The Trek Mountain Bike Line-Up

Trek makes many different bikes to suit the needs of different riders. But with so many options, it can be difficult to narrow down your search and find the right bike for you. The right bike for you depends upon, well, you. What kind of riding do you like to do? Do you want to go as fast as possible? Uphill, or down? Do you want a playful bike that you can take to the bike park and show off your best Thomas Vanderham impression, or are you looking for the most versatile bike you can find to handle the widest range of adventures possible? Who are you as a rider? The right bike for you really depends upon what you want it to do for you.

This article offers a brief overview of Trek's Fuel EX, Remedy, and Slash, for those who are unsure which bike best meets their needs.

Fuel EX

Fuel EX is the most versatile mountain bike that Trek makes. You’ve probably never ridden a bike that climbed so well that also descended this well. Living here in Hood River, you’d be hard pressed to design a bike more purpose built for our trail systems. The Fuel can tackle the 4000 ft climb to the top of Dirt Surfer, and bomb back down faster and perhaps even more stylishly than the other bigger bikes in Trek’s line up. It really is the happy medium option between climbing efficiency and trail capability that can serve the majority of mountain bikers extremely well. It’s descending capability is clearly evidenced by the fact that both Cam McCaul and Brandon Semenuk use the Fuel as their slope style and dirt jump bikes.

The Fuel EX platform is based on 29” wheels, except in the XS and S sizes. A 66 degree head tube angle and 75 degree seat tube angle make this bike remarkably capable both uphill and down. The Mino-Link flip chip can be used to steepen each of these angles by a half degree, altering the character of the bike a bit based on rider preference. The Fuel EX comes stock with 140mm and 130mm of front and rear travel, and riders have the option of increasing fork travel to 150mm, which slackens the head tube angle about a half degree and makes the bike more capable downhill. Higher end models come with upgraded suspension components, but another common modification here is the addition of a piggyback shock to reduce overheating on rough descents. While the 9.8 and 9.9 models come with a thermal compensator built into the rear shock, swapping to a full piggyback still helps keep fluids running cooler for aggressive riders who still want the shorter travel platform of the Fuel EX. The shorter wheelbase of the Fuel EX makes it a bit more playful than the next two bikes in Trek’s line up. It comes stock with 4-piston hydraulic brakes, for more stopping power than the Top Fuel, wider and knobbier 2.6” tires for more grip, a long travel dropper post, and 1x12 drive train. If you’re someone who wants an efficient and capable bike for all day adventure rides, or someone who wants to smash pre or post-work laps down your local flow trails, the Fuel EX is the perfect option. Click here to view current inventory.

Remedy

If you’ve got bike park fever, Trek has the Remedy. This is the mountain biker’s mountain bike. Built on a 27.5” wheel, long travel suspension platform, it‘s inherently biased towards playfulness while descending. Smaller wheels accelerate faster, change direction more readily, and offer more precision than larger wheels. Smaller wheels also allow for shorter chain stays, which tucks the rear wheel closer under your center of gravity, making it easier to lift the front wheel and whip the rear end around as you see fit. This makes the Remedy the go-to bike for the next Whip-Off competition at your local bike park, or the perfect option for mountain bikers who care most about having fun descending.

With a slack 65.6 degree head tube angle, short wheel wheel base, short chain stays, 160/150mm of suspension travel, four piston brakes, and piggy back shocks on all models, the Remedy is the most playful bike in Trek’s line-up. If Wheelie Wednesdays and Manual Mondays are your favorite days of the week, you should probably be riding a Remedy. Click here to view current inventory.

Slash

The Slash is purpose built for the rigors of enduro racing. In an enduro event, the race occurs over several stages. The uphill segments aren’t timed, but you still have to be able to ride them. There’s no ski lift (most of the time) that drops you off at the start of the next stage. The stages are timed descents, and often they are every bit as gnarly as a true downhill course. Enduro bikes are built to meet this specific need. They can make it to the top of any mountain, but their true calling is descending with speed over very technically demanding terrain.