Spotted: Unreleased Trek High-Pivot Enduro Bike
What have we here?
It's peak riding season, and that means next year's hottest bikes are getting some time in the sun, working out the kinks before they hit the market. A Pinkbike reader happened to be out and about at the same time as a few Trek employees, and spotted what looks to be a new enduro bike that's nearly ready to go. It's safe to assume that this is the next Slash, and it appears to be a high pivot.
My guess is that the engineering team at Trek are taking notes from their new mid-high pivot Session, and applying the same principles to the enduro bike platform. The photographed bike looks quite similar to a few other idler-equipped enduro bikes on the market currently, namely the Devinci Spartan, the Norco Shore, and the Hope HB916.
The idler wheel looks to be a bit bigger than some of the other bikes mentioned; larger idler wheels are typically used to reduce the drag in a system, and should reduce wear with the increased chain wrap. There's also a pulley wheel that extends from the bash guard, another measure that's likely to improve chain wrap and reduce noise or the chance of derailment.
There appears to be an accessory mount underneath the top tube, and it's safe to assume Trek will continue using their in-frame storage system that they've featured on a few of their past models. One interesting detail that I'm seeing in this photo is what looks to be a bolt-on lower shock mount, perhaps with the ability to swap out for other sizes and kinematic tunes. This is some pretty deep speculation, but hey, that's what Spotted shots are all about.
The tread pattern of this tire looks similar to Bontrager's existing lineup, but the lack of a hot patch suggests they're experimenting with different casings or compounds.
We've reached out to Trek for comment, and their reply was a simple and mysterious one liner:
“It’s only real if you believe.”
And thanks to @theflowkid for the keen eye, great work out there!
Author Info:
Member since Dec 25, 2016
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
It’s a 29’r; therefore more bb drop and a longer axle-crown. This would give it similar or even more stack height than a 27.5 bike like your scout with the longer head tube.
Stack has to grow with reach or everyone looks like a giraffe on them, spread out and bent down(becoming common with modern bikes anyway because reach is long on alot of bikes)
Im not a huge German engineering fan but Brands like YT and Canyon have got their sizing pretty darn good, with YT running slightly shorter.
You are correct. Other than the bb height the geo will not change. 29ers have more bb drop built into the frame so that you have an appropriate bb height with 29 inch wheels fitted. The bb is well below the wheel axles on a 29r, this is what gives them the touted ‘in the bike feeling’. If you slapped 27.5 inch wheels in your 29’r you’d drop almost an inch in bb height. Combine that with a longer axle to crown fork to accommodate the 29 inch wheel and you have a similar or larger stack height than a 27.5 bike. Compare the size for size geo charts of that medium scout to to the medium fuel and see which one has more stack height despite the 25mm longer headtube of the scout.
29ers are generally always going to have a quite a bit shorter headtubes than a 27.5 bike. Have a look at some geo charts. Mullet bikes may yet have an even shorter headtube. I’m not arguing for short headtubes. I’d prefer a well braced steerer tube.
What you are seeing with Trek and the dumb giant stack of spacers is because that is what they ship with. You can adjust fit and change bar rise to suit your needs if you have some extra steerer showing. Alot of people don’t care(run what ya brung) or don’t know how adjustable the cockpit of a bike is.
the fuel exe is in the same boat, i was actually lucky enough to swap my full power ebike for a EXE for a lap of the bike park last weekend and it had so much back and forth flex it felt like it was going to break - when you turned the Handle bars with the front loaded it was like your internet with lag lol.
I have and know a few people who own them. That’s the first time I’ve heard that anecdote. It wasn’t something I’d read in any of the reviews I checked out either. I wasn’t commenting on the flex issue you’re having. Was just trying to help explain the fit/stack height thing. As an example, Santa Cruz who have always had nice long headtubes, chopped 25 mm off the large 5010 when it went from full 27.5 to a mullet bike with the newest generation. It’s kinda the nature of the beast. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice if Trek added an extra 5-15 here or there to the headtubes but on a 29’r or mullet you can only go so far.
And like you say sure if you switched to 275 the stack would be the same, but with 29er BB drop the bike would be unrideable so it's pretty irrelevant. To function it would need less BB drop which would reduce stack. 29 will always have more stack for a given fork travel and head tube length.
So, what little I can offer is the Transition Sentinel (160mm/150mm) has a 110mm headtube for a ‘medium’ which is 10mm or 10% longer than the Trek Fuel EX. From what I’ve gathered from your comments, it seems this 10mm or 10% might just be the difference people are looking for.
If you really believe in high stack buy from a niche company that is making the geometry you believe in
Yes, but depending on bb drop. Medium fuel has 5mm less stack than medium sentinel. So with a 105mm headtube the trek would fit nearly identical to the sentinel, if you consider the sentinel to have ‘ideal geo’. Even without that 5mm it would still fit ‘taller’ (it has more stack) than your scout though. It’s just splitting hairs at this point when it comes to fit. Structurally I like the idea of a longer well braced headtube. I’m sure the little stubby ones are designed to take the licks though.
If people really just want to poopoo trek they could probably find better reasons than the way they fit. It seems a bit personal for Mr HeatedRotor for whatever reason.
We can keep using bigger forks on trail bikes if we wont beef up the headtube/steerer aswell.
Sentinel has its own issues, its also priced stupid high here.
I get what you’re saying but the stack seems pretty average compared to what’s out there. You mentioned yt as a brand doing good things with fit. The yt Jeffsy has only 5mm more stack throughout the sizes and only 2mm more once you get to an xl. They have similar reach numbers as well. When setup as a mullet the fuel actually has the same or higher stack than the jeffsy 29. It’s pretty well the same story with the canyon spectral as well.
I slap 40 or 50mm bars on all my bikes and remove as many spacers as I can. Works for me. Santa Cruz still has some higher than average stack heights if you haven’t looked at them. They have 3 different mullet bikes that all rip if you’re willing to pony over some cash for meh value.
That said, with my new EX and the "extra strack" from a longer steerer tube and taller stem, I never experience unwanted flex in the headtube. I ride my Ex hard, and IMO it's a very quiet and tight feeling bike. In fact, I've been able to open up and find speed that I haven't been able to on all my other bikes, so this is also my "enduro" rig for local SE races.
I also know quite a few people who ride the new EX, and not one person has felt any flex in the headtube area. It sucks that you're feeling that flex, but it's also interesting that you're the only one that's mentioned it.
Also that is such a copy of specializeds paint jobs its hilarious.
images.app.goo.gl/kAR4S9p91PfLviGC8
The current slash is a great bike because of it's all-roundedness. The bike pedals great.
Maybe Slash will go high-pivot and they'll re-do the Remedy at 160mm as more of an all-mountain / enduro all rounder.
Whole bike looks great. Not a huge fan of the paintjob