First Look: 2013 Trek Fuel EX

Details about Trek's 2013 line are starting to trickle in. First up is the redesigned Fuel EX, a bike seated right in-between a long-travel trail bike and a lightweight XC rig.

Major changes include a bump up from 120mm to 130mm of travel front and rear, lower standover, 5mm lower bottom bracket height, and 5mm shorter chainstays - all in the name of making it a little more aggressive and snappy. What surprises us, though, is that they've left the head angle at a relatively steep 68-degrees.

Additional trail worthy upgrades include internal dropper post routing and guides. A removable front derailleur mount and new ISCG05 tabs open the doors to 1x10 if that's the route you'd like to go.

Suspension wise, rather than just bumping the travel up slightly, they've adjusted the frame's leverage ratio for improved pedaling performance. Trek's DRCV technology also finds its way into the new 2013 Fox CTD suspension both front and rear. The DRCV equipped fork is now rider-tunable using two included spacer sets that will make the fork more progressive for aggressive riders.

Fuel EX 9.9 Highlights

• OCLV Carbon Frame
• Fox Factory Series Float CTD suspension with Trek's DRCV technology
• SRAM X0 2x10-speed with Type 2 rear derailleur
• Avid X0 Trail brakes
• Weight reduced to 24.5 pounds (claimed)

All told, there are seven Fuel EX models for 2013. They range from the pimped out carbon fiber Fuel EX 9.9 to the budget friendly Fuel EX 5.

Keep an eye out for the rest of Trek's 2013 range in the coming weeks.