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See Our Best Short Travel Mountain Bike Review 2021 Article HERE!

The Bike

The Top Fuel is a spirited machine that comes in a price bracket for all riders. It has 115mm of rear travel paired with a 120mm fork to keep trails comfortable while demolishing miles. With an effective seat tube angle of 75 degrees, it is more slack than some of the other bikes on the list, and with a head tube angle of 68, it is also slack enough to help on the downhills without sacrificing climbing ability.

Climbing

The Trek Top Fuel is the only bike on the list that comes with a dual suspension lockout lever stock on the build. You are able to hit a lever on the handlebars that will firm up both suspensions, helping in the climbing and sprinting department. The same lever also works the dropper post, which is a bit slow in our opinion—but at least you won’t be needing a jockstrap while riding.

Downhill

Trek also uses their patented Active Braking Pivot, which will keep your wheels on the ground when braking through choppy sections, keeping traction where it needs to be. The 115mm of travel keeps this bike super fast, but that can get you in trouble if you land in chunder. The Top Fuel does come with some larger tires, albeit with limited knob, but the 2.4s will keep traction and control as you get moving. The Fox 34 front fork is burly enough to handle a lot of what is thrown at it.

Build Options

Where do we start? Trek is a large company, and they can produce a lot of options. It also helps that they have their in-house component company Bontrager. At the top of the component list are the wireless drivetrain options, especially the SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS drivetrain, and just about every component is either made of or brushed with carbon fiber for between $13,049.99 – $13,699.99. The Top Fuel 9.9 X01 is between $11,699.99-$12,349.99, and again it comes complete with high-end components and a lot of carbon fiber. From there, the Top Fuel comes in models ranging from $8,000 to the Top Fuel 7 SX with its aluminum frame that still comes with dual lockout and a dropper post for $3,499.99.

Trek also offers all three frame types for the Top Fuel for those looking to build their own set up. Carbon, $3.799.99 (on sale at time of writing for $2,879.99), Aluminum, $2,499.99, and Alloy for $2,349.99 are three options. This big company equals big options.

The Bottom Line

With a 7 year warranty, you’ll be able to trust this bike until “modern geo” standards change again, and we’re all riding on bikes with 5-meter chainstays and 42-degree head tubes looking like Fred Flintstone on his way to work.

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