ROB’S TREK SLASH £4,050 (frame only)

Will this feature-packed enduro rig be the bike of our tech-ed-in-chief’s dreams?

With MTB kit currently harder to come by than a sunny winter’s day in Britain, my options for getting a new bike upand-running in time for our first issue of 2022 seemed unlikely. But then I went on a launch, and not just any old launch – no, this was for RockShox’s new electronic suspension adjustment system, Flight Attendant. Once the trip to the Lakes was finished (you may have read about it in MBUK 401), I was able to hang onto the Trek Slash that SRAM/RockShox had built up for me so I could ride it on more familiar trails and properly suss out the new system. And it’s this bike I’ll be riding for the remainder of 2022. Tough life, eh?!

You may be wondering why I’ve only given the frame price. That’s because this bike is a custom build. Trek do offer a bike with the same fork, shock and drivetrain, but most other parts are different. The highlights on my bike have to be the new Flight Attendant system, which controls the RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork and Super Deluxe shock. Then there are the ZIPP 3Zero Moto wheels, which managed to make it through two days of hard Lake District riding totally unscathed, somehow! These are wrapped in Maxxis Assegai EXO+ tyres – some of my favourites – for surefooted, dependable grip. Truvativ (another SRAM brand) supply the rest of the solid finishing kit, which seems to be working well so far.

I’m know I’m lucky to be able to ride a bike like this, and I do cringe a bit when I consider just how much all this lot add ups to. But it’ll be an interesting year, seeing just how the Flight Attendant system holds up. Will I reach the point where I want every bike I ride to be decked out with it, or will I keep forgetting to charge the batteries and get tired of the extra hassle the electronics could potentially create?

So far, I’ve been seriously impressed by the system. It works incredibly well and, aside from the occasional buzz as it changes settings, goes largely unnoticed when riding, which is exactly what I’m after. I’m a massive fan of the Trek Slash, too – it did win our 2021 Enduro Bike of the Year test, after all) – so I’m chuffed to be spending more time aboard one. I can’t wait to put more miles in on this bike, so stay tuned to see how I get on. www.trekbikes.com