trek fuel or slash

Trek Slash vs Fuel (7 Key Differences Explained)

When it comes to mountain bikes, Trek offers two great options in the Slash and Fuel models. Both are designed for aggressive riding and offer a durable frame and impressive suspension.

But there are some key differences that set these bikes apart.

Trek Slash vs Fuel

The difference between Trek Slash vs Fuel is that Trek Slash has a longer wheelbase than the Fuel, which makes it more stable at high speeds. It’s also got a lower bottom bracket, which gives you more control when cornering.

Trek Slash is a great option for riders who want a bike that can handle all kinds of terrain. The Trek Fuel, on the other hand, is designed for more technical riding.

It has a shorter wheelbase and a higher bottom bracket, which makes it more agile. It’s also got a bit more travel in the suspension, so it can take on bigger bumps and drops.

Trek Slash bikes are known for their durability and performance. They’re a great choice for serious mountain bikers who want a bike that can handle just about anything.

Fuel Bikes, on the other hand, are known for their lighter weight and easier maintenance. They’re a great choice for casual mountain bikers who want a bike that’s easy to keep in good shape.

Trek Slash Overview

Trek Slash bikes are mountain bikes designed for downhill riding. They were first introduced in 2010, and have been updated several times since then. The most recent version was released in 2019.

Slash bikes are known for their aggressive geometry and suspension setup, which allows them to handle the roughest terrain.

They are also one of the few mountain bike brands that offer a 29er option, which is ideal for riders who want the extra stability and traction that comes with larger wheel size.

If you’re looking for a downhill machine that can handle anything you throw at it, a Trek Slash bike is definitely worth considering.

Trek Fuel Overview

Trek Fuel was a mountain bike brand that was founded in the early 1990s. The company was known for its innovative designs and high-quality bikes. Trek Fuel was acquired by Trek Bicycle Corporation in 2009.

Trek Fuel bikes were some of the most popular mountain bikes on the market. Their bikes were ridden by some of the top riders in the world.

The company was known for its innovative designs and high-quality bikes. Trek Fuel was acquired by Trek Bicycle Corporation in 2009.

Today, Trek offers a wide range of mountain bikes that are designed for all types of riding. Their bikes are ridden by some of the top riders in the world and offer a great ride experience. If you’re looking for a great mountain bike , Trek is a great option.

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes Frame

When it comes to mountain bikes, the frame is one of the most important components. It’s what determines the bike’s handling characteristics, strength and weight. So when choosing a mountain bike , it’s important to consider the frame material.

Trek’s Slash bikes are made with an aluminum alloy frame. This gives the bikes a good balance of strength and weight. The downside of aluminum is that it’s not as strong as some other materials, so it’s more susceptible to damage.

Fuel bikes from Trek are made with a carbon fiber frame. This material is very strong and lightweight, making for a bike that’s easy to handle on the trails. However, carbon fiber is also very expensive, so these bikes tend to be more expensive than their aluminum counterparts.

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes Groupset

When it comes to choosing a mountain bike, there are many factors to consider. One important factor is the groupset. The groupset is the collection of components that make up the bike’s drivetrain.

There are many different types of groupsets on the market, and each has its own pros and cons. we’ll be comparing two popular groupsets:

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes Wheels

Wheels are one of the most important aspects of a bike, and choosing the right ones can make all the difference in your riding experience. Here, we’ll take a look at the Trek Slash bikes and Fuel Bikes to see how their wheels compare.

The Trek Slash bikes come with Bontrager Duster Elite Wheels. These wheels are designed for aggressive riding and feature a 32-hole rim that is tubeless-ready. They also have a 6-bolt disc brake interface for added stopping power.

The Fuel Bikes come with WTB i29 TCS Wheels. These wheels are designed for all-mountain riding and feature a tubeless-ready, 32-hole rim. They also have a 6-bolt disc brake interface for added stopping power.

Both the Trek Slash bikes and Fuel Bikes come with wheels that are designed for aggressive riding. However, the Trek Slash bikes have a slightly more robust wheel design with a tubeless-ready rim and a 6-bolt disc brake interface.

This makes them the better choice for riders who are looking for a bike that can handle more challenging terrain.

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes Tires

One of the main differences between Trek Slash bikes and Fuel bikes is the tires. Trek Slash bikes come with 2.6-inch tires, while Fuel bikes come with 2.8-inch tires.

This may not seem like much of a difference, but it can make a big difference when riding on different terrain. 2.6-inch tires are better for riding on smoother terrain, while 2.8-inch tires are better for riding on rougher terrain.

If you’re not sure what kind of terrain you’ll be riding on, it’s a good idea to get a bike with 2.8-inch tires . That way, you’ll be prepared for anything.

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes Brakes

Brakes are one of the most important components on a mountain bike. They allow you to control your speed and stop when necessary. There are two main types of brakes used on mountain bikes: disc brakes and rim brakes.

Disc brakes are the most common type of brake used on mountain bikes. They work by squeezing a brake pad against a disc rotor that is attached to the wheel. Disc brakes are more powerful than rim brakes and can provide better stopping power in wet and muddy conditions.

Rim brakes are less common on mountain bikes but are still used by some riders. They work by squeezing a brake pad against the rim of the wheel. Rim brakes are not as powerful as disc brakes and can be less effective in wet and muddy conditions.

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes Saddle

When it comes to mountain biking, there are two main types of bikes that you might encounter on the trails – Trek Slash bikes and Fuel Bikes. Both have their own unique benefits that can make them ideal for different riding styles. So, which one is right for you?

Here’s a quick rundown of the differences between Trek Slash bikes and Fuel Bikes – Saddle:

Trek Slash bikes are designed for aggressive downhill riding. They have a longer wheelbase and a lower center of gravity, which makes them more stable at high speeds. Trek Slash bikes also have a wider range of gears , so you can better tackle steep climbs.

Fuel Bikes, on the other hand, are designed for more cross-country riding. They have a shorter wheelbase and a higher center of gravity, which makes them more agile and better suited for technical trails. Fuel Bikes also tend to have lighter components, making them easier to ride uphill.

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes Riding Experience

When it comes to mountain biking, there are two main types of bikes that riders can choose from – cross-country (XC) bikes and trail bikes.

XC bikes are designed for racing and tend to be lightweight with minimal suspension, while trail bikes are designed for more aggressive riding and have more suspension travel. Within the category of trail bikes, there are also two main types – enduro bikes and all-mountain bikes.

Enduro bikes are designed for more technical and challenging terrain, while all-mountain bikes are a bit more versatile and can handle a wider range of trails.

So, what’s the difference between Trek Slash bikes and Fuel Bikes? Both are trail bikes, but the Slash is designed more for enduro riding while the Fuel is more of an all-mountain bike.

The Slash has 150mm of suspension travel in the front and 140mm in the rear, while the Fuel has 140mm of suspension travel in the front and 130mm in the rear.

The Slash is also a bit longer and lower than the Fuel, which gives it a more aggressive riding position. And finally, the Slash is equipped with 27.5” wheels while the Fuel comes with 29” wheels.

Trek Slash vs Fuel Bikes How To Choose?

When choosing between a Trek Slash bike and a Fuel bike, there are a few things to consider.

First, think about what kind of riding you’ll be doing most often. If you’re mostly going to be riding on trails, the Slash would be a great choice.

It’s got 29″ wheels for stability and can handle rough terrain. However, if you’re mostly going to be riding on the road, the Fuel might be a better pick. It’s got smaller 27.5″ wheels for quickness and agility.

Second, consider your budget. The Slash is going to be more expensive than the Fuel, so if you’re on a tight budget, the Fuel might be the way to go.

Third, think about what features are most important to you. The Slash has a full suspension system, meaning it’s going to give you a smoother ride over bumps and obstacles.

However, the Fuel has a more lightweight frame, so if you’re looking for a bike that’s going to be easy to carry, the Fuel might be a better option.

Ultimately, the decision between a Trek Slash bike and a Fuel bike comes down to personal preference. Consider what kind of riding you’ll be doing most often, your budget, and what features are most important to you when making your decision.

Related Posts:

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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.

Fuel EX 8 Gen 6

Slash 9.7 Gen 5

(descending)

Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.

TREK SLASH 9.9 X0 GEN 6 REVIEW

Words by Drew Rohde  |  Photos by Staff

After nearly six months of abuse, conversations with Trek Bikes HQ and a YouTube Service Bulletin video full of interesting comments, we’re kicking off the new year with a high pivot, Gen 6 Trek Slash review that should be another great conversation piece as one of the hottest bikes of 2023. We’ve been fans of many of Trek’s bikes over the last few years from the Session DH bike to their Fuel EX and Fuel EXe and of course, the last generation Slash . We first rode the Gen 6 Trek Slash during Crankworx Whistler, where we filmed a Dissected Feature with their engineer: Trek athlete Casey Brown and more. Since then, we spent the rest of summer in the bike park, pedaling backcountry trails and yes, filming a service video on the famous “Chain dropping” issue that commenters had us thinking was affecting nearly everyone who owned one of these bikes. But…as the saying goes, don’t believe everything you hear. Even if you don’t believe what we’ve got to say when it comes to the goods and bads of the new Trek Slash, we think you’ll find it entertaining at least.

QUICK SPECS

• 170mm High Pivot ABP Suspension • Mixed Wheel (29”F/27.5”R) as standard, dual 29” option • HTA 63.3 • STA 76 (effective) • REACH 490 (Large)

FULL BUILD SPEC

CHASSIS Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon | 170mm Fork: RockShox ZEB Ultimate 170mm | Charger 3 RC2 Shock: RockShox Vivid Ultimate 230x65mm

COCKPIT Brakes: SRAM Code Silver | 200F/R Centreline rotors Bar/Stem: Bontrager RSL Integrated | OCLV Carbon | 820mm | 27.5mm Rise | 35mm Length Headset: Integrated Sealed Bearing Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS | S: 100mm, M-XL: 170mm Saddle: Bontrager Arvada

WHEELS Hubs: Bontrager Rapid Drive 108 Rims: Bontrager Line Pro Carbon Front Tire: Bontrager SE6 Team Issue | 29″ x 2.5″ Rear Tire: Bontrager SE5 Team Issue | 27.5″ x 2.5″

DRIVETRAIN Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB Threaded Cassette: SRAM Eagle XS-1295 | T-Type | 10-52T Cranks: SRAM X0 Eagle | T-Type | 30T | 165mm length Shifter: SRAM AXS POD Ultimate | 12s Derailleur: SRAM X0 Eagle AXS | 12s

Downhill performance is incredible

Rear suspension plush yet solid

Fast and Confident

Bike Park shredder

Vivid Ultimate

WE DON’T

3 Dropped chains (fix appears to work)

Steep, chunky climbing

About The Trek Slash Gen 6

Packing 170mm of travel out back, the new Trek Slash claims to be a 70/30 bike, meaning Trek designed the bike to have a 70% downhill bias with a 30% nod to climbing and uphill capabilities. Needless to say, this isn’t your run of the mill XC or all-mountain bike. It’s designed and built for riders who prioritize downhill speed, composure, and confidence on the gnarliest terrain over efficiency and climbing performance.

Since this review is likely going to get a bit long, we’ll link to our Dissected Feature which has a written interview, all the tech details and a video interview and presentation on the Gen 6 Trek Slash. If you’d like to check that out, click here.

If the CliffsNotes version works for you then we’ll gloss over a few key features:

FRAME AND FEATURES

Updated for 2023, the high pivot Trek Slash Gen 6 can be run with a number of wheel size configurations and can take up to a 190mm travel fork but comes with a 170mm fork and mixed-wheel setup as standard. Riders can choose a full 29er race machine, 27.5” aggro-shredder or put a dual crown 190mm with a mullet and have a mini-Session bike park rig.

With many people loving the last generation Slash, some may have wondered why Trek opted to go to a high pivot and run two idlers? Well, with Trek’s other bikes creeping up in capability and riders wanting to go faster and bigger, it seems many brands are making their bikes bigger and burlier, and of course, more high-pivoty. Trek Slash engineer, Matt Yerke told us that even though the bike’s 70% focused on DH performance, they took time to keep it versatile and pedal-friendly, as a mountain bike should be. Did they deliver? We’ll see down below.

BUILD SPECS AND VALUE  

With bikes starting at $4,399 and going up to $11,499, our Slash 9.9 X0 AXS sits on the higher end of the spectrum at $9,399 and comes with a dialed spec. If we were spending our own money however, we’d likely be checking out the Slash 9 or Slash 9.8 XT models.

Chain Drop Service Bulletin and Notes from Trek

We published this How To Video to address some of the popularized videos and comments talking about chain drop on the new Trek Slash. After publishing this video and seeing all the comments, we reached out to Trek as it had us reconsidering our official stance on the long-term review you’re about to see below. The statement below from Trek, which we are taking as truthful, made us feel better and also aligned with our notions of what we’ve observed. Trek passed our concern around their Customer and Dealer Service teams and below is a small excerpt.

“First off, Trek Bicycles and I would like to acknowledge that it is frustrating to buy a nice new bike that doesn’t work exactly like it should out of the box. Luckily however, it has been a very small number of people affected and thankfully they have been far less upset than what online commenters may have you believe.

Trek’s customer service team has actually received way more calls about internet comments talking about chain drop than actual Slash owners who are experiencing the issue. We have found that a handful of riders said the fix did not entirely solve their dropping issues. We have sent out early units of our updated idler wheel to that handful of riders, one of which is Ryan Howard, who has been spending a ton of time on his Slash. We’ve been pleased to hear that those riders are no longer having any drop issues.

These will ship to dealers at no cost for any Slash owners who want to get one.” – Ross Rushin // MTB Product Manager

When evaluating the new Gen 6 Trek Slash 9.9 X0 AXS against the previous generation Slash and current offerings from other brands in this genre, the Slash commands attention. As with any purpose-built product, the things that make it excel can also alienate or turn off others. I’m traditionally not a huge fan of high pivot bikes, though I’ve grown to like mid-high pivot bikes for certain applications. Rocky Mountain’s Powerplay eBike and the Trek Session , which we reviewed last year, are two examples of mid-high pivot bikes that I like quite a bit.

Chances are you’ve already heard the touted claims of high pivot bikes since they’ve been so heavily marketed over the last couple of years, so we’ll save you the pitch. What is undeniable though, is that they can charge over terrain and obstacles a bit better than other designs, but only if they are tuned and designed well. We have ridden some high pivots that don’t really improve much, but suffer the downsides of a high pivot, but we’re happy to report that Trek has avoided this ill fate.

SETUP | Setting up The Trek Slash was one of the easier tasks of the year. It required almost zero tuning, customization or tinkering with to feel amazing. If you’ve read our older Trek reviews, you may recall us being a bit critical about the tune being a bit too mellow, which led to heavier or more aggressive riders needing to add maximum volume reducers or going our route, contacting Fox Shox to weasel a Trek Factory Racing tuned shock, which did wonders for the bike. This is no longer an issue as Trek seem to have finally identified that if they’re going to design an aggressive bike for aggressive riders, they need to have a shock and tune that are ready for it.

The most time-consuming part of our review bike’s set up was removing the one-piece Bontrager bar and stem combo unit and replacing it with our favorite OneUp Components Ebar and stem. This resulted in a better body position and way less hand fatigue.

DESCENDING | Trek has done a great job of making the new Slash’s suspension absolutely devour hits of all sizes. The RockShox Vivid Ultimate rear shock only compliments the insane capability of the Slash’s rear end. It is possibly the smoothest, best feeling rear suspension I’ve felt in a while. For me, a rider who loves smashing, gapping and floating rough, chunky downhill trails, it offers a very nice platform for support and control, but gets out of the way offering a bottomless and smooth feel. I could have been tricked into thinking a coil shock was mounted out back based on the composure and smoothness.

When it comes to downhill performance, the Trek Slash may be the best descending mountain bike we rode in 2023! It absolutely shreds trails with ease and begs to go faster. Whether we were lapping blown-out end of season bike park trails or remote backcountry downhills, the Slash leads the way. In fact, we can’t think of any bikes that aren’t downhill bikes that we’d want to ride in a bike park more than the Slash. The speed this bike carries, composure over braking bumps, big and little hits as well as the way it corners make it a really impressive machine.

The downside is, the compliance combined with the weight, makes this bike a little bit tougher to jib on smaller features at slower speeds. It absolutely still gets off the ground and is fun to play on, it just requires a bit more muscle to get it up and tweaked. Granted, this rocket ship wasn’t designed with lower speeds in mind, and it shows with a list of Personal Records that our various testers achieved.

Another downside is that the bike does have more stuff to go wrong. Whether you’re one of the unlucky riders dropping chains – which we did three times before the service bulletin addressed the issue – or not, more moving parts, extra chain links, and more nooks and crannies all mean more chances for things to go wrong.

CLIMBING | Along with the above concerns, the climbing performance of the Gen 6 Slash certainly isn’t what its outgoing sibling offered. Since taking possession of the Trek Slash 9.9 XO AXS we’ve had four riders put time on it. Two of which owned previous generation Trek Slashes. All riders agreed, like Trek claims, this bike is a definite 70/30 bike, and the climbing performance is tolerable in certain situations like fire roads and smoother trails, but can be a struggle on more steep, technical trails with larger obstacles that want to eat your momentum.

The weight is noted, and while the drag may be a claimed 3%, it felt a bit closer to 10% in practice. That could be exacerbated by the lengthening rear end – yes, the same thing that makes high pivots so great, also works against it.

It’s been a while since we graduated but, we think someone smart once said something about actions having reactions, but we didn’t pay close attention in school so maybe we’re making it up. Either way, when speeds are low, the grade steep and effort high, we found that the rear end could “stall” as we tried to pedal over roots or rocks, sucking our energy and momentum in the process. Much the way the rear end grows to get up and out of the way of an impact while descending, as you climb and hit an obstacle, the front continues to creep up the hill as you grind away at the pedals. However, the rear wheel goes backwards before going up and that delay can make it feel like you’re pedaling harder to get up and over that obstacle, which means more energy and slower times. Of course, this bike wasn’t designed to race up the hill, it’s meant to go down. If your energy is spent on the way up, however, it could be worth considering you may be more fatigued when that race timer starts.

FINISH AND VALUE | Now, as amazing as the bike is, we did in fact drop the chain three times over the six-month test period we had. Since the repair, we didn’t drop the chain, however we only had a few rides on it before winter hit, so we can’t say with 100% confidence it’s gone, but we are pretty certain that with the updated spacing and especially the new idler wheel, we’d be in good shape. You may want to wait until the updated idlers hit, hopefully February of 2024, but in the meantime the chain dropping issue may not be quite as bad as commenters may have you believing.

The rest of the bike is a nicely put together package. Trek paint had some years known for being a bit, soft we’ll call it, and while it’s still not as durable as we’d like, it’s a lot better. Though we’d recommend a frame wrap, of course, we’d recommend that on any bike, so maybe not a surprise there. If you stop, look closely and examine the details of this bike, it does look very nice, has quality bits, nice hardware and a very classy overall appearance. Trek have done a nice job making this a drool-inducing bike.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Price: $9,399 Weight: 36.4lbs Website: Trekbikes.com

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Slash Versus Fuel Ex

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Can someone give me the world's most brilliant breakdown of the differences in how these two bikes would ride? Like pros and cons of both bikes in comparison to each other. If someone has the extra cash to spend, why not go with a Slash 9.8 over a Fuel Ex 9.8? I understand how the Fuel is supposed to be designed for more all mountain type usage and the Slash is supposed to be more of an enduro focused ride. I see the slightly more slack headtube, I see the increased suspension, I see the higher bottom brackets and all that stuff. But how would it all translate to the trails? I've always ridden Fuel's and was planning on going to a Ex 9.8 this upcoming year but I want to be sure that it's exactly what I want and after reading up a bit on the Slash I may have another dog in that race. I know, test rides, blah blah, will do. Just want someone to give me their expert run-down.  

I have a Fuel EX 9.7 in central Texas as well. IMHO there's no reason to have a Slash for 95% of the riding in Texas. It'd be cool to have but I almost feel that the Fuel may be just a hair too much bike for most of Texas riding. I will say that I have no experience with the Slash but that's my 2 cents. I absolutely love my Fuel though.  

I´ve had the new Fuel EX 9.8 in a P1 setup. After the first rides I came to the following result: a really good bike, but for me way too heavy, bottom bracket too low which resulted in pedal strikes very often. My 2016 carbon Remedy could do everything better than the new Fuel EX. I then decided to switch to the Slash 9.9 RSL. Ordered it at the very last moment end of October 2016. It´s built up now like I wanted to have it: a 12.95 kg rocket, with which I ride everything a want. It´s not only that Enduro race machine, in this setup it´s my bike for everything. My clear recommendation: buy the Slash! You will get the bike with the bigger potential!  

mlx john said: Bought the '17 Fuel Ex 9.8 27+ Threw some carbon Line Pro 30's and a Next SL crank at it (1X). Weighs 12.5 kg (w/pedals) BB not too low for my taste. Weighs 12.8 kg with the plus wheels. What kind ofor terrain do you mostly ride? Click to expand...

Fuel. Will climb better Slash will descend better ButH will be fun Fuel is made for more of your all round riding. Slash is made for more of Enduro style riding or mostly DH stuff I wouldn't want a Slash for a bike if more of my riding was pointed up a hill. more than likely not the kind of answer you were looking for,. I just don't feel like typing a lot of stuff. Fuel-All mountain Slash- Enduro  

brent701 said: Fuel. Will climb better Slash will descend better ButH will be fun Fuel is made for more of your all round riding. Slash is made for more of Enduro style riding or mostly DH stuff I wouldn't want a Slash for a bike if more of my riding was pointed up a hill. more than likely not the kind of answer you were looking for,. I just don't feel like typing a lot of stuff. Fuel-All mountain Slash- Enduro Click to expand...

Bought the '17 Fuel Ex 9.8 27+ Threw some carbon Line Pro 30's and a Next SL crank at it (1X). Weighs 12.5 kg (w/pedals) BB not too low for my taste. Weighs 12.8 kg with the plus wheels. What kind ofor terrain do you mostly ride?  

Question about the slash 9.8 suspension set-up. Is it one that could have a lock-out remote installed on? I have zero experience with RS suspensions. It would be nice, while running a 1x, to have a lever that makes climbing and horizontal stuff a little better while being able to quickly flip both into open mode to take full advantage of all those mm of suspension when I need it.  

Agree with Brent, and others. I went into a Trek demo day (wasn't even going to go, was going to order blindly) just knowing I was getting a Remedy. And I rode some decently rough, rooty stuff on it. But, I just didn't care for how it felt. It plowed through the rough stuff great, but just felt dead, no pop at all. And it had some weird handling characteristics as well. Almost like a fat bike with too low a front tire pressure, it didn't want to turn, then when it did, it would fall into the turn. Perhaps if I had more time to play with the suspension, I might have gotten it there, I don't know. All I know is when I got on the '16 Fuel EX, it was like it was made for me, it just disappeared under me. Poppy, playful, handled well, and still did very well pointed down hill. I would demo both before dropping that kind of cash for sure.  

Starting to think that maybe I'll just have to wait and see what all changes with the 2018 versions of both bikes to decide. Leaning towards the Fuel more now as the option to go Plus is sexy and according to Trek the slash is a poor choice for a plus conversion. Also I plan to snag a pair of the new bony kovee elites and a pair of XC tires to convert my trail bike into more of a long distance runner. I don't think that the Slash would be as open to that as the Fuel would be. But it all depends on what changes with next year's models...  

drdocta said: Starting to think that maybe I'll just have to wait and see what all changes with the 2018 versions of both bikes to decide. Leaning towards the Fuel more now as the option to go Plus is sexy and according to Trek the slash is a poor choice for a plus conversion. Also I plan to snag a pair of the new bony kovee elites and a pair of XC tires to convert my trail bike into more of a long distance runner. I don't think that the Slash would be as open to that as the Fuel would be. But it all depends on what changes with next year's models... Click to expand...

Now that the changes are all pretty much leaked or released for both I still can't really decide! Those who have tried both (even this current year's models as not too much changes for this year), what areas does each bike excel in?  

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Your complete guide to the 2021 trek mountain bike range.

Trek has had a long-standing presence in the mountain bike world with a vast range of bikes to back it up. The brands offering ranges from featherweight cross country bikes right through to downhill thoroughbreds. If you're in the market for a Trek bike and wondering which will suit you best, read on for our complete guide to their 2021 range.

• Your complete guide to the 2021 Canyon mountain bike range
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2021 Trek mountain bikes

• Full Stache
• Supercaliber

Understanding Trek's naming system

Trek's naming system follows a similar style to how Canyon names its bikes. Each bike's name is suffixed with a number, with higher value numbers corresponding to pricier and better-kitted bikes. Once we get to 9, Trek adds decimals to the suffix to denote changes in the bike's suspension package. All bikes with a 9 in the name get carbon frames but a 9.7 might get its suspension from Fox's Rhythm range for example, while a 9.8 will get better something from higher in the range. Also, you'll see that a lot of kit on the bikes come from Bontrager, for the uninitiated that's Trek's in-house component brand.

At the '9' level, we also see XT, XO1, and GX finding their way into the names. Yep, you've guessed it, that's the drivetrain the bike comes kitted with.

Another thing that's definitely worth mentioning is that a small selection of Trek's bike range is available through what the brand calls Project One. Project One offers the opportunity to have your bike personalised and custom painted with special, exclusive colours. This will mean you have to part ways with a heap of cash but in return, you'll get a bike that's unique to you.

As with the brand's range of bikes, the price range is vast with bikes starting from £440, right up to £9,200 and that's not even considering the Project One options. There's also a comprehensive range of gravel bikes and e-bikes.

Let's kick things off with the Slash. It's Trek's enduro bike which rolls on 29" wheels and gets 160mm of travel at the rear, paired with 170mm at the front. For 2021 it gets both an aluminium and carbon frame option all of which benefit from Trek's proprietary Knock Block system which saves your top and down tube if your front end spins during a crash. This bike also gets the Mino Link which is a geometry adjusting flip-chip, down tube guards threaded bottom brackets, an Active Braking Pivot, and storage in the downtube. As for the geometry, in the low setting, the Slash sees a 75.6° effective seat tube angle, a 64.1° head tube angle, and a 435mm chainstay. A large frame gets a 486mm reach. If you're after something a little more special, the Slash is available through Project One.

Slash 9.9 XTR

Topping the Slash range is the Slash 9.9 XTR. It gets Trek's OCLV carbon frame with the all-new RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock with an updated ThruShaft damper. At the front, you'll find the RockShox ZEB Ultimate RC2 which features chunky 38mm stanchions. As its name suggests there's a full Shimano XTR 12-speed drivetrain with an e*thirteen LG1 Race Carbon crank. The brakes here also come from the XTR lineup and they come with 4-pot calipers for extra stopping power. This bike rolls on a pair of Bontrager Line Pro 30 which are wrapped with a Bontrager SE5 Team Issue 2.6" Tubeless Ready, Core Strength sidewall, aramid bead tyre at the front and an SE5 Team Issue with the same spec in 2.4" at the rear. It also gets a Bontrager Line Elite Dropper with Bontrager supplying the 820mm wide carbon bar, 35mm stem along with the rest of the build kit.

Slash 9.9 XO1

The Slash 9.9 XO1 gets all of the same trimmings as the 9.9 XTR but benefits from a SRAM XO1 Eagle drivetrain and SRAM Code RSC Brakes, along with a slightly friendlier price tag.

Slash 9.8 GX

Shaving a few thousand pounds of the range-topper is the 9.8 GX. This one is still built around Trek's carbon frame but this one gets a slightly downgraded RockShox ZEB Select+ RC with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate. Here we get a SRAM GX drivetrain with a matching crankset and SRAM Code R brakes. As for the rest of the bike, it's the same as the 9.9 XTR.

Slash 9.8 XT

As its name suggests, the Slash 9.8 XT gets a very similar built kit to the 9.8 GX. However, this bike sees a Shimano XT drivetrain with SLX M7120 four-piston brakes.

Dropping a full £1.8k off of the 9.8 models, the Slash 9.7 is still built around a carbon frame and it swaps the RockShox suspension with a Fox Rhythm 36 fork and a Fox Performance DPX2 EVOL shock. The drivetrain is a mix of SRAM GX and NX Eagle and the wheels here are the alloy Bontrager Line Comp 30's. Those come shod with a Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewall, aramid bead 2.6" tyre at the front with a Bontrager XR4 with the same spec and a 2.4" width at the rear. Trek has also swapped the dropper post for a TransX post and there's Bontrager's own alloy finishing kit.

With the Slash 8, we no longer get a carbon frame but we do get a RockShox Lyric Select+ RC fork with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate at the rear. This bike is driven by a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain and there's a pair of SRAM Code R brakes. Everything else is the same as what you would get on the 9.7 model.

The Slash 7 rounds of the range with its alloy frame, RockShox Yari RC fork, RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock, and SRAM NX drivetrain. Here we get a pair of SRAM Guide T brakes and the rest of the bike follows suit with the 8.

Trek Remedy

The Remedy is Trek's long-legged trail bike which comes with four models for 2021. It rolls on 650b wheels and gets 160mm of travel at the front, with 150mm at the rear. Much like the Slash, the Remedy benefits from the Knock Block, the Active Braking Pivot, and the Mino Link. Geometry-wise, it gets a 65.6° head angle, a 74.2° effective seat tube angle, and 435mm chainstays in the low position. A large frame gets a 455mm reach, again in that low setting.

The Remedy 9.8 is the only bike in the 2021 line up that gets a carbon frame. It also gets a burly Fox Performance 38 paired with a Fox Performance Float DPX2 EVOL shock at the rear. This bike benefits from a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain matched with SRAM Code R brakes. As for the wheels, they're a pair of carbon Bontrager Line Elite 30's and they're wrapped with a Bontrager SE5 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Core Strength sidewalls with an aramid bead in 2.6" with a Bontrager SE4 Team Issue with the same specs in the 2.4" width. Bontrager also supplies the dropper post with the Line Elite and the 820mm handlebar along with the 35mm stem.

As suggested by the lack of a '9' in its name, the Slash 8 comes kitted with an alloy frame. As for the fork, it's a RockShox Lyrik Select+ RC and that's paired with a RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock. This bike is also driven by a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain and it gets the same brakes as the 9.8 rig. Differing from the range-topper, this build sees in a pair of Bontrager Line Comp 30 alloy wheels which get an XR5 Team Issue tyre that's tubeless-ready with Inner Strength sidewalls and an aramid bead in 2.6", also from Bontrager. At the rear, there's an XR4 with the very same specification. The rest of the bike follows suit with the 9.8 model.

Remedy 8 XT

Rather unsurprisingly, the Remedy 8 XT comes with a very similar build to the 8 but gets an XT drivetrain and Deore M6120 four-pot brakes. Everything else on this build matches the Remedy 8.

The Remedy 7 is the cheapest 2021 Remedy on offer. It gets a RockShox Gold RL fork and a RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock. There's a SRAM NX drivetrain with SRAM Guide T brakes. Apart from that, everything else is the same as what you'll get on the Remedy 8's.

Trek Fuel EX

The Fuel EX is Trek's do it all trail bike. It gets 130mm of rear travel and 140mm at the front. Just like the Slash, the Fuel EX gets built-in downtube storage and the Active Braking Pivot. It comes with a RE:aktiv shock with Thru Shaft, something that you'll only find on Trek bikes. It promises more grip and control with a shock the reacts to the ground faster than anything else on the market, says Trek. This bike also gets the Mino Link, Knock Block, and Straight Shot downtube. The Fuel EX comes in five sizes with XS getting 650b hoops and M upwards getting 29" wheels. However, size S comes with a choice of either wheel size. As for the geometry in the low setting, the bike gets a 66° head angle, a 75° effective seat tube angle, and a 437mm chain stay. A large frame benefits from a 470mm reach.

Fuel EX 9.9 AXS

Topping the range with a pretty hefty pricetag is the 9.9 AXS. On this model, you'll get a Fox Factory 36 with a GRIP 2 damper, paired with a Fox Factory Float EVOL RE:aktiv shock. Of course, we then get wireless shifting from SRAM and the AXS range along with a wireless RockShox Reverb AXS dropper. It rolls on a pair of Bontrager Line 30 carbon wheels and they're wrapped with two Bontrager XR4 Team Issue tyres with Inner Strength sidewalls and aramid beads, measuring in with a 2.6" width at the front and a 2.4" at the rear. Bontrager supplies the finishing kit with a Knock Block stem and a 780mm OCLV carbon handlebar.

Fuel EX 9.9 XTR & XO1

Next up, the Fuel EX 9.9 XTR gets all of the bling. It's built around Trek's OCLV carbon frame and gets a Fox Factory 36 fork with a GRIP2 damper. At the back, there's a Fox Factory Float EVOL, RE:aktiv. As its name hints, this bike comes with a Shimano XTR 12-speed drivetrain with matching XTR M9120 four-piston brakes. There's also an option with a SRAM XO1 drivetrain with SRAM G2 RSC brakes. This one rolls on a pair of Bontrager Line Pro 30 OCLV carbon wheels which are wrapped in a pair of Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready tyres with the brand's Inner Strength sidewalls and aramid bead. At the front, there's a 2.6" tyre with a 2.4" at the rear on both wheel sizes. Then the bike comes kitted with a Bontrager Line Elite Dropper and the rest of the kit comes from the same brand.

Fuel EX 9.8 XT & GX

Offering a saving of over £2,000 over the top of the range bike is the 9.8 GX and XT. This bike comes with the same carbon frame as the most expensive bike but sees a downgrade in suspension and drivetrain. Here we get a Fox Performance 36 with a GRIP damper and a Fox Performance Float EVOL, RE:aktiv shock. This rig comes with a choice of drivetrain with either SRAM's GX groupset or Shimano's XT. The GX build comes with SRAM G2 RS brakes whereas the XT model is stopped with a pair of Shimano SLX M7120 four-piston brakes. Everything else on these builds is the same as what you'll find on the 9.9 XTR model.

Fuel EX 9.7

The 9.7 is Trek's most affordable carbon-framed Fuel EX. It comes kitted with a Fox Rhythm 36 with a GRIP damper and a Fox Performance Float EVOL shock. The drivetrain here is a mix of SRAM NX and GX with the former making up the shifter and the latter handing the mech. Gone are the carbon wheels, unfortunately, but instead we get a set of Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels wrapped in the very same tyres like the rest of the range. The rest of the bike follows suit with the pricier models but there's an alloy bar and stem.

Fuel EX 8 XT & GX

At the sub £3k mark Trek does away with the carbon frames and replaces them with cheaper alloy alternatives. On the priciest alloy option, we get a Fox Rythm 34 Float with a GRIP damper and a Fox Performance Float EVOL RE:aktiv shock. On this build, there's a choice of either a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain or a Shimano XT with the former benefitting from SRAM G2 R brakes and the latter receiving a pair of Shimano MT4100 levers mated to MT420 four-piston callipers. This bike gets a pair of Bontrager Line Comp 30 alloy wheels and the rest of the build is the same as what you'll get on the 9.7 bike.

Fuel EX 7 NX

On the Fuel EX 7 NX we find a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork and a Fox Performance Float EVOL shock, note that this shock doesn't come with that special RE:aktiv tech. You've guessed it, this one comes equipped with a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain it gets its brakes from Shimano with a pair of MT4100 levers and MT410 callipers. The rest of the bike, including the wheels and tyres on this bike, is the same as the rest of the alloy range but we see a TransX dropper on this model.

Fuel EX 5 Deore

Rounding off the fairly extensive range is the reasonably priced Fuel EX Deore. It gets a RockShox Recon Silver fork with an X-Fusion Pro 2 shock. Then there's the Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain with Shimano brakes made up of MT201 levers and MT200 callipers. The wheels see a downgrade from the rest of the range with an Alex MD35 rim laced to Bontrager hubs. They're wrapped in a pair of Bontrager XR4 tyres and there's a TransX dropper post. The rest of the finishing kit comes from Bontrager.

Trek Top Fuel

Like it or not, but down-country bikes are becoming more and more prolific. Luckily for those who are on board with the trend Trek has a bike for you. It comes kitted with 120mm travel up front and 115mm at the rear with 29" wheels. In keeping with the rest of Trek's bikes so far the Top Fuel also gets a Straight Shot downtube and Trek's Active Braking Pivot. It's also kitted with the Mino Link and Control Freak cable management system. Moving onto the geometry, the Top Fuel sees a 68° head tube angle, a 75.7° effective seat tube angle and a 434mm chainstay. A large frame gets a 470mm reach and those numbers have been taken with the bike in its low setting. As for frame sizes, there's a choice from XS right up to XXL.

Top Fuel 9.9 XX1 AXS

A few hundred pounds shy of the 10k mark, this bike comes with all of the top tech. It's made around a carbon frame with a RockShox SID Ultimate fork with a Race Day Charger damper and a RockShox SID Luxe Ultimate shock. There's a RockShox TwistLoc Full Sprint lockout remote too. As for the drivetrain, here we get a SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS 12-speed wireless set up with SRAM G2 Ultimate brakes. The wheels on this bike area pair of Bontrager Kovee Pro 30 Carbon hoops and they're kitted with a pair of Bontrager XR3 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready tyres with Inner Strength sidewalls and aramid beads in a 2.4" width. Finally, there's a RockShox Reverb AXS wireless dropper post, Bontrager OCLV carbon bar with a 750mm width and 35mm clamp and a Bontrager stem.

Top Fuel 9.9 XTR & XO1

Next up, the Top Fuel XTR and XO1 models get the same carbon frame but this time there's a Fox Factory 34 Step Cast with a FIT4 damper paired with a Fox Factory Float shock. This bike also gets the RockShox Twistloc remote lockout. With this model, there's a choice of either a SRAM XO1 drivetrain or the Shimano XTR set up. The XO1 model gets SRAM G2 RSC four-piston brakes while the XTR gets XTR M9100 brakes. Everything else on the bike is the same as the AXS model but the dropper, which is a Bontrager Line Elite.

Top Fuel 9.8 XT & GX

The Top Fuel 9.8 sees a saving of £2.4k and gets its suspension from RockShox with the SID Select+ RL fork and RockShox SID Ultimate RL shock. There's a choice of drivetrain on this bike too between either a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed with SRAM G2 RSC brakes or a Shimano XT drivetrain with SLX M7000 brakes. Everything else on this bike is the same as its pricier brethren.

Top Fuel 9.7

The 9.7 model is the cheapest with a carbon frame and it comes with a RockShox Reba RL fork and a Fox Performance Float DPS shock. There's a SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain with Shimano brakes consisting of MT501 levers and MT500 calipers. This bike makes a move to Bontrager Kovee Comp 23 alloy wheels and they get the same tyres as the rest of the range. We get an alloy cockpit and a Bontrager Line Dropper.

Top Fuel 8 NX

At this price point, Trek introduces alloy frames into the mix. With the 8 NX there's a RockShox Recon Gold RL Solo Air with a Fox Performance Float DPS. There's still a remote lockout here but it comes from Bontrager in the form of the Drop Lock. As its name suggests, this bike is driven by a SRAM NX drivetrain and it's stopped with a pair of SRAM Level T brakes. The rest of the bike is the same as what you'll find on the 9.7 model.

Top Fuel 7 SX

The Top Fuel 7 SX is the most affordable bike in the range featuring suspension from RockShox with the Judy SL Solo Air fork and the X-Fusion Pro 2 shock. There's a SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain with Shimano MT200 brakes. This one rolls on the same alloy wheels as the rest of the range with the same tyres. In fact, apart from the TransX dropper post, everything else matches the Top Fuel 8 NX.

Trek Full Stache

While the Full Stache hasn't had an update for 2021, it seems rude not to include it as there aren't an awful lot of full suspension 29+ bikes on the market. Of course, it rolls on 29" wheels with chunky 3" tyres. It also has 130mm of travel at both ends but the frame is compatible with up to a 140mm fork if you fancy some extra lairy riding. There's also the Mino Link, Control Freak cable management and the Knock Block. It's built around an aluminium frame and gets a 67° head tube angle, a 75.5° effective seat tube and a 430mm chainstay in the low setting. A large gets a 480mm reach, again in the low setting.

Full Stache 8

With its aluminium frame, you'll find a RockShox Pike Select Plus RC fork with a Fox Performance Float EVOL RE:aktiv shock. There's a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, aTruvativ Descendant 6k crank and SRAM Guide R brakes. This bike gets a pair of SUNringlé Duroc 40 SL wheels and they're shod with a pair of Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready tyres with Inner Strength sidewalls and aramid beads. We get a Bontrager Line Dropper on this bike with a 780mm wide alloy bar, also from Bontrager.

Trek Supercaliber

Filling the role of the full suspension cross country bike is the rather unique looking Supercaliber. The standout feature of this bike is its IsoStrut suspension platform. It offers 60mm of fully tunable travel and what makes it special is that it does away with a rocker link thus saving a chunk of weight. The IsoStrut is also a structural feature of the frame which Trek says prevents twisting, flex and deflection which the brand claims offers a more direct power transfer. The whole range of Supercalibers feature carbon frames rolling on 29" hoops, Straight Shot downtube and the Knock Block. The geometry on this bike sees a 69° head angle, 74° seat tube angle and a 430mm chainstay. The reach of a large frame measures in at 455mm. There are six sizes from S to XXL and an ML size which gets a longer top tube than the M. Up front there's 100mm of travel.

Supercaliber 9.9 XX1 AXS

The Supercaliber 9.9 XX1 AXS takes the crown as Trek's most expensive mountain bike. It comes dripping with top-shelf kit such as the RockShox SID SL Ultimate with a Charger Race Day damper and a Fox Factory IsoStrut shock. This bike gets SRAMs XX1 Eagle AXS wireless drivetrain with the carbon crank and SRAM Level Ultimate brakes. It rolls on a pair of Bontrager Kovee XXX OCLV carbon wheels and they're wrapped with a set of 2.2" Bontrager XR2 Team Issue, tubeless ready tyres with Inner Strength Sidewalls and aramid beads. Then the finishing kit also comes from Bontrager and the line of carbon components, including a 720mm wide handlebar.

Supercaliber XX1 & XTR

Next up the Supercaliber 9.9 XX1 and XTR get all of the same kit as the priciest model but they drop the fancy wireless shifting. Instead, there's a choice of either a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain with SRAM Level Ultimate brakes or a Shimano XTR drivetrain with XTR M9100 brakes.

Supercaliber XT & GX

Seeing a considerable saving from the rest of the range, the Supercaliber 9.8 GX and XT models get a downgraded Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast fork with a GRIP2 damper. There's also that IsoStrut suspension also provided by Fox but this model doesn't get that sleek Kashima coating, coming from the brands Performance line-up. These models come with a choice of either a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed groupset with both choices coming kitted with Shimano Deore XT M8100 brakes. Here we get a pair of Bontrager Kovee Pro 30 carbon wheels, then the rest of the kit is the same as what you would get on the other bikes.

Supercaliber 9.7

The Supercaliber 9.7 is the most budget-friendly option in the range. It's still built around that OCLV carbon frame and the Performance level IsoStrut shock but gets a RockShox Reba RL fork. This one is driven by a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain and it's stopped by brakes from Shimano with the MT501 levers and MT500 calipers. This model gets slightly narrower Bontrager Kovee Elite 23 carbon wheels with the same XR2 tyres but the rest of the bike comes from Bontrager's alloy line of kit.

Trek Procaliber

The Procaliber is Trek's lightweight cross country hardtail. Compared to the Supercaliber it presents a mighty cash saving if you're looking for a race-ready XC bike. That doesn't mean that it's not without some cool tech, however. The Supercaliber benefits from what Trek calls the IsoSpeed decoupler which allows the set tube to rotate independently from the top tube to seatstay junction which Trek says offers some vertical compliance without sacrificing pedalling efficiency. As with the rest of the range, this bike gets the Straight Shot downtube and Knock Block too. Each bike in the Supercaliber line up comes with a carbon frame which rolls on 29" wheels and can fit up to 2.4" rubber. Here we see a 68.8° head angle, a 73.8° seat tube angle and 432mm a chainstay. A large frame benefits from a 450mm reach and there are six sizes, from S up to XL, including an ML size which gets a longer top tube than the M. The Procaliber gets 100mm of suspension.

Procaliber 9.8

Built around an OCLV carbon frame the Procaliber 9.8 comes with a Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast fork with a GRIP damper. It's driven by a Shimano XT drivetrain with Deore XT M8100 brakes but this one gets an e*thirteen TRS Race Carbon crank. The wheels here are a pair of Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 carbon wheels and there's a pair of Bontrager 2.2" XR2 Team Issue, tubeless-ready tyres with Inner Strength sidewalls and aramid beads. The rest of the kit comes from Bontrager too, with a 720mm wide carbon handlebar.

Procaliber 9.7

This model comes equipped with a RockShox Reba RL Solo Air and a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain with Shimano MT501 brake levers hosed to MT500 calipers. This bike gets Bontrager's Kovee Elite 23 wheels, then the rest of the bike matches the 9.8 model.

Procaliber 9.6

On the 9.6 model of the Procaliber you'll get a RockShox Recon Gold RL and a mixture of Shimano kit making up the drivetrain. There's an SLX M7100 shifter and an XT M8100 derailleur. With this model there's the move over to alloy wheels, they come from Bontrager and the Kovee's. Then there are the same tyres as the rest of the range and an all-alloy finishing kit from Bontrager.

Procaliber 9.5

Finally the Procaliber line-up is rounded off with the 9.5. Even as the cheapest bike, it still gets that OCLV carbon frame but sees a RockShox Judy SL fork. There's a full Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain with Shimano MT200 brakes. Then the rest of the bike features the same kit that you'll find on the 9.6 model.

Trek X-Caliber

If you're looking for a race-ready cross country bike but you're on a budget, the X-Caliber is the bike for you. Accommodating for its affordable price point is an aluminium frame rather than the carbon you'll find on its pricier sibling, the Procaliber. The X-Caliber comes kitted with rack mounts, so it's bike-packing ready, along with a mount for a kickstand. All frames feature internal routing and they all come kitted with Trek's Blendr stem. The X-Caliber comes with either 650b wheels on sizes XS and S with all larger bikes (up to XXL) roll on 29" hoops. As for the geometry, there's a 73° effective seat tube angle on sizes M and up while the smaller two sizes get a 73.5° effective seat tube angle. Then there's a 69.5° head tube angle (S and XSs get a 69.3° HA) and a 438mm chainstay on M and up, and a 425mm chainstay on the smaller bikes. Sizes S to XL get 100mm of travel leaving XS with just 80mm. Although, the frame will accept a maximum of a 120mm fork while the XS can accept a 100mm fork.

X-Caliber 9

Heading up the range, the X-Caliber 9 gets a RockShox Judy Silver Solo Air with a TurnKey remote lockout. This bike gets a Shimano SLX M7100 12-speed drivetrain with Shimano brakes made up of an MT401 lever and an MT400 caliper. The wheels on this one are a pair of Bontrager Kovees and they're wrapped with a pair of Bontrager XR3s in the 2.3" width on all sizes. The finishing kit comes from Bontrager too with an alloy bar, stem, and seat post.

X-Caliber 8

The middle of the range X-Caliber 8 comes with a RockShox Judy SL Solo Air fork with a SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain. Stopping the bike is a pair of MT200 brakes from Shimano. As for the wheels, the rims come from Bontrager with a pair of kovees and they're laced to Formula DCL-141Q hubs. Then the rest of the bike is the same as the X-Caliber 9.

X-Caliber 7

The X-Caliber 7 gets much of the same kit as the X-Caliber 8 with the only difference in spec being its Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain.

Trek Roscoe

If you're looking for a trail orientated hardtail, the Roscoe fits the bill. Each build comes properly sorted with dropper posts, 120mm of travel (size S gets 100mm), 1x drivetrains and alloy frames. The bike also rolls on 650b+ wheels and tyres. They all feature internal cable routing, rack and kickstand mounts too. Onto the geometry, the Roscoe sees a 67.3° head angle, a 70.8° effective seat tube angle (with the medium frame getting a 70.7° effective seat angle and the S and XS getting 71.2° and 71.1° angles respectively), and a large frame gets a 428mm reach. As a 650b+ bike, it can run either 27.5x2.8" or 29x2.4" rubber.

On the Roscoe 8, you'll find a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork with a SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain with Shimano brakes in the form of the MT501 lever paired with an MT500 caliper. It's worth noting that the fork comes with a flexy QR axle. The wheels here are made of rims from Bontrager and the Line 40s with a Bontrager hub at the front and a Formula hub at the rear. This bike gets a pair of Maxxis Rekon tubeless tyres with a 2.8" width and then the rest of the kit comes from Bontrager and the alloy range apart from the dropper post, which comes from TranzX with the JD-YSP18.

The Roscoe 7 benefits from most of the same kit as the 8, but this one gets a SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain and Shimano MT200 brakes.

On the cheapest Roscoe 6 you'll get an SR Suntour XCM 32 coil sprung fork with a Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain and MT200 brakes. This bike then rolls on Alex MD35 rims and Formula DC hubs which get a pair of Kenda Havok, wire beaded, 2.8" tyres. As for the rest of the build, that's just the same as the rest of the range.

Trek Marlin

If a sub £1k cross country, everyday bike is more your speed then it's worth checking out the Trek Marlin. Each bike in the range comes with an alloy frame and a fork with 100mm of travel (XS frames get 80mm). There are also rack and stand mounts, the Blendr stem, and internal cable routing. XS and S sizes roll on 650b wheels while sizes M to XXL get 29" hoops. On the Marlin, you'll get an effective seat tube angle of 73.5° on the XS and S frame while everything else benefits from a 71.9° effective seat tube angle. As for the head angle, on the smaller sizes it'll measure in at 69.3° and from M upwards it's a couple of degrees steeper at 69.5°. All frame sizes share a 438mm chainstay length and a large frame gets a 451mm reach.

The Marlin 7 comes kitted with a RockShox Judy coil sprung fork with a Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain and Shimano MT200 disc brakes. The wheels are made of Bontrager Kovee rims laced to Formula DC hubs and they're wrapped with a pair of Bontrager XR2 Comp 2.2" tyres with wire beads. The rest of the bike comes with Bontrager's own finishing kit.

Trek Farley

Perhaps fat bikes are more your things. Allow me to introduce the Farley. There are two in the 2021 range with an alloy and a carbon option which, of course, roll on 4.5" tyres. Both bikes come with a dropper post, horizontal sliding dropouts, ideal for single speed setups and tubeless-ready tyres. As for the geometry, the Farley gets a 69° head angle, a 73° effective seat tube angle and a 455mm chainstay. The reach on a large is 441mm and there are four sizes available, from S to XL. 

The Farley 9.6 gets an OCLV carbon frame with a Bontrager Haru OCLV fork. The drivetrain on this bike comes from SRAM and the GX Eagle 12-speed shifting. As for wheels, they're Sunringle Mulefut 80 SL rims laced to Bontrager alloy hubs. Those are wrapped in a pair of Bontrager Barbegazi Team Issue, tubeless-ready tyres with inner strength sidewalls and aramid beads. The dropper kitted here is a TransX JD-YSP18 and the rest of the kit comes from Bontrager with a 750mm wide bar.

The Farley 5 is Trek's best value fat bike and it's built around an alloy frame. It gets a Shimano Deore M4100 10-speed drivetrain with SRAM Level brakes and there's a Race Face crank. It gets the same wheels as the 9.6 but the tyres here are a pair of Bontrager Gnarwhals. The rest of the kit is the same as the 9.6. It's worth mentioning that while the Farley 5 comes with a rigid fork, it'll happily accommodate a 100mm travel suspension fork.

Trek Session

The Session needs no introduction, but it's the brand's 650b downhill bike. There's only one model in the 2021 range which is built around an alloy frame. It gets Trek's Active Braking Pivot and the geometry adjusting Mino-Link. Up front, there's 200mm of travel and at the rear, there's 210mm. In the low setting, the Session gets a 63.6° head angle, a 445mm chainstay and a large frame gets a 426mm reach. There are four sizes, from S to XL and the 8 27.5 model will set you back £4,200

Trek Ticket

Finally, rounding off the Trek range of mountain bike is the Ticket. It's available as the full suspension, Ticket S (pictured) with 100mm of travel and the Ticket DJ, which is the hardtail version. Both come as a frame only with prices starting from £725, up to £1,400.

• www.trekbikes.com

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Liam Mercer

Tech Editor here at off.road.cc Liam can also be found photographing bikes as well as revelling in cycling's intricacies. Whether it's gravel, mountain, or e-MTB as long as it's a bike on dirt, he's happy.

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Trek Fuel EXe (w/160 fork) shares Slash geometry!

• Thread starter richomtb
• Start date Jan 6, 2023
• Jan 6, 2023

• Jan 7, 2023

Yup cutting the bottom out spacers off on the fuel exe I can confirm is an awesome mod. Other mods I did on mine were a Megneg and token removal. This makes the rear end super plush and feel bottomless. When Cutting the spacers out , seat tube/tyre clearance is tight for sure with 29x2.5 , but not crazy tight. I also mulleted mine (which I also recommend) and love it even more. This gives ample clearance between seat tube and tyre.  

dobbyhasfriends

🌹old bloke 🎸.

• Jan 8, 2023

I agree with some of what I’ll mate says, but you can tell by his style that he’s a b grader so I would be taking what he says as gospel. I put a 170mm zeb on mine and the front definitely pushes more, however this is because the weight bias has changed. To compensate you need to move your weight forwards. When you are cognisant of this it is definitely not a one trick pony like he says. There are plenty of top end bikes with with slacker head angles. I have the 9.8 and the super deluxe is really really good. The new charger 3 lyriks are killer too. Tbh if I had my time again, I would have just : - 160mm butter cup air spring in fork -Truetune fork insert - Meg neg on shock - cut bottom out spacers with side cutters - take out shock tokens - 27.5 rear wheel with cushcore - high position This is a pretty cheap path to max performance .  

E*POWAH Elite

I tried my exe with a fox 38 170mm fork,it was pretty good, and gave you the usual smash through anything feel that a fox 38 gives on any bike, but didn't feel significantly better than the exe with a fox 36 160mm travel,so I put the 38 back on my orbea wild fs and kept the 36 160mm fork on the exe. The 170mm fork on the exe does need a bit more of a weight forward bias,but it's not as bad as rob makes out in the video,it rides very well with 170mm, it just didn't really do anything better than it did with 160mm. I haven't changed the rear shock,as I don't feel it needs more travel at the back. I may put the 38 170mm on the exe for trips away to finale,Spain,France etc, and keep the 36 for local riding.  

Paulquattro

• Jan 12, 2023

Welcome to the site  

• Jul 15, 2023

• Sep 17, 2023

richomtb said: Hi all, I own a Trek Slash 8 M 2022 and a Trek Fuel EXE 9.8 M 2023. I've run some numbers that I'd like to share on how they compare geometry-wise. Spoiler alert, geo is the same but the travel is 10mm less both ends on the EXe. Click to expand...

• Apr 9, 2024

richomtb said: Hi all, I own a Trek Slash 8 M 2022 and a Trek Fuel EXE 9.8 M 2023. I've run some numbers that I'd like to share on how they compare geometry-wise. Spoiler alert, geo is the same but the travel is 10mm less both ends on the EXe. The Slash (low) is 170/160 stock and the EXe (low) is 160/152 modified by fork air spring upgrade ($70) and shock stroke increase to 65mm ($0) and the geo has come out practically identical!!! See chart below. FYI the EXe shock mods aren't required and don't change the geo as the eye-to-eye remains unchanged, it's just the fork mod that creates this near-identical geo and trek says 160 is permissible! Without shock mods it would just be 160/140 travel. And yes, there's a free simple mod to the STOCK SHOCK that anyone can do to change it from 60mm to 65mm but beware the clearance is crazy tight under frame flex and I should only be running 62.5mm stroke/146mm travel to play it safe (but thats a harder mod or a new shock so I'm risking it for now). View attachment 104056 Click to expand...

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First Ride: 2024 Trek Slash

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The brand new 2024 Trek Slash is undoubtedly the most radical iteration yet

The Trek Slash has been a big player amongst the long travel trail and enduro crowd since it debuted back in 2011. It’s evolved considerably over time, being one of the few bikes on the market to have worn all three wheelsizes throughout its lifespan. We were impressed when we tested the latest version back in 2021 , which we called the ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’. Indeed its ability to monster truck through the filthiest rock gardens while remaining smooth and poppy made it one of the more versatile enduro race bikes on the scene.

Since then Trek has since rolled out a number of key models, including the high pivot Session and the mega-adjustable Fuel EX . These bikes introduced some clever new tech, which has given Trek’s engineers plenty to draw from when putting together the recipe for the upcoming Slash. The result of that big melting pot is the 5th generation of the US brand’s big travel enduro bike; the 2024 Trek Slash.

An overview of the 2024 Trek Slash

The 2024 Trek Slash is now equipped with 170mm of travel front and rear. Complete bikes come set up in a mullet configuration with a 29in wheel up front and a 27.5in wheel out back. The exception is the Small frame size, which is purpose-built around 27.5in wheels at both ends.

On the M-XL frame sizes, it is possible to set up the Slash as a full 29er. There’s clearance for a 29in rear wheel, and thanks to an interchangeable shock mount, Trek says the geometry and suspension kinematics are maintained when switching between the two setups.

The shock mount can also be adjusted to tweak the rear suspension’s leverage rate. Set it up in the linear mode for use with air shocks, or put it in the progressive mode to better suit coil shocks.

Speaking of the rear shock, you’ll no longer find the custom Thru Shaft Super Deluxe on the back of the Slash. Trek has been making a conscious move away from proprietary tech on its full suspension bikes, and the Slash follows suit with most models equipped with an off-the-shelf RockShox Vivid Air shock.

A high pivot hero?

Like the latest Session, the new Trek Slash adopts a high pivot suspension design. The hype around high pivots may have died off a little over the past year, but there’s no denying the advantages they can bring to the trail when it comes to eating up square-edge impacts at speed.

The main pivot on the Slash is mounted partway up the seat tube where it’s accompanied by a big 19T idler pulley. The larger diameter is said to reduce drag, and it should offer improved wear life too. You’ll spot that the idler is offset from the main pivot, which is to modify the anti-squat characteristic. According to Trek the anti-squat level hovers around 100% nearly all the way through the travel.

There’s also a lower idler manufactured by MRP, which claims to reduce chain growth underneath the chainstay to prevent the chain from tugging on the derailleur cage. It provides considerably more chain wrap around the chainring, especially compared to a bike like the Norco Range .

Trek continues to build its four-bar suspension platform with the ABP pivot that is located concentrically to the rear axle. The goal here is to neutralise braking influence on the rear suspension, which can be a problem on high pivot bikes.

Trek Slash geometry & size chart

As with the latest Fuel EX, the 2024 Trek Slash adopts modular headset cups that allow you to tweak the head angle by up to a degree each way. The head angle sits at 63.5° out of the box, though it can be adjusted to be as slack as 62.5° or as steep as 64.5°.

We’re glad to see a steeper seat angle on the new Slash, which clocks in at around 77° depending on the frame size. The seat tube is also shorter and has less of a bend, which allows for a big improvement in insertion depth. Trek says a Medium frame will easily swallow a 200mm travel dropper post.

As with the latest Fuel EX , the Slash varies its rear centre length between sizes from 430-440mm. Trek achieves this by modifying the location of the BB shell on the mainframe, which means that the chainstays and seatstays are actually the same on all frame sizes.

Frame features galore

To suit its big-hitting intentions, the Trek Slash incorporates masses of frame protection with bolt-on plates underneath the downtube that includes a dedicated shuttle guard.

The carbon frames also feature ‘integrated carbon armour’, which is an additional layer that’s moulded into the laminate during construction.

Trek has also developed one of the chunkiest chainstay guards we’ve ever seen, with a heavily textured design that aims to mitigate chain-slap. Lurking between the seatstays is a neat bolt-on mudguard, though this does have to be removed if you wish to run a 29in rear wheel.

The Slash incorporates fully guided internal cable routing, and mechanics will be pleased to see regular ports on either side of the head tube. Downtube storage carries over from the old model, though the design has been updated with a new latch system, and it’s worth pointing out that all of the plastic components are made from 100% recycled plastic. Nice touch Trek!

2024 Trek Slash price & specs

There will be six models available in the 2024 Trek Slash lineup.

Prices will start at $6,999 AUD for the Trek Slash 8, which is the only alloy model coming into Australia. The rest of the range utilise the OCLV carbon frame, with prices topping out at an incredible $19,499 AUD for the Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS model. Sheesh!

2024 Trek Slash 9.9 XX AXS

• Frame | OCLV Mountain Carbon, ABP Suspension Design, 170mm Travel
• Fork | RockShox Zeb Ultimate Flight Attendant, Charger 2.1 RCT3 Damper, 44mm Offset, 170mm Travel
• Shock | RockShox Vivid Ultimate, 230x65mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Tyres | Bontrager SE6 Team Issue 2.5in Front & SE5 Team Issue 2.5in Rear
• Drivetrain | SRAM XX Eagle AXS Transmission 1×12 w/34T Carbon Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Code Ultimate 4-Piston
• Bar | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
• Stem | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 35mm Length
• Seatpost | RockShox Reverb AXS, 34.9mm Diameter
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada, Austentite Rails
• RRP |  $19,499 AUD

2024 Trek Slash 9.9 X0 AXS

• Fork | RockShox Zeb Ultimate, Charger 3 RC2 Damper, 44mm Offset, 170mm Travel
• Drivetrain | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission 1×12 w/34T Alloy Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Code Silver 4-Piston
• RRP |  $17,499 AUD

2024 Trek Slash 9.9 XTR

• Drivetrain | Shimano XTR 1×12 w/34T Alloy Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano XTR 4-Piston
• Seatpost | Bontrager Line Elite, 34.9mm Diameter
• RRP |  $15,499 AUD

2024 Trek Slash 9.8 XT

• Fork | RockShox Zeb Select+, Charger 3 RC2 Damper, 44mm Offset, 170mm Travel
• Shock | RockShox Vivid Select+, 230x65mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Elite 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Drivetrain | Shimano XT 1×12 w/34T Alloy Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano XT 4-Piston
• Bar | Bontrager Line Pro, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
• Stem | Bontrager Line Pro, 35mm Length
• RRP |  $11,599 AUD

2024 Trek Slash 9.8 GX AXS

• Drivetrain | SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission 1×12 w/34T Alloy Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Code Bronze 4-Piston
• RRP |  $10,499 AUD

2024 Trek Slash 8

• Frame | Alpha Platinum Alloy, ABP Suspension Design, 170mm Travel
• Fork | Fox 36 Rhythm, GRIP Damper, 44mm Offset, 170mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float X Performance Series, 230x65mm
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Comp 30, Alloy Rims, 29mm Inner Width
• Tyres | Bontrager XR5 Team Issue 2.5in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain | Shimano XT 1×12 w/34T Deore Crankset & 10-51T XT Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano M6120 4-Piston
• Bar | Bontrager Line, Alloy, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
• Stem | Bontrager Elite, 35mm Length
• Seatpost | Bontrager Line, 34.9mm Diameter
• Saddle | Bontrager Verse P3, Chromoly Rails
• RRP |  $6,999 AUD

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10 New Milwaukee Tools To Add To Your DIY Workshop In 2024

For years, Milwaukee made tools geared toward professionals and stationed firmly at the higher end of the price range. The company made a short list of solid tools that did a no-nonsense job and did it well. All that has changed.

As lithium battery technology truly came of age, competitors like Makita and DeWalt began releasing a treasure trove of unique cordless gadgets, pushing the envelope of what a power tool company can make. Milwaukee's sister company  Ryobi started making lots of power tools for different uses , and it wasn't long before its own higher-end range of tools also began to rapidly expand.

Nowadays, Milwaukee releases a lot of power tools every year, offering what's become a pretty wide variety of useful and interesting additions to any home setup. Here are 10 recent Milwaukee tools worth adding to your DIY workshop in 2024. These innovative tools have all come out in the past year or so and have certainly piqued our interest.

M18 Track Saw

Track saws combine the mobility and flexibility of a circular saw with the precision and accuracy of a table saw. They make fast and dead-on work of plywood and other sheet goods. Many carpenters and new woodworkers even forego the table saw to begin with, opting for a space-saving and versatile track saw until they're able to invest in something more robust.

As is often the case with woodworking tools, Festool is considered to offer the best-in-class, but its performance comes with a hefty price tag, usually around double the nearest mainstream competitor. The upper-to-midrange category has belonged to Makita for a number of years, with many saying its track saw gives the best value for your dollar. Now Milwaukee is offering an option that promises to bring a lot of the premium smart features Makita lacks while staying well below the Festool in price.

This video by a devout Makita fan — so much of one that his shop is painted teal — makes a strong case for Milwaukee's newest track saw  being a serious alternative between the two fairly distant price points and feature sets. With dead-on accuracy and high-tech features, this is an excellent track saw.

M18 FUEL Duplex Nailer

Cordless finishing nailers are nothing new, but full-on framing nailers have long been tools that require attachment to a pneumatic compressor to deliver the necessary power. For this reason, it has taken quite a while for realistic job site nailers to show up on the market.

In recent years, Milwaukee has been one of the companies to introduce a full-on framing nailer that needs neither a compressor nor a wall outlet. Using nitrogen springing action that does away with the need for an external fuel cartridge, the newest nailers in Milwaukee's range can sink heavy nails with no ramp-up time, nearly as quickly as you can pull the trigger.

New to the range for this year, the  Duplex Nailer  brings that same power and portability from the world of framing carpentry to formwork concrete construction, and other applications that require driving a lot of nails that need to be easily pulled out later on. Driving up to four 8D or 16D nails per second, the duplex nailer could be a real game-changer for those with jobs that require sinking a lot of nails for repetitive tasks, and it's a great tool if you want help finishing a basement remodel.

M18 FUEL 1/2-inch High Torque Impact Wrench

One of the areas where Milwaukee has made its name is in cordless impact wrenches. Just as with the nailers mentioned above, these are tools that demand a lot of power and have traditionally been the sort of equipment best left to the air-powered market. With advances in brushless motor design and higher-powered batteries, Milwaukee started bringing professional-grade cordless impact wrenches to the market around 10 years ago, introducing stronger variants that its press releases promised could free mechanics from the compressor once and for all. 

Due to an ever-broadening product range, Milwaukee has occasionally made some concessions to add more value-oriented products, sacrificing some of its reputation for solid build and industrial-grade power along the way. This year's new impact wrench is a true return to form, delivering excellent build quality and one-upping its game yet again. Unveiled during the company's Pipeline event, this Milwaukee tool is a great new garage addition .

Delivering up to 1,100 lb-ft of nut-busting torque, and 900 lb-ft of fastening torque, this driver is an absolute beast. It has the cranking power to break loose the most stubborn, rusted lug nuts. While this power comes at the price of some significant heft, that weight helps keep a secure hold on a tool with this much cranking power. At the same time, the driver's fine torque adjustment allows you to dial back the strength for more delicate applications where you don't want to strip any threads.

M18 Green Interior Rotary Laser Level Kit

Many of us have experienced the ease that comes with a small laser level that fits neatly in a toolbox and readily casts a laser across a wall with self-adjusting precision. As with most of Milwaukee's range, this level kit is a bit much for the weekend warrior, providing some serious industrial-grade computation for contracting professionals.

Like Milwaukee's similar outdoor red laser kit for surveying new job sites, this new internal kit puts a lot of accurate measuring and leveling power in the palm of your hand. The unit comes with a remote receiving module, which allows you to read feedback from the main sending unit from across the biggest rooms.

The leveling kit can be mounted from wall or stud-hung applications, using built-in rare earth magnets, or you can just as easily mount it on a tripod. Ensuring that a drop won't ruin a pricey piece of equipment, the tough impact protection cage claims to be able to withstand a sheer fall of around 5 feet or a tripod tip of 6.5 feet. The receiver can detect beams from up to 1,000 feet away, and handle advanced calculations with user-friendly, one-handed operation. In short, this thing doesn't mess around.

M18 FUEL Blower

While some of Milwaukee's previous efforts in the area of blowers have left some people nonplussed, this year's new model should deliver plenty of power in a similar form factor and with a well-built chassis.

A lot of this improved performance comes from the brushless motor design and robust 18-volt battery platform. The new Milwaukee blower claims to deliver a 15-foot swath of clearing power, doing more work in less time than similar blowers, including its previous model. While the older blower could take up to 4 seconds to get up to full clearing power, the manufacturer claims that this one reaches full output in 1 second flat, again getting things done quicker and easier. Milwaukee also claims that, because of its brushless motor platform, this blower weighs considerably less than a lot of the competition, while at the same time being much quieter.

For more intensive landscaping needs, the company also offers a dual-battery blower with a similar platform, as well as a backpack-mounted model that takes the weight out of the tool itself. If you have a serious amount of clearing to do, these may be preferable options. For most people, however, this blower packs a lot of punch at a pretty competitive price point.

M18 FUEL Dual Battery String Trimmer

This string trimmer is among the first to offer 36-volt, dual battery power, which means it can do some heavy-duty work cutting back heavy, overgrown grass and other plant life.

For years we have seen professional landscapers using heavy, smelly gasoline-powered trimmers for more intense clearing applications. While single-battery units are fine for day-to-day suburban landscaping applications like edging and cleaning up what a lawn mower leaves behind, areas in the rough like ranches and golf courses call for something a bit more aggressive. This Milwaukee tool will help you whip your lawn into shape without the messy and unpleasant hassle of working with gasoline, not to mention cutting back on needless pollution as well.

This tool bridges the gap between something a little lighter — if any of Milwaukee's line can really be called "lighter duty" — and a full-on brush trimmer. It has enough power to clear some serious brush when you need it, and it does so in a far quieter, more environmentally responsible manner than a lot of what's out there.

M18 FUEL 1/2-inch Router Kit

As we've said, the world of cordless tools has come a long way, and Milwaukee is one of the companies doing a lot to prove this. One of the tools that still has a strong contingent of nonbelievers as far as cordless is concerned is the router. And we're not talking about lightweight, single-handed trim routers. The woodworking and remodeling community remains firmly plugged into the wall when it comes to the kinds of serious, heavy-duty wood routers that hog out mortises and cut wide molding profiles in hardwood.

Here again, Milwaukee is looking to change some minds. This full-featured router  has a half-inch chuck, taking cordless routing well beyond edging and laminate trimmers. Using powerful bits backed up by a 2.25 horsepower motor, you'll be able to do some serious routing without worrying if there's a wall socket nearby. 

This is a hefty and substantial tool, and its power is well matched by competent dust extraction, something which is frequently very challenging to achieve with a router. A plunge base along with the fixed one means this router can drop safely into the middle of a workpiece, showing Milwaukee's confidence that the cordless unit is up to the challenge of cutting through serious material. It's hard to say how well the tool will hold up long-term, but early signs indicate that this is a cordless router to be taken seriously.

M12 Auto Technician Borescope

While delivering raw power is Milwaukee's bread and butter, it's also no slouch when it comes to the world of precision instruments. With this new Auto Technician Borescope , optimized for light truck and diesel applications, Milwaukee makes its entry into the automotive diagnostic category. This borescope brings extremely accurate visual inspection technology in a rugged and durable design, making a sophisticated piece of equipment that can endure the challenging environment of an automotive shop.

The 5mm inspection head comes with an exceptionally bright, dimmable LED light built into a uniquely compact size, allowing far greater visibility and maneuverability compared to typical 8 or 10mm heads. Reviewers have praised this compact head design, which allows the user to look inside tiny spark plug holes and other crevasses that would be both invisible and inaccessible to the naked eye. 

The head also comes with front and side-mounted cameras, allowing you to view different angles controlled from the intuitive display and control unit. The unit includes recording and playback features and lets you save inspection footage to an SD card. Allowing you to get a look around the inside of an engine with surgical accuracy, this addition to the M12 cordless line could be a mechanic's diagnostic dream.

M18 FUEL 2 Gallon Compact Quiet Compressor

Like the router above, many users still stick to plug-in, outlet-dependent air compressor brands . Though detachable tanks can provide pneumatic power in a more portable package, they eventually run out of air. Skeptics abound when it comes to battery-powered compressors, but Milwaukee's newest option has left several reviewers pleasantly surprised.

Staying within the M18 FUEL ecosystem, this 2-gallon model is completely capable of delivering pneumatic power for smaller jobs. This could be an ideal solution for those who have already invested in a lot of pneumatic tools, or for applications such as painting and varnishing, or just for filling tires low on air. 

For any number of reasons, many DIY enthusiasts and contractors simply prefer having the option of air-powered equipment, and this compressor provides a pretty attractive opportunity to go cordless. It has a sealed, grease-free design, and Milwaukee claims it's the quietest cordless compressor currently on the market. These features combine to make portable, battery-powered pneumatic power a reality.

MX FUEL 14-inch Cut-Off Saw

While no Milwaukee tool should be taken lightly, this is some serious heavy equipment indeed. Competing not merely with plugged-in power, but with full-blown gasoline engines, this saw is not a tool for the weekend warrior. Its 14-inch blade can handle concrete, thick steel, and heavy timber with ease, all on a zero-emissions battery platform.

Gasoline engines do not provide a satisfactory, or safe option for cutting into slabs and other hard surfaces indoors, which is why having a reliable battery-powered option is so important. In action, this tool makes quick work of what would otherwise be an extremely laborious task, going through hard concrete like a warm knife through butter. These kinds of tasks require a water supply, and preferably a stable, stationary cutting fulcrum for accuracy, which some may say cuts down on the practicality of a cordless platform. Nonetheless, freeing the user from the need for external power sources or messy, gas-emitting engines will be a very attractive option to contractors and other professionals for whom a heavy-duty tool like this cut-off saw is an essential part of their work.

Weighing just shy of 50 pounds, and with a price tag well over $2,000, this Cut-Off Saw is the biggest, priciest, most intense offering on this list. But given Milwaukee's reputation for professional and industrial-grade equipment, it's not something the average person would ever even contemplate. Rather, it's serious technology for people who need to do serious work.

How we picked these tools

When you're looking to add new tools to your collection, it's important to have all of the latest information about products, especially ones that might set you back a fair bit. So, given that these tools have only recently been released, we've primarily sourced our details directly from Milwaukee's official website. This provided us with the most accurate descriptions and specifications of its latest offerings.

Additionally, we've scoured the first impressions available from leading online tool reviewers who received advanced hands-on experience. While these initial reviews offer valuable insights into the performance and features of the new tools, they are just a starting point. As with anything brand new, long-term performance use reports are unavailable.

As you consider adding these tools to your collection, we recommend keeping an eye out for more detailed reviews as they become available. This will ensure you have a more complete view of how these tools work (and last) over time.

Anton Yelchin's Chekov Accent In Star Trek Was Inaccurate On Purpose

Viacom, the parent company of Paramount, underwent a dramatic split in 2005, causing the TV rights to "Star Trek" and the movie rights to "Star Trek" to be divided among two separate companies. This meant that if the movie-owners wanted to make a new feature film, they would have to license "Star Trek" iconography from the TV-owners. Under the conditions of such a liscense, a movie had to look legally distinct from the old TV show. What a headache.

This situation led to the creation of the Kelvin-verse, a "Star Trek" continuity that took place in a parallel timeline. The 2009 "Star Trek" movie featured the same ships and characters as the 1966 "Star Trek," but altered into something similar-yet-different. New actors played younger versions of the 1966 originals, and the U.S.S. Enterprise was now twice as big. Director J.J. Abrams also made the new movie more dramatic, action-packed, and full of explosions. There's some debate among Trekkies as to whether or not the Kelvin-verse is in the spirit of "Star Trek" or if it should be considered an autonomous media entity. 

What everyone seemed to agree on, however, was the new film's savvy casting. The newer, younger actors all did exemplary jobs of capturing the looks, mannerisms, and personalities of their 1960s counterparts. They were youthful, more impulsive versions of the characters we knew, but held the same appeal. 

The role of Ensign Pavel Chekhov, previously played by Walter Koenig, went to the late Anton Yelchin. Yelchin captured Koenig's cockiness, Russian-centric ego, and dazzling charm. He also recreated Koenig's broad Russian accent, a notable feature of the character. 

In 2009, Yelchin spoke with TrekMovie , and he revealed that the accent was deliberately broad; it wasn't supposed to sound authentic. He also explained why he made that decision.