The 2020 Top Fuel has taken the very best of the previous line-up and combined it with some major revamps. The result? A bike that doesn’t just tackle the trail, it flies across them.
The first change of note is the increase in travel; the 2020 Top Fuel has 120mm front travel and 115mm rear travel, whereas the 2019 had 100mm. Combined with the slacker head angle, this allows you to really fly down the rough descents. The 2020 Top Fuel also boasts wider handlebars and a shorter stem providing you with more control over your ride.
Trek’s Knock Block prevents the fork from impacting the downtube, the result being that Trek are able to utilise a Straight Shot downtube in the Top Fuel. Rather than the traditionally curved downtube found on most full-sus bikes, a straight downtube offers a much better higher stiffness-to-weight ratio. Combine this with the Twinloc dual lockouts, you won’t lose any speed when climbing.
Retained from previous line-ups is Trek’s Control Freak internal routing. Gone are the days of unsightly cable-ties and cable guides, with this tech allowing the internal routing of any cable setup. Mino Link allows the rider to quickly make minor, half degree changes to their headtube angle whilst simultaneously changing the BB height-more info this can be seen in this video. The Top Fuel is great for those who like to customise their ride.
Also making a return is Trek’s Active Braking Pivot (ABP). ABP essentially ‘separates’ braking from suspension, the result being an increase in traction and braking performance (aptly demonstrated in this video).
Top Fuel 9.8
2020 has been as kind to the 9.8 as it has to the 9.7 with a change from aluminium to full carbon. The OCLV carbon frame is super light to give you the edge on the climbs and fly down the ascents, yet sturdy enough to take on big hits. Adorning the lightweight frame is a SRAM GX Eagle groupset; benefitting from a lot of trickle down tech from the XX1 and X01 sets, the GX Eagle offers top quality performance and all the benefits of a 1x drivetrain without pushing the price up too high.
The 120mm front travel is provided by Fox Performance 34-Step Cast forks with the rear suspension coming from a Fox Performance Float shock. Shimano SLX hydraulic disc brakes offer an increas in stopping power for all weather braking. Combine this with Trek's ABP and you can spend a lot less time braking on the corners and more time flying past your competitors-give yourself the edge.