trek fuel ex 7 avis

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Test | TREK Fuel EX 7 – Un VTT en 130 mm à fort potentiel

Quand on pense à la marque Trek, les Slash et Remedy viennent immédiatement à l’esprit. Normal au vu de notre orientation enduro ! Cependant au fil des années, les modèles Trail à plus petits débattements se sont quelque peu pimentés laissant entrevoir des capacités de plus en plus permissives et polyvalentes. Le Fuel EX s’inscrit pleinement dans cette catégorie de vélo à tout faire. Nous avons testé une des versions les plus accessibles : le TREK Fuel EX 7.

TREK Fuel EX 7 – On fait connaissance

Trek Fuel EX 7 | 140/130 mm 14,2 Kg | 2 949 € Site Web Trek

Chez Trek, le Fuel EX est le vélo de Trail par excellence. Avec 140mm de débattement avant et 130mm arrière, il est équipé de roues 29 pouces sauf sur les tailles XS et S où il est en 27,5″ plus adaptées pour les petits pilotes. Il est décliné en cadre carbone ou aluminium en fonction des versions. Il est prévu pour matcher avec des fourches en 150mm maximum. La gamme Fuel EX est très vaste et commence avec le Fuel EX 5 au tarif de 2499€ jusque des versions carbones luxueuses à plus de 9000€. La version 7 que nous avons essayé est en aluminium et correspond au deuxième niveau de gamme. Son tarif s’approche tout de même des 3000€.

L’équipement

• Fourche RockShox 35 Gold R
• Amortisseur Fox Performance Float EVOL
• Transmission SRAM NX Eagle, 12 vitesses
• Roues Bontrager Line Comp 30, rayons DT Champion
• Pneus Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 2.6 AV 2.4 AR
• Freins Shimano MT4100
• Tige de selle TranzX JD-YSP18, 150 mm
• Selle Bontrager Arvada
• Poste de pilotage Bontrager

On reconnaît à l’équipement ainsi listé, les caractéristiques d’un vélo à tendance descendante plutôt entrée de gamme. Des composants fiables comme les freins Shimano, la transmission Sram NX Eagle ou encore l’amortisseur Fox, mais rien qui laisse vraiment rêveur. J’ai trouvé le tarif de 2949€ un poil premium pour l’équipement proposé. Il manque un petit quelque chose à mes yeux qui fasse pétiller le regard ! D’autres marques proposent des montages équivalents avec des prix un peu plus agressifs. Le raport prix/équipement ne fait cependant pas tout et il faut voir si le test terrain ré-équilibre les choses.

Les chiffres

Le Trek Fuel EX reste assez classique au niveau géométrie. Les cotes évoluent très peu sur les 2 positions du Mino link (le système d’ajustement de la géométrie de chez Trek), aussi l’analyse porte sur le mode « Low » de notre taille ML. Cette dernière correspond en réalité à un M chez pas mal de marques. On se retrouve avec un vélo de 1196mm d’empattement ce qui est plutôt court de nos jours. L’angle de chasse de 66° n’a rien d’impressionnant et l’angle de selle est quant à lui assez peu relevé avec ses 75°. Les bases de 436mm sont plutôt courtes et le Reach de 455mm dans l’ère du temps pour une taille M. Au global, les chiffres de géométrie augurent d’un bike de Trail polyvalent, sans sombrer dans l’extrémisme de la mode « Long, Low and Slack ».

Look et Finition

Les goûts et les couleurs sont l’affaire de chacun, mais il faut avouer que ce petit Fuel EX est classe et efficace. Ce bleu canard appelé « Dark aquatic » lui va très bien et est assez original tout en restant sobre. L’ensemble des composants noirs vient d’ailleurs appuyer sur cette sobriété générale. La forme du cadre avec l’amortisseur vertical est classique et le vélo est agréable à regarder. Seul petit manque à mes yeux un peu de bling-bling au niveau du poste de pilotage notamment où les composants, tout de noir vêtus et sans aucun marquage font un peu triste.

La finition est digne de la marque. C’est propre et sans bavure. Nous avons reçu le vélo avec quelques éclats de peinture mais nous n’en avons pas fait de nouveaux avec notre usage en moyenne forêt. Le poste de pilotage de chez Bontrager manque un peu de finition simplement comme je le disais plus haut. On est sur un revêtement ultra classique qui aurait mérité un petit travail différenciant !

Le vélo dispose d’une belle protection de down-tube ainsi que d’une protection de la base arrière généreuse. Les passages de câble sont internes et aucun bruit n’est à constater, ce qui atteste du bon maintien de ces derniers.

TREK Fuel EX 7 – Place à l’action

La position est assez surprenante au premier abord. En reprenant à peu près mes références habituelles sur la hauteur du poste de pilotage, je me suis retrouvé avec un avant bien trop bas à mon goût et trop typé XC. J’ai dû mettre tout le stock d’entretoises à dispo pour rehausser la potence et me sentir à mon aise. Evidemment, je suis plus fan des descentes que des montées et selon moi, il matcherait parfaitement avec une fourche en 150 devant. Gourmand que je suis ! Pour le reste, le poste de pilotage tombe bien sous la main et donne envie d’y aller. La selle s’est avérée assez confortable pour mon fragile postérieur et on se sent très vite bien à bord.

Le vélo dispose d’une place pour un porte bidon pour les adeptes du roulage sans sac. Personne n’est parfait ! La molette de blocage de l’amortisseur s’active facilement en roulant. Le vélo intègre 2 mécanismes spécifiques que sont le Knock block et le Mino Link. Le premier au niveau de la direction pour empêcher la rotation totale du guidon. Ce système est réversible, heureusement pour les adeptes du X-up ! Le second est un système de modification de la géométrie. C’est assez simple d’utilisation mais il faudra une grosse emprunte allen tout de même, chose que l’on a pas forcément sur les pistes. Je recommande aussi d’effectuer le changement tranquillement dans un atelier au propre car la manipulation est sensible et de la terre dans le système ne serait que néfaste.

Avec sa position sur l’avant, le Trek pédale plutôt bien. Le bike est assez léger et la suspension ne pompe pas. Le blocage de l’amortisseur ne m’aura d’ailleurs pas été utile. Le grip est bon et le pneu arrière maison modèle Team Issue XR4 assure un grip correcte en montée technique même sous des conditions humides. Le vélo ne cabre pas quand c’est raide, ce qui est appréciable. Seules les liaisons bitume sur du plat au final ne sont pas très agréables, plus à cause des pneus que du vélo en soit. Les Team Issue en 2.6 de large devant et 2.4 derrière sont assez copieux avec les larges jantes et une gomme assez tendre. Du coup ça chante fort sur les liaisons bitume mais sur la terre ce n’est évidemment pas le cas.

Jouer sur le Mino Link n’a au final à mon sens que peu d’intérêt en montée. Le bike ne pompe pas beaucoup et j’ai trouvé la position très bonne en position Low. Cela va donc dépendre de vos préférences mais si comme moi vous n’êtes pas des fadas du chrono en montée, le mode Low se montre déjà suffisamment efficace et l’écart de performance n’est pas assez significatif.

La suspension arrière Fox travaille efficacement. Alliée au cadre alu, le vélo n’est pas spécialement rigide ce qui le rend relativement confortable de l’arrière train. Le vélo encaisse sans broncher même sur les gros impacts où la fin de course est bien gérée. A l’avant c’est un peu différent avec une Gold 35 qui plonge vite dans le débattement et alourdie considérablement le train avant. La fourche ne maintient pas très bien la compression en fond de débattement et il est difficile en termes de réglages d’avoir un bon compromis efficacité/confort. Enfin, les Pneus Bontrager XR4 disposent d’un ballon assez rondouillard ce qui vient amortir un peu l’ensemble. Au global, le bilan du confort est tout de même bon.

Le bike s’inscrit bien au freinage mais le mordant des Shimano d’origine fait un peu peur. C’est extrêmement ON/OFF sans pour autant donner une impression de puissance. Du coup le freinage dans cette version est assez difficile à doser. Pour des débutants qui engagent peu, ça peu être suffisant mais pour des pilotes allant plus vite, le manque de précision et de puissance se feront vite sentir… Dommage car le vélo ne rechigne pas à y aller et à retarder son freinage avec une cinématique qui reste active et plaque les roues au sol.

La rubrique est à scinder en 2 volets avec la monte pneumatique d’origine : sur le mouillé et sur le sec. Sur sol sec, la tendresse de la gomme des XR4 Team Issue, la bonne largeur des jantes et le bon fonctionnement du vélo s’allient à merveille. On a un bon feeling et les virages passent fort ! Sur le mouillé, le pneu avant accuse un peu son manque de crampons, notamment sur les côtés. Le grip est un peu précaire car on ne peut pas vraiment charger l’avant et le décrochage est un peu vif. Les amateurs de glisse seront servis ! Le pneu arrière se comporte mieux que l’avant sur le mouillé. On peut quand même rouler et s’amuser dans la boue mais si votre terrain de jeu est plutôt gras mieux vaudra changer le pneu avant par quelque chose de plus polyvalent. J’ai également noté que le grip est différent sur les 2 positions du Mino Link. En mode « High », avec un reach plus long et un angle de chasse plus fermé, le vélo se révèle un peu moins grippy avec des décrochages encore plus vifs.

Maniabilité / Dynamisme

Le Fuel EX 7.0 n’est pas le vélo le plus nerveux que nous ayons pu testé. Néanmoins, il a un bon pop dans les suspensions pour bien épouser et jouer avec les différences de relief. Le vélo est maniable et malgré la lourde 35 devant, il va où l’on regarde. Le bike est plus réactif en position « High » du Mino Link ce qui le rend plus nerveux, au détriment du grip et de la stabilité. Je dirais que là encore, le mode Low l’emporte pour un public qui a soif de descendre vite plutôt que de monter.

Stabilité / Franchissement

Ah l’attaque des raidars maintenant ! Le Fuel Ex pourrait faire office de mini enduro et on engage sans rechigner. Malheureusement on se retrouve rapidement bridé par une fourche un tantinet mollassonne en fond de débattement. En la réglant pour un minimum de confort, la 35 Gold vient s’écraser sur des gros franchissements ce qui peut décontenancer le pilote et faire perdre en confiance. Dommage car le vélo a du potentiel et mériterait mieux ! La rigidité de l’avant est bonne et on est en confiance jusqu’à ce qu’on se fasse surprendre par un talonnement qui nous déséquilibre. A haute vitesse, il se tient parfaitement et on se sent bien à bord pour lâcher sereinement les freins ! Vous l’avez compris, j’ai préféré la position « Low » du Mino Link. Le vélo est mieux assis et la chasse plus importante sécurise un peu mieux la descente.

Fun / Accessibilité

Le Trek est en soit assez facile à prendre en main. Il faudra juste prendre un peu de temps à régler la Rockshox 35 Gold RL pour trouver un compromis acceptable, ainsi que le poste de pilotage pour avoir une bonne position. Ces petits détails ainsi qu’un freinage peu rassurant en font une version qui pourrait encore mieux fonctionner en remplaçant quelques équipements. L’ensemble est entrée de gamme certes, mais trop peu performant pour le pilote confirmé. Rassurez-vous, j’ai tout de même pris mon pied au guidon du Fuel EX 7 qui montre un tempérament pétillant et un potentiel très intéressant. C’est un bon petit camarade attachant, que l’on apprécie de plus en plus au fil des roulages et qui pourra vous accompagner dans toutes vos péripéties sans jamais rechigner…

Pour conclure sur mon feeling avec le Mino Link Trek, le mode « Low » serait pour moi le seul à retenir. Le mode « High » détériore un peu trop le grip et la stabilité pour retenir mon intérêt, d’autant que le gain en montée est négligeable. Je pense que le mode « High » est plutôt fait pour des riders XC souhaitant s’initier à un vélo avec plus de capacités en descente. Ce sera alors un bon moyen de passer sur un vélo à plus gros débattement…

TREK Fuel EX 7 – C’est l’heure du bilan

Le Trek Fuel EX est un bon vélo à tout faire qui se montre attachant et volontaire pour toutes vos idées, aussi saugrenues soient-elles ! Cette version 7.0 mériterait d’être mieux suspendue devant et d’avoir un système de freinage plus rassurant pour gagner en accessibilité et en performances car il a un sacré potentiel. En remplaçant ces éléments ou en passant sur une version supérieure, vous aurez un excellent bike « Do it all » bien exhaustif en termes de prestation quel que soit le sens de la pente.

+ Rendement en D+ + Confort de l’arrière train + Comportement mini enduro en descente + Amusant à piloter

– Hydraulique de fourche peu performante – Freins peu rassurants – Pneu avant en manque de polyvalence

Votre Test en vidéo

ARTICLES CONNEXES PLUS DE L'AUTEUR

Test | commencal meta sx v5 – on rentre dans une autre dimension , test | kona process x al – le retour aux sources , test nouveauté | pivot switchblade 2024 : la polyvalence par excellence , test | trek slash 2024 : est-ce le graal du vtt enduro , test | scor 4060 st – le vtt all-mountain au caractère épicé , test | mondraker summum carbon rr : une machine à casser le chrono , test | rockrider feel 900 s team edition : peut-il jouer dans la cours des grands , test | hope hb916 – un missile enduro d’exception , test nouveauté | scor 2030 : un petit trail plein de fougue , test | canyon spectral cf8 : le vtt à vraiment tout faire .

FIRST RIDE REVIEW

The new trek fuel ex review.

Photos & Words by Dario DiGiulio

As mountain biking has evolved into what it is today, the trails we ride on have slowly but surely raised the bar of what modern bikes have to keep up with. Sure, some tracks have been sanitized over time, but there’s no question that the pointy end of the sport has kept pushing forward. As a result, trail bikes have had to pick up the pace to match the expectations of the average rider, leading to more capable and confident rigs with every new model. Stepping up to the plate, we have the evolved version of the Trek Fuel EX, Trek’s mainstay trail bike. This time it’s really meant to do it all, riding anywhere and doing anything. Being this adaptable can be a tricky task though, so has Trek painted themselves into a corner?

The new Trek Fuel EX breaks just about every mold that the prior generations had fit into, with a full-on redesign for the new model. The name of the game here is adaptability, whether in the geometry, the suspension kinematics, or even what size wheels you’ll run. Thanks to their Mino Link flip chip and two sets of press-in headset cups, you can shift the character of this bike drastically to suit your terrain and preference. As a result, it’s a bit hard to parse out the specific geometry of the bike (however Trek’s site features a geometry tool to let you do so), so I’ll just speak to it in its most neutral form, which is where many will likely settle. There are a whopping 8 size variations to this bike from XS to XXL, so it’s worth digging through the geometry tables to see which might suit you best. They’re all sporting 140mm of rear travel with a 150mm fork, upping the numbers on the prior generation by 10mm.

I’ve been testing the large frame, which puts the reach and stack at around 485mm and 621mm, which are in line with the majority of the industry right now. In keeping with the new Trek Fuel EX’s theme of being adaptable and capable. In its neutral-low setting, the bike comes with a 64.5-degree head tube angle and the effective seat tube angle sits at 77.2-degrees. Chainstays shift with the frame size, and on a large come in at 440mm. Thanks to the Mino Link flip chip, you can adjust bottom bracket height by 8mm up from the slammed 38mm drop in stock configuration, with a 0.6° steeper head tube and seat tube angle. The more significant head tube adjustment comes from the independent press-in headset cups that Trek supplies, which can steepen or slacken things by a full degree, giving a very wide range of handling characteristics. The last frame toggle is the progression flip chip, offering a simple more or less option to tailor the suspension feel and offer uncompromised coil shock compatibility.

As is trend right now, you can set the Fuel Ex up as a mullet, simply by popping a 27.5” wheel in the rear, swapping the Mino Link to high mode, and bumping up fork travel to 160mm. The bike comes stock as a 29er front and rear (or 27.5″ in XS and Small), so you’ll have to make this change on your own accord.

A notable thing lacking from the newest Fuel EX its the Knock Block – you’ll find no such thing on this frame. X-up fans take note, as this is a big move for the engineers in Waterloo, Wisconsin, and was necessary to achieve the headset adjustment range they wanted. Trek has also moved away from the RE:aktiv damper shock, now simply relying on an off-the-shelf model. Still included in the frames are the handy-dandy stash box in the down tube, with what I think might be the best weather sealing of any of the options on the market at this point, and a neat BITS tool roll.

Build kits come in as many flavors as the sizes, and the range of options is quite extensive, beginning at a respectable $3,699. I’ve been on the highest end build, the 9.9 AXS especial, coming in at a healthy $10,749. From Bontrager Line 30 carbon wheels, to the RSL one-piece carbon cockpit, to the XX1 drivetrain, just about everything is as nice as it gets, as you’d hope for this kind of money.

At my height of 6’3”, the geo combination of the Neutral-Low-More flip chip configuration on the large size makes for a really comfortable fit,  one that feels stable enough at speed while still remaining lively for your average trail. I started my time testing the bright yellow Trek up in Whistler, riding some gnarly rocky pedal-access trails around the Valley. This was a great context for deciding where I stood on the less or more progression debate, and I settled on the latter end of the spectrum. Increased bottom-out resistance and a more supple top of travel were worth a slightly punchier suspension feel, and I stand by that choice for most of the riding I have around me. On my home trails in Bellingham, the Fuel has been a choice companion for fast and fun rides in our local trail systems, where technical and engaging climbs lead to fast, rooty, and jump-filled descents. My general synopsis is that this is a bike that loves to ride fast, both up and down.

The climbing characteristics are comfortable and neutral, without wallowing too much or lacking grip in trickier terrain. Like many of the take-aways of the bike as it comes stock, things are extra-medium, in the best way. Compared to the new Hightower, the bike has slightly less support, but is significantly better in rough terrain and successive hits. Compared to the Stumpjumper EVO, the Fuel EX is definitely more of a trail bike, less of the all-mountain enduro-lite ride that the Specialized offers. All three bikes serve as a nice gradient from the lighter and sportier end of the trail spectrum to the burlier and more capable side of the category. Sitting pretty right in the middle is the Fuel EX, but I’m sure one could tweak it to either of the other extremes, given how much variability is baked into this frame.

Build kit notes are mostly positive, which you’d hope to see from the highest end build. My main gripe is with the Bontrager SE5 tires, which are some the least confidence-inspiring I’ve ridden in recent memory. The casing and tread pattern are fine, but the compound doesn’t seem to want to hook up anywhere, whether it’s dry loose terrain, rock slabs, and especially wet roots. This would be an immediate swap in my book, and I’d just keep the stock tires to run in the rear when conditions are dry and beat at the peak of summer.

The removable shuttle pad doesn’t seem to want to stay close to the frame, and bows out slightly when attached, giving the downtime a funny bulged look to it. One other frame annoyance has been a recurring suspension knock, despite chasing through every bolt in the linkage with a torque wrench. I still have yet to find the culprit, but luckily it’s not very noticeable when riding.

As a system, I’ve been more than impressed by Trek’s work on the new Fuel EX. Not only does it feel quick and confidant in the stock configuration, it also offers a whole host of layout options to better cater the bike to your preferences.

THE WOLF’S FIRST IMPRESSION

To close out our review of the new Trek Fuel Ex, it’s clear that Trek’s engineers and designers set out to design a bike that caters to that wide center of the market – the trail bike – where most riders spend their time, and where a bike can take many forms. In that goal, they found success. Sure some riders may feel the new Fuel EX has departed from what they were used to and liked about the bike, but many other riders will likely welcome the advancements in capability and confidence on the trail. The Fuel EX is a highly adaptable bike that feels comfortable in a really wide variety of terrain but doesn’t confuse itself for anything more or less. Bike riders, rejoice.

TREK FUEL EX 7

Price: $3,699.99

Frame: Alpha Platinum Aluminum, internal storage | 140mm Fork: RockShox 35 Gold RL | 150mm Shock: Fox Performance Float EVOL

Drivetrain: Shimano SLX/XT Brakes: Shimano MT420 4-piston

Wheelset: Bontrager Line Comp 30, Rapid Drive 108

TREK FUEL EX 8

Price: $4,299

Frame: Alpha Platinum Aluminum, internal storage | 140mm Fork: Fox Rhythm 36 | 150mm Shock: Fox Performance Float X

Drivetrain: Shimano XT M8100 Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120

TREK FUEL EX 9.7

Price: $6,249.99

Frame: OLCV Mountain Carbon, internal storage | 140mm Fork: Fox Rhythm 36 | 150mm Shock: Fox Performance Float X

Drivetrain: Shimano SLX/XT Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120

TREK FUEL EX 9.8

GX AXS Price: $7,699.99 XT Price: $6,749.99

Frame: OLCV Mountain Carbon, internal storage | 140mm Fork: Fox Performance 36 | 150mm Shock: Fox Performance Float X

Wheelset: Bontrager Line Elite 30, OCLV Carbon, Rapid Drive 108

GX AXS BUILD Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS Brakes: SRAM CODE R

XT BUILD Drivetrain: Shimano XT M8100 Brakes: Shimano XT M8120

TREK FUEL EX 9.9

XX1 AXS Price: $10,749.99 XTR Price: $9,749.99

Frame: OLCV Mountain Carbon, internal storage | 140mm Fork: Fox Factory 36 | 150mm Shock: Fox Factory Float X

Wheelset: Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Carbon, Rapid Drive 108

XX1 AXS BUILD Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS Brakes: SRAM CODE RSC

XT BUILD Drivetrain: Shimano XTR M9100 Brakes: Shimano XTR M9120

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Trek Fuel EX 7

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Weight / M - 14.11 kg / 31.10 lbs (with TLR sealant, no tubes)

At a glance

Where to buy.

"A world-class trail bike"

"Fuel EX is a beautifully balanced and capable trail bike. The rear suspension is beautiful; as close to ideal as any bike I've ridden. It's sensitive where you want it to be, firm and crisp where it should be. It feels deep and controls big hits very well, and there's a nice platform for pedaling, and to pump and pop off when you're playing."

"Good at pleasing everybody"

"Fuel EX has a few tricks that help it keep a level head when outside of its comfort zone, and to be a cloud on rails when it's in the zone. Everything about the Fuel EX, which was already good at pleasing everybody, is now even better at it."

"An absolute trail rocket"

"Thanks to its burlier components, increased travel, and more aggressive geometry, it has become more of a shredder than ever! More performance, fun, and trail prowess."

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminum, tapered head tube, Knock Block, Control Freak internal routing, downtube guard, ISCG 05, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ABP, Boost148, 130mm travel
• Fork RockShox 35 Gold RL, DebonAir spring, Motion Control damper, lockout, tapered steerer, 44mm offset, Boost110, 15mm Maxle Stealth, 140mm travel
• Shock Size: XS , S Fox Performance Float EVOL, 3-position DPS damper, tuned by Trek Suspension Lab, 210x52.5mm Size: S , M , ML , L , XL , XXL Fox Performance Float EVOL, 3-position DPS damper, tuned by Trek Suspension Lab, 210x55mm
• Wheel Size 27.5"
• Tires Size: XS , S Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120 tpi, 27.5x2.40'' Size: XS , S Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120 tpi, 27.5x2.60''
• Chain SRAM NX Eagle, 12 speed
• Crank Size: XS , S SRAM NX Eagle, DUB, 30T steel ring, Boost (52mm chainline), 170mm length Size: M , ML , L , XL , XXL SRAM NX Eagle, DUB, 30T steel ring, Boost (52mm chainline), 175mm length
• Shifters SRAM NX Eagle, 12 speed
• Cassette SRAM PG-1230 Eagle, 11-50, 12 speed
• Brakeset Shimano hydraulic disc, MT4100 lever, MT410 caliper
• Handlebar Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 15mm rise, 750mm width
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, steel rails, 138mm width
• Seatpost Size: XS , S TranzX JD-YSP18, 100mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 361mm length Size: M , ML , L , XL , XXL TranzX JD-YSP18, 150mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 445mm length
• Headset Knock Block Integrated, 58-degree radius, cartridge bearing, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

Q: Where to buy a 2021 Trek Fuel EX 7?

The 2021 Trek Fuel EX 7 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2021 Trek Fuel EX 7 weigh?

A 2021 Trek Fuel EX 7 weights M - 14.11 kg / 31.10 lbs (with TLR sealant, no tubes).

Q: What size wheels does the 2021 Trek Fuel EX 7 have?

The 2021 Trek Fuel EX 7 has 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2021 Trek Fuel EX 7 should I get?

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Trek Fuel EX 7 review

Trek’s most affordable Fuel still lights our trail riding fire

Mick Kirkman

Guy Kesteven

Trek’s understated yet moreish Fuel EX 7 is rather like a trail bike equivalent to corn flakes or vanilla ice cream – plain-seeming compared with some of the exotic alternatives that are now available, but extremely tasty once you get reacquainted.

Ride and handling: balanced-handling 650b update is an engaging package

The various generations of Fuel have been Trek’s 120-130mm travel do-it-all stalwarts since the days when V brakes were standard fit. They’ve seen a host of innovations in the shape of E2 tapered headsets, tubeless ready wheels and tyres, Full Floater shocks squeezed between upper linkage and chainstay tips rather than the mainframe, DRCV dual chamber shocks and ABP wheel axle concentric rear pivots, which became the multi-axle ABP convert. Trek was also the first company to provide clip-on plastic sag guides for easy shock set up.

Affordable alloy or high performance carbon frames covered a full range of prices and for years it was a go-to bike for a really good time on whatever trail was stretching out in front of you. So it was no surprise that we took an alloy EX to North Wales for our Trail Bike of the Year test a couple of years ago.

Cockpit choices aren’t radical but they are effective

Within a couple of corners it was clear that what was needed wasn’t more evolution but a real revolution. Its little 26in wheels clattered and skipped across the rocks of Snowdonia, spilling speed and confidence all over the place as they went. The alloy frame felt heavy, there was no swagger in its steering and it was obviously lacking the tailwind effect of bigger wheels. Even though we doggedly hung onto it as a long termer to try and tweak it better we never found the love.

Riding the top EX 9 alloy bike this summer it was clear the Fuel’s switch to 650b wheels (a 29er version is also available) has made a massive difference, and the lower spec, non Re:Aktiv EX 7 model proves the admission price for all-round get on and go fun is impressively affordable.

As with any good bike fit is crucial – and while Trek’s virtual sizing is a bit of a brain bend, the long top tubes and shorter seat tubes it generally delivers work well. Cockpit dimensions and geometry mean steering is stable enough when you need back up in a boulder fight or scree slide, but not so needy it demands constant correction when you’re climbing or cruising along skinny sheeptrack.

The Fuel's chunky weight means it takes a while to get up to speed, but once you're there it holds momentum with the best of them

Tracking of the Fox 32 fork is a bit vague at times, but the sensible rather than radical steering angles mean you’re never tricked into thinking there’s more traction or control than there really is. It’s the same story of holistic balance with the bars and stem. You could fit wider bars and a shorter stem but then you’d probably need the grippier XR4 tyre up front rather than the faster XR3 here, and you’d definitely notice the fork twist more. If that’s the sort of ride you want you’d probably be better off with the beefier, slacker, 140mm travel Remedy 7.

Our only significant criticism of the 7 is its weight, which makes acceleration steady rather than sudden compared with some of its peers. It generally hides its mass very well in the overall ride, to the point where it’s a surprise when you have to heave its heft over a gate. Once you’ve got it up to speed it holds onto it with a dogged amount of pride whether you’re half-wheeling mates up a fire road or battling up one of those climbs that would be better as a descent. The XR3 tyres underline overall performance with decent drag-free grip and they’ll feel and roll even better if you pop in the supplied tubeless strips and valves and switch tubes for sealant.

Frame and equipment: versatile setup that's ready for anything

Fox’s Evolution series dampers are far more consistent than they were last year so there are no nasty surprises in the fork stroke and setup couldn’t be simpler. Type your ready to ride weight into the online calculator on Trek’s website and it’ll give you starting point pressure and rebound settings to get you in the ballpark before you even get on the bike.

A Fox rear shock gets DRCV technology for a deep and plush feel

Once you’ve checked the sag with the provided clip-on marker, the rear suspension is equally unobtrusive. While it’s not as crisp and on point as the Formula One technology-inspired Re:Aktiv dampers on Fuel EXes, the split chamber DRCV shock is still strong under power and the automatic opening second shock chamber means it’ll take a fair wallop or drop without bucking you offline. The Descend, Trail and Climb modes are different enough to be worthwhile and it’s pedal, brake and chainring neutral enough that you can concentrate totally on the trail and not worry about how to make the bike work with each bit.

The same ready-for-anything attitude adds useful versatility to the rest of the frame. There’s a replaceable plastic belly guard because alloy bikes are just as likely to take a rock in the guts as a carbon frame. The bottom bracket has chainguide mounts in case you ever want to fit a chain device. There’s no direct compression shock load on the mainframe so the Alpha Platinum tubes can be made thinner and lighter. The magnesium EVO rocker link is forged in a single piece for maximum strength and stiffness compared to a welded or bolted multi-piece link. Internal routing is neat and it’s plumbed for an internally routed seatpost hose, which is great because a dropper post is the only thing that’s obviously missing when things get techy.

Ultimately this isn't the most radical ride and it’s heavy, but if you want a really well balanced, consistently friendly, get on and go trail bike then Trek’s entry-level EX 7 should be on your shortlist.

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2022 Trek Fuel EX 7

Manufacturer Price

Fuel EX 9.8

En stock : MD

Fuel EX 9.8 GX AXS

Pour ce vélo

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Based on frame geometry and build specs.

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

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Comparez la gamme complète de modèles Fuel EX

juin 2023 · Scotty Prendergast

Arguably one of the all-time most popular bike models of any MTB on the planet, the ‘Fuel Ex’ has been at the peak of Trek’s MTB line-up for as long as anyone can remember and it has had no fewer than six major design overhauls during that time. Late last year Trek unveiled their newest reinvention of the ‘do it all trail bike’ which rolls out of the store boasting a ton of rider customisation features, including a choice of [...]

Lire la critique

mai 2023 · Jeremy Benson

The new Gen 6, Fuel EX 9.8 is the burliest, most versatile, and most capable Fuel yet; truly up for whatever you want to ride. Trek completely redesigned...

avr. 2023 · Drew Rohde

While the new Trek Fuel EX may have alienated a few riders, it will no doubt be a welcome redesign for a lot more riders!

Fast, confident and ready to rock!

More capable than ever

Great downtube storage solution

Adjustable and versatile geometry options

Med/Large size

Bar/Stem combo

SE5 Tires in the wet

Some may not like the newer, burlier bike’s transition

déc. 2022 · Ian Collins

A couple months ago, I was on the hunt for a new mid-travel personal bike and found myself largely unconvinced by most of the offerings on the market. Then a new, highly adjustable and longer in the tooth Trek Fuel EX was announced. When I reached out to Trek to inquire about testing one they offered to send a frameset for me to build out. On paper given that it had my ideal geometry, loads of adjustments (including leverage rate!), internal storage and the options of  air or coil and mullet or straight 29″, this was the ultimate Swiss army

déc. 2022 · Mike Levy

The downtube storage compartment is on the new bike, and while it seems like Trek has put all the things onto the latest Fuel EX, there's one that they didn't: Knock Block.

Wide range of effective geometry adjustments

Just as much fun on smooth trails as it is on scary trails

Great climber, efficient pedaling

One-piece handlebar might be too stiff for some riders

Paint chips easily

All-new for 2023, the Trek Fuel EX is no doubt the burliest yet. How does it compare to the competition? Read on for our Trek Fuel EX review.

Sturdy, flex-free chassis

Superb geometry with adjustable head angle

Efficient & comfortable climbing performance

Coil shock, big fork & mullet compatibility

Mechanic-friendly frame furnishings

Internal storage

Frame is on the heavy side

Rear shock tune lacks small-bump suppleness

Rattly rear thru-axle lever

New geometry, more travel, and even better suspension improves Trek's mid-weight trail bike.

Trek's top-tier Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS delights on the climbs and tackles downhill terrain with it's slack (and very adjustable) geometry.

Last updated 18 avril Not listed for 1 day

Trek Fuel EX 2023 Review | A bigger, musclier & hugely adaptable trail bike

The not-so-minor details.

2023 Trek Fuel EX

https://www.trekbikes.com

$4,999 AUD - $8,999 AUD

- Sturdy, flex-free chassis - Superb geometry with adjustable head angle - Efficient & comfortable climbing performance - Coil shock, big fork & mullet compatibility - Mechanic-friendly frame furnishings - Internal storage

- Frame is on the heavy side - Rear shock tune lacks small-bump suppleness - Rattly rear thru-axle lever

Wil reviews the Trek Fuel EX 2023

Having undergone a ground-up redesign for 2023, the Trek Fuel EX has entered its burliest and biggest travel form yet. This latest model represents the 6th generation of Trek’s popular mid-travel trail bike, with the original having debuted all the way back in 2005. Trail riding has evolved a lot since then, and the new Fuel EX aims to keep up with that evolution by incorporating almost every mod-con you can think of.

Of course it’s big news whenever Trek releases a new Fuel EX, and given how important this bike is for the US brand, we were curious to see how the raft of updates would play out on the trail. We had a bit of an idea, having thoroughly enjoyed riding the electrified Trek Fuel EXe over the past few months. Would the muscle-powered version deliver the same good vibes? And how would it compare to the previous models that have given us so many fond riding memories over the years? We’ve been putting the Trek Fuel EX 2023 to the test to find out!

Watch our video review of the Trek Fuel EX 2023:

Along with the downtube storage, generous frame armour and size-specific chainstays, the Fuel EX appears to pack in almost everything you could possibly want in a modern trail bike.

An overview of the Trek Fuel EX 2023

For 2023, the Trek Fuel EX is built around an entirely new frame that’s produced in carbon and alloy variants. Suspension travel has increased by 10mm at both ends, with the new Fuel EX now sporting a 150mm fork and 140mm of rear travel via the ABP four-bar suspension design.

It’s worth noting that the frame will handle a 160mm travel fork, and thanks to the two-position Mino Link, it can also be run as a mullet. Borrowed from the Session downhill bike, there’s a two-position flip chip at the lower shock mount that offers linear and progressive settings. The latter option is what makes the new Fuel EX coil shock compatible.

On top of that, Trek will be offering aftermarket headset cups to steepen or slacken the head angle by a degree. Along with the downtube storage, generous frame armour and size-specific chainstays, the Fuel EX appears to pack in almost everything you could possibly want in a modern trail bike. It’s certainly an appealing package on paper, and one that’s ready to take on contemporaries like the Specialized Stumpjumper , Merida One-Forty , Canyon Spectral and Giant Trance X .

Trek Fuel EX price & specs

There are a number of different models available in the Trek Fuel EX 2023 lineup, though availability will vary depending on where you are in the world.

In Australia, prices currently range from $4,999 AUD for the Fuel EX 7, and go up to $8,999 AUD for the Fuel EX 9.8 XT model. The cheapest option is actually the Fuel EX 5, though that model carries over the previous generation frame. For a closer look at the specs, prices and all the new details, check out our Trek Fuel EX 2023 overview article for more.

Here we’ll be diving into our experience of testing the Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS model, which will be available in Australia in limited quantities through the custom Project One bike builder. It’s a media bike that was provided to us by Trek, and of course it comes dripping with lots of gold, carbon and wireless bits. However, as usual with our reviews, we won’t be going into detail about the Gucci-level spec. Instead, we’ll be concentrating on the important aspects that are shared throughout the Fuel EX lineup; the frame design, suspension performance and its on-trail handling.

2023 Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS

• Frame |  OCLV Mountain Carbon Fibre, ABP Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
• Fork |  Fox 36, Factory Series, GRIP2 Damper, 44mm Offset, 150mm Travel
• Shock |  Fox Float X, Factory Series, 185x55mm
• Wheels |  Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Tyres |  Bontrager SE5 Team Issue 2.5in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain |  SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS1×12 w/30T Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes |  SRAM Code RSC 4-Piston
• Bar |  Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
• Stem |  Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 45mm Length
• Seatpost |  RockShox Reverb AXS, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL)
• Saddle |  Bontrager Arvada, Austentite Rails
• Confirmed Weight | 14.4kg
• RRP |  $TBC

The chassis feels near-bombproof, and combined with the supportive suspension, powerful brakes and high volume rubber, you’re served up plenty of confidence for pushing the front wheel into steep chutes and over technical A-lines.

Trek Fuel EX size & geometry

From X-Small through to XX-Large, the Trek Fuel EX is produced in no fewer than seven different sizes. Seven! Given that many brands only offer four or sometimes even just three frame sizes, that’s impressive.

The two smallest sizes feature 27.5in wheels, while the Medium and above come standard with 29in wheels. The Small is the only option that is available in either wheelsize.

At 175cm tall I’ve been riding a Medium, which features a 450mm reach. Thanks to the use of short seat tubes, a rider of my height could easily upsize to the M/L size to get a longer 470mm reach. Personally, I’ve found the fit of the Medium to be spot-on.

As for geometry, the Fuel EX features a 64.5° head angle and approximately a 77.5° effective seat tube angle in its stock configuration. The rear centre length varies between sizes, going up to 450mm on the largest frame. On the Medium I’ve been riding, the rear centre is a compact 435mm.

Coming off the Fuel EXe, I found it easy to settle into the Fuel EX. The only modification I needed to perform was to chop the comically wide handlebars from 820mm down to a more reasonable 780mm.

Suspension & tyre setup

Getting the Fuel EX set up is made easy thanks to Trek’s detailed online suspension calculator . Input the bike model and your riding weight, and out spits suggested air pressure and rebound settings for both the fork and shock. It even suggests tyre pressures, giving you a good place to start before hitting the trail. When brands like Canyon struggle to provide any recommendations at all, Trek should be commended for helping riders to get the most out of their bike.

For my 68kg riding weight, Trek suggests setting up the Fox 36 fork slightly softer and slower than usual. Recommended rear shock sag is 29%, and the calculator’s suggestion of 158psi got me to exactly that figure. Initially I set the rebound at 6/15 clicks as recommended, but while everything felt quite balanced front to back, the suspension was a little sluggish and duller than I wanted. Speeding up the rebound by a couple of clicks in both the fork and shock helped to make the whole bike feel a bit more lively, while improving small-bump reactivity.

Although the Bontrager SE5 tyres feature reinforced Core Strength casings, I still fitted a CushCore Pro insert to provide some additional pinch-flat protection and insurance for the carbon rims. Tyre pressures were set as per Trek’s recommendations with 20psi in the front and 22psi in the rear.

Trek Fuel EX weight

Confirmed weight for our Trek Fuel EX test bike is 14.4kg. That’s with the tyres set up tubeless, but without the CushCore insert or pedals.

It’s on the heavier side for a high-end carbon trail bike, though the 2.5in tyres, stocky carbon wheels and AXS components aren’t exactly the lightest going. Of course weights do vary throughout the Fuel EX lineup depending on the spec, and you can see the weights for all the different models in our range overview .

A contributing factor to the overall weight is the new frame, which has gained almost 700g over its predecessor. Trek claims the carbon frame weighs 3.4kg with the rear shock, making it a bit of a porker alongside some of the competition;

• Scott Genius HMX Carbon: 2,249g
• Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon: 2,280g
• Giant Trance X Advanced Pro 29: 2,498g
• Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Carbon: 2,750g
• Canyon Spectral CF: 3,047g
• Trek Fuel EX Carbon: 3,400g

The new alloy Fuel EX frame is heavier again, coming in at a hefty 4.6kg with shock.

Of course weight isn’t everything, and it’s unsurprising that the new frame has gotten heavier given how much longer and slacker it is. Still, for those who are especially concerned by grams, there are certainly lighter options on the market.

What do we dig about the Trek Fuel EX 2023?

With its added heft and updated geometry, the Trek Fuel EX 2023 is no doubt the burliest iteration yet. The chassis feels near-bombproof, and combined with the supportive suspension, powerful brakes and high volume rubber, you’re served up plenty of confidence for pushing the front wheel into steep chutes and over technical A-lines.

Indeed it’s massively capable for a 140mm travel bike, with the slack 64.5° head angle and roomy wheelbase giving it a purposeful stance on the trail. The geometry is superb, with welcome updates that have brought the Fuel EX right up to speed.

The steeper seat angle is particularly noticeable over the old bike, providing a much improved seated position on steep climbs. Pedalling efficiency has also levelled up. Trek has lifted the main pivot above the chainring to increase anti-squat, which helps to reduce pedal-induced bobbing. The Float X shock has a two-position climb switch, but I never once needed to use it while riding off-road since the rear end is so well behaved.

It rips through the turns

Once up to speed on flower singletrack, the taut chassis means the Trek Fuel EX is highly responsive when rounding corners and pushing into berms.

With its boxy downtube, split top tube and the supporting strut for the lower shock mount, the front triangle is heavily braced to resist torsional flex. Along with the wide main pivot and boxy one-piece chainstays, the Fuel EX possesses a strong spine from its shapely head tube to the rear thru-axle. The muscly frame effectively translates handling inputs while resisting lateral deflection through the turns.

Likewise, the short rear end and generous 38mm BB drop are fantastic when threading your way through twisty sections of trail, keeping you connected to the terrain and contributing to the playful ride quality. The low-hanging BB did mean I caught the pedals occasionally, so those who frequent off-piste terrain and technical climbs will want to consider flipping the Mino Link into the High position to indulge in an extra 7mm of pedal clearance.

Otherwise the riding position and weight distribution are totally sorted. The handling is approachable, and the Fuel EX doesn’t demand a whole lot from you as the rider. Compared to the old bike it does need a more concerted lean when entering tighter corners, though this is a part of the natural evolution of modern trail bike geometry. Even if you’re coming off a 5-year old bike, you’ll only need a few rides to get accustomed to the Fuel EX’s steering behaviour.

Trail-tweakable

In addition to the Mino Link, we’ve also been experimenting with the lower shock flip chip on the Trek Fuel EX. Requiring just a single 6mm hex key, it’s a quick adjustment to make trailside, and the change in suspension behaviour is noticeable.

I ended up preferring the ‘Less’ setting, which provides a more linear leverage rate. With the shock set at the recommended sag, this position provides great pedalling support, along with more comfort and activity deeper into the stroke. There’s still a good deal of progression though. Combined with the large bottom-out bumper in the Float X shock, hitting full travel proved to be a well-controlled affair.

One of our fellow testers, who generally spends more time in the air than on the ground, preferred riding in the ‘More’ setting. This increases progression, providing a stronger ramp-up in the latter half of the travel. He also reduced the shock pressure by 5psi to further enhance small-bump compliance, while still being able to enjoy the additional big-hit support. Pedal efficiency isn’t as stable in this setting, but it does mean the Fuel EX takes to jumps like a duck to water, popping off lips enthusiastically and absorbing hard landings with a solid and flex-free touchdown.

One thing to note on the More/Less flip chip is that while you are altering the progression of the air spring, you’re also affecting the damper too. As well as adjusting air pressure, we found we needed to tweak the rebound and low-speed compression settings between the two positions. It is indeed a useful tuning tool, but it doesn’t dispel the need for air volume spacers entirely.

What does it struggle with?

With the Trek Fuel EX adopting a beefier frame, the added weight is noticeable compared to lighter bikes in this category. That’s compounded by the heavy-duty brakes, stocky wheels and chunky tyres, which mean there’s more inertia to overcome during micro-accelerations on an undulating climb.

For those who are looking for a sharper and sprightlier trail bike to whip through the trees along smoother singletrack, the latest Trek Top Fuel will be a better fit. In comparison, the new Fuel EX is a burlier beast that thrives on steeper and more technical terrain.

Curiously, it does feel stiffer than the electrified version, the Fuel EXe . Despite both our test bikes featuring carbon frames with a near-identical build kit, I’ve found the Fuel EX to transmit more trail feedback.

Some of this may be due to structural differences, and perhaps the more favourable sprung-to-unsprung mass ratio on the electric version thanks to the added weight of the motor and and battery. Either way, the Fuel EX doesn’t exactly exude off-camber compliance. As a lighter rider on very rocky terrain, I’ve found myself getting knocked around a little more than I would like.

This sensation reminded me of the Canyon Spectral 125 , which proved to be overly stiff and quite uncomfortable at slower riding speeds. The Fuel EX is more compliant overall than the Spectral 125, but it’s still pretty stiff.

It’s not as supple as Fuel EX models gone by

Contributing to this sensation, the suspension isn’t as plush as previous Fuel EX models, particularly those that featured the Thru Shaft shock. Those bikes did require the rider to make use of the compression lever to provide pedalling support, but it meant that in the open mode the rear end absorbed the terrain like melted butter.

You may have noticed that Trek has been making a conscious move away from proprietary suspension components lately, and that’s coincided with building bikes that offer more neutral pedalling performance. The increased anti-squat is one part of the equation on the new Fuel EX, and the other part is the custom-tuned Float X, which Trek has configured with a digressive compression tune on the main piston. This creates a decent low-speed threshold, which provides a level of support that sits between the Open and Medium settings on the previous RE:aktiv damper.

The result is that you can ride with the shock fully open, and the Fuel EX still offers great stability under pedalling inputs, with no real need to activate the climb switch. If you detest remote lockouts and having to flip shock levers all the time, this will certainly be appealing.

The downside is that the suspension isn’t as supple over smaller rubble and at slower speeds. Along with the stiff chassis and carbon wheels, more of those vibrations are transmitted to the rider. As such, careful consideration with tyre pressure is needed to maximise grip and comfort.

Because there is more support however, the Fuel EX gives your feet a stronger platform to push off of, with greater feedback during high-load scenarios. Indeed the harder and faster you push, the better the Fuel EX responds. In that sense, it’s less of a comfy cruiser like its predecessors, and more of a mid-travel bruiser that loves to ride hard and fast.

Component highs & lows

As a complete bike, the Trek Fuel EX is a solid package that puts the emphasis on capability over light weight.

The Bontrager SE5 tyres are a good example, coming in at 1,100g each on our workshop scales. They roll reasonably well given their weight and size, and we’ve found them to provide consistent grip on rocky, hard-packed soil, which will suit most Aussie trail riders. The tread is a little shallow though, and the compound isn’t the softest, which sees them struggling to latch on when the conditions are wet and loose. We’d prefer something a little stickier and toothier up front, like a Maxxis Minion DHR II with 3C MaxxGrip rubber.

While the carbon Bontrager Line Pro rims are quite stiff, they have proven to be plenty tough. We’ve tested five of these wheelsets across various bikes over the past few years and we’ve not encountered a single issue. The y also come with a two-year crash replacement guarantee, which is great insurance given the hell that you can put this bike through. Furthermore, the frame itself comes with a lifetime warranty for the original owner.

There’s still plenty of real-world protection though, including a generous two-piece armour plate that bolts to the underside of the downtube. There’s also a metal chain-suck guard behind the chainring, and a full-coverage chainstay protector. Along with the fully guided internal cable routing, the Fuel EX is an impressively quiet and rattle-free bike on the trail. Well, except for the rear thru-axle lever, which I removed after the first ride.

Otherwise the finishing details are all sound. The adoption of a bigger 34.9mm seat tube diameter is welcome, as it accommodates a stiffer and stronger dropper post, particularly for the larger sizes. Mechanics will be happy to see a threaded BB shell, and we’re fans of the downtube storage. The trap door has none of the play that we encountered on the last Fuel EX we tested, with a tight fit and a nice lever action.

It’s certainly a high quality chassis, and many riders are likely to appreciate the in-built versatility. We’re looking forward to trying out the adjustable head angle once the aftermarket cups become available, and we’d also be keen to try out the Fuel EX with a coil shock. Setting it up as a mullet will be more straightforward, especially as you only need to buy an air spring to extend the Fox 36 up to 160mm of travel.

Trek Fuel EX vs Specialized Stumpjumper

Alongside the Trek Fuel EX, the Specialized Stumpjumper is one of the most popular and well-known trail bikes in this category. In terms of travel and the overall build, the Fuel EX sits right in between the regular Stumpjumper and the Stumpjumper EVO. However, it’s the regular Stumpy that I’ve been spending the most time on lately, both in its stock configuration and with a burlier mullet setup .

Compared to the Fuel EX, the Stumpjumper has a touch less travel with a 140mm fork and 130mm at the rear. It also uses a simpler suspension layout, with the carbon models employing a flex-stay design. Combined with its slimmer tube profiles, the carbon Stumpjumper frame is very light. Specialized claims it weighs just 2.28kg including the shock, which is over a kilo lighter than a carbon Fuel EX.

This theme extends to the Stumpjumper’s build kit, with Specialized electing for the skinnier Fox 34 over the 36. Along with an in-line shock, lighter brakes, wheels and tyres, there’s a considerable difference in the overall bike weight. For example, the Stumpjumper Pro we tested weighed 12.84kg.

While the geometry is pretty similar between the two bikes, the Specialized Stumpjumper rides much lighter on the trail compared to the Trek Fuel EX. It offers more comfort, with its lithe chassis and smooth suspension performance providing better compliance over rough terrain. It’s quite sporty and sprightly, though its active suspension design does need taming on the climbs by making use of the rear shock’s compression lever.

In comparison, the Fuel EX is more naturally efficient. It’s also more planted at speed, with its sturdy chassis and supportive suspension providing better big-hit capability. It feels more like a short travel enduro bike, which will suit heavier and harder riders.

Both bikes will handle a longer fork and can be set up as a mullet, though Specialized makes a specific link for the Stumpjumper to maintain the stock geometry. There is greater versatility in the Fuel EX chassis, with the option to adjust the head angle and fit a coil shock.

As for value, the Fuel EX offers a more appealing spec package. A Stumpjumper Expert sells for $9,800 AUD and comes with a Fox 34 GRIP2 fork, SRAM G2 brakes, an X01 drivetrain, alloy wheels and handlebars. In comparison, an equivalent Fuel EX 9.8 XT sells for $800 AUD less. It gets a simpler GRIP damper for its Fox 36 fork, though it does feature a piggyback shock, a Shimano XT groupset, a carbon one-piece RSL cockpit and carbon wheels with that 2-year crash replacement guarantee.

Flow’s Verdict

For many trail riders, the Trek Fuel EX 2023 is likely to tick just about every box on your new bike wish list. It’s as up to date as it gets, featuring loads of adjustability, internal storage and a nuanced approach to its size-specific geometry. Along with the increased travel and muscly frame, it offers greater stability and big-hit control over its predecessor, while still being a fun and involving bike to ride on modern flow trails.

It is a bit of a chonker though, so those who are looking for a lightweight and speedy trail bike may be better served by the latest Top Fuel .

The stiff chassis and supportive suspension also mean the Fuel EX tends to transmit more feedback, making it less comfortable to ride over rocky terrain. We’d be curious to try out a lighter shock tune to see how much of a difference that would make to the overall ride quality, but in its stock form the Fuel EX isn’t as plush as competitors like the Giant Trance X and Specialized Stumpjumper .

It is impressively efficient though, and the stable suspension gives you a load of support when you’re really giving it the beans on the descents. In this sense, the Fuel EX is closer in feel and performance to an enduro bike. You’ll still want to look towards the Slash if you’re serious about racing, but outside of the tape the Fuel EX will handle just about everything a modern trail centre or bikepark could throw at it. And for those who really want to up the limits, the adaptable chassis can easily be configured for some pretty aggressive riding.

Indeed for those who are chasing maximum capability without going to a big, spongy enduro bike, the Fuel EX is a mighty appealing option.

You’ll still want to look towards the Slash if you’re serious about racing, but outside of the tape the Fuel EX will handle just about everything a modern trail centre or bikepark could throw at it.

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2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 Review

Are you looking for the perfect trail bike that offers ultimate performance? Do you want to know if the 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 is worth considering?

Mountain biking is an exhilarating outdoor activity that can be done on all kinds of terrains, from dirt roads and single tracks to gnarly rock gardens.

As such, it requires a bike that is versatile and reliable. This has made the search for the optimal mountain bike difficult as there are so many options available.

The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 may be just what you need! It is the next generation of Trek’s popular Fuel EX series, so we have decided to take a closer look at this powerful trail bike and provide our full review.

We will analyse its features, design, performance, and compare it with other models in its class. So if you’ve been searching for a superior riding experience on rugged trails, read on for our latest review of the 2020 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6!

The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 is an all-mountain full suspension mountain bike that packs all of Trek’s latest technologies into a package that is capable, confident and compliant – if you need a bike with great technical capability, look no further!

In this review, we’ll break down the features and specs of the 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 to give you an in-depth understanding of what it offers.

The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 is a mountain shredding marvel. It’s designed to tackle unpredictable terrain and keep you comfortable when the going gets rough.

This mountain-ready bike has a geometry that gives you amazing control and handling, while the frame is made with lightweight yet durable aluminum alloy.

The 150mm of front and 185mm rear travel smooth out bumps, with FOX and RockShox suspension as well as Trek’s angle-adjust headset technology keeping you stable as you traverse tricky terrain. Plus, the sleek single-ring drivetrain ensures effortless shifting for quick adjustments on trail.

– Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame with internal downtube storage, angle-adjust headset, Mino Link adjustable geometry, and adjustable leverage rate

– RockShox 35 Gold RL, DebonAir spring fork provides 150 mm of travel

– Fox Performance Float EVOL 185mm x 55mm rear shock with 3-position DPS damper, tuned by Trek Suspension Lab

– Shimano components provide 1×12 drivetrain; 10-51t cassette and 30t chainring

– Bontrager XR5 Team Issue tires have aggressive knobs for secure cornering

– Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheelset is light and strong enough for every ride

– Boost 148/110mm hub spacing helps to provide better tire clearance 

– TranzX dropper post accommodates various riding styles

Frame Design

At the heart of the design of the 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 is its lightweight Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame. 

The frame is designed for optimal off-road performance, combining low weight with excellent power transfer for climbing efficiency and stability on descents.

Replaceable headset cups (sold separately) to tweak the 64.5-degree head tube angle a degree steeper or slacker to your liking — all without impacting your bottom bracket height. 

The suspension on this model comes from RockShox 35 Gold RL 150mm travel in the front, giving you plenty of control over how your bike responds in rough terrain while still providing lightweight efficiency when you want it.

The Fox Performance Float EVOL 185mm x 55mm adds even more control to the handling on steeper trails, while remaining stable at higher speeds.

Wheels & Tires

The 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6 rolls on 27.5” Bontrager Line Comp 30, tubeless ready wheels and 2.50″ wide Bontrager XR5 Team Issue tires for maximum grip in corners and rock gardens without sacrificing rolling speed or braking power.

Drivetrain & Brakes

The drivetrain on this model features a Shimano 12 speed drivetrain featuring a 10-51t cassette giving you plenty of range for both uphills and downhills, while Shimano 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes provide powerful stopping power regardless of condition or terrain type.

Also coming equipped with Shimano Deore 30t crankset which helps shave some weight off while still offering plenty of stiffness during pedalling efforts.

If you’re looking for an all-mountain full suspension mountain bike that can tackle almost any type of terrain without breaking a sweat, then check out the 2023 Trek Fuel EX 7 Gen 6!

Order online and have it shipped to your local dealer for final assembly!!

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Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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