ALL-MOUNTAIN REMEDY
THE TREK REMEDY 9.8
Despite this, Trek’s reputation is not the primary reason I sought out the Remedy 9.8 to test. Given the opportunity to trial Shimano’s electronic Di2 XT group set (see page 92), I started with the things that mattered most to me in a bike and worked backwards: geometry, travel, a proven reliable parts list, and wheel size. The 150mm, 650b, XT specced Remedy 9.8 - which is longer, slacker, rowdier and burlier than its 2016 predecessor - not only ticked all the boxes, but also offered some interesting features that I was curious to learn about first hand. Trek describe it as “a mountain biker’s bike”.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The 9.8 is the second top of the line Remedy, and the highest available in Australia. While other models available locally use an alloy frame, the 9.8 features a nicely finished carbon frame with alloy used for the chain stays. At first glance, the ‘Straight Shot’ down tube stands out for its beefy appearance but also for the massive window it provides in the centre of the bike - even around a full-size bidon. This design keeps the weight down and makes for a stronger, stiffer front triangle. Trek claims this provides far more precise handling than a weaker or chunkier curved down tube design. Spoiler alert, the handling on this rig really is pretty impressive. While a curved down tube prevents the forks from slamming into the frame, Trek gets around this issue with a ‘Knock Block’, which limits the rotation of the front of the bike in the event of a crash. Limiting the steering at its extremes is a somewhat divisive solution among consumers and proved to be quite a conversation starter. The history of innovation in this industry suggests that while this enables good things in the short term, it won’t stick around forever. That said, despite taking some slightly wider-than-normal lines early on, I only ever felt the Knock Block blocking during trackstands. There’s no one bike to suit all trail conditions and the Mono Link is an interesting and simple feature for riders torn between the ups and downs of trail riding compared with that of enduro or all-mountain (which is often rougher and downhill focused). Rotating this link essentially slackens the head angle from 66 degrees to 65.5 degrees. It lowers the bottom bracket height by 10mm and takes less than five minutes to change over. The bike comes specced with a Shimano XT groupset, including the brakes, which are a personal favourite. The wheels, cockpit, saddle and tyres are taken care of by Bontrager. This in-house brand has been coming into its own lately, with their tyres and saddles luring riders away from old, trusted faves. A 150mm RockShox Pike RC appears well-matched to a RockShox Deluxe RT3 rear shock featuring Trek’s proprietary RE:activ 3-position damper. The Deluxe is part of RockShox new metric range, which has been developed with the aim of providing less stiction by minimising lateral flex. The RE:activ damper aims to provide pedalling efficiency while quickly transitioning to plush performance in response to trail obstacles. As for the wheels, while the previous generation of Remedys were available in 650b or 29” builds, the new design is 650b only, with 29er fans directed toward the 150/160mm Slash. Both bikes share the same chain stay length (433mm), an interesting decision, with the long wheelbase of the 650b Remedy indicating very stable descending.