trek remedy vs session

Which Trek mountain bike is right for you?

• Benjamin Haworth
• October 3, 2017

Get to know your Remedy from your Fuel

We have a look over the 2018 range of Trek mountain bikes to see who suits what in a range featuring the Fuel EX, Remedy, Marlin and Powerfly models.

>>> All our recent Trek mountain bike reviews

Getting to grips with 2018 Trek mountain bikes

If you pop over to Trek’s website and click on ‘mountain bikes’ more than 120 bikes appear in front of you. It’s rather daunting. Choice is good but can be bewildering. So we’ve boiled Trek’s MTB range down to the basics to get you started.

>>> Trek road bikes: which model is right for you?

What type of bike do you want?

We think it’s best to split the whole range into three categories and then go from there: hardtail , full suspension and electric .

What type of riding will you be doing?

Once you’ve chosen one of the three categories you can refine it to the type of riding you want to do: cross-country, trail or downhill.

With those two category types chosen you’ll be left with a much smaller pool of Trek models to consider.

We’re going to assume that you already know the type of mountain bike you want. We’re not going to go into any debates or theorising (hardtail vs full suspension, 27.5 vs 29 , Plus vs Fat etc etc).

Trek hardtails

There are five hardtail models in Trek’s range: Marlin, X-Caliber, Roscoe, Procaliber and Stache.

Trek use their own proprietary frame materials. Their aluminium stuff is called Alpha. Their carbon stuff is called OCLV.

Some of their high end hardtails have the ‘IsoSpeed Decoupler’ configuration where the seat tube is designed to flex for compliance.

The Trek Marlin is an entry level cross-country focussed hardtail ranging from £370 up to £550. Thee are four models in total (the Marlin 4, 5, 6 and 7). The frame is Trek’s ‘Silver Alpha’ aluminium.

The Trek X-Caliber cross-country range starts from £650 and tops out at £1,150. The frame is Trek’s ‘Gold Alpha’ aluminium. The frames have internal routing for stealth dropper seatposts. The components are of a higher quality than the Marlins.

The Trek Roscoe range of Plus-tyred trail hardtails running from £800 to £ 1,250. The frame has internal routing for dropper posts and is made from Trek’s ‘Alpha Gold’ aluminium.

The £1,300 to £6,500(!) Trek Procaliber cross-country race bike range can look a a bit confusing; there are aluminium Procalibers, OCLV carbon Procalibers and Super Light OCLV Procalibers. Although the frame material varies the intent of Procalibers is the same: xc racing. The geometry remains the same. All Procalibers have the ‘IsoSpeed Decoupler’ feature of deliberate flex.

The Trek Stache bikes are rather unique in that they are 29er Plus bikes. They roll on some seriously large rubber! Monster trucking hardtails. Price: £1,300 to £3,500.

Trek full suspension bikes

There are five Trek full susser types: Fuel EX, Remedy, Top Fuel, Slash and Session.

All Trek full sus bikes use a version of the ‘ABP’ suspension design. ABP stands for Active Braking Pivot. The rear wheel axle is also the rear pivot. The idea is to prevent the suspension from locking up during rear braking.

Fuel EX, Remedy and Top Fuel bikes also have RE:aktiv rear shock damping. This damping design claims to ‘know’ which forces are coming from the pedals/rider and which forces are coming from the trail, and it reacts accordingly.

The Trek Fuel EX 130mm travel, full sus, all-rounder, trail bikes come as either 29er or as 27.5 Plus. They can be run with either wheel size but are initially purchased with one or the other. Starting from £1,800 for aluminium versions they top out at £6,500 for the top end carbon version.

>>> Trek Fuel EX Plus 9.8 27.5 (2017) review

The Trek Remedy is the 150mm travel trail-cum-enduro bike. Prices range from £2,300 to £6,000. There are aluminium Remedy models and carbon fibre Remedy models. For 2018 they are all 27.5in wheel.

The Trek Top Fuel bikes are full suspension XC race machines. 100mm of travel at either end. Begins with the aluminium Top Fuel 8 for £2,400 and goes up to the £7,800 carbon Top Fuel 9.9 RSL.

>>> Trek Top Fuel 9 (2017) review

2018 Trek Slash

The 160mm travel enduro racing Trek Slash range is all 29in wheels and carbon only for 2018. It’s a bold move by Trek but one that makes the Slash arguably the most defined model in their range.

>>> Trek Slash 9.9 29 RSL (2017) review

The Trek Session is the downhill bike. Aluminium or carbon. And now available as a frameset as a 29er with 190mm of travel. Complete build Sessions are all 27.5in wheel and deliver 210mm of rear travel.

Trek electric mountain bikes

There are three electric mountain bike types: Powerfly, Powerfly FS and Powerfly LT Plus.

The Trek Powerfly hardtails start at £2,300 and go up to £3,300. Aluminium frames with 100mm travel forks up front. The motors come from Bosch. There is also a £4,200 Powerfly Plus with 2.8in tyres.

On the Trek Powerfly FS bikes the ‘FS’ stands for Full Suspension, 130mm of suspension to be precise. The Powerfly FS bikes are aimed at cross-country riding with a bit of rougher stuff every now and then. All but the entry level £3,500 Powerfly 5 FS come with Plus tyres.

Trek Powerfly Launch in Verbier, Switzerland

The Trek Powerfly LT Plus models have more travel (150mm) and fatter tyres (2.8in Plus tyres). These e-bikes are up for a bit more aggro riding and technical trails. Prices: £4,200 to £5,250.

>> Trek Powerfly 9 LT (2018) first ride

Trek Women’s mountain bikes

Even as stalwarts of the whole Women’s Specific Design thang, Trek (along with most other bike brands) are now seemingly moving away from design theories that assume that women’s body proportions are different to men’s.

Bikes fit humans, not genders. Rider height is the only thing you should really be factoring in when choosing a bike. It really is only saddles that need to be a bit different to men’s.

It’s fine to opt for a supposedly ‘men’s’ Trek model if it fits your height. Get the saddle swapped out for a ladies saddle at time of purchase. Sorted.

Having said that, if you want a Women’s bike because you prefer the different colourway and decals, fair enough.

• Trek Skye – entry level cross-country hardtails
• Trek X-Caliber Women’s –  lighter and fancier cross-country hardtails
• Trek Roscoe Women’s – Plus tyred trail hardtail
• Trek Procaliber Women’s – XC racing hardtail
• Trek Fuel EX Women’s – 130mm travel full suspension all-rounder
• Trek Remedy Women’s – 150mm trail/enduro full susser
• Trek Powerfly Women’s – entry level e-bike hardtail
• Top Fuel Women’s – XC racing 100mm travel full suspension

Race Shop Limited models

You may spot some Trek mountain bikes with ‘Race Shop Limited’ (or ‘RSL’) in their model name. These are essentially super high spec models. Often limited edition. And sometimes with slightly tweaked designs (a bit more travel, slacker geometry etc etc).

Mark Webber’s Top Fuel Project One

Trek’s Project One

This is Trek’s custom paint and decals option. Yep, if you have the funds and are prepared to wait a bit for your bike, then you can get a Trek in pretty much any colour scheme you want.

Be warned: you can waste hours (days!) tinklering away with the online Project One dream bike builder.

It’s only available on a few mountain bike models: Top Fuel, Fuel EX and Procaliber.

Trek Remedy

Words/photos By Chili Dog

The Trek Remedy is a staple in the history of mountain bikes. The namesake has evolved greatly over the last decade, but to the die-hard fan, one can still see the DNA. Over the years it has evolved, but much of the bike’s core principals have remained. It has always been Trek’s aggressive, all mountain ready for anything trail slayer, regardless of wheel size or head tube numbers. We’ve spent six months on the latest Remedy and are ready to report our findings.

As full-time media hacks, it isn’t often that we get to experience what actual bike ownership is like. While it may seem cool at first to have your garage be a revolving door of new bikes, sometimes it’s nice to have something that’s actually “yours” and sticks around for a while.

Normally we do our best to accelerate the wear and tear a bike will receive during its life in the shorter test periods some brands offer, but thanks to Trek’s generosity we’ve been able to ride the Remedy 9.9 since August of last year. Although tempting to rush out a review in hopes of being the first, we decided to hang onto the bike and give it a proper long-term testing.

For 2019 Trek made some notable changes to the Remedy. Tire clearance has been increased and Trek now specs the bike with 2.6” Bontrager tires. Should the 2.6 rubber not be enough, the bike has clearance for up to 2.8″ tires. Trek achieved this by removing any provisions for a front derailleur and eliminating the Full Floater suspension design that they have relied on since 2010. Trek claims that the elimination of the Full Floater system increased stiffness 5%.

Trek also made changes to the seat tube. With more riders opting for longer dropper posts, Trek increased the insertion length 10mm over the outgoing Remedy seat tubes. Trek maintained the OCLV Carbon frame making process, which is brilliantly explained by Cam McCaul in video form here . Trek also maintains their Active Braking Pivot, and RE:aktiv with Thru Shaft suspension design. Both increase the bike’s action under braking, and improve its willingness to respond to terrain on the trail. I won’t be shy when I say Trek has some of the best suspension on the market.

To firmly align the Remedy in its all-around trail bike niche, Trek also steepened the seat tube angle to 68.5 degrees. The extra degree over last year’s bike puts the rider in a better power position for climbing exertions. Adjustable geometry remains, thanks to Trek’s Mino Link flip chip. The chip offers a low and high setting with a half-degree change to the head angle. It also raises the bottom bracket height from 13.70-in to 14.01-in.

So where does that leave the Remedy in respect to geo numbers? Very balanced. Though the YouTube commenters may have convinced you that you aren’t a true 2019 bike without a 500mm reach and 60 degree head tube angle, actual trail riding says otherwise.

A size large Remedy (19.5 frame) has a 66.0-degree head angle in the high position and a 65.5-degree head angle in the low position. Reach is 46.1cm in high and 45.5cm in low. Chainstays are 43.3cm in high and 43.5cm in the low position. As trail bike geo goes, it’s right in line with a lot of our favorite bikes, providing plenty good pedaling response, but still maintaining the ability to hit aggressive lines. The 160/150mm of travel certainly helps that cause.

Spec Our 9.9 model comes equipped with a Fox Factory 36 Float, GRIP2 damper. Out back is a Trek specific Rock Shox Deluxe RT3, RE:aktiv with Trek’s Thru Shaft 3-position damper custom tuned by Trek Suspension Lab. Our top of the line 9.9 model comes packing the heat with carbon Bontrager Line 30 wheels, and a SRAM XO1 Eagle drivetrain.

SRAM XO1 Eagle cranks also keep on the premium theme while four piston Shimano Deore XT brakes do the stopping. A host of high end Bontrager parts round out the build with a Line dropper post, Line Pro carbon bars and Line Pro stem. Trek maintains their Knock Block headset spec for 2019 as well. To make the increased tire clearance worthwhile, Trek specs 27.5×2.6 Bontrager SE4 Team Issue tires. With all that carbon, this bike tips the scales at 27.8 pounds!

Coming into this review, we were already fans of the previous generation of Remedy, however, we were curious to see how the elimination of the Full Floater suspension would impact the ride. I can say with full confidence that the 5% stiffness increase was immediately noticeable… just kidding. Jokes aside, the bike certainly doesn’t lack in stiffness.

The reason that Trek eliminated the Full Floater design was because they decided that suspension technology had advanced to the point that it was no longer necessary. We whole-heartedly agree, as I didn’t once long for the outgoing design.

With 160/150mm of travel, the numbers would actually put this bike more in the Enduro category. In fact, the Trek Slash has the same travel as the Remedy, however, the Remedy’s 27.5” wheels and slightly different geometry make it a much different bike.

Going Up With such a low weight and balanced geometry, it’s no surprise that the Trek Remedy impressed us with its power transfer and climbing ability. One area where it exceeded ahead of bikes like the Canyon Strive however, is in bump roll-over and sensitivity while climbing. Some bikes with less effective suspension designs tend to get hung up on square edges or rocks, robbing your forward inertia. The Remedy simply floats over them. It isn’t quite to the level climbing sensitivity that Naild suspended bikes like the Marin Mount Vision or Polygon Square One have, but it’s still ahead of most of the competition. Any bike can climb a fire road well with a locked out shock, but climbing technical, rocky trails is where great bikes are separated from the good.

We also found the riding position encouraged long days in the saddle. The 74.7-degree effective seat tube angle puts the rider in an effective position to transfer power without falling off the back of the bike and losing traction at the front. The Bontrager Arvada saddle was also quite cozy on the rump.

Going Down It wouldn’t be a Loam Wolf bike review if we didn’t send a bike through bike park hell, and the poor Remedy has gotten more than its fair share, surviving the rugged tech of Mammoth Mountain, the flow of Sky Park and the endless jumps of Snow Summit. After two months of bike park duty, the rear shock began to weep worrisome amounts of internal fluids. After a quick email to Trek, a new shock arrived and has been trouble free since.

While we thought the suspension did a good job going up, it’s especially impressive going down. The Remedy gobbles whatever is in front of it, but will still happily pop up and over a trail obstacle at a moment’s notice. The ultra low weight contributed to that feeling as well. While the 2.6 tires did an amazing job in the soft, kitty litter soil of Mammoth, we found them to be a bit much on our home single track and on the bike park jump trails. We’d probably move down to 2.5” rubber for most of our riding, but that choice is entirely terrain dependent. We can say that regardless of tire spec, the Remedy’s geometry encourages the nailing of corners and the boosting of jumps. I did have to get used to the sensation of the Knock Block however when doing whips and tables. If it were up to me, I’d ditch that feature.

The Wolf’s Last Word

It isn’t often that we get to spend this long with a bike, and after spending this much time with my Remedy it really reminded me of the love a person grows for their bike. The Trek Remedy has won us over with its impressive ability to do absolutely everything. As a stand-alone do it all bike, the Remedy is hard to beat, and it manages to do all that without any fancy travel adjusters or levers. Instead it relies on good design, and top of the line suspension performance.

The best part is that it presents a solid value. While the 9.9’s $7,349 price may give some a shock, it actually isn’t a bad value compared to similarly spec’d bikes from other brands. Step down to the 9.8 model and you get practically the same performance for just $5,499. Suffice to say we like this bike a lot, and see it as one of our top picks for the trail bike category in 2019.

We just received our 2019 Trek Slash 9.9 rest rig and we’re excited to see how the Remedy’s big brother stacks up. Head over to our Patreon to watch the exclusive unboxing video.

Price: $7,399 Weight: 27.8 lbs Website: trekbikes.com

CHASSIS Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon; 150mm Fork: Fox 36 Factory Float Grip, 160mm Shock: Rock Shox Deluxe RT3, RE:aktiv with Thru Shaft 3-position damper, tuned by Trek Suspension Lab

COCKPIT Brakes: Shimano Deore XT Handlebar: Bontrager Line Pro, OCLV Carbon, 35mm, 27.5mm rise, 780mm width Headset: Bontrager Knock Block Integrated Saddle: Bontrager Arvada Seatpost: Bontrager Line; 150mm Shifter: SRAM X01 Eagle; 12s Stem: Bontrager Line Pro

WHEELS Hubs: Bontrager Line 30 54T Rims: Bontrager Line Carbon 30 Tires: Bontrager SE4 Team Issue; 27.5×2.6

DRIVETRAIN Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB PF; 41x92mm Cassette: SRAM XG-1275; 10-50t Cranks: SRAM X01 Eagle DUB; 32t Derailleur: SRAM X01; 12s

All Around Shredder Suspension Performance Low Weight Parts Spec

We don’t, 2.6 tire spec knock block we can’t keep it, leave a comment & win free schwag.

Want to win some free schwag? Leave a comment and vote up the most thoughtful comments and each month we’ll pick a winner. The person with the smartest and most helpful replies will earn some sweet new gear. Join the Pack

• off.road.cc
• Dealclincher
• Fantasy Cycling

off-road.cc

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
• Your complete guide to the RockShox rear shock range - Deluxe, Super Deluxe, SID, Monarch and Vivid air and coil
• Buyer's guide to mountain bikes - get the best MTB for you

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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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.

Session 8 29 GX

(descending)

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

Review: The 2019 Trek Remedy 8 is a solid climber and supple descender

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Earlier this summer I spent an evening comparing a bunch of MTB brands’ entry-level trail bikes. A lot of these bikes sit a little over the $3000 USD mark, but at that price you won’t quite get a ‘total package’ bike. When I came across the Trek Remedy 8, I found what I was after – A build spec that didn’t cry out for upgrades.

Now the price tag on the Remedy 8 takes a step up from ‘entry-level’, but I thought those extra dollars were well accounted for. With a 12-speed Sram GX Eagle drivetrain and a Rockshox Lyric RC fork, this bike comes ready to rock. After testing the Remedy 8 for the last few months, I’d say my impressions held true – I don’t think you can spend much less on a bike that won’t leave you wanting.

If you’re in the market for a mid-spec bike that offers great value and uncompromised on-trail performance, Trek’s redesigned 2019 Remedy 8 is definitely a contender in this class.

What’s changed for 2019:

The most significant change is the new Remedy’s fixed lower shock mount.  Trek decided to do away with their Full-Floating suspension design, as they’ve determined a fixed mount offers advantages with longer travel bikes. A solid mount helps increase frame stiffness, reduces weight, and allows for shorter chainstays. They also say since air shocks are getting better at small bump compliance (which the full-floating design aimed to enhance), fixing the shock mount doesn’t sacrifice on-trail performance.

As for geometry, Trek didn’t make sweeping changes to the 2019 Remedy. The seat tube is now a bit steeper than before, and offers more insertion clearance to accommodate dropper posts. The new frame also provides more tire clearance, and can now run up to 27.5 x 2.8” treads.

The Remedy 8’s frame is built from Trek’s Alpha Platinum aluminum, and incorporates their beefy straight-shot down tube design and Knock Block headset. Between the shapely top tube, seat mast and the ground-out welds on the seat mast gusset, the frame could be mistaken for carbon at first glance. That is, until you notice the heavy-duty welds at all the other junctions.

The rear end provides 150mm of travel, which is controlled by a RE:activ tuned Rockshox Deluxe RT3 DebonAir rear shock. The Remedy includes Trek’s Mino Link flip chip, which alters the head tube angle by 0.5 degrees and the BB height by 7mm. I felt the bike’s lower/slacker mode was most suitable for my local trails, so I tested it in that setting for the majority of the time.

Ride Impressions:

One thing that might sound odd at first is the Remedy’s seat tube angle of 68° degrees. However, it’s important to remember this is the figure for the actual seat tube angle. Since the seat mast has quite a kink in the middle, the effective seat tube angle is actually a much steeper 74.7/74.2° in High/Low positions. The seat doesn’t wind up too far behind the bottom bracket, and I was still sitting in an aggressive position for pushing the pedals.

The Remedy’s 65.5 °  steering angle wasn’t too slack for climbing, and gives the bike stable handling on fast downhill sections.  The bottom bracket sits at 13.74″, which was high enough that I wasn’t smashing rocks with my pedals but still provides a low-feeling center of gravity.

Being a smaller guy, I like lightweight bikes. Even with its aluminum frame the Remedy 8 weighs in at 32lbs with pedals (which backs up Trek’s claim of 31lbs without).

In its stiffest setting the Rockshox Deluxe RT3 rear shock is very firm. While it will use about half its travel when prompted, it typically rides high and stiff making for a firm ride on bumpy trails. In the stiffest setting I found the rear end would clunk when meeting larger rocks or roots, or when it hit the ground after bouncing over an obstacle. Small bump compliance was good, so I’d recommend using the stiffest mode for logging roads or smoother surfaces.

My local trail’s climbs are mostly singletrack (above photo aside!), so almost all my climbing was done in the middle setting. This mode definitely offers the best balance of pedal support and comfort. I didn’t lose much pedalling efficiency in this setting, but the shock handled bumps much better. Some big bumps can still feel a bit harsh in this mode, so I’d say the Remedy’s uphill ride isn’t as plush as other suspension designs I’ve ridden (FSR and four-bar particularly) but the pedalling efficiency is noticeably better. I found the Remedy also pedalled quite well under standing sprints, only giving up a bit of additional bob.

After reading all about Trek’s RE:activ shock tune, I wondered if these harder uphill impacts were a by-product of the shock’s regressive damping curve . Ideally the shock is supposed to isolate pedaling inputs by resisting compressions at lower speeds, but I wonder if some larger bumps were mimicking that low-speed compression and producing more resistance than desired. Ultimately it was only occasional impacts that produced this clunky feel, which is a small price to pay for the bike’s excellent pedalling abilities.

On really technical climbs leaving the shock wide open will provide great traction and comfort, but there is some loss of efficiency. The bike will give up a little bob and sag rearwards into its travel, so I’d stick with the shock’s middle setting for anything but the roughest trails.

I also noticed the Remedy skips over chattery sections very well, and as claimed the ABP suspension remains highly active while braking. The wide-open shock willfully wallows into its travel, which leans the bike into a more aggressive downhill stance and makes it easy to get behind the saddle. While it softens trail inputs extremely well, the shock still provides enough mid-stroke support to pump you through rollers or berms, and resists bottoming out until you give it a good hard smack.

Another thing I noticed right away is the Remedy’s frame is very stiff. That big, straight down tube gives the bike carbon-like stiffness, which helps you plow straight and true through rough patches of trail. On the flipside, the well-rounded Remedy is still a snappy jumper that pops off roots and rocks easily.

Components:

Sram’s GX Eagle drivetrain performed without fault for my entire test. I’m stoked that mid-range drivetrains are as good as they’ve become, offering pretty crisp shifting and perfect chain retention thus far. With a 10-50t cassette and a 32t front ring, gear range was never a problem.

There are some house-brand Bontrager parts on the Remedy 8 including the handlebars and stem, the saddle, the 125mm Line dropper post, the Line Comp 30 wheelset and the XR4 Team Issue 2.6” tires. The Line post never gave me any mechanical issues, and I found the 125mm drop was sufficient for a medium-sized rider like myself. The Arvada saddle wasn’t my favorite but was fairly comfortable, so I never swapped it out.

The wheels feature 29mm internal width rims to spread out the 2.6” tires nicely, and they’ve taken no notable damage during my testing. I noticed the Bontrager tires roll very smoothly and quite fast for a fairly luggy MTB tread. They provide pretty solid grip overall, but not quite as much as the Maxxis Minions I got to try on this bike too.

Despite the Sram Guide R brakes having four pistons and 200/180mm rotors to grab, I was surprised to find them not biting as strongly as expected on some high-speed trails. 90% of the time they were perfectly fine, but when the trail goes from ‘high speed straight’ to ‘180 degree corner’ you’ll have to give these levers a good squeeze. ( Editor’s note: We’ve had varied performance out of the SRAM Guide brakes, but there are two things that have drastically improved any set with issues. First, make sure the compression nut at the lever is tight. We just had a set on a stock bike from the factory that were loose enough it was letting air in during the bleed. Second, once those compression nuts are tightened properly, give the brakes a proper full bleed. )

Trek’s 2019 Remedy 8 is a bike that I’d guess will either tempt a lot of buyers out of the entry level price range, or appeal to aluminum fans who are looking for a non-carbon bike with a solid component spec. I was very happy with the Remedy’s two-sided personality – It clenches its teeth when you’re cranking up the trail, yet devours big hits when it’s time to scream downhill. The Remedy 8 is available in Matte Trek Black or Miami Blue, and retails for $3999 USD.

trekbikes.com

Steve Fisher is a staff contributor for Bikerumor. Steve has been writing about trail, enduro and downhill mountain biking (plus a few commuter bikes) for seven years. Prior to that, Steve wrote for Whistler Traveller Magazine and Mountain Life Magazine. Steve is based in Pemberton, British Columbia, an area that offers plenty of challenging world-class singletrack and makes for great photos!

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It looks like the surprisingly slack ST result is more based on poor spec communication from TREK. On some of their other bikes they include an Effective ST Angle (see the Remedy 9.7 27.5 for example), from the BB to the saddle which is more relevant to positionals and handling, where on this bike they only show the angle that the seat post actually sits at. Effective ST Angle looks more like 74-76 degrees just by putting a protractor on the screen.

Correct- on any frame with a curved/offset seatpost, you can only have a defined STA at any given saddle height. The taller you are, the slacker it is. The listed STA is the angle of the upper portion of the tube relative to flat ground, but the seat tube starts out nearly vertical/forward. I have a 2019 fuel ex with about the same STA and the first time I hopped on it felt like a tri bike it was so steep

Effective vs actual seat tube angle…

I had a 2019 Remedy 8 as a loaner/demo. Coming from an older Remedy, the Lyric is an excellent upgrade to the suspension. But that Knock Block is a deal-breaker for me. I was blocked out of my very first turn on the bike during setup in my driveway. That’s a turn I easily accomplish on other bikes and not as tight as some of my most fun trail maneuvers or even a good, long trackstand. There’s no use for a bike that I can’t point where I need it to go.

Get someone who has a background in bike journalism to explain the difference between actual set angle and effective seat angle to you.

Great review, thanks!

Hello readers; Regarding the seat tube angle… I must admit, when I re-read my text is sounded like I had given no consideration to the difference between actual and effective seat tube angles, which on this bike was probably worth mentioning. Trek’s website doesn’t list an effective STA, only the actual (and only in the mino link’s High position). My concern was people seeing that number and coming away thinking that the seat tube is super slack on this bike, so I felt the need to mention that it really isn’t. I’ve made an edit to the article which should clear this issue up. I will also get in touch with Trek and see if they can provide me with an effective seat tube angle for the new Remedy, and hopefully I’ll add that in soon. I’m actually glad these comments popped up, they made me realise I could have explained that much better. Happy trails!

Please bring the Remedy 29 back !

No need. This 27.5 Remedy absolutely shreds and climbs briliantly. I happily keep up with mates on more XC style 29ers on the ups and fly on the downs. I was all set to get a 29er but got a great deal on a 2019 Remedy 8 and couldn’t be happier. So playful and fun….absolutely stoked!

Hi Max, What size did you get? I am 182 cms and thinking the 19.5 but I have read reviews that they feel small.

I’ve put a FOX DPS shock to 2018 Remedy’s, and I realized how big piece of crap is that Deluxe RT3 with Re:activ valve. Now the suspension works as it should be!

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Trek Remedy 7 review

Big capability trail bike

Guy Kesteven

Trek took the 160mm (6.3in) travel fork off the Remedy and we thought it was a real backward step, but now their Scratch bikes have taken over bigger-hit duties, the Remedy’s tough trail bike intentions are much better defined.

Even this entry-level model is a proper do-it-all option for new dabblers or dynamic riders alike.

Ride & Handling: Stiff frame, excellent tracking and feedback

The DRCV shock uses two inline air spring chambers, operating automatically in sequence in response to impact size. What that means in ride terms is a relatively tight, very pedal-friendly feel as you sit on the first, progressive feeling air chamber over small bumps.

Start hitting choppier, lumpier terrain though and a simple pushrod inside opens the second chamber to provide the deeper phase of travel. The chambers open and shut at an exactly matched pressure, so transfer between them is seamless and the overall control of the two chambers is superb. The fact that the bottom of the Free Floater swingarm-mounted shock moves down as the top is compressed also has a big effect on the overall feel.

Specifically there’s a much more controlled and predictable feel in the 25 to 75 per cent stroke range compared to single large volume cans, which often rush through the mid-stroke using travel for travel’s sake. There’s no need to run extra low-speed compression for pert pedalling feel either and once you’ve set pressures (using the handy clip-on sag indicator) the ProPedal lever is pretty much redundant for anything but fireroad sprints.

The rest of the handling is equally forgettable in a totally sorted way. We tested this bike with a wide range of riders from XC hardtail fans to Enduro DH podium racers and all of them came back full of praise. The longer stem and narrower bars combine with a relatively steep head angle to create a more trail rather than DH feel.

Progressive riders should therefore definitely think about upgrading to a short stem/wide bar cockpit. Having said that, it never let steep, rutted technical singletrack get the better of it when we raced it at Innerleithen. Even when we were braking and cornering hard enough to really feel the extended travel Fox fork twist and twang and the tyres slide in and out of traction over wet roots, the overall balance and high frame stiffness meant we never totally lost control.

The longer reach and less wander-prone handling also give it more balanced climbing manners, particularly on really steep, techy stuff. While it’s not light, the position and shock feel let it cover ground and gain height better than we expected.

Frame & Equipment: Stiff frame with cost conscious but still decent kit

Trek were one of the first companies to use a tapered front end, and the angular E2 tapered head tube is still an obvious feature.

The shared seam between the big truncated triangle down tube and steeply sloped hexagonal top tube, and a small gusset ahead of the seat tube, adds extra strength. It’s not a hollow axle rear end, but the single-piece EVO linkage and long ABP skewer works really well to lock down rotational rear wheel stiffness, and mud clearance is OK even with the 2.4in tyre.

Sandwiching the unique DRCV shock between the linkage and forward extensions of the swingarm – rather than anchoring it on the mainframe – means there’s room for a water bottle. The bottom bracket has mounts for an ISCG chain keeper and the fat down tube does a good job of acting like a Crud Catcher as well.

The seatpost needs cutting down if you want to get the seat really low though and there are no remote cable tabs if you upgrade to a remote post.

This is one of the cheaper bikes here, so Trek have had to cut some kit corners, but they’ve made sure it’s nothing that short changes the rider. The Avid Elixir 3 brakes are actually more predictable and reliable than their more expensive brethren once you’ve swapped to sintered pads. The open bath damped Fox forks are slightly heavier, but smoother over the small stuff than the more expensive FIT versions.

The SRAM X.7 gear all works fine too as long as you keep the cables clean, and the triple chainset syncs with the all-rounder ability of the bike. The longer stem and narrow bars create a more XC feel than the other bikes here too. The Bontrager tyres are relatively fast-rolling too, although broad rims give them a vast volume, and they’re tubeless compatible for low pressure running.

The really important component is the DRCV shock though. Not only does it use two inline air spring chambers, the side-mounted design squeezes a 220mm shock into a 200mm eye-to-eye length. The DRCV shock in Full Floater mount feels great.

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Trek Remedy 8 Review

• good complete bike for the price
• superb frame
• higher quality gears than the other bikes in this price range
• 25 years warranty

OVERALL BIKE CHECK

The most importanten ratings of the Remedy 8 ⬤ in comparison to the competitor bikes of following categorie: (Enduro up to 4500 €) ⬤ .

VALUE for MONEY CHECK

If you are keen on value for money, this is your chart. It shows you at a glance how many bike you get for 3699 €.

Expirience with the Trek Remedy 8

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Trek remedy 8 vs yt capra mx uncaged 9.

Je steiler der Winkel des Sitzrohrs ist, desto effizienter können Sie in die Pedale treten.

• Frame Remedy Alu
• Frame Material Aluminium
• Fork RockShox Lyrik Select+, DebonAir spring, Charger 2.1 RC damper, tapered steerer, 46mm offset, Boost110, 15mm Maxle Stealth, 160mm travel
• Spring Unit air
• Remote-Lockout no
• Damper RockShox Super Deluxe Select+, 230x57.5mm
• Gearrange 510%
• Drivetrain 1x12
• Gear Lever Shimano XT M8100, 12 speed
• Rear Derailleur Shimano XT M8100, long cage
• Crank Shimano MT611, 30T steel ring, alloy spider, 52mm chainline, 170mm length
• Cassette Shimano XT M8100, 10-51, 12 speed
• Chain Shimano SLX M7100, 12 speed
• Brake Set Shimano 4-piston hydraulic disc, M6100 lever, M6120 caliper
• Brake Rotors 200/180
• Wheel Set Bontrager Line Comp 30, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, Boost110, 15mm thru axle
• Front Hub Bontrager alloy, sealed bearing, alloy axle, 6-bolt, Boost110, 15 mm thru axle
• Rear Hub Bontrager alloy, sealed bearing, alloy axle, 6-bolt, Shimano MicroSpline freehub, Boost148, 12 mm thru axle
• Tires Front Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength casing, aramid bead, 60 tpi, 27.5x2.50''
• Tires Rear Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength casing, aramid bead, 60 tpi, 27.5x2.50''
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, hollow chromoly rails, 138mm width
• Seat Post Size: S, Bontrager Line Dropper, 100mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 345mm length; Size: M, M/L, L, XL, Bontrager Line Dropper, 150mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 440mm length
• Stem Bontrager Elite, 35mm, 0 degree, 45mm length
• Handle Bar Bontrager Line, alloy, 35mm, 27.5mm rise, 820mm width
• Handle Bar Width 820
• Head Set Knock Block Integrated, 58-degree radius, cartridge bearing, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

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Trek Remedy 8

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Weight / M - 14.07 kg / 31.01 lbs (with TLR sealant, no tubes)

At a glance

Where to buy.

"I was blown away"

"I was blown away at how stiff the new Remedy is. Just right for aggressive trail riding. The sum of the parts adds up to a greatly refined bike, but perhaps the biggest story is the increased value."

"Top of the pack"

"Overnight, the Remedy has become our new favorite test bike in the quiver. It's snappy, responsive, and accelerates like a rocket ship."

"Pure fun"

"There might be similar bikes out there, but Trek’s suspension is worth paying for. This bike smooths junk out better than anything I’ve ridden before."

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminum, tapered head tube, Knock Block, Control Freak internal routing, downtube guard, ISCG 05, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ABP, Boost148, 150mm travel
• Fork RockShox Lyrik Select+, DebonAir spring, Charger 2.1 RC damper, tapered steerer, 46mm offset, Boost110, 15mm Maxle Stealth, 160mm travel
• Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Select+, 230x57.5mm
• Wheel Size 27.5"
• Tires Size: S, M, M/L, L, XL Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120 tpi, 27.5x2.60'' Size: S, M, M/L, L, XL Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewalls, aramid bead, 120 tpi, 27.5x2.60''
• Chain SRAM GX Eagle, 12 speed
• Crank Size: S SRAM X1 Eagle, DUB, 30T steel ring, Boost (52mm chainline), 170mm length Size: M, M/L, L, XL SRAM X1 Eagle, DUB, 30T steel ring, Boost (52mm chainline), 175mm length
• Shifters SRAM GX Eagle, 12 speed
• Brakeset Size: S, M, M/L, L, XL Size: S, M, M/L, L, XL
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, hollow chromoly rails, 138mm width
• Seatpost Size: S Bontrager Line Dropper, 100mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 345mm length Size: M, M/L, L, XL Bontrager Line Dropper, 150mm travel, internal routing, 31.6mm, 440mm length
• Headset Knock Block Integrated, 58-degree radius, cartridge bearing, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

Q: Where to buy a 2021 Trek Remedy 8?

The 2021 Trek Remedy 8 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2021 Trek Remedy 8 weigh?

A 2021 Trek Remedy 8 weights M - 14.07 kg / 31.01 lbs (with TLR sealant, no tubes).

Q: What size wheels does the 2021 Trek Remedy 8 have?

The 2021 Trek Remedy 8 has 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2021 Trek Remedy 8 should I get?

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