July 31, 2019 – Trek’s Top Fuel series, their go-to cross-country race machine, has been totally revamped for model year 2020 and Pedal got a sneak peak. With a longer, slacker, and beefier build, the updated version, with five models in the lineup, has become a much more capable XC trail bike built to provide more confidence on descents, while not sacrificing performance while climbing.

Taking a chapter out of the previous Top Fuels books the bike still wants to push for speed, but now provides a more versatile platform that can be adjusted to a broader range of riding styles.

The 9.8 model that we tested had loads of new spec that reflect its more burlier build. Now featuring a dropper post and wider Bontrager XR3 Team Issue 29 x 2.4” tires the bike absolutely comes to life the more technical the terrain gets. With a fully carbon frame and Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 carbon wheels weight wasn’t an issue either, and the additional stiffness from the wider rims and Trek’s Straight Shot downtube design made for a really solid feeling. Built with a 12-speed SRAM GX drivetrain and Shimano SLX brakes, we couldn’t wait to hit the trails.

When throwing a leg over the bike the first question was how different would it feel from the previous Top Fuel generation? After taking it around various trail networks it was clear early on that almost everything about the bike has been changed – it really does have a new look and feel to it. With the bike going up to a Fox 34 Stepcast 120mm fork on the front and a Fox Performance 115mm shock on the rear, it performed noticeably different on the descents, soaking up big hits and jumps with ease without feeling like the suspension was bottoming out.

Yet the bike still climbed extremely well. The fact that it also features SRAM’STwistLoc technology to lock out the front and rear shocks is a big win in my books, and really helped improve its climbing efficiency all-round. While perhaps not as snappy on tight switchbacks and punchy climbs, considering how capable it felt on the descents I was impressed overall by its performance.

Turning to its new frame geometry the bike now features a more modern design with an extended wheelbase of 116cm and a reach of 46.1 cm. This paired with a slacker 67.5 degree head angle in the low setting gave me a lot of confidence handling technical features and steep chutes.

Since it also features a flip chip design you can adjust the frame geometry into a high or low setting, allowing one to fine-tune the bike to a wide range of riding styles. For example, keep the stock 30mm Bontrager Kovee stem and put the bike in the low setting, and voila you’ve got yourself a trail bike that will eat up fun descents. Alternatively, put on a longer stem, slam the flip chip into the high setting, and now you’re rolling with a more aggressive XC race rig.

The Top Fuel has added to its pure-bred race pedigree, becoming a more versatile trail weapon thanks to a totally redesigned geometry and spec. The bike now slots into the Trek lineup as their downcountry or aggressive XC bike, and is perfect for those that want some extra confidence on descents.

The SRP for the Top Fuel line up starts at $3,999.99 (Top Fuel 8) and the SRP for our test model Top Fuel 9.8 is $7099.99. For more information visit www.trekbikes.com.