Trek’s Top Fuel is the US giant’s do-it-all mountain bike, ready to crush your local cross-country race, carry you through the Epic in comfort or explore the big, big country we live in. The Trek marketeers call it a down-country trail bike, a nod to the exemplary handling the latest iteration offers, with little compromise when the path points skyward.
Loves to pedal up, lives to flow down
Rip down and rocket up any trail with the Top Fuel’s capable and efficient suspension. 120 mm of travel front and rear gives you enough squish to take bigger hits while a low leverage rate and high anti-squat ensure that this bike jumps forward with every pedal stroke when you climb back up. The Top Fuel’s efficient pedalling comes from a forward pivot on the seat tube that provides optimal, near-constant anti-squat through the entire travel. So, regardless of where you are in the travel, the bike accelerates when you push on the pedals. A steeper seat tube means that you’re pushing down on the pedals while also keeping front wheel weighted. And it doesn’t end there: 29er wheels and 2.4” tyres deliver a fast ride with the right amount of traction, no matter which of South Africa’s myriad trail conditions you find yourself on.
Trail-eating geometry
The new Top Fuel offers more than just a cosmetic upgrade for 2022. With at least 110 mm more reach per size than the previous Top Fuel, you will feel more confident on the gnar, while the 66-degree head tube angle is 1.5 degrees slacker than previous models making it more stable at higher speeds – perfect for those scary fire roads that take you to the gnar.
And you even get to customise it as you go: the proprietary Mino Link lets you fine tune your frame geometry on the go. Stay in low for a slack 66-degree head tube angle. Flip it for a quicker 66.5-degree head tube angle and a 7-mm higher bottom bracket for more ground clearance. Keep it slack and low for all-day, all-terrain confidence or flip it for quicker handling on the local XCO track, with the flourish of an Allen key. Let’s hear from Cam McCaul what all that actually means for your riding experience.
But wait – there’s more tech goodness in the new Top Fuel!
The removable Knock Block 2.0 still keeps cables from getting yanked out in a crash and protects the top tube, but now it provides 72 degrees of turning radius which means more low-speed turnability. Hate it? You can now remove it, too.
And then there’s the in-frame storage – maximising the otherwise wasted void in the oversized down tube, Trek made sure all models – both alloy and carbon – have in-tube storage for tools and gear. Plus, Bontrager’s BITS tool bag fits directly inside.
