TREK REMEDY 8 27.5
£2,700 Lively trail bike that’s a real blast to ride
The second-cheapest bike in Trek’s six-strong Remedy line-up still packs one hell of a punch when it comes to value and character on the trail.
The frame
We opted for the alloy Remedy 8 over the identically-priced 9.7, which has a carbon frame but a lesser spec. Both share the same frame features, including the ‘Mino Link’ chips that make it a doddle to switch between the bike’s ‘high’ and ‘low’ geometry settings. In the high mode, our 18.5in Remedy had a head angle of 66.4 degrees, its bottom bracket sat 345mm o the floor and it had a reasonable 445mm reach. The low setting slackens the head (and seat) angle by 0.5 degrees and lowers the BB by nearly 10mm. Another neat touch is the ‘Knock Block’ steering limiter. This ensures the fork crown won’t spin around and smash into the Remedy’s straight down tube (made so to increase sti ness and reduce weight).
The 150mm (5.9in) of rear wheel travel is controlled by a RockShox Deluxe RT3 shock, complete with Trek’s proprietary ‘RE:aktiv’ tune. This is clamped between the ‘EVO’ rocker link and extended chainstay tips. Internal cable routing keeps the bike looking clean and uncluttered, but means maintenance won’t be quite as fa free. Not everyone will be a fan of the press-fit BB.
The kit
Our bike was delivered with Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres in place of the Bontrager XR4 Team Issues that should come as standard. After flatting the Schwalbes all too easily, it was a relief when Trek sent us some XR5s, which proved far more resilient to puncturing and o ered more consistent grip in the wet conditions we tested the Remedy in.
Trek have ditched their habit of sticking travel-adjust forks on the Remedy this year, which is no bad thing in our book. The Remedy 8 comes with RockShox’s formidable Lyrik RC, which pumps out a wellcontrolled 160mm (6.3in) of travel.
The ride
The Remedy really is a class allrounder. Point it uphill and it’ll claw its way up just about any pitch without fuss and feels reasonably stable under power, even with the shock left in its open mode. That eagerness is only helped by the bike’s relatively low weight and, with the Schwalbe tyres (in the ADDIX SpeedGrip
compound) fitted, what felt like little in the way of rolling resistance. Even after we made the change to the more robust Bontrager rubber, the Remedy was still keen to get going, and the grip on o er was far more predictable, even on wet rocks and roots. They’re tougher too and won’t have you wincing every time you clatter into a rock section, waiting for the sound of air escaping.
Its suspension balance is impressive too, with plenty of control up front and a sensitive yet supportive feel at the rear, which adds to its playful yet confident feel on the trail. The frame is taut, responsive and accurate when you load it hard into a turn or hop from line to line, and the low-slung BB (in the low setting) means it’s surefooted through the corners. While it may not feel like a super-stable, ‘point and shoot’ downhill bomber on really roughed up, high-speed trails, its composure and well-measured delivery of its travel meant we never felt out of our depth.
The Remedy 8 is a great all-rounder that’s a blast to ride, no matter what trail lies ahead