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FIRST RIDE: 2015 TREK REMEDY, FUEL EX &SUPERFLYWords & Photos: Wil Barrett

Barely a fortnight ago, we took you through the halls of the Trek World dealer show held

up in Canberra. With all of the new 2015 mountain bike and road models on display in the

enormous Convention Centre, Trek World proved to be a great opportunity to check out

all the new goodies from Trek and Bontrager that you’ll be seeing in bike shops for this

season. Of course it wouldn’t be a proper Trek World without a trip out to Mt Stromlo,

and so on the second day of the expo, all of us media folks were shuffled out to the

mountain bike park as part of the Dirt Demo day. With sunny skies overhead on a crisp

winters day in Canberra, I eagerly grabbed my helmet and shoes, and spent the afternoon

FIRST RIDE: 2015 TREK REMEDY, FUEL EX & SUPERFLY

THE MAG NEWS / REVIEWS / FEATURES SUBSCRIBE + + SHOP + + CONTACT

aboard a number of key Trek mountain bikes to gather our initial impressions of what you

can expect from Trek Bikes in 2015.

The first bike I got out onto the trails with was the uber-capable 140mm travel Remedy.

For 2015, Trek are offering the Remedy in both 27.5″ and 29″ wheelsizes, though both

share the same amount of travel, the same suspension design, and a similar frame fit.

Why offer two wheelsizes? Well Trek have long been the self-proclaimed kings of the 29″

wheel, thanks to their affiliation with Gary Fisher that puts them at quite a few years

ahead of every other brand out there in terms of commercial development of the big

wheel. The Remedy 29 represents the pinnacle of that development, with it’s big-travel

chassis having been ridden to victory on the Enduro World Series by Tracy Mosely and

Justin Leov in recent months. However, Trek are well aware that not everyone out there

necessarily gets along with the big wheels, whether it’s from a sizing or handling point of

view. While there’s no denying a 29″ wheel is faster and maintains better momentum on

the rough stuff, but when you package those wheels with fat 2.35″ rubber into a 140mm

travel chassis, things do start to get pretty long. For those chasing a smaller, more nimble

handling package, Trek have embraced the all-new-but-actually-old 27.5″ wheelsize to

provide another Remedy option. The Remedy 27.5 will be available in Australia in 3

different models; two alloy framed bikes, and the trick carbon 9.8 you see here;

The 2015 Trek Remedy 9.8 27.5 features:

Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon main frame & seatstay, alloy chainstay, Carbon Armor, ABP

Convert, Full Floater, E2 tapered head tube, BB95, internal derailleur & dropper post

routing, ISCG 05 mount, magnesium EVO link, Mino Link, 140mm travel

Front suspension: Fox Performance Series 34 Float, CTD (climb-trail-descend) FIT damper,

rebound, E2 tapered steerer, 15QR, 140mm travel

Rear suspension: Fox Performance Series Float, DRCV, RE:aktiv, CTD (climb-trail-descend)

damper, rebound, tuned by Trek in California, 171x44mm

Wheels: Bontrager Rhythm Comp Tubeless Ready w/TLR strips, Stacked Lacing, 142×12

rear, 15mm front

Tyres: Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 27.5×2.35″ front, XR3

Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 27.5×2.35″ rear

Drivetrain: Shimano Deore XT 2×10 w/Shadow Plus rear derailleur & 38/24t crankset

Cockpit: Bontrager Rhythm Pro Carbon riserbar, Evoke 3 saddle w/Titanium rails &

RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost

Brakes: Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc

Sizes: 15.5″, 17.5″, 18.5″, 19.5″, 21.5″

RRP: $5999

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Sexy carbon lines aside, the big news with the 2015 Remedy 9.8 is the application of THAT

rear shock that’s got everyone at Trek in a bit of a hot flush. Taking the same Fox DRCV

air spring as found on last years bike, Trek have built a new damper to go inside the DRCV

shock, which you’ll find on the Remedy 9 models and above. Known as RE:aktiv, the new

damper offers the ability for the user to run the shock in the firmer ‘Climb’ and ‘Trail’

positions much more frequently, as the shock is able to breakaway from its firm pedalling

platform far quicker than a standard Fox shock.

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YOUR COMMENTS

Up front you’ll find the solid 34 series Float fork from Fox, but unfortunately no Kashima

on the front of the 9.8, as Trek reserve the top-end model for the super bling Remedy 9.9

model. With 34mm diameter stanchions, a QR15 thru-axle and a tapered steerer tube, the

Fox Float fork matches the stiff front triangle of the Remedy to a tee, creating a very

direct chassis that is more than happy being lifted and popped around on the trail at your

every command. Fitted to the Remedy 9.8 are the newly redesigned Bontrager Rhythm

Comp wheels. These use the straight-pull spoke design with the stacked lacing pattern,

along with a faster engaging freehub mechanism out back. They’re not superlight at a

claimed 1855gm, but they feel much lighter out on the trail thanks to the responsive

carbon Remedy chassis. The rims feature a broad 22mm internal width as well as the TLR

design that allows the use of the TLR rim strips and tubeless valves to create a solid

tubeless interface. Tyres on the Remedy 27.5 use the more aggressive XR4 up front, and

the intermediate XR3 out back, both in a 2.35″ size and in a tubeless ready configuration.

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Trek are still undecided about the whole 27.5 vs 650b thing, so the Remedy gets both

names painted on its seat stays.

While the 2×10 shifting from the Shimano Deore XT groupset was flawless, unfortunately

it makes for a busy cockpit once you throw in the RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post.

It’s not a problem exclusive to Trek, but we wonder how many new riders are turned off

dropper posts when a bike comes out of the box like this. At the price Trek are charging

for the Remedy 9.8, it should at least come with the I-Spec mounting bracket to tie the

shift and brake levers into the one clamp, which would allow the Reverb remote to get a

little closer to the riders grips. That would lose the shift indicator too, increasing

adjustability for the Reverb remote. As it stands though, you’ve gotta make a concerted

effort just to reach the damn thing, which kinda defeats the whole purpose of a dropper

post in our eyes. Anyway, semantics…

As for the bike itself, I was super impressed with just how planted and plush the whole

Remedy platform feels when riding some of the rockier sections out at Stromlo. While I

would normally ride a 17.5″ Medium size, Trek only had an 18.5″ size on offer in the demo

fleet, and I certainly noticed the extra wheelbase length on the tighter corners of

Cockatoo Switchbacks. The bike was looooong! Many riders these days are all about

upsizing their mountain bikes in order to get a longer top tube and the ability to run a

shorter stem. My advice with the Remedy? Don’t. Trek have deliberately slackened out

the front end and lengthened out the cockpits of their long-travel bikes over the past 2

seasons, so you shouldn’t have to upsize to run the modern cockpit you so desire. Of

course the bike felt ridiculously planted on the high speed stuff, but it was just a little too

much to handle when entering sharper corners. Going down to the 17.5″ for my 175cm

height would be the way forward. In terms of cockpit fit, Trek have also listened to their

consumers and have specced a proper 750mm wide carbon riserbar on the Remedy 9.8,

which helps to unlock the true potential of this capable rock-muncher. Pedal efficiency

out of the RE:aktiv shock is really impressive – you give up very little in the way of

pedalling over the shorter travel Fuel EX. The beauty about RE:ativ is that you can run the

shock in the Trail position on the Fox CTD shock far 90% of the time, as the shock opens

instantaneously when you encounter a bump. If you want to learn more about how this

shock works, checkout our article from the Fuel EX 27.5 last month. Of course we’ll need

more time on the Remedy for a more in-depth review, but initial impressions suggest that

this will be a versatile machine for the trail rider who’s looking for a partner to take to a

weekends worth of Gravity Enduro racing.

Bottom line: Incredibly smooth and balanced suspension package that keep the wheels

glued to the ground. Surprisingly easy to flick about thanks to the light carbon frame, but

the long wheelbase makes tighter XC riding more work than something smaller like the

Fuel EX.

The 29er Fuel EX was launched well over a year ago, but it hasn’t taken long for it to set

the benchmark for other 120mm travel 29er trail bikes. Thanks to its G2 geometry with

the longer 51mm offset Fox fork up front, the Fuel EX 29 makes for a much lighter

handling 29er when compared to equivalent bikes in its class. The versatility of the Fuel

EX platform also seems to have been opened up with the big wheels, as we’ve noted

many a rider choosing the EX 29 for racing 100km marathons and multi-day stage racing

due to its comfortable riding position and efficient suspension. Throw a lighter set of

wheels and some faster rolling tyres, and there’s really little you give up with the Fuel

over the more race-focused Superfly FS.

The 2015 Trek Fuel EX 9.9 29 XTR features:

Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon main frame & stays, Carbon Armor, ABP Convert, Full

Floater, E2 tapered head tube, BB95, internal derailleur & dropper post routing, ISCG 05

mount, magnesium EVO link, G2 Geometry, 120mm travel

Front suspension: Fox Factory Series 32 Float w/CTD (climb-trail-descend) adjustable FIT

damper, rebound, E2 tapered steerer, Kashima coating, 15QR thru axle, custom G2

Geometry w/51mm offset, 120mm travel

Rear suspension: Fox Performance Series Float, DRCV, RE:aktiv, CTD (climb-trail-descend)

damper, rebound, tuned by Trek in California, 7.25×1.875″

Wheels: Bontrager Rhythm Elite Tubeless Ready w/TLR strips, RapidDrive, Stacked Lacing,

142×12 rear, 15mm front

Tyres: Bontrager XR3 Team Issue Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 29×2.30″

Drivetrain: Shimano XTR 2×10 w/Shadow Plus rear derailleur & 38/24t crankset

Cockpit: Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon riserbar, Evoke RXL Carbon saddle & RockShox

Reverb Stealth seatpost

Brakes: Shimano XTR Race hydraulic disc

Sizes: 15.5″, 17.5″, 18.5″, 19.5″, 21.5″, 23″

RRP: $9999

Of course when you’re talking about a frame that weighs around the 2kg mark (with

shock!), then it’s no surprise that this machine is very much up to the task of

competition. The Fuel EX 9.9 is the full-noise carbon fibre model, which aside from the

pivot hardware and the one-piece Magnesium EVO rocker link, is entirely hand made from

carbon fibre. To make the bike worth of its 9.9 name, Trek have outfitted this bike with a

similarly shiny parts spec, including the diamond-like Shimano XTR groupset. 2015 models

will of course be coming with the 11-speed M9000 groupset, but we had to slum it on the

old-school 10-speed stuff during the Dirt Demo.

The Fuel EX 9.9 differs from the 9.8 model by electing for a full carbon sub frame,

whereas the 9.8 gets an alloy chain stay assembly. Trek also make a Fuel EX 9.7 model

that goes to an alloy seat stay as well, but that model won’t be coming to Australia for

2015.

http://enduromag.com.au/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/P1100158.jpg

While Trek do offer the Fuel EX 9.9 in both a SRAM and a Shimano stock build kit, it’s

worth noting that for those with a bit more creativity in mind that the Fuel EX range is

also available on the Trek Project One program. Aside from being able to choose your

drivetrain option, brakes, wheels, tyres, bar width, stem length, and whether you need a

dropper post or not, you also get full customisability of the paint job. It’s a really cool way

to build a completely unique, one-of-a-kind machine that is exactly what you want it to be,

and while you’ll pay a premium over the stock Fuel EX 9.9 models, it does mean you don’t

have to compromise or dick around with selling and swapping parts after you’ve bought a

brand new bike. Want to waste some serious work time? Check out the Project One

custom bike builder here.

RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post keeps the smooth carbon lines of the Fuel EX 9.9

clean, and a lightweight carbon seat clamp trims off a few grams over the traditional alloy

clamp. I’m also a big fan of the Evoke saddle used across the Trek mountain bike range,

though the RXL Carbon model on the 9.9 provides the same comfy perch in a 150 gram

package – that’s stoopid light!

While the Remedy bikes are going up to a 750mm wide bar for 2015, the Fuel EX are

unfortunately still stuck with a 720mm riser bar. While it’s better than the 690mm bars

they came with previously, we reckon Trek need to bite the bullet and go wider for their

flagship trail bike – especially for the big wheeled version, which can seriously benefit

from the extra leverage a wide bar provides. Bars are easy enough to change though, and

especially if you go down the Project One route.

The question remains though; how does a $10k mountain bike ride? Well as you’d expect

at under 11kg with a dropper post, the Fuel EX 9.9 is a bloody quick bike on the climbs.

With the broad Rhythm wheels and fat XR3 tubeless rubber, the Fuel dishes out plenty of

grip on the techy stuff, and I found myself pointing the bars towards the trickier A-lines

on the climbs of Mt Stromlo, whereas I’d opt for the easier lines on the other test bikes I

rode during the afternoon. While the DRCV shock out back had the RE:aktiv label on it,

the overall suspension action on the Fuel EX 9.9 was much firmer than on any other test

bike I rode through the afternoon, which left me assuming that there was a firmer

compression tune selected for that particular bike, or perhaps something else going on

that wasn’t intended. It left the bike feeling a little too jittery than what I’ve come to

expect from the Fuel EX 29, so I suspect something wasn’t 100% with that particular test

bike. Handling-wise the Fuel EX 29 is super dialled thanks to the G2 fork offset, and I

found it to be a much more nimble bike than the Remedy, even though the Remedy had

smaller 650B wheels. The only area I struggled on the Fuel 29 compared to the smaller

wheeled bikes was on the repetitive berm sections through the Luge descent track on my

way back to the Stromlo carpark. There was just a little more body english required to get

those big wheels to change from a left hander into a tight right hander. It wasn’t

impossible to get around, it was just less natural to ride in those circumstances than the

27.5″ version. Otherwise the Fuel EX 29 had that typical calmness that comes from a 29er

trail bike, which can sometimes make you feel like you’re going slower than you actually

are. Tilt the bike downhill along some rollicking singletrack though, and the momentum it

builds is highly addictive.

Bottom Line: A calm, composed, and capable trail bike that lives for long days of map

exploring. High zoot build kit leaves very little to complain about.

I decided to follow up my ride on the 29er EX with a hot lap on the 27.5″ version. The only

bike available in my size at the time was the alloy framed EX9, so unfortunately it wasn’t

an entirely fair comparison given the 29er EX 9.9 above came in at nearly 5 figures on the

sticker price. However, it was the geometry and handling that I wanted to test, so I put

the heavier build kit and cheaper wheels to one side, and concentrated on the rest. The

Fuel EX 27.5 is the newest Trek in their dual suspension lineup, and it joins the fray as a

smaller wheeled version of the existing 29er model. With the full size range on offer in

both the Fuel EX 27.5 and 29, consumers face a somewhat confusing choice as to which

one they should be going for. While Trek have arguably created some of the best 29ers on

the market, the marketing push by other companies in the last 2 years with 27.5″ wheels

has been incredibly strong. So which one is the better bike?

The 2015 Trek Fuel EX 9 27.5 features:

Frame: Alpha Platinum Aluminium, ABP Convert, Full Floater, E2 tapered head tube, press

fit BB, internal derailleur & dropper post routing, ISCG 05 mount, magnesium EVO link,

down tube guard, 120mm travel

Front suspension: Fox Performance Series 32 Float, CTD (climb-trail-descend) FIT damper,

rebound, E2 tapered steerer, 15QR, 120mm travel

Rear suspension: Fox Performance Series Float, DRCV, RE:aktiv, CTD (climb-trail-descend)

damper, rebound, tuned by Trek in California, 7.25×1.875″

Wheels: Bontrager Rhythm Comp Tubeless Ready w/TLR strips, Stacked Lacing, 142×12

rear, 15mm front

Tyres: Bontrager XR3 Expert, Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 27.5×2.35″ front, 27.5×2.20″

rear

Drivetrain: SRAM X1 1×11 w/Type 2 rear derailleur & 1400 X-Sync 32t crankset

Cockpit: Bontrager Race Lite riserbar, Evoke 2 saddle & RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost

Brakes: Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc

Sizes: 15.5″, 17.5″, 18.5″, 19.5″, 21.5″

RRP: $4499

http://enduromag.com.au/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/P1100169.jpg

Being the EX9 model, our test bike also gets the RE:aktiv shock damper inside the Fox

DRCV rear shock. There is also a Fuel EX 8 model in the 27.5 platform that shares exactly

the same alloy frame, suspension design and geometry, but instead uses a standard Fox

DRCV rear shock without the RE:aktiv damper. Based on our early testing experience

however, it’s the RE:aktiv damper that turns the Fuel EX into a true rocketship that is

capable of performing double-duty as a marathon racer – the difference in pedal

efficiency is that noticeable.

Trek ditched the DRCV forks on the front of the Fuel EX bikes back in 2013, as they found

that the newer air spring curves that both RockShox and Fox have been developing

actually resemble the DRCV spring curve very closely. This meant that Trek and Fox could

move away from the extra complexity and proprietary parts involved in making the dual-

chamber DRCV air spring. And what exactly is that spring curve? Well as with the

DRCV rear shock, Jose Gonzalez (Trek’s Director of Suspension Technology) is always

looking for a more linear spring curve that better matches the action of a coil spring.

Rather than the heavy ramp up and progression that most air springs encounter, the

DRCV system uses two air chambers to increase volume in the latter part of the stroke to

create a smoother and more linear feel to the mid-stroke of the shock. However, Fox and

RockShox have been slowly moving towards this more linear spring curve in their forks,

meaning that Trek could get rid of the DRCV system inside the fork. Will they do the same

with the rear shock? Well based on what RockShox are doing with the new DebonAir rear

shock, we expect it may only be a matter of time before Fox and RockShox catch up to

Trek in terms of what the DRCV currently offers.

With a SRAM X1 drivetrain, the Reverb remote sits in a much, much better position next

to the left hand brake lever.

PressFit bottom bracket down below, and just above it, the Full Floater shock mount that

sees the rear DRCV shock bolted onto the moving chainstay assembly. This is what allows

Trek to better tune the shock ratio on the back of the Fuel EX, Remedy, and Slash bikes.

Sharing the same core features as the Fuel EX 9, the EX 9.8 turns up the dial to…err..9.8,

with an OCLV Mountain carbon fibre main frame and seat stay. This striking booger-green

model is the bike that I had the pleasure of riding at the Trek Launch in North Carolina

back in June, where Trek first unveiled the wraps of their relationship with Penske Racing

Shocks. You can read more about that launch in our new issue that’ll be hitting newstands

in the coming fortnight. Of course much of the consumer buzz around the matte green

Fuel EX 9.8 has been around its in-vogue 27.5″ wheelsize, but there is so much more going

on with this trail bike.

The 2015 Trek Fuel EX 9.8 27.5 features:

Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon main frame & seatstay, alloy chainstay, Carbon Armor, ABP

Convert, Full Floater, E2 tapered head tube, BB95, internal derailleur & dropper post

routing, ISCG 05 mount, magnesium EVO link, 120mm travel

Front suspension: Fox Performance Series 32 Float, CTD (climb-trail-descend) FIT damper,

rebound, E2 tapered steerer, 15QR, 120mm travel

Rear suspension: Fox Performance Series Float w/DRCV, RE:aktiv, CTD (climb-trail-

descend) damper, rebound, tuned by Trek in California, 7.25×1.875″

Wheels: Bontrager Rhythm Comp Tubeless Ready w/TLR strips, Stacked Lacing, 142×12

rear, 15mm front

Tyres: Bontrager XR3 Expert, Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 27.5×2.35″ front, 27.5×2.20″

rear

Drivetrain: Shimano Deore XT 2×10 w/Shadow Plus rear derailleur & 38/24t crankset

Cockpit: Bontrager Race X Lite carbon riserbar, Evoke 3 saddle w/Titanium rails &

RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost

Brakes: Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc

Sizes: 15.5″, 17.5″, 18.5″, 19.5″, 21.5″

RRP: $5899

In terms of design, there’s nothing revolutionary going on with the Fuel EX 9.8. It shares a

very similar silhouette to the 29″ carbon model, and in fact, it looks almost identical to

the 2013 Fuel EX 9.8 26″ model. Indeed the 27.5″ EX is very close in design and geometry

to the 26″ model – and it should, because the 27.5″ wheels are within a bees dick of being

the same diameter of a 26″ wheel. Of course the marketing spin says otherwise, but really

27.5″ mountain bikes are largely just 26″ bikes with new packaging. Anywho…

Beautifully smooth and flowing lines from the OCLV carbon seat tube blend into that

huge 95mm wide BB95 bottom bracket shell that comes complete with proper Enduro

cartridge bearings and dust shields. As with the Remedy, the EX 9.8 gets an alloy

chainstay, as Trek save the full-carbon construction for the Fuel EX 9.9. That model is due

to arrive in Australia in October, and will come with the new M9000 XTR groupset from

Shimano, as well as the full-carbon construction. Mmmm……

For the hour-long loop I strung together at Mt Stromlo for the Dirt Demo, the Fuel EX

27.5 was easily the most fun bike I rode all day. And it’s worth noting that was on the alloy

EX 9 model too, not the green carbon one pictured here. For my Mr-average-Medium-

sized-175cm-height, the 27.5″ wheels make a lot of sense in terms of frame proportions

when compared to the 29er Fuel EX. It’s not to say that the EX 29 isn’t a good bike for

anyone under 6 foot tall, just that I found the smaller wheels more playful and easier to

flick about on the tighter trails on Stromlo. There’s no doubt that I was slower, but I didn’t

really give a shit, because I was having a helluva good time! Exactly as anticipated though,

the Fuel EX 27.5 felt a little bouncier on the flat-out high speed rubble, and that’s where

you’ll find the Fuel EX 29 the better bike of the two. On a slightly different note, Trek

have rolled out a new sizing platform for their hardtails that they call the ‘Smart Wheel

Size’ system. Basically, hardtails up to a small (15.5)” will come with 650B wheels, and

hardtails from the Medium size (17.5″) and above will come with 29″ wheels. We expect

this ethos to be further extended into the dual suspension range perhaps later in the

2015 model year – and why wouldn’t it? It would only make sense to have the smaller Fuel

EX models built in 27.5″ wheels, with the larger sizes coming in 29″ wheels. Perhaps

there’ll be some overlap in the Medium and Large sizes (with riders of those sizes getting

the choice between the two), but we truly see wheel size as an extension of frame sizing.

Our theories aside, Trek’s sales figures over the next 12 months will tell the real story.

Bottom Line: Efficient trail blazer that places an emphasis on flick-ability. Light on its

feet, with a cockpit that feels instantly comfortable.

Not to be forgotten, Trek are entering their 3rd year with the super lightweight full

suspension Superfly platform, which is available in both hardtail and full suspension

models. Despite the Superfly FS being within 20mm of travel of the Fuel EX 29, the two

bikes are in reality very different beasts, with the Superfly being a far more race-focused

platform. There are two alloy Superfly FS bikes in the lineup for 2015 (the 8 and the 9),

with 3 carbon models rounding out the upper end of the price spectrum (the 9.7, 9.8, and

9.9). The Superfly FS 9.8 pictured here has made the move from a Shimano drivetrain to a

SRAM X1 11-speed setup for 2015, which has been a general theme across the board with

Trek mountain bikes for this model year. The single chainring drivetrain offers lighter

weight, more simplicity, and for budding endurance racers who might be travelling

around the country to race in various marathon events and stage races, the ease of not

having to deal with an extra shift cable and a front derailleur.

The 2015 Trek Superfly FS 9.8 features:

Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon main frame & seatstay, alloy chainstay, removable Carbon

Armor, ABP Convert, E2 fully integrated tapered head tube, BB95, Flow Mold carbon

swing link, internal control routing, stealth shock routing, Micro Truss, G2 Geometry,

100mm travel

Front suspension: Fox Performance Series 32 Float, CTD (climb-trail-descend) remote-

ready FIT damper, rebound, E2 tapered steerer, 15QR, custom G2 Geometry w/51mm

offset, 100mm travel

Rear suspension: Fox Performance Series Float, CTD (climb-trail-descend) remote-ready

FIT damper, rebound, tuned by Trek in California, 6.5×1.5″

Wheels: DT Swiss X1700 w/tubeless tape & valves, 142×12 rear, 15mm front

Tyres: Bontrager XR1 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 29×2.20″

Drivetrain: SRAM X1 1×11 w/X0-1 Type 2 rear derailleur & 1400 X-Sync 32t crankset

Cockpit: Bontrager Race X Lite carbon low-riserbar, Evoke RXL saddle w/Carbon rails &

Bontrager Carbon 2-bolt head seatpost

Brakes: Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc

Sizes: 15.5″, 17.5″, 19″, 21″, 23″

RRP: $5999

Like the 2014 model, the new Sueprfly FS 9.8 gets Fox suspension front and rear that is

controlled via handlebar remote. This is either a good or a bad thing depending on the

type of rider you are. The single remote simultaneously adjusts the fork and shock into

the Climb/Trail/Descend positions, which although is very useful for fireroad sections of a

marathon race where you need a firm and instantaneous lockout, does minimise the

overall adjustability. The easiest way to explain this is if you’re facing a steep descent

where you want maximum traction and stability to avoid heading north over the bars.

Traditionally I’d set the shock into the Descend position to drop the rear travel into its

stroke somewhat, while leaving the fork in the Trail position to hold it a little higher in its

travel. With the dual remote however, you’re stuck with having both the fork and shock in

the same position at the one time, so the above scenario cannot be achieved. Fox have

made some alterations to their forks for 2015 however, with a general strengthening of

the damping control across all of the CTD settings, and some refinements to the internals

to smoothen out the forks action. We’ll have to get some more trail time on the Superfly

FS to make any genuine conclusions about these claims however. In the meantime

though, my recommendation is to convert the Fox CTD handlebar remote into a single

unit that only controls the rear shock. It’s pretty straight forward to convert the fork back

to a non-remote version, and in my experience, having fingertip control of the shocks

damping is more important than having it for the fork.

A largely SRAM X1 drivetrain is complemented by a lighter X0-1 rear derailleur on the

Superfly FS 9.8. Note the integrated chainstay protector that helps to dampen noise and

minimise damage to the paint job from a slapping chain. Thanks to the Type 2 clutch in

the SRAM rear mech however, the drivetrain stayed incredibly quiet throughout the

pinball-rock gardens of Mt Stromlo.

If you want to run a front derailleur, Trek have built in a lower E-type mount into the cap

of the main suspension pivot. Clean!

The carbon armour on the base of the downtube is a less pretty affair however, with

rubber bands strapping the plate onto the frame. Surely a bolt-on plate would be neater?

A gentle curve in the seat tube provides plenty of tyre clearance and room to bring the

chainstays in a little closer to the BB95 bottom bracket. As you can see though, there’s

still some real estate available that could allow Trek to shorten the back end even further

if they wanted to. Given the carbon Superfly FS frameset is coming into its 3rd year, we’re

expecting to see some new moulds cracked open for next year. Will Trek go down the

super-short-rear-end route? Who knows what they’ve got in store, but we wouldn’t be

surprised to see the Superfly FS follow suit with the Remedy and Fuel EX and come out

with both a new 27.5″ and 29″ platform all at once.

While I unfortunately ran out of time to get one of these guys dirty, I did have the chance

to get a few snaps of the new 2015 Superfly SL hardtail. Like the full suspension Superfly,

the hardtail is coming into its 3rd year, but is no less impressive than when it was first

launched in 2012. Coming in under 900 grams for the frame, the Superfly SL is built from

OCLV Mountain carbon fibre and features a tapered head tube and a 142x12mm rear

thru-axle, which are have since set the standard for lightweight 29er carbon hardtails.

Unique to the Superfly though is the use of Trek’s huge BB95 bottom bracket, and their

net-molded head tube – both of which see the bearings drop directly into the frame

without any additional cups or sleeves required. The result is a lighter system package.

The 2015 Trek Superfly SL 9.8 features:

Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon, removable Carbon Armor, E2 fully integrated tapered

head tube, BB95, internal control routing, Micro Truss, balanced post mount, Closed

Convert dropouts, G2 Geometry

Front suspension: Fox Performance Series 32 Float, CTD (climb-trail-descend) remote-

ready FIT damper, rebound, E2 tapered steerer, 15QR thru axle, custom G2 Geometry

w/51mm offset, 100mm travel

Wheels: DT Swiss X1700 w/tubeless tape & valves, 142×12 rear, 15mm front

Tyres: Bontrager XR1 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 29×2.20″

Drivetrain: SRAM X1 1×11 w/X0-1 Type 2 rear derailleur & 1400 X-Sync 32t crankset

Cockpit: Bontrager Race X Lite carbon low-riserbar, Evoke RXL saddle w/Carbon rails &

Bontrager Carbon 2-bolt head seatpost

Brakes: Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc

Sizes: 15.5″, 17.5″, 19″, 21″, 23″

RRP: $5399

The Rollsys seat stays flow directly up into the top tube, and use a unique tubular internal

construction. The clever carbon layup encourages impacts from the rear wheel to be

transferred up into the top tube rather than the seat post, resulting in a smoother and

more supple ride for a carbon race bike. It’s one of those neat engineering details that are

sweated out over months of meetings and in-house testing, which most consumers are

unlikely to ever know about. *sigh*

What they will know about however is that sweet carbon seat clamp – just look at how

scary that thing is! But it does the job its meant to, and it helps shave some more grams

over the cheaper alloy seat clamps found on Trek’s other 29er hardtails.

As well-finished as the rest of the bike is, I’m not sure how much I dig those little rubber

tubes required for the brake cables where they zip tie onto the frame.

http://enduromag.com.au/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/P1100205.jpg

Sleek closed dropouts out back can be converted between 135mm quick release and

142x12mm thru-axle configurations. Does the 12mm axle make a difference on a rigid

hardtail frame? You betcha – the improvement to the bikes handling will be noticeable for

any intermediate rider who is used to picking up the rear wheel and shifting it about on

the trail. Combined with the tapered head tube and forks QR15 thru-axle, the Superfly

offers up a super direct handling package that full suspension bikes wished they could

have.

POSTED: 03/08/2014

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A true racers package; the Superfly SL 9.8 comes equipped with lightweight and comfy

ESI foam grips, as well as a handlebar remote for the Fox CTD fork. The Bontrager RXL

Carbon flat bar has a nice 9-degree sweep to it, and although it only has a tiny 5mm rise, it

still manages to emulate the comfortable feel of a riser bar.

Following our time up at Trek World in Canberra, we’ve organised to get our hands on

some of the new models for further testing, which you’ll be able to read about in

upcoming issues of Enduro Magazine. In the meantime, we like what’s in store for Trek in

2015, with a nice consistency across the board in terms of parts specification and bolder

frame colours too. We’ll be watching closely how the 27.5″ vs 29″ thing pans out for the

Fuel EX and Remedy platforms, as we’re sure Trek will be too. If you’re after more

information on the new range and to organise a test ride with your nearest Trek dealer,

checkout the contact details below:

Trek Bikes

Website: www.trekbikes.com/au

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