trek slash 2016 geometry

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Trek Slash 8 27.5

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Colour / Dnister Black

Size / 15.5, 17.5, 18.5, 19.5, 21.5"

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminum, ABP, Full Floater, EVO link, E2 tapered head tube, Mino Link, internal derailleur & dropper post routing, down tube guard, PF89.5, ISCG 05, 160mm travel
• Wheels Bontrager Duster Elite Tubeless Ready, TLR strips, 15mm front, 142x12 rear
• Wheel Size 27.5"
• Tires Bontrager XR4 Expert, Tubeless Ready, aramid bead, 27.5x2.35"
• Crank SRAM GX 1000, 32T X-Sync
• Rear Derailleur SRAM GX1, Type 2
• Shifters SRAM GX1, 11 speed
• Brakeset Shimano SLX hydraulic disc
• Handlebar Bontrager Rhythm Elite, 31.8mm, 15mm rise
• Saddle Bontrager Evoke 2, chromoly rails
• Seatpost KS eThirty Integra, remote lever, 2-bolt head, 31.6mm, zero offset, internal routing
• Stem Bontrager Rhythm Comp, 31.8mm, 0 degree
• Headset FSA IS-2 carbon, E2, sealed alloy cartridge

Q: What size wheels does the 2016 Trek Slash 8 27.5 have?

The 2016 Trek Slash 8 27.5 has 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2016 Trek Slash 8 27.5 should I get?

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• Rider Notes

2016 Trek Slash 8 27.5

A 27.5″ aluminum frame full suspension enduro bike with high-end components. Compare the full range

For This Bike

View more similar bikes →

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Slash 8 27.5

Similar Bikes

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Add custom gearing

5'0" – 5'7"

5'5" – 5'11"

5'9" – 6'3"

6'1" – 6'6"

🐐 Estimated

Do you have this bike? Help other riders make a decision about which size will work for them by sharing your own size and fit notes. Report your fit

No, this isn’t silly, it’s amazing! And especially available from the big manufacturers, it simply says that riders are pushing the boundaries of mountain biking and the technologies involved have made them a reality. Watch the video here. Take 160mm of travel and jam in a bike with 29″ wheels, and you’ll end up with a …

Read Review

Trek Slash 29er carbon long term review on one of the best 29er on the mountain bike market. The 9.9 RSL edition is the top of the line Slash.

Apr 2017 · Alan Muldoon

The new Trek Slash 29 sounds rock and roll and looks stunning, but does it go like a bat out of hell? When it’s time to go fast it gets the job done.

Great sizing and geometry.

Class-leading Fox suspension.

Takes Plus-size wheels.

Looks drop-dead gorgeous.

Could easily accommodate a 150mm dropper.

Stem lengths need to be shorter.

Bontrager SE4 tyres are fast rolling with good puncture resistance, but the level of grip doesn’t match the aggressive attitude of the Slash.

Jul 2016 · Sjones

Flagship enduro bike gets 29" wheels

Jul 2016 · Philippe Tremblay

Redesigned to meet the needs of top level racers

Dec 2015 · Trev Worsey

We head to the Scottish Highlands to test the Trek Slash 9 to it's limits.

Aug 2015 · McCoy

Long story short, this bike rips

Jun 2015 · Bicycling Staff

A carbon-frame, 27.5 enduro rig with 160mm of shockingly versatile suspension

Last updated June 29 Not listed for 2,495 days

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

Carve Up the Trails with Trek’s Long Travel and Lively Slash 8

This 150/160mm aluminum 29er features trail handling and enduro travel.

The Takeaway: With less-aggressive geometry than many of its competitors, the Slash is a big-travel bike for trail riders

• Trek's proprietary shock offers superb rear-suspension performance.
• Shorter reach and wheelbase than many enduro 29ers
• Great parts featuring SRAM Eagle with 10-50 cassette

Price : $3,679

Trek built the Slash to be the mountain bike for the rider who wants a bigger bike but isn’t afraid of a long climb, or an epic day of trail riding.

An efficient climber, especially with SRAM’s GX Eagle drivetrain, allows you to lay the power down all day. It’s for big mountain days, crushing rock filled descents and popping off the lips of jumps all while climbing back to the top with a smile on your face. Even when the trail is flatter, the Slash is still efficient on the pedals. In the flowy sections of trail, the Slash begs to carve corners and play on trailside features.

.css-1hhr1pq{text-align:center;font-size:1.1875rem;line-height:1.6;font-family:Charter,Charter-roboto,Charter-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;}.css-1hhr1pq em{font-style:italic;font-family:Charter,Charter-styleitalic-roboto,Charter-styleitalic-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;}.css-1hhr1pq strong{font-family:Charter,Charter-weightbold-roboto,Charter-weightbold-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;font-weight:bold;} —The Slash's Five Coolest Features—

Frame Saver

Trek's Knock Block system prevents the bar and fork from spinning around and damaging the frame.

Smooth Shock

Trek's regressive Reaktiv thru-shaft damper is extremely supple.

Up and Down

The reversible Mino Link lets the rider fine tune the Slash's geometry.

Razzle Dazzle

The harlequin stickers appear to change color.

Handy Guides

Sag markings on the fork and shock make setting up the suspension easier.

The Slash 8 is the base model, so it didn’t have the corner exit snap of a lighter bike, but that was more from the wheels than the frame. You can feel that it begs to be sprinted out of each corner. The RE:aktiv with Thru Shaft works faster than a normal so a little bit of setup time is required to get the balance right. One that suspension gets settled, turning the Slash loose in the rough becomes easy. It strikes a natural balance between precision and forgivness in the rough, falling naturally towards the precision side, with its efficiency, but will pull you through if you go full reckless.

The Slash Aluminum Family

The Slash 8 is the only aluminum model in the lineup, and the cheapest at $3,680. The 9.7, 9.8, and 9.9 are all made of carbon, and are priced from $4,730 to $7,500. The Slash 9.7 moves to the carbon frame, but goes to NX Eagle for the shifting. The Slash 9.8 runs the SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, but moves to a Fox Performance 36 Float fork and Bontrager Line Carbon 30 to the wheelset. The top of the line Slash 9.9 features the same carbon hoops, Fox Factory 36 Float with GRIP2, X01 Eagle drivetrain, and Shimano Deore XT 4-piston brakes.

The Slash's Tech

Like many full suspension bikes, the Slash 8 has adjustable geometry to help riders fine-tune a bike's geometry to their preferences. The Mino Link allows for head angle adjustments of ½ degree and 10mm of bottom bracket height. I tried both settings before settling on the low: the Slash behaved and climbed well enough that I couldn’t justify keeping the bike in the high setting.

One thing the aluminum Slash has that its more expensive carbon siblings don't is an 18.5" size between the 17.5" and 19.5". This gives medium-height riders the option to size up for a bit more reach and a longer wheelbase, or size down for a more compact, quicker-handling bike.

Modern bikes are always pushing longer, lower and slacker. The Slash is a bit long in the tooth these days, and so the geometry looks conservative today, even though it wasn't when it launched. The Mino Link allows for head angle adjustment from 65.1 to 65.6 degrees. With a 51mm offset and 160mm fork, the front end is a little quicker than many of its competitors. The reach for the 17.5 and the 18.5 are 431mm and 446mm respectively, which, for a 29er enduro bike, is on the short side of current trends.

The Trek's product manager didn't cut any corners on the rear suspension, equipping the Slash 8 with a RockShox Deluxe RT3, RE:aktiv with Thru Shaft. The RockShox Yari RC on the front brings value-minded performance with just compression and rebound adjustment.

The SRAM GX Eagle is proven to be a reliable performer. Trek brings everything else in house with their Bontranger brand with including the dropper post. One piece to keep in mind, is the “Knock Block” headset, with restricts the fork from turning too far, or spinning backward and hitting the frame, similar to how a downhill fork with bump stops functions.

The Competition

Ride Impressions

Trek’s Slash 8 is built to be a mountain bike. This sounds obvious, but it’s well rounded enough to handle everything well, but leans towards the aggressive trail and enduro end of the spectrum, but is comfortable on normal trail riding.

The Slash's handling was intuitive, and I was able to jump right into riding my favorite trails with no adjustment period.

The Slash is efficient, although I did find myself reaching for the little blue cheater lever for climbing on occasion. Climbing steep sections, the front end did occasionally wander. That's not surprising for a 150/160mm 29er, and the Slash is easier to manage on slow and steep climbs than many of its competitors, partially because of its more-conservative geometry.

Still, I had no problem getting rowdy on the Slash 8. It was ready to carve and pop off lips on the flow trails and was one of the easiest bikes I’ve been on to pull out a big whip over a hip. That efficiency combined with the lively feel of the RE:aktiv shock take away from the planted feeling out of many bikes with this amount of travel, but the Slash 8 never feels unsettled. When the rider drops their heels and sinks into attack mode, it will just eat up anything you put in its way. It does a great job balancing the fine line between precision and forgiveness when pinning it though the most technical sections.

With smooth suspension, great parts, and balanced handling, the Slash is more trail bike than enduro race bike. So if you prefer a trail bike with more travel, the Slash 8 is a great bike.

equipment Slash 8

.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 Bikes Slash 9.8 2016

Reviews / Enduro Bikes

• Enduro Bikes

At A Glance

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Six years ago Trek developed this suspension design, it was hugely successful and they’ve stuck with it. The Slash 9.8 is a very well thought out and brilliantly executed application of this platform aimed at the enduro rider looking for a highly capable 27.5 wheeled machine.

The design criteria for this discipline of mountain biking is a minefield for the manufacturer. They must create a bike capable of withstanding high speeds and brutal punishment on the downhills, but to be light and agile enough to tackle any demanding ascent you’d encounter on your all-mountain epic.

Trek have accomplished this well. The near fully carbon frame on the Slash (bar the chainstays and their ‘Evo’ rocker link) is light, stiff, and confidence-inspiring. This platform makes for a solid descent, with support in the corners not unlike a bigger, more downhill orientated bike. Point the Slash upwards, and it turns into an agile and efficient climbing machine.

Trek Slash 9.8 2016

The frame is nothing without the tried-and-tested suspension combo from Rock Shox. Pikes take care of damping duties upfront while the exceptional Monarch Plus RC3 handles the rear. Normally Trek use a custom Fox DRCV RE:aktiv shock. Although the DRCV is good, it doesn’t quite have the progressive nature to cater for the Slash’s downhill aspirations.

The Monarch Plus manages this with its piggyback cartridge and a much bigger volume. Three compression settings ensure the bike is supple and grippy in all conditions. Coupled with Trek’s Full Floater Linkage, the suspension feels bottomless, while still being supportive. Small bumps are soaked up effortlessly and the bike keeps its poise ready for the bigger hits.

The SRAM 11 Speed X1 Drivetrain needs no introduction. It worked faultlessly throughout testing with no adjustment whatsoever. It handles steep uphill gear changes with ease, and there wasn’t even a hint of dropping a chain, even on the roughest downhills. If it were mine, I would add a small top guide for belt-and-braces security, but that’s probably over the top - the narrow/wide chainring and mech work perfectly together.

Bontrager Maverick Pro TLR rims are shod with their meaty XR4 tyres. Being of the new 35mm breed of rim, these offer fantastic support and amazing stiffness. These wheels make an already quick bike accelerate like nothing else.

SRAM takes a break when it comes to stopping duties, bowing out to the legendary Shimano XTs. With a 203mm rotor up front, it’s clear what Trek want you to be doing on this. The brakes worked perfectly throughout testing without any fade on long descents.

The dual position Pikes and Monarch Plus shock lend themselves to the riding that the Slash was made for. Fully open and fully extended, the suspension platform allows for fast descents over truly rough terrain. Even when you start testing it, the bike is as steady as a rock and doesn’t let you down. Dropping the forks down to 130mm, and ramping up the Monarch’s compression setting creates a solid and very efficient pedalling platform for the grind back up.

On The Trail

Straight out of the box, Trek’s intentions are clear with this model. The 65.5 head angle is very slack for a do-it-all bike. That being said, it’s no slouch on the uphills, and even after a long day in the saddle, ascending is never a chore on the Slash.

On the downhills is where it really shines though. The phenomenal grip generated by the big high-volume tyres, wide rims, beautifully plush suspension, and solid frame allows you to push the Slash 9.8 further than you’d think. This bike is knocking on the doors of matching downhill rig capabilities, you can truly point and shoot it wherever takes your fancy - it's a truly well-balanced machine! The clever ‘Mino’ link system allows an even slacker option of bang on 65 degrees. 65 degrees is a bit slack for every day use, but for riders taking this on uplift days, it adds even more versatility.

Spec wise, I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything serves an important purpose and does it very well. Trek have managed the most difficult task in mountain biking with ease, and in doing so have created a truly fantastic bike.

Rear Suspension

This review was in Issue 39 of IMB.

Airdrop Bikes Edit

Vitus sommet cr, canyon bicycles spectral al 8.0 ex wmn, commencal meta am v4 ride 650b edition black, cube bikes stereo 160 c:62 race 27.5, polygon bikes collosus n9 xtr, scott bicycles genius lt 710 plus, nukeproof mega 290 pro, trek bikes remedy 9 29, trek bikes slash 9 27.5, trek bikes remedy, trek bikes slash 9.

By Will Simmons

Tried this? What did you think?

Trek Slash 8 29 in review

When Trek unveiled the new Slash 8 29, the American brand kept quiet about the fact that the geometry of the aluminium version had been updated and tweaked slightly compared to the carbon model, making the bike even more interesting for a lot of riders.

The Trek Slash 8 29 is the bike many Trek fans have been waiting for. While the carbon model has become a true classic among 29er Enduro bikes, there wasn’t an affordable aluminium version available. All that changed with the € 2,999 Slash 8 29. The best part: Trek adjusted the reach and the seat tube angle on the aluminium Slash, addressing two issues we had with the carbon version. The reach is 8 mm longer, the seat tube angle is 0.8° steeper and another frame size has been added. The Slash’s geometry is still on the more compact side of the spectrum, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Trek are known for their specially designed shock, and the Slash 8 also features a RockShox Deluxe RT3 with Thru Shaft technology. The piston rod extends through the whole shock body. That means that the damping oil doesn’t get pressurised, removing the need for an internal floating piston and resulting in a shock that can respond more sensitively, according to Trek. The remaining spec consists of proven components: the drivetrain, wheels, dropper post and cockpit suit the bike well and give no reason for complaint. The same can’t be said for the Bontrager XR4 tires and the SRAM Guide brakes. Neither do the bike justice and should ideally be replaced before you leave the shop.

The one to rule them all – the Slash is at home on every terrain!

The Trek Slash 8 29 in detail

Fork RockShox Yari R 160 mm Shock RockShox Deluxe RT3 RE:aktiv Thru Shaft 150 mm Brakes SRAM Guide R 200/180 Drivetrain SRAM GX Eagle Seatpost Bontrager Line 150 mm Stem Bontrager Line Knock Block 50 mm Handlebar Bontrager XR Elite 780 mm Wheels Bontrager Line Comp Tires Bontrager XR4 Team Issue 2.4″

The Trek Slash 8 29 in review

You’ll quickly feel at home aboard the Trek Slash 8 29 and thanks to its moderate geometry, it doesn’t take long to get used to the bike. Weighing 14.18 kg, it climbs very willingly. If you push the saddle forward, your weight will be nicely centred. The rear suspension performs sensitively without any bob and generates a lot of traction on technical climbs. However, it is worth reaching for the climb switch on fire road climbs. Going downhill, the handling is impressively versatile. It’s agile, but not nervous, composed, but not cumbersome. No matter which trail you’re on, with the Trek you’re on the right bike. The rear suspension is sensitive, yet very defined. However, if you want super plush suspension, this isn’t the bike for you. We also recommend leaving the rebound setting almost completely open.

The Slash 8 29 is happy to catch air off anything that resembles a lip and will generate a lot of speed if you pump it through compressions. However, on fast, successive hits, the RockShox Yari can’t quite keep up with the performance of the rear end. Where the Trek really shines, is with quick direction changes: the handling is very precise and requires only a little input from the rider. Change your mind at the last minute and feel like taking the high line? Easy! The weight distribution is excellent and the handling is extremely balanced.

The suspension is firm but not uncomfortable and it rewards an active riding style!

The Trek Slash 8 29 is a super versatile bike. It climbs well and will make beginners, advanced racers and bike park shredders happy on the descents. Yes, the build does have a few small flaws, but your friendly Trek dealer will surely help you out. If you’re looking for the perfect do-it-all Enduro bike, this is it, our Best Value Tip!

• super versatile handling
• suitable for every skill level
• excellent rear suspension

• tires and brakes at the limit
• Knock Block is more of a bug than a feature
• chainstay protector is too short

Riding Characteristics

Value for money, technical data.

Trek Slash 8

Size: S M ML L XL Weight: 14,18 kg Travel (f/r): 160/150 mm Wheel Size: 29" Price: € 2,999

Intended Use

For more info head to: trekbikes.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to: Pedal up, Hammer down – 8 affordable Enduro bikes go head to head

All the bikes in test: Canyon Strive CF 5.0 | FOCUS SAM 8.9 | Propain Spindrift Performance | RADON Swoop 9.0 | SCOTT Ransom 920 |  Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Comp Alloy 29 | YT Capra 29 AL Comp

This article is from ENDURO issue #039

ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine is published in a digital app format in both English and German. Download the app for iOS or Android to read all articles on your tablet or smartphone. 100% free!

This scale indicates how efficiently the bike climbs. It refers to both simple and technical climbs. Along with the suspension, the riding position and the weight of the bike all play a crucial role. ↩

How does the bike ride and descend? How spritely is the bike, how agile is it through corners, how much fun is it in tight sections and how quickly can it change direction? ↩

Is the bike stable at high speeds? Is it easy to stay in control in demanding terrain? How composed is it on rough trails? Stability is a combination of balanced geometry, good suspension and the right spec. ↩

This is all about how balanced the bike is and particularly about how well it corners. Balanced bikes require little physical effort from the rider and are very predictable. If a bike is unbalanced, the rider has to work hard to weight the front wheel to generate enough grip. However, experienced riders can have a lot of fun even with unbalanced bikes. ↩

How sensitive is the suspension over small bumps? Can it absorb hard impacts and does it soak up repeated hits? Plush suspension not only provides comfort and makes a bike more capable, but it also generates traction. The rating includes the fork and the rear suspension. ↩

This aspect mainly comes down to the suspension. How much pop does it have, does it suck up the rider’s input or is it supportive, and how agile and direct is the bike? ↩

We don’t calculate value for money in an excel spreadsheet or based on how high-end a bike is specced. We are more concerned with how a bike performs on the trail and how the bike benefits the rider. What good are the best components if the bike doesn’t perform well on the trail? Expensive bikes with a lower-end spec can offer very good value for money – provided they excel where it matters. Just as supposedly cheap bikes with good components can get a bad rating if they don’t deliver on the trail. ↩

No, it’s not about racing, it’s about efficiency. Fast, fleet-footed and efficient – those who want to speed along flowy singletrack and gravel roads need a defined and spritely bike that accelerates with ease and efficiency. Nevertheless, reliable components are important too. We interpret XC more like the Americans do: big back-country rides instead of a marathon or XC World Cup with the ultimate in lightweight construction! Uphill-downhill ratio: 80:30 (not everything has to be 100%!) ↩

...also known as mountain biking. Classic singletrack with roots, rocks and ledges – sometimes flowy, sometimes rough. For this, you need a bike with good all-round qualities, whether climbing or descending. Uphill-downhill ratio: 50:50 ↩

Even more extreme and challenging compared to Trail riding, riddled with every kind of obstacle: jumps, gaps, nasty rock gardens, ruts and roots. For this, you need (race)proven equipment that forgives mistakes and wouldn’t look out of place on a stage of the Enduro World Series. Climbing is just a means to an end. Uphill-downhill ratio: 30:70 ↩

Strictly speaking, a 200 mm travel downhill bike is the best choice for merciless tracks with big jumps, drops and the roughest terrain. Those would be the black or double-black-diamond tracks in a bike park. But as some of the EWS pros (including Sam Hill) have proven, it’s the riding skills and not the bike that define what you can ride with it. Climbing? On foot or with a shuttle, please! Uphill-downhill ratio: 10:90 ↩

You can find more info about our rating system in this article: Click here! ↩

Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more .

Words & Photos:

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Trek Slash 8 review

Trek's Slash 8 wins our coveted 2021 Enduro Bike of the Year award

Andy Lloyd / Immediate Media

Robin Weaver

Easy to ride, very natural feeling geometry; great kit for the cash; easy to throw about yet still calm and stable when it needs to be; seriously impressive suspension

Tyres aren’t the best in damp mud

The Trek Slash 8 is our Enduro Bike of the Year for 2021 . After pitting it against seven of the best out there, all at a similar price, it was the Slash 8 that impressed us most in the end.

Meeting the criteria to win this category is no easy feat and the bikes at the pointy end of this test ticked just about every box going.

For a start, while an enduro bike might be designed to go downhill fast, it still needs to get to the top of the hill as efficiently as possible. It’s then got to handle all manner of trails thrown at it with composure and control, but still remain fun and playful throughout.

It took some serious time and effort back-to-back testing all eight of these bikes, which ranged in price from £3,450 to £4,198, riding them on a wide variety of trails and pummelling them relentlessly over rock and root until we found a winner.

Once the dust had settled, it was the Trek Slash 8 that had managed to edge its way into the lead. Its ability to tackle the wildest terrain without flinching yet all the while retaining that reactive, lively feel really won us over.

The Trek Slash has seen more than its fair share of glory over the years and was one of the first long travel 29ers to be properly proven on the world stage. Much of that success was thanks to the highly decorated Tracy Moseley, who always championed the big wheels and rode them to victory year after year.

More recently, the Slash has been making headlines with the likes of Katy Winton, Pedro Burns and Florian Nicolai piloting it.

Last year, the Slash received its first update in some time, all in a bid to properly freshen things up and bring some of that winning magic back into the mix.

The changes the US brand made to the 2021 Slash are substantial and are detailed here , but just how do they translate to the trail?

Trek Slash 8 frame and suspension details

Travel has been upped to 160mm at the rear and is now paired with a longer travel 170mm travel fork up front. It continues to be delivered via Trek’s Active Braking Pivot (ABP) suspension system which places the chainstay pivot concentric to the rear axle.

This design, in Trek’s words, enables it to “tune how the suspension reacts to acceleration and braking forces independently”. And while this might look unchanged, Trek has moved the main pivot up slightly in a bid to increase anti-squat and make the Slash pedal more efficiently.

Controlling that 160mm of travel is the proprietary RockShox Super Deluxe Thru Shaft shock. This design features a shock shaft that goes through the damper body and exits out of the bottom of the shock when compressed.

This means that the shaft doesn’t displace any extra oil as it enters the damper and therefore does away with the need for a dynamic IFP (internal floating piston – which is what compensates for oil displaced by the shock shaft) – something that Trek attributes additional complexity and lag as the shock transitions between the compression and rebound phase, thanks to the reduction in friction.

The theory, at least, should make the back end of the Slash feel seamlessly smooth and incredibly active. It’s also worth noting that the Slash will work with a standard shock as well.

Where the Slash differs from almost all other aluminium frames (and the majority of carbon ones, too), is its internal frame storage. Slide the lever below the bottle cage downward, lift the cage and hatch door up and off the down tube and you’ll find a handy opening, much like the S.W.A.T storage found on some Specialized carbon frames.

You’ll be able to squirrel away a tube and tools in here, rather than carry them on your person. Trek includes a tool roll to help prevent things rattling once stashed inside, too.

While the down tube shape has changed slightly with the latest iteration of the Slash and now offers enough room for the fork crown to clear it, thanks to the subtle curve just behind the head tube junction, Trek has stuck with its steering limiting Knock Block system.

Knock Block stops the bar from turning past a certain angle, preventing the controls on the bar from potentially impacting the top tube and breaking, or, as with the old Slash, the fork crown hitting the down tube.

The latest Knock Block 2.0 used here offers a much greater steering angle before it stops the bar from turning (72 degrees rather than 58 degrees), but if that’s still not enough for you, it can be removed.

Finally, Trek has moved to a wider diameter seatpost, opting to go with the less-common 34.9mm rather than the more popular 30.9mm or 31.6mm alternatives.

While you’ll find fewer aftermarket alternatives should you wish to upgrade your dropper post, it’s worth noting the benefits that this broader diameter brings. The main one is more space internally for the dropper post mechanism, which should make the post more reliable and stiffer.

Trek Slash 8 geometry

The Slash has been, like most other enduro-style bikes in need of a makeover, stretched out, slackened and steepened in all the relevant areas. My medium frame offers a very reasonable 450mm reach, which is a massive jump of 25mm in the low setting over the 2020 model.

Trek has relaxed the head angle for improved high-speed stability and paired it with a 42mm offset fork in a bid to create the ultimate composure through rough turns. I measured the head angle at 64.1 degrees, which is now pretty much standard for bikes like this.

The seat angle has been steepened by a staggering 2 degrees in a bid to improve climbing efficiency, putting the rider’s hips more directly over the bottom bracket.

With my saddle set at just under 700mm (measured from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle), the effective seat tube angle of the Slash 8 measured just over 76 degrees in the low setting.

The two geometry settings (low and high) are accessed via the Mino Link ovalised chips that sit inside the EVO rocker link on the seatstay pivot. Switching between the two settings alters the head and seat angles by 0.5 degrees and the bottom bracket height by a substantial 8mm.

In the low setting, I measured the bottom bracket at 344mm off the floor with a drop of 29mm, which certainly isn’t bad for a bike with this much travel.

Effective chainstay length has increased by just 2mm (now up to 437mm) compared with the 2020 model, and this remains constant across all frame sizes.

Trek Slash 8 geometry (low setting)

Trek slash 8 specifications.

The Slash 8 is a serious looker with some great kit bolted to it. Ask anyone at the trail head how much they think it’s worth and chances are they’ll give you a price far higher than its true value.

Let’s start with the suspension. The proprietary RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Thru Shaft rear shock – which, by the way, is impressive to see on a bike at this price – is paired with a Lyrik Select fork that pumps out 170mm of travel.

While this might not be the top-tier, all singing, all dancing Lyrik, it still gets the Charger 2.1 RC damper, which allows you to finely tune both the low-speed compression and rebound damping.

A SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain offers a decently wide spread of gears, thanks to that 10-52t cassette.

Again, it’s impressive to see a drivetrain like this on a bike at this price. That said, Trek has saved a little cash by opting to use the cheaper X1 cranks with a stamped steel chainring, rather than the sleeker finished GX equivalents.

Stopping duties are taken care of by a powerful set of SRAM Code R brakes that clamp around 200mm (front)/180mm (rear) rotors. At the lever, there’s tool-free reach adjust which is handy for dialling in lever set up.

The rest of the kit on the Slash 8 comes courtesy of Trek’s in-house components brand Bontrager: bar, stem, grips, dropper post and the rather firm Arvada saddle.

Bontrager also takes care of the wheels, Line Comp 30s, as well as the tyres, speccing XR5 Team Issues upfront and the lower profile and narrower XR4 Team issue at the rear.

All in, my medium Slash 8 weighed 15.25kg.

Trek Slash 8 ride impressions

Set up on the Slash was relatively straight forward; I set the sag at the rear to 30 per cent and didn’t add any more pressure to the shock during testing.

I did find I needed to toggle the low-speed compression dial into the ‘ ’ setting on the shock to get the support I was after through high-load turns and up take-offs.

Setting the rebound took a bit of playing around with, too, but in the end, I settled on four clicks from fully closed, which left it feeling fast and active but still controlled when returning from deep in the travel.

I stuck with the single volume spacer in the Lyrik fork and added 14 clicks of low-speed compression from fully closed with 70psi in the spring. This coupled with 12 clicks of rebound damping left the fork feeling active and supple yet still composed enough when the hits came thick and fast.

I tested the Slash 8 on a mix of steep, natural trails littered with roots and rocks, but all of them were generally quite slow due to their technical nature. So I spent a decent chunk of time getting some high-speed bikepark laps under my belt, subjecting the Slash 8 to fast, flowy trails, high-load turns, jumps and long stretches of jagged rocks, just to see how well it held up when the pace really picked up.

Big thanks to Bikepark Wales for letting us come and use the facilities to test despite being closed.

Trek Slash 8 climbing performance

The Slash felt incredibly easy-going when pointed uphill, especially considering the travel on tap and its outright intentions. This is mainly due to the easy-rolling tyres and just how stable the back end of the bike is when seated and spinning a gear.

At no point did I reach down for the shock's lever to firm things up because I never felt the need to. Instead, the Slash managed to sit relatively high in its travel and remain stable, with little in the way of suspension bob while the power was being applied.

Because the shock wasn’t sinking too deeply into its travel, the Slash managed to maintain its reasonably steep seat angle, which puts you in a nicely efficient, but most importantly, comfortable position for climbing. Even on steeper pitches where I was really mashing the pedals, I never once felt the need to firm the shock up.

While the 610mm effective top tube isn’t massive, it is longer (not by much) than a number of its contemporaries. While I wasn’t overly bothered by this on shorter climbs, I really started to appreciate the space this created when seated on much longer climbs up the hill.

I also appreciated the big 52t cog on the SRAM GX Eagle cassette which, after spending a long day riding lap after lap, I spent more than my fair share of time using to help preserve energy when I was really feeling fatigued but couldn’t face getting off and walking.

Trek Slash 8 descending performance

Thanks to the frame's well-considered proportions, the Slash offers up a well-centred, confident ride position, and it doesn’t take long to adapt to.

When pointed down steeper, more natural trails, I was instantly impressed by how well balanced the bike felt front to rear and how active the back end of the bike remained while it worked tirelessly trying to eke out every ounce of traction available.

And this was despite the lack of bite from the XR4 rear tyre, which doesn’t offer quite the same in terms of corner traction or braking grip compared to the likes of a Maxxis DHR II, for example.

The front tyre was a little better, but when properly leaned over in a soft, muddy turn, the shoulder tread doesn’t dig in quite as well as others, which can make for some dicey moments when the tyres do break traction.

Thankfully things remain quite predictable, so you know when you’ve reached their limit. Still, there’s no knocking their rapid rolling speed on smoother, harder packed terrain.

It was when riding a dedicated jump trail that I started playing around with the low-speed compression settings on the shock. In the default ‘zero’ setting, I was finding that I wasn’t getting as much support in the mid-stroke as I’d have liked when loading the bike from turn to turn or pumping up take-offs.

Switching the low-speed dial to the ‘ ’ position helped to cure this and while Trek says this setting is designed for this exact type of riding, I never found any drawbacks when riding other types of terrain while in it.

Throw the Slash 8 back into the technical stuff and its confident manner really starts to come to the fore as speeds pick up. Stove it head-on into a boulder field and the way this bike deals with the chaos is seriously impressive.

The Slash’s super-supple suspension recovers so rapidly hit after hit, it manages to track the trail with pin-point accuracy and without sinking too low into its travel or sacrificing any of that much-loved liveliness or pop.

The support through the suspension coupled with the taut feel through the frame ensures that you can really feel a difference in speed as you pump every bump or undulation.

That reactiveness also means that getting back up to speed after tackling a slower section or awkward obstacle doesn’t feel anywhere near as laboured as it can on some super-plush big travel rigs.

Slam on the impressively punchy Code R brakes, spot your line and commit, and the Slash will soak up whatever mess lies beneath the tyres and fire you out the other side faster than you thought possible.

It’s easy to hold onto that speed too, even when things get really ugly. Here, the calm exuded by the Slash is simply incredible. While the wheels frantically bash through bump after bump beneath you, it feels as if the chassis barely flinches, isolating the rider from the worst of the feedback and remaining steadfast with no awkward pitching back or forth.

It’s this illusion of tranquillity that the Slash manages to conjure up to give you what feels like extra time to make these split-second decisions.

The Slash’s ability to hoover up the chunder with relative ease makes riding faster a whole lot easier. And that’s the whole point of these bikes, right?

Trek Slash 8 bottom line

It took some back-to-back testing to really highlight just how impressive the Slash can be when tackling the rowdiest of terrain, but thanks to its impressive climbing manners, tidy frame details, good geometry and superb suspension, the new Trek Slash 8 has truly won me over.

While others like the Whyte G-180 might feel closer to a downhill bike in many ways, the Trek’s composure in the rough coupled with the fact that it still feels that bit more agile, poppy and playful is what helps to make this bike truly shine.

Yes, some better tyres would really help improve its performance when it comes to tackling steep, natural, muddy trails (and after switching tyres I can confirm this is the case) but factoring in the extra rubber cost at the point of purchase certainly isn’t a dealbreaker.

Overall, the Slash 8 impressed time and time again on a multitude of terrain and I was constantly in awe of the speed this thing carries through the nastiest of terrain.

A massive thank-you to BikePark Wales for granting us access to its trails despite the bike park being closed to the public.

Cheers also to Fox clothing for sorting the kit for the photo and video shoots and Garmin for sorting us out with bike computers to log the many miles of testing.

And not forgetting Muc-Off , for its help keeping the bikes washed and lubed throughout testing.

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Winner - Mountain Bike category

"The combination of high-end performance with individuality and user-friendliness in the thought-through package delighted the entire jury."

"Feels exactly right"

"The Slash has a big-bike feel that makes it easier to charge into an unfamiliar trail, while retaining enough maneuverability to prevent it from feeling like overkill on mellower trails."

Enduro Bike of the Year

Once the dust had settled, it was the Slash that managed to edge its way into the lead. Its ability to tackle the wildest terrain without flinching yet all the while retaining that reactive, lively feel really won us over.

"A hell of a bike"

"Slash is great on rough, bermed corners and it has been an absolute monster riding steeps. This is an easy bike to ride and everything felt very natural from the first drop in and I haven't looked back since."

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Trek Slash 29 - First Look

Cool Features

Trek Slash 8 Review

Trek Slash 8

Highlights:

·  Aluminium Frame

·  27.5 inch wheels

·  160mm rear wheel travel

·  E2 tapered head tube

·  65 or 65.6 degree head angle

·  Bottom bracket height 35 or 35.8cm

·  Chainstay length 43.5 or 43.3cm

·  Standover 76.2 or 76.9cm

·  Seat tube angle 66.5 or 67.1 degree

·  Pressfit BB

·  12x142mm rear axle spacing

·  Weight without pedals, frame size 18.5inch, 29.6lbs

Trek’s Slash bike had a massive overhaul for 2014 and was transformed into a very capable enduro/trail bike. 27.5 inch wheels, updated geometry (Slacker head angle and a longer front triangle) and improved spec made the Slash a very good all rounded bike. Capable of racing at the top level of enduro but still incredibly fun bike to ride around your local trail centre red route.

For 2015 the geometry stays the same. There are changes in spec and colour but also now at the top of the range carbon models. You can pick from 5 models, 2 aluminium and 3 carbon. Starting at the bottom is the Slash 7 & 8. Both come equipped with a RockShox Pike upfront, a Monarch Plus Debonair shock and on the 8 an Internal reverb dropper post which for the price is incredibly good. One of the big changes in spec this year is the RockShox Debonair shock, after years of running Fox’s custom DRCV shock the Slash finally gets an upgrade. £2500 gets you the bottom model but with some top end spec. The Slash 9, 9.8 and 9.9 are the 3 carbon models in the range. Starting at £4300 they are still very well priced especially seen as they are carbon frames, the bottom model 9 bike comes stock with a 1x11 drivetrain, XT brakes and top level suspension. All the models stick with Trek’s proven Full Floater suspension design backed up with the ABP, Active Braking Pivot. Treks Mino Link geometry adjustment system provides incredibly easy and affective changes to the bikes handling and feel. In the high position the bike sits at 65.6 degree head angle, in the low position it goes to an even slacker 65 degree head angle. All of this is easily done by simply flipping round the linkage nut/bolt just under the seat stay. All frames also include a direct front mech mount, semi internal cable routing and some ISCG tabs for an optional chain guide.

On The Trail

From the get go the Slash definitely feels like its more of a gravity lover. Slack head angle and long front triangle gives it the feeling of a downhill assassin. But at the same time the Slash feels comfortable, it’s not ridiculously slack, it’s not outrageously long. It feels right. Getting onto climbing with the bike, the Slash does so with ease. Once again the comfort of the bike stands out to me, the position you sit in is a good one. Spinning away up the climbs is easy with no traction issues or any sluggishness. On paper the Slash definitely screams out for the descents, but it climbs like a dream. Nice and easy to pedal and a pleasure to ride. One thing that with the bottom end Slash’s is how the Monarch shock doesn’t come with any lockout/pro-pedal/open feature. The shock is just open, so on some serious effort climbs you do get a bit of bob. How much this takes out of you I don’t know, honestly I don’t think a lot. After a while you get used to it and don’t really notice any travel bobbing, and also it does prevent you from ever forgetting to take your shock out of climb mode. We have all done the classic mid way down a trail realising why the suspension felt so rigid. So we have established the Slash climbs well, but how does it perform on the descents.

Even in the high mode the Slash’s 65.6 degree head angle is slack and with it being slack you really don’t need to hold back in any rough sections. The Slash is begging for bigger rocks, more gas to flats, massive root sections and the roughest of rock gardens. The Debonair really comes into its own on the descents, combined with Treks progressive suspension design both together make for an incredibly buttery smooth yet seemingly endless travel shock feel. With the ABP design out the back taking care of the braking, the Slash sits up when necessary and then releases when needed. I had no issues with the bikes handling, even in some of the roughest terrain I always felt planted and secure, yet when you wanted to get the back end out and turn some heads you still could.

The Slash is well designed, well built and in this case beautifully finished. The build kit on this Slash is pretty damn good. The new Fox 36 RC2 160 fork upfront provides amazing suspension. Really stiff fork and once a bit of time is taken to set the up, a truly brilliant fork. Low bump sensitivity with the hard hitting capabilities of a 40 fork but at the weight of a 34. The 36 really does add to the Slash’s great feel and I think without it would ride a lot differently and wouldn’t have as much aggression. The fork like the bike screams out for harder hits and takes them in its stride.

Backed up with RockShox’s Monarch Plus Debonair out the back the pair together are a formidable team. The Monarchs ability to ride so smooth on some of the tamest of trails but then at the same time take some of the largest hits without blowing through its travel. It’s so well designed and is incredibly well built. The new Debonair system is the main source of wow factor for the Monarch. You can set the shock up to feel like a DH bike but at the same time climb like an XC whippet. With suspension taken care of the Slash’s braking is taken care of Shimano’s SLX brake, there’s not much really to say about them if I’m honest, you fit them and forget. I have had no issues with any sets and the only time they are in the work stand is for pad replacement and occasionally a bleed. Great power and nice feel. RaceFace’s Turbine Wheelset keeps the Slash rolling. The XC/Trail wheelset from RaceFace are surprisingly capable, although not really designed for hard hitting enduro tracks the Turbines have lasted well. I do occasionally have them in the jig for a quick true and tension adjust but haven’t yet broken any spokes or rims. One issue I did have was with the freehub, in the delightfully wet conditions ok the UK the lack of sealing in the freehub is made very apparent. I do have to clean it out and re-grease every few months, but with it being winter and rather wet I’m sure in the summer it will last a lot longer. SRAM’s X1 budget drivetrain takes care of gearing. Compared to all the top model XX1 and even XO1 drivetrains there is a fair difference. I find the shifting to be a lot stiffer and not as smooth, however that’s not to say its to stiff or not smooth at all. The X1 shifting is crisp and precise. The cassette is a tad heavier but is still reasonable. The mech is also a tad heavier not being carbon. But after giving mine a few whacks on rocks and other trail obstacles after a quick bit of elbow grease you have a straight mech again. After trying the same with an XX1 mech you can’t get the same result. Once you have knocked it out of line it is difficult to get it back right and it isn’t exactly cheap to buy a replacement. The rear end is good, the shifting is good, the weight isn’t to bad and it’s a damn sight cheaper. Upfront taking crank duties are the bit more expensive but a lot lighter XX1 carbon cranks. The X1 cranks supplied are heavy and I felt a little bit of carbon wouldn’t go a miss on the Slash.

I rarely ever dropped my chain on the Slash but seen as it was my race bike I didn’t want to risk it. With Gamut’s top guide aboard it keeps the chain even more secure and doesn’t compromise the shifting or pedalling at all really. Unfortunately for Gamut though the bolts they use seem to be made out of cheese and round out incredibly easy, but it’s not difficult to put some stronger bolts in. Something I am yet to get round to. Saddle wise I am running DMR’s Stage 1 saddle, its an incredibly comfortable saddle and is appealing to the eye. The Ride Saver feature is one of the big sellers for me. The Ride Saver strap located below the saddle means you can attach a tube and canister to your seat, eliminating any need of a bag really. With a bottle cage and some pockets on your jacket you can have everything you need to go out and race or even just a quick after work spin.

What’s the bottom line?

The 2015 Trek Slash is one of the best all rounded bikes out there. Incredibly capable and more suited to the descents but still can climb with ease. Be it super steep, super rocky or just all round death tech the Slash can handle it. And to top it off its great value for money, top spec for not to much cash. Great feel, really comfortable to ride and then when you point it downhill it turns into a raging beast that won’t stop for no rock or root section. Playful, fun and tameable at the same time. Trek’s Slash is quality and I can’t wait to race it through this years season. 

Most Popular

Mountain Bike Magazine

Introducing the new Trek Slash…

Well with all of the buzz about the new Remedy, one of the most frequently asked questions that we heard was : “What happened to the Slash?”

That’s a great question as the last iteration of the bike received high marks and was quite popular.  We’ve had to be tight lipped for the last week, but we got a preview of it in Squamish Canada a couple of months ago.  Basically it’s become an all out 29″ wheeled Enduro Race bike.

With a head angle that’s close to 65º the new Slash has to be one of, if not the slackest 29″ bike in production.  The new bike is 29″ only and available as a frame kit and as just two different spec levels for complete bikes.  The new frame does away with Full Floater and is surprisingly the stiffest 29″ bike that Trek has ever manufactured.  In fact it’s so stiff that it scores higher numbers than Trek’s Session DH bike in terms of rigidity.

For full breakdown of the components on the Slash 9.8 and 9.9 RSL check out this PDF of the  Slash Spec

Slash 29 FAQ

What’s new with 2017 Slash?

Like the Fuel EX & Remedy, Slash gets a Straight Shot downtube with Knock Block frame defense for DH-worthy frame stiffness with no added weight. It also gets our extra-versatile Control Freak cable routing system to tie it all together.

How many Slash bike models are there?

Two. Both the Slash 9.8 and Slash 9.9 RSL share the same race-ready, full-carbon, 1x-specific frame.

What does Race Shop Limited mean?

Race Shop Limited, or RSL models are built with a parts spec that meets the demands of our top-level Enduro racers, including extra suspension adjustments, a Rapid Drive rear hub, and the new SRAM X01 Eagle 1×12 drivetrain. 

Is Slash available as a frameset?

Yes. Slash is available as a frameset, which includes a Fox Factory Float X2 shock, Knock Block headset, and Line Pro 35mm stem. 

What are the available sizes for Slash?

All Slash models are available in 15.5, 17.5, 19.5, and 21.5.

While most other long-travel 29ers suffer from design constraints that don’t allow for a Small frame size, Slash benefits from Trek’s decade of 29er experience, allowing us to offer a fast, great-handling 15.5” long-travel 29er.

Why doesn’t the new Slash use Full Floater?

We developed Full Floater years ago to address performance constraints associated with the air shocks that were available at that time. Since then, mountain bike shocks have evolved. More dynamic and responsive dampers, along with more refined air springs like EVOL and Debonair, offer the performance benefits our engineers sought to achieve with Full Floater.

Using a fixed lower shock mount opens up the lower frame area, giving us more opportunity to design stronger, stiffer frames and chainstays. This also gives us more flexibility to accommodate larger, more capable shocks. All of these effects are experienced most dramatically on long travel bikes, like the Slash.

Then why is Full Floater still on new Fuel EX and Remedy?

Full Floater works great on short to mid-travel bikes where engineering requirements are not so challenging. The demanding combination of design requirements – frame stiffness, bigger 29” wheel size, long travel, and fitting piggyback shocks– of the new Slash 29 presented the greatest opportunity to incorporate a new direction in suspension layout.

What front derailleurs work with the new frame?

None. The carbon chainstay is 1x only, which allowed our engineers to optimize stiffness and weight, as well as keep the length down to 435mm.

Is Slash compatible with other aftermarket shocks?

Yes. Slash uses new standard metric shock sizing (230×57.5mm).

Does Slash use a G2 fork?

Yes. It’s a 29er, and we know that our G2 Geometry with a 51mm offset fork still makes for the best 29er handling at any speed, on any terrain.

What Mino Link position is standard out of the box?

All MY17 full suspension bikes (EXCEPT Top Fuel and Session) will ship with the Mino Link in the High (steeper) setting. This gives Slash a headtube angle of 65.6 out of the box.

Is the new frame compatible with 27.5 Plus wheels and tires? 27.5?

No. We designed Slash around 29” wheels and tires for maximum speed. Running any other wheel/tire size will adversely affect handling and speed.

What is the max tire size for Slash frames?

Pricing & Availability

www.trekbikes.com

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TREK SLASH 9.9 XO1 LONG-TERM REVIEW

Forward thinking slash with new shock technology.

Words by Mike Wirth/Gooseworks Photos by Jon Coulthard

Our season of bike tests with the new Trek Slash was supposed to include a summer of burning laps at the bike park, utilizing the comforts of a chairlift to feed our gravity habit. With bike park operations varying greatly due to COVID-19, and shuttle rides feeling risky with or without masks, we had the chance to test Trek’s new long-travel enduro race machine as it was designed to be ridden, as an enduro race bike with gravity chops that can still be used to climb. We pedaled this bike to the top of every mountain surrounding the Los Angeles area, and then pointed it down the gnarliest lines we could find at least twice a week for the last few months.

THE LAB We won’t delve too deep into the lab in this review, as we covered alot of the major changes and updates to the Slash in our First Ride Report a couple months ago. The new Trek Slash gets a 10-millimeter bump in travel from last year’s version, now sporting 160mm in the rear, and 170mm in the front. Geometry changes follow the “longer, lower, slacker” line of thinking, but still not so far as to call it “extreme.” The frame still has Trek’s Knock Block headset system to protect the top tube and cables in a crash, but the fork crown does clear the downtube, so Knock Block is removable on this year’s Slash. When asked why they went this way, Trek simply said that the feature is polarizing on whether the protection worth limiting steering range. So they leave it up to the rider. Other nice features include internal frame storage for every model, including the alloy ones. A new and larger 34.9mm diameter seat tube accommodates more robust dropper posts. The BSA 73mm threaded bottom bracket is easier to service and less creaky than press fit versions. Something mechanics and tinkerers like myself are very happy about. A full-length downtube guard provides added protection, especially for shuttling, which is another awesome feature.

GEOMETRY CHANGES INCLUDE • Head tube gets 0.6 degrees slacker (high: 64.6, low: 64.1) • Seat tube angle gets almost 2 degrees steeper (high: 76.1, low: 75.6) • Reach gets longer by 20-30mm depending on size

THE DIRT The size XL (21.5”) test bike feels on the big side compared to extra larges from some other brands, which should make all you “Longer is better” folks happy. The 2021 version of the Trek Slash gets a slightly longer top tube, and is paired with a slightly steeper seat tube angle that hides some of this length. Overall, the position is quite well balanced with a position that’s upright yet aggressive.

CLIMBING: RockShox and Trek Bicycles have designed the RockShox Super Deluxe with several options for effective ride settings. For long grinds and fire roads, the switch can be flipped on, which leaves the rear suspension very firm. This puts the rider in the most efficient position with the shock high in its travel and the rider weight forward. Suspension movement is minimal and helps deliver the most power. For more technical climbs, the switch can be flipped open to activate one of three additional compression modes. The “Open” setting is simply too soft for most climbing applications. However, Trek has done a nice job making the other two modes effective for keeping the suspension moving and improving traction on loose terrain. The “+” setting is the firmest of these “Open” shock modes, and keeps the rider higher in the travel while still allowing it to flutter over trail chatter and keep the tires hooked up. Whether you like to set and forget, or reach for a switch every time the trail points up, the Slash has a setting for that.

DESCENDING: The same shock modes that leave options for the climbing modes make for three distinct personalities descending with the Slash. However, no matter where the shock is set, the rest of the bike is built for speed on the descents. The capable geometry beg the rider to push the envelope on hairy descents. We found confidence to hit chutes and steeps our first ride out that have given us pause on lesser bikes. The stable nature of the Slash has a calmness when the terrain feels unforgiving. It’s like riding the back of a Grizzly bear as it powers through the forest. Riding the Trek Slash makes the hardest features feel easier. It almost seems to nudge your eyes to look farther down the trail than you think you need, because you don’t realize how fast the suspension is gobbling the obstacles beneath you and how much sooner you’ll be at that rock or root way down the trail.

I had most recently been spending time on a Yeti SB150 and found that the Slash descends with much more confidence, granted it couuld be the extra bit of travel and shock tune, but when it came time  to point the Slash downhill it was steps ahead in terms of speed and confidence. Although the Trek Slash feels like a massive bike in almost every way, it is in no way sluggish. It’s quite amazing that even the XL we tested rides as snappily and lively as a much smaller, shorter travel bike. With the shock set to the firmer “+” or “O” modes, the rear suspension firms slightly and becomes more flickable. These are the settings we used on jump and berm trails. Testers noted the added support gave the bike a responsive feel that gave plenty of pop off jumps and came off the ground easily to hit the little jib features along the way. With these two modes, the bike feels remarkably playful and accelerates quicker when pumping transitions. With the rear shock set to the softest “-“ setting, the Slash’s suspension becomes much more plush and easy to activate. This setting keeps rider weight low and back, and works best on gnarly, steep terrain. With the shock set to this mode, the Slash is remarkably supple over small and medium hits with solid mid stroke support. The bike digs deep into the travel on big hits and matches the RockShox Zeb fork up front.

MINOR GRIPES: The included multi tool comes with a fairly standard array of tools. It fits neatly inside the steerer tube, out of sight but not out of reach for a quick trailside repair. The stubby bits can be difficult to use, and proved too short to easily use them on bolts that are even slightly recessed, like the bolts on a SRAM Code brake that’s rubbing.

Our first ride out had us second guessing Bontrager SE5 Team Issue tire spec. They sport a a relatively lightweight sidewall that accelerates quickly with impressively low rolling resistance. However, we quickly pinch flatted the tire and ripped a sidewall on a rock that didn’t look overly menacing. Call it first ride bad luck, but we increased our pressure from 24psi to 28 for more insurance. The rounded profile is predictable and provides a nice bite when cornering, although it’s not as responsive as a more squarely-profiled tire. Straight braking traction is ample, though, and the Slash makes the most of the knobs to eek out every bit of handling prowess. Running the tires with lower pressures and a foam liner to provide support the sidewalls might be the secret here.

What may be a gripe here is actually Trek’s reaction to forums so we can’t fault them too much there. The 820-millimeter Bontrager bar is massive, and will need to be cut down for most riders. Even on our size XL test bike, we cut our bars down to 790, but it’s nice riders have the option.

We had shock mount bolts come loose twice during a season of testing. The rest of the hardware performed impeccably. The bottom bracket started creaking on us a couple times during the season, likely from too many stream crossings and bike washings post rides. The threaded bottom bracket makes servicing that area much quicker and easier than a press-fit BB. We applaud Trek for this spec. The bearings in the BB and the frame are still smooth after a full season of hard riding through creeks and SoCal’s grease-eating dust.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Back in the day I always imagined a “unicorn bike” as being an anorexic DH bike built with parts so light it floated uphill easily and then smashed downhills like a gorilla. Lucky for us, bikes have evolved beyond our childhood dreams and now we can have our cake and eat it too. The Trek Slash has a supreme capability to make climbing absolutely bearable and fairly efficient, which is impressive for it’s travel and capability on the downs. Trek’s new Slash has descending chops that rival any long travel bike we can think of. During this unusual year when no chairlifts were available to test, this Slash became the most effective tool to access gnarly trails, with its sort of “portable chairlift” feel.

Price: $7,999 Website: Trekbikes.com

SPECIFICATIONS

CHASSIS Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon (160mm travel) Fork: RockShox ZEB Select+, 44mm offset, (170mm travel) Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Thru Shaft

COCKPIT Brakes: SRAM Code Shifter: SRAM X01 Handlebar: Bontrager Line Pro Carbon (820mm) Headset: Knock Block 2.0 Integrated Stem: Bontrager XR Trail (35mm) Saddle: Bontrager Arvada Seatpost: Bontrager Line Elite Dropper

WHEELS Wheelset: Bontrager Line Carbon 30 (29”, 54t driver) Tires: Bontrager SE4 Team Issue

DRIVETRAIN Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB Cassette: SRAM X01 (10-52t) Cranks: SRAM X01 Derailleur: SRAM X01

Excellent geo that’s progressive without being extreme Effective and easy to use shock tune RockShox Zeb fork and build kit are up for a challenge Finish quality on paint, hardware and house brand components top-notch

We don’t, slashed sidewall on bontrager se5 tire sram code brakes impossible to adjust with included multi tool, and they require adjustments, leave a comment | win free stuff.

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