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7/8/11: Trek 2012 Product Launch
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Rog heads to Austria to check out the Trek 2012 range… Mayrhofen, Austria, 18-20 July 2011 Trek are a company who believe in doing things properly, and the 2012 Product Launch was no exception. Around 120 Trek dealers from around the UK were invited to join some of Trek's top brass from the US, as well as dealers from elsewhere in Europe, in Mayrhofen, Austria, to view the latest offerings from their extensive R&D department. I was one of those lucky dealers who attended the launch, and became one of the first in the world to ride some of Trek's 2012 product. We departed Heathrow Airport at an unsociable 7.30am on the Monday, to Munich, Germany, and were transferred by coach to Mayrhofen where we were met with food and a first sight of our surroundings for the next few days. A brief lunch and it's into the local cinema for an introductory speech from John Burke, Trek's CEO, and a clue of what's to come. Then it was straight to the bikes for our group. A quick change at the hotel and it was back to the demo tent to make our choices. The format was simple. We had two hours to ride any bike or bikes of our choice around the waymarked test loop. The XC loop took around 15 minutes and incorporated technical rooty climbs, rocky descents, a steep uphill grunt and a very tight techy flat section near the end. Basically, all of the terrain that you would wish to ride your bike on, condensed into the short loop. Bikes on offer ranged from the Trek/Gary Fisher Superfly and Superfly 100 29ers, Trek's flagship Fuel EX, the Remedy, all new Slash and a couple of carbon Sessions. On the road side of things, we had Trek Madone 5.9 Di2, Madone 6.9 SSL and Speed Concept to choose from. With the limited time, I worked out a plan to test the full suspension 26" wheelers on the first day, and keep the big wheelers for the second day. This meant I could relax into riding multiple loops on each bike, getting used to the changes or developments and actually getting a feel for what the bike was doing, rather than bashing out a quick run, trying to squeeze in as many bikes as possible. Firstly, I wasted no time in heading for the all new Slash 9. This bike has been borne of all the research during the last couple of years on the Scratch format, with the Slash being the outcome. With 160mm travel front and rear, controlled by the excellent Fox RP3 DRCV shock and Fox 36 fork on the top Slash 9 model, this is a bike that can rip any track to pieces and still happily be pedalled back to the top of the pile. It's light enough to be ridden as an all day aggressive XC bike and strong/slack enough to accommodate anyone's requirements of an uplift/mini DH or simply 'play' bike. With adjustable geometry which is simple to use and very effective, the Slash is a great all rounder. I then moved to the all new Remedy 9.9 and the Fuel EX 9.9. Both bikes have benefited from a 1degree slackening of the head angle since last years model, giving an increasingly positive attitude on our technical UK trails, and also receiving the all new Fox 32 DRCV fork not only on the high end models, but also on the mid range bikes. The DRCV fork is an extension of all of the technology learnt in the last 3 years with the shock, and really makes a difference to the front end of the bike, with a vast improvement in control on both low and high-speed impacts. The Remedy also benefits from the adjustable geometry 'Mino Link' found on the Slash, making it an incredibly versatile trail bike. If there was ever one bike to do it all, the Remedy could be it. Surrey Hills or Austrian Alps, uphill grind or chairlift assisted, the Remedy ticks all boxes. The Fuel EX has been the mainstay of the Trek full suspension range for many years now, and with the new geometry and the DRCV fork, Trek have raised the bar once again. As an outright XC bike, nothing can touch the Fuel EX and it promises to be another top seller for 2012. After seven laps of the waymarked test loop, the afternoons demo was complete and it was time for a clean up and to be introduced the rest of the 2012 range. Every bike for the next model year was present in the display hall, representing the extent of Trek's investment and belief in their own product. After this, most dealers were feeling the after-effects of a long day travelling and riding, and so retired for the evening. The following day began with seminars on Trek and Bontrager's improvements and advancements on their massive range, and discussions between Trek brand managers, executives and designers, and the dealers, with a lot of the outcome of this kind of research, discussion and customer feedback evident in the features on the 2012 bikes. Late afternoon saw us back at the demo tent, and for me, this time it was testing the big wheelers. Firstly, from the Trek/ Gary Fisher collaboration, I rode the Superfly and Superfly 100. Although primarily designed as race bikes, these 29ers are an example of the future of XC riding the world over. With incredibly agile handling and even airborne stability, the contact angle of the larger wheel and tyre grip of 29ers far exceed the ability of a comparative 26er. Technical climbs were despatched with ease and rocky descents were flattened with control similar to a long travel trail bike. Even the 29er hardtail held its line in all but the roughest areas (and that was probably down to my lack of skill). Then my final bike of the trip, the all new Madone 5.9 Ultegra Di2. I've ridden Trek road bikes frequently, and there's no change to the geometry. But the frame upgrades include a softening of the seat tube/top tube/seatstay junction for comfort, and the inclusion of an asymmetric tapered carbon steerer giving lateral stiffness with just the right amount of rearward flex, again, creating a very comfortable platform, and the release of Treks patent pending OCLV carbon moulding to their select Taiwanese manufacturers, helping to bring all of the past years developments down to the lower priced formats. The frame is super stiff and incredibly responsive, giving a fantastically light ride, coupled with Shimano's trickle down Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting technology. This is a race-winning bike, and is still many models away from Trek's top end frames and build kits available through their Project One program. After a clean up, we were back to the show hall to talk over the bikes some more, and then ferried out for dinner. The following morning gave us a few more seminars introducing us to the last elements of the range and a final opportunity to discuss the bikes with the US managers, and then finally, with heads full of fresh information, and a touch cloudy from the preceding evenings festivities, we were dispersed and ferried back to Munich for our flight back. At this point, I would like to thank Trek for this opportunity, as it gave me a chance to see the bikes in a way that is not normally possible. The hospitality was second to none, with every necessity covered. I would also like to thank Ross, one of the many Trek staff shipped in from the US, who seemed to be on hand to adjust and fit my chosen bike every time I returned to the demo tent. For any information on the entire Trek 2012 bike range and Bontrager products, Give us a call or drop us an email, and many of these bikes will be available for demo rides, so don't hesitate to get in touch. Rog |
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