trek fuel ex 5 plus 2017

Trek Fuel EX 5 27.5 Plus (2017) review

• Alan Muldoon
• January 25, 2017

Fuel EX 5 Plus eats up boulders and roots on the descents

Product Overview

Overall rating:, trek fuel ex 5.

• First-class frame quality
• Needs better tyres and a clutch mech

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

For 2017, Trek has completely reworked its Fuel EX platform. Not only has it increased the travel to 130mm, it now offers two versions: one with 29in wheels, and a 27.5 Plus bike with massive 2.8in tyres. And it’s this bike that we’ve tested here.

Both models share the exact same frame, but the Plus bikes get 140mm travel forks , 10mm more than the 29ers. The extra fork length helps raise the bottom bracket height and offset the fact that Plus wheels come up smaller than 29in wheels.

Trek isn’t the only brand to adopt this two-wheel size, single frame approach, but its Mino-Link gives a distinct advantage. This small, asymmetric chip in the rocker link allows you to change the seatstay position relative to the link, which in turn changes the geometry.

In the high position, with Plus wheels, the BB height is roughly the same as the 29er in the low setting. As such, the Plus bike ships in the high position, but there’s nothing to stop you running it in the lower/slacker setting.

Rubber bumper adds belt and braces protection

One new feature on the Fuel EX frame is the Straight Shot down tube. According to Trek, it’s stiffer and lighter than the gooseneck profile normally used to achieve the necessary fork crown clearance.

Trek gets around the clearance issue with a steering lock that prevents the fork crown ever reaching the down tube.

Full steering lock is about 53° in either direction, and we’ve only hit the stop once while riding, on a particularly tight switchback climb.

Trek may have bumped up the travel on the Fuel EX, but it hasn’t taken away any of the signature features that made its suspension great. It’s still got ABP (Active Braking Pivot) to help keep the rear wheel tracking when the rear brake is applied, and there’s a metric size shock with increased overlap for improved reliability.

We’re not really fans of lock-outs, and while the one on the RockShox Deluxe is solid, we’d prefer a setting that firms up the suspension for climbing, but doesn’t make the rear suspension totally redundant.

Guide pressures printed on the lower legs of the RockShox Sektor Silver fork proved to be surprisingly accurate, but even with the rebound damping set fully open, the fork felt a little sluggish to return, so light riders running lower pressure will struggle to get the optimum set-up.

Tubeless-ready rims spell less sighs and more highs

Trek states that the Fuel EX 5 comes with a 750mm handlebar , which sounds ideal. Unfortunately, the bike actually has a 720mm bar, which is at odds with its progressive geometry and attitude. Thankfully, it gets a 60mm stem, so all is not lost.

Probably the biggest oversight in the specification is that it doesn’t get a clutch rear mech. As such, the Fuel EX is more prone to dropping the chain, and it’s noisy as hell, even with the rubberised chainstay protector.

Check your Mino-Link bolts — ours fell out

Performance

Setting up the Trek was a doddle. And seeing as we weren’t clipping pedals in the high geometry setting, we quickly flipped the Mino-Link to the low position to take advantage of the slacker head angle. All was golden until one of the Mino-Links fell out mid-ride.

Thanks to Head For The Hills bike shop, in Dorking, we were back up and running the very same day, and this time we added a spot of Loctite to the bolt.

In the right conditions, the Fuel EX 5 Plus eats up boulders and roots on the descents, and this encourages you to ride off the brakes.

Bontrager’s Chupacabra 2.8in tyres also provide unparalleled traction on the climbs, making the most painful part of your ride that much easier. They also roll surprisingly quickly, but the profile is very rounded, so the bike can start to slide in corners before you even reach the side knobs.

Get it on some sloppy waterlogged singletrack and it’s even more difficult to keep it moving in a straight line — and that’s with our £220 Maxxis tyre upgrade.

2017 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus Bike (discontinued)

• Write Review

Specifications

Sizes and geometry.

www.trekbikes.com ​

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2017 Trek Fuel EX 29er or 27.5 Plus?

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Interested to hear from people who have ridden both & can share their experiences. Which one would be more fun for technical riding, roots, rocks, flowy terrain with lots of ups and downs. I have the 2017 29er & the wheels are 2200 grams. Should I invest in lighter 29er wheels or go for lighter 27.5 Plus wheels & turn it into a Plus bike?  

Others in the forum would know better but in order to go 27.5+ since you're starting with the 29er version, you also have to bump your fork travel up to 140 from 130, which means either you do an internal bumper change or change forks every time you go from 29er mode to 27.5+. Or, alternatively you leave your bike at 140 in the front when you ride your 29 wheels. But then the question is are you ok with riding 29 at 140 in the front. I'm sort of in the same spot, just coming at a different angle, btw. I just bought a 2017 Stache 29+ with the intention of riding it this winter while I incrementally do a frame up build of a Fuel ex 29er. However, when I went to pick up my new Stache, the guys at the shop got me thinking about starting the build with a 140mm fork giving me the option to set the Fuel up as either 29 or 27.5+. That, combined with the Stache 29+ gives me every platform I care about across two bikes: hardtail, FS, 29er, 29+ and 27.5+... ... and even the potential to play around with some combos like 29+ up front and 27.5+ in the back (which they say some guys are starting to explore). The rub is I want to be able to swap wheels between 29 and 27.5+ on the Fuel without messing with the fork. However, I've always maintained that 120mm is the sweet spot for a 29 inch trail bike. Ok, I can live with 130mm but am unsure about 140. My plan is to get my shop to let me take one of their 27.5+ bikes out with 29 wheels to see if I can live with the extra travel up front.  

Thank you for the reply. Interesting to see how we all have our travel limits. For me is 130 on a 29er. I will go against Trek's advice here & run the fork at 130. I'm only interested in swapping wheels, not forks. Understand about pedal strikes & BB height but I will live with those. I like what you're doing with your bikes. Really struggling on whether to buy a better, lighter 29er wheelset & continue 29 or get a 27.5 plus wheelset and turn it into a midfat traction beast. Not interested in racing, just having fun & challenging myself. My LBS does not have the plus Trek for me to demo.  

polo7 said: Thank you for the reply. Interesting to see how we all have our travel limits. For me is 130 on a 29er. I will go against Trek's advice here & run the fork at 130. I'm only interested in swapping wheels, not forks. Understand about pedal strikes & BB height but I will live with those. I like what you're doing with your bikes. Really struggling on whether to buy a better, lighter 29er wheelset & continue 29 or get a 27.5 plus wheelset and turn it into a midfat traction beast. Not interested in racing, just having fun & challenging myself. My LBS does not have the plus Trek for me to demo. Click to expand...

Thank you brent701. Now I'm curious about the net effect 10 mm of fork travel have on BB height. Does 10 mm of extra fork travel raise BB height by an equal 10 mm? I think I may be able to use a 130 mm fork because: 1. I have the aluminum frame, which supposedly has a higher BB height. 2. I will be using 165 mm cranks. 3. I will be running Minolink on High. 4. I will be running less rear shock sag. Am I wrong in my thinking? Regards.  

polo7 said: ... Does 10 mm of extra fork travel raise BB height by an equal 10 mm... Click to expand...

Thank you. So I get authorization to turn my 29er into a 27.5 Plus traction beast? LOL. Thank you for the explanation.  

You're correct. I'm too much of a tinkerer hence the idea of experimenting with 27.5 Plus wheels is very appealing to me right off the bat. Never really rode anything other than 29er so the new change should be good. To be more specific my choices are: Chinese Carbon 29er 30 mm Internal 35 mm External at 1680 grams Chinese Carbon 27.5 Plus 35 mm Internal 40 mm External at 1620 grams Of course, I could go lighter but I don't have unlimited funds. A bit apprehensive on tire weight for the Plus wheels. Would be using the 2.8 Maxxis Rekon 27.5 Plus on these.  

That 2017 Remedy looks mighty awesome.  

Agree. I am waiting for the Demo truck to hit our area and HOPE they have a 9 RSL to demo.  

Good luck and do report on the ride!  

I'm running set of + on my 29er. I put the MinoLink in high had haven't had any issues out of the ordinary with pedal strikes.  

You're running a set of 27.5 Plus wheels on your 2017 Fuel EX? Carbon or aluminum frame? Would you mind sharing your experiences on both wheelsets? Which one do you prefer and why? Debating on whether to make it a better 29er (Lighter wheels) or go the 27.5 Plus route with a set.  

Running them on an EX 8. I've ridden 3 times since getting them and have not yet ran them with the Mino Link in low. The 27+ grip. They feel better on corners, loose dirt and absorb the small stuff. The 29's have better roll over and roll faster but dont corner as well. With the 29's I ran my mino in low and I felt more stable on steep down hills but at this time I have no plans on putting them back on. The 27+ seem to be an overall better ride and more forgiving. Being you already have 29's I would say go with a set of +.  

Thank you. 2.8s?  

canonshooter137 said: Yes. I'm running the Chupacabra's on Spank Oozy 395's with Hope Pro 4 hubs. View attachment 1095588 Click to expand...

I fretted over the 27+ vs 29 choice. 27+ would have been fine for rock gardens, but since I ride on the road as well as on the trails, 29 was the right choice. Just ride what you have until it breaks. If you buy new 29 wheels, you will feel faster or a little smoother in the corners for about a day and a half, and then you won't notice a difference. If you buy new 27+ wheels, you will feel more confident in rock gardens, and really slow on the road or on smooth climbs, and you'll wonder if it was worth the money. The great thing about deciding to keep riding what you have is that no matter how it works out, it's a great deal. And your decision is guaranteed not to result in something worse than what you started out with.  

paramount3 said: The great thing about deciding to keep riding what you have is that no matter how it works out, it's a great deal. Click to expand...

ride them. i hated the plus, too slow, too much cushion. it's made for people who want lots of traction and get scared when the bike starts dancing. you give up speed and agility for this  

I'm running the 29" and XR4 Team Issue with zero grip or cornering issues. However my area is conducive to 29" rims and grippy tires so...  

I would go 29, but since a set a wheels is much cheaper than another bike I will probably end up with them.  

I demo'ed both wheel sizes about a month ago. Pretty rough trails with some steeps and lots of roots and TTF's... bridges, skinnys and berms, tight corners. 2017 EX 29 9.9, the 27.5+ was a 9.8. My results I'd say were most like Canonshooter's. The 29 was stable, felt very planted. The 27+ was much more playful and fun. It wanted to get off the ground and hop over everything on the descents, and I loved the cornering. I liked it better by a country mile. If you are a tinkerer type I think you should get the plus wheels and try them without messing with the fork, at least at first. It is a matter of preference though and what you want out of the bike.  

You guys are enablers, LOL. Pretty much planning & saving for my 27.5 Plus wheels.Any experience on 35 mm internal vs 40 mm internal rim width on 2.8 Plus tires? Leaning 35 mm. Any suggestions on a 2.8 Plus tire? Leaning Maxxis Rekon 27.5 x 2.8. These Maxxis Minion DHR & DHF 27.5" x 2.8 look pretty burly & mean but perhaps too heavy? Thanks again for sharing your experiences.  

polo7 said: You guys are enablers, LOL. Pretty much planning & saving for my 27.5 Plus wheels.Any experience on 35 mm internal vs 40 mm internal rim width on 2.8 Plus tires? Leaning 35 mm. Any suggestions on a 2.8 Plus tire? Leaning Maxxis Rekon 27.5 x 2.8. These Maxxis Minion DHR & DHF 27.5" x 2.8 look pretty burly & mean but perhaps too heavy? Thanks again for sharing your experiences. Click to expand...

I just demo'd the Fuel EX 27.5+. I also currently race on a 29er and want to have both 27.5+ option and 29er option for racing. The reps suggested that I go with the Plus version (with 140mm float) which they felt would be better when switching to 29er wheels (as opposed to buying the version with 130mm fork). Good point was brought up earlier however, regarding the 29er setup with 140mm fork - I'm not sure what effect that would have. Interestingly, when I demo'd the 27.5+ fuel, I immediately noticed issues with pedal strikes (175mm cranks, not sure what setting the Mino-link thing was in).  

Trek says max tire size is 2.8 for 27.5 Plus & 2.4 for 29er. Has anyone fitted a 3.0 27.5 Plus tire in there? Plenty of space in the front, looks very tight in the rear.  

And I'll ask on the other end: Anyone fitted a 2.5" 29er in there? I was playing around with the idea of putting on some Minion DHF 2.5s on a 29er wheel set (probably built on the LB38s).  

Great question and I wish I had known the answer. I did defer to the guys at the bike shop and they steered me in the correct direction. I came from a 2011 HiFi Plus that I modified and had full suspension - basically 100mm/110mm of travel with x-country geometry. I BOUGHT THE 2017 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 plus. Two main reasons, 1 - I wanted to try something different (went from 1990 Giant atx780 to the HiFi [yes, quite the leap]) and I liked the idea of the insane grip with the plus. 2 - the forks were 140mm so if I wanted to swap it would be better to go this way (27.5 plus to 29er) than from the 29er to the 27.5 plus. I have really enjoyed the plus. When it comes to downhills, nothing touches it. When it comes to climbs...well I miss the 29er. So I picked up some stock 29er pull offs from a Trek Fuel EX 8- $225. Not sure if I was going to fully commit (so I did not want to invest too much), and I could not find much in the way of opinions in doing what I was trying to do (27.5 plus to 29er). I put on the Maxxis Ardent and the Maxxis Ignitor - tubeless -not the lightest tires. Also went with the Shimano hub so I could get a lighter Sun cassette. DANG - that wheel set is HEAVY! My bike weighs a full pound heavier with the 29er set than with the 27.5 plus - BUT - I like the way it pedals So MUCH better. I now wish I would have bought a better 29er wheel set. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the plus, but when it comes to long rides and climbs I like the 29er set SO much better. I can hang with others better and easier on the 29er set. Go figure - the bike is a pound heavier (in the rotational areas) and it pedals much better -feeling lighter, would love an explanation. All that said, I would almost do it the same way again, I like the 1x drivetrain over the 2x drive train. I did a brake swap so I have the XT brakes and new rotors when I bought my bike. The change I would make is to save my pennies for a better wheel set in the 29er flavor. For what it is worth - I was hoping someone might benefit from my experience since I had a hard time finding anything ahead of time.  

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2017 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus

A 27.5″ aluminum frame full suspension trail bike with upper mid-range components. Compare the full range

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Based on frame geometry and build specs.

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus

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Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Colour / Matte Trek Black

Size / 15.5 in., 17.5 in., 18.5 in., 19.5 in., 21.5 in., 23 in.

Weight / 31 lb 15.8 oz (14,510 g)

At a glance

Full Floater, EVO link suspension, ABP (Active Braking Pivot), Straight Shot frame design, Knock Block frame defense, Mino Link adjustable geometry, Control Freak internal cable routing

Where To Buy

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum aluminum, down tube guard
• Fork FOX Rhythm 34 Float, GRIP adjustable damper, E2 tapered steerer, G2 Geometry, 51mm offset, Boost110, 140mm
• Shock FOX Performance Float EVOL, RE:aktiv 3-position damper, tuned by Trek Suspension Lab, 210mm x 52.5mm
• Hubs Bontrager sealed bearing, alloy axle, Boost110 front, Boost148 rear
• Wheels SUNringlé Duroc 40 SL, 28-hole (tubeless strips and valves included)
• Wheel Size 27.5"
• Tires Schwalbe Nobby Nic, Performance, Addix compound, tubeless, 27.5" x 2.80"
• Chain 433mm, N/A, SRAM Descendant 6k Eagle, direct mount, 32 tooth, X-Sync, SRAM GX Eagle
• Crank SRAM Descendant 6k Eagle, direct mount
• Bottom Bracket 329mm, PF92
• Rear Derailleur SRAM GX Eagle, Roller Bearing Clutch
• Shifters SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed
• Brakeset SRAM Guide R hydraulic disc, SRAM Guide R hydraulic
• Handlebar Bontrager Line, 35mm clamp, 15mm rise, 750mm width
• Saddle Bontrager Evoke 2, chromoly rails
• Seatpost Bontrager Drop Line, internal routing, 15.5": 100mm travel, 17.5" and 18.5": 125mm travel, 19.5" through 23": 150mm travel, 31.6mm, Standard single bolt, 31.6mm, Standard single bolt
• Stem Bontrager Line, Knock Block, 35mm clamp, 0° rise, 60mm length
• Grips Bontrager Race Lite, lock-on
• Headset Knock Block Integrated, sealed cartridge bearing

Q: How much is a 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus?

A 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus is typically priced around $3,350 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: Where to buy a 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus?

The 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus weigh?

A 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus weights 31 lb 15.8 oz (14,510 g).

Q: What size wheels does the 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus have?

The 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus has 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2018 Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 Plus should I get?

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