First Look: 2022 Trek Roscoe Hardtail

There are four new models, the Roscoe 9, 8, and 7. There's also a Roscoe 6 in the lineup that retails for $1,150 USD, but that one uses the old frame, which means it doesn't benefit from any of the updates described here. Given the dramatic growth of mountain biking over the last year or so, it's good to see more well-spec'd hardtails hit the market, especially at these pricepoints. On paper, the new Roscoe looks like it'd be a great stepping-stone into the sport, a solid platform to get new riders hooked.



Frame Details

Bad news – the new Roscoe no longer has kickstand mounts on the chainstay. I know, that's a tough pill to swallow. I'll pause for a moment while everyone dries their tears... In all seriousness, the Roscoe's frame has shed some of the details that made it stick out as a more entry-level option rather than one designed for more technical off-road riding.

The aluminum frame has internal cable routing, with a port in the downtube that's used to run a zip tie around the housing to keep it from rattling around. There's room for two water bottles inside the front triangle, and fairly short seat tube lengths that leave plenty of space for running longer travel dropper posts, although all models come with a 150mm dropper. I'm nitpicking, but it'd be nice to see the larger sizes have posts with more drop.

Other details include molded chainslap protection, downtube protection, and compatibility with SRAM's Universal Derailleur hanger. There's also plenty of room for running a 29 x 2.6” rear tire.



Geometry


The looks of the Roscoe didn't change too dramatically – after all, there's only so many ways to shape a hardtail frame – but its geometry numbers did undergo a complete overhaul. The head angle now sits at 65-degrees, which is 2.2-degrees slacker than before. It's a number that puts the Roscoe in the do-it-all category, as opposed to the more downhill-oriented hardtails like Kona's Honzo ESD, or Norco's Torrent, which have 63- and 64-degree head angles respectively, and manners that work best at higher speeds or on steeper trails.

As far as reach goes, that number has increased by around 40mm per size – a large frame now has a reach of 470, up from 428mm. The seat tube angle has steepened to go along with that increased front center, and now measures 74.7-degreees on all sizes.

The final number to note is the chainstay length. That's been trimmed down to 430mm, 8mm shorter than before. That number remains the same for all frame sizes.

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Builds

Roscoe 9 / $2,700 USD

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Roscoe 8 / $2,300 USD

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Roscoe 7 / $1,700 USD

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