Fuel EXe Official Trek Fuel EXe Megathread!

[Dave_B]

Thought they were both ISIS interface?

 

[guglez]

Has anybody by any chance had an issue where their Garmin (830 in my case) randomly re-detects the bike sensors?

I have this regulary on my analog bike. It just looses all the sensors I have (Speed, cadence and HR). Some times it happens on the same place. Have no idea why. Sometimes it just happens randomly.

 

[Canyon Shawn]

Installed, adjusted and ready to test tomorrow!

 

[Dave_B]

Right then, new bike.........

Buying the Base Alloy 5 in Grey.
Stripping all parts off it, apart from the cranks, but actually, if anyone has a link to the hope cranks that fit the bike, then I'll likely upgrade those as well.

Will be fitting (mostly transferring from the Levo)
Zeb Ultimate 160mm Charger 3 RC2 W/ButterCup
I have bought a RS SD Select+ for £100 that came off a new EXe
AXS T-type transmission
AXS Dropper (170mm)
Hope tech 4 E4 brakes and rotors (silver)
Carbon bars (38mm rise)
Hope DH stem (50mm) (silver)
Carbon front rim on Hope 4 hub
DT Swiss EX511 rim built onto DT Swiss 350 hub
Big Betty 29x2.5 rear
Magic Mary 29x2.6 front

I'm very much looking forward to this build....(bike wont arrive for about 10 days)
I actually think the Zeb is overkill for a trail bike, so considering options for a Lyrik Ultimate.

 

[njatherton]

Right then, new bike.........

Buying the Base Alloy 5 in Grey.
Stripping all parts off it, apart from the cranks, but actually, if anyone has a link to the hope cranks that fit the bike, then I'll likely upgrade those as well.

Will be fitting (mostly transferring from the Levo)
Zeb Ultimate 160mm Charger 3 RC2 W/ButterCup
I have bought a RS SD Select+ for £100 that came off a new EXe
AXS T-type transmission
AXS Dropper (170mm)
Hope tech 4 E4 brakes and rotors (silver)
Carbon bars (38mm rise)
Hope DH stem (50mm) (silver)
Carbon front rim on Hope 4 hub
DT Swiss EX511 rim built onto DT Swiss 350 hub
Big Betty 29x2.5 rear
Magic Mary 29x2.6 front

I'm very much looking forward to this build....(bike wont arrive for about 10 days)
I actually think the Zeb is overkill for a trail bike, so considering options for a Lyrik Ultimate.

Do Schwalbe make a BB in 2.5? Can't see one on their website.

 

[Dave_B]

Do Schwalbe make a BB in 2.5? Can't see one on their website.

Sorry, 2.4

 

[Canyon Shawn]

Maxxis Recons front and rear in 2.6, tubeless at 23 PSI are working way better for me than I thought they would. And, I’m not very easy on them. They are also very light.

 

[Magnacus]

actually think the Zeb is overkill for a trail bike, so considering options for a Lyrik Ultimate.

+1

Still a trailbike, no enduro....

I personaly would go with a lager dropper. 210 OneUp, Revive 213....
Whitch rim width in the front? The EX511 have 30mm and they are the best rim in the rear for heavy duty biking.
Hope breakes are superb. I just switched from MT7 to Tech4V4 on my Yeti Enduro. Absolutely love it.

 

[Dave_B]

Front rim width is also 30mm

 

[Magnacus]

With a 2.6 tyre you may go with a wider rim, 32-36mm maybe....
30mm is still good and will work pretty well with a 2.6 tyre, but its worth to concider.

 

[Dave_B]

Been riding with 30mm internal width for a few years now.

 

[njatherton]

I fitted a 2.6 Kryptotal on the rear (which I struggled to fit on the rim) but there was very little wiggle room between it & the frame so removed it. Back with stock Bonty at moment, may try 2.4 Kryptotal. Does any manufacturer other than Bonty make a decent 2.5 tire/tyre?

 

[levity]

wide tires (and low pressures) are appreciated when traction is critical

front Bontrager XR2 3.0; rear Maxxis Rekon 2.8
both on i36 29" rims

 

[Canyon Shawn]

Installed, adjusted and ready to test tomorrow! View attachment 126991

Oh hell yeah! I did a quick out and back 10 miler that I know like the back of my hand. It’s a chunky, flowy up and down singletrack with a couple steep climbs and descents. This shock is way better than the Float X. It just feels like the rear wheel is glued to the ground all the time. I can carry more speed everywhere. And, that’s how I like to ride. I like to carry as much speed as possible all the time. The rear tire makes less noise and I definitely used more of the shock travel compared to my Float X. I can corner easier. I’m able to ride at least a gear higher and I have to rethink my braking points. Chunky uphills is where I noticed the biggest difference. The bike just carries lots of speed. But, going down I found my self plowing through the chunk instead of picking the smooth line. This shock makes that much difference. It’s unbelievable. I figure if I can carry more speed easier, it’ll make the battery last longer. My Float X took a good 500 miles to fully break in. This X2 will get better as it breaks in. With my Float X I had to chase settings as it broke in. With this X2 I’m using Fox’s recommended settings, which are based off of the psi needed to get 30% sag. I honestly can’t find a fault with the settings. So, I don’t know if I’ll feel the need to make adjustments as it breaks in. Now I need a fork to match. It never ends.

 

[DBSwiss]

I fitted a 2.6 Kryptotal on the rear (which I struggled to fit on the rim) but there was very little wiggle room between it & the frame so removed it. Back with stock Bonty at moment, may try 2.4 Kryptotal. Does any manufacturer other than Bonty make a decent 2.5 tire/tyre?

I had the Kryptotal 2.4 on my rear and loved it. 9.8 XT traction and side wall stability are awesome.

 

[Dave_B]

Your shop is correct, the Zeb isn't approved due to the AC length being 576mm, which is only 3mm over our max (160mm or 573mm axle-to-crown).

Since this bike has no ISCG mounts, you won't see any bash guards unless they are newly developed. Currently, only e*Thirteen makes a chain guard (part number W5276728) which was made by our request for this bike.

anyone using Zeb's?

 

[Dave_B]

I'm not sure why an extra 3mm would put the frame out of warranty? with a sag of approx 40mm, we are always riding lower than the actual AC length?

 

[Dave_B]

Dnister Black frame colour needs gloss or matt frame wrap?

 

[Mteam]

I'm not sure why an extra 3mm would put the frame out of warranty? with a sag of approx 40mm, we are always riding lower than the actual AC length?

Theyve got to draw the line somewhere - so they drew it at 573mm which is about the length of any of the 160mm travel 35 & 36mm stanchioned forks from fox and rockshox.

I suspect your zeb would be absolutely fine, but if the headtube shears off theyre probably going to deny a warranty claim because the fork exceeded the max a2c length

 

[Cell4soul]

Dnister Black frame colour needs gloss or matt frame wrap?

I tried gloss. I thought it looked like shit. Added sheen to a matte colored bike. To me, the matte finish is one of the appeals of the Dnister Black.

 

[Dave_B]

Right then, new bike.........

Buying the Base Alloy 5 in Grey.
Stripping all parts off it, apart from the cranks, but actually, if anyone has a link to the hope cranks that fit the bike, then I'll likely upgrade those as well.

Will be fitting (mostly transferring from the Levo)
Zeb Ultimate 160mm Charger 3 RC2 W/ButterCup
I have bought a RS SD Select+ for £100 that came off a new EXe
AXS T-type transmission
AXS Dropper (170mm)
Hope tech 4 E4 brakes and rotors (silver)
Carbon bars (38mm rise)
Hope DH stem (50mm) (silver)
Carbon front rim on Hope 4 hub
DT Swiss EX511 rim built onto DT Swiss 350 hub
Big Betty 29x2.5 rear
Magic Mary 29x2.6 front

I'm very much looking forward to this build....(bike wont arrive for about 10 days)
I actually think the Zeb is overkill for a trail bike, so considering options for a Lyrik Ultimate.

Slight change of plan. Buying the 9.5 and replacing all the parts with what I have. Weight difference for frame looks about 1.5Kg, so thought fuck it, why not…..

 

[Mteam]

Slight change of plan. Buying the 9.5 and replacing all the parts with what I have. Weight difference for frame looks about 1.5Kg, so thought fuck it, why not…..

yep, thats what I did.

Everything on the 9.5 is junk except for

- frame
-motor
-seatpost
-cranks
-rear shock
-rear derailleur & shifter
-chainring
-chain

 

[Cell4soul]

Slight change of plan. Buying the 9.5 and replacing all the parts with what I have. Weight difference for frame looks about 1.5Kg, so thought fuck it, why not…..

Good call. I did the same as has many others. My bike shop purchased everyone of the take-off parts from me for about $1,650. That brought the price of the 9.5 down to under $5K after the credit for the take-off parts. Basically I purchased the frame and motor for about $5K.

 

[BobMtnBkr]

anyone using Zeb's?

The ZEB has a fairly fat steer tube junction. Prolly just cosmetic but may bother some.

 

[BobMtnBkr]

Maxxis Recons front and rear in 2.6, tubeless at 23 PSI are working way better for me than I thought they would. And, I’m not very easy on them. They are also very light.

Couldn’t stand the OEM SE5 Team Issue tires on my ’23 9.8 XT. Went with Maxxis Assegai 2.5 WT 3C maxx terra EXO+ @ 21 psi in front and Maxxis Aggressor 2.5 WT DD @ 22psi in back. Both on OEM Line Elite 30 rims. Works great for my deep woods cross country XC trails.

 

[BobMtnBkr]

Is the EXe a quiet bike? I’m assuming there are no gremlins to deal with like a loose battery are any other such issues?

Mine has been reliable and extremely quite. Couldn’t stand the battery rattle on my Rail. Sold it within months. My Fuel is perfect for the local XC woods and mild jump tracks. Other than tires, it's completely stock. Willing to upgrade, but not convinced other parts will provide noticeable "return on investment".

 

[DBSwiss]

Mine has been reliable and extremely quite. Couldn’t stand the battery rattle on my Rail. Sold it within months. My Fuel is perfect for the local XC woods and mild jump tracks. Other than tires, it's completely stock. Willing to upgrade, but not convinced other parts will provide noticeable "return on investment".

I also have the 9.8XT and it is a great package indeed. I changed out the grips for Ergo grips and switched the rear tire to a continental Kryptotal 2.4 in the back. I blew out the SE5 tire a couple times and was looking for something with a stronger sidewall. Really liked the Kryptotal.

 

[Nugget]

yep, thats what I did.

Everything on the 9.5 is junk except for

- frame
-motor
-seatpost
-cranks
-rear shock
-rear derailleur & shifter
-chainring
-chain

There's a whole thread devoted to 9.5 modifications: Fuel EXe - Trek Fuel EXe 9.5 Build
I agree with your list of what is "not junk" on the stock 9.5 apart from perhaps the seatpost - have heard from my Trek LBS that while functional, they are a bit of a ticking time bomb as to when they fail/die. Having said that, mine is still okay so meh?

By far the worst junk on the stock 9.5 is the boat anchor wheelset and hubs (prone to loosening). I feel bad selling them to someone else! The standard dropper lever is rubbish as well.

 

[Canyon Shawn]

After installing the Float X2 in the back, I think I’m going to install the Marzocchi Z1 coil kit in my 9.7 Fox Rhythm fork and bump it up to 160. Has anyone out there installed it in their fork and what did you think? I’ve read it’s a big improvement.

 

[Dave_B]

Has anyone purchased the AXS T-Type build? I note Trek are putting the XSYNC 2 chainrings on these bikes, but they are not compatible with the Transmission system...