Fuel EXe Trek Fuel EXe Megathread!

[spudkopf]

Serial number says it was made in February 2022.

G'day, how did you determine the year of manufacture, my understanding, is the 3 digits after WTU are days from start of manufacturing year and the following letter is year code. My Rail S/N WTU279GxxxxS then suggests day 279 but for what year is the G?

Bike was I believe ordered in 21 and delivered 22, just want to confirm what Gen. firmware motor is running without having to go back to the dealer as I live in regional Vic. and they are 2 and half hours away.

Cheers

 

[JP-NZ]

G'day, how did you determine the year of manufacture, my understanding, is the 3 digits after WTU are days from start of manufacturing year and the following letter is year code. My Rail S/N WTU279GxxxxS then suggests day 279 but for what year is the G?

Bike was I believe ordered in 21 and delivered 22, just want to confirm what Gen. firmware motor is running without having to go back to the dealer as I live in regional Vic. and they are 2 and half hours away.

Cheers

Hi, I found this online. S at the end is 2022. R is 2021.


UPDATE: I called again and got a much shorter estimated wait time so I stuck it out. The rep said that the first three digits after the "WTU" represent the production day (so "045" would be the 45th day of the year), the two letters in the middle represent the manufacturing plant code, the next four numbers represent the bike's position in that day's production run, and the final letter represents the model year (mine turned out to be a 2021 model year).

So a serial number of WTU060QU0110R would represent a 2021 model year bike that was the 110th bike made in the "QU" factory on the 60th day of the year. Interestingly, the actual model information doesn't appear to be encoded anywhere in the serial number.

 

[spudkopf]

Hi, I found this online. S at the end is 2022. R is 2021.


UPDATE: I called again and got a much shorter estimated wait time so I stuck it out. The rep said that the first three digits after the "WTU" represent the production day (so "045" would be the 45th day of the year), the two letters in the middle represent the manufacturing plant code, the next four numbers represent the bike's position in that day's production run, and the final letter represents the model year (mine turned out to be a 2021 model year).

So a serial number of WTU060QU0110R would represent a 2021 model year bike that was the 110th bike made in the "QU" factory on the 60th day of the year. Interestingly, the actual model information doesn't appear to be encoded anywhere in the serial number.

Thanks for the info JP-NZ

So if I understand this correctly, the model year is not the same as manufacturing year, which means that my bike is a 2022 model (Model code S) that was most likely built on Wednesday, October the 6th (that being day 279) of 2021.

And if true, then the firmware would most likely be the most recent.

Cheers

 

[Hitorogoshi]

Thanks for the info JP-NZ

So if I understand this correctly, the model year is not the same as manufacturing year, which means that my bike is a 2022 model (Model code S) that was most likely built on Wednesday, October the 6th (that being day 279) of 2021.

And if true, then the firmware would most likely be the most recent.

Cheers

Mine has a T at the end, would that indicate 2022 manufacture date?

 

[kazowie]

Before I got it to turn off, the bike has been left overnight and was still on. I had left it unplugged and fully charged (thinking I had turned it off) and the next morning it had discharged 10%

So this fault has changed but is repeatable. After tracking full charge the display unit powers off and cannot be turned on. I’ve pulled the cable connectors to the head unit and the battery with no effect. Long or multiple presses have no effect, or the reset using remote and display buttons. On plugging the charger back in briefly the unit will then power on. If I turn the display off then it won’t turn on again unless I do the charger trick.
Is there a way of checking error codes or find out what firmware is on the bike?

 

[DugT]

Since the bike is new, I doubt if they have built 3 different models already, R, S, and T. I also doubt if the letters represent the year it was built because I doubt if they made any as early as 2020 (R) but maybe they did.

Mine is WTU038CT 3078T 0702, and I just got it. If this system is correct, as of Feb 8, 2022, this factory had already made 3078 of these for the year or model year. I'm skeptical that they made that many that long ago. It is possible the 0702 represents July 2. By the way, mine has a sticker on it that says Made in Taiwan and I got it in the USA. Are they all made in Taiwan? I know Giant makes a lot of bikes for many different bike brands and they have a factory in Taiwan.

 

[spudkopf]

Since the bike is new, I doubt if they have built 3 different models already, R, S, and T. I also doubt if the letters represent the year it was built because I doubt if they made any as early as 2020 (R) but maybe they did.

Mine is WTU038CT 3078T 0702, and I just got it. If this system is correct, as of Feb 8, 2022, this factory had already made 3078 of these for the year or model year. I'm skeptical that they made that many that long ago. It is possible the 0702 represents July 2. By the way, mine has a sticker on it that says Made in Taiwan and I got it in the USA. Are they all made in Taiwan? I know Giant makes a lot of bikes for many different bike brands and they have a factory in Taiwan.

Going with R is 2021 model and S is 2022 model then T would make your bike a 2023 model.

The Trek (AU) site only lists 2023 models now.

My Rail 5 briefly had a Made in China sticker on it by the way, my AU bike spec’s differed from that of the US ones in that they it came with Shimano instead of SRAM and have Maxis tires and not Bontrager ones, oh and the rear breaks are on the right.

 

[JP-NZ]

The other thing to keep in mind is we all believe that Trek's year runs from Jan to Dec but nobody actually knows. Mine is S for 2022 but the date is 311th day of the year so it must be the 311th day of 2021 (it can't be the 311th day of 2022 as thats the 7th Nov)

 

[DugT]

Going with R is 2021 model and S is 2022 model then T would make your bike a 2023 model.

The Trek (AU) site only lists 2023 models now.

My Rail 5 briefly had a Made in China sticker on it by the way, my AU bike spec’s differed from that of the US ones in that they it came with Shimano instead of SRAM and have Maxis tires and not Bontrager ones, oh and the rear breaks are on the right.

I'm going with that too. I was stuck in the concept that a new model means a redesign, like with cars. For 2023 the new Trek Fuel EXe has a new Lockring torque spec and a brand new firmware update.

 

[izzymtb]

Hi guys, got my 9.7 back in mid April. I did two rides with it for about 4 hours total. And within those times, I got a chain drop, a chain break and it developed a ticking noise while pedaling. It went back to my LBS end of April and until now I still don't have it back. I have been communicating with LBS and trek all this time and they could not find the culprit ticking noise and they said they have done everything. My lbs then thought it could be the joint that holds the axle as it was ticking when he disassembled it, that was 3 weeks ago. But I don't think they had a replacement for it. I finally ask for a refund or a replacement and they said one should be coming by the end of this week. I really want the bike but with all the issues this model has been having I'm afraid other issues might come out again. I want to be able to enjoy this bike and not get stuck with a bike with constant problems. The amount of waiting for things to move between my LBS and Trek is very frustrating. Should I just insist on a refund and get another bike, or wait for issues to get smooth out, or give it another chance?

 

[DugT]

Hi guys, got my 9.7 back in mid April. I did two rides with it for about 4 hours total. And within those times, I got a chain drop, a chain break and it developed a ticking noise while pedaling. It went back to my LBS end of April and until now I still don't have it back. I have been communicating with LBS and trek all this time and they could not find the culprit ticking noise and they said they have done everything. My lbs then thought it could be the joint that holds the axle as it was ticking when he disassembled it, that was 3 weeks ago. But I don't think they had a replacement for it. I finally ask for a refund or a replacement and they said one should be coming by the end of this week. I really want the bike but with all the issues this model has been having I'm afraid other issues might come out again. I want to be able to enjoy this bike and not get stuck with a bike with constant problems. The amount of waiting for things to move between my LBS and Trek is very frustrating. Should I just insist on a refund and get another bike, or wait for issues to get smooth out, or give it another chance?

That is a looong time to wait. It seems like everyone else has had much better service from their LBS and from Trek. I suspect your LBS wasn't reminding Trek often enough. Do you have confidence in them? Is there another Trek dealer nearby?

I would lean toward getting a new bike, but I'm biased because mine works fine albeit after only 20 miles. I think the chain drop and chain break are relatively trivial. How about telling them that you will take the new bike but if it has any significant problems within xxx miles you will want your money back.

 

[Moe Ped]

Hi guys, got my 9.7 back in mid April.

The bike was not released in April, maybe you got a pre production unit

 

[thecellofellow]

Hi guys, got my 9.7 back in mid April. I did two rides with it for about 4 hours total. And within those times, I got a chain drop, a chain break and it developed a ticking noise while pedaling. It went back to my LBS end of April and until now I still don't have it back. I have been communicating with LBS and trek all this time and they could not find the culprit ticking noise and they said they have done everything. My lbs then thought it could be the joint that holds the axle as it was ticking when he disassembled it, that was 3 weeks ago. But I don't think they had a replacement for it. I finally ask for a refund or a replacement and they said one should be coming by the end of this week. I really want the bike but with all the issues this model has been having I'm afraid other issues might come out again. I want to be able to enjoy this bike and not get stuck with a bike with constant problems. The amount of waiting for things to move between my LBS and Trek is very frustrating. Should I just insist on a refund and get another bike, or wait for issues to get smooth out, or give it another chance?

Was the bike even out in mid April? Are you sure it’s an EX-e and not an EX?

 

[BenQ77]

Hi guys, got my 9.7 back in mid April. I did two rides with it for about 4 hours total. And within those times, I got a chain drop, a chain break and it developed a ticking noise while pedaling. It went back to my LBS end of April and until now I still don't have it back. I have been communicating with LBS and trek all this time and they could not find the culprit ticking noise and they said they have done everything. My lbs then thought it could be the joint that holds the axle as it was ticking when he disassembled it, that was 3 weeks ago. But I don't think they had a replacement for it. I finally ask for a refund or a replacement and they said one should be coming by the end of this week. I really want the bike but with all the issues this model has been having I'm afraid other issues might come out again. I want to be able to enjoy this bike and not get stuck with a bike with constant problems. The amount of waiting for things to move between my LBS and Trek is very frustrating. Should I just insist on a refund and get another bike, or wait for issues to get smooth out, or give it another chance?

Did you really get your bike in April? The presentation of the Fuel EXE in Germany was on July 12th.
And you haven't had your bike for 5 months now? That's unbelievable, I would have withdrawn from the purchase contract.

 

[izzymtb]

Did you really get your bike in April? The presentation of the Fuel EXE in Germany was on July 12th.
And you haven't had your bike for 5 months now? That's unbelievable, I would have withdrawn from the purchase contract.

Sorry guys, I looked at the receipt, I meant late July... It's been so long I lost touch... lol. Anyway, this was the photo my LBS sent that was moving but still not sure if it's the culprit. Hopefully I will get a new one or refund.

 

[stantaur]

Are the factory default settings for the EX-e's 3 power modes configurable in terms of torque delivered?

For example, on the Orbea Rise, there are two groups of Eco/Trail/Boost, one group's in Profile 1 that maxes out at 47 Nm, and one in Profile 2 that maxes out at 60 Nm. I rode a Fuel EX-e 9.5 back to back with a Rise, and have to say the Rise in Profile 2 Trail and Boost modes felt nearly as strong as my Rail 9.8 in Eco and Tour modes, respectively.

The Fuel EX-e's responsiveness and outright pull in any of the 3 modes was tepid by comparison. In 3rd/top power mode, the display showed upper 280 Watts e-assist when I was on a decent incline pedaling what felt 80-ish RPM cadence and indicating 220 Watts from me.

Compared to the Rail 9.8 (a burly 'Merican C6 Z06 in this analogy... ), my inner-ear would be content with a lighter, less rattle-y car like a Honda S2000 so I want to like the EX-e due to its silent bike experience and 44 lb weight (Med size with pedals, on our own scale). But its acceleration is more like a wheezy 110 HP NA 1.6L Miata.
I asked the shop mechanic if the EX-e had different profiles (novice/demo tune like Rise's Profile 1 default) but the guy didn't know and said the power in the app was set to max, but the sensitivity/pedal-application responsiveness wasn't dialed up when I rode it.
FWIW in Medium size bikes we've been checking (with pedals, on our scale)...

Carbon Rail 9.8 GX 51 lb with onboard 625 WHr battery (2020-21 model) and tubeless stock Bontragers
Alloy H30 Rise 46 lb with onboard 540 WHr battery (not including the 252 WHr range extender which is ~ 3 lb)
Carbon EX-e 9.5 44 lb with onboard 360 WHr battery (not including a 160 WHr range extender weight TBD)
Alloy H15 Rise 44.5 lb with onboard 540 WHr battery (not including the 252 WHr range extender which is ~ 3 lb)
Carbon M10 Rise 42.7 lb with onboard 360 WHr battery (not including the 252 WHr range extender which is ~ 3 lb)

My Rail 9.8's eMTB mode ripping up a steep ascent at 8 MPH-ish and 70 RPM cadence and 180 Watts personal input makes up for the 5 lb more it has vs. the Rise H30 which was my leading choice until Trek offered some compelling closeout offers on that day-glow orange Rail. Proven Bosch CX and 85 Nm just goads me into taking the bike out exploring and doing juvenile things with the power, but if there's a hidden menu that gets the EX-e to feel closer to a Rise's 60 Nm, that might draw me closer to considering the EX-e.

 

[addthebadd]

any idea when UK stock is arriving?

My 9.7 has just arrived at my LBS, Gateway Cycles in Abergavenny.

 

[kazowie]

So this fault has changed but is repeatable. After tracking full charge the display unit powers off and cannot be turned on. I’ve pulled the cable connectors to the head unit and the battery with no effect. Long or multiple presses have no effect, or the reset using remote and display buttons. On plugging the charger back in briefly the unit will then power on. If I turn the display off then it won’t turn on again unless I do the charger trick.
Is there a way of checking error codes or find out what firmware is on the bike?

Just to close this out, the Trek LBS replaced the display unit and the problem is resolved. They had seen the same error in another 9.8. Diagnostics did not show any errors

 

[DugT]

Sorry guys, I looked at the receipt, I meant late July... It's been so long I lost touch... lol. Anyway, this was the photo my LBS sent that was moving but still not sure if it's the culprit. Hopefully I will get a new one or refund.

Late July is almost August and August starts with an A just like April so essentially they are the same except April was five months ago and July was two months ago.

 

[etoni]

the real review.

no great support on steep climbs, is that true?

 

[mitea]

the real review.

no great support on steep climbs, is that true?

Thats a subjective view. You get up to 300W from the Motor. Wheter this is great or not depends on your on power you are able to provide. However its a light emtb that has less max power than full fats such as the rail.

 

[The Reverend]

the real review.

no great support on steep climbs, is that true?

I disagree. I'm 107kgs and ride up some steep climbs on this and it supports very well. You do need to put effort in, so if you want to pedal like you're riding around in the back garden it'll be a disappointment.

If you still want a work out but don't want to get cooked on steep climbs, this should work well. It does for me at least.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I think the problem is that a lot of "us" still love the idea of a "lightweight" but also want the magical fairy tail of a lightweight with FF power for climbs.

At the moment, that just can't happen. That power will need a larger battery as the power needs to come from somewhere.

Yes, the Rise sort of achieves that by using a de-tuned EP8 - but if you use the assistance in that profile to get something more FF feeling, you'll burn through the battery faster.

The Lightweight is aimed more at people who want some assistance, but not FF assistance, because they want a lighter more playful bike, not at FF riders who want a lighter bike but the same performance characteristics.

Ultimately, an EP8 weighs about 2600g and something like the TQ in this bike weighs about 1850g. So assuming the battery is equally weighted for the same WH, then your overall system weight will be lower for the same components.

Some people will argue that's only 750g - so who cares. Fine, for those people, go for the Rise or similar (there are other options too). Likewise you could argue that an Ally Rise is only 750g less than a lighter end Levo or similar - so why bother, just get a FF. But that 750g can make a difference to some people, but not everyone.

We're just all different.

 

[Jujujuice]

Hi guys, got my 9.7 back in mid April. I did two rides with it for about 4 hours total. And within those times, I got a chain drop, a chain break and it developed a ticking noise while pedaling. It went back to my LBS end of April and until now I still don't have it back. I have been communicating with LBS and trek all this time and they could not find the culprit ticking noise and they said they have done everything. My lbs then thought it could be the joint that holds the axle as it was ticking when he disassembled it, that was 3 weeks ago. But I don't think they had a replacement for it. I finally ask for a refund or a replacement and they said one should be coming by the end of this week. I really want the bike but with all the issues this model has been having I'm afraid other issues might come out again. I want to be able to enjoy this bike and not get stuck with a bike with constant problems. The amount of waiting for things to move between my LBS and Trek is very frustrating. Should I just insist on a refund and get another bike, or wait for issues to get smooth out, or give it another chance?

Would just get a refund and wait for the second gen of Fuel exes to come out so these issues would be fixed. It is not worth the time or hassle and best to just get a bike that works properly.

 

[dajimmers]

Are the factory default settings for the EX-e's 3 power modes configurable in terms of torque delivered?

For example, on the Orbea Rise, there are two groups of Eco/Trail/Boost, one group's in Profile 1 that maxes out at 47 Nm, and one in Profile 2 that maxes out at 60 Nm. I rode a Fuel EX-e 9.5 back to back with a Rise, and have to say the Rise in Profile 2 Trail and Boost modes felt nearly as strong as my Rail 9.8 in Eco and Tour modes, respectively.

The Fuel EX-e's responsiveness and outright pull in any of the 3 modes was tepid by comparison. In 3rd/top power mode, the display showed upper 280 Watts e-assist when I was on a decent incline pedaling what felt 80-ish RPM cadence and indicating 220 Watts from me.

Compared to the Rail 9.8 (a burly 'Merican C6 Z06 in this analogy... ), my inner-ear would be content with a lighter, less rattle-y car like a Honda S2000 so I want to like the EX-e due to its silent bike experience and 44 lb weight (Med size with pedals, on our own scale). But its acceleration is more like a wheezy 110 HP NA 1.6L Miata.
I asked the shop mechanic if the EX-e had different profiles (novice/demo tune like Rise's Profile 1 default) but the guy didn't know and said the power in the app was set to max, but the sensitivity/pedal-application responsiveness wasn't dialed up when I rode it.
FWIW in Medium size bikes we've been checking (with pedals, on our scale)...

Carbon Rail 9.8 GX 51 lb with onboard 625 WHr battery (2020-21 model) and tubeless stock Bontragers
Alloy H30 Rise 46 lb with onboard 540 WHr battery (not including the 252 WHr range extender which is ~ 3 lb)
Carbon EX-e 9.5 44 lb with onboard 360 WHr battery (not including a 160 WHr range extender weight TBD)
Alloy H15 Rise 44.5 lb with onboard 540 WHr battery (not including the 252 WHr range extender which is ~ 3 lb)
Carbon M10 Rise 42.7 lb with onboard 360 WHr battery (not including the 252 WHr range extender which is ~ 3 lb)

My Rail 9.8's eMTB mode ripping up a steep ascent at 8 MPH-ish and 70 RPM cadence and 180 Watts personal input makes up for the 5 lb more it has vs. the Rise H30 which was my leading choice until Trek offered some compelling closeout offers on that day-glow orange Rail. Proven Bosch CX and 85 Nm just goads me into taking the bike out exploring and doing juvenile things with the power, but if there's a hidden menu that gets the EX-e to feel closer to a Rise's 60 Nm, that might draw me closer to considering the EX-e.

By default the max assist and max power are not turned all the way up, even in high/boost mode. These can be turned up in the app- I turned high all the way up, turned eco down a little, and kept trail more or less where it was. I mostly ride in trail.

if as you stated the assist had already been turnedup then yes that may be all you’ll had, but I doubt it has- you should be seeing 300 from the trek if you are putting out 150+ at a decent cadence and have the settings turned up. You wont get a rail out of it regardless. I feel it’s close to a rise, but I only test rode a rise on the road and have never been on a rail.

 

[Chicane]

Would just get a refund and wait for the second gen of Fuel exes to come out so these issues would be fixed. It is not worth the time or hassle and best to just get a bike that works properly.

But you’re the ONLY owner who’s had any problems THEY keep saying!

 

[Kawboy]

Has anybody ridden the 9.7 and compared its Fox suspension with the RockShox of higher end models, which seems to be not as plush as it could be? Lots of rocks and roots and lower speed trails here, so supple is a big selling point.

 

[izzymtb]

Another delay on the supposedly new replacement but considering everything how the Fuel EX-e is still figuring itself out with issues and how my LBS handled this whole situation, I went ahead and requested a refund. Now my choices are open again, just have to be patient, since not many lightweight E-bikes are out there. I'm thinking of other alternatives as well like PIVOT SL and Transition Relay. How long do you guys think trek will sort this bike out, 6 months?

 

[levity]

Time for a few more pics of the EXe in the wild -

Heading toward The Needles District of Canyonlands Natl Park in southeastern Utah

Getting closer

Caught after an embarrassing get-off

Slickrock playtime

 

[thecellofellow]

I disagree. I'm 107kgs and ride up some steep climbs on this and it supports very well. You do need to put effort in, so if you want to pedal like you're riding around in the back garden it'll be a disappointment.

If you still want a work out but don't want to get cooked on steep climbs, this should work well. It does for me at least.

Phew, it’s a relief to hear your experience, as I’m roughly your weight and just looking not to get cooked on the climbs, as you say - I’m fine putting in a lot of effort, I just want to save some time on the grindiest (word?) parts of the gravel road climbs. I live in the mountains and I didn’t realize that I spend basically all my time on long rides climbing, until my dad showed up on his ebike and pointed out I would finish my rides in basically half the time (and hence be able to ride more) if I had a little assistance (not a lot).

Also, my back garden is steep as heck, but I catch your drift.