The Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 gets slammed it in our SL bikes shootout but it's a great bike hamstrung by a few poor spec choices, here’s how to set it right and grab a bargain
The Trek Fuel EXe launched last year and promised to be one of the best e-bikes around. A whisper-quiet motor, great suspension and damping and one of the most natural-feeling e-bikes around, it sounded like a Super Light dream.
Sadly for riders, newer motors with more power and greater range came along to spoil the party, and Trek’s weird pricing structure quickly made it look overpriced. I’m not giving up on it yet, when I rode the Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 for our SL e-bikes review I loved its trail bike feel and I’ve found some quick and easy hacks to give the EXe some rocket fuel, including some amazing Black Friday deals on the bike that are pretty astonishing.
1. Take advantage of the Black Friday sales
We’ve found the entry-level Fuel EXe for under $5,000 in the Black Friday sales, but its the 9.7 version we tested that blew me away – it’s up for grabs for $5,499.93 or £5,500, down from over $/£7,500. Suddenly it doesn’t look overpriced anymore, more like a bargain.
Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 | Was $7,599.99, now $5,499.93! for Black Friday
The Trek Fuel EXe is actually one of my favourite SL e-bikes of 2024, despite having the lowest range! That’s because the basic chassis and suspension are really good, the OCLV Mountain Carbon frame is solid and enduro-like, while the suspension is still fun and snappy despite being really nicely damped. And at less than $6,000 it’s a steal. Read our full review of the Trek Fuel EXe 9.7
Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 | Was £7,400, now £5,550! for Black Friday
The Trek Fuel EXe comes in different colourways in the UK and the rest of the world, but the bike’s bare bones contain the same great chassis that’s ripe for a spec upgrade Read our full review of the Trek Fuel EXe 9.7
The Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 is a trail weapon, and worthy of some attention to sort it out and drag it up the SL e-bike rankings
2. Slot in a range extender
One of our main gripes with the Fuel EXe is just how short the range is on the bike, running out after around 800m of vertical ascending. That makes a range TQ range extender with 160Wh of battery power essential, topping up the bike’s juice to 520Wh, or on parr with the best SL e-bikes.
TQ Range Extender | $549.99 at Trek
The TQ Range Extender adds 160Wh to a TQ motor, which might not seem like much but it effectively increases your range by nearly 50%. There’s no stopping you having more than one too, and treating them like a modular design for lapping the trails. You’ll also need to buy a cable to connect it, for around $50.
3. Fit a new air spring to the fork, and a low speed compression dial
Like every Trek I’ve ever ridden, the Fuel EXe has a rock solid chassis that endears it to heavier riders and shredders. It deserves more than the 150mm stock fork though, the handling is good enough to race enduro on and the suspension is really well controlled and damped… all points we made in our grouptest. Fortunately you can fit a new air spring for the Fox 36 Rhythm fork for as little as $90 and boost the travel to 160mm.
Then there’s the shock, which is missing its low speed compression adjuster. Rip of the plastic cover and you can fit one for around $50, turning the shock from a Performance level shock to a Performance Elite. This will allow you to fine tune the suspension and better dial it in to your weight and riding style.
4. Change the tyres to Specialized Butcher rubber
The Bontrager tyres this bike comes with a pretty sketchy in the wet, but you can upgrade both ends for well under $80 or £67. That’s $39 (£33.49) on the front for the T9 rubber version, and the same again for the quicker rolling T7 on the back. Suddenly you’ll have increased the bike’s traction and rolling speed in one fell swoop.
Just £24.99 for the Specialized Butcher T9! 43% off, was £49.99, now £24.99
Don’t underestimate the Specialized Butcher just because it costs less than half the price of some of the best tyres here. It’s actually one of the best damped tyres out there, perfect if you ride somewhere rocky or like to go quick. This deal is for the Soil Searching skinwall tyre, don’t worry though it still has the same T9 rubber. Watch out for deals with the T7 compound, it’s OK but make sure it goes on the back. Read our full mbr review of the Specialized Butcher T9.
Just $39.99 for the Specialized Butcher T9! 43% off, was £70
In the US the Butcher deals are harder to come by, you can get 2.3in versions easy peasy but it’s the 2.6in you’ll want to go for, for its extra comfort.