So if you’ve been reading the previous instalments of the Trek World write-up, you’re probably feeling a little bamboozled with jargon, abbreviations and general bike nerd-speak. This is a good indicator that Trek’s brain-washing techniques are right on the money, as they have definitely infiltrated my psyche over the past week.
But moving right along…
As we continued to meander around the massive convention centre, we found ourselves being drawn to a particularly interesting section of bikes full of striking paintjobs and a diverse range of bikes. Possibly the best example of the power behind Trek’s move into the Australian market, is the WSD range; or Womens Specific Design (for those not brainwashed). The 2011 WSD range has grown significantly from last years bikes, to provide the female rider with more options for road and off-road, without having to compromise on a standard mens bike.
A bike you will be seeing at MMHQ in Brunswick very shortly. The WSD Trek Fuel EX8 is a cracking trail bike, with a shorter reach designed to suit female figures like a glove.
The Fuel EX8 WSD is a model we have sold quite a few of in previous years, so we were pumped to see the frame receiving some cool updates, as well as a price drop from last years bike. Just like the regular EX8, the WSD model gets the DRCV rear shock, the tapered steerer tube on the fork and the press-fit BB bearings.
And in our honest opinion, it also gets one of the best finishes across the entire Trek MTB range, with a raw aluminium look on the frame giving a seriously sleek touch.
Fox suspension front and rear, Shimano 10 speed drivetrain, womens-specific saddle and geometry that gives you oodles of confidence out on the trail whether you’re going up or downhill. A real skills-builder this one, and it will make you a better rider for it.
Another bike that had us getting fired up, was the introduction of a WSD Gary Fisher 29er! We almost couldn’t believe our eyes, as we sussed out the female-specific Mamba with it’s glorious matte pink and black paintjob and sub $2k pricepoint. For those ladies after the smooth and stable ride of a 29er, you can now get this little beaut in 3 different sizes to suit a wide range of heights and builds.
The very suave Womens-specific Mamba. Fisher brings the inherent stability and traction of the 29er platform and applies the WSD geometry for a primo fit. If you find 26” bikes too nervous or difficult to control, the 29er will smooth out the terrain for you.
Since we are Gary Fishers largest 29er dealer in Australia, you can bet your sweet inner tube that we’ll have one of these little beasts in the store once they’re available. Having the 29er platform available to females makes perfect sense to us, as a common concern we hear from many beginner and intermediate female riders is that they lack confidence when the terrain gets choppy and feel nervous when hitting certain obstacles. The larger 29” wheels are able to roll more smoothly over these obstacles, and combined with the extra stability and traction you get from the big wheels you will crash less and be able to corner and descend with more confidence.
A good explanation of how the WSD geometry works on a 29er. Even in the smallest size, there is minimal toe overlap – a common complaint with other brands 29ers.
And just another shot for good measure!
There was also the WSD Trek 8000, for the competitive female racer, featuring the updated frame just like the regular 8000. This is a premium-level alloy hardtail, utilising one of the most advanced, lightweight frames on the market. Although this is built with some impressive trail manners, most ladies looking to get on board one of these will likely have an MTBA license and a desire to just generally smash it out at the local XC race or 6 hour enduro.
Full Shimano XT, RockShox Reba forks and the updated 2011 8000 frameset in the WSD geometry.
With many more options available to the female rider, the WSD lineup continues to get stronger across the range no matter what your discipline. Keep an eye out in store for when these new bikes hit the shelves.
Before we reached the food buffet and our 6th coffee for the morning, we had a chance to check out some more of the Trek gravity bikes and the changes expected for the 2011 lineup. The Trek Session is their DH-race bike, with 8” of travel front and rear in a dual crown package and available at two distinct price points.
First you have the Session 8, which is a Boxxer-equipped bike with a mix of SRAM X9, bombproof Bontrager wheels and Avid brakes. Slap a race tag on, and launch out of the start gate!
The Session 8 continues for 2011, albeit at a cheaper pricepoint. With no obvious shortfalls or weak spec-choices, the 8 really is ready to race. It’s also a damn good-looking bike too!
The Session 88 is the top model, with an “un-upgradeable” parts spec, and a slightly revised frame for 2011. Both the 8 and 88 feature the ground-hugging ABP suspension design, that is more active under brakes than any other suspension design on the market. The ABP suspension linkage is featured on the entire Trek dual suspension lineup, but nowhere is it more beneficial than on the 8” travel Session. As controlled braking is such an important skill for the DH rider and racer, having the Active Braking Pivot design allows you to brake later, brake harder and still maintain traction over rock gardens and obstacles as your suspension is free to move.
A closeup of the ABP pivot configuration. Notice how the rear pivot revolves around the axle. This makes the suspension more active under braking than any other suspension design on the market.
Another cool aspect of the Session platform is the constant tuning and tweaking of the Fox shocks that are specced on the bikes. This is indicative of the close relationship between Fox Racing Shox and Trek, and shows that they are committed to improving the integration of the rear shock with the ABP suspension design.
Details of the custom tuning performed on the Trek Session. There is a strong R&D program that involves the testing and input from Trek’s team riders.
The Session 88 frameset gets the carbon-armour downtube protection that is also featured on the Scratch and Remedy lines, along with a more aerodynamic down tube that is more resistant to impact damage from rocks being flung up by the front wheel in loose terrain. Integrated frame bumpers for the fork stanchions provide some insurance during a crash, whilst maintaining the frames clean lines.
Up close on the new-for-2011 downtube section. The carbon-armour is the black piece at the lower end of the tube, and is available as a retrofit for older frames.
A side-on view of the Full Floater Design. Notice how the rear shock is not mounted to the main triangle, instead it "floats" between the top EVO link and the lower chainstay. This allows for some incredible tuning potential, as well as the "bottomless" feeling that comes with all of the Trek dual suspension designs.
As Trek’s DH team continues its presence on the World Cup circuit, we’re likely to see an increase in demand for the Session and Scratch bikes as people get a chance to see them on the racetrack. As far as suspension goes, the ABP and Full Floater design rival the best out there and as we are seeing across the Trek and Fisher range, the prices continue to come down, making the gap between the cheaper mass-produced brands and Trek a lot smaller, and in some cases, non-existant.
With that said, you’re still getting bikes from the biggest R&D department in the mountain bike world, with some of the best suspension, frame design, warranty support and build quality out there.
The Session 8 up top, and the decked-out 88 on the bottom. It was a bummer they were anchored down, as I already had my exit strategy planned out.
Wow, so may have developed blisters on my fingers so I think we’ll finish up this part of the wrap-up even though there is so much more to talk about. There’s plenty more bike-porn to come, as well as some terrific action shots of us out on the trails at Mt. Stromlo testing some of the machines you’ve just read about. Stay tuned…
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