Video: Trek Factory Racing Prepares for the 2023 XC Season

 GlassesDirect.com?

 @bigtim: probably, I can’t check on my browsing history since it is empty

 @bigtim:
Or is it assesdirect.com ?

 Looks like a winter training session.

 ....The Remedy is some TopFuel?

 HA

 A few of the spyshots of the new epic show it with fabric wrapped around the toptube like the supercal in 2019. I wonder if Specialized is trying a similar system. Either way I hope the new trek bike is just a slightly longer travel Supercaliber with a similar design.

 track invented a time machine, moved to the future, stole innovation from a specialized

 @ilyamaksimov:

I hope they moved to the future with the BMX TimeMachine :-P

 It’s interesting, I was just thinking about this. I have a Supercaliber and honestly for all the racing in the U.S. it feels great. However, I’m about to do my first U.C.I. sanctioned race soon and it does feel outgunned in the rocks. Totally depends on where you ride.

 @Bikesbecauserunningsucks: it feels good because you are used to it. I thought my 17 Epic was good until I road the 20 Spark RC, which was miles ahead of the Epic. I have a 23 Spark RC coming and am hoping for the same progression. Love the idea of the SuperCal but don’t want to go backwards.

 please no

 @mgs781HD: We’ll my team works with Scott so maybe a Spark here too soon. It would be nice.

 Wondering if its getting an update that fills more the new xc/downcountry segment. The top fuel seems like a temp filler till something new comes out. Its not really xc, not really trail… not really downcountry? Its like light trail or 2018 trail. I know the pink bike reviews liked it but there is nothing exciting about it if you own a top fuel already. Just updated geo. The fuel ex 5gen to 6gen… thats a worthy upgrade.

I passed on it. Got an element

 It's a pure xc race bike we don't need another slack downcountry style xc bike there's plenty of others out there if your after that sort of bike. Be better if they offered an alternate model of bike than ruin the great agile handling of the current supercaliber. I love how quick it feels as is. I honestly would not have purchased my 2022 9.8 gx if it had slacker geo. It's not that kind of bike.

 @rabidmonkfish: this. It rips as is. Needs Nothing.

 @Bikesbecauserunningsucks: Which race?

 @JSTootell: It was the Salinas, Puerto Rico XCO last weekend.

 @Bikesbecauserunningsucks: ah, ok. The southern California round is coming up soon. I was going to tell you that your Supercal is more than adequate for that course. But...never mind

 @JSTootell: I’m still thinking about doing Vail Lake. It’s on the opposite side of the country from me though. Puerto Rico is actually closer.

 @Bikesbecauserunningsucks: well, if you do, let me know.

The course is "fun", but nothing I would consider hard or technical. Lots and lots of singletrack flow up and down. I don't think my lobbying for adding jumps and drops will pay off.

I'm local, being less than two hours away

 My medium large gx 9.8 weighs 10.5 kg with pedals invisiframe, front mudguard and bottle cage. That's better than they claim and decently light. It's the fastest bike I've ever ridden for it's great.

 @rabidmonkfish: arc8 evolve fs weighs 1250g without a shock and a shock adds 250g~ and costs less for the frame
The supercaliber with shock weighs 2000g~ with 50mm less travel

 @XCplease: supercaliber doesnt flex tho.

 @XCplease: 1775g for the arc8 with shock which is impressive but the total build is claimed 10.7kg for the comparable xt equipped model (though it does have a dropper post) so yeh impressive weight but I don't want a 65 degree head angle xc bike with that much travel. It just will not be as fast a bike for xc with those geometry numbers. The wheelbase is much too long for me too. That said it's crazy light if your after a more trail/downcountry bike it would be fantastic i Imagine.
The trek has carbon wheels for similar money which is much better for weight saving than the frame. Also I hate the shitty across through headset cable routing too on the arc8. I could see this bike suiting lots of people but as a pure xc bike it's not really trying to be that.

 @mm732: you ever ridden a arc8?

 @rabidmonkfish: its 1775g with a heavy shock

 @XCplease: is this what they claim or did you actually have it on your own scale? I ask because each XC super light frame I ever had was above claimed weight and I had many framesets on my scale before building them up. Scalpel, Epic Evo, Blur,....

 @rabidmonkfish: Agree with you, 65ha is going to feel sluggish as hell on most courses. Imagine turning that climbing a 180deg switch back climb.

Fair enough it will descend, most amateur series even national courses in UK are not world cup level, 90% of the time spent on the course is either flat, slight gradients, fast cornering, slow cornering and climbing, which 65deg HA will not feel good without really man handling the bike around, wasting energy.

 @xrob: actually ride it dawg
I'm rlly purist with my bikes like 16lb xc bike stuff but the arc8 actually climbs well

 Was that a question?

 Evie’s dad joke fails?

 I enjoyed it, but then again I try to enjoy most things in life because the planet already has enough who don't.