I’m 64 . Former Mx racer . Purchased a rail 9.7 in 2020 . So much fun at the bike parks here in Oregon 😎

Thanks for this review. I have the exact Exe you demoed and I am that 78 year old that needs the extra watts to keep up with son and grandson. At my age and conditioning I get more than enough of a workout and the motor helps me ride trails with steep ups and not be totally exhausted - can still have fun! The battery is easily removable with one screw. Also, on shorter rides you can take out the main battery and just use the aux - saving a couple of pounds. For me, the bike is too heavy to ride on trails without the battery removed. The bike is expensive, but I think offers value for a rider with older legs or as you concluded wants the extra watts for a more fun experience. As someone already pointed out you can tune the motor to how you would like it to respond to your input.

Best bike I've owned by a mile. If I could only own 1 bike, it would be the Fuel EXe. It rides close enough (in Eco) to a normal bike, but obviously for shuttle laps, etc. it wins. It's the e-MTB for "mountain bikers." I've been riding for 30+ years, and I'm still in OK shape. This bike just lets me feel like I'm still in tip top shape (like when I started), but gives me the option to bail out or clean some tricky bits that I haven't been able to clean recently due to "old age" slow downs. Great video. Great bike.

Did you adjust the power output settings in the app? Because you can setup that power deliver like your talking about, so the more you put in the more you get out of the bike.

Great video! 👍 both look like great bikes! 👍

i can understand you point if about the exercise, but where eBikes really shine for me is commuting.

Great video, been looking at the Ebike dark side myself, the future is now for me, how was the bike on features like a step-up type feature did it still want the high cadence to make power? love the content you guys put out.

Love this video, I own the exe, (sold a Spec full power Levo) and love it so much was thinking of selling my Stumpjumper Evo for the analog Trek Ex. Thanks for the comparison of the analog vs e-bike.

I've had a 9.8 for nearly a year (and as my N=1 bike), and I agree with the upgrade points - the one-piece bars are too stiff and the tires are okay stock, but there's much better options. Pretty much the whole time it's been retuned via the app so that each mode has a max of 300w but at different % assist levels (50%, 90%, 150%) which is more in line with what you mentioned you wanted from the bike - in eco I'll have to be putting out 600w to get the full 300 from the motor, and in boost I only need to be doing 200w to do the same.

Maybe some tuning on the apps would make the sweet spot available on a larger range ! Good video as I have a Rail 9 and the aspect of losing 8-10 lbs is appealing !

I'll be buying the EXe soon. I love riding my Ripmo and I still will, but I don't want my big adventure rides to last all day. The EXe really does feel like a regular bike, I hardly notice the power surge and I can't even notice the motor sound. I also love that you can pedal it normally without the power on; it just felt like I was pedaling s big enduro bike.

The point you make regarding cadence is interesting. I saw a video recently and one of the commentators said that the Bosch motor is the only one which gives you more assistance the more you put in. My Cube has a Bosch and it does work that way but I’ve not ridden any other motors so can’t say how it compares.

You are right about it wanting faster cadence. I had a bike with a Shimano motor and definitely felt it wanted a 100+ rpm pedal speed. That's great for your leg speed but does feel unnatural. Your critique is exactly what I felt...the motor doesn't really match your leg speed and add power. And by the way there are many scenarios where the ebike is slower than a decent fit rider.

rode the same bike in Moab....It made Slickrock trail with all it's climbs a absolute blast.. being that the bike is not a full powered beast made it even better.. I ride a ripmo, i would switch in a heart beat..and I'm 60, in a couple of years i'll trade up

Easy tell for which is which bike ... the downtube on the EXe is significantly thicker (despite Trek making thick tubes to begin with)

Agree with you, also how you feel the gen 6 as a mullet?

I just bought a sentinel repeater last month and I absolutely love it. I do alot of shuttle rides so this e-bike cuts out the middle man and friends😅. I bought it off pinkbike used and it had about 350 miles on it and since then I put about 50 miles on it and it weighs about 50lbs BUT☝🏿Over the 4th of July weekend I had an error code 010 show up on the ride and the motor cut out on me and I was in the middle of no where. Thank God I got it working but the next day the code came back and the motor stopped all together and a torque sensor failed. There's a happy ending to this. Even though I bought it used the motor was still under warranty and shimano sent me a new one👍🏿👍🏿 the shop called today and said it was ready for me to pick it up. So if you're in the market of getting one just remember that if the motor or something electronic fail while you're out on that trail it'll be like you being up shit creek without a paddle. Also a back up bike is a good thing to have as well.

Question for you man, what stem length did you go with on your EX? Going to pick up a RF Turbine and can’t decide between a 40mm or a 50mm

Yeah I hate Lamborghini bc it makes me want a Lamborghini.

Location is key for Ebikes. More laps, more fun. Being in attack mode the entire time. Bentonville, it made sense with the long rides back to the hub. In, Michigan here not so much. The Bosch CX is amazing and rewards you with what you put into the bike.

Thanks for the nice review. I'm 45 and quite fit and just recently traded my old hard-tail for the new exe. got the "cheapest" version with the option to change some specs if needed but i am totally ok with the performance of the bike so far. I tested a lot of bikes in the process of choosing a new bike (both emtb and bio-bike) and was very sceptical regarding the aspect of fitness and motor assist. After the first 400 km of trails i can state: - Great performing bike with excellent up- and downhill capability - more than enough power if needed for very hard climbs and still being able to do more and go further rather than being all pumped and exhausted (and even having fun) - I mostly use the lowest support setting with a limit auf 100 Watt and 80% support (you can set this up in the app from trek for each support setting just as you prefer). i usually pedal about 150 Wats with peaks around 250 to 300 Wats. this gives me a good work out with my 1,5 h after work loop with around 600 m of climbing. i am not letting the motor do the work but use it as a support to cover more trails in shorter time. since i have 3 kids and a busy job time is a limiting factor and a key argument for buying this bike since i could easily do the trails without support but would use more time (wich i don't have). this offers me the opportunity to vary the trails i ride thus having more fun and being more motivated to drive - you can hardly hear the motor at all! this was very important for my descision. also no ratteling noises (like in shimano oder bosh motors) When i have more time i will probably buy a used bio-fully like the cannondale scalpel just for fun and when i am 20 years older i will go for higher powerd emtb! after all i do it for fun! keep up the good content and happy and safe riding!

Lol, I knew where you were going))

Would you change the Trek fuel exe to a mullet.? If yes what would you think the pros and cons would be?

older... lol, the future is now for some of us!

hoping to be using the EX-e 9.9 to get back on the bike, as I haven't ridden since hip replacement several years ago as a race-ready KTM c but fir the love of.... These things are as expensive as a full-on, world class, ready to race, off-road/woods KTM motorcycle.

Spot on, I’m that 25yr older than you guy. E-bikes puts the FUN back in mountain biking. In my case, e-mtb is second to none as an overall training machine. I keep the HR in the right zone, avoid redlining too much, and most importantly I just ride more because of the fun factor! Great video. Cheers!

Then just have an e bike then! That’s all I got! I got a kenevo expert and it does everything! Xc dh bike park freeride! Sold my regular along with my other e bike! Just one bike is all you need! But dies tiger woods have only one golf club?

Great video and personal review of the EXE.. You need to ride my modified Orbea Rise. it encourages you to pedal harder by matching your efforts with a progressive power increase. Let's meet up with Glenn and shred Goffstown soon. StraightLineReckless.

I like the e-mtnb, if I want a good work out I turn it off and I get a better workout then anyone else cause the bike it heavier. But if I’m there for the laps “boost” the amount of laps I can do before I’m tired. Besides if you are doing it for the exercise only then why buy lighter frames and better equipment? Promise you you will work harder on a junk bike and get all that extra work you claim that you want. As for me I work 6 days a week, walking anywhere from 6-12miles a day so I’ll go e bike so I can enjoy my decents on the multiple laps. Just means I can have more fun in less time. And since you can’t get time back I’ll take that daily. Not being rude, love the video trails look amazing and keep doing you! Take care ✌🏼

Agreed I’ve just bought a Trek Fuel exe and it makes all the boring flat stuff fun and even the technical climbs I was laughing to myself on the first ride where I would normally be coughing my lungs up cannot recommend this bike enough if you want a to dabble with an e-bike but want it to feel as close to a normal bike as possible Kudos Trek game changer of a bike 👏

I'm interested in this bike because like it's ex counterpart, it can really hang on the mountain, but i wont get gassed going back up.

Almost ALL bikes are a blast. N+1! What the heck, I already put my kids through college. I'm spending the money.

I find more positives with ebike as someone with asthma. Love biking and want to progress more, but its hard to train skills when your lungs crap out so easily due to it. Ill be investing soon enough. I have an “acoustic” trail bike currently and its really great to ride. Stopping every mile to take an inhaler isnt so great. 😂

Would you go with an alloy EXE?

What you have to do in order to get the bike to match your effort better is to tune it way down to 40 or 50% assist.

I hate to say it. I am 54, still race and I want one but, don't want to "surrender" yet.

You had me at "I hate E-bikes." 😂 jk

I think I'm still more curious about the emerging lighter e-bikes. Would be interesting to see one that only has the lower two assist modes, thus allowing you to get more life out of a smaller battery (because it isn't expected to give full assist)

I'm 67. I have a Exe. I'm still bouncing my heart rate off of the rev limiter, I'm just going faster doing it and faster equals more fun. I have ridden my Fuel EX twice, since buying the e bike. Or maybe I hate my e bike too because it's for sale already...because I want to buy a higher spec version. :)

Ebikes are cool and they have their uses. They also let different people ride. They are great for general trail riding for someone who isnt really worried aboit fitness levels and stuff. However, I do prefer a nice long travel analog bike at lift assisted parks or shuttled rides. I also like the feeling of a lighter bike.

Agree. See ya in 25 years with the e-bikes

Ebikes are such a great tool, they have gotten so much better now

It depends on what you call a good workout. For me, I put 90% of my time in zone 2 . That is almost impossible riding off road. With an ebike it is possible.

I have to point something out regarding your workout statement. That is your own fault that you can't resist the temptation to not run it in boost mode. I personally run mine in eco mode for 98% of the ride and make sure I keep the heart rate in the right zones to get a proper workout. Don't knock the emtb just because you can't control yourself.

5 ebikes in here, since 2017, and one of them was the current EXe XT. I now don't have an ebike, I'm 48 and overweight. The reason is because I get bored with them after a number of weeks. I've come to believe this is because humans seek challenge and get motivated by struggle and progress. It's a dopamine thing. Ebikes remove all that. After a while just descending on a very capable bike becomes meh. I would feel different if I lived in actual mountains or next to a few hundred km of single track, but all the descents near me are easily rideable on a good trail bike - faster on an enduro/ebike sure but again, that gets old 3-4x per week. I now have a Top Fuel, and am very happy working on my fitness and skills again.

Man if trek made a slash-e with a litttttleeeeee more battery that bike would be siiiiick 👀

Ebikes have a use but it really depends on the trails they are allowed on

TR;DL He likes the EXe. That said, it's a fun video.

I'm in the future you describe....or right on the cusp. 56 years old, still hooning around on my acoustic bike, but after renting an Orbea Rise in bentonville this year, I'm firmly convinced that I'll be able to keep doing my favorite thing. That said, the Orbea Rise does give you that 1 to 1 amount of power back, when you put the same in - it's very similar pedaling to an acoustic pedal bike feel. That said, I still struggled with the boost and how it affects long wheelies - definitely something I'd have to practice if I actually got an e-mtb!

Your so buying one 😂 probable soon

If ebikes keep people biking that's what's important. I didn't care for my sb 160e because it felt slower on descents.

I agree about the dropper lever. Total crap

One hour of riding is one hour of riding - it does not matter how far you travel or how much distance you cover. A workout is going to be however much effort you put in regardless of the equipment.

As for the final comment regarding ebike fully replacing acoustic bikes years from now; NOT LIKELY. There is precedent for this - powered treadmills did not replace folks going outside and walking or running; stationary bikes (spin machines to Gen Y/Z) did not replace actual bicycles; resistance machines did not replace free weights; manual transmissions in cars still exist despite 100+ years of automatic transmissions > even as the slow increase in electric vehicles becomes a thing; automakers that make sports cars are still integrating a "manual" style transmisison back into some models to appease that core of customers. Hell, I can still get a film camera and find chemical-based film processing supplies if I want to ditch digital photography. And the FAX machine still exists and is in regular use despite the concept of e-mail. So yeah, acoustic bikes won't go the way of the Dodo any time soon.

Thanks!

In 10 years we're going to see Ebikes that are literally indistinguishable from analog bikes. Not everyone has access to a ton of vertical, ebikes help make flat trails fun.

Ebikes are good for old people who need some extra watts but the problem is younger capable riders just giving up and never advancing athletically or technically due to a big goofy toy. Plus ebikes are like driving at freight train, absolutely terrible for control!

You deff picked fun mode over a workout mode that was fast up hill, that bike looks huge compared to the normal one conclusion i want that bike too

Nope. Inaccurate. First couple weeks I used emtb mode. After that the bike only leaves tour mode if I have a nasty climb. Plus I like to ride for hours and turbo mode would give me about 20 miles. Yes you can let the bike do all the work for shorter rides but not us who like to be out half a day or more

Don't agree. You can get as good or better workout, you just have to have discipline. You want a better workout, turn the motor off, or run on eco.

💤💤💤

My 50cents. Looking into light ebikes to have fun, while for workout I have pure road and cyclocross bikes...