we have sunk our hearts and souls into over the last two years to develop.“
Details
The EXe is a carbon-framed machine that runs on 29er wheels. As a do-it-all bike, it features 140mm of rear travel with a 150mm fork. The rear suspension layout is as per all of the brand’s trail machines with a split pivot rear end and rocker arm that drives the shock into the main body of the frame. Weights start at 18.4kg – in a ‘ready-to-rally’ build that features Enduro casing tyres, long dropper posts, big rotors and the like.
Trek says the geometry is fine-tuned for stability on steep, high-speed descents and an efficient pedaling position for climbing. EXe is available in four frame sizes with reach numbers stretching from 427mm to 507mm. Head angle numbers are pretty progressive at 64.7-degrees in the low setting or 65.2-degrees in the high setting. Coupled with the contemporary geometry are short seat tubes meaning long dropper posts are fully compatible.
At 50Nm of torque, the EXe is positioned somewhere between the beefy full-power eMTB’s that hover around 85 to 90Nm and the low-power rides that sit around the 35 to 40Nm mark. The battery, a 360Wh downtube-mounted unit weighs 1835g whilst the motor itself is a lightweight high-tech unit tipping the scales at 1850g. The range is around two to five hours from the 360Wh unit. Riders looking for a little extra range will be interested in the 160Wh range extender battery that weighs around 900g and mounts into the bottle cage.
Mounted flush into the toptube, a two-inch OLED display allows riders to see every detail they need, while keeping a discrete appearance from the side. A single button turns the system on and off, and toggles through riding screens. The sleek display pairs with a small and discrete handlebar remote that features two buttons to allow riders to toggle through support modes and access walk assist.
Commanding the TQ System is Trek’s new app, Trek Central. Riders will be able to custom-tune the three assist modes to their liking and enjoy features like range estimation, ride tracking and route assistance. Trek Central also integrates with apps training Apps like Strava and Komoot. Activity tracking like speed, distance, elevation, bike power output, rider power output, location, and more are all possible through the App as it feeds the data from your GPS on your phone. Amongst the many adjustability features is a ‘pedal response’ control that alters how quickly the power engages – a neat feature for eMTB rookies. The battery is neatly concealed in the downtube and can be easily removed for travel.
There’s a lot of buzz coming from Trek about just how quiet the system is. Using tonality, which is a psycho-acoustic measure of how sound is perceived, Trek says the EXe is 5x better than a light-assist eMTB and 4x better than a high-powered eMTB. Their graphs show the EXe is perceived to be just as quiet in the mid-cadence range, as an unassisted bike. Trek credits this near-silent system down to the design of the TQ motor which uses a Harmonic Pin Ring instead of the belts and gears of traditional eMTB motors.
Fuel EXe is slated to be the dream ride for eMTBer’s who crave a quieter experience and traditional mountain bike hold-outs who were waiting for a better e-mountain bike. Learn more
UPDATED: Local availability
Word just in from Trek South Africa is the bikes are here, in the warehouse and awaiting government certification (it’s a thing with eBikes). You can expect to see them in the stores in August. Pricing is running from R110k for the 9.5, R125k for the 9.7 and R150k for the 9.8 model.