trek checkpoint sl6 review

Trek Checkpoint SL6 eTap long-term review: Simple done brilliantly

The trek checkpoint is the only bike you need to take you on every adventure.

Cyclingnews Verdict

If you can only have one bike, the Trek Checkpoint SL6 eTap is a serious contender. It’s the kind of bike that just works. You can upgrade it if you want to but you don’t need to. There are mounts for mudguards and bags, and with only a tyre change it will transition from a comfortable road bike to a capable off-road partner.

SRAM Rival AXS is the perfect groupset for an all-arounder

Mud-guard mounts

Mounting points for every bag you can think of

Non-proprietary seat-post provides options

Internal storage is convenient

Downtube protection eases worry

Threaded bottom bracket

Ideal all-around gearing

Short stem for added stability means handlebar/knee interference

Lacks included protection for the chain stay

Detail behind the fork steerer collects water and is difficult to clean

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

There's a cadre of people who get really far out into adventure riding that it's basically a small step away from needing a mountain bike. There are also lots of people who want the absolute fastest road bike available. Those ends of the spectrum don't represent the vast majority of riders though. Most people have a lot less focus and need a good, versatile bike that just works. We included the Trek Checkpoint on our list of the best gravel bikes available because that's exactly what you get, a bike that just works. 

The Trek Checkpoint is a bike that I have held onto for close to a year. It carried me across thousands of miles and all kinds of weather. I've had adventures on and off the road and I've put the bike to the test in every type of riding I could think of. After all this time, I'm ready to discuss the experience, what I like about it and where it falls short. If you've been considering a new gravel bike keep reading to see if the Trek Checkpoint is the right choice for you.

Design and aesthetics 

In many ways the Trek Checkpoint is a fairly uncomplicated design. The biggest standout design feature is the rear IsoSpeed decoupler system but even that piece, at least in the SL, sticks to the less complicated version. Trek refers to this version as the "seat tube IsoSpeed" and it refers, as expected, to the seat tube alone. There's no adjustment, nothing to think about, and just an isolation of the seat tube from the structure of the top tube and the seat stays. The end result is a passive suspension design that relies on flex in the 500 series OCLV carbon. 

To further exaggerate the effect, there's a prominent cutout near the bottom of the seat tube. The cutout doesn't reroute the tube for better aerodynamics but instead narrows the tube. The narrow point becomes the fulcrum and the rest of the tube has room to move around. If you want to add even more passive suspension, the non-proprietary round seat post means there's plenty of opportunity to take advantage of aftermarket seatposts. Something like the Ergon CF Allroad Pro Carbon seat post is an easy swap, further emphasising how uncomplicated the design of the Checkpoint is. 

There are a few other smart little design features as well. Details that continue to keep it simple but functional like the in-frame storage. Behind the water bottle mounts on the downtube is a lever that opens up a space at least as big as your typical flat repair kit. There's a bag that makes sure anything in the space doesn't rattle and the back of the door has room for the Bontrager Bits Multi-tool. 

On the other side of the down tube is where you'll find the carbon armour. This amounts to plastic cladding permanently attached to the lower section of the downtube. It's once again simple but important. Unfortunately, there's no matching armour on the rear chain stay but what you will find is a water bottle mount in the carbon armour. 

The under-the-downtube water bottle mount is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mounting points. There are two standard water bottle mounts, that one under the downtube, and an extra three mounting points higher up the downtube. If you aren't running frame bags that's room for an extra water bottle but there are also three mounting points under the top tube. The Bontrager adventure frame pack, on our list of the best bikepacking bags , will attach to the frame without straps using these mounting points. That still leaves an extra pair of mounting points on the upper portion of the top tube for a bolt-on top tube pack. 

The SL version of the Trek Checkpoints goes even farther with mounting options. While the SLR build gets the lighter 700 series OCLV carbon it also does with "only" the fourteen frame mounting points. Sticking to the SL models means there are also three extra mounting points on each side of the fork. Both models also have the option of fitting real mudguards and the Bontrager NCS Alloy Fender Set is one of best out there although there are also other options on our list of the best mudguards . 

Like the design features, the aesthetics of the Checkpoint differ a bit throughout the lineup. The top-shelf SLR 6, 7, and 9 are where you'll find the most colour options while lower down the line the ALR and SL models have only one or two colours depending on the specific build. In the case of the SL 6 eTap here, the only colour available is a deep red Crimson/Carbon Red Smoke that dips the bulk of the frame in a rich high-gloss blood red. There are metallic flakes throughout and a geometric pattern at the downtube and forks with a few details in a darker smoked red. 

The Trek Checkpoint lineup is extensive to the point of confusion. Right now, there are 12 different models listed with three frames serving as the building blocks. Serving as the entry-level models, the aluminium ALR frameset gives less expensive options with two builds before moving up to the carbon SL models. All using the same 500 series OCLV carbon, the SL models have three builds. These are less expensive than the SLR models but also focused more squarely on bikepacking with additional fork mounts. At the top of the lineup, the four SLR models switch to the lighter 700 series OCLV carbon and they also lose the fork mounting points. 

The SL 6 eTap that we spent our time with represents a middle-of-the-lineup option and costs less than half the price of the top model. The groupset is SRAM Rival AXS with 12 gears across a 10-44 cassette and a 40-tooth front crankset. The frame works with 1x or 2x but if you want a front derailleur you'll have to decide if you'd prefer to move up or down. Down drops to 11-speed GRX while up gets SRAM Force AXS Wide but also packages carbon wheels and represents a significant price jump. 

Instead of the carbon wheels on the more expensive SL 7 eTap, the 6 comes with the alloy Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheelset. While not a particularly high-end wheel these check all the boxes with a centre lock disc interface, 25mm internal width, and tubeless compatibility. Thru axles are standard bolt-through in 12x142 and 12x100 and the included tyres are Bontrager GR1 Team issue in a conservative 700x40mm width. There is space for up to a 45mm tyre if you find yourself looking for more off-road capability. 

For the touchpoints, expect Bontrager pieces. The saddle is a short nose Bontrager Verse Comp with steel rails and it's supported by is a 27.2mm carbon piece also from Bontrager. At the front of the bike the bars are the rather unique Bontrager Elite Gravel bars that we feature in our best gravel handlebars list. They have an integrated foam padding to help ease the rough roads and come paired with a shorter than standard Bontrager alloy stem.  

Performance

As a journalist who writes about cycling technology, I have an attraction to exotic tech in bikes. The new Trek Madone with a chunk missing from the seatpost sounds interesting. Or, if we are talking gravel, maybe a single-sided Lefty suspension fork like the Cannondale Topstone I previously spent time on. The wilder the better for me both because of my job and because that's my personality. 

The problem is that those kinds of bikes can be difficult to live with. The higher the integration and the more proprietary the pieces, the bigger the challenge. For example, the Lefty fork is amazing at what it does but if I want to drive to a ride with a friend I have to ask what kind of rack they have. If it's a fork-mounted version, then it won't work for me.

Then there's the Trek Checkpoint SL 6 eTap and its distinct lack of fancy technology. On paper, it's almost a boring bike but when people ask me for a bike recommendation, it's often my go-to choice. There are mounts everywhere, including for mudguards and it will do whatever you ask of it. I got the Checkpoint, added Garmin power pedals and swapped the saddle to an Ergon SR Allroad Core Pro, and proceeded to ride it for thousands of miles without ever having an issue. When winter hit, I added mudguards and rode through the winter spending seven hours at a time in constant rain every weekend. I never once had to mess with seat post issues or creaky bearings, everything just worked. 

I changed wheels and handlebars because I was testing things but the stock pieces were fine. The groupset in particular is a highlight and has become my gold standard example of why 1x12 might make sense for everyone. Rival has worked flawlessly and while 11-speed 1x gearing occasionally leaves me searching for gears, 1x12 has everything I need. The 40-tooth front and 44 rear works for climbing on loose surfaces, even with a loaded bike, but has plenty of gearing for road riding too. Every now and then I spin out when descending and chasing someone but it's rare and I prefer to have the climbing gears. 

When asked, I tell people you can walk out of the store with an SL 6 eTap and there's nothing you need to swap. The wheels aren't light, or fancy, but they work just fine. Same with everything else except the stem. One of the headline details about the Trek Checkpoint is the geometry that uses a short stem and a long wheelbase and right away I found it annoying. I swapped to the Trek RSL stem in a 100mm length as soon as possible. I noticed no lack of stability but I did stop banging my knees on every hill. 

Other than the stem, the Checkpoint has never left me asking for more. During the winter I would come home freezing and drenched with a bike caked in mud. I didn't wash the bike and at one point the brakes only alerted me to an issue when the pads ground down to the metal backing. Despite the lack of maintenance the groupset, wheels, and frame haven't needed anything. If I want to go bikepacking, I will never need to get creative with mounting. If I want to use the Checkpoint as a road bike, a tyre swap will have it ready to go. 

There are bikes that excel at a particular thing. You can get as specialised as you want in whatever area appeals to you and you can collect a quiver of bikes that you choose between depending on what's on the menu that day. Or you could get a bike like the Trek Checkpoint SL 6 eTap that just works no matter what you want to do. 

The Checkpoint might be a gravel bike but that's far from all it offers. Swap to a 28 or 30mm tyre for road riding and it's perfectly capable of keeping up with whatever group you want to ride with. If a summer gravel race catches your eye, swap on a 40mm tyre and only your legs will keep you off the podium. For a more relaxed pace bikepacking weekend, a 45mm tire might be a good option and you can load up all the mounts with every bag you can think of.

The only real question is which of the many build options makes sense. The SLR frameset is lighter but it's also a lot more expensive and it lacks mounting points on the fork. The SL 5 build gets you all the mounting points at a lower price but it’s also an 11-speed mechanical build with narrower wheels. If you are looking to save money look to the aluminium frameset options and if you've got a bit more money to invest, the Trek Checkpoint SL 6 eTap represents a do it all bike that balances price and performance. 

Logbook: Trek Checkpoint SL6 eTap

• Temperature: .5-38 degrees C / 33-100 degrees F
• Weather: Anything you can ride in
• Road surface: paved roads, unpaved roads, and double track 
• Rides: many
• Mileage: 2778km / 1726 miles

Tech Specs: Trek Checkpoint SL6 eTap

• Price: £4,000.00 / $4,499.99 / €4,449.00 / $5699.99 AUS
• Frame: 500 Series OCLV Carbon, IsoSpeed, internal cable routing, downtube storage door, 3S chain keeper, T47 BB, rack and fender/mudguard mounts, integrated frame bag mounts, flat mount disc, dropper post compatible, 142x12mm thru axle
• Weight: 9.05 kg / 19.96 lbs claimed for size 56
• Groupset: SRAM RIVAL XPLR AXS
• Crankset: SRAM Rival XPLR crank; 40T
• Cassette: SRAM Rival XPLR 10-44T
• Wheels: Bontrager Paradigm Comp 25, Tubeless Ready, 25mm rim width
• Handlebar: Bontrager Elite Gravel, 42cm width
• Stem: Bontrager Pro, 31.8mm, Blendr compatible, 7 degree, 80mm length
• Seatpost: Bontrager carbon, 27.2mm, 8mm offset, 330mm length
• Saddle: Bontrager P3 Verse Comp, steel rails, 145mm width
• Tyres: Bontrager GR1 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, 700x40c
• Max tire size: 700x45c / 650x2.1"

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Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes. Height: 5'9" Weight: 140 lb. Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx

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Trek Checkpoint Review (SL6): Dirt Road Rocketry

Joe spent a few weeks with Trek’s Checkpoint SL6 to run it through challenges ranging from the weekly fast roadie coffee shop ride to a ten-hour dirt randonee to local gravel and singletrack explorations. Is this go-fast bike the bridge between a svelte carbon road machine and a lumbering gravel tourer?

Trek isn’t always first to the party anymore, but no one can deny their substantial bicycle history credentials. From the 520/720 tourers of the 1970s to early production 29ers under the Gary Fisher moniker to turn-of-the-century OCLV 5200s, Trek has innovated and produced coveted rides. The recent introduction of the Stache and the 1120 bikepacking specific rig—reviewed here last February—suggests that Trek still wants to be in the conversation. Whatever one thinks of those particular wheels, the designs aren’t a lazy copy of someone else’s work.

• Quick Highlights
• Angles (56cm): 72.2° Head tube, 73° Seat tube
• Chainstay: 425mm
• Bottom Bracket: PRESS FIT BB90
• Hub specs: 12X142MM / 12X100MM Thru-Axle
• Max tire size: 700C x 45mm

The Checkpoint SL is Trek’s take on a carbon high performance drop bar bike with dual front chainrings and clearance for 45mm tires on 700c wheels. It’s available as a frameset or with Shimano Ultegra or 105, which are the SL6 and the SL5 respectively. The SL5 is available in women’s and men’s versions, though the only difference is the saddle and color. All the Checkpoint SLs feature Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler at the seat tube/top tube junction. The idea is to separate those two tubes so that the seat tube can move with the plane of the bike to reduce jolts from the rear wheel.

My dominant impression of the Checkpoint is that it feels like a race-craving road bike. All of the cues are there: the position, the look, the instant feedback from input, and the no-flex ride. A road rider who wants to rail gravel roads at high speed will immediately be at home. The Trek shined when I took it on my local Tuesday night no-holds-barred group ride that is primarily asphalt but also sees plenty of Vermont dirt roads. On the tarmac, the Checkpoint achieves familiar prowess for a contemporary carbon bike: it jumps to task on climbs, it’s snappy to the town lines, and it’s smooth in a paceline. Once off pavement, there’s no need or sense in slowing down, as it still wants to just go. I was impressed by the consistency of this sporty aspect.

I suspect that for someone who isn’t coming from the aesthetic and mandate of road bikes, their reaction to the Checkpoint SL might be more complicated. Firstly, it’s simply not as plush at the front end as many gravel bikes. The narrower tires of the Checkpoint will be run at higher pressure, the stout fork, headtube, and downtube area is designed for precision rather than compliance, and the amount of weight on your hands while on the hoods is perfect for confident descending but reminds you when roads aren’t smooth. Secondly, the Checkpoint handles like a modern road bike in the sense that it takes effortful attention to pilot. In return, it offers quick course correction and a certain nimbleness, but it is not relaxing. It seems as if Trek took everything they knew about road bikes and sought to make a dirt-capable version without wandering too far from the essential format. That is going to have a different valence for different people.

For me, the downside to carbon bikes is that they are a little blunt to ride. There’s heavy subjectivity here, for sure, and it is hard to quantify sensation, but in my experience, excellent carbon bikes feel great—they are wonderful, after all, at mitigating road buzz when tire pressures are high—but not exemplary. Another way to put it is that, to me, there’s a ceiling to the ride quality that can be achieved on a carbon bike that is below that of lightweight steel or ti. This might be because lightweight steel and ti bikes generate a bit of frame oscillation from pedaling, and are more fun to give energy to, and therefore more fun to ride. Still, with their OCLV mastery, Trek achieve an admirable neutral to positive feel from carbon. Carbon fiber is a versatile, reliable material and the Checkpoint is an excellent carbon bike, very much near the top of its genre.

DECOUPLED SEAT TUBE

A stiff carbon bike can be a beautiful tool for a certain job, but it’s never fun to get beaten up by one. Trek’s solution is the IsoSpeed decoupler. It’s a shame that whenever a manufacturer introduces a shock absorbing measure to the back of a road bike shaped bike, it is received as a gimmick. Bike makers haven’t helped themselves since sometimes their approaches are gimmicks, but maybe suspicious consumer attitudes are changing with the wider use of split seatposts and the like. Trek brags that their technology has been proven at Paris-Roubaix, and that it was developed with input from Fabian Cancellara. Sure, bicycles have to get sold someow. I can say, though, that IsoSpeed undoubtedly works. My basis for this claim is riding the Checkpoint on dirt roads that I’ve been riding for 20 years and comparing the feel to my personal carbon bikes with similar tire pressures and widths. The back end of the Checkpoint was as comfortable as any that I’ve experienced on a performance oriented bike.

The way IsoSpeed works is that the seat tube is not molded together with the top tube and the top of the two seatstays. Instead, it passes through and is bolted to that junction to create a floating link that allows some give. The top cap that attaches the saddle to the seat tube helps in creating a system that flexes but doesn’t intrude during accelerations and sprints. Just to be clear, even though I’ve been talking about shock absorption, IsoSpeed is not and does not feel like rear suspension. It merely takes up the sharp small hits of rocks over hardpack and it keeps you in the saddle longer on chattering descents.

IsoSpeed in back but not the front does yield an asymmetry that was noticeable on the first few rides. The back end is comparatively cushy whereas the bumps intruded in a more typical way at the front end. Companies like Cannondale have put suspension on the front end of their offerings in this category, and it’s certainly intuitive to do so. In fact, it can seem strange that a bicycle would have rear shock absorption as opposed to front. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trek had a spirited internal debate about whether to include front end IsoSpeed on the Checkpoint, and, judging from pundit reaction, many people think they should have. I think things are less obvious on a performance road bike platform than first appear, though. In my experience, I can readily absorb hits and chatter by keeping my arms loose. Legs are, of course, big springs, too, but when laying down steady power from the saddle, it’s nice to not have to think about unweighting to accommodate rough stuff. IsoSpeed is there for that. Again, the front end of the Checkpoint is stiff and contributes substantially to the race bike sense of quick control. I like that in a bike that is meant to be ridden fast, and I can also appreciate the forgiving IsoSpeed back end.

WHAT’S IT FOR?

For pedaling hard with speed and purpose on dirt that isn’t very technical, the Checkpoint is as impressive a carbon bike as I’ve been on. We received the bike right before this year’s edition of D2R2 , one of the OG dirt randonées in New England (and highly recommended, incidentally). The 180k loop traverses the most scenic rolling dirt roads of Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this kind of course as the very first ride on an untested bike, but the Checkpoint was brilliant. There are only a few sections of Class IV road that tend slightly in the direction of mountain bikes, and even these were well within the Trek’s comfort window. For pedaling over a hundred miles on dirt while trying to peg a bragging rights time, the Checkpoint is in its sweet spot. More broadly, if a training program and intervals and Strava and mixed terrain fast group rides are your style, you will very likely like this bike.

On the other hand, as one moves away from hurry and racing toward more leisurely camping intensive excursions, the Checkpoint makes less sense. It’s true that it has plenty of carry points. To wit, there are three bottle mounts in the main triangle for size 54 and up, as well as one under the downtube, and one on each fork leg. There are also bosses for a gas tank type bag behind the stem. That gives the bike great potential and flexibility if viewed in the right spirit. Suppose your friends are more into bike camping than you are, but you want to join them for an outing of a couple of nights. You can absolutely do that on the otherwise race oriented Checkpoint. Or suppose you want to mix into your fast riding the occasional rural inn-to-inn tour carrying minimal kit. This is a great platform for that, too. But, really, the Checkpoint doesn’t aim to be an all-rounder when it comes to dirt adventures.

Trek resisted the trend of claiming that 650b wheels with larger tires can be mounted on this 700c bike. They insist that the Checkpoint was designed around the 700c wheels that it is specced with. I appreciate the clarity of not claiming that the bike can be all things, and for the intended purpose of trending in the direction of racing, I think the 700c wheels are a sound choice.

A FEW MORE NOTES

The Checkpoint has a 275 lb/125 kg maximum weight including rider, gear, and bicycle. The bike features Trek’s Stranglehold micro adjustable rear dropouts. This system allows 15mm of fore-aft adjustment of the rear wheel to change the wheelbase and to adapt chainstay length to different tire sizes (Trek recommends a 28mm minimum tire). The dropouts also allow running the Checkpoint as a singlespeed. I experimented with the extremes and settled on the shortest wheelbase for its quickness. Finally, I admire the design and functional details, like the plastic shield under the downtube to protect the frame from rock hits, the metal protector on the dropped driveside chainstay for chainsuck, the smooth bottle boss covers, and the discreet fender mounts.

I haven’t said anything yet about the build on the SL6. Shimano Ultegra is flawless, and on this bike it confirmed again its reputation for shifting smoothness and mechanical refinement. I will note that the Ultegra hydraulic brakes, while very effective both in terms of modulation and stopping, tend to make a persistent scraping sound when the pads pick up mud. On a carbon frame that magnifies sounds, this is annoying. The Bontrager parts are all suitably high end, but the contact points were, for me, a study in contrast. The bars with their deep hooks and wide flat top were incredibly comfortable. The saddle—and my undercarriage is typically pretty tolerant of saddle variation— was decidedly not. The standard caveats of saddle comfort being highly individual certainly apply.

The Schwalbe G-One 35mm tires are excellent for the mix of road riding and hardpack dirt that this bike thrives in. They are a limiter, though, with respect to more broken dirt outings. The most forgiving gear is the one-to-one of the 34t small chainring and the 34t big cog. I can imagine someone wanting something more climby than that, so keep that in mind. The BB90 bottom bracket is press fit and that probably makes many of you angry, but it is perfectly standard for a carbon bike.

One last concern: I’m 5’8”/173cm and the 54cm bike fit me splendidly. But with my 31”/78.7cm inseam and slight toe-down-ish pedaling style, the cap on the seatpost that adjusts saddle height was exactly on the safety upper limit line. Perhaps my inseam is unusually long for my height, but if I was designing a bike, I would make it so that the saddle height could accommodate the tail ends of the distribution, then I’d add a centimeter or two.

• FRAME Trek Checkpoint SL carbon fiber with IsoSpeed decoupler, 12mm thru axle
• FORK Trek Carbon disc, 12mm thru axle
• HEADSET Trek integrated
• WHEELS Bontrager Paradigm Comp Tubeless Ready Disc
• TIRES Schwalbe G-One Allround, 700x35mm
• HANDLEBAR Bontrager RL IsoZone VR-CF
• STEM Bontrager Elite, 7 degree
• SEATPOST Bontrager Ride Tuned carbon seatmast cap, 20mm offset
• SADDLE Bontrager Montrose Comp
• SHIFTERS Shimano Ultegra 11-speed
• BRAKES Shimano Ultegra flat mount hydraulic disc
• ROTORS 160mm
• REAR DERAILLEUR Shimano Ultegra 11-speed
• CHAIN Shimano HG600 11-speed
• CASSETTE Shimano HG800, 11-34 11-speed
• CRANKSET Shimano Ultegra Compact, 50/34
• BOTTOM BRACKET BB90

• Feels like a road race bike
• IsoSpeed coupler absolutely smooths out jolts
• Thoughtful design touches, including a variety of bosses for cages, armor under the downtube, bosses for a gas tank bag
• Very capable on tarmac alongside its gravel prowess
• 650b conversion not recommended
• Unusual routing can cause cable contact with knees depending on out of the saddle pedaling style; might also interfere with feed bags
• Long inseam riders may reach the end of the saddle height adjustment
• Purpose built for speed rather than maximal bikepacking versatility
• Model/Size Tested Trek Checkpoint SL6, 54cm
• Weight (as tested) 19.7 lbs. / 8.9 kg for 56cm
• Rider Height/Weight 5’8″/153 lb (173cm/69.4kg)
• Price $3,999
• Place of Manufacture Taiwan
• Manufacturer’s Details TrekBikes.com

What the Checkpoint is not is a Swiss army knife of all-road touring. Nor would I recommend this to someone whose image of bike camping was primarily leisurely strolls with friends to end at a nearby spot. That’s a great way to bikepack, but you don’t need and probably wouldn’t want this bike for that. Two “ifs” therefore drive my thinking about the Trek Checkpoint SL6. If I was in the market for a decidedly road bike platform that I could race and ride fast on dirt, and if the feel and advantages of carbon fiber frames was appealing, then this bike would surge high on my list. It’s refined, it’s a blast to ride while breathing hard in the drops, and the IsoSpeed coupler is effective.

Rider Profile

Joe is a philosophy professor and expedition cyclist. He took his first bikepacking trip in the late 80s and has since traveled the world on everything from a folding bike to a full suspension mountain bike to his now preferred titanium fat bike. Along the way he raced cross country mountain bikes—often singlespeed—on three continents. Recent trips include Croatia and Tasmania.

• Height: 5’8” (173cm)
• Weight: 149 lbs. (67.6kg)
• Inseam: 31” (79cm)
• Current Location: NYC / Southern Vermont
• Favorite Beer: Hill Farmstead Self-Reliance #2
• Favorite Route: Anywhere in Peru

Trek provided us with a 54cm SL6 for this test.

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Trek Checkpoint SL6 review

Trek Points

Robert Smith

Robin Wilmott

Fully-featured, practical frameset, IsoSpeed, carbon wheelset

I’d prefer to have 40mm tyres supplied

Trek’s Checkpoint SL6 gravel bike is the natural evolution of its Domane road bike and Boone cyclocross bike. In profile it could be mistaken for either, but look closely at the stealthy black frameset, and the differences become clear.

• The Trek Checkpoint SL6 is one of our Bike of the Year bikes for 2019. To read reviews of the other contenders and the categories tested across road, mountain and women's bikes, visit our Bike of the Year hub page .

The fork has a gentle curve, with its thru-axle offset just behind the fork’s centre line to gain a little compliance, and it has mudguard and rack mounts.

The semi-compact frame includes a rear IsoSpeed decoupler, and large down tube, with Trek’s Control Freak internal cable routing system, which gathers up the cables and rear brake hose in one port on top of the tube. Beneath it, a polymer impact guard covers the lower portion of the down tube and extends along the chainstays too, punctuated only by an additional bottle cage mount.

• Top 5 gravel bikes
• Trek goes all in on gravel with Checkpoint

Deviating hugely from the Boone and Domane, the Checkpoint’s rear end has a heavily dropped, intricately shaped driveside chainstay to permit extra tyre clearance and the double chainset. The square seatstays bow gently upwards, have a bridge, and well-hidden mudguard and rack mounts, and end in Trek’s Stranglehold dropouts. These feature slots and screw-in adjusters that allow the wheelbase to be altered by sliding the captive thru-axles by up to 20mm.

The lower seat tube is shaped to increase tyre clearance, which the dropouts help to tune, but if singlespeed is your bag, they’re also essential for chain tension adjustment.

Although supplied with 35mm Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres, the Checkpoint can run up to 40mm (measured) rubber, giving 4mm frame clearance. The asymmetric seat tube is offset for the front mech and Trek’s 3S chain keeper, which perches above the BB90 bottom bracket shell to prevent chain suck.

Frame sealing and storage are impressively practical. My 56cm frame has options for two bottle cages within the main triangle, as well as one below and the usual seat tube cage, and above the top tube are fittings for an easy-access storage pouch. Trek’s Ride Tuned seatmast cap means no seat tube cutting, and because the seatmast telescopes over it, it’s totally sealed against filth.

Trek Checkpoint SL6 ride impressions

What’s immediately apparent is how smooth the Checkpoint SL6 feels. With 40psi in the 35mm tyres, it glides across tarmac with road bike-like speed and feel, the closely-spaced, shallow, round tread blocks rolling almost imperceptibly, with plenty of grip.

Great frame stiffness and the light, shallow and wide Paradigm Comp carbon wheelset make for responsive, quick acceleration that help you cover ground surprisingly fast.

Leaving roads behind, the Checkpoint transitions easily to rougher surfaces, the rear IsoSpeed decoupler really coming into play. The suspended feel it gives through the saddle over washboard gravel and uneven surfaces is impressive, although the bike’s front end doesn’t quite match its ability.

Concerns that the Ultegra drivetrain might be overgeared were soon dispelled

The fork works hard to soak up the bumps, but the handlebar adds nearly as much, together keeping things composed and totally controlled.

The Montrose saddle proved supportive and comfy enough, and despite needing to reign the speed in a little on the slick mud and loose off-cambers, the Schwalbes coped very well.

With some 40mm tyres fitted and run tubeless, grip and off-road ability would be even greater without costing too much road speed. Trek has been quite conservative here, perhaps aiming to lure in roadies, to whom 35mm tyres are already quite a leap, but the Checkpoint’s potential is there to be tuned or exploited in a way that suits you.

Concerns that the Ultegra drivetrain might be overgeared were soon dispelled. The 50/34 compact chainset and 11-34 cassette still allow a 1:1 climbing gear, and more than enough road speed, and the gear jumps are small.

Again, it does lean towards faster terrain, which is generally a feature of American gravel riding. The British equivalent can often be slower, rougher and more fiddly, and when riding on the big ring, I often found myself with a less than ideal chainline. But despite the mud and rocks, I had no dropped chains.

Comparing the geometry to the Boone gives a further steer as to the bike’s intentions. The head angle is a little steeper, while the head tube on my model is 12mm shorter. The top tube is longer, the bottom bracket drop 8mm lower, but the wheelbase of both bikes remains the same, thanks to less fork trail and greater offset on the Checkpoint.

It’s a great balance between crisp, high-speed steering and stable, low-speed control, but always favouring quicker terrain. With its assorted mounts for drinks, spares and gear, the Checkpoint is hugely versatile and can be willingly pressed in to service as a weekend gravel racer, backroads explorer, bike packer, winter trainer or luxury commuter.

Whatever road or trail you choose, this Trek is all about speed.

Trek Checkpoint SL6 specifications

• Sizes (*tested): 49, 52, 54, 56*, 58, 61
• Weight: 8.9kg
• Frame: 500 Series OCLV carbon, rear IsoSpeed, Stranglehold dropouts
• Fork: Checkpoint carbon disc
• Chainset: Shimano Ultegra 50/34
• Bottom bracket: BB90
• Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 11-34
• Chain: Shimano HG600
• Derailleurs: Shimano HG600
• Gear levers: Shimano Ultegra hydraulic
• Wheels: Bontrager Paradigm Comp tubeless-ready
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Allround 35mm
• Stem: Bontrager Elite alloy
• Handlebar: Bontrager RL IsoZone VR-CF
• Headset: Integrated, sealed 1 1/4in – 1 1/2in
• Saddle: Bontrager Montrose Comp
• Seatpost: Bontrager Ride Tuned carbon seatmast cap
• Brakes: Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc, 160mm rotors

Trek Checkpoint SL6 geometry

• Seat angle: 73 degrees
• Head angle: 72.2 degrees
• Chainstay: 42.5cm
• Seat tube: 56cm
• Top tube: 56.6cm
• Head tube: 14.5cm
• Fork offset: 4.9cm
• Trail: 6.1cm
• Bottom bracket drop: 7.6cm
• Wheelbase: 1,020mm
• Stack: 58.6cm
• Reach: 38.7cm
• Price: £3,400 / US$4,000 / AU$4,699

BikeRadar would like to thank Stolen Goat , Lazer , Northwave and Effetto Mariposa for their help and support during our Bike of the Year test.

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Trek Checkpoint SL 6 AXS review – all-round gravel machine

Trek’s checkpoint has unique progressive geometry and scissor frame features and all the mount points you could want. but is it a multi-surface, multi-mission master or a complicated compromise.

BikePerfect Verdict

Genuinely ride improving IsoPulse frame tech with unique handling that’s happy from road rides to rough bikepacking, plus tons of mount points and a sweet spot spec list make the Checkpoint SL 6 an excellent, easy yet efficient choice for whatever you want gravel to be.

IsoPulse Decoupler is a significant ride smoother

Well balanced road or rough handling

Efficient speed on all surfaces

SL 6 model is a real performance for price sweet spot

Saddle is a bit squishy on longer rides

Many mounts mean slightly more mass

Controls go through the headset

Non removable front mech tab

Rough rear hub

Why trust BikePerfect Our cycling experts have decades of testing experience. We'll always share our unbiased opinions on bikes and gear. Find out more about how we test.

Trek’s second generation Checkpoint gravel bike has a unique, ride smoothing scissor frame design, confidently controlled handling, internal storage plus lots of clever external cargo fittings including custom bags. The SL 6 looks like a sweet spot in terms of performance for price too. I have been getting the multi-surface miles in to see how the Checkpoint checks out as an all-round race and adventure candidate. 

Design and geometry

The first impression of the Checkpoint SL is what a chunky frame it is. The massive downtube leaves plenty of storage space under the latched hatch though and together with the broad seat tube means full width support of the oversized T47 bottom bracket. The broad rectangular top tube gives plenty of real estate for bolt on bags above and below it. It also hugs round the head tube to create a deep brow below the upper segment that turns with the bars and acts as entry point to the internal control routing. The deeply dropped asymmetric stays are chunky too and even the seat stays are sturdy pieces by modern ‘flexy and friendly’ standards.

Normally this would read like a classic recipe for a horribly rigid ride, but hiding under the pop out servicing panels at the tope tube/seat stay/seat tube junction is a skewering pivot axle. This ‘IsoSpeed Decoupler’ lets the seat tube flex back and forth above and below (where the tube is dramatically scooped out) the axis of the pivot for an impressively smooth ride in the saddle but a very stiff feel underfoot. Specific variations of the theme have been used successfully right across Trek’s road, CX, MTB and gravel ranges for a while too.

As well as the internal space and top tube mounts, there are four bottle cage positions, hidden fender mounts, less hidden frame mounts and the mandatory triple holes down each carbon fork leg for whatever you want to bolt/strap on. There’s a steel scuff plate behind the chainring (maximum size 46T) plastic armor on the belly and an adjustable chain keeper. There’s ample space for 700 x 45mm or 650 x 52mm (27.5 x 2.1in) tires in frame and fork too. The only glitch is the redundant but irremovable front mech mount sticking awkwardly out from the seat tube.

OCLV 500 is Trek’s mid price, mid weight carbon composite option with a claimed 56cm painted frame weight of 1480g and a fork weight of 501g. This makes it heavier than the Checkpoint SLR chassis, but that’s not available separately, while the SL is $2,399 / £2,500 / €2,699

Components and build

As the model name suggests, the SL6 gets SRAM’s AXS wireless gear set up. It’s the lower/mid tier Rival group with an alloy crank (the SL7 AXS gets Force and carbon wheels) with a 40T chainring matched to a 10-44 tooth XPLR cassette. The bottom bracket is the latest T47 standard. Shifters and hydraulic disc brakes are Rival too, with 160mm rotors for decent stopping power.

Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheels use alloy 25mm wide rims with hard plastic tubeless sealing strips for long term durability. Stock bikes come with Bontrager GR1 Team Issue tires but my sample bike was running Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Classic tires in the same 40mm width. The Bontrager Switch thru-axle has a removable lever with 4 and 5mm Allen keys in the tip too. The non-adjustable rear hub bearings were sounding super rough and wobbling within a few days of riding though.

Bontrager supply all the finishing kit including a carbon seat post and a particularly squishy saddle. All the contact points are size specific with different crank lengths from 165mm to 175mm, 38 - 46cm bars and 70 - 100mm stems depending on frame size. You get a wider saddle on 49 and 52cm bikes as well.

Complete bike weight of our 56cm test bike with bottle cages and internal storage sleeves but no pedals was 9.3kg. The price compares well to other carbon gravel bikes with internal storage like the Specialized Diverge and Santa Cruz Stigmata too although It’s worth noting that the same bike (identical apart from a moss green finish) has just appeared on the Trek UK website for only £4,300 and I imagine other territories will update soon. 

Ride, handling and performance

There’s two main things to talk about with the Checkpoint that are unique to this bike – the IsoSpeed Decoupler and the ‘progressive’ handling. It’s certainly not unique in saying it has ‘progressive’ handling but Trek do it different. Rather than slackening the head angle in an MTB style, they’ve kept it road bike steep (72.2 degrees on my 56cm test bike) but reduced the rake (angle between a vertical line through the centre of the hub/tire contact patch versus the hub and steering centers – aka headset – of the frame) of the fork. In one sense this makes it more responsive through the bars and Trek have amplified that by using a shorter stem than normal. However, the smaller rake means a longer trail figure (distance between that vertical line through the hub centre/tire contact patch). That means the front wheel ‘castors’ more strongly so it wants to stay straight and the bike needs more effort to get it to change direction. Trek have also lengthened the reach by 20mm on average and added 10mm to the rear centre so you’re getting significantly more stability that way too.

Overall then you’re getting a more resolute, ‘I’ll keep going straight rather than freaking out and tripping up’ character than average on the Checkpoint through rough, rooty or loose rock situations – while still having a light and sensitive steering feel. Its definitely subtly different to something like the Santa Cruz Stigmata where the head angle has been slackened dramatically MTB style. That manifests in a keener, more reactive feel through the bars on Checkpoint on climbs and in slow speed situations. That’s emphasised by an already slack seat angle that gets even slacker as the seat post bows backwards under high torque / low revs effort so you’re balancing between alert accuracy and popping the front wheel up and losing control at extremes. It’s not quite as planted through fast, drifting turns as the Stigmata (my current ‘gravel speedway’ benchmark) as you can provoke it to twitch and tweak at the limit. It feels less sluggish and barge like on the road than a slacked out bike though. The deeper than average (for gravel at least) drop on the bars and fast rolling tires also gives a more ‘all-road’ vibe. So if you’re likely to run fast tires or even invest in a separate set of road wheels rather than fit a dropper post and knobbly rubber, then the Checkpoint is a really effective and enjoyable balance.

That’s not to say it’s not very smooth and capable on rougher terrain though because the IsoSpeed tech really does work well. Not as obviously as a suspension seatpost, but in a more organic ‘smoothes the sharp edges and slap sting off roots and rocks’ sense that feels a lot like running much bigger tires than you are in terms of both comfort and traction. Fore and aft flux means it can feel a little ‘rounded off’ when pedaling hard in the saddle, but stand up and there’s clearly a very solid and purposeful drive delivery to the back wheel. The back wheel still carves and cuts cleanly rather than writhing across it’s axis if you’re pushing hard through turns or off cambers too.

While Trek have abandoned their front end IsoSpeed tech, the fork is similarly smooth and forgiving without slurring tracking so there’s no ‘game of two halves’ mismatch to unsettle the handling. The Bontrager Elite Gravel bars have rubber padding embedded in their top surface for a bit of extra comfort and the squidgy saddle plays it’s part in isolating the trail. The fact it’s still an active tracking and laterally stiff bike is obvious and welcome when you’re tackling singletrack or sketchy descents while loaded up for a few days of bikepacking. Even a full size seatpack rammed with a tent, stove and a couple of campsite tinnies didn’t set up any weird harmonics or wriggle at speed and knowing the top tube bags are physically bolted into place adds mental and mechanical confidence too.

The 160mm brake rotors both ends and 44 tooth largest cog on the XPLR cassette are welcome when loaded too and as usual the Rival AXS set up was totally trouble free through an extensive test period. Apart from the premature death of the bearings in the rear hub the Bontrager wheels seem tough, but a lighter set would definitely pep up the dutiful rather than dynamic accelerating character of the SL 6.

Trek like doing things differently and there’s definitely a lot of distinctive features to the Checkpoint. The result never feels weird though, just a great balance of smoothness, assured but not dull handling and efficient yet comfortable speed across a wide range of surfaces. It’s ready to have pretty much any accessory from dedicated bags to commuting fenders bolted on too.

While you can go lighter with the SLR frames, fancier with the various pricier SL models, or cheaper with the alloy ALR models, the SL 6 is a definite sweet spot pick. It's full of wireless functionality, carbon frame and proportionately sized componentry without paying any more than you need to. And if you can invest later it’s definitely a frame worth upgrading not least because it’s blend of 'feels good on the road' and when loaded up for wilderness bikepacking (as well as everything in between) makes it very versatile.

Test conditions

• Surface: Gravel, road, roots, rocks, mud, sand, grass singletrack, mixed farm tracks
• Trails: Moorland tracks, forest fire roads, actual roads, rocky rural roads, natural woodland singletrack.
• Weather: Dry to drizzle. (5 – 15 C)

Tech specs: Trek Checkpoint SL 6 AXS

• Discipline: Gravel Race/Adventure
• Price: $4,299 / £4,450 / €4,799
• Head angle: 67.5 degrees
• Frame material: 500 Series OCLV carbon fibre
• Fork: Trek Checkpoint, full carbon
• Sizes: 49, 52, 54, 56 (tested), 58, 61cm 
• Weight: 9.3kg (56cm model)
• Wheel size: 700c
• Chainset: SRAM Rival, 40T, 172.5mm chainset with DUB Wide T47 bottom bracket. 
• Rear mech: SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS wireless
• Shifter: SRAM Rival eTap AXS, 12-speed wireless
• Cassette: SRAM XG-1251, 10-44T, 12-speed
• Brakes: SRAM Rival hydraulic disc with SRAM Paceline 160mm rotors. 
• Tires: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Classic 700 x 40mm tires
• Wheels: Bontrager Paradigm Comp 25 alloy
• Bars: Bontrager Elite Gravel, 31.8 x 42 cm
• Stem: Bontrager Pro, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 90 mm length
• Seatpost: Bontrager carbon, 27.2 mm
• Saddle: Bontrager Verse Comp, steel rails, 145 mm width

Guy has been working on Bike Perfect since we launched in 2019. Hatched in Yorkshire he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. He spent a few years working in bike shops and warehouses before starting writing and testing for bike mags in 1996. Since then he’s written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of riding gear. To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, he’s also penned a handful of bike-related books and talks to a GoPro for YouTube, too.

Current rides: Cervelo ZFS-5, Forbidden Druid V2, Specialized Chisel, custom Nicolai enduro tandem, Landescape/Swallow custom gravel tandem

Height: 180cm

Weight: 69kg

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2019 Trek Checkpoint SL6 Review – American Muscle

• Bike Reviews
• October 8, 2018
• No Comments

The 2019 Trek Checkpoint SL6 is a gravel-bike that has earned the American-muscle badge here at our test HQ. Trek’s confident approach to fabricating bike technology, has yielded a gravel bike unframed in its ride style. It might be the many-few cyclists that passed by, bawling “gravel-bike, gravel bike!” that suggested this bike has already become an icon.

Trek dialled in major tech benefits on the Checkpoint’s frame. The 500 OCLV Carbon Fibre that embodies the frame, keeps the weight of the bike low. While Trek’s IsoSpeed technology creates compliance within the triangle of the frame. Adding on to the forgiving nature of the frame, is Trek’s Ride Tuned seat mast, which slides over the seat tube, instead of sliding into it. Unlike most conventional bikes.

The Wheels:

Bontrager’s Paradigm Comp TLR wheel-set is so lightweight and stiff, we had to double check to make sure it wasn’t carbon! This Alloy wheel-set has certainly raised the weight-factor bar quite high, and by making use of an off-set spoke bed, the rims themselves are extra stiff. In terms of weight figures, you’re looking at about 755-grams for the front wheel, and 920-grams for the rear wheel.

The entire wheel-set is tubeless ready, and comes rubberized with Schwalbe G-One All-round tyres. From a buyer’s point of view, the 700c X 35 tyres are ideal for road and trail grinding. They also seem to hold their grip well over time, and not be worn out by constant, fun, wheel skids.

The Drivetrain:

The Shimano Ultegra gear-set matches the lightweight theme of this gravel bike. With the rear derailleur featuring Shimano’s Shadow technology, for a more compact look. The crank arms are constructed from feathery material, without feeling flimsy when laying the hammer down. Then serving the Checkpoint’s purpose well, is the 2X11 gear ratio. The crank chain-rings set is a 50T/34T pair-up, and the cassette ranges from an 11T till a 34T.

Total Bike Weight: 8.94kg (without pedals)

In its class:

[wptg_comparison_table id=”2″], geometry:  .

Trek’s 2019 Checkpoint SL6 exhibited momentous, stiffness on ascents. Whether on gravel surfaces or neatly paved tar, we could feel Trek’s unique carbon layup on the bottom-bracket, provide a sturdy frame base. The wheel base, rather counteracted flimsiness of the bike. When we stood up, out of the saddle, the Checkpoint was the most reliable to let every pedal stroke be put to use.

The 2×11 drivetrain, that propelled the Checkpoint forward along flat sections, gave us bridge between precision shifting and excellent cadence. It was very easy to knock the chain up to the outer chain-ring, and crank out some good kilometres. However, the gear-set wasn’t the only thing that made cruising this, muscle bike, a pleasure. Since the Bontrager carbon seat-mast was Ride Tuned, the bike felt natural and part of you, even when having spent a good deal of time on it. The handlebars also didn’t strain our hands, but instead were wide enough to hit the dropper bars and cruise.

We verified the Trek Checkpoint’s versatility, by riding it on both MTB pledged single-track, and the unforgiving tarmac. Obviously, on the MTB track you can’t ride too fast, for fear of simply being rocked and shaken of the bike. That’s one thing we might add to the bike, a front shock, but then again that depends on the type of riding you’re going to be doing. And Trek have already compensated for this with their IsoSpeed decoupler, which adds compliance to the bike over bumpy stuff.

On the tarmac, the Checkpoint was confident and fast. If we did hit a pothole or two, the bike wasn’t thrown off its line. Probably because of the width of the tyres, and more stable build. But still I’d like to see a road bike handle like that someday. Then, if we needed to slow down, the hydraulic disc brakes were always at our disposal. In fact, we believe every gravel-bike should have this type of disc brake. It just eliminates so much strain off your hands.

Trek aren’t afraid to push the limits of engineering bikes that are fun to ride. They’ve shown this characteristic immensely on the Checkpoint gravel bike series. For the Checkpoint SL6, we’re positively impressed! It projected great technology, and superb ride quality. It’s truly the most muscular, gravel bike of its kind.

Price: R 69,999.00

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Take a look at the Trek Checkpoint SL 6 eTap

Featuring a lightweight carbon frame, ride-smoothing IsoSpeed, and a SRAM wireless electronic groupset, Trek’s Checkpoint SL 6 eTap is a gravel beast that comes with lots of well-thought-out details. If you like it, check out 10 of the best gravel and adventure bikes 2022 .

Trek describes the Checkpoint SL as “a true gravel powerhouse and a great choice for serious all-road adventurers”. The US company announced a new top-level Checkpoint SLR range about a year ago with the bikes focused on racing whereas the Checkpoint SLs are designed for adventure, whether that be going out exploring on a day ride or heading off on an epic trip.

> Trek overhauls Checkpoint gravel range with updated geometry & new top-level platform  

Trek introduced a new ‘progressive’ geometry with the Checkpoint SLR, and the SL and ALR bikes have switched over to this too.

The new geometry features a front centre – the distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the front axle – that’s 2cm longer than previously, with a shorter stem and handlebar to compensate. We’ve seen many brands take a similar approach with their gravel bikes.

“Extending the wheelbase gives some stability and allows the rider to be behind the front wheel and be able to get their weight back to get over obstacles a little bit easier,” said Travis Brown, lead project engineer for the Checkpoint. “That stability allows you to put the power down if you’re in a race event or just on a straight, flat road.”

> Check out our Trek Domane SL Disc frameset review

Every bike comes with a stem that’s 1cm shorter than previously, while the SL and ALR models feature a Bontrager Elite handlebar that has a 75mm reach and a 128mm drop. Despite the frame’s longer reach, the ride position is the same as it was on the previous Checkpoint.

The Checkpoint SL is made from Trek’s 500 Series OCLV carbon and comes with the brand’s rear IsoSpeed. If you’ve not encountered  IsoSpeed  before, it’s Trek’s system for adding compliance and damping vibration, the idea being “to diminish the fatiguing impacts of the road, allowing the rider to remain fresher longer”.

Essentially, IsoSpeed decouples the seat tube from the top tube. This allows the seat tube to flex so that forces from the road aren’t transferred up to the saddle.

The Checkpoint SL is compatible with dropper seat posts and, like the SLR, has internal tool storage that you access via a door on the down tube.

As with the other Checkpoints the SL has threaded mounts that allow you to fit a bag within the big frame triangle. Trek’s Bontrager brand offers size-specific frame bags. You also get bento box and mudguard mounts, and bottle cage mounts on the underside of the down tube as well as inside the frame.

There are three pack mounts on the fork for more water bottles or bags and then two rack mounts on the back, so if you want to use this as a commuter bike or touring bike you have those options. Of course, the main point of all these mounts is that you can pack for whatever adventure you have in mind.

The Trek Checkpoint SL comes in three flavours: the SL 5 (£3,700) is a Shimano GRX RX810 build, the SL 7 eTap (£6,400) has SRAM Force eTap AXS components, while this SL 6 eTap (£4,450) has a SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset with a 40T chainring and a 10-44 12-speed cassette.

If you're looking for something cheaper, check out the best gravel bikes under £1,500 in 2022  or the best gravel bikes under £1000 in 2022 .

The Checkpoint SL 6 eTap rolls on tubeless-ready Bontrager GR1 Team Issue tyres that excel in fast and firm conditions. They feature a 120TPI construction for a relatively supple ride feel and Inner Strength casing for lightweight puncture protection.

All Trek Checkpoints are specced with 40mm tyres although there’s space for 700C x 45mm if you want to swap them. Checkpoints are designed with 700C wheels in mind but if you do want more tyre volume then you can go up to 2.1-inch on a 650B wheel.

The tyres are wrapped around Bontrager’s Paradigm Comp 25 wheels with tubeless-ready rims so you can run lower tyre pressures for increased grip and comfort without the threat of pinch flats.

Available in Crimson/Carbon Red Smoke, the Trek Checkpoint SL 6 eTap is a gravel/adventure bike that can handle pretty much anything.

www.trekbikes.com

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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Nice... but not available in any size/spec?!?!

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• Cycling Magazine

Trek Checkpoint SL 6: A first look at the new do-it-all gravel bike

Also, a tour of the revamped lineup of bikes and bags for mixed-surface adventures.

With the launch of the new 2022 Trek Checkpoint, Trek says that it has hit upon a geometry that works for all types of gravel-riding scenarios. With the previous Checkpoint, the Waterloo, Wisc.-based company had built a gravel bike that worked well in its own backyard, the Midwestern U.S. But, of course, gravel riding in the U.S. and across North America is so varied. What of steep mountain routes? Apart from the terrain, what of the rider’s goals? Some riders head to gravel to race. Others want to strap on bags and bash around in the woods. Gravel can mean so many things. To cover more gravel, if you will, Trek has expanded its Checkpoint lineup to include a third model at the top end. All three models of Checkpoint, however, are built around the same geometry. Can one set of numbers (scaled to suit each of the bike’s six frame sizes) really handle all forms of gravel riding? Trek thinks so.

The Trek Checkpoint geometry

Trek first introduced the Checkpoint roughly three years ago. It was the company’s first true carbon-fibre gravel bike and a solid performer on flatter, faster gravel routes. Trek wanted it to do more though. “What we wanted to add, for capability, was the mountain-gravel experience—get a little more capability out of the bike,” says Travis Braun, lead project engineer. Braun and others on his team took five prototypes to Utah. “We tested this out in Salt Lake City. We rode some mountains out there. Our group of test riders all found one geometry that we liked for multiple situations.”

Trek is lifting a term from the mountain bike side to describe the Checkpoint’s design: progressive geometry. The new frame has a front centre measurement that’s 2 cm longer than the previous one. The wheelbase gets longer, too. In Size 54, the previous Checkpoint had a wheelbase of 1,014 mm. The new model of the same size is 1,041 mm. These new figures help the bike to cruise and maintain speed along straight stretches. So that the bike could also perform well on twisty bits, designers spec’d a shorter stem. The Size 54 runs an 80-mm-long stem, whereas the old model had a 90 mm. The latest Bontrager handlebars on the Checkpoint help to keep things nimble as well.

Braun says the frame’s design also allows you to get your weight back easily so you can get over obstacles.

This geometry runs through all of the new Checkpoint frames: the aluminum ALR, the carbon-fibre SL and the new-to-the-lineup SLR with Trek’s premium carbon-fibre formula.

Trek Checkpoint SLR

The new, top-tier Trek Checkpoint SLR is made for winning gravel events. SLR stands for “super light racing” so the frame is made with one of the company’s best carbon-fibre formulas. In this case, it’s the 700 Series OCLV Carbon. (The SLR versions of the Madone and Émonda use 800 Series, while the Domane SLR has the 700.) The Checkpoint SLR is about 200 g lighter than the SL.

If you are familiar with Trek’s road bikes, you’ll know about IsoSpeed, the company’s vibration damping technology. On the Checkpoint SLR, there’s IsoSpeed in the top tube near the seatpost to give the seatpost more flex. This IsoSpeed is new. Unlike on the Domane and Madone, the Checkpoint’s IsoSpeed is non-adjustable. This internal setup should keep everything clean and away from grit. It’s lighter, too. Also, Trek found most riders don’t adjust their IsoSpeed settings much. With the Checkpoint, you have the company’s more compliant setting to keep you more comfortable on rough gravel.

In the down tube, at the bottle cage mounts, is a storage compartment. Trek first introduced this feature on the Domane that came out in 2019. You can put stuff in here that you’d usually keep in a seat bag, such as a multi-tool, CO2 and tube. The bike also has mounts under the top tube for affixing Bontrager’s new frame bag, as well as mounts for a top-tube bag and fenders. You can’t, however, run racks.

SLR models come built with Shimano GRX Di2 or SRAM Red, Force or Rival eTap AXS.

Trek Checkpoint SL

The Checkpoint SL is the most versatile model. It’s built with 500 Series OCLV Carbon, so it weighs a bit more than the SLR. Still, if you want to race the SL, you can (and should). If you want to head on a bikepacking adventure, the SL is your machine.

The SL has even more mounts than the SLR. You can put a rack on the SL. Its fork blades have mounts, so that you can carry as much as 3 kg of stuff on each blade. The SL has the down-tube storage compartment as well.

The Checkpoint SL’s saddle sits on a 27.2-mm seatpost. You can run a dropper post to help you get that saddle out of the way for steep descents and to put your weight back. This frame uses a non-adjustable seat-tube IsoSpeed for dropper-post compatibility. It is less compliant than the SLR’s top-tube IsoSpeed.

The SL models are spec’d with SRAM Force or Rival eTap AXS, or Shimano mechanical GRX.

Trek says the SL can accept some suspension forks. (The SLR can’t.)

The Checkpoint SL really is the do-it-all gravel bike.

Trek Checkpoint ALR

The ALR model of Checkpoint has an aluminum frame. The material makes for a more price-point bike.

The ALR resembles the SL quite closely. They both have the same generous amount of mounts. They can run dropper posts. What the ALR doesn’t have is the down-tube storage and IsoSpeed.

The Checkpoint ALR 5 comes with a mix of GRX RX600 and RX810 parts.

New Bontrager handlebars

All models of Checkpoint use handlebars with a 75-mm reach and 128-mm drop. These dimensions, in conjunction with the shorter stems on the bikes, keep the steering of all the Checkpoints nicely responsive.

The ALR and SL bikes have the new alloy Bontrager GR Elite handlebar. It has a 13-degree flare outward so you can be comfortable and in control on steep descents.

The SLR runs the carbon Bontrager Pro IsoCore VR-SF road handlebar with a 4-degree flare.

Wheels and tires

The Checkpoint can run 45 mm wide tires that are 700c in diameter. There should be about 6 mm of clearance between the tire and frame or fork. Each bike comes spec’d with 40-mm treads. Trek designed the Checkpoint around 700c wheels because they’ll move you faster and roll over more stuff than 650b. Still, you can put on 650b hoops with tires as wide as 2.1″ (53 mm). With 650b wheels, expect to take a slight penalty in the handling department because the bottom bracket will go lower.

Bontrager Adventure bags

Bontrager has new Adventure bags for your bikepacking trips. The Adventure Boss frame bag is designed to work with the mounts on the underside of the top tube. There’s a Boss bag for each size of Checkpoint. A 1.3-l bag fits in a Size 49 frame. The Size 60 frames gets a 5.9-l bag. All Boss bags have a high-viz fabric on the inside to make things easier to find: no rooting around in frustration for a black Allen key in a black bag.

The 9-l handlebar bag holds a 1.5-l water bladder. The seat bag is also 9 l. Each one is built with waterproof materials, but is not guaranteed to be waterproof.

Prices for 2022 Trek Checkpoint models

First ride impressions of the trek checkpoint sl 6.

After a few short rides on the Trek Checkpoint SL 6, it seems that designers have in fact made a bike that tracks well when you are following straight roads, but has the agility for twists and turns. The wide 40c tires and IsoSpeed in the seat tube have kept me comfortable over the bumps.

At 13 degrees, the handlebar is at my limit for flare. I find the shape puts my wrists at an uncomfortable angle when I hold onto the hoods. Riding in the drops, on the other hand, is great. On a steep singletrack descent, I felt nicely in control.

While I don’t have the new Adventure bags yet (they are on their way), the bike seems ready for them, especially the frame bag. The rubber plugs that fill the mounts under the top tube keep dropping out. The others seem fine. Once I get the frame bag, though, I won’t have to worry about the plugs. My concern will be where to ride the Trek Checkpoint SL 6. As the temperatures are dropping, I wonder if a big bumpy adventure will be possible. If not, I’ll have to find a way to keep this bike for even longer.

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• Competitions

2019 TREK Checkpoint SL6 Review

Full disclosure, this is my first gravel bike. When gravel bikes entered the scene a few years, I initially remarked to myself this was another bike industry push to create something new and drive sales.

Essentially ‘gravel’ was marketing. Why not just give ‘er on your road bike with some 28c tires? Or really, just hop on the cyclocross bike and go? And all three of these thoughts are true. It is marketing hype. You can actually take a road bike and ride it on a gravel road. And a cyclocross bike works just fine, even if it’s not being ridden at full gas on a grassy slope. So where does this leave us and why did I buy a gravel bike? My prior bike stable variously included a road bike and a cyclocross bike which sometimes doubled as a winter road bike with fenders. I had treated myself a couple of years ago, and was riding a Specialized Tarmac SWORKS which is truly a thoroughbred. Very fun to ride, but I was not racing. And I live in Whistler British Columbia, where there is limited options for road riding. I race a bit of cyclocross and previously had Trek Crockett for the few races I did each fall. I had a few goals with this purchase: Reduce the bike quiver to 1 skinny tire bike. Ride it for everything. This was partially a budget decision, Feel more comfortable riding the gravel-strewn and pothole-ridden roads of Whistler, Maybe throw a leg over the bike for a CX race or 2, and Explore some gravel roads. More specifically plan a big multi-day adventure with as much non-asphalt as possible.

In 2019, I was riding with a club supported by Trek. After doing my independent research, I was also suitably impressed by the Checkpoint, Trek’s gravel bike. So I pulled the trigger on a Checkpoint SL6 I purchased the bike right at the end of season, just as 2020 bikes with being announced and shipped. The SL6 model is almost identical year over year, save for graphics.Trek has introduced a SL7 model, with a SRAM Eagle drivetrain, but this was not for my liking. I specifically wanted a 2x drivetrain for versatility on paved roads (where the bike would actually spend most of its time). The Checkpoint SL6 is a well appointed bike with a Cdn MSRP of $4999. Carbon frame and Ultegra groupo - this was really my starting point and floor of what I wanted. I was coming off a full DuraAce bike and was hesitant to give up any more. The SL6 comes with compact cranks and 11-34 cassette. I know the gearing makes sense, specifically to have a compact crankset - but I generally dislike compact. I specifically choose standard 39/53. Maybe I consider myself a ‘hard man’ but I should heed the signs of change. Trek no longer ships ANY road bike with standard cranks. Even their highest end road racing machine, Emonda, is compact. The build is as much house brand Bontrager as possible. My experience with Bontrager components has generally been fine. Nothing stand out, but good working stuff. And it allows Trek to appropriately appoint a bike and potentially keep costs down with their own OE parts.

Ultegra crankset. Many manufacturers look to cranksets as an opportunity to downgrade and save costs on overall build. Many OE or alternative cranksets are probably just fine, but I was reassured of having Ultegra crankset to match with the rest of my groupo. As well, if you are thinking of an aftermarket crankarm-based power meter, a la Stages or other, this is definitely important.

IsoZone drop bars. Well I got sold on the marketing here. IsoZone bars are simply an application of gel pad under the tape to absorb some vibration. Nothing fancy here. I was double taping my bars for extra cushioning in 1992. I was actually expecting a foam core bar, perhaps something like Spank Vibrocore. And I was slightly disappointed my 56cm bike was standard with 42cm wide bars in lieu of 44cm.

Bontrager Paradigm Elite 25 TLR Disc Road Wheel. While these were not actually sought after, I was reassured the wheel set was again not a place where build price had yielded a decision to have very cheap wheels. At 1682g for the wheel set, these are by no means light. But I hoped they would be light enough, and strong enough for some off road adventures. I actually planned for a second set of wheels. More on that later.

I have now had the opportunity to ride the Checkpoint a number of times and in a variety of conditions. This includes solo and group road rides, coaching high performance workouts including hill repeats and sprints, casual gravel rides and a cyclocross race. I have not yet taken the bike on a multi-day adventure. On the road, the bike feels settled and comfortable. I am about 5’11” with a 32” inseam and typically a 56cm bike fits me spot on. This was the case with Checkpoint, save for one fitment item. The Checkpoint uses an over-mast seatpost which is available in short and long. The 56cm frame comes standard with short, and my post is a couple of mm above the maximum height height line. I’m not a big fan of this system, but recognize it’s necessary for the the IsoSpeed system. Speaking of that, I don’t really notice the IsoSpeed decoupler. On the road, it’s imperceivable. On gravel, pretty much same. I put that in the positive attribute category. I know it’s working but I’m not fussed with it, nor does it change how I ride the bike. Great! Notably, the Checkpoint does not come with a front IsoSpeed system. Various comments from Trek claim it’s not required to achieve the ride quality desired. That’s BS. The Boone and now the Domane both have IsoSpeed on the front of frame. The Checkpoint will too in its next iteration. Otherwise the decision not to include this feature is based solely on frame manufacturing cost and bike price point. I have not ridden a Trek with IsoSpeed front but would be interested. The Checkpoint’s main competition, the Specialized Diverge has a proprietary Future Shock system. What’s the best way to gauge the characteristics of a bike? Well doing some sprints and big hill climbs is a start. Out of the saddle putting down maximum power into the Checkpoint, it feels like a nice carbon road bike. The geometry for standing with hands on hoods is comfortable. The bike was slightly less responsive than I’m used to, but for all but crit racing, the performance deficit would be negligible. At 20 lbs, this bike is not featherweight. If you are a weight weenie, this may be an issue. The weight actually surprised me, given it’s a full carbon frame with Ultegra groupo, but then I compared to a similar Domane and found the weight almost identical. I did also take off the water bottle cage one day and try my hand at a local cyclocross race. For this, I mounted some UCI-legal 32cc tires and went for it. Again, not once during the lung-seering leg-aching 45 minutes of my race did I actually think about the bike. I didn’t remark to myself about handling characteristics or not being a 1x gear setup. I just rode the bike. And it worked fine.

A lot of time is spent on the internet by folks obsessing about frame geometry and implied ride characteristics. So now I have too. Comparing the Checkpoint, Boone and Domaine, they are all very similar. I would expect a gravel bike, compared to a cyclocross bike, would be generally slacker with a lower BB height. I was surprised that the head tube angle on the Checkpoint is just slightly steeper and the trail is significantly less. In the past, Trek has marketed different bike fitment styles for road bikes, namely H1, H2 and H3. These go from ‘racer fit’ to a more relaxed upright fitment posture. For Checkpoint, Trek makes no mention of this branding. Compared to the Domane, the frame stack is ~2cm higher but they share a 100mm stem length. Before buying this bike, and embarking on the one bike for all purposes idea, I planned to purchase a second wheel set. This would allow me to have a lighter wheel set for road use, with 28c road tires and potentially steeper gearing. I ended up purchasing a set of Easton EA90SL wheels with Schwalbe Pro One TLE's. Another disclosure, I am an ambassador for Easton and Schwalbe. The EA90SL wheel set is a comprise. Not the fancy carbon wheels I was hoping for, but best bang for your buck and same weight as their carbon cousin, EC90 SL, at <1500g. I installed a 11-28 cassette which seems plenty of gear range still for road only, especially with a compact crankset. The ability to swap wheel set and choose between road and off-road adventures in 60 seconds is a game changer. I highly encourage riders thinking along the same lines as me, one bike for all, to consider two wheel sets.

Nit picking

I have already mentioned the short seat mast. But what are the other details I have found that need attention?

Tires . The Checkpoint comes stock with 35mm tires but specifically calls out that 40c’s fit. In the age of gravel, why not 40c’s stock? The Domane, a road bike, now comes with 32c and fitment for 38c’s! This seems a miss for real gravel riding as compared to other similar bikes.

The ‘missing’ front IsoSpeed decoupler I have also mentioned. Dimes to dollars, this is coming. My 2019 model is full Ultegra, while the 2020 model of the SL6 now is equipped with an Ultegra RX rear derailleur. It would be nice to have a clutch derailleur but I have not specifically noticed a lot of chain slap while riding on gravel or off-road.

All of the rubber grommets in the mounting locations on the bike. There must be 1000 on the bike, for fenders, panniers, racks, packs, bottles and whatever. I’ve not used many yet. But I’ve already lost a grommet from my fork and now have a hole in my bike.

The last is internal storage . This is now a frame feature for the Domane, and like the front IsoSpeed I am confident it will be included in the next iteration of the Checkpoint. It’s a great feature that I’ve used on my Specialized Enduro (and been told it’s coming on the new Diverge too). Tube, pump or CO2, small tool, and maybe even some emergency food or a windbreaker. The experiment is ongoing. So far, I have not missed my dedicated road bike. I’ve been having fun riding the Checkpoint everywhere. And it can even do duty as a CX bike in a pinch. As spring approaches here in Whistler, I have been out riding on the road (while the trails and gravel are all still covered in snow). With very dirty roads, lots of gravel and big pot holes, the Checkpoint has been a star. I’m riding with the 35c tires at about 70 psi and they are confidence inspiring on these crappy road surfaces. Back to the marketing. I dislike ‘gravel’ as a class of bikes, but am also hesitant to add something new. But if I were a marketer sitting in Madison WI, probably I’d call the Checkpoint the ‘all road’ bike

© 2024 Whistlermountainbike.com

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The New Trek Checkpoint Line Is For Gravel Riders of All Kinds

Updated geometry and differentiated models for speed, adventure, and all purpose riding

The Takeaway: A great bike gets better, with geometry updates suited to the evolution of gravel.

• Two centimeters longer reach and front center on all sizes
• One centimeter longer chainstays
• New race-oriented SLR platform
• Additional cargo mounts

Price: $12,000 (SLR 9, as tested) Weight: 17.8 lb. (Size 54cm)

Trek’s gravel loving Checkpoint is all new front to rear, with new geometry (covered below) and features for the ever-evolving world of gravel riding. That evolution is why Trek differentiated the three complete bike platforms—SLR, SL, and ALR—for different kinds of gravel riders. I go into more depth below, but the short version is: SLR = race; SL = all-around, ALR = utility.

Threaded T47 bottom brackets now grace all Checkpoint frames, but Trek has done away with the sliding dropouts found on the previous generation Checkpoint. All eight builds get gravel gearing and clutch-style rear derailleurs (Shimano GRX or SRAM eTap AXS), as well as 40mm tubeless ready tires and tubeless ready rims. All models, and all sizes, can fit up to 45mm tires with plenty of mud clearance; which means riders in dry conditions can fit in even bigger tires. If you choose, you can fit the Checkpoint with 650b wheels—all models and all sizes come stock with 700c wheels—which bumps tire clearance up to 53mm (2.1 inches).

In the press release, Trek makes mention of “ Émonda -inspired aero tube shapes,” without providing any wind tunnel data. My suspicion is the tube shapes do save a few watts, though Trek isn’t leaning into gravel aero as much as 3T does with its Exploro RaceMax .

Trek Checkpoint — Geometry

Geometry is where the new Checkpoint sees the biggest change. While there are three Checkpoint frame platforms (outlined below), all three share the same, all new, geometry (see table above).

The overall theme to the geometry updates is “more progressive.” Trek took a page from the mountain bike playbook and stretched all sizes of the frame’s reach and front center by about two centimeters. Trek now fits shorter stems and shorter-reach bars to mitigate cockpit length changes. Chainstays on the frame grow by a centimeter (now 435mm on all sizes). Trail is also longer (about six millimeters) even though head angles remain about the same—new fork offset is 45mm, old was 49mm—and wheelbase grows as well. Frame stack bumps up a touch too.

Jordan Roessingh, Trek’s director of road product, says the new geometry aids stability, “It’s a longer bike, so whether you’re doing long Unbound type stuff where you’re just pointing the bike straight or you’re doing high speed stuff on gravel descents in the mountains, we believe this geometry lends itself to confidence. Getting that wheel out in front of you also unweights it makes you feel a lot more confident when you’re doing steep technical stuff—you don’t feel like you’re going to go over the bar. That front wheel is really easy to unweight and allows it to roll over a lot more stuff.”

Roessingh further explained that the new geometry also reduces toe overlap on smaller sizes and allows them to approve larger tires sizes for smaller riders, “On the previous [Checkpoint] we had to limit our small frame size tire size recommendations to only 40mm. Not because the frame didn’t have the capacity for 45, but when you put a 45 it created too much toe overlap.” The issue here was government regulations that outline a production bike’s maximum tire overlap. But with the new bike’s longer front end every size can, officially, run up to a 45mm tire.

One note on the geometry: The new Checkpoint is not suspension fork corrected. However, the Checkpoint has a 1.5-inch lower fork steerer diameter, so you can fit the new RockShox Rudy , a Suntour GVX, or Fox AX, but doing so will raise the front end and slacken its angles.

Trek Checkpoint — Where is the Front IsoSpeed?

One surprising omission from the new Checkpoint is IsoSpeed in the front, a feature found in Trek’s Domane all road bikes . According to Roessingh, IsoSpeed on the front of a bike with big tires, “Doesn’t provide a sufficient gain in compliance to make a real difference to the rider because a [larger than 32mm tire] is such a dominant aspect of the compliance,” so it was left off the new Checkpoint. The benefit is a less complicated front end, and some weight savings.

Rear IsoSpeed continues on all models. Roessingh explains that it has more deflection than front Isospeed so it offers additional compliance benefit even with larger tires.

Trek Checkpoint — Three Frame Platforms

The new Checkpoint comes in three platforms: SLR, SL, and ALR. The top of the line SLR (super light race) platform is new to the Checkpoint line. Previously, Checkpoint topped out with the SL model. All the models have T47 threaded bottom bracket, internal hose and housing routing, 45mm tire clearance, frame bag mounts, fender mounts, and come in six sizes: 49 to 61cm. SLR and SL carbon frames get the same in-frame storage system found on carbon Domane frames.

But though the three platforms share geometry and many features, they’re tuned to suit different riders.

The SLR is race oriented, so it gets the highest-grade carbon composite, a traditionally shaped (not flared) road bar, and forgoes cargo mounts on the fork. This model also has Trek’s no-cut seat mast with (non-adjustable) top tube IsoSpeed.

The SL gets an all-purpose gravel focus. It uses lower grade carbon than the SLR but adds adventure riding features like three-pack mounts on the fork legs, and a flared gravel bar. This model does have Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler in the seat tube but fits a traditional 27.2mm seatpost: That makes this model dropper-post compatible.

The aluminum framed ALR is the least expensive of the new Checkpoints, and Trek’s representatives expect this to be a popular model with riders looking for a commuter or utility bike. It has the same geometry as the other platforms, and the same rack, fender, framebag and mudguard mounts as the Checkpoint SL, and it gets a flared gravel bar and 27.2mm dropper-post compatibility. The two features it lacks relative to the SL are the in-frame storage and an IsoSpeed decoupler.

Trek Checkpoint — Models, Prices, Weights

There are eight complete bikes for the USA: one ALR, three SL, and four SLR models. Prices and claimed weights are below, with a quick look at the build kits. All complete bikes roll on Bontrager GR1 40mm tubeless ready tires, have tubeless ready rims, and ship with tubeless valves, rim strips, and sealant.

• Checkpoint ALR 5— $2,400, 21.5lb. Shimano GRX600 2x11 with 30/46 rings and 11-34 cassette
• Checkpoint SL 5—$3,200, 21.3lb. Shimano GRX600 2x11 with 30/46 rings and 11-34 cassette, Bontrager Paradigm SL wheels (21mm internal width)
• C heckpoint SL 6 eTap — $4,100, 20.0lb. SRAM Rival eTap AXS 1x12 with 40 ring and 10-44 cassette, Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheels (25mm internal width)
• Checkpoint SL 7 eTap—$6,3,00 19.6lb. SRAM Force Wide eTap AXS 2x12 with 30/43 rings and 10-36 cassette, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V carbon wheels (25mm internal width)
• Checkpoint SLR 6 eTap—$7,600, 19.1lb. SRAM Rival eTap AXS 1x12 with power meter, 40 ring and 10-44 cassette, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V carbon wheels (25mm internal width)
• Checkpoint SLR 7—$8,300, 19.4lb. Shimano GRX815 2x11 with 31/48 rings and 11-34 cassette, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V carbon wheels (25mm internal width)
• Checkpoint SLR 7 eTap—$8,300, 18.6lb. SRAM Force eTap AXS 1x12 with power meter, 40 ring and 10-44 cassette, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V carbon wheels (25mm internal width)
• Checkpoint SLR 9 eTap—$12,000, 17.9lb. SRAM Red eTap AXS 1x12 with power meter, 40 ring and 10-44 cassette, Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37V carbon wheels (25mm internal width)

Trek Checkpoint — Ride Impressions and Review

Trek sent me the top-of-the-line SLR 9 eTap AXS well ahead of the bike's launch, and I’ve done my usual “gravel” shenanigans on this bike—long gravel rides, mixed media rides, some road riding, and plenty of singletrack.

On anything dirt, and especially on singletrack, the new Checkpoint is not just better than the previous generation, it’s one of the best gravel bikes I’ve been on. I love the previous generations above-average comfort and smoothness and that’s still present, but the geometry updates make the new bike much more capable: And the faster and more technical the dirt, the more the geometry pays off. It’s accurate, but not darty, and composed but appropriately flickable.

Here’s the rub: Give us geometry that lets us go faster and…we’re going to go faster. The Checkpoint is so damn fast on downhills singletrack that I take issue with Trek’s decision to forgo front IsoSpeed or correct the geometry for a suspension fork. I mean, this is a pretty compliant bike overall, but when you go faster the hits get stronger. Many times I wacked stuff that made my hands and arms stung. Bigger tires help, but a 45mm maximum isn’t that big (Canyon’s Grizl fits 50s, for example).

Basically, there were times I felt like the geometry was writing checks the Checkpoint couldn’t cash without some help from suspension. But then, when you add weighty suspension and fatter tires, you have a much different bike; so I’m also not sure that’s the answer. I think we’re at a very interesting point with “progressive” gravel bikes where they are tickling the edges of mountain bike capability and, if they go much further, suspension must be a part of the conversation.

On the flip side of the new Checkpoint’s added capability, it feels less chipper on paved surfaces. The old Checkpoint was almost a road bike that could do gravel while the new one definitely takes cues from the world of mountain bikes. On balance, this works out okay for the most fun and challenging parts of gravel rides, though the Checkpoint bike feels a bit logy on the liaisons between the best bits. That’s a compromise I’m okay with, but if you want more quickness on pavement from your gravel bike you might be happier on something like a Cervelo Aspero 5 or the 3T Exploro Racemax .

Trek isn’t breaking any new ground with the Checkpoint’s geometry and handing traits. This mountain bike influenced longer, more stable, geometry (oh, hello, Chamois Hagar ) is an increasingly popular trend, and already found in bikes like Canyon’s Grizl (which the Checkpoint reminds me of) and some other bikes. I’m curious to see how this geometry goes down with the general riding public, and how far brands push the geometry. When used for actual gravel and off-pavement riding and racing, this geometry makes sense. But if riders are buying gravel bikes because they want more capability and comfort out of a drop bar bike, but are mostly sticking to pavement, I don’t think this geometry suits that kind of rider.

Handling covered, let’s look at the rest of the Checkpoint’s attributes. The added cargo options (in frame storage, direct mount bag in main triangle) are great, almost mandatory, features for a gravel bike. My 54cm frame did have two water bottle mounts on the downtube, but it required a bit of trial and error with a Wolf Tooth B-Rad base to get two bottles to fit comfortably. With the Bontrager frame bag mounted, I needed to reposition the seat tube cage location to fit a bottle. Larger sizes have more space in the main triangle, so this won’t be an issue, but riders on frames smaller than 54 might need to look into alternative ways to carry water if they run the frame bag.

I do have a gripe with the road-bend bar on the SLR models. Trek sees this model as appealing to racers who are coming from a road background. This is why it gets a traditional, and lighter, road bar. But it’s still a gravel bike, and flared drops are awesome for comfort and control. Besides, flared bars are so awesome that once you ride them, you’ll want to put them on your road bikes. Thankfully, Trek didn’t do anything weird with the bar and stem on the new Checkpoint, so riders can fit anything they desire.

That’s my only gripe though. I love this bike, and the rest of the parts kit is dialed. I’m going to throw out special kudos for spec'ing the SRAM-equipped SLR models with power meters from the factory. I think that’s perfectly in line with this bikes purpose and customer.

Overall, the new Checkpoint is a wonderful gravel bike. It’s faster, better handling, and more suited to the needs of the today’s gravel rider.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 9 eTap

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A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling , Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race. 

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Bike Reviews

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Trek Checkpoint SL 7 gravel bike review: a true all-terrain vehicle

Trek's 'Adventure focused' lives up to bikepacking expectations, with stable geometry and practicality

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The Trek Checkpoint SL 7 is an outstanding all-rounder when it comes to all-terrain riding. A true ATV, the Checkpoint provides a planted, confidence-inspiring ride feel which is great for tackling more technical terrain. It might not be as supple as the likes of the Cannondale Topstone, but if long-distance trekking on tough terrain is your bag, the Checkpoint SL 7 is right on the money.

Planted ride feel

Compliant frameset

Handles luggage weight very well

In-frame storage is genuinely useful

Rugged ride feel won't be for everyone

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• Value and conclusion

Gravel riding is a discipline that holds a vast range of different bikes within its sphere, from gravel race bikes, to do-it-all rugged machines. Trek markets the Checkpoint SL range as its 'Adventure-focused' line, and I think they've got it spot on.

Having tested the Checkpoint SL on everything from roaming local trails to an overnight bikepacking excursion (fully laden with camping gear) I can confirm that if you are on the hunt for your next adventure gravel machine, then the Checkpoint SL 7 might just be one of the best gravel bikes on the market.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Frameset

Since its last iteration which came out all the way back in 2018, Trek has given the new Checkpoint platform some serious revamping. The tubes are much chunkier now, giving the bike a much more industrial aesthetic. 

Trek still includes an 'IsoSpeed decoupler' at the seat stay junction - this is a pivot system, similar to Cannondale's 'Kingpin' which allows the seat post to flex fore and aft. This, alongside a standard 27.2mm seat post, is designed to give the bike some extra compliance where the rider will feel it most. Though, I found it doesn't offer quite as much real-world travel as the Cannondale equivalent.

One big change over the last iteration is the extinction of 'Stranglehold'. The system enabled chain stay length adjustment of up to 15mm (and single speed conversion!), which meant riders could alter the geometry between a slightly more stable ride (with longer chainstays), or a more playful one (shorter chain stays).

27.2mm carbon seatpost and ISO speed help compliance

Trek has opted for 435mm chainstays across all models - 10mm longer than the previous shortest setting. This does change the ride feel, which I will get onto, making for a more stable feeling rear end. Once again this characterizes the Checkpoint SL at the more adventure end of the gravel riding spectrum .

The in-frame storage is perhaps the most radical part of this bike's dedication to long-distance riding, and It works well. A section of the frame underneath the bottle cage on the downtube can be quickly released via a small lever, revealing room for a tool roll, and spares. While the 'boot capacity' is nothing overwhelming, it does provide a neat place to hide away annoying spares, like the odd tube, or smaller mini-pumps .

In-frame storage for tools

Trek has also included a plethora of mounting points - three bosses can be found on each fork blade, and the bike even holds the capability to mount a rear rack, which I think is a very underrated option for modern-day bikepacking, even if it isn't the most trendy. As well as these options, the usual suspects can be found with mounting points on the top tube, and underneath the down tube as well.

Notable too is the tire clearance. The new Checkpoint SL is good for 45mm tires when coupled with a 700c wheelset, but this can be upped to a 2.1 inch (53.3mm) for those who like the playful handling of a slightly smaller 650b wheelset. For the rough, and extremely varied terrain in my local testing ground, this too offered some much needed ride forgiveness.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Components

The full Trek Checkpoint SL line-up spans a price range from $3,399.99 / £3,700.00 with the SL 5 to £6,400 with the SL 7, which is the model I had on test. This may be the top of the range for the 'SL' frameset, but it's worth noting with the SLR framesets, builds are priced as high as $12,249.99 / £12,000.00.

Nonetheless, the Checkpoint SL 7 still boasts some pretty high-performance parts, starting with the dependable SRAM Force AXS groupset . Trek opts for a two-by setup rather than a one-by system, which I think, for most consumers, will still be the better option. 

43/30t chainrings coupled with a 10-36t cassette provide a wide range of gears, which is great news for long-distance riders, especially those who carry luggage and this never left me feeling under, or over-geared.

Sram Force AXS groupset throughout

The checkpoint SL 7 rolls on in-house component brand Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V carbon wheels, which feature a 25mm internal rim width and a particularly loud freehub.

Though both the wheelset, and provided Bontrager GR1 tires are both tubeless-ready, the SL 7 comes out of the box with tubes to get started. Although I didn't set up the tires tubeless, it should be pretty easy, especially with a full Bontrager system. Bontrager provides rim strips, which snap into the Aeolus wheels, and are designed to work with Bontrager tires, meaning tight tolerances can be adhered to throughout the product range.

The finishing kit is a fairly standard affair, which can leave a little to be desired from a price standpoint, but then again it should be fairly robust. You do get Bontrager's carbon 27.2mm seat post, but both bars and stem are an alloy affair, with the 54cm frame on test coming stock with 420mm (center to center) bars, which are slightly flared, and a -7 degree 80mm stem. 

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: The ride

As I mentioned all the way back in the intro, this bike got a jolly good reviewing. With gravel bikes often marketed as the 'do-it-all' bike option, I always see fit to test gravel bikes on a whole host of terrain.

I treated the Checkpoint no different, treating it to a heap of different obstacles. My first ride was a shorter blast around a local test loop, which encounters everything from fire road to steep single track and even some small jumps. This loop allows me to gain a pretty good tell on a bike's character from the off, and it is fair to say the Checkpoint certainly lies at the more stable end of the spectrum.

The Checkpoint handled all the terrain perfectly well, but offered a more straightforward ride characteristic when compared with a more flamboyant handling bike like the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3 . For those who like a more dependable ride, this will be great news, but as someone whose riding is catered to a more playful experience, the Checkpoint wasn't quite so up my street. 

Bikepacking setup for a real test

Longer rides, and in particular, bikepacking , is where this gravel machine truly comes alive. I took the SL 7 on a (shortened due to illness) one-night trip around the Isle of Wight during testing, and this really allowed me to get to grips with the bike when fully burdened with all the equipment needed for a rough night's sleep away from home. 

The bike remained totally balanced even when loaded up with a saddle pack, frame bag, and bar bag. The in-frame storage too was super useful - as previously mentioned it might not be a huge amount of real estate, but in practice, I found it was just enough to stop me from sacrificing a heavier base layer as I was able to stow away multi-tool, mini-pump, and a tube all in the tool roll. At 8.9kg too, this does make a great bikepacking platform, being rugged whilst not carrying excess weight.

When it came to the steep ups and downs synoptical with the Isle of Wight, the Trek did not falter - in the same breath however, it did not blow me away. While the chunky tubing provides great power transfer and a truly robust feeling ride, I found the ride quality to lack the excitement of other gravel bikes I have tested. The best comparison is the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3, which, though a heavier bike, at 9.22kg, actually feels lighter and more supple than the Checkpoint.

That said I did feel like I could throw the bike at absolutely anything, loaded up with gear or not, especially with the slightly flared bars, which offered great control.

Tire clearance of up to 45mm

For me, this comes down to geometry, and it is a double-edged sword. The Checkpoint, with longer chain stays than many of the best gravel bike contenders, is undoubtedly a more stable and planted ride - and some consumers will love the imposing ride feel this brings, but for others who favor a more supple ride quality, it might not be the bike for you.

It is important to note though, this is not a criticism, much more a characterization of the bike. As gravel riding spans such a wide spectrum, it is essential to consider what riding you prioritize, and what characteristics you want out of a gravel bike.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Value and conclusion

Value aside, the Trek Checkpoint SL 7 is probably the best gravel bike I have ever tested when it comes to bikepacking. An unbeatable ride feel, especially when loaded, made for super easy riding on any sort of terrain, even when tiredness loomed heavy at the end of long days of riding. We tested 9 off-road machines to crown our gravel bike of the year , with the Trek Checkpoint SL 7 winning our 'best expedition bike' title. 

Include value too ($6,699.99 / £6,400.00 for the SL 7 we tested), and I think Trek is still on the money, but equally not groundbreaking. The most obvious competitor to the do-it-all Checkpoint is the Specialized Diverge Expert Carbon, which retails for a very similar $6,200.00 / £6,500.00. For a similar price, specialized matches the spec pretty much to every dotted T, also featuring carbon wheels, a second-tier SRAM AXS groupset (albeit one-by SRAM GX AXS), and alloy finishing kit.

There are certainly better value bikes out there though - the Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 for example, which won our overall best gravel bike of the year retails for $5,500.00 / £4,899.00, which is considerably more palatable than the SL 7. You do only get SRAM Rival AXS at this price point, and it doesn't feature the same number of mounting points if out-and-out exploration is what you are looking for, but it is still worth considering.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Specs

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Joe is Cycling Weekly's tech writer. He's always had a love for bikes, since first riding a two wheeled steed before the age of four. Years down the line, Joe began racing at 16, and enjoyed great experiences internationally, racing in Italy, Spain and Belgium to name a few locations. Always interested in tech, Joe even piloted his Frankenstein hill climb bike to a Junior National Title in 2018.  After taking a step back from elite level racing in April 2022, Joe joined our team as a freelancer, before becoming Tech Writer in May 2023. 

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Review: Trek Checkpoint SL 7

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The first time I heard about the Trek Checkpoint was in the middle of a cold winter’s eve in early 2018. My boyfriend, Brian, was daydreaming about a bike to get him through the next Dirty Kanza XL race, which was coming up the following May. The 350-mile ultra-endurance event is held on the gravel roads that snake through the Flint Hills of Kansas. Brian was obsessed with the carbon-fiber Checkpoint SL6. Of the two dozen bikes he has owned in his life, only two have been a Trek, so I was intrigued with his new infatuation.

“Most gravel bikes are modified cyclocross racing bikes too delicate for long-distance rides on rugged terrain, and they don’t have enough tire clearance,” he explained. “Or worse, they are plodding Clydesdales.”

In his mind, the Checkpoint was a perfectly balanced trifecta of lightweight, comfortable, and durable—in other words, the ultimate machine for the upcoming endurance contest.

Brian bought the SL6 and rode it at the DK XL a few months later. He had a solid race until midnight, when, at mile 100, he was brought down by a catastrophic sidewall tear on his rear tire. After previously racing and finishing the shorter DK200 five times, the sharp Flint Hills finally got the best of him on his first extended effort. But the DNF did not diminish Brian's love for the Checkpoint.

Lucky for all of us, Trek’s 2020 build, the smoked-cranberry-red SL7, is an even more impressive freedom machine. It should be at the top of the list for any cyclist who loves adventure riding or racing.

The foundation for the bike is its IsoSpeed frame, a standard on all carbon Checkpoints. Trek debuted the frame design in 2012 on the Domane, a road-racing bike it developed in conjunction with the elite professional Swiss racer Fabian Cancellara, who used it to ride rugged one-day races like the cobblestone-filled Paris-Roubaix. The design “decouples” the frame’s rigid triangle at the intersection of the seat tube and top tube in order to add some flex, which creates a more comfortable, smooth ride without abandoning the responsiveness that's mandatory in a racing bike. The Checkpoint is the best application for the IsoSpeed frame yet, especially for those of us who live in states where elongated shoulder seasons force cyclists to ride on everything from mud to hardpack gravel to ice to broken pavement in one short after-work ride.

The most exciting upgrade on the 2020 version of the bike is the SRAM 1 x 12 wireless electronic drivetrain. For those who might question the expense-to-efficacy ratio of upgrading to wireless electronic shifting, there are two reasons to never look back. First, you can forever put behind you the grind of a poorly timed downshift while riding uphill. SRAM’s Force eTap AXS shifter and accompanying drivetrain allows for smooth, precise shifting, always, without the punishment of a wonked-out derailleur down the road. Second, I mistakenly believed that electronic shifting meant I would be beholden to plugging my bike into a power source after every ride. But the system’s battery lasts at least 20 hours and can be monitored in two ways: by the light on the rear derailleur (green indicates there’s still juice, red indicates it’s time to plug in) or by downloading the SRAM AXS app. When paired with the bike, the app monitors the battery life, keeps the firmware of the components up to date, and allows you to customize your controls. Still, if you are going long on this bike—remote rides in wilderness areas where you'll be on the road longer than 24 hours—it would be wise to carry an extra SRAM eTap battery ( $55 on Amazon ) or a charger.

For 2020 Trek also outfitted the SL7 with Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V OCLV Carbon wheels. Not only do they shave pounds off the total weight, but the wheels’ tubeless-ready rims also let you ride with a lower tire pressure, which allows for increased traction and comfort without the scary prospect of getting a pinch flat. One of the biggest selling points on the Checkpoint is that, while the standard tire size is 700 x 40 c, its additional clearance allows for a tire width of up to 45 c. That extra width comes in handy when riding or racing in unpredictable conditions over equally unpredictable terrain, while hauling a heavy load of water and food.

A standard unsung feature on the Checkpoint is the stranglehold dropout. This horizontal sliding dropout system provides 15 millimeters of chain-stay length adjustment, which allows the rider to alter the bike’s geometry to accommodate different riding styles. I haven’t messed around with this option yet, because I like the stability and responsiveness of the current ride just fine. But if I were to load the bike down with frame packs and four water bottles—entirely possible thanks to extra mounts on the top tube, seat tube, and both sides of the downtube—the added weight might necessitate more stability, which I would get if I lengthened the chain stay using that stranglehold dropout.

The one upgrade that I added to the SL7 was my own saddle, a Specialized Power Comp with Mimic . A women’s saddle is the most important female-fit-specific component on a bike, and Specialized has mastered it. Trek’s Arvada Elite saddle is OK, but after a four-hour Saturday ride, I decided a bike that's so smooth, stable, and fun to ride deserved a more comfortable saddle.

I’ve even started fantasizing about racing the DK XL, and I might even have a chance. Because of Covid-19 , the springtime race has been postponed until September.

Adrienne So

• Rider Notes

2019 Trek Checkpoint SL 6

A carbon frame gravel bike with high-end components and hydraulic disc brakes. Compare the full range

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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.

Checkpoint SL 6

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Dec 2020 · Ben Delaney

Gravel bikes abound, but this one checks all the boxes, and at a great price.

Read Review

Jun 2020 · Laura Weislo

On early impressions, Trek's flagship gravel bike, the Checkpoint SL7, looks perfect for seekers of versatility and adventure

Lightweight, agile and responsive ride

IsoSpeed shock adds comfort

Underbody protection for the eye-popping paint job

SRAM Force eTap AXS 1X drive not suited to mixed road/gravel

Top tube is too wide near the seat tube

Toe overlap in the smallest size

Mar 2020 · Dale Tiessen

Out of the saddle putting down maximum power into the Checkpoint, it feels like a nice carbon road bike.

May 2019 · Robin Wilmott

Although not the most rugged explorer, the Checkpoint SL6 will go almost anywhere, quickly and in comfort

Fully-featured, practical frameset, IsoSpeed, carbon wheelset

I’d prefer to have 40mm tyres supplied

Nov 2018 · Joe Cruz

Joe tested the Trek Checkpoint SL6 on weekly fast roadie coffee shop rides, a 10-hr dirt randonee, and VT gravel/singletrack explorations. Here's the review

Feels like a road race bike

IsoSpeed coupler absolutely smooths out jolts

Thoughtful design touches, including a variety of bosses for cages, armor under the downtube, bosses for a gas tank bag

Very capable on tarmac alongside its gravel prowess

650b conversion not recommended

Unusual routing can cause cable contact with knees depending on out of the saddle pedaling style; might also interfere with feed bags

Long inseam riders may reach the end of the saddle height adjustment

Purpose built for speed rather than maximal bikepacking versatility

The new Trek Checkpoint gravel bike covers all the bases off road and on, making it a versatile, adjustable option that could replace several of your bikes.

Jul 2018 · Troy Templin

Better late than never, Trek’s Checkpoint has arrived

Jun 2018 · David Arthur @davearthur

Sadly disappointing gravel bike debut from Trek, though fine if you want a fat-tyred road bike

Last updated 11 September Not listed for 1,661 days