DISTANCE: 3870 km | 71,580 altitude metres
It's off to a good start: only 400 kilometres on the clock and already the first forced break. However, it wasn't the Trek that cancelled early, but me. A tooth operation paralysed me for weeks. What could I do to at least keep the endurance test bike going? A friend, who was looking for a new bike anyway, willingly stepped in and diligently collected kilometres. The interesting result after two weeks of endurance test help: he then also bought a Fuel EX with wide 2.8 tyres.
The combination of 140 millimetres of travel and the wide tyres gives the Trek, which is somewhere between the trail and all-mountain category, very good reserves on the descents. Especially after upgrading to the slightly grippier Maxxis tyres, comfort and safety were impeccable even on demanding trails on Lake Garda. However, with around 13.6 ready-to-ride kilos and the relatively heavy wheels, there are more agile bikes on the climbs. Optionally, the Trek can also be ridden with 29-inch wheels. The rear suspension works very sensitively, but pumps noticeably when pedalling. I therefore often used the platform of the shock on long climbs and on fast Isar laps.
Then, in June, the trek got away from me again. A friend, who tends to be one of the more cautious downhill riders, wanted to go biking for a few days on Lake Garda. The result? She also came back with a big smile on her face and also wanted to buy a Trek. One like the Dauertest bike, with wide tyres. Despite all the enthusiasm for the Fuel EX, I noticed one shortcoming. For my taste, the bottom bracket height of 326 millimetres is a tad too low. After an unintentional pedal bob, the Trek even catapulted me over the handlebars once. The high position on the flipchip in the rocker only brought a slight improvement. Only the five millimetre shorter cranks made up for the disadvantage. And the durability? Well, apart from the usual wear and tear such as the chain and brake pads, the Trek didn't show any weakness at all.
TEST SUMMARYThere are certainly trail bikes with more propulsion. Downhill, however, the Trek convinces with a high level of safety. The durability is great.
FUNCTIONALITY 4 out of 6 points
DURABILITY 6 out of 6 points
TUNING
DEFECTS / MAINTENANCE
- 1200 km - Tyres: Both tyres lost air right from the start. There were small holes in the inner tubes. First conversion to tubeless, later tyre change to Maxxis.
- 2100 km - chain: In order to be able to ride the cassette and chainrings even longer, I changed the chain at a good 2000 kilometres.
- 2300 km - Brake pads: The brake pads were due at around half of the test kilometres. Good durability measured against the mileage.
Relationship highlight
What the readers say
"An almost-all-rounder. I've never had so much fun as with this bike. You just have to get used to the low bottom bracket." Dirk Messing on Facebook
"Once you've found the perfect suspension set-up, it's a wonderful trail bike. No unusual wear and tear after around 5000 kilometres a year." Michael Möller on Facebook
The tester
Franz Fischer, Master car mechanic, 44 years old / 1.70 m / 75 kg
Driver profile: Extended day tours, crisp Isar laps
Favourite areas: Lake Garda, the foothills of the Alps and home rounds on the Isar trails
THE BIKE: Trek Fuel EX 9.8 Plus
Material Carb./Aluminium
Frame size 18,5"
Price / weight 4999 Euro / 13,26 kg without ped.
Suspension travel (front / rear) 140 mm / 146 mm
Tyre size 27.5 x 2.8 inch
Fork Fox 34 Float Performance
Damper Fox Float Performance RE:active
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