SBC tested and approved: Trek Slash 650b

After riding the long-travel mid-sized wheel option from Trek since early April my initial thoughts have been confirmed over and over again. The conclusion: this bike rules.

Yes,I could reel off all the numbers and angles and specs that make this bike so great but you can read that on every mtb forum on the web. What makes me give this ride the SBC stamp of approval is by the sheer amounts of fun I have had riding it.

Sporting a lengthy 160mm of travel it's been my one bike to rule them all.  And by "them all" I am referring to the different types of rides, races, and events I've done and not the inhabitants of Middle Earth (nerd alert!).  To name a few of the rides that seen the Slash get put through its paces; the Massanutten Yee-Ha downhill race, the Giro d'ville, the Massanutten Hoo-Ha XXC, le Tour de Burg, the SM100, and Shenduro. Yep, the same bike for a downhill race and a 100 mile endurance race.

I did a custom set-up using the Slash 7 to start, adding Sram's XX1 drivetrain, Industry Nine Torch wheels and a RockShox reverb stealth seatpost and it weighed in at 28lbs.3oz. The Trek Slash 650b is ready to pedal all day, but when the trail points downhill, it comes alive. It's squishy, it's light, it's fast, it's a total party. And it gets better, the 2015 Slash 650b is available in a  carbon model. Check it out at Trekbikes.com and check out a great review the fine folks at Pinkbike wrote up for the new carbon option here: Trek Slash 9.8 - Review .Ride on!  - Collin

Trek Fuel EX is now availalbe in a 27.5" Wheel

With the exploding popularity of the 27.5" wheel size, Trek is introducing a full 27.5 Fuel EX lineup to complement its bigger wheel sibling, the Fuel EX 29. We have seen a great response over the past year with the confident riding bigger wheeled Fuel EX 29. For trail riders seeking a more playful ride, Trek introduces the Fuel EX 27.5. It's loaded with all the same features – ABP, DRCV, Full Floater and EVO Link - that have made the Fuel EX such a well-reviewed and much beloved bike.

For the Fuel EX 27.5, Trek has once again broken new ground in mountain bike suspension technology with the unveiling of RE:aktiv. Born of a partnership among Trek, FOX and Penske Racing Shocks, RE:aktiv is a damping technology that delivers on the promise of uncompromising control over both small bumps and large obstacles with the ability to handle both instantaneously.

Penske Racing Shocks supplies custom suspension solutions to the world's top automotive race teams. The most popular suspension provider among Formula 1 teams, Penske focuses solely on providing the world's fastest drivers with custom suspension solutions when they're not working on redefining mountain bike suspension with Trek. With the Penske and Trek development teams working towards a better suspension design, FOX was brought in for their bike and manufacturing expertise. The result is a shock that delivers a new level of control that's unlike anything else currently available.

Are "Tweener" Wheels the wave of the future? SBC Customer 27.5" Wheel Review

Review of the Trek Remedy 9 27.5" Bicycle by long Time SBC Customer Tommy Cooper.

Dear SBC,
So it's been a month and a half since I got the bike, probably time to tell you what I think about it. To be honest, I was bit concerned switching from the Turner to the Trek. Maybe it was a bit of snobbery, probably it had to do with circumstances not allowing me to test ride it first. But I had tested the SantaCruz and Ibis and I knew I wanted a bike with tweener wheels. The Remedy looked like the right choice on paper and for the price. I took the leap and bought a frame and fork.

Built up. The Remedy was almost identical in weight to the bike it replaced. This wasn't a big surprise, most of the parts were a direct swap. But I went up in wheel size, so the frame and fork must have shed a little weight to compensate. Either way it was a win, 30 pounds with dropper and pedals and built to thrash.
Headed out to the Nutt for a shake down run - hole in the wall and 2k.

With 140 mm travel front and rear, the Remedy matches the 5 spot in travel, but it feels much bigger. Bigger cockpit, travel feels bigger, the bike just feels more substantial and makes you want to charge through rock gardens. Downhill, NP, point and shoot, go ahead take that ridiculous line. The sensation never gets old, going fast on this bike results in a permanent shit eating grin. But how would it do when compared to the 5spot's legendary stiffness, climbing efficiency and general technical badassedness?

In Short. No freaking problem. The only thing holding this bike back on climbs was an over weight, underpowered motor. Traction was premium on steep technical climbs. The right balance between a large contact patch, and quick acceleration when you needed to bust a move through a technical section. Slow speed maneuvers were equally rewarding, just hunker down and feel your effort at the pedal transfer directly through the back wheel. No power robbing flex to perceive. Trail features that have been thwarting me recently finally surrendered. The shakedown was a success, but some tweaks would be required.

I opted for the 18.5 vs the 17.5 medium and am happy with the larger bike. It wound up having a 15mm longer top tube than the medium 5spot, and as a result I found myself on the nose of the saddle when climbing. Moving the seat up about 5 mm helped my butt stay on the fatter part of the saddle. I also ordered a 10mm shorter stem to help get the front wheel off the ground during those "oh poop" moments. Finally I dropped the stem about a full spacer lower than my old setup to compensate for the taller fork. My position is still upright and comfortable, but the wheel stays planted when climbing and my weight is more balanced cornering. An added bonus is that when I stand to climb, I feel there is a larger balance point. I don't need to concentrate so much on where my weight is between the front and rear wheel. The front stays planted and the rear has traction while I flail around on the bike trying to make the pedals move.

During my first ride, I forgot about the CTD levers on the fork and shock and found this bike pedals very efficiently if you set and forget the suspension. I have since discovered the levers and they take the Remedy to a whole new level. I tend to use the T and D position on the fork and C and T on the shock. That's just me, you could be different. But use them, they are not just marketing fluff. The Cable routing to the rear derailleur got me. Building from scratch, the correct way to route wasn't obvious and resulted in a damaged cable. A quick trip to the shop to scope out the proper routing and a new cable/housing later, problem solved. You also want to pay attention to the pivots, especially the ABP pivots at the rear axel. Mine came loose after about 5 rides. Clean them and apply Blue Locktite to the threads. Trek sells a lightweight tool for the pivot bolts. Get it when you buy the bike, before you need to replace your derailleur hanger on the trail. Don't say you weren't warned.

Only a month and a half but it feels like i've owned this bike much longer. The best way I can convey how happy I am, is to simply say I have no bike lust. I still read the new bike reviews online and in print, but they are hollow. The industry is creating some mind blowing bikes right now, this is one of them, and for me it is the best option out there.