Trek Fuel EX 8 Rider feedback wanted

jason23

Hello peeps,

Done my research and on the cusp of purchasing one of these babies.

My budget is around £1500 mark and I want something fast and XC orientated with ability to facilitate large grins downhill. Also, full lockout is a must.

The main contender as far as I can see appears to be the Spec FSR but from what I have read the FUEL EX8 kicks its ass.

I was also considering Santa Cruz but their prices are way inflated so they are off my list now ( nice kit but paying for prestigous name )

COuld any Fuel E 8 riders pass on their experiences and opinions concerning this beast please

Thanks

Jason

Cps

Love mine

climbs great - and descends as quick as you want to go!!!!

on undulating trails it quick and agile

One bit of advice - you'll probably want to swap out the oem tyres pretty quick - apart from that -

jason23

whats so bad about the tyres then?

£1600 and a change of tyres sounds pretty shit to me!

Cps

The tyres just didn't hack it for me - they tended to slide out a bit in wet conditions and just did inspire confidence - so i changed them to Kenda Dred treads which are a whole lot better.


Re the price i think - i got mine for 1500 at the start of the year plus 10% off all accessories , so that should be a min as your starting point now!

paggnr

+1 on everything Cps said. I love my Green * white EX8. I race it in enduros and use it as a trail rider. Main changes were new tires (i like to run 2.1s) and I run a 2x9 setup.

jason23

OK thanks. The 2009 bikes will be out late summer so I wonder if I should hold out for a bargain on a 2008 Fuel EX8?

Gonna test ride one next week. Cant wait to enjoy the luxury after 15+ years of skeletal torture at the hands of my M2's and M4's. Full respect to those rigs though, they are pure bred hardtail flying machines and great for developing skill, but, they stutter like mad on downhills esp black runs.

WHat are your thoughts or REAL weight of the Fuel EX8?

I have seen it billed as 27lbs but I dont believe it.

jontymo

Had my Ex8 just over a week, managed a 28 miler yesterday which is by far the longest i have ever ridden!!!, bike is fantastic, my mate has a 2008 stumpy and was drooling over me Ex all the way round our ride so its a big thumbs up by me.

I paid £1300 for a demo model from my LBS, he would have let me have a new one for £1500 but did not have my size in, he was only ordering the bikes people wanted and he told me to expect the 2009 models to increase in price by approx £150 as all materials as we know have shot up in price so don't expect to many bargains on the Treks also as you will see no one will now sell and deliver Treks you have to pick them up from the store!!!.

Anyway top bike.

Jontymo

Cps

jason23 wrote:

I have seen it billed as 27lbs but I dont believe it.

never put mine on the scales - but i guess that is about right !

jason23

never put mine on the scales - but i guess that is about right ![/quote]

well get your scales out then : )

I bets its 28 minimum out of the shop but interested to see.

paggnr

I've got my EX8 down to 26lbs.

timgbury

got my ex8 last week and love it! havent weighed it, but the ex9 i had on test was 28.5lb on my bathroom scales.

dont think you can get green in certain sizes now as they are sold out - i got one of the last in an 18" as 17"'s were gone. Both sizes fit me well enough.

Not pushed it hard enough to comment on the tyres yet, but they do seem just a bit slippy/skiddy through mud.

tjm

Mate of mine got an EX8 at Christmas and also changed the tyres. (to pana fire xc)

he loves it!

Only trouble he has had was a tyre blowing off the rim. Apparently the botranger rims come in slightly undersize. The fire xc tyres have loose beads and in combination he can remove the tyre without levers and if it isn't seated properly when inflated the inner tube tends to go bang.
All that is secondhand info so I hope I got it right - not a complaint about the bike but you might want to be aware when choosing other tyres.

mf-racing

My EX9 weighs 27.9lb with a few choice upgrades (not bathroom sclaes, proper hanging scales)

Get one, its amazing! 8)

mf-racing

paggnr wrote:

I've got my EX8 down to 26lbs.

How did you do this mate, or is that a bathroom scale measure?

tjm

My mates EX8 feels lighter than my hardtail. My hardtail weighs just over 29lb on my digital fishing scales.

So, light enough I think!

paggnr

How did you do this mate, or is that a bathroom scale measure?

Measured on a hanging scale. (26.4lbs)

Carbon Bontrager XXX Lite bars and stem
Bontrager x Lite seat post
2x9 XT running gear with medium cage rapid rise RD
Maxxis Monorail tires with Flyweight tubes
Custom build Mavic 717 rims on Hope hubs (going to put new M775 XT wheelset on next)

Surf-Matt

Brilliant medium budget full susser.

While at the top end I'd get an S Works Stumpy FSR, at the lower end of the price range, this would be it without any doubt.

fspinel

I upgraded from a Trek 4400, 7 year old bike. Bought this bike from a dealer in Miami and got it delivered to Bogotá, Colombia for US 2200 (140 delivery).

First impression: The bike looks even better than in the pics. The looks are really great, putting it together was very easy, although I got a local bike shop to check it first (brakes, torques etc.)

After tuning front and rear suspensions, did a 30Km ride in a 2600 - 3100 metres above sea level in a very very rainy day. The bike felt superb. Suspension worked deliciously in rock filled descents and climbing felt really great (I prefer uphill pedaling). Haven´t weighed it yet but it feels just right, given it´s robust construction. I believe it is lighter than my 4400 rigid bike. I compared (hand weighing) it to a full carbon 2008 Spec. Stumpjumper and really felt no significant difference.

Going downhill the brakes work perfectly and are powerful enough to bring it to a stop with one finger. The LX/XT combination works almost perfectly, just some high gear jumps when climbing with rear suspension open (I believe it needs adjustment after several rides).

Amos

Watch for cable rub on the forks. One of my friends has an EX9 and the cables were overly long, and rubs some nasty gashes in the fork.

jazid

I have picked up an ex demo 2008 Trek Fuel EX 8 for £750. It has some real wear and signs of abuse but still rides well - the cable rub on the headtube and fork are obvious.

The bike is a little weighty for me (bathroom scales read 28lb for me), but I seem to be able to go faster overall in comparison to my lighter but old Trek 6700 HT. (This can be attibuted to the vast increase in speed downhill that this bike inspires).

I also agree the stock tyres are very poor and very slippy when charging down a hill and through a long and deep horse trodden mud puddle.

Also seem to have a few Avid Juicy 5 brake alignment problems, but I expect I will be able to sort this out.

I looked at potentially upgrading the stem and bars and I dont think I would be able to save much weight as they are already light as it is.

Could people please post their recommended upgrades with a view to shaving off weight (like someone has already done)?

Thanks.

ride_whenever

Wheels are generally a good place to start, what do you have currently and how hard are you pushing it?

Bikerbaboon

Please dont take any offence to this but....... (get ready to duck) how heavy are you? if you have a bit of wobble round the middle the best upgrade for your bike would be to drop a few of your pounds. ( i would like to say now that i have a bit of wobble round the middle and am working on its removal) If you are the prime form of XC whippet then i will leave you to your weight cutting.

toasty

It's not always quite that simple, losing a stone doesn't mean you can race uphill on a downhill bike like you have have in the first place on a carbon XC bike. Your bike accelerates all over the place, especially wheels and unsprung mass. Ideally you want to travel in as straight and smooth a line as possible.

jazid

My Fuel EX8 is currently completely stock / unaltered.

Bikerbaboon, Yes I could lose a stone in weight - and am planning on getting back into Tri fitness soon (but then aren't we all!).

I have been looking at wheels, but without spend £500 on a pair of Crossride SLR (which problaby save 0.6 lb), I cant see how I can make a couple of reasonably priced changes to reduce the weight by a 1lb, without sacrificing rigidity.

My riding is mainly XC, but I would like to do the 12/24hr (team) races on it next year instead of my HT. Already getting a Continental XC 1.5" tyre for it in preparation.

ChingfordMarin

tubeless mate.. its all about the rolling weight

its the best way to save the weight apart from upgrading the wheelset.