# Trek Fuel Ex 5 2021 upgrade advice request



## DJWadds (Dec 18, 2020)

So I recently bought an fuel ex 5 and wanted to get advice on on what to upgrade replace. Both small stuff to do sooner due to being cheap and what upgrades I should look at longer term. I want a good balance between performance increase and weight reduction.

Things I've already considered:

going tubeless
better brakes (not sure which ones yet)
better saddle once I've found out what type I need.
Things I definitely need advice on:

what front fork to upgrade to
what rear suspension to upgrade to

Spec

FrameTrek Alpha Platinum Aluminium, tapered head tube, Knock Block, Control Freak internal routing, downtube guard, ISCG 05, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ABP, Boost148, 130mm travelForkRockShox Recon Silver, Solo Air spring, Motion Control damper, tapered steerer, 46mm offset, Boost110, 15mm Maxle Stealth, 140mm travelRear ShockX-Fusion Pro 2, air spring, RL damperHeadsetTrek Knock Block Integrated, cartridge bearing, 1-1/8" top, 1.5" bottomBottom BracketSRAM DUB, 92mm, PressFitStemBontrager Line, XS, S - 40mm, M to XL - 50mm, Knock Block, Blendr compatible, 0 degreeHandlebarBontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 15mm rise, 750mm widthGripsBontrager XR Trail Elite, alloy lock-onFront BrakeShimano MT200 hydraulic discRear BrakeShimano MT200 hydraulic discBrake LeversShimano MT201 hydraulic discRear DerailleurShimano Deore M6100Shift LeversShimano Deore M6100, 12-speedChainShimano Deore, 12-speedCassetteDeore M6100, 10-51, 12-speedCranksetShimano M511, 30T steel ring, Boost (52mm chain line)Front WheelFormula DC-511, 6-bolt, Boost110, 15mm thru-axle hub with Alex MD35, Tubeless Ready, 32-hole, 35mm width, Presta valve rimRear WheelBontrager alloy, sealed bearing, alloy axle, 6-bolt, Shimano 8/9/10 freehub, Boost148, 12mm thru-axle hub with Alex MD35, Tubeless Ready, 32-hole, 35mm width, Presta valve rimFront TyreBontrager XR4 Comp, wire bead, 30 TPI, 29x2.60" front (smaller sizesRear TyreBontrager XR4 Comp, wire bead, 30 TPI, 29x2.60" front (smaller sizesSaddleBontrager Arvada, steel rails, 138mm widthSeatpostTranzX JD-YSP18 dropper, internal routing, 31.6mm (XS, S - 100mm drop, M, ML, L, XL - 150mm drop)


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Honestly, you've got a modern bike, with modern standards and decent components. I don't see a ton of compelling reasons to go upgrade crazy.

Considering your mention of lower weight, the WW side of me could recommend a few carbon-based components, but ultimately you spend quite a bit and the seatpost, bar, etc doesn't offer any performance gains (unless you are re-sizing/adjusting your cockpit).

I suppose a carbon wheelset could be the one piece that you'd notice, but will certainly cost more than some other choices.


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## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

Congrats on the bike! This probably isn't the advice you're looking for, but it's the truth ... Convert to tubeless and don't worry about upgrading anything. Parts will eventually need replacing, and you can upgrade as needed. 

Reason I say that is cause you'll wanna get a feel for what you like, don't like, and upgrade according to your preferences (for instance if you need more breaking power or need to swap tires). Let the bike tell you what it needs, not some forum.

Enjoy!


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## DJWadds (Dec 18, 2020)

Cheers for the advice guys. Will probably give it a few months and then see what happens


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

go tubeless and get the fit and suspension tuning dialed in. that will likely not involve any new parts, but it's possible you'll want to get a slightly different handlebar or stem. most likely, what you have will be perfect without any changes. I would include the saddle in the "fit" changes. ride the bike with the saddle in the best position for a while and if the saddle hurts you butt, experiment with different saddles until you find one that makes your butt happy.

what kind of pedals and shoes are you using?

do you have a comfortable helmet? shorts? portable tools? do you know how to do minor repairs and adjustment on your bike?


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## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

DJWadds said:


> Cheers for the advice guys. Will probably give it a few months and then see what happens


I think that's a smart decision. My first bike I had no clue what to get and solely went off my friend's recommendations. It was an entry level hardtail, and the first thing I did was convert to tubeless, which I did after I got my first flat (which I didn't know how to change at the time). I then converted to a 1x drivetrain, got new grips and pedals, and I'm on my 4th year riding it with no problems aside from routine maintenance.

Second bike I was a bit more picky cause I knew my riding style, what I liked and where I was riding, but that came with experience.


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## DJWadds (Dec 18, 2020)

I have no experience working on bikes but more than happy to learn. I have raceface chester pedals. Shoes and clothing I haven't bought yet.


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## DeoreDX (Jul 28, 2007)

I don't know a lot of people who have had long term success with the X-Fusion Pro 2. They seem to go bad at an alarmingly high rate. I wouldn't get rid of it now just to get rid of it, but you might want to keep an eye open on any good deals on a shock that fits your bike. It's much better to shop for a part when you don't NEED it and can wait for a good deal.


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## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

DJWadds said:


> I have no experience working on bikes but more than happy to learn. I have raceface chester pedals. Shoes and clothing I haven't bought yet.


Enjoy! Five Tens (made by Adidas) are a great pair of shoes. Comfortable, light and a lotta grip and protection. Clothes I just wear whatever. If I'm going on a longer ride I'll wear something sweat proof that dries quickly, and I wear mountain bike specific pants at bike parks. Not trying to look like Lance Armstrong though and not riding the Tour de France, so don't dress the part. It's supposed to be for wind resistance and sweat, yet I see a lotta people in the full mountain bike attire which IMO is completely unnecessary and very cringe.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

2021Mach6 said:


> Clothes I just wear whatever


There's a lot of very good, very technical clothing that looks like just clothing. That's what I tend to wear. Some of it comes from companies specifically marketing for mountain biking (and has fit and function related to pedaling), but some doesn't. It also doesn't have to be very expensive. Some is, but some isn't.

The one thing I absolutely DO NOT wear on the bike is cotton. Cotton's properties work reasonably well in hot desert conditions, but not anywhere else when it gets sweat-laden.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

DJWadds said:


> I have no experience working on bikes but more than happy to learn. I have raceface chester pedals. Shoes and clothing I haven't bought yet.


Get some sneakers designed with mountain biking in mind, or perhaps some skate shoes. most athletic sneakers won't hook up on flat pedals and when they do, the rubber is often too soft to withstand the sharp pedals and will tear off in chunks. I have tried Five Tens and currently use Ride Concept sneakers. you can ride in whatever sneakers you want and it won't result in certain death, but when you destroy your current sneakers with your pedals, get something better next time.

I often ride in a "technical fabric" type t-shirt, some board shorts, and stretchy non-cotton boxer briefs. you will be more comfortable on longer, sweatier rides with proper cycling shorts with a chamois, but you'll be fine without it for most rides. just avoid wearing cotton if you expect to sweat at all.

how are you carrying water? for short rides on a cool day, you can probably tank up on water in your belly before and after a ride, but anything more that that requires a water bottle or some sort of carrying pack.


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## DJWadds (Dec 18, 2020)

For water, I have a running backpack


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## ocnLogan (Aug 15, 2018)

As mentioned, the smart play is to ride it more or less as is for a while. As you ride you’ll notice where the stock build doesn’t fit your needs. And then you can upgrade from there.

Where you live, what kinds of terrain you ride (at what speed), and your body weight will also be big factors in which components you may want to keep an eye on. 

For instance, if you are on the heavier end of the spectrum, live somewhere with long steep and fast trails, and find that you quite enjoy them, then the brakes are a very obvious thing to pay attention to, as they aren’t very powerful.

On the other hand, if you’re lightweight, live somewhere flatter, and find that you enjoy smooth meandering trails then the brakes are likely going to be fine (as an example).

Tires, are another good example of something that will depend on what you end up liking to ride.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

DJWadds said:


> For water, I have a running backpack


If you're using a pack, it makes sense for that pack to be able to carry at least some of your emergency kit necessities. Kinda pointless to strap ONLY water onto your back and put everything else on the bike. The water itself is going to be the heaviest thing you carry and if you get into getting stuff off your back, then getting your water off your back should be the first thing you figure out how to do.



ocnLogan said:


> As mentioned, the smart play is to ride it more or less as is for a while. As you ride you'll notice where the stock build doesn't fit your needs. And then you can upgrade from there.
> 
> Where you live, what kinds of terrain you ride (at what speed), and your body weight will also be big factors in which components you may want to keep an eye on.
> 
> ...


With a new bike, there's a lot you don't know about the bike and its parts and how they work together as a package. So you you need to ride it for what it is, get a feel for the bike and how your particular riding style and local conditions work with it, and all that. once you figure out what isn't working for you, then you can start to make more educated changes. rather than just throwing money at it to see what sticks.


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## ocnLogan (Aug 15, 2018)

Harold said:


> With a new bike, there's a lot you don't know about the bike and its parts and how they work together as a package. So you you need to ride it for what it is, get a feel for the bike and how your particular riding style and local conditions work with it, and all that. once you figure out what isn't working for you, then you can start to make more educated changes. rather than just throwing money at it to see what sticks.


Totally agree, and I think thats what I was saying with my previous post.

I was just calling out specific things to think about/pay attention to as examples, that could either become a problem area, or not be an issue at all, depending on riding style/location.

Case in point, I have a buddy who I ride with every month or so. He is a new rider, and has a low end used hardtail as thats all he could find/afford (no problems there). My other riding friends and I have been pretty hands off in talking about bike upgrades, unless he's specifically asked (unless its a safety issue, like when I noticed his grips were missing bar ends, I gifted him some new ones).

He's got some low end brakes, and now that he's been riding for a year, he finally got to the point that he noticed the brakes were fading/pumping up on longer downhill sections. From his description of the issue, he's been having the problem for a while, but didn't 1) know how to describe it, or 2) really notice that it wasn't normal, until he tried my bike. And now he realizes that he's been adjusting his riding to account for brakes that don't stop him consistently.

So as you said, he (my buddy) has now had enough time riding it to start to be aware of some of its limitations. Conversely, if he lived in florida, rode more meandering trails, it likely wouldn't be an "issue". So just trying to describe some things to pay attention to (other than bike fit, which is of course the main priority for a new rider on a new bike).


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

ocnLogan said:


> Totally agree, and I think thats what I was saying with my previous post.


yeah, I was just rephrasing.


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

First things first, ditch those tires and get good tubeless tires and go tubeless. I would grab some Forekaster 2.6, rekon 2.6, or Nobby Nic 2.6. Owning a high quality pump to set up tubeless helps make life easier. I use a Blackburn sand have a non target charger pump for stubborn wheelsets. Buy your own sealant and valves and set it up yourself. 

Then ride the bike for a while! If your brakes can’t stop you for some reason, address that first. 

Address the saddle, which is likely an issue you should not tackle until you are riding in a bib/chamois. Get your seat bones measured! It’s going to hurt until you are in a proper chamois once’s your rides exceed an hour. I tried all kinds of saddles and have recently gone through a few brands of carbon eBay ec90 saddles until I find the exact model I like that works for me. 

when you get upgradeitis:

Is look at a Mt zoom carbon bar. 
Change your chainring to aluminum. 
A very nice wheelset. Do it once and do it right. 
When you do your wheelset, consider going with an XD wheelset that allows you to simultaneously change to a much lighter e13 12s cassette. 
Wheels and cassette are the two big mods I would really be saving for. And would do before upgrading suspension. At this point, your probably not discerning enough to need to throw cash at a high end damper/fork. When you do get to that point, you will probably find yourself in the market for a replacement bike. The good news is your wheelset you bought should be portable to your new bike. So keep your original wheelset and never sell that or give it away. I put suspension upgrades after this, because 1. What you have is just fine. 2. Suspension is not necessarily portable, so may not be able to be moved to your next bike. This will not be your only bike. Trust us!

Beware, trek has some carbon wheel sets they sell which are not very light and not that good. It’s ok to go “off-brand”.

Good luck! This sport is amazing and will treat you well. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk as


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

DJWadds said:


> I have no experience working on bikes but more than happy to learn. I have raceface chester pedals. Shoes and clothing I haven't bought yet.


Proper riding shoes will be one of the best things you ever do for your riding. Fivetens( nit the ones that are convertible to clipless), specialized 2fo, giro flats, etc.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## HerrKaLeu (Aug 18, 2017)

if you need to ask us what to upgrade, you either haven't ridden it often enough yet, or the bike is sufficient. 

I'd just ride and upgrade the items that actually seem deficient for your riding and your terrain. Are you a great rider and shoot youtube videos with 10' drops? Or do you ride once a week over a paved bike path? With the same bike, the upgrade advice would be vastly different.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

@DJWadds - One thing I omitted in my post was around the saddle. Sometimes new riders tend to think you're "stuck" with the OEM saddle when I might not be a great fit for your sit bones. It's actually a pretty painful process (no pun intended) as it can take a long time to find the right shape and size for you. I have a basement full of OEM saddles that have sucked at some point.

Also as touched on above, riding shorts with a padded chamois can be a blessing, and take the edge of things.

The other insidious thing about saddle fitting is that even the "right" saddle for you might feel crappy at first, especially if you're new to MTB. Give a new saddle some time, but if still uncomfortable after a few rides (and you have a chamois), don't force it any further and start considering new ones.

If you find one that's perfect for you, buy 2.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

You've got good rim width with the 35mm for 2.6" tires. When your wear out move up to the Team version. 30 day trial with a full refund if you don't like them. The Teams have 120tpi sidewalls for more supple flex at lower pressures for more traction. Specialized Grid tires are also good options. Experiment with lower air pressures to see what you can run on your trails and not get rim hits.
Chester pedals have small diameter sharp pins. They're likely to cut up the soles for some running shoes. Other pedals with short stubby or rounded pins will work fine at medium speeds with shoes with open tread soles as long as you put your weight on them and keep your heals low when going through techy terrain. That means lower the dropper.


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## natemeister (Jan 16, 2021)

Honestly, that is a great bike. I just bought a new bike myself and the only thing holding me back is me and my skills. 

First thing I upgraded were the pedals. The factory plastic things were too slippery for the stuff I rode on.

I then switched to tubeless. I only needed to buy sealant and valves, as the tires and wheels were both tubeless ready.

Other than that, I'm still learning to trust the bike and carry speed/momentum into everything. It isn't the gear that's holding me back


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## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

2021Mach6 said:


> Congrats on the bike! This probably isn't the advice you're looking for, but it's the truth ... Convert to tubeless and don't worry about upgrading anything. Parts will eventually need replacing, and you can upgrade as needed.
> 
> Reason I say that is cause you'll wanna get a feel for what you like, don't like, and upgrade according to your preferences (for instance if you need more breaking power or need to swap tires). Let the bike tell you what it needs, not some forum.
> 
> Enjoy!


My new 2021 ex 5 will be here in a couple weeks,, I have a set of rekon 29 2.60 3C EXO TERRA 120tpi waiting for it,, 780 g each.. I believe it is money well spent , get off those tubed tires and go tubeless


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