The Trek Session 88 DH and the Session 88 FR. When it comes to Trek entering the Downhill bike market seriously a tad after their counterparts you may decide to call them brave, or maybe just late I guess... or maybe the industry has been saving the best t'ill last and Trek are the ones to rise to the challenge. I sense the latter and more having seen this neat pair below I believe they may just be about to take the downhill world by storm. The real judge is you the riders and how they perform for you. We all await!. I mind am now officially in love and more still torn in a twisted love triangle between my love for the Session 88 DH and the Session FR!! .

 The Session DH is for Downhillers. It is an 8 inch beast. Put simply it is a built to win no holes barred racing machine.

Session 88 DH

Highlights: ABP, Full Floater,, EVO Link (see image below and I'll have a bash at explaining some of these in a sec)

Frame: Alpha Red Aluminum

Front Suspension: Fox 40 RC2, 203mm
Rear Suspension: Fox DHX 5 Coil; 8.75x2.75"
Wheels: Bontrager Big Earl wheel system, 20mm front, 12mm rear w/150mm spacing

Shimano Saint Crankset. 

OK coming up next is the Session FR. With 7 inches of travel those drops, gaps, jumps, chutes and ladders are all familiar territory for the Session FR rider. Whereas a Remedy rider (see later) will stop at the 5 foot drop this is where the Session rider is just warming up.

Session 88 FR

Highlights: ABP, Full floater, EVO link.

Frame: Alpha Red Aluminum
Front Suspension: RockShox Totem Coil, 180mm
Rear Suspension: Fox DHX 5 Coil; 8.75x2.75"
Wheels: Bontrager Big Earl wheel system, 20mm front, 12mm rear w/150mm spacing

Sweet hey and brimming with leading edge technology The Sessions reminiscent of an Apple ipod story are already rumoured to have sold out before really hitting the shops. The freeride rig will retail around £3300 and the downhill beast at around £3500.

Trek when they go into things go in seriously and these bikes along with the announcement that Trek Bikes and 23 Degrees Sport Management will soon launch a cross country and downhill racing team in 2009 indicate this is an area they are serious about taking market share in and being the best. Rumours abound as to who they are looking to sign up. I've heard Sam Hill, Rachel Atherton and Greg Minnaar but it's all speculation. We will all with anticipation and avid excitement find out soon enough.

Full range can be found here:

• Session 88 FR
• Session 88 DH

OK lets review the core highlights.....

ABP

So starting with ABP. Get your head around this one if none else! Why? Well two reasons 1) It is featured in all Trek's full suspension bikes so top riding technology is a core feature across the range not just the exclusivity of a few and 2) It is often spoken of as the most impressive and advanced piece of mtb technology in the last few years. First to explain it simply and how I understand it. Basically when you brake your suspension behaves and you keep in control of your bike making corners or stutter bumps that much easier and more keeps you in control when you do.You can brake later and stay in control. In tech talk. ABP's (Active Braking Pivot) unique placement in line with the reae wheel axle creats the least caliper movement of any system, yielding the most active suspension under braking.

Full Floater+ Custom Tuned shock

Full floater in simple terms means you use the entire shock stoke and so absorbs the smallest bumps, makes for easier climbing and makes the the bike feel like it has more travel. In tech talk it means you have a rear shock with a moderate progressive (or rising) rate up to the mid-stroke and a slight falling rate in the last 1/3 of travel. This rate is specifically designed to take advantage of the velocity sensitive shim stack and psoition sensitive Boost valve found in the DHX coil.

E2

E2 refers to the head tube and steerer tube system i.e. the stem, headset, fork and frame. The fork of the bike is like a lever. Trail obstacles seek to push and twist that lever far away from where it attaches to the bike creating flex in the bike and less control. E2 puts more material at the lower parts of the system to create more less flexibility, resulting in more control and so a better ride. All good things. Tech wise this means that the tapered frame technology is lighter and stiffer than a conventional 11/8" set up. While only the 88 FR model takes advantage of E2's single crown benefits, E2 helps create a stiffer frame with a head tube that is stronger and more resistant to ovalization.

 EVO

Finally whilst you are still not quite overloaded is the EVO link. In my mind it just looks right. It is a one piece design. Total stiffness, minimal weight and more control. Common sense you'd think. Simple is always best. It takes the traditional plate and bolt design of the rocker evolves it into one and makes it simple doing away with weight but improving control.

Right head is swimming lets take a break and watch a vid of people doing things really cool with these babies.

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