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Domane SL 6 Gen 4

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"Trek’s best road bike gets faster, lighter, quicker, and better"

"When you get on a bike that is fast, quick, and communicative but also floats and coddles the rider like a newborn baby, well, that is a special bike. And that is what the new Domane is: Special. A great bike made better. A bike for the modern road rider: Freaking fast, wonderfully comfortable, and oh so practical."

"The original racer, yet massively versatile"

"The ride is simply sublime. Its balance between smooth, vibration-eliminating comfort, sharp handling, and out-and-out speed combines with an ability to get off the beaten track."

"Smooth operator"

"The level of smoothness on the Domane continues to impress, creating an experience akin to being chauffered around in a luxury sedan. It absorbs all road vibrations, operates quietly, and accelerates on flats deceptively quickly…I'll be in for a rude awakening after returning to a road bike without IsoSpeed."

"Fast on all terrain"

"I took the Domane on my local gravel and some select chunky bits to see how it would fare. The most notable transition from road to gravel was the sense of ease. Usually, when you roll from tarmac to stones, the bike can feel skittish and nervous (rider or bike). The Domane feels stable, and instead of holding your breath, you breathe out."

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Ever wonder, when you look at your bike, what's hidden beneath the paint? Once upon a time, a simple tubing sticker would affirm the pedigree of the steel tubes a builder had used, Reynolds or Columbus perhaps, with the paint concealing the hours of craftsmanship put in. Today, Trek's carbon fiber bikes share that hidden handiwork with their steel forebears, not that you'd guess. The bikes are conceived with computer-generated designs, fluid-dynamically assessed and finite analyzed, and the resulting shapes appear seamlessly machine-made. The carbon bike production process at Trek's Waterloo headquarters has changed over the years, from gluing preformed carbon tubes into aluminum lugs in 1988, to a ground-up process that combines multiple molds with multiple carbon materials to create a masterfully engineered end product. Yet despite the aerospace technology, the bikes are actually built from a sheet of flat carbon fabric, completely by hand. There are no third party tube or lug manufacturers involved here and, somewhat paradoxically, what happens now at Trek is a more hand-built bicycle than it's ever been.

We're not simply talking about pressing carbon shapes into a jelly mold with some epoxy resin, though molds are where the process begins. Custom mold-making for Trek is done by a team of engineers run by Jay Thrane. The mold-making facility is run out of the original Trek red barn in Waterloo, the place where Dick Burke and Bevil Hogg started their company, and where thousands of steel bicycles were made in the 70s. Now in this old barn, molds are made that help make thousands of carbon frames. Each of these molds comes out of a solid lump of aluminum or steel, depending on the application, and is CNC machined on site to suit the desired component shape. Then the hard part starts. As frames are getting into more involved shapes, so the molds are getting more and more complicated. At the beginning, the mold cutting facility was turning out five molds a week. Now, despite more machines and a 24-hour running, they're managing just one or two, such is the complexity of the new designs. Every surface of the mold that will come into contact with carbon has to be sanded by hand and polished to a mirror finish. The molds are then plated (to aid longevity) and fitted with hinges, springs, and associated hardware. It takes experienced engineers like Bill Frix, previously a welder and a carbon lay-up operator at Trek, a good half day to prepare one mold. Each frame size needs up to six component molds to make a complete frameset. All the parts of these complicated molds have to fit together perfectly, and the preformed inserts (pieces that add structure on the inside) need to be able to slot in without compromising closure, because the molding process will find the faults, as Jay points out. With heat and pressure, the epoxy resin portion of the carbon liquefies, so if you've got the slightest crack you'll get something in it. Basically, when you turn up the heat, resin turns into coffee. So the molds have to be perfect from the start.

Once the molds are shipped the mile or so west to the carbon lab, the magic black stuff can be cut and picked. Engineering aside, the process involved when laying up a carbon frame has a lot in common with dressmaking. In fact, as processes go, it probably relates more to the art of the seamstress than the traditional way of building a steel frame from tube and lugs. Jim Colegrove, composites manufacturing engineer, explains: “We have some very advanced software. First, we use CAD and make the 3D shape that is the frame. I can split this part into specific regions and then flatten them out into a net shape, a perfect pattern that I can then put back into the mold, and I know will fit exactly into the shape. We call this pattern a flat preform, which is then cut out on our CNC cutting table.” Preforms are the key to building strength where it’s needed and saving weight where it’s not, as engineers select the right type of material for each shape and application. Carbon specialists Hexcel make all of Trek's Waterloo carbon material, and have done so for nearly 25 years. It's all USA-made carbon fiber from Salt Lake City, Utah, supplied in standard modulus, intermediate modulus, high modulus, or ultra-high modulus. It can be cloth or uni-directional, depending on intended usage. Former aerospace engineer Jim explains their respective properties. "We use cloth—that standard checkerboard carbon fabric—in specific high-stress or high-impact areas, because cloth has a unique property. Think of it a little like ripstop nylon: it can be more damage-tolerant. It is also much more conformal in very tight, surface contours. Uni-directional stuff is just as it says—fibers that run in one direction. It is flexible too, in the plane of the fibers, but it makes more complex shapes quite difficult. Each material has strengths and weaknesses, and it takes experience and engineering to get the structures built optimally. For example, Hex-MC is a unique material of shorter, chopped fibers. They are thrown down onto a sheet in a very randomized pattern that would simulate a lay-up. We can then mold that into really complex shapes very effectively, because we don’t have long continuous fibers. But it doesn’t have quite the strength or stiffness that uni-directional or cloth does. For contrast, look the bottom bracket. It sees a lot of torsion and bending, because of the head tube load and the load that the rider puts in, so it needs both high stiffness and high strength. So we add small strips of high or ultra-high modulus material in those specific areas to help us out.”

Looking at a carbon frame, it’s so easy to think it’s made like a plastic model airplane, but it’s a complicated business. A Madone road frame has around 180 preforms, or individual pieces of carbon sheet, which can be layered up to increase strength where needed. A Session downhill bike will have 238 preforms, with each being between two and 12 plies of carbon material (either uni-directional, cloth, or Hex-MC). That's a complex cutting list. Carbon is a wonderful material, but it takes good engineering to do right. Without the right expertise you end up with structures that are either heavy or not structurally sound. To add to this complexity, preforms generally grow in size as the frame size increases, and they may need additional material to allow for the loads that larger riders apply to the bikes. But even the most beefed-up parts of a frame are still only in the region of 1.5mm wall thickness. The true artisans of the Trek carbon prototyping facility are Kelly Stone and Sue Moe, who have 50 years experience between them in molding carbon fiber. The material is rather like a sheet of toffee, in that it's sticky to touch and bendable, and gets softer when warmed. As Kelly explains, she only has to get the sheets of carbon in her experienced hands to gauge whether it is fit for purpose. "You can definitely tell the difference between the types of material and what's not right, and whether there's enough resin or too much. The engineers always tell us the lay-ups to use, the ingredients for each test, but after evaluation, we can make extra pieces for here and there and then test them." Kelly and Sue know the process inside out: the cooling times, the ideal temperatures, how far you can push the material. Trek has always recognized that engineers need to get their hands dirty too. No matter what the computer says, the hands-on judgment is the true test, and Jim’s happy to get his gloves on and show us how it’s done. He might be slower than Kelly and Sue, but Mr. Plaid, as they affectionately call him, can turn his hand to most things. They can give experienced feedback to Jim and his engineers as to what will and won't work during the lay-up. A lot of this isn't just science—experience is everything at Trek. They have produced and tested so many frames that they have a huge head start in frame development, all that data.

Mr Plaid spreads mold release around a mold and places a preform into the cavity. He talks us through the next steps. Depending on the shape, bladders are added and the whole lot is closed up and placed into the presses. These literally squash the fibers and set the material into shape, at the same time removing excess resin. The new Session downhill mountain bike race frame has 40 individual preforms in one rocker arm alone. In the same way that a dressmaker might use the bias of a fabric to create just the right fit or texture, carbon is laid into the mold to create the strongest (and lightest) results. Just laying up a mold for a single piece like a swing arm takes around 10 minutes, so the idea that mold-produced carbon is faster and easier to produce than a CNC-machined aluminum part isn't even close. Once all the bits are cleaned up and placed to cool, the next stage of the process can begin. In the case of a Madone, assembling the molded components into a road frame is remarkably quick. Epoxy glue is used to bond the individual stays, bottom bracket, and front triangle pieces with a proprietary Step Joint design that creates joints of the same thickness as the contiguous tube, so there's no added weight or difference in ride quality caused by the joint. The whole lot is then loaded into a jig to be baked hard in an oven. Once set, the frame can be checked for tracking alignment and sent off to the next stage: adding the finish and the paint—and concealing all that handiwork and technology, in a market that demands more for less as Jim explains. “I often get asked: why does Trek continue to build frames here when the entire industry has moved offshore, including, to be honest, a good percentage of Trek frames? Why do we still have this factory? And my answer is always the same. You can’t build different products, better products, when you don’t completely understand the science. And the only way to understand the way frames and carbon structures really work is to build them yourself. Having our engineers cutting molds, laying in carbon, seeing their structures come to life is crucial to pushing designs forward. It is really expensive to build things here in this factory, but the products are better because of it. All of our products are better, because we know how things should be built, can be built. And that's because we do it ourselves. We can’t wait for someone else to move the meter and show us how to do it. We are going to lead. That’s been the Trek way since I started here in 1990, and it’s the reason I come to work.”

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High Performance and High Value Meet in the Trek Procaliber 9.7

This hardtail is a lightweight and dependable mountain bike with a carbon frame and wheels.

The Takeaway: The Procaliber 9.7 is one of the best hardtail mountain bikes you can buy for less than four grand.

OCLV Carbon frame
Tubeless-ready carbon wheels
Incredibly light

The tradeoff for a killer carbon frame and carbon wheels on a sub-4K bike is the drivetrain. The SRAM NX Eagle is reliable but doesn’t offer the crisp shifting of pricier component groups like Shimano XT or X01 Eagle. It’s also notably heavier than those groupsets, with most of that weight in the cassette and crankset.

IsoSpeed Decoupler

The IsoSpeed decoupler, unique to Trek, is an interesting feature. It adds vertical compliance by creating a hinge of sorts between the seat tube and the top tube, allowing the former to move independently of the latter. If you’ve never ridden a bike with this decoupler, you might be inclined to think it’s snake oil. Given that we live i n a world flush with companies touting frames with vertical compliance and lateral stiffness (with varying levels of success), I’ll forgive you that assumption. But make no mistake, this is no snake oil. The IsoSpeed adds so much compliance you can actually see the seat tube moving under you if you bounce on the saddle. To be fair, some of that flex comes from the carbon seat post, which further adds to the vertical compliance. Together they make a bike that’s surprisingly comfortable for long, hard hours of trail riding .

Fast Wheels

Tubeless-ready carbon wheels are a rare find at this price.

Remote Lockout

The RockShox Reba RL fork has a handlebar-mounted remote lockout.

XR2 Team Issue Tires

These tires are wicked fast on dry trails and hold their own in the mud.

NX Eagle Drivetrain

An 11-50 cassette and 30t chainring provide all the gearing you need.

Vertical Compliance

The IsoSpeed decoupler makes this bike comfortable over long, rough trail rides.

Initially I was put off by that soft feeling. I tested the Procaliber right on the heels of the very lively Specialized Epic Hardtail Pro . By comparison the Procaliber 9.7 felt subdued, almost boring. In early test rides, I misdiagnosed this bike as dead and lifeless. However, once I became more familiar with the Procaliber 9.7, I realized I was feeling the effect of the decoupler. The claims of vertical compliance were real. The more time I spent banging around the rough and rocky trails of my test track, the more I realized this bike was still just as lively as other hardtails, but the rough edges I was accustomed to were gone.

Procaliber Family

The Procaliber line consists of three bikes, and the 9.7 resides at the top of the list. At $2,600, the 9.6 is laced with the nicer but more expensive Shimano XT drivetrain, but the cost is balanced by cheaper alloy wheels and a RockShox Recon Gold fork (noticeable steps down from the 9.7). This bike is a super deal for anyone who already has a nice set of wheels they really like. If aluminum frames are your jam, the Procaliber 6 warrants consideration.

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Style XC Material Carbon Wheel Size 29-inch Fork 100mm RockShox Reba RL Drivetrain SRAM NX Eagle Cranks Truvativ Stylo 6k Eagle Dub Chainring 30t Cassette 11-50 Brakes Shimano MT500 hydraulic disc Wheels Bontrager Kovee Elite 23 Carbon Tires 2.2-inch Tubeless-ready Bontrager XR2 Team Issue Saddle Bontrager Montrose Comp Seatpost Bontrager Pro OCLV Carbon Handlebar 720mm Bontrager Race Lite Alloy Stem Bontrager Elite

Geometry That Bucks The Trend

On paper, the Procaliber 9.7 thumbs its nose at the current trend of long, low, and slack mountain bikes. A 69.5-degree head angle is as steep as you’ll find on an XC bike, half a degree steeper than the already aggressive Cannondale F-Si and a full degree steeper than Specialized’s Epic Hardtail. A slack 72-degree seat angle also runs against the grain, especially next to the aggressive 74 degrees of the Specialized. It stands in stark contrast to modern XC bikes that are trending towards slacker head angles and steeper seat angles. The reach is short (457mm), stack is low (628mm), and the bottom bracket is high (311mm).

However, it would be foolish to pass this bike over because it doesn’t conform to a trend. The slack seat angle was apparent before I even looked at the geometry because I had to slide my saddle farther forward than I’m accustomed to, as was the short reach, amplified by the narrow 720mm handlebar. After a few hours, I was comfortable on the bike, accustomed to the sharp steering that required a light touch, and riding as hard and fast around my test track as I’ve done on any other bike.

Smooth, Steady, And Fast

As I alluded to earlier, I was slow to warm up to this bike. My last tester was the Specialized Epic Hardtail Pro, which I described as lively, wild, and exciting. Compared to the Specialized , this Trek initially appeared dull and uninspiring. Like a fine wine, it took its time to open up to me. Still, there was no spark.

If the Epic Hardtail Pro is the wild affair, the Procaliber 9.7 is the safe bet, the one you invite to Thanksgiving. And costing just under two thousand dollars less, it's also a cheaper date .

It’s hard to find a fault with this bike. It’s shockingly light—my XL test sample weighed in at only 21.6 pounds. Considering the Epic Hardtail Pro tipped the scales at 21.3 pounds, benefitting from lighter SRAM X01 groupset, carbon cranks, and a carbon handlebar, you’ll see it’s very easy to drop major weight off the Trek if you're a weight weenie. Of course, the NX Eagle drivetrain doesn’t shift as smoothly as SRAM’s higher-level groupsets, but it’s a fair tradeoff for the top-flight frame and carbon hoops. This bike is everything you could ask for from a cross country hardtail: light, fast, responsive, and compliant. At $3,780, it’s not cheap, but it offers incredible value.

procaliber Procaliber 9.7

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Bike Reviews

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Trek Superfly 29er Hardtail

Superfly is THE choice for the aficionado seeking the fastest, most advanced, best 29er out there.

USER REVIEWS

It's a truly great bike. Fast, light, superb handling. I live it.

There are no weaknesses

The first carbon bike I've owned. The bike is light, fast and fun.

The bottom bracket bearing wore out earlier than I would have expected.

Awesome Bike , Great improvement with the new 142 thru axle ,wow ,awesome stiff. I am 6' 230lbs , Bench 350,squat 650,this bike is a great at climbing and it goes down almost as well. Love the G2 ,always have.

I have owned many mtn bikes (20+) ,if ur lookin for a fast climbing machine that descends very well ,this is a great choice. Just got mine ,it's wonderful. I will let u knw in August how it held up. I rode 1700 on a rd bike last yr and 400 in the woods,look to do 1,000 in the woods on this. Trek Superfly 29er rules.

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Cycling Plus

Trek Domane 4.3 review

Vibration-damping road bike with IsoSpeed tech

We were blown away by the premium 6-Series Domane , which introduced us to the pavé-pancaking IsoSpeed fork at the front and decoupler technology at the rear. You get these on the 4.3 as well, and the bike finished in the top five of our 40 Cycling Plus Bike of the Year contenders :

Trek domane 4.3

Tech ed Warren Rossiter talks through the Domane 4.3

Ride & handling: Comfort without compromise

Any worries that a lower grade of carbon or spec would dilute the effectiveness and performance of the 4.3 are unfounded – it’s 1.8kg (4lb) heavier but also £5,200/US$4,430 less than the 6.9, and for £1,800/US$2,499 you get a simply astonishing frame and an addictive ride quality.

First ride impressions are fairly conventional, until you realise that the usual road chatter and vibration is muted to the point of being barely noticeable, although the road feel, so crucial to precise handling, is unaffected.

Arguably, the road feel was accentuated because the Domane seems to be in contact with the surface more of the time. Turning into corners on roughly patched tarmac was refreshingly undramatic, the wheels seeming to tuck in and bite instead of skipping across the surface.

With such impressive stability and poise, exploring the Domane’s limits becomes de rigueur on almost every ride. Go looking for rough stuff expecting to lose fillings and instead you’re cosseted by a sublimely floaty feeling.

Of course, on the most extreme roads there’s still an element of vertical movement, but sudden kicks and general vibration are removed. Not beating about the bush – the Domane’s ride is little short of astonishing.

Frame & equipment: IsoSpeed tech with functional kit

The IsoSpeed system doesn’t have a threshold below which it feels inert. There is no intrusive movement that could affect your pedalling action, as the active component of the Domane is the whole seat tube, not just the seatpost.

The decoupler is basically a rotational pivot attaching a lug on the front of the seat tube to the top tube, allowing the tube to bow and flex along its length in isolation from the frame, with no more effect on seating position than a slim carbon seatpost. The increased active length results in several times more shock absorption without the need for excessive movement in a restricted space.

Complementing the rear end is the IsoSpeed fork. This has a 1 1/8in to 1 1/2in tapered steerer tube for huge rigidity, and a constant radius curve that continues slightly ahead of the dropout to maximise its bump-smoothing ability.

Despite sounding like a full suspension bike, the Domane sports an oversized down tube and muscular asymmetric chainstays, which envelop a simply massive BB90 bottom bracket shell, and combined with the fork’s lateral stiffness make it as responsive as any fast road bike out there.

As ever, at this price there are some parts we’d quickly upgrade, and with so much technology in the Domane’s frame the wheels are the obvious place to start. The Bontrager Approved hoops roll well and resisted the worst we could fling them at with no problems, but they aren’t on the same level as the frame and are a little sluggish.

Shimano’s 105 was faultless as ever, though Trek still include an integrated chain catcher to prevent it dropping between chainset and bottom bracket. The exclusively Bontrager finishing kit is all competent stuff, but could benefit from judicious upgrading when budget allows.

That said, we’d gladly choose to take the Domane out more often than more exotic machinery because the frame offers so much comfort with no performance penalty. A stunningly simple but superbly accomplished design.

This bike was tested as part of Cycling Plus magazine’s 2013 Bike of the Year feature – read the full results in issue 273, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio .

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Trek Fuel EX 2023 Review | A bigger, musclier & hugely adaptable trail bike

The not-so-minor details.

2023 Trek Fuel EX

https://www.trekbikes.com

$4,999 AUD - $8,999 AUD

- Sturdy, flex-free chassis - Superb geometry with adjustable head angle - Efficient & comfortable climbing performance - Coil shock, big fork & mullet compatibility - Mechanic-friendly frame furnishings - Internal storage

- Frame is on the heavy side - Rear shock tune lacks small-bump suppleness - Rattly rear thru-axle lever

Wil reviews the Trek Fuel EX 2023

Having undergone a ground-up redesign for 2023, the Trek Fuel EX has entered its burliest and biggest travel form yet. This latest model represents the 6th generation of Trek’s popular mid-travel trail bike, with the original having debuted all the way back in 2005. Trail riding has evolved a lot since then, and the new Fuel EX aims to keep up with that evolution by incorporating almost every mod-con you can think of.

Of course it’s big news whenever Trek releases a new Fuel EX, and given how important this bike is for the US brand, we were curious to see how the raft of updates would play out on the trail. We had a bit of an idea, having thoroughly enjoyed riding the electrified Trek Fuel EXe over the past few months. Would the muscle-powered version deliver the same good vibes? And how would it compare to the previous models that have given us so many fond riding memories over the years? We’ve been putting the Trek Fuel EX 2023 to the test to find out!

Watch our video review of the Trek Fuel EX 2023:

Along with the downtube storage, generous frame armour and size-specific chainstays, the Fuel EX appears to pack in almost everything you could possibly want in a modern trail bike.

An overview of the Trek Fuel EX 2023

For 2023, the Trek Fuel EX is built around an entirely new frame that’s produced in carbon and alloy variants. Suspension travel has increased by 10mm at both ends, with the new Fuel EX now sporting a 150mm fork and 140mm of rear travel via the ABP four-bar suspension design.

It’s worth noting that the frame will handle a 160mm travel fork, and thanks to the two-position Mino Link, it can also be run as a mullet. Borrowed from the Session downhill bike, there’s a two-position flip chip at the lower shock mount that offers linear and progressive settings. The latter option is what makes the new Fuel EX coil shock compatible.

On top of that, Trek will be offering aftermarket headset cups to steepen or slacken the head angle by a degree. Along with the downtube storage, generous frame armour and size-specific chainstays, the Fuel EX appears to pack in almost everything you could possibly want in a modern trail bike. It’s certainly an appealing package on paper, and one that’s ready to take on contemporaries like the Specialized Stumpjumper , Merida One-Forty , Canyon Spectral and Giant Trance X .

Trek Fuel EX price & specs

There are a number of different models available in the Trek Fuel EX 2023 lineup, though availability will vary depending on where you are in the world.

In Australia, prices currently range from $4,999 AUD for the Fuel EX 7, and go up to $8,999 AUD for the Fuel EX 9.8 XT model. The cheapest option is actually the Fuel EX 5, though that model carries over the previous generation frame. For a closer look at the specs, prices and all the new details, check out our Trek Fuel EX 2023 overview article for more.

Here we’ll be diving into our experience of testing the Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS model, which will be available in Australia in limited quantities through the custom Project One bike builder. It’s a media bike that was provided to us by Trek, and of course it comes dripping with lots of gold, carbon and wireless bits. However, as usual with our reviews, we won’t be going into detail about the Gucci-level spec. Instead, we’ll be concentrating on the important aspects that are shared throughout the Fuel EX lineup; the frame design, suspension performance and its on-trail handling.

2023 Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS

Frame | OCLV Mountain Carbon Fibre, ABP Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
Fork | Fox 36, Factory Series, GRIP2 Damper, 44mm Offset, 150mm Travel
Shock | Fox Float X, Factory Series, 185x55mm
Wheels | Bontrager Line Pro 30, OCLV Carbon Rims, 29mm Inner Width
Tyres | Bontrager SE5 Team Issue 2.5in Front & Rear
Drivetrain | SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS1×12 w/30T Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
Brakes | SRAM Code RSC 4-Piston
Bar | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 27.5mm Rise, 820mm Width
Stem | Bontrager RSL Integrated, OCLV Carbon, 45mm Length
Seatpost | RockShox Reverb AXS, 34.9mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (S), 150mm (M-M/L), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL)
Saddle | Bontrager Arvada, Austentite Rails
Confirmed Weight | 14.4kg
RRP | $TBC

The chassis feels near-bombproof, and combined with the supportive suspension, powerful brakes and high volume rubber, you’re served up plenty of confidence for pushing the front wheel into steep chutes and over technical A-lines.

Trek Fuel EX size & geometry

From X-Small through to XX-Large, the Trek Fuel EX is produced in no fewer than seven different sizes. Seven! Given that many brands only offer four or sometimes even just three frame sizes, that’s impressive.

The two smallest sizes feature 27.5in wheels, while the Medium and above come standard with 29in wheels. The Small is the only option that is available in either wheelsize.

At 175cm tall I’ve been riding a Medium, which features a 450mm reach. Thanks to the use of short seat tubes, a rider of my height could easily upsize to the M/L size to get a longer 470mm reach. Personally, I’ve found the fit of the Medium to be spot-on.

As for geometry, the Fuel EX features a 64.5° head angle and approximately a 77.5° effective seat tube angle in its stock configuration. The rear centre length varies between sizes, going up to 450mm on the largest frame. On the Medium I’ve been riding, the rear centre is a compact 435mm.

Coming off the Fuel EXe, I found it easy to settle into the Fuel EX. The only modification I needed to perform was to chop the comically wide handlebars from 820mm down to a more reasonable 780mm.

Suspension & tyre setup

Getting the Fuel EX set up is made easy thanks to Trek’s detailed online suspension calculator . Input the bike model and your riding weight, and out spits suggested air pressure and rebound settings for both the fork and shock. It even suggests tyre pressures, giving you a good place to start before hitting the trail. When brands like Canyon struggle to provide any recommendations at all, Trek should be commended for helping riders to get the most out of their bike.

For my 68kg riding weight, Trek suggests setting up the Fox 36 fork slightly softer and slower than usual. Recommended rear shock sag is 29%, and the calculator’s suggestion of 158psi got me to exactly that figure. Initially I set the rebound at 6/15 clicks as recommended, but while everything felt quite balanced front to back, the suspension was a little sluggish and duller than I wanted. Speeding up the rebound by a couple of clicks in both the fork and shock helped to make the whole bike feel a bit more lively, while improving small-bump reactivity.

Although the Bontrager SE5 tyres feature reinforced Core Strength casings, I still fitted a CushCore Pro insert to provide some additional pinch-flat protection and insurance for the carbon rims. Tyre pressures were set as per Trek’s recommendations with 20psi in the front and 22psi in the rear.

Trek Fuel EX weight

Confirmed weight for our Trek Fuel EX test bike is 14.4kg. That’s with the tyres set up tubeless, but without the CushCore insert or pedals.

It’s on the heavier side for a high-end carbon trail bike, though the 2.5in tyres, stocky carbon wheels and AXS components aren’t exactly the lightest going. Of course weights do vary throughout the Fuel EX lineup depending on the spec, and you can see the weights for all the different models in our range overview .

A contributing factor to the overall weight is the new frame, which has gained almost 700g over its predecessor. Trek claims the carbon frame weighs 3.4kg with the rear shock, making it a bit of a porker alongside some of the competition;

Scott Genius HMX Carbon: 2,249g
Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon: 2,280g
Giant Trance X Advanced Pro 29: 2,498g
Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Carbon: 2,750g
Canyon Spectral CF: 3,047g
Trek Fuel EX Carbon: 3,400g

The new alloy Fuel EX frame is heavier again, coming in at a hefty 4.6kg with shock.

Of course weight isn’t everything, and it’s unsurprising that the new frame has gotten heavier given how much longer and slacker it is. Still, for those who are especially concerned by grams, there are certainly lighter options on the market.

What do we dig about the Trek Fuel EX 2023?

With its added heft and updated geometry, the Trek Fuel EX 2023 is no doubt the burliest iteration yet. The chassis feels near-bombproof, and combined with the supportive suspension, powerful brakes and high volume rubber, you’re served up plenty of confidence for pushing the front wheel into steep chutes and over technical A-lines.

Indeed it’s massively capable for a 140mm travel bike, with the slack 64.5° head angle and roomy wheelbase giving it a purposeful stance on the trail. The geometry is superb, with welcome updates that have brought the Fuel EX right up to speed.

The steeper seat angle is particularly noticeable over the old bike, providing a much improved seated position on steep climbs. Pedalling efficiency has also levelled up. Trek has lifted the main pivot above the chainring to increase anti-squat, which helps to reduce pedal-induced bobbing. The Float X shock has a two-position climb switch, but I never once needed to use it while riding off-road since the rear end is so well behaved.

It rips through the turns

Once up to speed on flower singletrack, the taut chassis means the Trek Fuel EX is highly responsive when rounding corners and pushing into berms.

With its boxy downtube, split top tube and the supporting strut for the lower shock mount, the front triangle is heavily braced to resist torsional flex. Along with the wide main pivot and boxy one-piece chainstays, the Fuel EX possesses a strong spine from its shapely head tube to the rear thru-axle. The muscly frame effectively translates handling inputs while resisting lateral deflection through the turns.

Likewise, the short rear end and generous 38mm BB drop are fantastic when threading your way through twisty sections of trail, keeping you connected to the terrain and contributing to the playful ride quality. The low-hanging BB did mean I caught the pedals occasionally, so those who frequent off-piste terrain and technical climbs will want to consider flipping the Mino Link into the High position to indulge in an extra 7mm of pedal clearance.

Otherwise the riding position and weight distribution are totally sorted. The handling is approachable, and the Fuel EX doesn’t demand a whole lot from you as the rider. Compared to the old bike it does need a more concerted lean when entering tighter corners, though this is a part of the natural evolution of modern trail bike geometry. Even if you’re coming off a 5-year old bike, you’ll only need a few rides to get accustomed to the Fuel EX’s steering behaviour.

Trail-tweakable

In addition to the Mino Link, we’ve also been experimenting with the lower shock flip chip on the Trek Fuel EX. Requiring just a single 6mm hex key, it’s a quick adjustment to make trailside, and the change in suspension behaviour is noticeable.

I ended up preferring the ‘Less’ setting, which provides a more linear leverage rate. With the shock set at the recommended sag, this position provides great pedalling support, along with more comfort and activity deeper into the stroke. There’s still a good deal of progression though. Combined with the large bottom-out bumper in the Float X shock, hitting full travel proved to be a well-controlled affair.

One of our fellow testers, who generally spends more time in the air than on the ground, preferred riding in the ‘More’ setting. This increases progression, providing a stronger ramp-up in the latter half of the travel. He also reduced the shock pressure by 5psi to further enhance small-bump compliance, while still being able to enjoy the additional big-hit support. Pedal efficiency isn’t as stable in this setting, but it does mean the Fuel EX takes to jumps like a duck to water, popping off lips enthusiastically and absorbing hard landings with a solid and flex-free touchdown.

One thing to note on the More/Less flip chip is that while you are altering the progression of the air spring, you’re also affecting the damper too. As well as adjusting air pressure, we found we needed to tweak the rebound and low-speed compression settings between the two positions. It is indeed a useful tuning tool, but it doesn’t dispel the need for air volume spacers entirely.

What does it struggle with?

With the Trek Fuel EX adopting a beefier frame, the added weight is noticeable compared to lighter bikes in this category. That’s compounded by the heavy-duty brakes, stocky wheels and chunky tyres, which mean there’s more inertia to overcome during micro-accelerations on an undulating climb.

For those who are looking for a sharper and sprightlier trail bike to whip through the trees along smoother singletrack, the latest Trek Top Fuel will be a better fit. In comparison, the new Fuel EX is a burlier beast that thrives on steeper and more technical terrain.

Curiously, it does feel stiffer than the electrified version, the Fuel EXe . Despite both our test bikes featuring carbon frames with a near-identical build kit, I’ve found the Fuel EX to transmit more trail feedback.

Some of this may be due to structural differences, and perhaps the more favourable sprung-to-unsprung mass ratio on the electric version thanks to the added weight of the motor and and battery. Either way, the Fuel EX doesn’t exactly exude off-camber compliance. As a lighter rider on very rocky terrain, I’ve found myself getting knocked around a little more than I would like.

This sensation reminded me of the Canyon Spectral 125 , which proved to be overly stiff and quite uncomfortable at slower riding speeds. The Fuel EX is more compliant overall than the Spectral 125, but it’s still pretty stiff.

It’s not as supple as Fuel EX models gone by

Contributing to this sensation, the suspension isn’t as plush as previous Fuel EX models, particularly those that featured the Thru Shaft shock. Those bikes did require the rider to make use of the compression lever to provide pedalling support, but it meant that in the open mode the rear end absorbed the terrain like melted butter.

You may have noticed that Trek has been making a conscious move away from proprietary suspension components lately, and that’s coincided with building bikes that offer more neutral pedalling performance. The increased anti-squat is one part of the equation on the new Fuel EX, and the other part is the custom-tuned Float X, which Trek has configured with a digressive compression tune on the main piston. This creates a decent low-speed threshold, which provides a level of support that sits between the Open and Medium settings on the previous RE:aktiv damper.

The result is that you can ride with the shock fully open, and the Fuel EX still offers great stability under pedalling inputs, with no real need to activate the climb switch. If you detest remote lockouts and having to flip shock levers all the time, this will certainly be appealing.

The downside is that the suspension isn’t as supple over smaller rubble and at slower speeds. Along with the stiff chassis and carbon wheels, more of those vibrations are transmitted to the rider. As such, careful consideration with tyre pressure is needed to maximise grip and comfort.

Because there is more support however, the Fuel EX gives your feet a stronger platform to push off of, with greater feedback during high-load scenarios. Indeed the harder and faster you push, the better the Fuel EX responds. In that sense, it’s less of a comfy cruiser like its predecessors, and more of a mid-travel bruiser that loves to ride hard and fast.

Component highs & lows

As a complete bike, the Trek Fuel EX is a solid package that puts the emphasis on capability over light weight.

The Bontrager SE5 tyres are a good example, coming in at 1,100g each on our workshop scales. They roll reasonably well given their weight and size, and we’ve found them to provide consistent grip on rocky, hard-packed soil, which will suit most Aussie trail riders. The tread is a little shallow though, and the compound isn’t the softest, which sees them struggling to latch on when the conditions are wet and loose. We’d prefer something a little stickier and toothier up front, like a Maxxis Minion DHR II with 3C MaxxGrip rubber.

While the carbon Bontrager Line Pro rims are quite stiff, they have proven to be plenty tough. We’ve tested five of these wheelsets across various bikes over the past few years and we’ve not encountered a single issue. The y also come with a two-year crash replacement guarantee, which is great insurance given the hell that you can put this bike through. Furthermore, the frame itself comes with a lifetime warranty for the original owner.

There’s still plenty of real-world protection though, including a generous two-piece armour plate that bolts to the underside of the downtube. There’s also a metal chain-suck guard behind the chainring, and a full-coverage chainstay protector. Along with the fully guided internal cable routing, the Fuel EX is an impressively quiet and rattle-free bike on the trail. Well, except for the rear thru-axle lever, which I removed after the first ride.

Otherwise the finishing details are all sound. The adoption of a bigger 34.9mm seat tube diameter is welcome, as it accommodates a stiffer and stronger dropper post, particularly for the larger sizes. Mechanics will be happy to see a threaded BB shell, and we’re fans of the downtube storage. The trap door has none of the play that we encountered on the last Fuel EX we tested, with a tight fit and a nice lever action.

It’s certainly a high quality chassis, and many riders are likely to appreciate the in-built versatility. We’re looking forward to trying out the adjustable head angle once the aftermarket cups become available, and we’d also be keen to try out the Fuel EX with a coil shock. Setting it up as a mullet will be more straightforward, especially as you only need to buy an air spring to extend the Fox 36 up to 160mm of travel.

Trek Fuel EX vs Specialized Stumpjumper

Alongside the Trek Fuel EX, the Specialized Stumpjumper is one of the most popular and well-known trail bikes in this category. In terms of travel and the overall build, the Fuel EX sits right in between the regular Stumpjumper and the Stumpjumper EVO. However, it’s the regular Stumpy that I’ve been spending the most time on lately, both in its stock configuration and with a burlier mullet setup .

Compared to the Fuel EX, the Stumpjumper has a touch less travel with a 140mm fork and 130mm at the rear. It also uses a simpler suspension layout, with the carbon models employing a flex-stay design. Combined with its slimmer tube profiles, the carbon Stumpjumper frame is very light. Specialized claims it weighs just 2.28kg including the shock, which is over a kilo lighter than a carbon Fuel EX.

This theme extends to the Stumpjumper’s build kit, with Specialized electing for the skinnier Fox 34 over the 36. Along with an in-line shock, lighter brakes, wheels and tyres, there’s a considerable difference in the overall bike weight. For example, the Stumpjumper Pro we tested weighed 12.84kg.

While the geometry is pretty similar between the two bikes, the Specialized Stumpjumper rides much lighter on the trail compared to the Trek Fuel EX. It offers more comfort, with its lithe chassis and smooth suspension performance providing better compliance over rough terrain. It’s quite sporty and sprightly, though its active suspension design does need taming on the climbs by making use of the rear shock’s compression lever.

2022 specialized stumpjumper comp carbon

In comparison, the Fuel EX is more naturally efficient. It’s also more planted at speed, with its sturdy chassis and supportive suspension providing better big-hit capability. It feels more like a short travel enduro bike, which will suit heavier and harder riders.

Both bikes will handle a longer fork and can be set up as a mullet, though Specialized makes a specific link for the Stumpjumper to maintain the stock geometry. There is greater versatility in the Fuel EX chassis, with the option to adjust the head angle and fit a coil shock.

As for value, the Fuel EX offers a more appealing spec package. A Stumpjumper Expert sells for $9,800 AUD and comes with a Fox 34 GRIP2 fork, SRAM G2 brakes, an X01 drivetrain, alloy wheels and handlebars. In comparison, an equivalent Fuel EX 9.8 XT sells for $800 AUD less. It gets a simpler GRIP damper for its Fox 36 fork, though it does feature a piggyback shock, a Shimano XT groupset, a carbon one-piece RSL cockpit and carbon wheels with that 2-year crash replacement guarantee.

Flow’s Verdict

For many trail riders, the Trek Fuel EX 2023 is likely to tick just about every box on your new bike wish list. It’s as up to date as it gets, featuring loads of adjustability, internal storage and a nuanced approach to its size-specific geometry. Along with the increased travel and muscly frame, it offers greater stability and big-hit control over its predecessor, while still being a fun and involving bike to ride on modern flow trails.

It is a bit of a chonker though, so those who are looking for a lightweight and speedy trail bike may be better served by the latest Top Fuel .

The stiff chassis and supportive suspension also mean the Fuel EX tends to transmit more feedback, making it less comfortable to ride over rocky terrain. We’d be curious to try out a lighter shock tune to see how much of a difference that would make to the overall ride quality, but in its stock form the Fuel EX isn’t as plush as competitors like the Giant Trance X and Specialized Stumpjumper .

It is impressively efficient though, and the stable suspension gives you a load of support when you’re really giving it the beans on the descents. In this sense, the Fuel EX is closer in feel and performance to an enduro bike. You’ll still want to look towards the Slash if you’re serious about racing, but outside of the tape the Fuel EX will handle just about everything a modern trail centre or bikepark could throw at it. And for those who really want to up the limits, the adaptable chassis can easily be configured for some pretty aggressive riding.

Indeed for those who are chasing maximum capability without going to a big, spongy enduro bike, the Fuel EX is a mighty appealing option.

You’ll still want to look towards the Slash if you’re serious about racing, but outside of the tape the Fuel EX will handle just about everything a modern trail centre or bikepark could throw at it.

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Review: Trek Domane 4.5 – A High-End Frame and Smart Build Kit

While many brands have introduced “endurance” road bikes over the last few years, few have taken the idea to quite the extreme as Trek.

Trek Domane 4.5 – A High-End Frame and Smart Build Kit

The Domane was developed with considerable input from Swiss pro cyclist Fabian Cancellara , who is known for his steam-engine riding style, using his massive power output to crush cobblestones in the fabled Spring Classics. He is said to enjoy the bike so much that he rides it year-round, even in the Tour de France, choosing it over Trek’s racier Madone model.

The frame features the intriguing IsoSpeed decoupler , an ingenious system that separates the seat tube from the top tube and seatstays, and allows the seat tube to flex and pivot at the mounting point. If you stand next to the bike and put your weight on the saddle, you can see the seat tube flex slightly, but while riding it is imperceptible until you hit a bump.

A High-Performance Machine

Make no mistake: IsoSpeed is not a suspension system, and this is still a high-performance machine. If you’re expecting something akin to a suspension seatpost, think again. The frame’s ride quality is distinctly carbon—a muted road feel with less of that high-frequency vibration you feel from some aluminum frames, but still generally stiff.

Iso Speed makes itself most noticeable when crossing railroad tracks or other high-speed, sharp impacts that would normally require you to lift or shift your weight on the saddle to avoid being bounced. Not having to do that means you can keep your cadence smooth and the power high. The system seems so extreme some might think it’s a gimmick, but I’m convinced. Trek is as well—the technology will soon be adapted to its line of hardtail mountain bikes .

At the other end of the bike, the fork deserves some of the credit. It was developed with an asymmetrical steerer tube that is slightly thicker side-to-side than front-to-back, giving it a touch of compliance, but it never felt soft or shuddering.

The difference between the Domane 4.5 and the higher-end models is in the stiffness of the carbon fiber itself, and that this version uses a standard 27.2mm seat post rather than a seatmast that is integrated into the frame. I actually prefer the standard post, as it can be swapped for countless alternatives and provides an easy spot to clamp the bike in a work stand.

Trek’s DuoTap Hidden Speed

Other frame details include a spot for Trek’s DuoTap hidden speed and cadence sensor, an integrated chain guide to eliminate dropped chains and more generous tire clearance than most frames. It also has removable fender eyelets, so you can keep the clean look if you’re not using them. For an even smoother ride, you can ditch the tubes and set up the Bontrager Race wheels tubeless—another technology that is easy to dismiss until you try it.

It would be a mistake to write off the Domane as a “comfort” bike for weekend warriors. Despite accommodations for a smooth ride, it is as stiff and race-worthy as I could ask. Yet the slightly longer wheelbase makes it extremely stable, and it’s one of the few bikes I’ve ever plunged downhill at 40mph with a crosswind while still feeling relaxed. The fit adds to the comfort factor, as the slightly taller head tube gives you a more head’s-up position than Trek’s race bikes. Paired with a set of shallow-drop Bontrager handlebars , I felt great in each of the riding positions, an essential element of a long, comfortable ride.

Domane: Initial Acceleration is Direct and Instant

The adage “laterally stiff and vertically compliant” has gone beyond cliché to become something of a running joke in road bike circles. The notion that a bike can be a stiff-as-heck race machine and still be comfortable over rough pavement on long rides is not unlike a unicorn—a magical beast that surely can’t exist. But on the Domane, initial acceleration is direct and instant, with the massive, squared down tube and BB90 bottom bracket all but eliminating lateral flex.

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Back in Issue #16 I reviewed the Volagi Liscio, which also features an unusual seat tube arrangement—the seatstays bypass the seat tube and connect to the top tube. While the Liscio was smoother than the Domane in a straight line, it can’t compete with the Domane in terms of power transfer and handling accuracy. The Domane makes no sacrifices in these areas.

The Shimano Ultegra build kit performed flawlessly, as I expected. The compact crankset paired with an 11-28-tooth cassette offers tons of range for tackling the steepest pitches. The 105-level brake calipers offer power to spare, as a single finger is often enough to bring the bike to a stop.

Hitting the street for less than $2,800, the Domane 4.5 struck me as a steal, considering the high-end frame technology and the smart build kit. While it will likely be pitched to riders looking for a high-performance ride for centuries and gran fondos, the Domane is a race bike at heart that won’t beat you up on the weekdays.

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Price: $2,730
Sizes Available: 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 (tested), 62cm
Weight: 18.12lbs
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Best carbon road bikes: Our pick of the best racing and endurance road bikes

Carbon road bikes combine meticulous weight saving, geometry tweaking and aerodynamic sculpting to rule the road

Best carbon fibre race bikes

Best carbon fibre endurance bikes, carbon road bikes explained.

Carbon fibre is a bit of a wonder material because it can be moulded into just about any shape, and tuned to be stiff in one plane and flexible in another. With these properties, it's heavily used throughout the bike industry and we see it in everything from frames down to brake levers. There are advocates of bikes made from steel, titanium and aluminium, but the best road bikes are most commonly made from carbon fibre. For evidence, look no further than the bikes ridden in the WorldTour .

Best road bikes Best aero road bikes Best lightweight bikes Best aluminium road bikes Best road e-bikes

There is no shortage of remarkable bikes made from aluminium, steel and titanium, but with its stiffness, strength and malleability, carbon fibre reigns supreme in road bike technology. Once a reserve for top tier racing bikes, advances in carbon production and technology has resulted in carbon being utilised across every cycling discipline from the best lightweight bikes to full suspension mountain bikes and surpassing the performance possible with metal tubes.

Scroll down for a pick of our favourite carbon road bikes that are available today and an overview of what to look for when choosing a carbon road bike .

Specialized Tarmac Disc Expert

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

We're up to the SL6 version of the Specialized Tarmac, and the current frameset has lost a bit of weight and the tubing profiles are a bit boxier. The chainstays have been dropped drastically, and the back of the seat tube and seat post are now flat, a well-tested way to introduce compliance to the rear end.

Introduced a few iterations ago, the new Tarmac is based around what Specialized calls Rider-First Engineering, each frame size is built with a specific geometry, layup and tube shapes, meaning gone are the days of the ultra-stiff XS and noodly XL frames. Also gone are the gender-specific geometries, the only difference between the men's and women's versions are the touchpoints and cranks.

Specialized tell us the frame is more aero too, claiming the new Tarmac is 45-seconds faster over 45km compared to 'other lightweight bikes in the same category'. Only available with disc brakes for 2020, this has allowed the brand to balloon the max tire clearance to 30mm. The Expert spec comes with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset, Roval C38 carbon wheels finished in with S-Works Turbo 120TPI rubber and one of our favourite paint jobs of the bunch.

Raced by: Bora-Hansgrohe , Deceuninck-QuickStep , Boels Dolmans

Trek Emonda SL 6 Disc

The Emonda is Trek's lightweight carbon road frame, and the top-end SLR version is one of the lightest framesets you can buy. While the SL version doesn't get the 600-series carbon and ultralight paint of the SLR trim, it's no slouch on the scale. Only available in the brands H2 more relaxed fit, the Disc version of the frame is made using the brand's second-tier OCLV 500 carbon.

At the back, the Emonda uses a seat mast and cap, which adds some vertical compliance, however, it does limit your minimum and maximum saddle height. Tipping the scales at around 8.6kg, depending on the size, it's not the lightest bike on the market but considering the price, it is well specced.

Richie Porte's Trek Emonda – Gallery
Sandy Floren's Trek Emonda gravel-lite race bike - Gallery

The latest version of the Emonda SL is noticeably stiffer and leads to a lively road feel, the stable BB creates a tight pedalling feel. Trek still hasn't applied its ISO-speed technology to the Emonda, and with the additional stiffness in the frame, some feedback from the road makes it through to your body, especially through the handlebars.

The Emonda SL is also specced with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and Bontrager Paradigm Disc tubeless-ready wheels; we feel it demonstrates decent value for money.

Raced by: Trek-Segafredo , Trek-Segafredo Women

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc

Launched just ahead of the 2019 Tour de France , Cannondale 's latest SuperSix Evo comes complete with a first for the frame – a sloping top tube. But it's not just the death of the flat top tube, Cannondale has swapped to Kammtail tube shapes for a claimed 30 watt saving (at 48kph) over its predecessor and the brand says the new SuperSix is between nine and 40 watts faster than a range of its competitors. The frame also gets a flat-backed seat post and seat tube, and the dropped chainstays which are becoming increasingly common among carbon race bikes.

Capable of taking 30mm tyres (28mm rim brake), the new frame is claimed to weigh 886g in a size 56, painted. The rim version of the bike uses the standard open quick release dropout, however, the disc version is shod with Mavic's speed release thru-axle system which pairs an open dropout with a threaded counterpart to speed up wheel changes.

Cannondale SuperSix EVO review
Lachlan Morton's Cannondale Supersix Evo - Gallery

Cannondale has also opted for an integrated bar and stem and sees the brands in-house KNOT components providing the seat post and wheelset. As you'd expect for a bike in this price bracket, the 45mm deep road wheels are carbon fibre and tubeless-ready, and a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset provides the gearing. The new SuperSix EVO also comes with a Power2Max NG Eco power meter installed in the HologramSiSL2 cranks, though you'll have to pay a fee on top of the retail price to activate it.

Raced by: EF Pro Cycling

Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc

Giant's TCR has long been a no-nonsense performer, and the brand as a whole demonstrates top value for money. Designed around the brand's compact road geometry, the frame is built using Giant's Advanced Composite Technology, and moulded in a modified monocoque construction — meaning the front and rear triangles are moulded separately and then bonded together.

The TCR has always been known for its snappy ride quality and that's due in large part to its compact rear end. At the front, the TCR gets Giant's chunky Overdrive steerer which combine with the front and rear thru-axles and stiff carbon fork mean no steering input is lost to flex.

A closer look at the new Giant TCR - Simon Geschke's 6.4kg bike
Greg Van Avermaet's golden Giant TCR Disc - Gallery

Depending on where you live, the Advanced Pro Disc comes with either a Shimano Ultegra or SRAM Force eTap AXS drivetrain, but, regardless of your region, the wheels and tyres are tubeless-ready out of the box, meaning they come with valves and rim strips installed and Giant even gives you enough sealant to get rolling.

The Giant TCR has recently been updated, so the current model TCR is soon to be deemed 'old-hat', but that should mean discounts are readily available on what is still an excellent bike.

Raced by: CCC Team , CCC-Liv

Canyon Aeroad 7.0

German direct-to-consumer brand Canyon has redefined the level of bike that you can get for your money, and the Aeroad 7.0 is proof. The frame and fork are made from a slightly lower grade of carbon than the SLX version that the Movistar Team rides, but beyond that it's identical. Aero tubing isn't prone to flexing, and the Aeroad offers a stiff ride, but it's still not as bone-rattling as some wind-cheating frames on the market.

For the £2,450 / $3,000 / AU$3,950 price tag, you get a Shimano 105 groupset, which offers fantastic shifting performance and reliability with 11 gears at the back. The base model of the Aeroad is only available with rim brakes; however, you still get direct-mount calipers, which are a reasonable trade-off to save a bit of cash.

While the majority of the bike is fitted with Canyon's own components, the wheels are Reynolds AR58 deep-dish carbon wheels . For the money, the Aeroad is damn hard to beat.

Raced by: Movistar Team

The third iteration of the S5 is claimed to be faster, stronger, and stiffer than its predecessor. At the front, the ultra-stiff front integrated bar and stem is more akin to the spoiler on a racing car than the front end of a bike. Combined with the proprietary external steerer tube that's designed to cheat the wind, Cervelo says as a system this creates a 17g reduction in drag when compared to a standard setup. With the cables routed completely inside the bike, you’re going to want the S5 with an electronic or wireless drivetrain, as replacing the fully internal gear and shift cables and housing will be time-consuming, at best.

Only available with disc brakes, the new frame has room for up to 30mm rubber and sees 12mm thru-axles using the quarter-turn RAT system developed by Focus, which is owned by the same parent company. With improved stiffness throughout, the robust front end makes for pinpoint cornering and allows you to push the limit through the corners. The downside is it can be a bit harsh through your hands.

Tiesj Benoot's Cervelo R5 - Gallery

Cervelo is a brand well known for its aero bikes , and the new S5 is claimed to be around 5.5-watts quicker than its predecessor, which combined with increases in stiffness throughout make it sharp and always wanting to surge forward.

It's not cheap, but for your investment, you get a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and a set of DT Swiss ARC 1459 62 Disc carbon wheels.

Raced by: Team Sunweb

Scott Foil 10 Disc

The Scott Foil has come quite a long way from its origins, which were often touted as way too stiff, but ultra-responsive with zero flex or vibration dampening. In 2016, Scott completely revamped the frame and added discs in 2017, changing the layup to combat road buzz and dropping the seat stays for vertical compliance.

It's still a stiff and agile frame but lacks some of the snap of the original — not necessarily a bad thing because it makes the bike considerably more manageable, especially four hours into an all-day epic.

Available in both rim and disc versions, Scott graduated from Kammtail to aero tubing and even includes a carbon fairing to shield the disc brake caliper from the wind. The top-end RC versions of the bike come with a one-piece integrated Syncros bar and stem, which is why we like the Foil 10 Disc. Using the brands HMF carbon, it comes with a standard bar and stem and is kitted out with a Shimano Di2 Drivetrain and Syncros Carbon wheels. All that said, we’re not so sure about the brown paint job.

Race by: Mitchelton-Scott , Mitchelton-Scott women

Pinarello Dogma F12 Disk

Say what you will about Pinarello's Dogma but it has won seven of the last 10 Tour de France's. The latest iteration of the Italian brand's aero racer is the Dogma F12, and it's the first race bike from Pinarello to come with discs from the outset. It's quite a big deal given in 2017 Fausto Pinarello famously declared he wasn't convinced high-performance bikes needed disc brakes. The rim brake version also swaps from a single bolt to direct mount brakes.

At first glance, the F12 doesn't look all that different from the F10; there are quite a few claimed improvements to aerodynamics and stiffness throughout the frame. The fork has been revamped to better combat twisting forces from the disc brake caliper, and the frames themselves are said to be 10 per cent lighter than the F10 (unpainted). Pinarello has also made refinements to its asymmetric frame design and changed to a higher grade carbon, said to amount to a 10 per cent increase in stiffness.

Luke Rowe's Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight
Rohan Dennis' Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight - Gallery

Now with the ability to take 30mm tyres, the F12 is designed around the Most (Pinarello's component brand) Talon bar and stem combo, which is available in 16-stem length and bar width combinations. Pinarello is making the Dogma F12 in 13 frame sizes, however, they are so expensive, most retailers seem to only be offering framesets at the time of writing.

Raced by: Team Ineos

BMC Teammachine SLR02 Disc One

The BMC Teammachine is one of our favourite race bikes (in fact this writer owns one), and the latest iteration exemplifies the brand's prowess for engineering. As one of the first brands to adopt the dropped chainstays, the Teammachine finds a stellar balance, offering snappy power transfer, seemingly laser-guided handling while dampening a large portion of the vibration before they make it through to your touchpoints.

The big issue we have is the price tag for the range-topping SLR01 version. However SLR02 is about half the price, but still maintains the same geometry and the majority of BMC's hallmark ride characteristics. The frame itself is made with the brand's second-tier carbon, which adds a bit of weight, and doesn't absorb quite the same level of vibration.

Even at the second level of the frame, there are four specs, but it's hard to pass up the Teammachine SLR02 Disc One, complete with SRAM's shiny new Force AXS eTap wireless groupset. The bike is specced with BMC's Integrated Cockpit System, which uses a BMC stem, but standard bars, allowing for a bit of added adjustability, customisation and ease of servicing.

Raced by: NTT Pro Cycling

Ridley Helium SLX Ultegra Di2

A Ridley product manager once told me that the design ethos for its bikes come directly from its sponsored race teams. He explained the design and performance elements are balanced against what will make race mechanics want to pull their hair out and the Helium SLX exemplifies this rational. It's not the stiffest or the lightest bike on the market but the cable routing is simple and while the majority of the finishing kit comes from 4ZA, Ridley's in-house components brand, there's no proprietary anything.

The Helium SLX might not be the stiffest frame out there but it's still robust were it needs to be. Made with a mix of 60/40/30-ton high modulus carbon, Ridley subtlety transitions from round to boxy tubing in areas like the down tube and BB and even the strongest sprinters will struggle to bend the tubing under pedalling.

At the back pencil-thin seat stays soften big hits and the layup does well to absorb vibration. The geometry is racy, but not so stretched out and aggressive that the weekend warrior can't find a comfortable position.

This particular model takes the top end frame, and bolts on the latest Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain and finishing kit comes from 4ZA. Ridley sends these bikes out with Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels, with the assumption being if you're buying a bike like this you probably already own a nice wheelset and may not want to pay for another. However, in Australia, Ridley bikes are only sold as framesets, and the local distributor allows customers to customise everything from drivetrain and wheels to a fully bespoke paint job.

Raced By: Lotto Soudal

Bianchi Oltre XR4

Raced by the Jumbo-Visma team, Bianchi 's Oltre XR4 is an eye-catching ride, especially in the trademark celeste paint job. But, it's what's hidden inside the carbon that sets this bike apart. The CV Countervail carbon architecture, which is also used by NASA, incorporates a viscoelastic resin to better dampen road vibrations coming up through the frame, which the brand says also increases stiffness. There is no doubt the frame is stiff under pedalling forces, but you can feel the difference the countervail tech makes when it comes to comfort.

The main focus of the Oltre XR4 is to slice through the wind so it's no surprise to see the cables fully hidden, with Vision's 5D ACR one-piece cockpit wrangling everything into the frame. With these properties, the Italian outfit has also made the geometry fairly unforgiving and you'll need to be flexible to find a comfortable position.

Don't mistake the Oltre XR4 for an aero bike that's just meant to go straight, it handles with cat-like reflexes. The price tag is pretty heavy and depending on where you live it may only be offered as a frameset.

Raced by: Team Jumbo-Visma

Specialized Roubaix Expert

The Specialized Roubaix was the first commercially available endurance road bike when it was launched back in 2004. With a slightly more relaxed geometry and taller head tube, early versions of the Roubaix featured Zertz inserts, said to absorb road buzz — their effectiveness is still up for debate.

The Roubaix has come quite a long way since then, now featuring the Future Shock. Designed in collaboration with McLaren, the Future Shock is now in its 2.0 version and features a hydraulic piston inside the head tube which provides 20mm of travel, now with a dial to adjust the compression and rebound damping.

Alison Tetrick's Specialized S-Works Roubaix for Super Sweetwater gravel race - Gallery

The cheaper models of the Roubaix (Comp and below) get a Future Shock 1.5, which is the same unit minus the adjustable damper. Specialized has also added a new D-shaped seat post at the back, complete with a drop-in clamp to maximise flex and create a more balanced ride quality front to back.

It's not as snappy as the Tarmac when you push on the pedals, but it does an excellent job of smoothing out square edges on the road. According to Specialized, the new Roubaix is more Aero than the Tarmac SL6 and lighter than a Venge. Like the Tarmac, it only comes with disc brakes and a unisex geometry, with the only difference between the men's and women's bikes being the touchpoints.

Ridley Fenix SL Disc

On paper, the Fenix SL looks like your typical Fondo bike, with sure-footed endurance geometry. In practice, the frame is on the stiffer end of the spectrum and makes for a ride quality that's anything but boring. There is precisely zero unwanted flex in the fork or laterally in the frame, a characteristic that's relatively commonplace in this category of road bikes. With dropped seat stays, the bike isn't harsh, however, we're not sure we'd describe it as a comfortable ride.

We'd argue among a field of endurance bikes, most of which look like they've been hit with the ugly stick, the Fenix SL, even with its chunky slightly aero tubing, is a pretty good looking bike.

It's not particularly light on the scale, but the Fenix is an endurance roadie that isn't willing to trade comfort for boring or sluggish ride quality.

Trek Domane SL 7

The third generation of the Trek Domane carries the dual front and rear IsoSpeed technology. The top-end SLR models borrow the Madone's top tube mounted adjustable pivot, while the rest retain the standard inbuilt flex point. Trek say the new Domane is more aero than its predecessor, with Trek claiming it's a full minute per hour faster than the previous version - although at what power output, we cannot be sure.

Trek has fully committed the Domane to disc brakes and the result is that it can accept up to 38mm tyres, or 35mm with a fender. At the front, there is a nifty cable guide mounted under the stem; it's not quite as clean as the internally routed options, but not having to run cables and housing through handlebars and stem make maintenance and changes to bike fit considerably easier.

The Domane also features a clever down tube storage box that allows for tools and a spare tube to be stored in the frame inside a plush tool roll. The full Ultegra SL6 version pictured is built around Trek's H2 Endurance Fit, however, if you spring for the Project One SLR, the slightly more aggressive H1.5 is available. Trek has also ditched the gender-specific geometries, with the only difference between the gendered bikes being the touchpoints and paint jobs.

BMC Roadmachine 01 Four

At first glance, the BMC Roadmachine looks identical to the Teammachine racer, but closer inspection reveals a higher stack, shorter reach, softer ride and room for fat tyres. Even with the more relaxed geometry the Roadmachine still retains much of is racier cousin's efficiency and snap when pressure is applied to the pedals, but with slightly more forgiving steering characteristics.

The frame is made using the TCC (Tuned Compliance Concept) Endurance lay-up, which BMC says is designed to take the edge off rough roads. BMC has also employed what it calls Angle Compliance technology, which is marketing-speak for flex built into the fork, seat stays and seat post. The Roadmachine is where BMC first employed its integrated cockpit design, so it's no surprise to see it here and we love the addition of mounts for a top tube food/storage box so your pre-knock Haribo can be at hand at all times.

There is enough room in the frame for 33mm tyres so even though 'road' is in the name, nothing is stopping you from taking the Roadmachine past where the pavement ends. At the front, the new asymmetric fork is said to be ten per cent stiffer, while the back features the brand's dropped seat stays. The trouble, however, is the BMC sized price tag.

Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0

Since it was introduced in 2009, Giant's Defy has consistently been the brand's top-selling bike — it was also the first road bike to be offered exclusively in disc brakes. With only minor refinements to the geometry over the years, every other aspect of the bike has been improved from the D-Fuse seat post and handlebar to the oversized and tapered OverDrive 2 steerer tube.

The Defy Advanced sees an updated rear end with a slight curve in the seat stays to promote deflection. To balance out the plush rear end, Giant has adapted the D-Fuse technology for the front of the bike. The tops are now D-shaped like the seat post and Giant says the amount of flex can be customised by rotating the bar in the stem.

With these comfort features the remainder of the front triangle is robust with Giant employing its beefy Megadrive down tube and PowerCore BB shell, similar to what's seen on its race bikes. For a period in time, the Defy was the lightest frameset in Giant's range, but now made from the brand's second-tier carbon, it has gained a bit of weight.

Bianchi Infinito CV

While Bianchi's Infinito CV offers a more relaxed and upright riding position, it's anything but boring. The handling is sharp, but the bike is a tad more reluctant to change line than the racy Oltre XR4 or Specialissima climbing bike.

Bianchi has borrowed a good bit of the geometry from its racing bikes, but added ~20mm of stack and subtracted ~10mm from the reach (depending on the size), shifting a bit of weight away from the front wheel, but maintaining the steep angles.

Bianchi has also borrowed a bit of the aero tubing from the Oltre, and the frame gets the Brand's Countervail carbon, which uses a viscoelastic resin to insulate your body from road noise - aka vibrations. We'd argue the effect is a bit less noticeable on an endurance platform because, by design, there is more comfort built into the frame.

Even with the frame designed with more comfort in mind, it's not flexy. With beefy tube shapes and a large bottom bracket shell, there is no power lost out of the saddle or climbing. Specced with a Shimano Ultegra groupset, Bianchi has also opted for 160mm rotors meaning there is oodles of braking power accessible with a single finger.

Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105

Cannondale's Synapse was made stiffer last year, with engineers honing in on the head tube and bottom bracket. It's disc-specific with thru-axles, has improved cable routing, more tyre clearance and a geometry that offers more uniform ride characteristics across the range.

In previous years the Synapse had been a touch flexy under power, but Cannondale has nipped that in the bud and the brand tells us the new frame has the same head tube stiffness as the SuperSix EVO. It has a slightly longer and lower position than the Roubaix or Domane, and thus, its handling characteristics are a bit more aggressive. To keep things comfortable, Cannondale has built the bike with its SAVE micro-suspension, which is just a fancy way of saying that the flex points are built into the rear triangle, seat post, and fork.

Even with a Shimano 105 spec, the Synapse comes with Cannondale's lightweight HollowGram SL crankset and is the first model to come exclusively with disc brakes. The frame will take up to a 32mm tyre and there are even hidden fender mounts on the rear seat stays.

How carbon road bikes are made

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There are vast differences in the quality of carbon road bikes and components, and this ultimately comes down to the layup. Most carbon road bikes are made using pre-preg carbon fibre sheets; basically, the fabric is pumped full of uncured resin and shipped on massive rolls which are cut into the individual pieces that will be moulded into a bike.

Many brands use the same manufacturing facilities in Asia to produce all but their most premium bikes, and while certain details and processes may vary from brand to brand, the main bullet points of creating a carbon road bike frame are the same.

Sheets of pre-preg carbon fibre are hand laid into or around a mould and placed into a heated press, which is assisted by air bladders. Solid forms compact the layers of carbon together; spreading the resin through the frame, removing gaps and voids, and squishing out the excess. Then the frame is put into what equates to a giant pottery kiln where the resin is cured, and then the frames are sanded and painted.

The layup of a carbon road bike is essentially a really difficult 3D jigsaw puzzle with upwards of 400 individual pieces and the order in which they are put together will ultimately define the ride characteristics. Depending on the orientation of the fibres, using the same mass and modulus of carbon can yield a rigid structure or one that is noodly and flexible.

Woven vs Unidirectional

There are two main types of carbon, woven and unidirectional.

As you can probably guess, woven carbon sees the fibres knitted into a fabric, crisscrossing each other, allowing the material to be stiff in more than one plane. Woven carbon is used in areas where there are lots of different directional forces coming through the frame like the head tube and the bottom bracket and also around holes that have been drilled into the frame, like cable ports and bottle cage mounts.

On the other hand, with unidirectional carbon, all the fibres run parallel. This is what's used throughout the majority of the frame because sheets of unidirectional carbon can be laid on top of one another to combat specific directional forces.

The modulus refers to the stiffness of the individual fibres. Higher modulus carbon is accomplished by refining each fibre to make it smoother and thinner allowing for higher tensile strength. While high modulus carbon is stiff, it's also brittle, and a bike made of exclusively high modulus carbon would likely break on the first impact, whether that be from road debris or a crash. Lower modulus carbon isn’t as stiff, but it is also less delicate.

No matter the frame, it will be made from a mix of different modulus carbon, strategically placed throughout for the best possible performance and strength.

A french term meaning single shell, a monocoque is a structural system where loads are supported through an object's external skin, like an egg — or a bicycle.

When the term is applied to bicycles, it's a fancy way of saying the entire frame is moulded in one piece. True monocoque frames are becoming increasingly rare, and in most cases, the front and rear triangles are manufactured in two separate pieces and then bonded together. When you see a brand using a term like semi-monocoque or modular monocoque, this is how the frame is made.

What to look for in a carbon road bike

Our general advice when looking to buy a road bike is to spend as much as you can on the frame and worry less about the components bolted onto it. It's easy to upgrade wheels, handlebars and groupsets, but you're stuck with the frame.

We've split our favourite carbon road bikes into two categories, race bikes and endurance bikes. While you’ll likely see a crossover in terms of technology and features, these bikes are designed to do separate things, and the geometry will vary to help in achieving these goals.

Race bikes are designed to go fast, which can sometimes come at the expense of things like comfort. A race bike's geometry will have steep angles for fast steering and facilitate a long reach and low stack to achieve an aerodynamic position. To get the most out of a race bike, you need to be pretty flexible.

Endurance bikes feature a more upright geometry, slacker angles and plenty of built-in comfort technology. As things have progressed, quite a lot of new technology gets its start on endurance bikes before it's then adapted onto a brand's race bikes. You’ll often see pro teams don endurance bikes for the cobbled classics, not only for the additional comfort but for the slower handling that makes maintaining control through the bumpy and slippery cobbled sections slightly less herculean.

A lot of these bikes will feature aerodynamic cues, but if you're looking for out and out speed, our guide to the best aero road bikes will provide the fastest, most aerodynamic bikes available.

Disc brakes have been utilised for years in just about every other cycling discipline other than road bikes because of their superior performance in all conditions and the additional tyre clearance they allow. The brakes and rotors themselves may weigh a bit more than calipers, but they also allow for light rims because there is no brake track needed.

Most road bikes are available in both rim and disc varieties, but unless you've got a stable of the very best road wheels in your garage, we'd recommend seriously considering discs brakes. With this, most disc-equipped road bikes have swapped to 12mm thru-axles, not only for a more secure wheel to frame connection, but the end to end lateral stiffness is vastly improved.

Integrated cockpit

With most bike brands now having an in-house or partner components brand, quite a few high-end bikes come with one-piece bar and stem combos. They have a definite cool factor while allowing for cables to be fully hidden from the wind which makes them aero and they are a bit lighter than their standard bar and stem.

But changing cables can be an absolute nightmare, and even with brands offering plenty of handlebar widths and stem lengths, if you can't find the numbers that match your specific fit needs or a bar shape you like, you are out of luck.

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Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, Colin has written tech content for cycling publication for a decade. With hundreds of buyer's guides, reviews and how-tos published in Bike Radar, Cyclingnews, Bike Perfect and Cycling Weekly, as well as in numerous publications dedicated to his other passion, skiing.

Colin was a key contributor to Cyclingnews between 2019 and 2021, during which time he helped build the site's tech coverage from the ground up. Nowadays he works full-time as the news and content editor of Flow MTB magazine.

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Trek 2100 Road Bike

Frame Material: aluminum, carbon seat stays Frame Angles: 73.8 head, 73.5 seat Sizes: 50cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, 60cm, 63cm Colors: Blue Fork: Bontrager Race Carbon Rear Shock: Not applicable Brake Levers: Shimano 105 STI Dual Control Handlebar: Bontrager Race Lite Stem: Bontrager Race Lite Headset: 1 1/8" threadless Cane Creek Front Der: Shimano Tiagra Crankset: Bontrager Race, 30/42/52 teeth Rear Der: Shimano Ultegra GS Pedals: Shimano PD-M520 SPD Tires: 700 x 25c Bontrager Select

USER REVIEWS

Bought this very model new in 2005 as a new road biker. The bike shop owner (whom I knew) told me it was one of the best bikes for the money that Trek had ever produced. He was a competitive rider and was riding the same bike which said something. Seventeen years later this is still my bike albeit with multiple upgrades and replacements on the components over the years. Still terrific and I won't get another until it gives out, if it ever does. Strengths: In particular, one of the best frames Trek has ever produced.

Stock wheels weren't that great. Hard to keep true. Those were the first things I replaced.

Responsive and effective brakes. I was needing a reliable and dependable daily urban commuter and so far I am not disappointed whatsoever. Highly pleased with this bike. Make sure you wash and lube the chain, gearset, derailleur, as these bikes are older. Acoustic Ceiling Removal

Front fork could be a little more robust. Tires puncture easily by thorns.

Great bike. Mine is primarily aluminum frame with carbon seat stays and fork to help smooth out road vibrations. My bike has a triple chain ring on front to get up the mountains - combined with 105 derailleurs and Ultegra shifters. I've done several triathlons and century rides on this bike. Been a pleasure to own.

None that I have noticed.

ZR9000 Frame Carbon forks and seat stays 105 group

Bontrager Race Wheels Bontrager Crank (truvative gxp actually)

Stock the bike came with 105 group except the Bonty standard double crank. I bought it used for a very good price. It was in excellent condition. I've spent $400 upgrading it and find it a great riding bike, though I have limited experience. I feel like I lucked into a real sweet bike. If you have a chance to pick up a Trek 2100 used for under $700 I'd say go for it. You won't be sorry.

good all around ride as far as I can tell

dunno of any

Nice smoothe ride. I am a reacreational rider and do not know too much about bikes or components. I knew what I was willing to spend, and went to a bike shop, test rode 5 or 6 models. The 2100 felt the best, so I bought it, and have been happy with it. Although I don't know much about bikes, I am athletic, former college b-ball player, and push it pretty hard. The 2100 responds to my demands- I won a small, local sprint triathlon with it, setting a course record (albeit the field was not too fast, I'm sure a dedicated triathlete would kick my butt).

ZR9000 Frame Carbon forks and Carbon Mainstays Ultegra 6500 Group set Specialized Avatar racing seat

I first owned a Cannondale Cadd3 frame with Sora Group and a Tiagra rear Derailluer as my first true road bike. I had my eye on a Trek 2100 for a while. I called around for this paticular Bike in 63CM. The Trek Store owner told me he had one and that becuase of its large size no one wanted to buy it so he sold it to me for $1200.00. It retailed for $1699.00 brand new so I new it was a bargain. The ZR9000 alluminum frame is exceptionally light. The carbon forks and the carbon mainstays pick up a lot of vibration from the road and give a nice smooth ride. With the extra money I saved I replaced everything with Ultegra group 6500 lock stock and barrel. I got rid of the triple crankset what an eye sore. I replaced the seat with a Specialized Avatar Gel racing seat feels much better. The Bike rides beautifully. The gearing changes with precise accuracy and precision. There is no chain rub or any creaking coming from the bottom bracket. The Ultegra crankset is as stiff as I have ever felt on a crank. Im 6'3" and way 240lbs and I can put some hurtin on cranksets and so far the Ultegra crankset is worth its weight in gold. Im very happy with this Bike. I would recommend this bike to a friend. Ebay is the place to order 9speed parts and for a good price. If your looking for an entry level racing bike look no further. If you can purchase this bike used and in really good shape under $800.00 I would not pass it up. Ride like the wind and have fun!

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Review: Trek Fetch+ 2

Side view of black and grey bike with slender rack over the rear tire. Image on a grey and white marble background.

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One of the things that can be intimidating about buying a cargo ebike is how unfamiliar they feel. Whether a bike is designed with weird geometry and wheel sizes or odd features for heavy hauling, every ride can feel unfamiliar.

For traditional cyclists who want to haul a grocery store trip’s worth of groceries home but don’t want to mess with technology they’re unfamiliar with, the Trek Fetch+ 2 is a decent option. It’s more expensive than some of our favorite alternatives, but it has an easy-to-ride step-through design, well-made components, and great plastic buckets (and other accessories) for storage.

There are bikes with more advanced features for the money, but even after I spent a summer riding the Fetch+ 2, it barely needed a tune-up. For a modern cargo ebike with a classic cargo bike maintenance schedule, it might be worth spending a bit more cash.

On the Road

The Fetch+ 2 is the smaller of Trek’s two latest cargo ebikes, which includes the box-fronted Fetch+ 4 ($8,500) , which is more oriented toward toting around dogs and children in between groceries and beer.

The Fetch+ 2 instead is a more traditional step-through cargo bike that employs a myriad of attachments, most notably two plastic panniers that hang off an extended rack on the rear. You can get a padded seat cover for the rear to let friends hold on and ride, or mount a couple kids’ seats behind you, but I’d still probably use this bike more for errands than transporting little ones.

Side view of black and silver bike with 2 containers attached near the rear wheel and 2 containers attached near the...

As an objet d’art , the bike is simple and unassuming, which is ideal for a bike this expensive. The battery is integrated into the frame, but a sizable bulge means nobody will fail to notice it's an ebike. You can get it in three colors. I liked the black of our review unit, but the bright blue would probably be my choice if I was buying one.

While much of the bike will be familiar to anyone who has ever seen or contemplated a cargo bike, Trek really gets the geometry and style of this bike correct as far as making it very usable for many tasks. Even the dual-sided kickstand pops up and down with remarkable ease (shockingly rare on other large ebikes I've used). I particularly enjoyed using the rear panniers for hauling flats of berries and other easily squished items that tend to rattle around in softer panniers.

The panniers fit a ton of stuff; I was able to get four full-size grocery bags spread between the two black plastic totes. I like that they had little plugs in the bottom that you could feasibly use a plastic bag to cover and then fill them with ice and drinks.

I spent a couple months using the Fetch+ 2 as my primary bike, and came away much more impressed than anticipated, given the specs and the price.

On paper, this is an expensive ebike to have pretty standard mid-drive cargo bike specs. The 85 Nm Bosch motor and 500-wH battery are good for 20-plus miles a day loaded down in any city, but they’re not better than models like the larger Xtracycle Stoker, which has the same torque and a 630-wH battery for $4,999. The Trek also doesn’t have a carbon belt drive and variable transmission, which we consider the best (and easiest to maintain) shifting mechanism for cargo bikes.

The more traditional chain-and-gears drivetrain and no suspension make this a less comfortable and more difficult-to-maintain bike than favorites like the Tern GSD ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ), which costs about the same. I have to say, I was expecting the difference in riding experience to be more severe. The fatter-than-usual 20 x 2.35-inch tires of the Trek absorbed potholes better than other suspensionless bikes. It also stopped just as well as its competitors, thanks to hydraulic disc brakes.

Mid-drive cargo bikes are much better than their rear-hub counterparts, especially when toting larger items or smaller humans, because they allow you to get more torque to the wheels, and provide a more traditional riding experience. I never found myself lacking for power, though I did crunch through the gears a bit when starting on a hill.

The Fetch+ 2 rides really well, with a solid frame and no creaks or sketchiness of any kind (as picked up from my local Trek dealer, another plus of ordering from the brand), and I really liked how bright the built-in lights were when riding home from soccer games and band practices at night. The fat wheels were easy to turn, giving this a turning radius similar to a non-extended ebike when I was making U-turns in the city. It also has a built-in phone mount with a wireless charger, which makes it really nice for using a map app to cruise to unfamiliar places.

Side view of grey and black bike with small rack over the rear tire

It’s not a fun bike to ride in the traditional sense; it’s not the fastest or the most comfortable, but it is satisfyingly robust and confidence-inducing. In my months of riding, I never had a single issue with the bike. That’s unusual given the state of some of the roads I often took the Fetch+ 2 on the side of, and a testament to Trek's great build quality.

If I was a longtime Trek owner and interested in getting into cargo ebikes, I’d certainly give this line a look, with the understanding that I might find something I like better from Tern, Xtracycle, or another brand for the same price—or something from Rad Power Bikes or another more affordable direct-to-consumer manufacturer for less. It’s a well-made bike that does what it claims to do, but it’s on the spendy side.

It is a bit hard to come by, at least in bike shops around my hometown of Portland, Oregon. If you’re interested in this one for your treks around town, I’d make sure to call ahead for a test ride. If you want a familiar-feeling bike with all the frills of electrification, it’s worth a spin.

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COMMENTS

Carbon road bikes
Our carbon road bikes are backed by decades of research, the greatest R&D team in the field, and the finest production and manufacturing facility in the industry. Each carbon bike is engineered with our proprietary OCLV carbon to be the fastest, lightest, stiffest, and most responsive ride on the road. 72 Results.
Carbon mountain bikes
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OCLV Carbon
OCLV Carbon is Trek's patented carbon fiber process, the result of more than 25 years of experience building the world's finest carbon fiber bicycles in Waterloo, Wisconsin, USA. Experience matters, especially when working with a material that holds seemingly endless possibilities but presents such unique challenges as carbon fiber. To ...
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Domane Gen 3 is engineered with both front and rear IsoSpeed comfort tech for taking on long miles and rough roads. • More affordable price point. • Both front and rear IsoSpeed. • SLR uses lightweight 700 Series OCLV Carbon. • SL uses 500 Series OCLV Carbon. • Kammtail aero shapes. • Clean cable routing.
Domane SLR lightweight carbon endurance road bikes
Domane SLR. Fast as hell and smooth as butter, our top-of-the-line Domane SLR provides lightweight road riding speed without sacrificing comfort and versatility so you can take on everything from pavement to light gravel with ease. Designed with road-smoothing IsoSpeed, our best and lightest 800 Series OCLV Carbon, advanced Kammtail shaping ...
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Domane SL 6 Gen 4. 26 Reviews / Write a Review. $4,699.99. Model 5274908. Retailer prices may vary. Domane SL 6 is an endurance road bike that's light, aerodynamic, and built to take on rough roads and long miles in comfort. It has all the road-smoothing advantages of a lightweight 500 Series OCLV Carbon frame with rear IsoSpeed, a wireless ...
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Frame Material: carbon fiber composite Frame Angles: 73.8 head, 73.5 seat Sizes: 50cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, 60cm, 62cm Colors: Blue/Pearl/Carbon, Carbon ... I bought a Trek 5200 OCLV used as a form of exercise but started to ride as a commuter (26 miles per day). At the time, I weighed 240lbs and would carry a backpack with clothes. ...
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Trek has a history of innovating in the world of bicycle manufacture, with a particular emphasis on pioneering new materials. Bonded aluminium and carbon construction was lifted from the aerospace ...
Trek's Carbon Story
The carbon bike production process at Trek's Waterloo headquarters has changed over the years, from gluing preformed carbon tubes into aluminum lugs in 1988, to a ground-up process that combines multiple molds with multiple carbon materials to create a masterfully engineered end product. Yet despite the aerospace technology, the bikes are ...
Trek Procaliber 9.7 Review
The Takeaway: The Procaliber 9.7 is one of the best hardtail mountain bikes you can buy for less than four grand. OCLV Carbon frame. Tubeless-ready carbon wheels. Incredibly light. Price: $3,780 ...
Trek Superfly 29er Hardtail user reviews : 4.4 out of 5
I purchased a $4,700.00 Trek Superfly Elite (carbon frame), when after a few rides the frame cracked (as did many others). Trek (the company) replaced my ELITE with an entry level DELUXE. After the LBS received the frame, I knew right away this was an inferior cheaper frame.
Trek Stache 9.7 Review
The Trek Stache 9.7 is a fast, light, and unforgiving carbon fiber hardtail. The Stache is a perfect example of a bike that performs extremely well on a narrow range of terrain. Three professional mountain bike testers rode this hardtail for six weeks to determine its key ride characteristics and important subtleties.
Trek Domane 4.3 review
Trek Domane 4.3 review - BikeRadar
Trek Fuel EX 2023 Review
An overview of the Trek Fuel EX 2023. For 2023, the Trek Fuel EX is built around an entirely new frame that's produced in carbon and alloy variants. Suspension travel has increased by 10mm at both ends, with the new Fuel EX now sporting a 150mm fork and 140mm of rear travel via the ABP four-bar suspension design.
Review: Trek Domane 4.5
Trek Domane 4.5 - A High-End Frame and Smart Build Kit. The Domane was developed with considerable input from Swiss pro cyclist Fabian Cancellara, who is known for his steam-engine riding style, using his massive power output to crush cobblestones in the fabled Spring Classics.He is said to enjoy the bike so much that he rides it year-round, even in the Tour de France, choosing it over Trek ...
Best carbon road bikes: Our pick of the best racing and ...
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Trek 2100 Road Bike user reviews : 4 out of 5
The Trek 2100 or ZR2100 or 9000 …whatever you wish to call it suited immediate needs to get back into the 19 - 21 mph averages in a two or three hours work out here in New England. The bike must've been sitting at the local bike store for some time; the carbon fiber seat post was replaced by aluminum Bontrager and there were no pedals.
Trek Carbon Fiber Bikes for sale
New Listing Vintage 58cm Trek 5500 OCLV Nude Carbon Fiber Road Bike Bicycle 700c. $799.99. or Best Offer. $109.28 shipping.
Trek Finds Carbon Frames Produce Nearly 3 Times the CO2 of ...
Trek's entry-level hardtail the Marlin was found to have average carbon emissions of 116 kg C02e, with the largest source being the frame assembly at 17%, whereas the Fuel EX has average carbon ...
Trek Fetch+ 2 Review: A Solid, Though Expensive, Cargo Ebike
The Trek also doesn't have a carbon belt drive and variable transmission, which we consider the best (and easiest to maintain) shifting mechanism for cargo bikes. Trek Fetch+ 2.
Moscow City Tour
Moscow (Russian: Москва, Moskva), is the capital and most populous city of Russia. Situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of Western Ru...
2001 Starfleet Legends, Star Trek, Miniature
2001 Hallmark Star Trek OrnamentQXM5325. Featuring: 3 legendary miniature star trek ships (Enterprise E, Voyager, and Defiant) that connect with the 2001 Deep Space 9 Space Station Hallmark Ornament (not included) Defiant (1 1/2" long), Enterprise (1 3/4" long), & Voyager (1 1/2" long) Artist: Lynn Norton.
Khoroshyovsky District (Moscow) Essential Tips and Information
Khoroshyovsky District is an administrative district of Northern Administrative Okrug, and one of the 125 raions of Moscow, Russia.It is 6 kilometers northwest of the Moscow city center. Central to the district is Khodynka Field, which, as an open space in the northwest of Moscow was long the site of agriculture, battles, celebrations and the first airfield in Russia.
Driving in Moscow at Night 4K with Music
Lets have some fun and enjoy a beautiful night in Moscow! One of the most beautiful cities in the world. Roads are not so busy so we can enjoy this summer ni...

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Trek Fuel EX 2023 Review | A bigger, musclier & hugely adaptable trail bike

Wil reviews the Trek Fuel EX 2023

An overview of the Trek Fuel EX 2023

Trek Fuel EX price & specs

2023 Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XX1 AXS

Trek Fuel EX size & geometry

Suspension & tyre setup

Trek Fuel EX weight

What do we dig about the Trek Fuel EX 2023?

It rips through the turns

Trail-tweakable

What does it struggle with?

It’s not as supple as Fuel EX models gone by

Component highs & lows

Trek Fuel EX vs Specialized Stumpjumper

Flow’s Verdict

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Review: Trek Domane 4.5 – A High-End Frame and Smart Build Kit

Trek Domane 4.5 – A High-End Frame and Smart Build Kit

A High-Performance Machine

Trek’s DuoTap Hidden Speed

Domane: Initial Acceleration is Direct and Instant

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Trek Finds Carbon Frames Produce Nearly 3 Times the CO2 of Alloy in its First Sustainability Report

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