Folks, I saw some really interesting new shiny pieces of kit at the Trek Bikes 2009 product launch this week (I might just go on a bit about their New Downhill Session DH and Session FR Mountain Bike rigs a wee bit in this post.. so apologies up front.

The day was marked not just by great bikes but one where I got to meet some really passionate and enthused mountain bikers that make up Trek and their partners.

I was welcomed by Griff and Jez from the Marketing team. Great guys and really committed. Griff is the Marketing Manager and it was good to get a feel for where Trek are coming from. As a kinda endearing aside it seems everyone you meet at Trek has a nickname. It has a bit of a a school playground feel I have to say. It reinforces a more human side that the big brand still manage to convey.

OK enough rambling.. Let's talk bikes.I intend to bring out what I see as the highlights and I'm not that techie i warn you. I will also attempt to try give some sense to how their overall range fits together, who it is targeted at and some of the core (and often common features) across their range that they themselves are proud of in terms of cutting edge technology. This article focusses mostly on their Full suspension range with an overview of the rest. I'm going to post other specific reviews on specific pieces of shiny kit I really liked shortly so watch this space their is more to follow.

The Session's

When it comes to them 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 th eones 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 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.

Evo Link

OK coming up next is the Session 88 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.

I wanted to explain some of the abbreviations a bit as I'm sure like me, many of you out there just go blank when you here those terms first off. So to feed your unyielding curiosity I'll have a go at unravelling my eagerly taken notes from the day. (Sparky I'm sure will jump in and correct me if I make any mistakes .

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

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.

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.

EVO Link

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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Moving on....

Remedy

The Remedy 9 and 8 at around the £2600 and £2300 respectively caught my eye and for good reason. These All Mountain rigs with 6 inches of travel are for experienced riders who want to experience longer technical descents with higher speeds taking in 3-5 foot drops on the way and still keep in the saddle all day. Personally this would probably be a bit closer to my (aspirational) riding style these days than the dreams and fantasy's I have of the Sessions. This performance bike for 2009 has an adjustable front travel to travel for all styles and terrains making use of the E2 system, wider bars (690 -710 mm wide) and better Bontranger XDX 2.4" tyres Thankfully pay day was no where close so I left not as poor as my heart wanted me to be.

 

Remedy 9

Highlights: ABP, Full Floater, E2.

Frame: Alpha Red Aluminum
Front Suspension: Fox 36 Talas, 120-160mm
Rear Suspension: Fox RP23 XV Air Can; 8.0x2.25"
Wheels: Bontrager Rhythm Pro wheel system w/Scandium rims, 28mm, tubeless ready

Fuel EX

Next in line is the Fuel EX 9.9 and 9.8. This is a big range with models starting from around £1250 and working up to £2900. This is your serious trail xc bike built for all day riding and with 5 inches of travel you cant really go wrong. I believe this is their most popular selling bike range in the full sus range and you can see why. It has all that a serious trail rider could want. These Carbon models herald the top of the range.

 

Fuel EX 9.9 and 9.8

Highlights, OCLV technology, Integrated headset, BB95, ABP, Full floater, EVO link and E2.

Top Fuel

The Top Fuel is their serious racing bike for XC. This is what you compete with. It has 100mm at the front and 100mm the back (up 10mm on last year). so it is built for speed being stiff and efficient

Top Fuel 9.9 SSL

Highlights: Madone technology, OCLV, ADP and full floater

Frame: OCLV Red Carbon
Front Suspension: RockShox SID World Cup, 100mm
Wheels: Bontrager Race XXX Lite Disc wheel system, centerlock, carbon rims

 

There so many more to talk about and we will in the next few articles. .

 Quick bit on how thei rest of the range hangs together. Their hardtail range starts with the Trek 4300 at £400 and works up to the 6000 (£550), 6700 (£950), 8500 (£1500), and the Elite 9.9SSL at £3,700!. Articles for another time as my own knowledge grows.

 The other main news from the show is the improvements ot the Gary Fisher range and I will detail specifically the Roscoe in another article as it needs one all of it's own me thinks.

 Clothing

When it comes to apparel then realising that the Trek brand on clothing may seem at odds with riders of non Trek bikes they are focusing their attention on the trusted and more nuetral Botranger brand and accordingly have a great new range of shoes, gloves and the like on show.. (all worthy of other articles too).

Icing on the cake for the day was that I bumped into Ian Warby from the CTC and Firecrest. Great to catch up and keen to try out Hogg Hill in Redbridge. This is Ian's CTC inner city bike park project and he'd like to show iBikeRide around. Pretty psyched about this as really close to me and is a community of young urban riders. It also made me think more seriously about attending the IMBA and CTC conference on 9th October in Earls Court. Be an opportunity to get educated and also to get a bit more politically involved. (you just know there is a blog in this coming don't you I guess) 

So in summary who are Trek? I guess they are a just a bunch or riders like you and I who we should be torn between hating as they do this for a living and admiring immensely as, well ,they do this for a living. I left having met some new potential riding buddies, being educated without feeling too ignorant and with a stronger understanding of the the passion, investment and pure hard technology that goes into making those things we adore so madly yet dearly.. our bikes.

I'll leave you with a line from one of Trek's quotes which rings true in my mind..Goes a bit like this..

" We believe in long rides and stories they bring. We believe in simplicity and that complex problems can be solved in the simplest ways..."

Not a bad philosophy really.