Trek’s Fuel lineup of mountain bikes has been around for several years now, and has proven itself as a formidable player in the all-mountain and enduro categories. The addition of an electric motor and battery to this bike only boosted its performance and appeal. In October, 2022, Trek introduced the premium Fuel EXe 9.5 eMTB. This carbon-framed trail muncher proved to be quite the impressive bit of kit.
That being said, Trek is lowering the barriers to entry to its Fuel e-bike range by launching a more affordable version called the Trek Fuel EXe Alloy. As its name suggests, the bike gets an aluminum frame, substantially lowering the bike’s prices. Nevertheless, the bike retains its aggressive enduro geometry, making it a versatile and robust option in the segment.
Like its more premium sibling, the Fuel EXe Alloy is powered by TQ’s silent HPR50 motor. Designed to offer a more natural pedal feel, it only has 50 Nm of torque on tap, but that should be more than enough to boost you up the trails with enough energy left to tackle the descents with ease. As standard, the bike is fitted with a 360-watt-hour battery pack. However, for those looking to cover extra ground, a 160-watt-hour range extender is available, bumping up riding time to seven hours.
Like most modern e-bikes, the Fuel EXe Alloy is compatible with a mobile app, in this case, the Trek Central app, which gives you access to additional settings, as well as system updates. The application also offers bike setup tips, activity tracking, and a handy navigation system.
As for the frame, as mentioned, it’s made out of aluminum, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it isn’t packing some cutting-edge technology. The frame is equipped with a MINO Link, allowing you to alter rear suspension geometry. Additionally, despite shipping with 29-inch front and rear wheels, you can swap out the back wheel for a 27.5-inch wheel to get some added nimbleness at the back. Lastly, Trek’s ABP suspension design is composed of a concentric rear pivot, allowing full suspension actuation under braking.
Last but not least, the suspension of the bike is equally impressive.Up front, the bike gets 150 millimeters of travel, while the rear gets 140-millimeters of wheel travel. You can spec out the bike in either Fox of Rockshox goodies, depending on the variant of your choice. OVerall, the bike weighs in at about 20.25 to 20.80 kilograms, depending on your configuration and frame size. Prices start at $5,499 USD, and go all the way up to $7,399 USD, depending on your setup of choice. For more info, feel free to visit Trek’s official website linked below.