“I absolutely love it” and “the best shifting I’ve ever experienced”. That’s our Sam’s verdict on the Trek Fuel EXe and SRAM’s new T-Type gears, after taking out his new bike on the trails around Haworth.
Sam has recently taken delivery of a Trek Fuel EXe 8 GX AXS T-Type and loves taking it out on his favourite lap in Bronte Country. This bike is one of the new range of alloy-framed models that has brought the price of Fuel EXe down from the level of the launch range, which was carbon-only. It also features the new T-Type gears from SRAM, which are being hailed as a huge leap forward in the evolution of drivetrain technology.
Trek Fuel EXe is a lightweight take on the electric mountain bike, delivering power in a way that feels really natural, and it’s carving a niche among riders who like a bike that feels more nimble and flickable, as opposed to those who want the raw power of something like a Trek Rail or a Haibike AllMtn. It’s also winning over cycling purists who worry they won’t “feel” the trails on an e-MTB in the same way you do on an acoustic bike; Fuel EXe keeps you in touch with your riding and essentially helps you do more of what you love.
Here’s Sam’s review of what it’s like to take a Fuel EXe out for a solid three hours on his favourite route.
My route is a lap that goes from Haworth through Cullingworth over Heweden Viaduct and then takes in Wilsden, Harden, the St Ives Estate and Hainworth before circling back to Haworth. It’s 17 miles of road, gravel and singletrack in open moorland, dense woodland and beautiful Worth Valley villages.
I’ve had this bike a few weeks. I got it in the Rage Rade to Deep Dark Blue colourway and I’ve also mulleted it to make it a bit more manoeuvrable. I’ve kept the 29er wheel on the front so it’s got that rolling over obstacles but then the 27.5er wheel on the back so it’s easier to flick around and accelerate. I’ve swapped out the brakes for Magura MT5s for that extra stopping power. I’ve also put some volume spacers in the fork and shock so the suspension is more progressive and it won’t bottom out as much over jumps and off drops.
I ride it whenever I can. I use it to commute sometimes but what I really love are the trails around Haworth and the Worth Valley; what people call Bronte Country. I absolutely love the Fuel EXe. I can chuck it around like it’s a normal bike, which is unusual for an e-bike. It is slightly heavier but when I’m going for it I just don’t notice the weight. I can pop it in the air and I can bunny hop over things that are one or two feet high. I couldn’t do that on a Trek Rail.
I take my Trek Fuel EXe out for rides lasting easily up to three hours and that includes using the highest level of assist quite a bit, and I’ve still got charge left in the battery when I finish. And that’s on a real-world ride with someone who’s giving it a lot of whack. I was up and down things like I never could be on my normal Fuel EX and the battery was lasting fine on a 17-mile ride, even using the Turbo setting quite a lot.
I got a great workout from it but it felt more like cardio than weight training. I was breathing more heavily but my muscles weren’t fatigued. I was getting out of breath but I didn’t feel jelly-legged. I’ve done that ride on my old Fuel EX and when I get to the end of it my legs have been totally ruined. But on the Fuel EXe I’m not taking it easy. I’m still getting a proper workout but it’s not killing me like if I’d done that ride on a normal bike. I can go home and play with my son, be present with my wife and do jobs in the house.
T-Type is the new range of electronic gears from SRAM which is designed to handle the extra power that goes into the drivetrain on an e-bike while still ensuring smooth and reliable shifting. It’s wired into the main battery so you don’t need to worry about charging the derailleur battery, which is one less thing to think about.
The new SRAM T-Type derailleur
I was NOT kind to the drivetrain on this ride. I was up and down the gears, changing multiple gears in one go and putting it under a lot of load. Not once did I hear it crunch or fail to change how I wanted it to. It was absolutely flawless. It’s the best shifting I’ve ever experienced. I’ve not always been a big fan of SRAM but they’ve done a really good job on this one.
Come and see Trek Fuel EXe and SRAM T-Type gears in store at Cycle Technology, Unit 2, Caldervale Road, Wakefield, where you can talk to Sam about just how good this bike is. We’ll help you decide which bike is right for your style of riding, whether you love roads, moors, forests, gravel or you like to mix it up.
