Trek’s Fuel EX goes Chubby

Trek has announced that the Fuel EX line of trail bikes is getting a new sibling which embraces the wide…

The new bikes will be running Bonty Chupacabra tyres in 2.8in width, and 130mm rear/140mm front travel. Boosted? Why, of course. 67.2º head angle and 74.2º seat angle (you can play with these via the Mino Link) ticks all the trail boxes, and reach is contemporary.

US Prices are from $2,399 up to $5,399 – UK prices TBC – although the 9.8 is £4,000.

Here’s a (rather clunky – sorry about that) geometry table:

Here’s some more info from the press release:

To go along with all that extra fun, we added more travel to Fuel EX with 130mm out back and 140mm up front. Of course, we still use our proven suspension technologies including ABP, Full Floater, and RE:aktiv for a chassis that’s ready for the plus-sized party. Boost hub spacing makes room for those meaty tires and allows us to keep the chainstays to a playful 433mm.

The new frame is available in either Alpha Platinum Aluminium or OCLV Mountain Carbon to cover a wide range of riders. The new bikes feature updated The new bikes feature updated slacker, low and long geometry and a robust straight downtube producing the stiffest frame in its category. For an added measure of protection, we developed Knock Block frame defence, which keeps the fork crown and handlebar controls from hitting the frame. All of the new Fuel EX 27.5 Plus frames come with our Control Freak internal routing system for a set up that’s versatile and easy to use, while Mino Link allows riders to further fine tune their geometry. The Fuel EX 27.5 Plus is backed up, as are all Trek bicycles, with Trek Care, the industry’s best warranty.

Barney Marsh

Barney Marsh takes the word ‘career’ literally, veering wildly across the road of his life, as thoroughly in control as a goldfish on the dashboard of a motorhome. He’s been, with varying degrees of success, a scientist, teacher, shop assistant, binman and, for one memorable day, a hospital laundry worker. These days, he’s a dad, husband, guitarist, and writer, also with varying degrees of success. He sometimes takes photographs. Some of them are acceptable. Occasionally he rides bikes to cast the rest of his life into sharp relief. Or just to ride through puddles. Sometimes he writes about them. Bikes, not puddles. He is a writer of rongs, a stealer of souls and a polisher of turds. He isn’t nearly as clever or as funny as he thinks he is.